Last month I joined up to take part in ‘The Happiness Project’ being organised by the fabulous Naomi at Seven Cherubs.  As a self confessed happiness seeker, she invited other bloggers to join her in keeping a journal for one month. 

Starting on April 10th and finishing on May 10th we take time each day to record
 and write one sentence on what has made us feel happy during that
 day or things that we are grateful for on that day ~ Naomi.

Count me in, I thought as I rushed to sign up.  Not only was a one sentence journal manageable, regardless of how busy my day was, but it would provide me with the opportunity to reflect on the highlights of the day and focus on the positive aspects.

With three small children, a husband, two dogs, and a cat to take care of, and never-ending household chores to manage, I could see that taking this time to reflect was something I perhaps, hadn’t being doing enough of.

Well, the day has finally come to share my journal of happiness.

1. I received an email from a reader of my blog telling me that I have inspired her to pull herself up out of her depression, and also to start her own blog.
2. Even though I spent the night in the bathroom with gastro, and looked and smelled awful, Foghorn came in with puckered lips to give me a big kiss and cuddle and stroke my face with his chubby little hands.
3. I woke in the early hours of the morning, as Hubbster moves across the bed to wrap his arms around me, and I drifted back off to sleep with the warm weight of his body against my back.    You can see why I love him, right?
4. Today I met IRL (in real life) the woman who has been encouraging me to write for the last six months (she flew from Adelaide to Melbourne especially) and finding that she is every bit as wonderful as I had thought.  You can read all about my not so happy attempts to clean my home before she arrived here.
5. Hubbster told me he is very proud of me and my accomplishments so far.
6. I received an invitation to a televised Bloggers Brunch next month ~ I will get to meet some  bloggers whom I already admire, IRL!
7. Hubbster and I had an evening out at a comedy show ~ It was great to walk through the city (a rare treat) holding hands and laughing together.
8. The Woo stopped at the top of the slide to wait for Foghorn, then cuddled his little brother onto his lap so they could enjoy the ride and giggle together.
9. I love the way The Woo, Foghorn and Bubble all dash to the door with huge smiles and whoops of glee when they hear their father’s car pulling into the driveway. 
10. We’ve had an insanely brilliant idea (even if I do say so myself) for the new Mums Lounge website, which will allow us to offer other bloggers the chance to promote their talents to our ever-growing community of mums and grow their readership….eeek….excited!  (For more details head over to Digital Parents.)
11. I love to watch my children on play dates interacting with other children, and being confident and kind, and polite – I just swell with pride. 
12. I was woken up this morning, at 6am, by Bubble who had had a helping hand onto the bed from Hubbster, leaning over and kissing me on the nose.
13. For me today, happiness has come from seeing my hard work starting to come to fruition, and receiving some very positive feedback on the plans for ‘The Billboard,’ section of the new upcoming website.
14. Grumps took The Woo and Foghorn for a walk across the paddock to feed the alpacas this morning, they were beaming with pride when they came back and told us all about how they had helped Grumps.
15. Today Hubbster took The Woo for his first official ‘Surfing Lesson,’ and his grin was spread from ear to ear every time he told somebody about it ~ We had to phone all three sets of grandparents, and his great granny, this evening to share his exciting news.
16. Today I glanced across into the front room whilst cooking the tea, to see my three children cuddled up together and felt blessed to have such a healthy, happy and wonderful little family.
17. The boys dressed in their new pirate costumes, and we went outside so that I could take a photograph.  Somehow we all ended up rolling around on the grass giggling madly…on the front lawn!
18. Today we celebrated my husband’s grandmother’s eighty-first birthday.  I love to see the joy on her face at the love and affection her great-grandchildren show towards her.
19. The boys and I spent a whole twenty minutes laying on the trampoline looking up at the sky to see what shapes we could see in the clouds – Love to see their blossoming imaginations in action.
20. Today The Woo told me “You are bootiful Mummy.  You look like a princess.”  I didn’t of course, but I very much appreciated the sentiment. 



21. I have been receiving some very excited emails from other bloggers who are excited about the opportunity to gain more exposure for their blogs/writing…and I am super excited that they are excited and that I am going to be able to do something super-dooper fab to help them on their way.  (That was a very long sentence because I tend to ramble when I’m EXCITED!)
22. I am happy to see little displays of affection between my children, as I feel it is a reflection of the happy and loving home that Hubbster and I have built for them.
23. Bathtime this evening was so much fun ~The children and I all sang together and Bubble was trying to copy the actions too!
24. I felt super-happy and excited today to receive emails and messages from readers saying how I make them laugh, and brighten their day!
25. Today, I enjoyed looking at my children and noticing my Dad’s features in them, and knowing that although he is gone from our lives, part of him lives on in us.
26. The Herald Sun sent a photographer to my house ~ they want to run a story tomorrow on Mums Lounge and the power of blogger mums!  Yippee!
27. Today I went to my first ever blogger event, ‘The Official Bloggers Brunch,’ and was one of 50 women invited. I felt honoured and inspired to be amongst and meet with so many incredible women.
28. Mums Lounge and our ‘Pay It Forward~Mummy Compliment Campaign,’ made it into the Herald Sun today.  I have a real sense of accomplishment and (especially after the awesome motivational speeches from yesterday) feel that with self-belief and hard work I can attain my dreams.  (Way too much happiness and positivity to fit into one sentence!)
29. Mother’s day has been a great chance for me to reflect on my journey through motherhood so far.  After difficulties conceiving, a miscarriage, and the loss of The Woo’s twin (during the early stages of my pregnancy) how can I not look at my beautiful family and experience the best kind of happiness there is?
30. Today I was happy that The Woo coped so well with having the plaster casts put on his feet (due to toe-walking).  Hubbster and I were very proud of him.
31. I am very happy to have been a part of this amazing experience and have found taking a few minutes out at the end of the day to reflect on the highs, to be very uplifting.  Thank you Naomi.  I am happy to be a part of this amazing community of women.

Now, at the end of the month, reading back through my list it is clear to me what makes me happy.  Not once did I feel happiness as a result of a material item.  My happiness came from spending quality time with, and connecting with the people that I love, and achieving little successes doing what I love ~ writing and sharing.

The author of ‘The Happiness Project,’ Gretchen Rubin rightly sums it up what happiness means for me;

“One of the best ways to make yourself happy is to make other people happy.

One of the best ways to make other people happy is to be happy yourself.”

Thank you Gretchen and Naomi, for this rewarding experience and the insight it has given me into into my heart and happiness.

What made you happy today?