1,000 Gifts

I follow a few blogs that I really enjoy reading, and one of them is written by a high school friend, Lauren. Her blog, From Our Hiding Place, is all about DIY but she has, on many occasions, shared different things with her readers. I read one of her recent posts last week - 1000 gifts - and immediately wanted to jump on board. Lauren's idea stems back to a woman named Sarah, the author of fairytales are true, who decided to write her own version of 1000 gifts after being inspired by a book written by Ann Voskamp. After reading both Lauren and Sarah's blogs, I'm now joining these lovely ladies and embarking on my own journey to note down 1000 gifts (be it people, blessings, events, things, feelings, etc!) that I have been fortunate enough to smile about this year and to do it by December 31, 2012. Should you also feel inspired to remind yourself of all the things you are blessed with and make you smile everyday, jump on the train. Just drop Sarah an email as she's also tracking the people who have joined her on the 1000 gift journey. And please also let me know - I'd love to read about your gifts :) And so I begin...

My gifts (and blessings):

1. a healthy family
2. a healthy me
3. bright, colorful flowers
4. hot chocolate
5. the sunshine
6. and the rain
7. my amazingly comfortable bed
8. the man, my fiance, who sleeps next to me in our bed
9. the luxurious feeling of getting a manicure & pedicure
10. living abroad, as tough as it gets
11. riding an elephant
12. chicken club sandwiches by the pool
13. hot mocha lattes
14. the comfort of our living room couch
15. the outside breeze
16. girlfriends i can always count on
17. the feeling of strength after a gym session lifting weights
18. the feeling of endurance after a long run
19. my colleagues - i learn something from all of them
20. our driver, Narayan
21. our housekeeper, Aggy
22. velveeta macaroni & cheese (with hot dogs)
23. the pets i've had, loved, and lost
24. my wedding dress
25. a roof over my head
26. seeing the new york yankees play, and in so many good games
27. a glass of wine after a really awful day
28. a glass of wine after a really amazing day
29. cheese and crackers to go with that wine
30. the taste of a really good steak
31. the smell of sunscreen
32. freshly baked brownies
33. villanova university and everything i learned while i was there
34. the kisses jeremy gives my cheeks in the morning
35. long weekends
36. Essie's chinchilly nail polish
37. getting a foot massage
38. buying presents for people
39. my niece and nephew puppies, bailey & ollie
40. grandma's chocolate chip cookies packed in a tin for travel purposes
41. owning an Indian Saree (putting it on is another matter)
42. sunday lunches with friends
43. the stack of various magazines that i refuse to get rid of
44. breakfast dates on the terrace with Jeremy
45. Skype and its amazing ability to allow me to see my family and friends in between visits
46. sunscreen
47. having BBQs with friends
48. "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" reality TV
49. the complete series of Sex & the City on DVD
50. a really good pair of heels
51. my polka dot running shoes
52. racing jeremy down our street at the end of our runs, and waving our hands in the air as we "cross the finish line"
53. Frank Sinatra songs
54. homemade tomato sauce and meatballs with pasta
55. sundresses
56. and cozy sweaters
57. our engagement photos and the fun we had taking them
58. genuine English pubs, and the delectable steak pies that they make
59. reading a really good book on a Friday night
60. playing tennis with jeremy
61. breakfast dates with the ladies at beautiful hotels
62. vacations
63. our air conditioner during a month-long heat wave
64. our floral curtains in the living room
65. my slow cooker
66. the little geckos that live on our front porch at night and knowing they will always be there
67. watching the stray kittens that sleep on our patio chair cushions
68. watching "Frozen Planet"
69. Sling Box.
70. Our engagement weekend in Kabini