gratitude journals are here

I'd like to once again share with you my daily gratitude journal and give you the chance to buy one for yourself for the upcoming year. I believe the practice of daily gratitude is not only important to keep our mind positive, but I believe it can truly change your heart.

I've had my journals available in one way or another since 2009 so I had this wild idea of redesigning the journal to celebrate the upcoming year. Unfortunately that put me behind getting it ready for print, so I apologize for such late notice in making this book available to you. But it's here and ready for purchase if you would like to join me this year in expressing gratitude.

Above you will find the gratitude journals for 2015. Feel free to scroll through the book to get an idea of what it looks like (included are only a few sample pages, not the entire book). The journal is softbound with 142 pages. If you'd like to purchase you can easily click on the shopping basket in the bottom right and purchase right from the blurb site. If you would like one of my books from previous years. Go here to find a link of where you can purchase.

If you act fast you can save 20% or 30%

These limited time offers end on December 19

20% off

Save 20% when you purchase two or more books*

(up to $150 in savings)

CODE: 2PLUS

30% off

Save 30% when you purchase five or more books**

(up to $150 in savings)

CODE: 5PLUS

g list

Monday I woke up to a sound I hadn't heard in months -- birds chirping excitedly outside my window. My heart jumped. I knew it was February, but a part of me felt like I was going to look out the window and see lush green grass, a tree full of blossoms, and the scent of earth in the air.

I laugh this morning as bits of snow are still left over from the storm the day before. Winter is still here. I wasn't fooled by our crazy 60 degree weekend to think winter wouldn't come back with a vengeance or stick around well into spring, but I will say I enjoyed it while it lasted, was grateful for the break, and welcome it whenever it wants to come back.



Other things I'm grateful for right now ...

a loving compliment from a husband

limbo coming to an end -- our house renovation is about 2 weeks from being finished :)

cadbury eggs

how smooth everything has gone in our rental

that no one has been even a little bit sick this winter (yes i just knocked on wood)

laughter

skype -- how it can connect us even though we're far away

clean kitchen

making deadlines

not letting someone else's negativity rub off on me


What are you grateful for?

goodbye january | glist

There's really no good way to say it so I'm just going to lay it out there...

January sucks!

I tell my girls, "nice girls don't say suck", but this just seems one of those times where it's absolutely necessary. This was a hard January, but then again, I can't remember a January that didn't feel like this.

For starter I'm just coming off a wonderful holiday and being swept into the new year, with let's face it, a whole lot of questions about whats next, where to, clouding my judgement. It's not that I'm sad, more there's a heaviness in the air I just can get rid of -- of course the ominous grey skies and smoggy atmosphere are not help at all.

Sigh!

It's interesting how I've been feeling and then recognize that 3 times I have been, in one way or another, reminded to be grateful -- too look for the good. It came on the radio, in the form of a traditional letter, and in my inbox. I think maybe someone is trying to help ease my January blah -- and just in time for February.



G | list
I'm grateful project life is helping me, even more, to live in the present.
I'm grateful for a good night rest. I actually woke up rested this morning.
I'm grateful for the weekend.
I'm grateful for possibilities.
I'm grateful for second chances.
I'm grateful for time with friends -- and needed phone conversations.
I'm grateful for workshopping ideas.
I'm grateful for the ability to go outside without a heavy coat on.
I'm grateful for the sun.
I'm grateful it's February 1.

As frightening as it seems sometimes, I am grateful to be open and vulnerable -- anything is possible in twenty thirteen.

Glist

Today I'm grateful...



for clear skies. I loved being able to see the valley again.

for time with my friend Amy and her advice that life isn't life without sugar. We should limit instead of eliminate. I accept.

to stumble upon kid doodles.

to get our snow blower fixed just as we usher in another winter storm.

for the mild weather. It's 30 degrees --downright balmy.

for finding time for my hope tos.

for a space heater that's keeping my studio nice and cozy.

for leftovers, which made an easy, yet satisfying lunch.

for my girls honesty.

for snowy evenings safe at home.

for a family movie night -- we watched born to be wild.

for a new blank journal.


