So we are now in the second half of the year – I still don’t know how that happened! July has been a month of good food, good TV shows, good podcasts, new adventures, and appreciating the little every day things in life.

It has been super hot – a mega heatwave – so little things cooling down the house and cooling down myself have been really helpful. I’ve been actively trying to carve out time for exercise or skincare to aid with self care, as self care shouldn’t be after care.

I’ve also noticed that I appreciate adorable wildlife more often than usual. Maybe it’s the hot weather attracting bees and butterflies into the garden? Whatever it is, I’ve been seeing a lot more pollinators around lately and I’m loving it.

So, here is my heat-filled, TV loving, July’s gratitude journal:

1 Only Murders in the Building: grateful for this TV show being back on. We really enjoyed the first season, there’s a good mix of comedy and intrigue so super excited and grateful for season 2 now existing.

2 Sleep: super grateful for sleep today, as I had a very restful night. I was out like a light, and much deserved as I have been feeling super tired lately. Grateful for some recuperation.

3 Self care: grateful for self care today. Grateful for watermelon seed oil giving my hair some much needed moisture, grateful for cooking and eating a healthy and nutritious meal. Grateful that these days I’m better at carving out time to take care of myself and my body.

4 Podcasts: grateful for podcasts today, as I was listening to a couple of lively and interesting podcasts while doing a bit of sewing. I’m trying to not use my phone as a general source of entertainment – other than listening to podcasts.

5 A few things today. Grateful for packages, as a whole load arrived all together today. Grateful for the hubby, as he helped me wash the car this evening. And grateful for checklists, as I love checking items off my to do list – I feel so productive.

6 Insightful conversations: grateful for insightful conversations today. Learnt a lot and there’s still lots to digest and fully understand, and I’m trying to stay open minded to allow space to try a new action plan.

7 A few things today. Grateful for colleagues bringing in food like Turkish delight and cookies. Grateful for work as I had free breakfast, free fruit, and free ice cream – mmm tasty ice cream. Grateful for colleagues as I found out a couple are leaving soon and moving away or starting new businesses, so I’m grateful that – to my knowledge – people who leave my company do so for positive reasons to open space for the next stage of their lives.

8 Celebrations: grateful for celebrations today, as we went to a wedding and it was lovely reconnecting with people and meeting new people.

9 A few things today. Grateful for learning more about mental health and having open discussions about the past – hindsight really is 20-20. Grateful for better road driving confidence and not relying on the sat nav as much as I used to. Grateful for the hubby for having beady eyes in spotting hidden electric chargepoints. And grateful for Stranger Things, as the episode we watched today was really really good.

10 Self care. Grateful for some self care today. Had a lovely lie in so felt rested, batched cooked meals for the week, and used a sheet mask to soothe my skin. Grateful to carve out time to take care of myself.

11 Bob’s Burgers: grateful for this heartwarming show today. We watched an episode, one I’ve seen before, but it was still really funny and so heartwarming – giving me warm and fuzzy feelings.

12 Digging deep: grateful for actively doing the work and digging deep today. Diving into the recesses of the past and experiencing a lot of cognitive dissonance, sitting uncomfortably with these jarring thoughts and feelings. It’s hard work, and at the same time I’m aware it will be rewarding work too.

13 A few things today.

Grateful for having a car, as I was able to go to numerous places today quite quickly. Grateful for exercise and the release of endorphins that come with exercise. Grateful for meditation, I don’t do it frequently but managed to this morning and it was much needed. And grateful for a green garden that attracts lots of bees and birds, I watched a bee dive into a blooming flower and get right in the pollen party – it was adorable.

14 A couple of things today. Grateful for AC today, as the office was super warm. Also grateful for ice cream, helping me cool down – it has been super hot lately.

15 Endorphins: grateful for endorphins today. I managed to get up and exercise this morning and it actually gave me a bit of energy and of course release some endorphins.

