I have for some time wanted to share here on the blog some of the amazing grateful projects other people have done. So if you have a grateful project you would like to share please do email me.

Today here is Colleen sharing a few thoughts on her year with a 365 grateful project. Hope you enjoy! - hailey

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Not quite 12 months ago, I sent you an email informing my friends and family that I was embarking on an ambitious project – ‘365 grateful’. Well, that was 363 days ago if you can believe and I will soon finish this amazing journey. So much has happened in that relatively short time. I have shared so much with you all. So many joys.  And one profound sadness.
 
I now find myself looking back on all those days and am stunned by the year’s events –my baby has grown into a little boy and crawled, and walked and talked, we have travelled overseas for four months and visited 10 different countries, we have shared significant milestones with friends and family. It even encompassed the news of the beautiful new addition that will grace our family. Mostly, it is a record of all the things and people I care about the most that come together in a beautiful, eclectic pattern to make up my life. It is a filled with many moments that I will always treasure and I thank everyone for being a part of making the memories.
 
I won’t lie to you – the project is a real commitment and there were times when I wondered if I could keep it up. Most recently this happened when I was floored with fatigue and nausea due to morning sickness and the simple act of turning on my computer proved to be a big effort! Of course, the hardest moments were when I lost my dear brother, Ross. When I started the project and dedicated it to him to help cheer myself up from being so down about his diagnosis, not even in my worst dreams could I imagine that we would lose him only a few months later. What I came to realise was that I had to continue on with the project and make the most of my life in honour of his shortened one.
 
I have been amazed by the many other people I know who have taken on their own grateful project and also harnessed the power of gratitude. It is an absolute joy to witness your posts and your beautiful imagery.
 
And so now I must again thank you again for your comments and words of encouragement along the way which have been so appreciated. Truly. I will miss the project in many ways but it has instilled a deep sense of appreciation in me that I know will never leave. It has been so therapeutic. I won’t ever stop feeling grateful for all my blessings – a wonderful son and husband whom I absolutely adore, a loving family, faithful friends, perfect health, a beautiful home. And of course, knowing Ross and all his cheekiness and generosity for 30 brilliant years. He would be 43 tomorrow.
 
 
Inspired by love for a brother…
 
Dedicated to his amazing fight…
 
Continued in his honour…
 
Grateful that he lived.
 
Ross Hargreaves
10 June 1969 – 9 October 2011
 
Yours in gratitude,
Colzy xx

 

 

   
Hello. Just in case you missed our latest newsletter here it is. Hope you enjoy.

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We do hope you are having a great year. It certainly is rocketing by very fast!

We have a special request this month that you may be interested in hearing!

We are putting together a book entitled '365 Gratefuls'. The book is set to be published next year, but we need your help to complete it! What we're looking for are your stories and pictures of what YOU are grateful for - big or small! While there is no guarantee your contribution will be selected for inclusion in the final manuscript, we will read and consider every entry that comes in. And who knows, your story could end up in print, inspiring thousands of people all over the world! Please send your contribution to stories@365grateful.com.

Please note that while we love nature, pets and children, we have an abundance of these stories in the book already! We'd specifically love to include quirky or creative entries. What are you grateful for this very day? We would love to hear all about it! Thank you!

 

We've been busy over the last few months!

I would love to point you over to Lori Portka's blog to see a little behind the scenes of what we were filming in June... So many wonderful memories!!

 

A little inspiration;
I needed this little reminder this week... a quote by my favorite poet... Rumi
"Remember, the entrance door to the sanctuary is inside you."
And lastly...

Did you catch the article in the Queensland Sunday Mail? It was really cool to share about launching our kids book in the last month. It's something we have been working toward for some time. The desire to create this book and DVD started with wanting to share with our own small kids how important it is to not get too caught up wishing to be like other people and to have what they have...  You can read more about it here: www.iliketobeme.com

 

Thank you!
Thanks so much for your interest in our newsletter and for being part of our little community. We love to hear from you, so if you have grateful's to share, don't be shy!
Once again, please send your stories and pictures to stories@365grateful.com.
warmest
Hailey and Andrew

Drum roll please....

 

So very excited to be announcing the winners to this competition! ;)

 

The winner of the Fuji x100pro is the lovely Erin Wells!