What are you grateful for today??

glist

today I'm grateful for...

the happy sounds in the background.
Adam keeping me sane during a very busy few days.
getting a moment to breathe today.
my purple camelbak that keeps me hydrated.
the smell of cookies in the air.
a good book to take my mind off the need tos.
when a stranger smiles back.
having a lot to look forward to.
55 degree february days.
my sister coming to town -- next week!
a freshly made bed.
finding little notes around the house like this.
late night talks.
a mostly-clean house.
finally seeing the top of my studio desk.
simplifying.

gratitude month

All month long I've been posting gratitude status updates on facebook as a way of celebrating the spirit of Thanksgiving. Here is a collection of them starting November 1st.

day 01 :: I'm grateful for those extra few minutes to sleep in, for my girls getting up & moving on their own this morning, the rain waited until after Halloween, the promise of a new day.

day 02 :: I'm grateful for many hands making dinner & clean up a breeze, my work coming together easily, and ending the night talking with Adam.

day 03 :: I'm grateful for time with friends, for texts from those far away, for laughs, and a chance to reconnect.

day 04 :: I'm grateful to be feeling healthy and strong as I head to bed before race day.

day 05 :: I'm grateful I not only finished but enjoyed my race, for my friend who talked me into it and this brief but fun getaway. Bucket list #20 check.

day 06 :: I'm grateful for the extra hour of sleep, that I'm going to be home with my family this evening, that my dream was just a dream.

day 07 :: I'm grateful I was able to find some time to use my massage gift certificate on this insanely busy day.

day 08 :: I'm grateful I was able to start the day with Adam, that he traveled to his destination safely, that night has come.

day 09 :: I'm grateful for my girls, for their patience with me, and for the never ending lessons I learn from them daily.

day 10 :: I'm grateful for my friends, for listening to me when i just need an ear, for giving it to me straight, and for letting me ask really really strange questions.

day 11 :: I'm grateful to all those men and woman who risk their lives daily for our freedoms and to their families. I am humbled by your service. Thank you. so. much.

day 12 :: I'm grateful for FaceTime that brought Adam to us this morning live.

day 13 :: I'm grateful for God's gift to choose for myself.


day 14 :: I'm grateful to have spent the evening with my parents as we wait for Adam's arrival, for their relationship with my girls, and the way they always taking care of us.

day 15 :: I'm grateful for a good book with great characters that keeps me wanting, but man, its all I can do not to curl up in the cozy and read.

day 16 :: I'm grateful for how hard my girls work, especially when it doesn't come easy.

day 17 :: I'm grateful for laughter.

day 18 :: I'm grateful for a date night in the snow and to arrive home safely.

day 19 :: I'm grateful for a calm happy heart as I go to bed this evening.

day 20 :: I'm grateful for the quiet moments to reflect, for a desire to do more, for beautiful music, and for a low key weekend that resulted in ample time together.

day 21 :: I'm grateful for a stream of ideas and that the sun made an appearance.

day 22 :: I'm grateful for a handful of thank you notes from a second grade class, and to see a project I'm quite excited about come together beautifully.

day 23 :: I'm grateful to have a day with my girls, to watch them get in the spirit of giving, and to see the little things that light them up.

day 24 :: I'm grateful for my family, and even though we're all separated this year, I am grateful for each one and what they bring to my life. I'm grateful to spend the holiday with Adams family, that they feel like my family and his sisters like my sisters. We are all so blessed.

Today I am grateful!

grateful for him.

One of my favorite things about being an observer is witnessing a moment like this between a father and his daughter. I wonder if she knows as she sits there talking and laughing with her dad that she is the luckiest girl in the world.

I like to think his childhood, growing up with three sisters, really helped him in his roll now as a father of three girls. He is gentle and tender with them, he knows exactly what they need, and yet there is always an element of surprise and jokiness to his behavior that keeps us on our toes and guessing what he'll do next.

He is the type of father that not only talks, but listens and hears what his girls need from him. He not only plays, he gets down on the floor at their level. He not only tells them how to do something, he shows them. He's the type of father to drop whatever he's doing to go read a story with his girls merely because they asked him to. He introduces them to programs like Nova and is constantly sharing his love of music, art, and books.

He is everything to them and they are everything to him.

