With Thanksgiving just 23 days away (it’s early this year, isn’t it?), now is a good time to focus on the little things that make life so wonderful. I know I need to take a step back and find the joy in life. I’ve been crazy stressed out lately. My car is falling apart at the seams (literally). My finances are less than stellar. I live with chronic pain and never have a whole day where something doesn’t hurt. Things just aren’t going my way lately. I could sit and cry about it (and trust me, I do), or I could actively seek out things to be happy about. I choose to do the latter because honestly, crying just makes my head hurt more.
If you’re in a bit of a rut yourself and need help finding a little bliss, take some inspiration from these 23 things that I’m thankful for this month!
23 Things to Be Thankful For in November
My goal here is to be specific. Like, instead of saying that I’m thankful for my son, I want to share something about him that makes me happy. Otherwise, I could just list a bunch of family members and pets and call it a day. There’s no challenge in that!
- Inside jokes: Like the way my son steals every blanket that comes into this house. It’s an ongoing joke between us, something he’s been doing since toddlerhood. I specifically order or make blankets that I know he will love just so he can steal them. Obviously, your son may not steal all of your blankets. Instead, choose to be thankful for all the inside jokes in your family!
- The stillness of morning: Those few moments of absolute quiet in the morning before anyone gets up. I am not usually a morning person, but I can’t sleep past 7 anymore for some reason. The only benefit to that is being awake before the sun rises and having total peace.
- Shorter days! I’m weird, I know, but I prefer the shorter days of late fall and winter. I’ve never been a sunlight girl. Darkness is like a security blanket to me. If, like my mom, you do not love the shorter days, you can be thankful for Daylight Savings Time! Hey, it means you get an extra hour of sunlight, right?
- Sweater weather! Another great thing about the colder air, I can wrap up in a cozy sweater! Again, it’s like a security thing for me, I like sweaters with sleeves that I can pull down over my hands.
- Coffee: I’m always thankful for coffee, but I especially love all the seasonal flavors! I really love mixing and matching flavored coffees with flavored creamers to create totally new combinations. Right now, I’m driving Starbuck’s Cinnamon Dolce with International Delight’s Chocolate Hazelnut. Yum! I also love any Hazelnut coffee mixed with any brand of Salted Caramel Chocolate creamer.
- My mom’s Thanksgiving dinner: My mom makes all of the same delicious dishes that my gran made when I was growing up, including my two favorites: stuffing and apple pie. Not together though, lol. Even my picky son loves all of the Thanksgiving foods, which is something to be grateful for all on its own.
- Fall colors. Even though they’ll die off soon, I love the couple of days where the trees are brilliant shades of red, orange and yellow.
- Hilarious pet antics. I have weird pets who do crazy things. Zoe sings at pieces of straw, Freya blushes and smiles, Mocha likes to dance like people, and Alex the Fuzz can’t cat. They bring me joy every single day in so many ways.
- Holiday movies on Hallmark: My mom and I love watching all the cheesy yet delightful holiday movies on the Hallmark channel! She already started recording them since they began earlier last month.
- Binge-watching old shows on Netflix. I’ve been on a binge-watching, uh, binge, lately. Sometimes I just need a break from reality, and Netflix (and Amazon Prime) give that to me.
- Binge-reading a new series. I can’t stare at a screen every night, so when my shows go on hiatus (or I’ve finished a season of something), I binge-read a new author. I’m thinking of binging my way through Game of Thrones. My brother said the books were a lot better than the show, which I haven’t seen yet.
- A Knight’s Tale coming to Amazon Prime! I just saw that it’s dropping today on Prime, which is awesome because it’s on my list of 20 historical dramas to watch. I’ve actually been wanting to rewatch it and was disappointed when I couldn’t find it anywhere.
- Windy days. As long as the wind isn’t damaging and doesn’t knock out my power, I kind of love the sound of the leaves rustling outside my window!
- Seeing lost loved ones in my dreams. Even though I’m sad when I wake up and realize they’re still gone, I feel like the universe is giving me a little visit with my grandparents, aunt, and dogs when they show up in my dreams.
- A job that I actually like. Yes, money has been tight lately, but I still get to do a job that, for the most part, I enjoy! I also get to connect with other amazing people that I wouldn’t have met if not for the blogging word.
- Old friends that are always there, even if we don’t always talk. I have a few friends that I’ve known for the better part of my life that I rarely get to talk to these days, but that I know would be there in a flash if I needed them…and vice-versa. We can go years without actually speaking yet still pick up right where we left off.
- Crisp fall and winter air. I love the smell of fall and winter, especially right before it snows.
- My comfy bed. A few years ago, I worked with Serta and got to pick out the perfect bed for me. I still love climbing into my Serta Perfect Sleeper every night. If you can only afford to make one major purchase this year, make it a new bed (if you need one). Trust me, you won’t be sorry!
- My Keurig. Personalized coffee made in under a minute? Of course I’m thankful for that!
- My aunt Diana’s Facebook page. She’s my virtual assistant and doesn’t even know it! Every day, she shares the cutest videos that make me laugh. I then poach them for Pretty Opinionated’s Facebook page. 😀 Don’t worry, she doesn’t mind.
- The start of the holiday season. I LOVE everything about the holidays. The lights, the songs (even the religious ones, because although I’m Pagan, I was raised Catholic and the songs make me feel nostalgic), the food, the fact that people are nicer to each other. It’s just a happy time of year.
- My pressure cooker. I am very thankful that I found a kitchen gadget that lets even me cook yummy meals! I can now make like four things well, and three are in my pressure cooker.
- YOU! It may sound trite, but I really am thankful for all of you. If you weren’t here reading my random musings, I wouldn’t be able to keep a roof over my child’s head. So THANK YOU! You are amazing!
What are you thankful for this month?
