What a month. I have been working super hard and working super late this month, which I knew was coming, but when it happens you just feel exhausted and a little drained.

Reading back on my daily gratitudes, it appears I have been super grateful for food and drink! Subsistence to help get me through the tough work days, I suppose.

I’ve also noticed my appreciation for experiences, validation, and connection: experiencing flowers budding and birds singing; validation through open conversations; and connection through sharing food or long working hours with colleagues.

I feel it’s becoming more and more true that, as I practise my daily gratitudes, I definitely appreciate the smaller things in life. I have never really been a materialistic person, though at the moment I don’t have the time to spend money on material items, yet I feel practising daily gratitudes has released me from wanting anything material – or maybe I am just getting older and realising that owning/ having things aren’t the be all and end all.

So, here is my gratitude journal for April:

1 Grateful for food today, there were so many tasty treats today – it was great! Dim sum, scones, strawberries, biscuits, Percy Pigs – we were really well fed. Grateful for our department head for getting these goodies as we were all in the office working today.

2 Grateful for the hubby today who looked after me very well: batch cooking dinners for the week, getting me biscuits, giving really comforting hugs, looking after Artemis, and being very understanding. Worked a really long day and I cannot wait for the new person at work to start already!

3 Grateful for a little sunshine, even though it was cold today, I saw some sun streaming in – and Artemis was looking adorable lounging in the sun. Grateful for hot water bottles, keeping me warm at night. Grateful for fluffy blankets keeping me warm whilst working during the day.

4 Grateful for sometimes working on automatic and switching on the car’s climate control because the car needed defrosting this morning as it was so cold! Grateful for parks, as I walked Artemis in a lovely park nearby and the sun was glistening and she was having a wonderful time sniffing absolutely everything. Reminds me of a quote about stopping to smell the flowers – that’s sure Artemis! Grateful for validation and words of affirmation, speaking with someone who reminded me that if I dream it then it will happen; so I’m going to keep dreaming and will things to happen!

5 Grateful for snacks, helping me get through the work day. Grateful for colleagues as it was someone’s birthday and we decorated desks, sang happy birthday, and ate cake!

6 Grateful for Rosa’s Thai Cafe today, which we had for lunch and it was delicious and brought back memories of visiting and eating there often. Grateful for advice and wise words from experienced higher ups who have a lot of people management skills.

7 Grateful for the hubby for doing so much these past few days while I’ve been working. Grateful for Artemis for being adorable and cuddly on the sofa this evening, I’ve missed just lazing on the sofa. Grateful for neighbours moving their car so I can badly reverse into our driveway.

8 Grateful for the hubby, who brought down his computer screen so I could use three screens to work today. Grateful to have great support at home, plus lots of hugs to get me through the working day. Grateful for Artemis for being so adorable and again making the day more bearable as I was working over this bank holiday weekend. Grateful for a little sunshine, even if I couldn’t go out to enjoy it, I appreciate that it’s not cloudy or raining outside.

9 Grateful for Easter eggs, I ate most of my Fererro Rocher Easter egg and it was divine! Honestly the best Easter egg ever! Grateful for Artemis for being adorable and just so crazy at the same time. Grateful for the hubby giving me lots of hugs. Grateful for a little lie in, recuperating after working long hours. Grateful for an action plan to be implemented after the busy season is over. Grateful for taking lots of breaks today, working on a bank holiday weekend and tonight I felt like screaming but managed to make it through another day. Grateful to have this job, even if it means days like this, I know it can only get better.

10 Grateful for scones because we had lovely scones today, really nice with a cup of tea. Grateful for Artemis, I actually had an evening tonight and she was lying on my lap snoozing. Grateful for daylight, as I drove home when it was still light. Grateful for clean mirrors, as I wiped the car wing mirrors this morning as it was raining and this evening on my drive home the wing mirrors were spotless! What a difference a clean mirror makes!

11 Grateful for Artemis, reminding me to stop and smell the flowers every now and then. I walked her in the local park and she was so adorable sniffing around and then looking up at me. Grateful for the hubby, giving really good hugs, as it was a stressful work day today. Grateful for colleagues supporting me and understanding my current workload issues of doing two jobs at the same time. Grateful for Onenote, keeping me sane and ensuring that I’ve remembered to do everything I need to do.

12 Grateful for snacks today, lots of tasty snacks getting me through the work day. Grateful for Artemis and her hilarious wiggle butt, keeping me warm and entertained this evening.

13 Grateful for Chinese dramas, offering humour and some much needed reprieve from a chaotic work day. Grateful for colleagues helping me out and unburdening my workload a little.