It does make me wonder a bit what the future holds, I mean, once hormones, friends, and boys enter their life it makes me wonder how things will flow. But I do know one thing for sure, he is going to be their constant, the one they can count on, and I hope the man in which all other men will be compared.

This month as I've been thinking about all the things in my life I'm grateful for he is the top of my list--and I suspect theirs as well. We owe so much of the greatness in our life to him. Simply put, we would not be where we are today without his loving support, encouragement, and light hearted laughter. We are forever grateful he is ours.

glist

Today I'm grateful for...

-an afternoon walk through the trees with my girls.
-66 degrees.
-when my girls listen the first time.
-family night.
-songs that bring me to tears.
-practicing the piano, even if I am beyond rusty.
-the anticipation of a four day weekend.
-talking with a long distant friend.
-reading with my girls.
-apple cider.
-late night talks with Adam.
-visiting with a neighbor.
-a new perspective.
-resisting a 5.5lb bag of Halloween sized candy bars.
-not taking the game too seriously.
-new music Adam finds.
-buttered popcorn.
-a grocery store near by.
-the quiet morning space to think.
-the tweet sound my phone makes when Adam texts me.
-stories that inspire me to want to be better.

What are you grateful for today?

glist

today i'm grateful for...



a hand written note.
a morning hug.
freshly grown tomatoes.
ripe pears on the tree.
colors dotting the mountain side.
time to read.
details.
conference weekend.
good health, strong body.
delightful conversation over food. (thanks for lunch a&j)
laundry done.
being able to connect with friends who live hundreds of miles away.
motivated children, well most of them.
ending the day next to adam.
peanut butter m&ms.
dreams coming true.
friends to share it with.
opportunities.
a contented heart.

glist

today i'm grateful for...

a new week. love mondays.
cooler mornings.
another day to play.
clean sheets.
generosity of others.
delicious, spontaneous treats from friends.
adam's work, even though it means he's traveling more.
gas in my car.
morning light streaming in through my windows.
my girls happy spirits.
choosing my attitude.
new music.
clean kitchen.
anticipation.
finding time for everything.


what are you grateful for today??

glist

right now I'm grateful for...



--the early light in the morning that gets me up
--the coolish breeze
--quiet time after a long busy day
--a husband who just knows to bring me home neilsen's frozen chocolate custard with toasted almonds
--friends who listen & understand
--possibility
--second chances
--a heartfelt thank you from one my girls
--inspiring images
--answered prayers
--my testimony
--good British tv when I just want to veg (check out Masterpiece theater: Collision)
--the farmers market
--the new cut grass smell
--books that keep me & the girls reading
--our right to choose for ourselves
--a family who bravely let's me try new recipes (tonight: skewed chicken with peanut sauce)
--our differences, that we each have something unique to give/share with each other


**what are you grateful for today?

glist

i'm grateful for...

-mothers day wild flowers found throughout my home
-adam's suggestion that i go to the dermatologist. i'm having surgery next week to remove more of my "atypical" mole & surrounding skin
-changes in our ward boundaries
-starting the morning off exercising with friends
-homemade hot cocoa on rainy spring days
-this app that helps me easily rent an audiobook from the library
-finding motivation
-personal revelation
-those who have reached out to me through email
-adam's knack for finding good music (digging iron by woodkid--prefer the gucci remix)
-getting some answers with tess' on again off again abdominal pain
-breakfast for dinner
-clean sheets
-bbc films
-handwritten notes
-promise of summer vacation (4 weeks)
-the kind of laughter that makes your abs hurt & eyes weepy
-late night confessions

g list

I'm once again reminded by a dear friend about the power of gratitude. I am not new to this concept, but upon receiving her email thanking me for the gratitude journal, I realized I haven't been as good as I ought to have been writing in mine. It's been two weeks since I've opened the cover and believe it or not the absence makes a difference. For me being grateful and seeing the ever present blessings each day takes the edge off and makes life run so much smoother--put simply, it makes me happy.



So I thought a gratitude list was long over due.

