#Gratitude365 December 29 2013
Feeling gratitude for a last minute Christmas gift we didn't plan to buy.
I had to buy it on the sly when we were at the Disney Store on Christmas
Eve. I had never heard of it, but then I don't sit and watch the Disney
channel much. All three kids pointed it out high above the cashier's
counter. Luckily nobody begged to see inside the bag after I checked out
and it safely made it's way into the house without being suspected,
probably because at their ages they still really enjoy the element of
surprise.
There were three gifts this year that were for all three kids to share:
1. A marble track I got at Lakeshore Learning Store.
2. A 4 in 1 game table, basketball, foosball, pool and air hockey (Black Friday score on hubby's part!)
3. And the Disney Infinity video game for the Wii
ALL THREE were met with great excitement, but the one that has them most
enthralled is the Disney Infinity. Apparently it is a little like
Minecraft, which my kids have been begging for memberships for at least 6
months, and to be honest I feel more comfortable having them on the
gaming system than the internet. Yep, I'm breaking the rules of having a
30 minutes a day limit on video games because I truly enjoy this down
time.
#HolidayMagic all the way!
Was there something you sprung for in the midst of holiday cheer that has paid off dividends?
Happiness
Sunday, December 29, 2013
#Gratitude365 Day 10
#Gratitude365 December 28 2013
I'm still playing catch up to taking some days off - but there was so much gratitude to be noticed I wanted to go back and fill you in rather than skip days 6 through 10.
The house next door that has sat vacant for the better part of 2 years was purchased just a month ago by a young couple who have a 5 month old. We've introduced ourselves and chatted in the front yard a couple of times. They had some remodeling to do with the kitchen before moving in and worked right through Christmas to get it done so they can be settled in for the New Year. I was not aware that they had already "moved in" as I hadn't seen the moving truck. They surprised us by coming over to deliver a box of sweet treats from the local bakery. "This is our way of saying sorry for all the noise you've had to put up with while we complete the renovations."
Wow! We hadn't even been bothered by the noise. Sure, we noticed it, but it wasn't bothering us. We don't have kids that need to go down for a nap in the middle of the day, so it was something we barely noticed or mentioned amongst ourselves. I was torn on feeling bad that we had yet to do the neighborly thing and take over something ourselves and feeling grateful to have such thoughtful people moving in next door. I think this could be part of the way the universe responds when you begin to think good thoughts such as I've been focusing on since signing up for the daily email messages via TUT... The Universe. If you have yet to check out Mike Dooley and what this is all about, I suggest you look him up! It was my friend Lara of MamaPear Designs that linked me to him and it has been effective in shifting my outlook.
Grateful for friendly neighbors and rewards from the universe!
I'm still playing catch up to taking some days off - but there was so much gratitude to be noticed I wanted to go back and fill you in rather than skip days 6 through 10.
The house next door that has sat vacant for the better part of 2 years was purchased just a month ago by a young couple who have a 5 month old. We've introduced ourselves and chatted in the front yard a couple of times. They had some remodeling to do with the kitchen before moving in and worked right through Christmas to get it done so they can be settled in for the New Year. I was not aware that they had already "moved in" as I hadn't seen the moving truck. They surprised us by coming over to deliver a box of sweet treats from the local bakery. "This is our way of saying sorry for all the noise you've had to put up with while we complete the renovations."
Wow! We hadn't even been bothered by the noise. Sure, we noticed it, but it wasn't bothering us. We don't have kids that need to go down for a nap in the middle of the day, so it was something we barely noticed or mentioned amongst ourselves. I was torn on feeling bad that we had yet to do the neighborly thing and take over something ourselves and feeling grateful to have such thoughtful people moving in next door. I think this could be part of the way the universe responds when you begin to think good thoughts such as I've been focusing on since signing up for the daily email messages via TUT... The Universe. If you have yet to check out Mike Dooley and what this is all about, I suggest you look him up! It was my friend Lara of MamaPear Designs that linked me to him and it has been effective in shifting my outlook.
Grateful for friendly neighbors and rewards from the universe!
