20 Things We're Thankful For In 2020

We haven't been to the zoo as much as we have in previous years, but that doesn't mean we can't keep up with the gift that keeps on giving: Fiona updates on the Cincinnati Zoo's Instagram page. There's not a day that goes by where we don't welcome the sight of{ }that (not-so-little-anymore) hippo. It's good to know she's living her best life while we hunker down. / Image: Phil Armstrong // Published: 11.26.20

The Fountain Square Christmas tree made headlines this year because it looked a little haggard while it was being placed, and we're thankful it's looking mighty full after crews worked their magic. Though 2020's been anything but routine, it's reassuring to see an annual holiday tradition continue. / Image: Bob Schwartz // Published: 11.26.20

Mobile shopping is picking up steam! In the last few years, we've seen everything from flower trucks to clothiers take their wares to the pavement. When going to the store is a little dicier than before, it's good to know there are mobile options to come to us. / Image: Catherine Viox // Published: 11.26.20

Eating indoors has been a hot-button issue for most of the year, so we're thankful for all the restaurants doing food windows. Supporting small business is easy when you can walk up to the window, order food, and be on your merry way without needing to go inside. / Image: Leah Zipperstein // Published: 11.26.20

Local mask-makers, like Cincy Shirts, are meeting the rising demand for personal masks by making them fashionable. Though it was a little difficult at first to find masks in the earliest days of the pandemic, it's never been easier to find them than it is now. With so many options to choose from, we're thankful for the Cincy folks who are making masks and giving us all so many options to stay safe while looking good doing it. / Image: Phil Armstrong // Published: 11.26.20

Is it just us or does the Greater Cincinnati area have truly amazing Indian cuisine? No matter what neighborhood you live in around Cincinnati and NKY, there's an excellent Indian restaurant nearby. With so many carryout options, fighting cold winter nights is easy with a hot curry. We're thankful for all the excellent chefs doing fine work in those kitchens. / Image: Marlene Rounds // Published: 11.26.20

We have loads of opportunities to shop small this year. Mom and pop businesses around the region are poised and ready to solve your holiday shopping list year, especially since shopping small is so crucial this year. We're thankful that Cincinnati and the surrounding region has so many great shops from which to choose. Instead of buying on Amazon this year, consider ordering from one of the retailers in your neck of the woods! / Image: Catherine Viox // Published: 11.26.20

We're thankful to have discovered other hobbies this year. While encouraged to stay home, people have found themselves reading and writing more, taking up painting, learning new languages, catching up on pop-culture, and finding new ways of staying entertained and active. Had we not been forced to alter our everyday lives so much, we may not have discovered those hobbies until later, if at all. / Image: Elizabeth Lowry // Published: 11.26.20

The degree to which we're thankful that we have multiple bridges to use to cross the Ohio River cannot be overstated. With the sudden closure of the Brent Spence Bridge this month, a main route between Cincinnati to NKY became unusable, making nearly everyone's life harder as a result. As of this writing, it sounds like it'll be out of commission for another month. If we didn't have the Roebling, Clay Wade Bailey, Daniel Carter Beard, and Taylor Southgate bridges, who knows how much harder our daily lives would be. / Image: Phil Armstrong // Published: 11.26.20

THANK GOODNESS FOR PETS. We love hanging with our dogs and cats more often than we could before. They make everything emotionally easier to handle on a day to day basis. Having a little critter curl up next to you after a long day of sweatpants-wearing at the computer is nothing short of wonderful. / Image: Phil Armstrong // Published: 11.26.20

The time of seasonal beer is upon us, and for that, we are thankful. From Taft's Frisch's Pumpkin Pie Ale to MadTree's S'more Gratitude, it's that time of year when we get to drink all the fun fall flavors we can't get during the other months. / Image: Phil Armstrong // Published: 11.26.20

This should go without saying, but we'll say it anyway: healthcare workers, we are so incredibly grateful for the work you're doing. Cincinnati is home to world-renowned healthcare institutions that are doing their absolute best to keep up with the rising numbers of infections. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for what you're doing for all of us. / Image: Luis Alvarez, via Getty Images // Published: 11.26.20

<p>Uncompromised Cincinnati traditions are a relief. While we enjoy Cincinnati Museum Center's Holiday Junction every year, it was extra-special this year because it represented a kind of normalcy we didn't expect after so many months of constant uncertainty. Oktoberfest, Bunbury, Opening Day, Pride, and other annual events either didn't happen or looked totally different, so seeing the return of those little model trains again filled our hearts with joy. / Image: Phil Armstrong // Published: 11.26.20</p>

Food trucks have been a big help this year. Much like the food windows mentioned earlier, we're thankful that we can walk up to a food truck, order, and not worry about going inside to get something delicious. / Image: Catherine Viox // Published: 11.26.20

Because we've spent so much more time at home, many have spruced up their space with new decor and furniture. Local shops that specialize in this line of retail, like Algin Retro, have met demand and continue to help us make our homes more enjoyable, comfortable, and all-around pleasant every day. We'd obviously prefer to be out and about, but making our home cozier thanks to these retailers has been easy and rewarding. / Image: Phil Armstrong // Published: 11.26.20

$Bars and restaurants offering to-go alcoholic drinks are one of the unexpected pros of this year. Sure, you could just as easily get a six-pack from a brewery, but sometimes you want a mixed drink you don't make yourself. Over the summer, we did a whole{ }<a href="http://cincinnatirefined.com/eat-drink/drinks-to-go-cocktails-beer-wine-takeout-bars-cincinnati" target="_blank" title="http://cincinnatirefined.com/eat-drink/drinks-to-go-cocktails-beer-wine-takeout-bars-cincinnati">feature</a>{ }on places offering to-go booze, so if you're in the mood to get tipsy on the couch Friday night, you thankfully have options. / Image: Catherine Viox // Published: 11.26.20$

We're thankful that we can easily share the flavors of Cincinnati with our family and friends. Whether they want Cincinnati-style chili in a can, some BBQ-dusted potato chips, goetta, or any other hometown treat, you can get all of it at your local grocer and send a care package to that special someone. / Image: Phil Armstrong // Published: 11.26.20

We're super thankful that Findlay Market is very much open despite everything that's happening at the moment. You already know why it's great; we don't need to sell you on that. We just regularly think about how a little mask-wearing isn't going to get in the way of picking up a fresh pound of Eckerlin goetta for this weekend's breakfast or swinging by Areti's for a hot gyro for lunch.

Cincinnati parks are among our top favorite things about living here. Thankfully, they're a place where you can enjoy fresh air and see others from at least a six-foot distance with a lower chance of contracting the virus as opposed to gathering indoors. Though the weather is trending colder, you know how Cincinnati does it: one day it's five below, and the next day it's in the high 50s. Winter doesn't mean you can't enjoy a park! / Image: Phil Armstrong // Published: 11.26.20

Finally, we're super thankful for YOU, the reader! Thanks so much for spending time with us. We truly appreciate your time every day. Have a great Thanksgiving, everybody. / Image: Phil Armstrong // Published: 11.26.20

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