Thanksgiving as​ defined by​ the Merriam-Webster Dictionary:​ 1) the act of giving thanks 2) a prayer expressing gratitude 3) a public acknowledgment or celebration of divine goodness.

​Thanksgiving as defined by American consumerism: the holiday lost somewhere in between the one with all of the candy and the one with all of the toys. ​As my mailbox fills with catalogs and store aisles fill with decorations, I can't help but wonder why it seems so easy to focus on the things we don't yet have but want, than what we already have and should be thankful for?

This week's Isn't That Something post is brought to you by my wandering mind. I don't know about you, but sometimes my creative tank just feels drained and I need something to kindle my imagination. I believe that anything can inspire - a song, story, image, even a beautiful new handbag - so here is a compilation of random, yet interesting tidbits that I hope inspire or maybe just intrigue you...

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It is that time of year when you need to toss an extra blanket on your bed, pull on a warm sweater before heading out the door and turn off the air conditioning in favor of throwing open the windows. Fall is here.

Autumn heralds many things that I look forward to immensely - pumpkin spice lattes, I'm talking about you - but my absolute favorite thing about fall is apples. I am obsessed with honey crisp apples, and so I can't help adding an apple-related post this week to celebrate the advent of fall.

"We’re introducing an unlimited leave policy for new moms and dads that allows them to take off as much time as they want during the first year after a child’s birth or adoption," as stated in the August 4th Netflix blog post.

The report, conducted by the International Labor Union, also states that the US offers new mothers fewer weeks of maternity leave than any other Western country. Way to go 'Merica! Obviously, I am less than thrilled with our country's treatment of new working mothers and am in a state of ​wonder at Netflix's new policy, which not only creates opportunities for new working mothers, but new working fathers as well. Talk about a giant leap forward.

I love to travel. I also love my daughter. However toddlers and travel don't usually ever go well together. 

My husband and I recently took two weeks off from work and our little family of three went on vacation. It was heavenly. It was the epitome of vacation and we tried to do as little “work” as possible. Which for me meant not only stepping away from my real job, but this little blog as well. We needed to take time to focus on our family.

After vacation, I planned to write something about our trip for my next post. Unfortunately upon our return, I learned that my grandfather had passed. Coming back to reality became difficult on an entirely different level. He had been in hospice care for a while, so I knew that the time would come to have to say goodbye, but I still wasn’t prepared for how hard it would be. So instead of writing about vacation, I’d like to write about my Grandpa - Lloyd J. Hill, Jr.

My heart melts when my daughter reaches her tiny arms up to me and asks to be picked up. But when she wraps those same tiny arms around her father's neck for a giant hug, well my heart bursts into a million pieces. Nothing brings me more joy than seeing my daughter and husband together. As much as I crave her love, I hope that she becomes a daddy's girl. Speaking from experience, I know how special that relationship is and how impactful it can be on a girl's life.

I met my husband when I was 14 years old. It's crazy, but true. If my daughter tells me that she has met the love of her life at 14, I am locking her in her room. Now more than 15 years later we're celebrating our five year anniversary. We're best friends. We know everything about each other. I know what makes him tick, and vice versa. We can complete each other's sentences.

Or if looked at from another angle, it would also be true to say...we're best friends, who desperately need time with other friends so we don't get sick of each other. We know everything about each other, including things we probably don't want to know. I know what makes him tick until he explodes, and vice versa. We complete each other's sentences, also known as interrupting each other.

Sometimes I stumble across random articles, photos, videos, etc. that I find interesting. So I thought I would share a few intriguing tidbits in case others like me need some help getting through the day until five o'clock and the weekend.

This makes me nostalgic for rainy days spent building pirate ships and space shuttles. 

I thought people only went here after having a few drinks? Only in Chicago...

Lately I have been obsessed with brussel sprouts and I think it has to do with the way people cook them in butter or olive oil until slightly crispy. This recipe has opened a new door to another fun crispy food possibility. Yumm! 

Some breathtakingly beautiful photos of my favorite city. 

Jerry and Elaine together again will make you laugh.

What a creative way to reuse an old laundromat sign.

A moving message from Sheryl Sandberg reminding us that grief and love have no end.

Looking for something to do this weekend? Find a treasure here and then take a stroll here.

It's five o'clock somewhere and in my family at least, this signifies the start of summer!

And last but not least, it’s National Donut Day! Have you gotten your free donut from Dunkin Donuts yet?

Happy Friday everyone!

As I look back, it’s not hard to understand why saying goodbye is so difficult. My grandparents stand at the head of our family, leading us all by example in the selfless, caring, and Christ-centered way they have lived their lives. To say they are role models is an understatement. They have shaped our family dynamic and I know the ripple effects from their lives will be felt for generations to come.

I meant to post this earlier, but life happened and there were more important places to be than on this blog. At least it's going up today in tribute to not just my Mom, but all of the amazing women and men of my family who have helped shape who I am and always let me know I am loved.

One of my great-grandfather’s favorite sayings was, “You’re as welcome as the flowers in May.”After another long winter, I've never appreciated this sentiment more. If you live in Chicago, the season of spring, or rather the end of winter, is one of the most hopeful times of the year. And since my goal for this blog is to be positive and optimistic, I thought a post on spring was fitting.

Hi! I'm Sarah and this is my blog: So Sarahdipity. You can contact me at sarah@sosarahdipity.com.

I love to write. Ever since I received my first floral covered journal in a fourth grade Christmas gift exchange with friends, my pen has been drawn to the page. I am still an avid journalist and crave the peace that comes from putting my rambling thoughts down on paper. The beauty of a journal though is that it is private. There is no one to see my mistakes - and there are many - but me. And while I often think I am one of my own worst critics, I am petrified of putting my thoughts out to the world.

I’ve thought about starting a blog for years, who hasn’t? But I have been extremely hesitant to start the path of transition from pen and paper to keyboard and screen. What if no one reads it? What if they do read it and hate it? What if they say mean things? What if they don’t say anything at all but silently judge me from behind the safety of their computer screens? What if I discover that I am in fact the world’s worst writer?

All of these things could, and probably will, happen at some point on this journey - but more and more I feel the media that surrounds us can be full of negativity and judgement and I don’t want to just sit back and accept it. I don’t want my daughter to accept it. I want to rebel against it and despite my fear, fly in the face of any haters and just be me. I know I will sound ridiculous at points, I know that not everyone will agree with what I have to say and I know that I will make grammatical errors that will make me cringe when I discover them to my dismay days later, but I’m going to try and do it anyway.

So here goes. Hopefully, in a serendipitous way, maybe this blog will lead to positive things. Please, if you read any of these entries, have grace and know that I am a tired, busy, but happy working mother and wife. I am also a writer, reader, cook, traveler, crafter and runner, and I will probably touch on any or all of the above at some point. Ideally, I’d like to be a routine blogger; realistically, I know that my life does not work on a routine at this point. Much like my hope for this blog, my life is full of love but rarely as perfect as I sometimes wish it to be.

Thank you for reading my jumbled mess of thoughts and I hope that perhaps this blog and these words can brighten your day or outlook, even if for a moment.