#Gratitude365 Day 9
#Gratitude365 December 27th 2013
Tetris and West Wing are the two things I was grateful for that day. I still wasn't ready to resume the regular daily routine so we hibernated at home. Hubby napped as his cold fully took hold of him. The kids had a play date. I got minimal cleaning done and started to get back online. There are days where you want to just relax and the kids kept happy enough with new toys that I could sit peacefully on the couch lost in my attempt to beat my high score on Tetris. When the kids were winding down and had control of the living room television I went to check in on my hubby who had a surprise for me. When we were DINKs (double income no kids) we used to love having marathon television show days during holiday breaks. One such break it was West Wing. We got to relive a little piece of our past and just snuggle close watching on the iPad.
I was feeling gratitude for down time. As a mom and mompreneur, so little of that is built into the calendar. It is one thing I've planned to do differently in in 2014 - planning to take breaks when the kids are out of school and unwind as a family. When the kids were little I used to think we would feel less busy when they all got into school, but that hasn't really transpired. There are more commitments, more friends, more homework, and just a lot to fill our days. When we all have time off together as we have this week, I will commit to refueling. Sometimes that refueling will be video games and old television shows.
What do you do to refuel when you take time off from work?
Tetris and West Wing are the two things I was grateful for that day. I still wasn't ready to resume the regular daily routine so we hibernated at home. Hubby napped as his cold fully took hold of him. The kids had a play date. I got minimal cleaning done and started to get back online. There are days where you want to just relax and the kids kept happy enough with new toys that I could sit peacefully on the couch lost in my attempt to beat my high score on Tetris. When the kids were winding down and had control of the living room television I went to check in on my hubby who had a surprise for me. When we were DINKs (double income no kids) we used to love having marathon television show days during holiday breaks. One such break it was West Wing. We got to relive a little piece of our past and just snuggle close watching on the iPad.
I was feeling gratitude for down time. As a mom and mompreneur, so little of that is built into the calendar. It is one thing I've planned to do differently in in 2014 - planning to take breaks when the kids are out of school and unwind as a family. When the kids were little I used to think we would feel less busy when they all got into school, but that hasn't really transpired. There are more commitments, more friends, more homework, and just a lot to fill our days. When we all have time off together as we have this week, I will commit to refueling. Sometimes that refueling will be video games and old television shows.
What do you do to refuel when you take time off from work?
#Gratitude365 Day 8
#Gratitude365 The Day After Christmas
All holiday season I have been itching to take the family ice skating! And that is what we did this day. I'd taken Amberly ice skating once before, two years ago. Having 3 kids with just 2 adults, we needed to wait until they were big enough to be able to handle falls without too many tears. For the most part I stayed with Owen, who wanted to do the running man most of the time. It was cute to see him recover his balance over and over again, reaching out to me, many times saving himself by grabbing the guardrail. Kyle had a different approach, looking like he was almost walking around the rink, with this cute little stopping move cutting his skate into the ice with his left foot. Amberly had been left to sort of fend for herself and ended up falling pretty hard on her knee. She was ready to go home after that. In total we lasted about half an hour. That might win for the most we've ever paid per minute for entertainment, but it was fun!
Last year we wanted to go ice skating and we never committed to making it happen. This year we followed through. My husband says we should go a few more times to the indoor ice rinks throughout the year and then next winter it will be even more fun with all that practice under their belt.
My gratitude comes from recognizing that if this half hour of ice skating would have happened a year ago I would have been greatly dismayed at the experience being cut short. Now, however, my focus was to appreciate that each child had their moments of joy on the ice and we left with no major injuries. Taking your children ice skating for the first time is a practice in using your patience. We saw other families with both big kids and small kids navigating their way around the rink that would succumb to frustration. Maybe being that we have the kids in sports in general, we know it will takesome practice a lot of practice before everyone is out there skating with grace.
Are there things that you put off trying as a family and it works out to be better?
