Breaker

Gratitude With a Side of Mashed Potatoes

Thanksgiving and the month of November is my favorite time of year. A holiday without gifts, just family and food. It’s a time that most of us take a break and reflect on what we’re thankful for. While its a great practice that gets us feeling ready for the holidays and the start of a new year for many of us when the hustle picks up again we get sucked in and the warm fuzzy thankful feelings can drift.

Last year our office put on an event called Refuel.  It was one day filled with different speakers and sessions intended to fuel us for the new year ahead.  For me, it was an intense day. I worked my way through a few travel packs of tissue and at the end despite being cried out, I felt absolutely recharged.  

One of my favorite speakers was Alison Canavan who spoke to the full group and ran a breakout session on gratitude journaling.  Gratitude is powerful. Finding something to be grateful for everyday – big or small can change your mindset and how you see the world.  Almost a year later, I can’t say that I’ve kept up with journaling, but have tried to find things everyday that I’m grateful for outside of just November.  My list is overflowing, 2018 has been incredible and there’s still a way to go.

  • Everyday I wake up in a warm bed with a roof over my head and next to a man that has seen me at my worst and never waivers.
  • C and I are equal partners in chores and child care.
  • J’s personality is flourishing.  He is polite, sensitive, sweet and incredibly well intentioned for a two year old.  
  • When J tells me he loves me I am so overwhelmed I have to fight back happy tears. 
  • A baby crying has woken me in the night everyday for over 6 weeks.  Our new addition is healthy, hungry and needs me. It’s an opportunity to spend uninterrupted time with him.
  • My children have 4 active, involved and loving grandparents.
  • I have a career at a company I love, surrounded by peers that push me to be better and think differently.
  • We have enough to pay our bills, feed our family and save for our future.

I could go on, but I hope you are getting the idea. Have you tried gratitude journaling?  How has it gone for you? Do you use an app? I’ve been using Grateful. The app provides a daily prompt or allows you to write free form. The prompt is incredibly helpful as you get started because it’s easy to get overwhelmed with everything around you.

Gratitude is great, but where are the mashed potatoes you ask? There is a big food holiday ahead of us and I would be remiss not to share a story and a recipe. Check this out for a Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes recipe that will rock your world.

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Erin Kasch

Erin is a Professional. Wife. Mother. She’s driven by her family, friends and a desire to put good out into the world. On the occasion that she has more than a minute to spare between work, momming and meal prep Erin likes to sew, bake and think about what would look great with a coat of chalk paint (she has yet to complete a single project).