Gratitude Journal; A Daily Reminder To Be Grateful

My friend Corrine of Wolf Den Holistic Farm posted a beautiful challenge on her blog. She encourages us to take the time each day (just a few minutes) to write down in a special journal 10 things we are grateful for. Simple enough, right? And can you imagine how amazing you'll feel looking back at all the beautiful things in that journal?

So I'm taking her challenge. I can take a few minutes each day to remember what I'm grateful for. They don't even have to be anything huge; just simple things throughout the day. I just grabbed a lined book that I had on hand and wrote "Gratitude Journal" on the cover. So simple.

Here is what my first page looked like;
1. My family's health.
2. Sunlight coming in the bedroom window mid-Winter for the cats to bathe in.
3. The burden of "too much."
4. Decent weather today.
5. Our apartment. It's small but perfect.
6. Abundant water & living somewhere that I can drink all the clean water I want.
7. Food in our home. Especially food we enjoy & can make the decision to eat all depending on what sounds good.
8. Generosity from friends & family.
9. Matthew's job & the ability to sustain ourselves.
10. A doctor that actually pays close attention to & cares about Rowan and I. (And is awesome with Matthew and Lennon as well.)

If you take the challenge, go tell Corrine at her blog or on her Instagram account WolfDenHolisticFarm and keep her updated via the #wolfdengratitudechallenge tag!

You can find my updates on Instagram over at LaurenDouglasCreative. I'll be using the #wolfdengratitudechallenge tag as well!

Follow via: Bloglovin' | Feedburner | Feedly

25 Self-Nurturing Activities

We, as a whole, tend to not spend enough time on ourselves. Either we spend too much time on our kids and not enough on ourselves, or maybe we spend too much time doing things that don't mean much to us just to pass time.

It's time for that to end.

Self-care is hugely important. I'm a better mom and overall person for having taken better care of myself in the past couple of years. And I highly recommend it. Does this mean I never take time to do what someone else wants to do? Of course not. But it means knowing when to say "no" and not feeling guilty about it.

Something that I think is huge for self-care are selfies. I know. But seriously. Take a ton. Waste a ton of space on your mobile device. Feel silly, feel sexy, feel giddy... But do it. Selfies are huge. I find that when I make a point to take selfies (whether or not I feel like it; some days I don't feel stellar,) I feel better about myself. And let's be honest, who doesn't enjoy looking back on photos of themselves? I love it!

Staying on the same vein as my 22 Free or Cheap Ideas to Avoid Spending Money post, I thought I'd share some ideas for saving money and taking care of yourself.



25 Self-Nurturing Activities

1. Take selfies!!!
2. Listen to music that is not predominantly filled with anger.
3. Practice yoga.
4. Meditate. (With or without calming music.)
5. Light incense and (natural) candles.
6. Dance around while listening to upbeat music.
7. Smile. (I always feel better when I make the point to just smile!)
8. Compliment yourself.
9. Take a nice walk outside.
10. Paint, sketch, play. Anything artsy.
11. Make something. Anything crafty.
12. Take a nap.
13. Take a nice, long, warm shower or bath. (Maybe with some music in the background.)
14. Practice an instrument. (Maybe you've had a keyboard in your closet for five years and have only played "Chopsticks" five times?)
15. Relax. Just sit or lie down and relax. If you fall asleep then awesome; your body needed it!
16. Stretch or do some yoga!
17. Smile and say "I love myself!"
18. Snuggle with some fur-babies.
19. Receive a massage. (Or look up reflexology and perform some on yourself!)
20. Go hiking or nature-walking.
21. Hug a tree!
22. Have a nice, nutritious meal.
23. Practice deep, slow breathing.
24. Work in the yard / work on a container garden.
25. Watch a movie with no super sad or angry parts. (It's all about staying emotionally neutral or positive!)



Maybe this will inspire you to take a little more time out for yourself soon.
I promise, it's a good idea as long as you don't forget about everything else in your life.

What do you do to take care of yourself? Do you have any hobbies you enjoy?

Follow via: Bloglovin' | Feedburner | Feedly