#HolidayBucketList
All holiday season I have been itching to take the family ice skating! And that is what we did this day. I'd taken Amberly ice skating once before, two years ago. Having 3 kids with just 2 adults, we needed to wait until they were big enough to be able to handle falls without too many tears. For the most part I stayed with Owen, who wanted to do the running man most of the time. It was cute to see him recover his balance over and over again, reaching out to me, many times saving himself by grabbing the guardrail. Kyle had a different approach, looking like he was almost walking around the rink, with this cute little stopping move cutting his skate into the ice with his left foot. Amberly had been left to sort of fend for herself and ended up falling pretty hard on her knee. She was ready to go home after that. In total we lasted about half an hour. That might win for the most we've ever paid per minute for entertainment, but it was fun!
Last year we wanted to go ice skating and we never committed to making it happen. This year we followed through. My husband says we should go a few more times to the indoor ice rinks throughout the year and then next winter it will be even more fun with all that practice under their belt.
My gratitude comes from recognizing that if this half hour of ice skating would have happened a year ago I would have been greatly dismayed at the experience being cut short. Now, however, my focus was to appreciate that each child had their moments of joy on the ice and we left with no major injuries. Taking your children ice skating for the first time is a practice in using your patience. We saw other families with both big kids and small kids navigating their way around the rink that would succumb to frustration. Maybe being that we have the kids in sports in general, we know it will take
Are there things that you put off trying as a family and it works out to be better?
#HolidayBucketList
#Gratitude365 Day 7
#Gratitude365 Christmas Day
Last year I had a notion to have the kids stop and take turns opening gifts one at a time. I relished in how much more enjoyable it was for us as parents to be able to savor how each child eagerly unwrapped and anticipated each gift, giving mindful patience and thanks for each item. I took pictures of them opening each one. While I enjoyed looking back at those photos, I realized I wanted to be just present to it all - so I didn't worry about capturing it on camera - even though that is part of the reason I always make sure that the kids have new Christmas jammies to wear to bed the night before. First, I'm amazed that the kids knew what to expect with waiting to watch each person open their gift and not just tear into their gifts as they had in the years prior to last year. So, I think that added to their enjoyment. Second, the kids each had opened maybe 2 gifts before they got excited to watch Mom & Dad open our gifts! Seriously? How cute is that? They really didn't rush us, we sat on the couch and one gift happened to be pulled out that was for "Dad" so they sought out the others under the tree that were for us. I just marveled at how it is possible to enjoy Christmas morning more and more with each passing year. Especially because there were a couple of Christmases where we had that "letdown" feeling where the kids didn't seem to fully grasp how fortunate they were to receive the gifts and would make comments not appreciating an item. Maybe we've tuned in better to figuring out what they want, maybe the waiting to watch each item be opened helps them appreciate, or maybe they're just older so they just get it. Either way I am grateful to witness my children show gratitude and joy for their splendid Christmas.
We spent some time at Thanksgiving imparting knowledge to the kids how some other families might not have "enough" to eat on Thanksgiving or any other day of the year and this served as a reminder of my own childhood where my family did receive holiday packaged meals from charity because we did not have enough. A friend of mine recently posted on Facebook that she got the sense her children were beginning to display a sense of entitlement and I have to say that sounded familiar to me.... and while I'm grateful that my kids don't know the feeling of hunger, the embarrassment of eating at a soup kitchen or waiting for their parents to come home from a food pantry, I want them to know that these things exist, to know that it is important to be grateful for something as simple as a holiday meal, rather than complaining about which foods they don't like.
My husband cooked Christmas dinner and it was a simpler version of the Thanksgiving feast Amberly and I prepared, allowing for more time to play. And, play we did! Building Lego sets and setting up marble tracks. For the first time my husband made prime rib and it was amazing!
Also, grateful for a conversation with my father in law who shared a message with me from his mother. The grandparents had visited a couple months ago and we went out to dinner, which can be hit or miss with our kids ; ) My husband's grandmother shared with his father "She really listens to those kids." He exclaimed what a great job he sees we are doing raising these kids without too much help and he knows it's not easy as my husband comes from a family of 3 kids in the same household. It might be the greatest gift to have someone recognize the effort you put forth to fully listen to your kids, letting them know that what they have to say is important enough to ignore what else is going on and provide them the undivided attention they deserve. I think this has just been part of my parenting paradigm all along. I hear a lot of moms express frustration with family members giving them a hard time about their parenting style or choices, so I fully embraced being paid a compliment.