--i am grateful for a husband who understands me.
--i am grateful he always comes back safely when he travels.
--i am grateful my girls confide in me, that they will talk to me about what is on their mind.
--i am grateful that I've been able to be a stay at home mom.
--i am grateful for the individuals who have come into my life, even in the last year, that have changed it for the better.
--i am grateful for inspiring words--books & talks that help me to keep moving.
--i am grateful for audiobooks that keep me company during my Monday housework.
--i am grateful for a working washer & dryer.
--i am grateful we have good health.
--i am grateful adam has a good job, even if it does mean he has to leave town on a moments notice.
--i am grateful for the clean smell of the earth after a rainy day.
--i am grateful I have no where I need to be today as I'm abandoned at home without a car.
--i am grateful for a calm heart.
--i am grateful for my opportunity to choose.
--i am grateful my motivation to create is returning.

What are you grateful for today?

i'm grateful

the continuation of an endless Glist...


I'm grateful for us. For our marriage & dedication to each other.

I'm grateful for a husband who hears me because he wants to know me. For his patience, his love, & his ability to make me laugh even when times are hard.


I'm grateful for Bella's wisdom. For her ability to know just what you need when you need it. Just like her dad, she teaches me to let things roll off my back. For her need to be punctual because she always keeps us on time.


I'm grateful for Tess' sweet compassionate spirit. For her ability to love unconditional and give freely of herself.


I'm grateful for Megan's zest for life, her confidence & ability to always make you smile.


I'm grateful I have a good man, no a great man, helping raise our children. I couldn't have asked for a better father for my girls.

I'm grateful to have the knowlege of the Gospel. For the peace it brings to my life each day & the promise of spending eternity with my family.

I'm grateful for my family & Adams family & to be able to live close. For the help they give us & the goodness each of them bring to our life.

I'm grateful for friends who have come into my life at the right moment. For friends who love me for me.

I'm grateful for prayer.

I'm grateful for creativity & a space in my home where I can explore to my hearts content.


I'm grateful for my talents & gifts. For seeing life the way I do & having the desire to capture it.

I'm grateful for our health, that we are strong-ish, & are able to do physically anything we put our minds to.

I'm grateful for chocolate, especially when it's bleak outside.

I'm grateful for technology that keeps me connected with friends & family, & those I've meet online.

I'm grateful for music. For it's ability to make me get up and move or take me to a beautiful needful place.


As I say good night to this day and have had the chance to reflect all month long about what I am grateful for, all I can say is I LOVE MY LIFE. I am grateful each and every day for it.

May you have a Wonderful Thanksgiving!!

xoxo
amy gretchen

gratitude friday (including creative wednesday)

*I'm grateful to have uninterrupted time the last two days to work on the gratitude journals. Thank you Jill, Robyn, and Kathy for splitting your time with my girls.
*I'm grateful that meant I was able to spend the evening with Adam, just the two of us, eating, talking, and laughing. It is never just an ok night out with him around...I'm always entertained.
*I'm grateful the weather has cooled enough for light sweaters and wool socks in the mornings.


*I'm grateful I learned how to sew so I could quickly put together a skirt for Bella's costume. Hopefully it will fit, I made the pattern up on the fly. This and working on the journals is what I did for creative Wednesday this week. Did you do anything creative?
*I'm grateful for books with good messages to keep me company while I work. I've been listening to The Power. It's a little cheesy, the audio anyway, but hopefully it will be what I need to help keep me thinking positively.
*I'm grateful to feel happy today.
*I'm grateful to have friends in my life that fill me up in ways only a friend can.
*I'm grateful my to do list of things to do before leaving town is almost complete.
*I'm grateful to have the opportunity to go out of town and see North Carolina for the first time.
*In light of what a friend of mine is facing, I'm grateful my children are healthy and happy little girls. With everything that can go wrong it seems like such a miracle.

What are you grateful for today?

xox, amy

monday gratitude

My friend Amy had a gratitude Friday and it reminded me that it's been far too long since I've had one of my own.

-a husband who will listens to me & talks about anything and everything
-affectionate children
-patience
-life changing experiences
-wisdom of others
-being at the right place at the right time
-experiences that allow you to meet people you never would have
-long distance relationships are possible
-last minute lunch dates
-being able to help a friend
-triangle boxes
-a good night rest



-the smell of books
-after school snacks...for me
-play dates
-a blank book ready to be filled
-checking things off my list
-renewed commitment to long term goals
-new art (kid and Adam) to hang on the board
-an idea for dinner
-empty laundry baskets
-fhe = spending the night together

Dear Mom,

[just to clarify the Tess in the letter is her friend, not sister. ps she gave me the ok to post it.]