16 Several things today. Grateful for knowledgeable volunteers at the National Trust place we visited today, it was really interesting hearing their stories. Grateful for shade, as we were walking about in the sun a lot. Grateful for sunscreen, hats, sunglasses, and AC because it was indeed super hot today and extra skincare protection was most definitely needed. Grateful for bees and butterflies as we saw so many buzzing and fluttering about today. And grateful for friends as a couple who visited gave some really good gardening advice.

17 Self care: grateful for self care Sunday today. Putting oil in my hair, doing some laundry, doing a little tidying up. Also did some writing too and listened to a really interesting podcast. It feels good to refill my cup.

18 A few things today. Grateful for fans and portable AC, keeping the house cool as well as myself. Grateful for shutters, blinds, and blankets also helping to keep the heat out. And grateful for flasks, keeping cold water cold.

19 Birds: grateful for birds today, as there were quite a few birds chirping away this morning. Yesterday I had put out a makeshift bird bath in the garden, so I hope some birds came to take a drink or bathe in it to cool down.

20 A few things today. Grateful for some cooler weather, as it has been super hot recently. Grateful for the hubby helping me shuffle the car into our driveway, as there is an annoying obstruction in the way. Grateful for the penny dropping – realising that other people’s issues/ mess is their issue, and that sometimes people cope by projecting their issues onto you. Grateful to understand now that their issue has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with me.

21 A few things today. Grateful for work, as I attended a coffee morning event whereby we discussed events and ideas going forward to make the workplace more inclusive for women. Grateful for free cakes and free ice cream – had vanilla and salted caramel flavoured Häagen-Dazs and it was super tasty. Grateful for driving, as I am getting slowly more confident with motorway driving as well as manoeuvring the car in small spaces. And grateful for the hubby – at work we talked about bad partners, so I’m super grateful that the hubby is a wonderful partner and a wonderful person in my life.

22 The hubby: grateful for the hubby today. Cooking dinner and dealing with groceries while I was still working. And also it’s our 10 year wedding anniversary – grateful for all the things we’ve been through making us stronger. Grateful for my lobster today.

23 A few things today. Grateful for the hubby for trying new adventures. Grateful for zip wires – one of the best things to do. Grateful for good food, as we tried a new restaurant today that had super cool décor.

24 Arms: super grateful for my arms today. They are aching so much after yesterday’s adventure, so I’m grateful that usually they are working fine and not aching or causing any pains at all.

25 Quality time: grateful for some quality time with the hubby today, eating dinner at the dining table, watching some comedy together – it’s the little things.

26 A couple of things today. Grateful for podcasts today, as I listened to a really interesting and insightful episode – I’m learning lots and adding tools to my collection. And super grateful that the roadworks near me have moved further away so I can now park in my driveway relatively easier than before.

27 A couple of things today. Grateful for skincare, I look forward to the evenings where I dedicate a little time for some self care. And grateful for arm muscles no longer aching! It’s been days since my little adventure and my arms have been super achey, but I noticed they weren’t aching today!

28 A few things today.

Grateful for less cars and traffic on the road making my commute a lot easier. Grateful for big lunches, as we had a leaving lunch for a colleague. Sad times, but not so sad as they are only moving to another hemisphere and still working with us. Grateful for the industry I work in, a couple of other people are leaving and moving companies but staying in the industry and though it’s sad they are leaving, I’m relieved that the industry is small and our paths may cross again.

29 A few things today. Grateful for chocolate, haven’t had a Lion bar in absolutely ages. Also grateful for an actual lie in, at least a little one, as I had a bit of a late night yesterday. And grateful for the hubby for doing some of the chores freeing up my time, acts of service is also quite a high love language for me too.

30 Skincare: grateful for skincare today. For a few new products that I’m looking forward to trying out and also spent some time researching a couple of untried active ingredients. Grateful for carving out time for some self care.

31 A few things today. Grateful for a lie in, think I had about 9 hours sleep, so felt rather rejuvenated. Grateful for carving out time to trim the ends of my hair. And grateful for carving out some time for writing and reflecting.