Last year I had a notion to have the kids stop and take turns opening gifts one at a time. I relished in how much more enjoyable it was for us as parents to be able to savor how each child eagerly unwrapped and anticipated each gift, giving mindful patience and thanks for each item. I took pictures of them opening each one. While I enjoyed looking back at those photos, I realized I wanted to be just present to it all - so I didn't worry about capturing it on camera - even though that is part of the reason I always make sure that the kids have new Christmas jammies to wear to bed the night before. First, I'm amazed that the kids knew what to expect with waiting to watch each person open their gift and not just tear into their gifts as they had in the years prior to last year. So, I think that added to their enjoyment. Second, the kids each had opened maybe 2 gifts before they got excited to watch Mom & Dad open our gifts! Seriously? How cute is that? They really didn't rush us, we sat on the couch and one gift happened to be pulled out that was for "Dad" so they sought out the others under the tree that were for us. I just marveled at how it is possible to enjoy Christmas morning more and more with each passing year. Especially because there were a couple of Christmases where we had that "letdown" feeling where the kids didn't seem to fully grasp how fortunate they were to receive the gifts and would make comments not appreciating an item. Maybe we've tuned in better to figuring out what they want, maybe the waiting to watch each item be opened helps them appreciate, or maybe they're just older so they just get it. Either way I am grateful to witness my children show gratitude and joy for their splendid Christmas.
We spent some time at Thanksgiving imparting knowledge to the kids how some other families might not have "enough" to eat on Thanksgiving or any other day of the year and this served as a reminder of my own childhood where my family did receive holiday packaged meals from charity because we did not have enough. A friend of mine recently posted on Facebook that she got the sense her children were beginning to display a sense of entitlement and I have to say that sounded familiar to me.... and while I'm grateful that my kids don't know the feeling of hunger, the embarrassment of eating at a soup kitchen or waiting for their parents to come home from a food pantry, I want them to know that these things exist, to know that it is important to be grateful for something as simple as a holiday meal, rather than complaining about which foods they don't like.
My husband cooked Christmas dinner and it was a simpler version of the Thanksgiving feast Amberly and I prepared, allowing for more time to play. And, play we did! Building Lego sets and setting up marble tracks. For the first time my husband made prime rib and it was amazing!
Also, grateful for a conversation with my father in law who shared a message with me from his mother. The grandparents had visited a couple months ago and we went out to dinner, which can be hit or miss with our kids ; ) My husband's grandmother shared with his father "She really listens to those kids." He exclaimed what a great job he sees we are doing raising these kids without too much help and he knows it's not easy as my husband comes from a family of 3 kids in the same household. It might be the greatest gift to have someone recognize the effort you put forth to fully listen to your kids, letting them know that what they have to say is important enough to ignore what else is going on and provide them the undivided attention they deserve. I think this has just been part of my parenting paradigm all along. I hear a lot of moms express frustration with family members giving them a hard time about their parenting style or choices, so I fully embraced being paid a compliment.
#Gratitude365 Day 6
#Gratitude365 On Christmas Eve
I'm totally playing catch up for the last several days. I am not being hard on myself though because taking those days to unplug was just as rewarding as the practice of journaling my gratitude.
So, my husband had yet to do his shopping for me, and I for him. We are apparently at the bottom of the priority list when it comes to shopping for each other - but that has no bearing on our value and we both recognize that so there's no "You waited til the last minute to shop for me?" type of attitude... we both agree that our focus is first in giving our children a meaningful and blissful Christmas and quite honestly we don't always even know what we want!
Since I had the previous day off without the kids to get some important stuff accomplished, it was my turn to give my husband time to take the kids. I don't do so well planning out a long lit of items to conquer, I start to feel panicked and then regrettably fewer items get done on the list. Just as I've been applying the positive thinking messages and not worrying about "the how" I just rounded up the kids into the car and set off on a mission.