This letter from Bella was waiting for me on my bed. It was a very tender moment for me as a mom as I realized a) more is going on in my daughters life than what I can see and b) my little girl is not so little anymore. She's almost ten and has ten year old thoughts and feelings (even though sometimes I'm convinced she's wise beyond her years).

Her thoughtfulness and desire to want to do the right thing constantly amazes me. I hope and pray everyday that I can be the mother she needs, that she will leave the house everyday knowing she is love, that I can provided her with the right kind of information so she can make the best decision. I thought it was so cute when she said, "you aren't trying to tell me what to do, I just want an opinion." I guess at the end of the day they just want someone who will listen to them without judgments and understand who they are. I guess somethings never change...we all do.

We talked about her letter this morning and she left for school feeling good with a smile on her face. She could not be sweeter and I admire so much how she wants to be a better friend and wants them to be happy. I'll I kept thinking as I watch Bella and Tess get farther and farther out of my site was, "Never change sweet Bella girl, never change".

gratitude journals are ready

After all day in my studio I am finally done with the gratitude journals. I will have them posted on my etsy site tomorrow morning most likely around 10am. Because of the interest I wasn't able to do orders so they are first come first serve. I hope you like them.

Thanks to those who were interested in buying them. It was a lot of work, but I enjoyed it immensely.

miscellany

the guts of the books are all done now (printed, folded, punched, sewn, glued) and I'll be spending most of my day working on the outside so I can get these to you next week. I am waiting for a shipment of book board (I ran out) to come in and found out it won't be arriving until the 13th. So even though I'm ahead of schedule, it will most likely be Friday that they make it onto etsy. I will let you know though.


Painted with Hannah, Jenica, and Amy again Thursday night. We worked on our word for the year canvases. Here's a glimpse of what I was working on. Whenever I get together with other woman I realize why we need friends in our life. There's just something about the ease in which a conversion flows with girls and the importance of shared confidences and inevitable laughter that stays with you long after you've gone home.


Because I went painting Thursday night Megan woke up Friday morning wanting to paint with me. I guess there's something way more fun about using mom's paint and mom's brushes. She made a "butterfly flying in the fields" and I just messed around with layering paint on a small 5x7 canvas. For me it was just all about being with her and watching her explore.


Adam's been talking to me about painting our room for the last month or so. I've been against it because he wanted a ginger color and I just don't want to do any type of red (I've done it before and wasn't a big fan). Wednesday he told me he wanted to paint it this gray color that I love. I was excited as we really do need a change, but admit to being apprehensive when I woke up Friday morning and saw all the white patches covering the walls knowing he was getting ready to make good on his promise to paint. He got started on it this morning and I absolutely love it. It's much darker than before, but it's definitely what I had in mind, I don't know why I ever doubted. He's got a couple more Saturdays of painting to go, but so far it's marvelous. I'll definitely post pictures when it's done because we also plan on adding curtains and different lamps. I love how changing just a little can make such a huge difference.

Have a great weekend.

handmade

I didn't make as many gifts this Christmas as a I did last year, but what I did make I was so excited about. I've been thinking a lot about gratitude the last few weeks. How feeling grateful actually changes your attitude which in turn changes the way you see life. So with that on my mind I decided to make gratitude journals that would help keep you thinking about gratitude all year long.





It was more of an undertaking than I thought, designing it all from scratch, but one of those projects for me that didn't seem like work at all. I created the book layout in Indesign. Here are my initial notes. I had to work out each individual signature (group of pages) before I could begin to lay it out. I told Adam there must be a program out there that does this for you, but didn't have the time or patients or money to go looking for it.



quote from book:

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. - Melody Beattie



You can't really see it so clearly in the picture, but each page has three days and a place to write 3 things your grateful for from that day. It was definitely a labor of love and hope Adam's sisters and mom will enjoy them this coming year.

And because I loved the way they turned out so much and the concept that I decided to make an extra one to sell. I know I'm cutting it close with the new year starting this week, but seeing as they were gifts I couldn't share this information until after Christmas. If your at all interested go here to see it in my etsy shop.

Have a great day!