Need more happiness in your day-to-day routine? Several studies demonstrate the positive results of a little gratitude. With Thanksgiving right around the corner, we have so much to be grateful for. Here’s one mom’s list of 30 things you can be thankful for every day this month.
30 Things Moms Can Be Grateful For
- Your children – plain and simple. Yes, they’re whiny and loud and messy and selfish, but their YOURS. They are literally a part of you. Be grateful for that. Not just now, but every day.
- Chocolate. It’s delicious and sweet and everything you need at the end of a hard day.
- Wine. See above.
- Your health. If you don’t indulge in too much of numbers 2 and 3, you should be pretty healthy and that is easy to take for granted.
- Your job. You get paid. You get to interact with other grown-ups. And you get to escape from the madness of the under-five-feet-tall crowd for part of your day. SAHMs, you get paid in a different form of currency, the health and well-being of your children, which is always something to be thankful for.
- Baby wipes, Clorox Wipes, and the Magic Eraser. Making our lives easier, one quick swipe at a time.
- The Real Housewives franchise. Or Scandal. Or Days of Our Lives, for goodness’ sake. Heaven is sitting on the couch (alone!) eyes glued to the LuAnns and Kyles of the world. Sixty minutes of pure bliss.
- 7:30 p.m. (or whenever your little ones go to bed). Ahhhh…time to catch up on guilty pleasure #7. Finally.
- The iPad. Yep, all guilt aside, it saves the day on more than one occasion.
- Your nanny or babysitter. Huge bonus points (and bonus dollars!) if she runs the dishwasher and picks up the playroom, too.
- A shower or bath, UNINTERRUPTED.
- The slow cooker. A delicious meal that practically makes itself? Yes, please!
- Spin class or kick-boxing. A natural way to raise your endorphins.
- VACATION.
- Restaurants that do takeout. No matter how hard we try to be organic and cook everything by scratch, there are days when you just need to order takeout.
- Coffee. You may be asking, why wasn’t this #1? And you’re absolutely right.
- Amazon Prime. Why yes, I think I will add that 50 Shades of Grey knock-off book to my cart while I’m already here buying a jumbo pack of diapers. And knowing it will be on my doorstep in 48 hours? Life changer.
- Girlfriends. To laugh and cry and vent and drink with.
- Candy Crush. Just own it. You’ll feel so much better.
- Your partner. He/she might leave laundry unattended or “forget” to take out the trash, but for better or worse, they’re all you’ve got in the way of grown-up roommates. And at the end of the day if you can get a good laugh or snuggle out of it? That’s big.
- Spanx.
- Magna Tiles. Possibly the only toy that actually keeps kids engaged for more than three minutes. See #17 and never look back.
- Hair appointments. One to three hours in a comfy chair with a cup of tea and someone rubbing my scalp? Yes, please!
- Target. When you’re not ordering stuff online, it’s glorious to stroll down the aisles, convincing yourself you really do need that box of energy bars/bike helmet/wrapping paper/cardigan. Grab a Starbucks while you’re at it.
- Naps.
- Books. Escape for an hour into another world. No book report required.
- School (minus the homework, conferences, and volunteer “opportunities”).
- Date night. Head to UrbanSitter ASAP and find yourself again.
- Huffington Post. Celebrity sleaze, witty political analysis, and the most comprehensive parenting reference you can possibly imagine, all rolled up into one convenient website. We owe you, Arianna.
- Her eyelashes when she’s sleeping. And the way he says “lellow” instead of “yellow.” Her tiny hands, especially when they reach for you. And the fact that this parenthood thing is the most heart-wrenching, exhausting job you’ve ever had, yet you wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Moms, what else are you grateful for?