We wound up stopping at 8 stores in total. One was a mistake because I got REI and Roadrunner confused, but we still parked, unloaded, went in and then had to load back into the car, so it totally counts in how many stores we tackled. Two of the stores were really as a reward to the kids for doing SO WELL on a big errand mission - the Disney Store and Lego Store where they were rewarded (more on that later).
At some point I had a conversation with my husband who shared that a good friend of ours tipped him off to the Padres store having a 50% off the entire store sale.... and he is a big Padres fan. Anything Padres or Chargers that I've bought for him in the past has always been a hit - so how could I resist adding just a little extra under the tree? Off to the Padres store downtown we went - completely off track from the "sort of" goal I had outlined... but worth it.
On our way home on the 163 freeway coming the opposite direction there were NO CARS. I could sense we would see something bad. And that we did. I don't know how many police cars there were at the scene, but it was more than I've seen at any other accident scene. Traffic was obviously being diverted. First, I had a sense of sadness for whomever the victims family was, to lose a family member on the eve of Christmas seems unfathomable. Next, I had to calm the sounds of amazement coming from the back of the car as my kids were excited to see all these lights from sirens, and explain how tragic a scene this is and why we stop to ponder the loss someone will be suffering in place of being disillusioned by the lights. Third, I felt this sense of gratitude. Just insanely grateful that we had not been in the wrong place at the wrong time... that we would in fact be all safe and sound together for Christmas, something so simple that is easy to overlook. Something that I'm sad to admit is probably not obvious to me without seeing a tragedy to remind me of how closely and tightly to hug my kids on Christmas Eve.
The practice of focusing on gratitude is keeping me mindful of the PEOPLE who matter most and so it was an easy choice to skip blogging for a few days and be connected to them.
I'm totally playing catch up for the last several days. I am not being hard on myself though because taking those days to unplug was just as rewarding as the practice of journaling my gratitude.
So, my husband had yet to do his shopping for me, and I for him. We are apparently at the bottom of the priority list when it comes to shopping for each other - but that has no bearing on our value and we both recognize that so there's no "You waited til the last minute to shop for me?" type of attitude... we both agree that our focus is first in giving our children a meaningful and blissful Christmas and quite honestly we don't always even know what we want!
Since I had the previous day off without the kids to get some important stuff accomplished, it was my turn to give my husband time to take the kids. I don't do so well planning out a long lit of items to conquer, I start to feel panicked and then regrettably fewer items get done on the list. Just as I've been applying the positive thinking messages and not worrying about "the how" I just rounded up the kids into the car and set off on a mission.
We wound up stopping at 8 stores in total. One was a mistake because I got REI and Roadrunner confused, but we still parked, unloaded, went in and then had to load back into the car, so it totally counts in how many stores we tackled. Two of the stores were really as a reward to the kids for doing SO WELL on a big errand mission - the Disney Store and Lego Store where they were rewarded (more on that later).
At some point I had a conversation with my husband who shared that a good friend of ours tipped him off to the Padres store having a 50% off the entire store sale.... and he is a big Padres fan. Anything Padres or Chargers that I've bought for him in the past has always been a hit - so how could I resist adding just a little extra under the tree? Off to the Padres store downtown we went - completely off track from the "sort of" goal I had outlined... but worth it.
On our way home on the 163 freeway coming the opposite direction there were NO CARS. I could sense we would see something bad. And that we did. I don't know how many police cars there were at the scene, but it was more than I've seen at any other accident scene. Traffic was obviously being diverted. First, I had a sense of sadness for whomever the victims family was, to lose a family member on the eve of Christmas seems unfathomable. Next, I had to calm the sounds of amazement coming from the back of the car as my kids were excited to see all these lights from sirens, and explain how tragic a scene this is and why we stop to ponder the loss someone will be suffering in place of being disillusioned by the lights. Third, I felt this sense of gratitude. Just insanely grateful that we had not been in the wrong place at the wrong time... that we would in fact be all safe and sound together for Christmas, something so simple that is easy to overlook. Something that I'm sad to admit is probably not obvious to me without seeing a tragedy to remind me of how closely and tightly to hug my kids on Christmas Eve.
The practice of focusing on gratitude is keeping me mindful of the PEOPLE who matter most and so it was an easy choice to skip blogging for a few days and be connected to them.