She shares her grateful below:

I am grateful for my father's life and our wonderful friendship. After unexpectedly being airlifted to the hospital in December 2010, I was told my father suffered from a blown valve, anuerysm, and torn arota of the heart. They would attempt surgery, but had never done a surgery like this and he would most likely die. Being told at 16 that I should start preparing my father's funeral arrangements was the worst thing I had ever been told. Even worse than when my mother left us. My dad has always been my very best friend. Not many people get to experience such a close, genuine relationship, and being told it would probably come to an end, was a terrible experience. But I believe that due to a whole lot of prayer, my daddy survived and came home 2 days before Christmas (when he should've been in the hospital for another month), and we got to spend Christmas morning together, when this photo was taken. I realize every day how grateful I am for his presence in my life and everything he has done for me.

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The beautiful 3Annies leather handbag goes to this gorgeous entry by Kortni Miller.

 

My sons, Eli (4) and Oliver (1 month).  

When I see my reflection looking back at me through the beautiful dark eyes of my son, I am reminded of the greatest hardship of my life and I am filled with gratitude. The way his eyes are shaped, the curve of his lashes and the way they lay perfectly on his cheeks did not come from any gene I have. And yet somehow they are mine all the same. It turns out that the disappointment of only seeing one line on the pregnancy stick month after endless month can be the most beautiful thing you've ever seen when you are holding your three day old baby who would've never been in your arms if the stick had read positive. It's true that I may not ever know what it feels like to have those first minutes when my baby is ushered into the world all to myself. To have the first feel of his skin on mine or soothe his first cry. I wasn't the first to breath in the scent of my sons and it wasn't my heart beat they heard when they laid their sweet heads down. And the first whisper of the words "I love you" into their tiny perfect ears were not mine. All of those moments are deservedly reserved for the first person to ever love them. And for that moment, of witnessing my babies coming into the world, I will always feel a little bit envious. But another type of Mama needed that moment all to herself. And if I had to do it all over again I wouldn't change it. I would, every time, let her keep those first moments of my child's life to herself in return for what she has given me for the rest of mine. I am so very grateful for these amazing women who made me a mother. I can honestly say that I am grateful for the hard road of infertility I have traveled down. The same road that helped me realize that sometimes what you think is the worst thing imaginable, can actually end up being the best thing that has ever happened to you. And the best thing that ever happened to me is this love right here. This heart throbbing, soul-satisfying, hurts so good kind of love I have for my children.

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And the lovely winners of the 2 Peppermint subscriptions are:

 

Aimee Claire:

I am, and always will be, grateful for my husband.  Maybe it's an obvious choice, but sometimes I lose sight of how wonderful he is.  While I may be discouraging at times, he is always encouraging, uplifting and tells me something beautiful every day.

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Bethany Walter:

 

This picture sums up a lot of what I am grateful for. The chalk makes me grateful for fun creativity; the brown grass reminds me to be grateful for hot, sunny days, but also for rainy ones so all things can grow; The little girl, my daughter, makes me the most grateful. For life, for love, for the pure happiness that I could never have imagined feeling until I laid eyes on her. I am so grateful for this life I have been given!

 

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We are so thrilled and excited by the wonderful entries we received!! I love reading all the gratefuls and I am excited to showcase some of them here on the blog soon! ;)

 

Until next time. Thank you so much to over 600 people who entered this competition and for taking the time to share with us what you are grateful for. Also huge thanks to our lovely partners in this competition!!

Fuji Australia

3 Annies

 and the most lovely magazine Peppermint.

 

warmest Hailey

 

 

 

We are thrilled to announce the newest photo competition on 365 grateful!

We have 4 great prizes to offer.

First prize is the beautiful FujiFilm x100 black collectors item camera. This camera is valued at $1799 (RRP AUD$) and is a stunning camera! Kindly donated by FUJIFILM Australia. You can see their FB page here.

Second prize is this beautiful leather camera bag (Valued at $249 AUD). By 3 Annies. Check out their FB page here!

And we have 1 International subscription to Peppermint magazine and 1 Australian subscription to Peppermint magazine to give away. Check them out here.




