100 days of happiness challenge completed!

For those of you who follow me on my Reflectionsfromme Facebook Page you will know that I have been taking part in the 100 Happy Days Challenge. (Find out what that is HERE). It’s pretty simple really.

• For the past 100 days I had to think of something each day that made me happy.
• And then share it on a social media platform. I chose to share it on Facebook.
• I then had to use the #100happydays.

I decided to take part to see if it would actually make me happier. I guess I figured it would be a nice way to keep a record of all the things that make me smile, the things I am grateful for in my life. It is easy to go through a day without thinking about what makes us happy, or without truly appreciating the gifts we have been given. I knew once I was committed and signed up I would have no choice (well unless I gave up) but to find happiness in each day!

I started off strong, at first it was such a joy I felt motivated and happy! Days with girlfriends spent laughing, road trips and dinner out were great reasons to be happy!

Now coffee was something I always find makes me happy, especially when shared with friends over a more laughter, or just chatting about our kids.

My children were always a reason to be happy. Even if somedays they were also the reason for my stress or a headache, or perhaps the reason I never get a shower in peace. But seeing their gorgeous faces, having loads of hugs and viewing the world through their eyes is always a reason to be happy every day!

Then came days where I was sick, the kids were sick, hubby was overworked and we were all run down. I guess these were the days where normally you would write it off as a ‘bad day’! But being pat of the challenge was a great way to make me see the good in a day that was otherwise no so great. Even if I was sick I still had so many things to be grateful for in my life, like soft blankets, a warm bed, a hug from my children, the view outside my window, and a pet to snuggle with.

When you have  child who is sick it can also be hard to find the positives, I could take comfort in the fact that although April was weak and could barely stand or eat, she at least had nothing serious. I was grateful that she would recover. I just wish every parent was that fortunate.

It was easy to loose the momentum, it would have been easy to stop. Many people do, in fact 71% of people who begin this challenge do not complete it! I must admit at times I struggled and it wasn’t due to not having reasons to be happy, it was just due to the fact that some days I couldn’t be bothered to share why I was happy. But I was stubborn, I was not going to give up, I knew at the end I wold be glad I stuck with it.

A trip to Tasmania made it easy to have loads of reasons to be happy! With a sunset like this whilst my children played in the water and searched for sea creatures, how could I not be happy!

With time spent with my kids and my hubby made it so easy to share happy days.

Even acting like a typical tourist made me laugh at myself.

And with scenery like this I felt truly grateful to live in an amazing world.

Then there were the simple things like flowers.

or seeing my children have such great friends.

and having great friends myself

Dress ups

yummy food

Holidays with my nephews, my gorgeous sister and my parents

hot tub indulgence with this view!

the arrival of this little guy

and as always more great times with my kids

Other days it was a nice cup of tea, or a good book to read! Like I said, it would have been easier to quit along the way, but looking back now over the past 100 days I have a fabulous record of what made me happy and I am grateful for that and proud of myself for not giving up. Today I am happy it is Saturday and as I type this my cute little dog Holly-Rose is snuggled up next to me, my children are on the couch with me playing with each other even if it is on the Wii U. We are happy, healthy (other than Aspen with her allergies) and in 2 months we will be in our new home.

One thing that continues to make me happy is you! The lovely people that take the time to read my blog, leave me supportive comments, especially on my post a couple of days ago (it means so much thank you), for those of you who subscribe and for those of you who just stop by now and then, please know how grateful I am and how happy you make me!

So these are the things that make me happy, well just some of them. What about you? What are you happy or grateful about today? have you taken the 100 Happy Days Challenge? Would you? Love to hear your thoughts so please make my day and leave a comment.

Thanks for joining me, love Mac xx

Come and link up with me at my #mg linky which opens every Monday. Or my prompt led linky on Fridays called Friday Reflections.