November was an awesome month. The weather has been so fantastic! It was a little cold a few days, but it actually felt like Autumn instead of just nose-diving straight into Winter at the end of October.

Aside from some pretty great weather, I already have most of my Christmas shopping done. No mad rushing for me this December! I did my annual Black Friday shopping with my mom and sister. While I didn’t have much to buy initially, I did get some ideas and accomplished some things so yay! Another successful Black Friday (including a whole new set of dog toys so we can throw out all of their old ratty ones.)

Zachary’s been sick a lot this month since starting preschool, but he’s doing okay. He has a cold he just can’t seem to kick that’s causing congestion and now a nasty cough. It finally seems like it’s starting to improve just a bit.

I also did really good on my weight loss goals this month! I weighed in early in the month and lost a bunch of weight! I’m doing really well on my annual goals this year. I’ll be writing my final post update soon on how I’ve done this year with all of my goals!

Why a monthly grateful post?

So often we get stuck in the day-to-day hustle and forget to acknowledge what’s really important. If someone were to ask “What’s most important to you?” we would be quick to respond with things like family, friends, being a good person, and so on. Unfortunately, we allow ourselves to get sidetracked a lot and temporarily “forget” our priorities. Unanswered emails clamor for our attention, deadlines and “to-do” lists clutter up our minds and steal our attention. As a way to temporarily silence these outside distractions, I like to look back over the past month and remind myself what is beautiful in my life. I try to identify three things that have happened in the past few weeks that I am grateful for and recognize them. I remind myself that these small moments are what make up my life and have value. And for them, I am grateful.

Let’s get into what I’m grateful for this month…

What I’m Grateful for in August

1. Zachary is loving his new preschool!

He’s been sick twice since starting and hasn’t even made it through a full week yet, but he loves it. He hasn’t gotten upset once when I’ve dropped him off. His teacher said he gets along so well with the other kids. Andy said he has to chase him down in the gymnasium at the end of the day and make him leave because he just wants to keep playing. He’s also learning a bunch. He’s had less than 8 full days in the past 3 weeks and he’s already singing Jingle Bells, saying their little mealtime “Open, Shut them” rhyme, cleaning up toys more promptly, sleeping quicker at night….it’s all just amazing. He’s doing so well and I feel so comfortable having him there which is a HUGE relief.

2. A great review at work.

I had my first review at work and it was fantastic. There was literally almost nothing bad, I had a great score, and my bosses were happy with my goals I chose for next year. I’ve always had good reviews, but this is the best one I’ve ever had I think! On top of that, I didn’t think I was eligible for a raise, but it sounds like I might have just barely made the hire date cut off, so that’s some great, unexpected news!

3. I lost almost 12 pounds!

At my weight in early in the month, I was 11.8 lbs down in 7 weeks. Part of this is due to our new plant-based diet. We’re eating healthier and I’m trying to stay active. Even at work, although I have a desk job, I squeeze in every step I can. I try to avoid using the elevators and instead trudge up the 3 floors every time I need to use the restroom or hit the employee dining room. By the last floor I’m usually dying, but it’s totally worth it!

I’d love to hear about some of the things you’re grateful for and looking forward to! What are you grateful for last month?

Link up to your own gratitude posts below!

-To your Better Life-

1. 1. Kira