What do I have to do to enter?
All you have to do is email stories@365grateful.com a photo of what you are GRATEFUL for and a short description of your 'grateful'.
The competition ends on July 6th and you are welcome to enter up to 3 times!!
We will draw the winners from a hat and post them on the 365grateful blog on the 20th of July!!
Some of the entries may feature on the Fujifilm FB page and 365grateful FB page during the entry period.

TERMS and Conditions:
Entries close 6th JULY 2012 AEST 12pm.
All entries must be original work and include entrant's full name, address and description
By entering the competition, each entrant must grant '365 Grateful' and 'Fuji Film' the right to use the entry in promotions including online and print.
Where a photograph entered in the competition includes a person other than the photographer, the photographer must guarantee that he or she has obtained all necessary permissions from that other person (or in the case of a child, that child’s parents or lawful guardian) for the image to be used in accordance with these terms and conditions. An entrant indemnifies '365 Grateful' against all damages, losses, costs and expenses incurred by '365 Grateful' arising directly or indirectly out of any failure by you to obtain the permissions mentioned above.
The judges will short-list favourite Gratefuls and then draw the final winner from a hat. The judges' decision is final and binding. As such, no correspondence will be entered into.    


YIPPEEE!!

This Fuji Instax grateful competition has been a complete delight.

My inbox has been filling up with amazing and beautiful 'gratefuls' that have inspired and moved me. I don't want it to end! If you just feel like sending in gratefuls to our email (stories@365grateful.com) please do! We might need to do a regular grateful feature here I think!

I can't thank you enough for entering and sharing with us your stories!!

I am very glad that this competition was not really judged because it would have been way too tricky to pick a winner. So many gratefuls and each one so beautiful!! Here are a few pics of us drawing the winner out of a hat!!

Also here is our dog eating it!! ;) 

Probably the most moving was this video below! Special thanks to Kirsteen for letting us share this here:

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"I am grateful my husband made it through!

Here is our story (my message to him)

And although he has lost his short term memory I am SO incredibly grateful he kept the moments that really mattered in our lives together.  I am now on a life long mission of documenting our day to day life so that he can have a way to retain the memories of the life that will slip by him."

Kirsteen James

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Very special thanks to FUJI for making this whole competition possible. Please do go and like their FB page to show them we are so grateful!! Fuji Instax FB

 

Now time to announce the lovely winner of this competition!!

 (DRUM ROLL please... The winner is... FIONA FITZPATRICK!

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"I’m grateful for the gift of creativity…the opportunity to make art about my life and to be able to share that wonderful process with others.  I am blessed."
 
 
Fiona Fitzpatrick,
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Once again many thanks to the many people who entered and shared with us. We are so grateful and look forward to running some more competitions and fun things in the months ahead.

 

warmest

 

Hailey

 

I am super excited to announce this fun prize that will really help someone along in documenting a year of grateful moments!

Fuji Film has donated a fabulous Instax 210 camera and a stack of film to give away to a lucky person exclusively on our 365 Grateful Facebook page and 365 Grateful website.

This is a great instant photo camera that produces an amazing wide photograph in seconds. Take it with you everywhere so you never miss a special moment!

To be in the running for this fun prize, all we want you to do is email us what you are grateful for!

We are looking for heartfelt grateful moments... these might be everyday simple things like clean sheets or maybe deep thoughts and experiences that have formed you... or maybe something about yourself you have just realised. Whatever you're grateful for we want to hear!

Your entry must be email-able, but can be scanned art, a painting, photograph, collage, or a story. Please include your name and contact details with your entry and be sure to read the terms and conditions below.

Please email your entry to stories@365grateful.com by April 29th, 2012!

 

 

 

Good luck!

 

 

Terms and conditions

For those interested in Fujifilm's Instax product, you can become friends and like them on Facebook.com/FujifilmInstaxAustralia Entries close 29th April 2012, 12pm AEST
All entries must be original work and include entrant's full name, address and description
The prize is 1 Fuji Instax 210 Wide camera and 38 packets of Fuji instant film. Also one leather-bound album to be posted to the winner after June 20th, 2012.
By entering the competition, each entrant must grant '365 Grateful' and 'Fuji Film' the right to use the entry in promotions including online and print.
Where a photograph entered in the competition includes a person other than the photographer, the photographer must guarantee that he or she has obtained all necessary permissions from that other person (or in the case of a child, that child’s parents or lawful guardian) for the image to be used in accordance with these terms and conditions. An entrant indemnifies '365 Grateful' against all damages, losses, costs and expenses incurred by '365 Grateful' arising directly or indirectly out of any failure by you to obtain the permissions mentioned above.
The judges will short-list favourite Gratefuls and then draw the final winner from a hat. The judges' decision is final and binding. As such, no correspondence will be entered into.