14 Grateful for U2, we were watching David Letterman’s documentary on U2 and listening to acoustic reworks of old songs. Grateful for the hubby, giving really good hugs. Grateful for Fererro Rocher, as it is so tasty, still finishing my Easter egg.

15 Grateful for my car today, as I was running lots of errands. Grateful for some down time, allowing me to catch up on messages and emails. Grateful for being in the room where things happen, learning lots and being in the room where decisions happen. Grateful for seeing old friends who I haven’t seen in absolutely ages, one is now pregnant and due soon so grateful to spend some quality time catching up. Grateful for family dog walks and just talking with the hubby, again spending some quality time together. Grateful for Artemis keeping me warm and snuggling with me on the sofa tonight.

16 Grateful for sleep, as I had an epic lie in, just resting and recuperating after working every day for almost 4 weeks in a row – today was my first rest day/ first weekend in ages. Grateful for biscuits and tea, a great combination. Grateful for blogging, which I feel I have been slacking due to prioritising work, but today I managed to carve out some time to blog. Grateful for breathing, as I’ve had an annoying cough for a little while and feel it might be subsiding.

17 Grateful for Easter eggs and Fererro Rocher, finally finished by Fererro Rocher Easter – what a great egg! Grateful for Onenote, helping me get organised. Grateful for tea and caffeine, getting me through the day. And grateful for Chinese dramas, offering some escapism from modern life, as I’m currently watching a period drama.

18 Grateful for Artemis today, who was very lively. At some points she was lounging in the sun, whilst other points it was like she was on fire as she was so alert and ready for anything. It’s funny how her personality has really come out since we’ve had her.

19 Grateful for mangoes today, had some Alfonso mangoes from a colleague and it reminded me of my dad who used to buy mangoes all the time when I was little. Grateful for my colleague sharing mangoes in the department, sharing his love of organic and seasonal food. Grateful for one of our advisors, as I was explaining to another colleague that this particular advisor has been explaining and sharing information with me in a totally non patronising manner and has helped me understand a lot of new things lately.

20 Grateful for having a car, getting around and running errands all over the place. Grateful for a Chinese drama I’m watching at the moment which is quite clever and very hilarious.

21 Grateful for having an extra computer screen, I don’t know how I managed with only two before, I’m so used to having three. Grateful for the hubby helping me set up all my computer screens. Grateful for having a dining table and taking a break from work eating at the table.

22 Grateful for tulips today, we visited Hampton Court Palace and saw lots of bright and beautiful tulips – my all time favourite flower.

Grateful for the hubby, spending time talking with me and taking pictures of our tulip visit. Grateful for my car, without it today’s trip wouldn’t have been so easy.

23 Grateful for sleeping in and having a lie in, grateful for recuperating and recovering. Grateful for tea and caffeine and biscuits for dunking. Grateful for easy meals to cook. Grateful for past hard work almost bearing fruit, as I’ve noticed some buds on the wisteria and hopefully this year it will flower.

24 Grateful for walks in the sunshine, it was a little sunny this morning when I walked Artemis. Grateful for budding wisteria, I took a closer look and there are indeed lots of buds around the garden, all our hard work last year hacking away at the leaves and branches appears to have allowed the nutrients to focus on growing buds instead of growing leaves. Grateful for eating at the dinner table and having good conversations with the hubby, it reminds me of my old work where my colleagues and I would chat at lunch and it would basically be a free therapy session.

25 Grateful for being able to drive and getting from place to place as I had to run various errands today. Grateful for grapes, because I hadn’t eaten grapes in a long time.

26 Grateful for snacks, we have finally polished off the office snacks from when we were working over the bank holiday weekend. Also grateful for new snacks, which were in the communal kitchen to celebrate Eid. Grateful for Artemis who was snoring away this evening. Grateful for enlightening conversations, opening my eyes to a different perspective on something.

27 Grateful for having cooked dinner over the weekend so we could reheat quite quickly this evening. Grateful for getting home safely whilst driving in absolute torrential rain.

28 Grateful for tea, giving me some much needed caffeine. Grateful for fish and chips which we had for the first time in forever it seems.

29 Grateful for biscuits and biscuit tins, even if some biscuits are super hard for my ageing teeth. Grateful for being able to drive as there were many errands run today.

30 Grateful for birds chirping away in the garden. Grateful for previous hard work chopping away at the wisteria and now it is budding and flowering and the garden is looking very purple now. Grateful for spring, it feels like finally the weather is warmer and the sun is shining and the flowers are finally blooming.