Gratitude

I hope all my friends down south in the U.S. had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend! It's important to count our blessings and be grateful for what we have, every day. I'm ending off this weekend with a little list of things I'm thankful for:1. The Toronto Public Library One of my New Year's resolutions in 2015 was to read 30 books. I blew through it, and reached my goal by October! Having access to the library played a big part in helping me reach my goal. There's a library in my neighbourhood, right around the corner from where I live. It's small, and doesn't always have a wide selection, but the great thing about the TPL system is that I can order anything I'd like online and have it sent to any location!There's also a beautiful old library by my office, and I often swing by on my lunch breaks. The librarians there always seem to have helpful suggestions, and the selection is great!Reading is so, so important to me. It's an escape, it's therapeutic, it gives me perspective, and it's a good break from looking at a screen all day :)2. Nigella Lawson's Christmas Chocolate Biscuit RecipeI have certain rituals that always help to put me in a festive mood. Every year without fail, I watch Nigella's Christmas Kitchen episodes on YouTube. I don't know when or why I started, but it's absolutely not Christmastime until I've watched the domestic goddess dress a turkey, and bake some cookies.Every year I also make her Christmas chocolate biscuits! I double or triple the recipe, and give a bunch away in tins as homemade gifts. They're always a hit, and extremely easy to make!3. No Bad Hair DaysI hope this doesn't come across as conceited, but I almost never have bad hair days, and it's pretty awesome. I think it's weird that I feel bad about admitting something superficial that I love about myself. But I think it's very important (especially for girls) to love themselves - inside and out.I have my fair share of insecurities. In fact, loving my hair is probably one of the few things I can admit to. Instead, I could tell you about how I feel like my body isn't suited to dresses, how I wish I could erase the dark circles under my eyes, how I wish I was a little taller, much slimmer, the list goes ON.But for now, I'll share what I'm grateful for. And that's my manageable hair. It grows super fast, it requires minimal styling and no products, and holds a curl for days. Thanks, hair!4. Coffee, Wine, Tea, Macarons, French FriesThese are my trusty companions. No matter what problem I have, I know they can help out. Can't wake up in the morning? Coffee. Need to chill out? Wine. Want to feel cozy? Tea. Need to eat my feelings? Macarons. And my answer to everything? French Fries.5. A Damn Good Support SystemI would obviously be remiss if I didn't mention how grateful I am for my family, friends, and loved ones. I'm not going to lie - 2015 was a tough one. I spent my first full year in the working world, I had to do lots of adulting, I had a few significant relationships change. Life is full of ups and downs, and I'm so thankful for my support system. In our age of texting instead of conversing, curating the perfect life, and hiding our true feelings, I think it's becoming harder and harder to have that Person you can call any time of the day or night - and know they'll actually pick up.I'm lucky to have a couple Persons. And I hope I am that Person for a few people too :)