Monday, December 23, 2013
#Gratitude365 Day 5
#Gratitude365 It had been way too long since I had a haircut and style. So while I had a full day of Christmas shopping ahead of me, I thought my first stop should be to take care of my poor neglected hair. Even the stylist said that my hair really needed this! My stylist was so wonderful, giving me lots of education. I've been over rinsing the conditioner from my hair. She advised that I focus on products that are conditioning. Once upon a time I used to buy only Aveda products for my hair and Joelle's happens to carry them, so I picked out a few things, asked the ladies to bag them up and either my husband or I would be back to pick it up. Before I left I made sure to schedule my appointment to go back and see my stylist, she was just fantastic! I forget how wonderful it feels to get my hair done and have an extra pep in my step. In fact I felt so great that I stopped in at a store to try on some clothes - found something that suited my new do - a sweater dress - I've been wanting one for awhile now! Plus I spotted a few things to add to my Christmas wish list (which honestly had nothing on it because I have been feeling blah). I stopped in at GNC to find fish oil - another tip from my stylist to help with my hair. Made a quick stop at Sally's Beauty Supply looking for a flat iron and hair dryer... added those to the Christmas list.
I don't think I've been clothes shopping since last Christmas. Or had a whole day out that was by myself, in forever.
Today I'm grateful for a day to take care of me. As a mom it becomes second nature to put our needs on the backburner. My kids get haircuts every 2-3 months, but I haven't prioritized it for me. When I came home I had nearly forgotten about having gotten my hair done and my husband asked the kids "Doesn't your mom look nice with her new haircut?" That made me realize that we give off an aura when we feel good and when we make an effort to look good it makes us feel good. And that leads to more gratitude.
I don't think I've been clothes shopping since last Christmas. Or had a whole day out that was by myself, in forever.
Today I'm grateful for a day to take care of me. As a mom it becomes second nature to put our needs on the backburner. My kids get haircuts every 2-3 months, but I haven't prioritized it for me. When I came home I had nearly forgotten about having gotten my hair done and my husband asked the kids "Doesn't your mom look nice with her new haircut?" That made me realize that we give off an aura when we feel good and when we make an effort to look good it makes us feel good. And that leads to more gratitude.
Sunday, December 22, 2013
#Gratitude365 Day 4
#Gratitude365 Today I'm really grateful for kids that got along most of the day while I stayed in my pjs and rested and dad went to a Charger game. We went out and did a lot yesterday which is probably why I didn't hear from them "What are we gonna do today?" My kids might get more stir crazy than anyone else I've ever met from being cooped up all day. I barely have a voice due to this kind of a cold that my body is fighting hard not to get before Christmas (and winning I think) and though there were a couple times I had to strain my voice to get a certain child's attention... they were really pretty much awesome today. In fact when my husband came home from the game he asked them if they had been good and they all underestimated themselves. I gave them a solid 8. Part of it could be that I've learned to get involved less with their squabbles and also we've reached a stage that they really know the boundaries and don't test me nearly as often as say a year ago - or heck - even a month ago. We might be hitting our stride. And that is a good feeling with Christmas right around the corner!
Saturday, December 21, 2013
#Gratitude365 Day 3
#Gratitude365 There's something incredible about Christmas lights. They make me pause and take notice of what this season does for the human soul. Tonight we had the joy of having some extended family stop by and go look at Christmas lights in Rancho Penasquitos at Christmas Card Lane. The more lights the merrier seemed to be the consensus. One of my favorite things is looking at Christmas photos where the photographer has skillfully blurred the background Christmas lights just enough to make it so pretty. We have lights that look like icicles hanging from roofs, that twinkle, that are set to music and all other kinds. We're pretty fascinated by something sorta simple. Let us keep some of that magic beyond the holidays and remember how good it feels to share with a neighbor and spread cheer to children. We haven't gone out to look at Christmas lights quite as much this year as year's past, but we've got plenty of time to catch up during the school break!
Today, I'm grateful for Christmas Lights and all that they inspire.
Today, I'm grateful for Christmas Lights and all that they inspire.
