Gratitude Blog Day 6: Challenges

I am grateful for challenges.

I have to admit that I can be a pretty lazy person.  That's probably why I try to participate in challenges now - or challenge myself with specific tasks. It's the only way I'll do something.

Currently, I am participating in the Goodreads reading challenge - and am planning to read 25 books this year.  It isn't an enormous amount, but it is one that is do-able and will keep me motivated.  I hope to exceed it.  Given I am simultaneously reading (or listening to) books 11 and 12, I think I'll complete it easily.  It's not even summer yet!

I have also been known to try fitness challenges (30 Day Plank Challenge or Monthly Cardio Minutes), but at present, the only fitness challenge I am completing is one for myself: lifting at the gym 2x/week and cardio 2x/week.  Sometimes I can exceed that amount, but with the kids' schedule and my work schedule at the moment, I can't commit to more.  I also try to hit yoga once a week, but I haven't added that to my challenge list...yet.

I am grateful for challenges...because it makes me feel productive.

Gratitude Blog Day 5: Dairy Free Ice Cream

I am grateful for Dairy Free Ice Cream.

As I have gotten older, milk has unfriended me.  This is fine, given all I have heard about the evils of milk.  Whether or not studies about dairy are true, I have to admit that I don't really miss milk - except for ICE CREAM.

Enter dairy free ice cream.

My favorite?

If you are a MILK lover, you won't like it, but maaaaaaan, this one hits the spot for me.  And I will admit to eating the whole container in one sitting. 

Gratitude Blog Day 4: Hubby's cooking

I am grateful for my husband's cooking.

He cooks some yummy food and I love to eat it.

Gratitude Blog Day 3: Time with the hubby

I am grateful for the time with my husband.

Today, we walked to the gym, worked out, and then walked home. Such a simple thing, but I really enjoy the time we get to spend together on quiet weekends.

We also made it to the pool in the afternoon. Woot! Sunny skies!

Gratitude Blog Day 2: an uncluttered house

I am grateful for a clean, uncluttered house.

I admit that my house is not always clean and uncluttered, but when it is, I feel great.  It inspires me to discard (donate) and organize even more.  I appreciate the things that are in my house - the ones that make me smile - or as Marie Kondo says, "spark joy" - framed photos of cherished memories, shells collected at a beach over a decade ago, and a pretty candle.

Today my house is uncluttered and I feel I am better equipped to tackle other projects on my to-do list.  I am grateful for inspirational books and websites that motivate me to get more uncluttered.

Gratitude Blog: Take 2

I thought about my entries for the last few days, but I was busy with family.  So, I'll re-start my pledge to blog for 10 days straight.

Day 1 - Take Two!

I am grateful for the library...and BOOKS

I have always been a library lover.  As a kid, I spent so many days walking down to the local library and checking out a bagful of books: Choose Your Own Adventure, Judy Blume, and a ton of other children and young adult books.  Such great memories.

In high school and college, the library and I separated.  I was too caught up with reading for "work" and other things.

Thankfully, a few years ago, I re-discovered my love of reading for fun and even challenged myself to read 50 books in year.  I haven't quite replicated that number of books in a year, but I have been reading at least a few a year since I made that pledge to "read more books for fun."

And let us be honest.  Books can get expensive and I am cheap.  So, my old friend, the library, and I were reunited - and she has had quite the makeover: online searches, audiobooks, and e-books?  I am in heaven.  To date, I have completed (either read of listened to) 8 books and am in the middle of four other books.  If you're curious as to which books, feel free to look at my Goodreads profile.

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5875266-philly

Now, I am off to read or listen to more books. 

Almost two years?

To be honest, I had forgotten I had this blog.  You know how it goes: Life gets busy and we get so caught up that we forget things, even things that had once brought us joy.

Recently, I have been keeping busy with reading books; trying to stay healthy by eating well and working out; and the regular day-to-day stuff of work, kids, and family.  However, I started thinking about blogging again because of one of the books (or blogs) I read focusing on being grateful.  And yes, we have all heard this before - we should show gratitude in order to be more happy - but what resonated with me was the idea of writing about it each and every day.  It doesn't have to be a long blog entry.  It could be short...but make the commitment to do it.

So, I'm going to try to commit to blogging each day for at least 10 days.  Each day will focus on something for which I am grateful. And to make sure I do it?  I'm going to set an alarm on my phone that asks, "Did you write your grateful blog entry today?"

Day 1: Write about something (not a person) you feel grateful for in your life today.

I am grateful for my health.

A few years ago, I made the commitment to change my lifestyle because the doctor had told me, "You have a choice: change your lifestyle or start cholesterol meds."  Given my family's medical history, I knew cholesterol meds were the start down the path to being unwell.  I changed my lifestyle - and that decision transformed me: I lost 25 pounds and felt amazing.

BUT THEN....plot twist.  Early last year, even though I was the "healthiest" I had been in years (even decades), I started feeling horrible.  It wasn't a cold or flu illness that would pass; it was fatigue, exhaustion, and depression that never went away - and it was horrible.  I wanted to sleep all day and struggled to get basic tasks done.  And I couldn't determine the cause.  After struggling through it for a few months, I finally went to the doctor and learned that I had a severe Vitamin D deficiency, which caused the exhaustion and then depression.

So, today?  Today, I am incredibly grateful for my health.  I am grateful that I am excited about waking up in the morning (most mornings....haha).  I am grateful that I have energy to get to the gym, commute in traffic, go to work, and do all the tasks that need to be done.  I am grateful that I have both my physical and mental health.