Another lovely post from Sarah as she embraces her new life in Tasmania. Thanks Sarah!

Okay, so I must confess that I have been withholding on writing another entry because frankly I’ve been a little gloomy.

We moved to Tasmania on the 17^th of November. Dan’s new job on “The farm” came with a house on 63acres, overlooking the cherry trees. When we arrived at the house however we found that it had been left in slight disarray after its previous tenants. It wasn’t anything major, just surface stuff but when you move interstate for a new job and dream of a house on a farm overlooking the trees it feels so idyllic.

To arrive and find it filthy and overgrown was a shock to the system. I spent a few days living out of suitcases adamant to move as soon as we could. Then I resigned myself to holding out for a better place. Now finally, I have dug deep and accepted the farmhouse to be our home and have quit my complaining and have been attempting to make it feel that way.

Surface by surface, I have cleaned and scrubbed. We have trimmed hedges and bushes and rearranged furniture countless times and finally I am beginning to feel at peace in this space. Not without a lot of complaining and grizzling and turning my nose up in disgust. Not without getting cranky at the kids or saying to the hubby “It’s okay for you, you get to go to work and don’t have to be stuck here in this place!”

I must admit that in the move I have misplaced my grateful journal and then in my grumpiness I have not given an adequate attempt to find it. It can be so much easier to be grumpy at times.

I wanted to be able to write some fabulously heart warming and inspiring entry on beauty and another lesson in the gloriousness that is being grateful. I wanted it to be motivating and uplifting and make everyone think “Yeah, that’s so true. How nice to be reminded of that.”

I didn’t want to waft on about little things like beautiful sunsets over the mountains of Tassie right outside my kitchen window. About my kids playing on the blue beach and the four of us spending the entire day exploring the clear rock pools for treasures. I didn’t want to write about the day we spent baking when I finally got past the layers of grease in the oven. My little boys face covered in chocolate ganache and his mouth swollen with cake as he tried to squeeze out the words “More Cake Peese Mum”. Our pretty dog Milly bounding over the tall grasses of the field beyond our gate, with a smile so huge I thought her ears might lift her off the ground. My husband heading out on an errand Sunday, only to return with a huge pot with a large lavender plant in it, “To cheer up your kitchen”, he said behind a crooked grin. I thought these little things would be boring. However in sweeping up more cake crumbs this morning I realised that it is the little things in life that make us all happy.

Too often we all try to sit back and hold straight faces and look “all together”. Too often we gather in the company of friends and hide that we’ve been narky with the hubby and short fused with the kids. Too often life is about seeking some grand bigger picture, when in fact we are all living snaps shots of tiny moments linked together to create each unique journey.

It’s how we behave in the cruddy moments that make us worthy of holding our heads high. It’s how we notice the sunshine on the grass in between rain showers. How we laugh with our children. How we show love to our spouse. How we dance in our P.J’s.

It is the little things that make life beautiful no matter where we live, how we live or how tough things might feel at times.

The little things in fact need to be mentioned, for they are my saving graces.

For these I am grateful….

Baked Delights,

Bumble Bee on our raspberry bush,

Running on the beach,

Laughing Baby on the Trampoline,

Lovely Lavender!

Grateful. Xo

We welcome in the Christmas season with some wonderful wisdom from Amy.

TIS THE SEASON TO BE THANKFUL

‘Tis the season to be jolly, Fa la la la la la la la la….

Really already?

I am not sure where the year has gone or how it is possibly the start of December this week, but it is, and so the most crazy, busy, stressful, financially draining and exhausting weeks of the year begin.

But to be honest, I don’t see it like that at all. Let me start again….

I am not sure where the year has gone or how it is possibly the start of December this week, but it is, and so the most wonderful, joyful, family-centered, season of giving begins.  Bring it on!

