What I’m Thankful For

Jessica Sturdy shares her tips for hosting Thanksgiving dinner with Seven Daughters.

Happy Thanksgiving! I was going to keep this short and sweet, with just the three things I’m most thankful for this year. But, as you probably know by now, I’m all about long laundry lists. I thought it would be fun to put together a list of 30 Things I’m extra thankful for this year. A little bit more personality, you know? Some are funny, a lot serious, and some I’ll be sharing more about in the months to come.

I hope you had a wonderful day with loved ones! xo JRS

1. Y-O-U! Reading through your responses and feedback from this reader survey made me so, so happy and solidified how fortunate and appreciative I am to have each and every one of you reading this blog. Sometimes it’s easy to fall into a trap where it feel like it’s just me and my computer, but I love this little community we’ve got here.

2. My friendships. In a year where family was a bit of a four letter word at times, I am so thankful to have such a supportive group of friends around me. As cliche as it is, friends are the family you get to choose.

3. Family. My brothers, my dad, my mom, my niece and (soon-to-be) nephew, my grandmothers and grandfather, and all of my aunts, uncles, and cousins. There’s never a dull moment, but I’m thankful for all of it. Oh, and our dogs Bud & Ava, too. (Miss you, Daisy.)

4. My opportunities to travel and explore new parts of the world.

5. My path. I’ll admit, in a lot of ways, it hasn’t looked like what I used to picture in my head. But I’ll also admit, it’s a whole lot better than I could have ever imagined.

6. The Universe Has Your Back

7. My spirituality. I really tapped into that part of my life this year and I couldn’t be more grateful.

8. Fracturing my ankle. Yep. It was a transformative four months, both mentally and physically.

9. My apartment building. I honestly love my place and neighborhood so, so much. Sure, I get antsy to have more space and to decorate a home one day, but I really feel at home where I am and can’t picture leaving for the foreseeable future.

10. My Nespresso machine. Every single morning I’m thankful for that thing.

11. My healthy body. I learned a lot this year about just how powerful the human body is. Everyday I’m striving to listen to mine and take care of it a little bit more!

12. My Blendtec. I waited forever to buy a nice blender, but it makes making smoothies at home a complete breeze. I use it every day!

13. Bri, you’re the best. Thank you for making my life easier on a daily basis.

14. I’m so incredibly grateful I have a job I love and I get to do work that I genuinely enjoy.

15. My favorite podcast, The Lively Show.

16. Flexible schedules.

17. My Canada Goose coat. I have no idea what I’d do without that thing in the winters.

18. Hallie gets her own line. What a f*cking year this has been, babe.

19. This pajama set. It’s just the best.

20. Sunny days. All of the grey days in Chicago make me appreciate the sunshine even more.

21. Music. In my car, in my headphones, in a workout class, at home, at a concert, out at a club… I simply love how music evokes feelings.

22. Baths. I really love baths.

23. My therapist. The feeling I have when I leave her office is truly a breath of fresh air.

24. Alone time. Whether it’s traveling solo or taking a few hours to focus on me, I am so appreciative that I get to spend time by myself regularly.

25. My 5 Minute Journal. It’s a game changer.

26. My Boll & Branch sheets. They’re half the reason I’m excited to go to bed at night.

27. All of ‘my people’ that help me out on the reg and truly brighten my days… Mia, Lisa, Cheryl, Tim & Tab, everyone that works in my apartment building, the ladies at my nail salon across the street… I’m so lucky to have them all in my life.

28. Having an open mind.

29. Learning a little bit more about myself on a daily basis. While the physical changes of getting older aren’t always great, figuring out your true sense of self with every passing day is cool AF.

30. I feel kind of weird saying this, but I’m thankful for me. This was the most challenging year of my life so far, on quite a few different levels. Emotionally, physically, mentally, at work, at home with my family, with my friends, you name it. But I’m really f*cking proud of how I worked through the challenges, found more strength than I knew I had, set boundaries, was vulnerable, stood up for myself, took care of myself, and tried to find the silver linings wherever I could.

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4 Comments

  1. 11.24.17

    Happy Thanksgiving! What a lovely list of things to be thankful for!

    Rebecca
    xx
    http://www.peppermintdolly.com

  2. 11.24.17
    Lanie said:

    This is such a lovely post, Jess – love your honesty and heart! xx

  3. 11.24.17
    Tracy said:

    What a great list! I am thankful for you as well!