#Gratitude Day 2
#Gratitude365 This morning I wanted to call our cleaning people and not have them come for our scheduled appointment. I caught some bug that's been going around and could feel the soreness in my throat and realized I'd lost my voice. The idea of laying on the couch and drinking tea sounded far better than doing all the pre-cleaning that goes with cleaning day. But then I started thinking about how much more work I'd be in for if I canceled and had to do all the cleaning myself before Christmas. PLUS I've been thinking more and more about commitment and how that shows up for me depends on how I demonstrate that. So, after dropping the kids off at school I came home and got my youngest one to help me pick up the playroom and the kids' bedrooms. Our scheduled time is 9:30am. We'd been picking up like crazy for an hour, I'm breaking a sweat. Finally I look over at the clock on the stove and it is already after 10am. They've been late before and I check my messages to see if I missed a call that they needed to adjust the time. Nothing. I'm a little upset because I think they've canceled me. I sit down on the couch and realize a couple of things, if they don't show up, I at least burned some calories cleaning for an hour and a half straight. And, if they do show up, I'll be glad they are okay and especially glad they made it because I had stayed committed and it will show that commitment attracts commitment.
Today, I am grateful that the house cleaners showed up! Oh, and I burned the calories doing the pre-cleaning either way.
Today, I am grateful that the house cleaners showed up! Oh, and I burned the calories doing the pre-cleaning either way.
Friday, December 20, 2013
#Gratitude365 Day One
Thought this journey would be good to blog about - maybe even keep me MORE committed too. If you are looking to strengthen your gratitude muscle like I am... then join me on this journey!
Day One: December 19th 2013 - it was a total afterthought to blog this journey so Day One is being posted a day LATE.
#Gratitude365 I've been wanting to start a gratitude journal for a LONG time. In the business of life I just haven't prioritized it enough to make it happen. I had so many things go through my mind yesterday about what I sometimes take for granted. Many of us wait to start new things on January 1st or first of the month or the beginning of the week. Well, when those "dates" on the calendar get here, I may not be able to express it the same way. So today is as good a day as any to begin journaling my gratitude. Sharing it here on social media just makes it easier for me to stay accountable. Whoa. This means I have to fulfill on this EVERY SINGLE DAY. Okay. I can do that. I can because I have friends who not be afraid to give me a gentle reminder.
Today I am grateful for the gift of giving. Have you ever felt that before? I have been often on the other end of receiving something from others and feeling a little awkward when there was not a "fair" exchange happening. I've purposefully told my husband in years past that we are not exchanging Christmas gifts because I simply didn't have the money to buy him something and he had bought all the gifts for the kids. This year there have been times where I was able to give in situations where there is no expectation of getting something in return and my heart felt full. I really get it what those volunteer organizations say about it making you feel good to give. I am looking forward to being able to give more in 2014.
I'll be sharing on Google+ too!
Day One: December 19th 2013 - it was a total afterthought to blog this journey so Day One is being posted a day LATE.
#Gratitude365 I've been wanting to start a gratitude journal for a LONG time. In the business of life I just haven't prioritized it enough to make it happen. I had so many things go through my mind yesterday about what I sometimes take for granted. Many of us wait to start new things on January 1st or first of the month or the beginning of the week. Well, when those "dates" on the calendar get here, I may not be able to express it the same way. So today is as good a day as any to begin journaling my gratitude. Sharing it here on social media just makes it easier for me to stay accountable. Whoa. This means I have to fulfill on this EVERY SINGLE DAY. Okay. I can do that. I can because I have friends who not be afraid to give me a gentle reminder.
Today I am grateful for the gift of giving. Have you ever felt that before? I have been often on the other end of receiving something from others and feeling a little awkward when there was not a "fair" exchange happening. I've purposefully told my husband in years past that we are not exchanging Christmas gifts because I simply didn't have the money to buy him something and he had bought all the gifts for the kids. This year there have been times where I was able to give in situations where there is no expectation of getting something in return and my heart felt full. I really get it what those volunteer organizations say about it making you feel good to give. I am looking forward to being able to give more in 2014.
I'll be sharing on Google+ too!
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