I love Christmas. I love the parties; the way people get together and rejoice in each other’s company. I love the atmosphere out and about – carolers, decorations and excitement in the air. I love the smell of pine throughout my house and the giggling of my girls at the slightest thought of anything christmassy.

But most of all, I love the traditions that come with Christmas. I am grateful for the traditions my parents established for us as we grew up – fresh Christmas trees every year; setting up the nativity set without baby Jesus who would magically appear on Christmas day; reading ‘The Night before Christmas’ after mass on Christmas eve before we would set out food for Santa and his reindeer. My girls now follow the same traditions and have some new ones to call their own. We now make a point of travelling to the city to see the Christmas windows; our advent calendar brings gifts from Christmas angels; and our Santa photo experiences are traditionally a disaster! All these things add to the season and they make me happy.

This year I also wanted to start two new traditions with my girls. The first stems from something my mum did when I was younger. Mum would often make up a hamper of food and presents at Christmas time for a family in need. It was a different family every year. Mum would find a way each time to anonymously deliver the hamper to this family.  One year the hamper went to a family of a lady mum worked with. The lady didn’t know me so mum dressed me up as an elf and sent me off to deliver the hamper. I will never forget the look of gratitude in her husband’s eyes as I gave him the hamper. “Who is this from?” He asked. “Santa,” I replied. “Thank you. Thank you.” Hopefully, our new tradition will teach my girls that it is more important to give than receive.

The second tradition I want to start is centered around gratitude. Each day when we mark off a day on our advent calendar I want us to write down something we are grateful for as a family. I want to string these pieces of gratitude together and hang them around our tree.  This is what I want Christmas to be about for our family – gratitude. Gratitude for all that we have had throughout the year; gratitude that we have our health and each other; gratitude that we have a house over our head, food on our table, presents under the tree.

Christmas should be a time to celebrate each other and give thanks for all that is good in our lives. Maybe it is time to start a new tradition in your house too?

And while you are thinking about what that tradition might be, spare a thought for poor mothers everywhere, trying to get the perfect Santa photo to place on the mantelpiece 

Great to have another post from Lori - one that is very easy to relate to!  I usually freak out when I miss out on something so this is a great reminder to me to view those times differently.  Thanks Lori!

The Tuscan Villa

In the United States, this is Thanksgiving week.  It is a big holiday in this country filled with family and feasting, thanks and giving.  I will be spending this Thanksgiving at home alone with my two dogs.  I know that sounds like a sad story. At first I was sad and I actually didn’t handle it very well (many meltdowns, lots of crying.)  See, my Italian husband is in Italy this week with his entire Italian family (I refer lovingly to them as, The Italians.)    

For various reasons, I decided not to join them.  I felt so sorry for myself that I was missing out on all of the fun.  I even felt left-out, although it was my choice not to go.    It’s interesting how my mind can make up stories out of things that aren’t true and the story leads to misery.  I spun around in that unfortunate mess for a few days.

But again, like so many times in my life, gratitude has come to the rescue.  I asked for a change in perspective- a new way to view this holiday and situation with love and gratitude instead of anger and envy.  Later that day, as I was washing the dishes, I began to feel gratitude pouring over me.  I felt happy for my husband and the rest of The Italians, giddy almost, that they were going.  I felt grateful for the time to myself.  Having quiet time with my dogs to do whatever I want?  Fabulous!  This is an incredibly busy time of year with my art business and more than once this season I have felt overwhelmed.  This would be a week of quiet, to package and mail orders, paint, have lunch with friends, read, and eat my favorite soups.  Delightful!  I also felt grateful that my art business continues to grow, making it really hard for me to travel at all this time of year.  The kindest thing to do for myself is to stay home.  I felt so grateful for the choices that I have.  I felt so grateful for the family I adore so much.

It’s true, I will probably tear up a bit on Thanksgiving Day when they will all be in Tuscany staying at the villa my husband and I stayed in on our honeymoon.  I loved everything about that place so much that I actually cried when we left.  I made a painting for the B&B owner for my Hundred Thank Yous project (part of which you will see below). 

I imagine myself going back there one day.  Maybe I will get to give her the painting in person!  For now, I will send love to all my people who are laughing, feasting, taking in the beauty and enjoying each other.  I will send love to myself this week by doing what I want to do and showering myself with kindness.  All is well.