Gratitude List

I normally post here on Sundays or Mondays but I was a bit behind with things, so I'm posting on a Tuesday instead. :)

Things I'm grateful for this month:

• Sunny days after rain
• Madron/the Autumn Equinox
• Going to the park for Madron
• Discovering new manifesting channels, like juliaera and Aonu
• Starbucks' pumpkin spice lattes
• Publishing another post on my Substack- I planned to write on there monthly but my last post was in July!
• Signs of autumn
• Early Hallowe'en chocolates! 

 

I haven't shared any photos in these posts for a while, so here's one I took at the park on Madron/the Autumn Equinox:

View by Hove Park.

 

Gratitude List

 Things I'm grateful for this month:

• Lammas
• More hot weather and sunny days
• The last days of summer 
• Getting a PS4 (I bought it at the end of last month)
• Gaming nostalgia- I've been playing the Spyro Reignited Trilogy!
• Inspiring YouTube videos
• Golden evening light
• Buying new notebooks 

Gratitude List

 Things I'm grateful for this month: 

• Classic Neighbours starting on TV from the beginning- last month I mentioned that I'd been watching it on YouTube (a newer series/season)!
• Summer sunsets
• Interesting books- lately there have been a few books I just haven't enjoyed that much, so it's good when I find one I'm more into.
• Adriana from YR Studio's Autumn Countdown series- summer is my favourite season so I'm not wishing it away, but I also enjoy seasonal living.
• Milkshakes
• Supportive online spaces 
• Publishing a new post on my Substack! 

Mid-2026 Reflections

We're halfway through the year, so it's time for my annual mid-year reflections post! I started them in 2017, so 9 years ago (although my first one was in May, so just before the middle of the year).

I'm later posting this year because I didn't manage to get it finished last month. You can see my previous posts below: 

Reflections (2017): https://fallingpetalsuk.blogspot.com/2017/05/reflections.html

Mid-2018-Reflections: https://fallingpetalsuk.blogspot.com/2018/06/mid-2018-reflections.html

Mid-2019 Reflections: https://fallingpetalsuk.blogspot.com/2019/06/mid-2019-reflections.html

Mid-2020 Reflections: https://fallingpetalsuk.blogspot.com/2020/06/mid-2020-reflections.html

Mid-2021 Reflections: https://fallingpetalsuk.blogspot.com/2021/06/mid-2021-reflections.html

Mid-2022 Reflections: https://fallingpetalsuk.blogspot.com/2022/06/mid-2022-reflections.html

Mid-2023 Reflections: https://fallingpetalsuk.blogspot.com/2023/06/mid-2023-reflections.html

Mid-2024 Reflections: https://fallingpetalsuk.blogspot.com/2024/06/mid-2024-reflections.html 

Mid-2025 Reflections: https://fallingpetalsuk.blogspot.com/2025/06/mid-2025-reflections.html

 

I also write an end-of year post. You can see 2025's here: https://fallingpetalsuk.blogspot.com/2026/01/letting-go-of-2025.html  

The first half of the year has been up and down. I've been struggling with anxiety  (health anxiety in particular) and feeling quite down at times, due to various things. 

I mainly went to Happy Café  meetups (part of Action for Happiness) and also to the park and the beach. As mentioned in last year's post, I most often go to the park and the beach as part of my celebrations for sabbats (seasonal festivals). I write about my celebrations on my seasonal living blog The Seasonal Life. 

Gratitude List

I normally post on Sundays or Mondays but didn't get round to writing this yesterday so I'm posting on a Tuesday instead. :)

Things I'm grateful for this month:

• Hot summer weather- although the heatwave (2nd one this spring/summer) took a bit to adjust to!
• Litha/the Summer Solstice 
• Going to the park for Litha 
• Lots of sunshine 
• Summer flowers 
• Watching classic Neighbours episodes on YouTube (Neighbours Classics channel) 
• Buying new books 
• Trying a Vietnamese iced coffee from a restaurant for the first time (I normally make them at home)

Gratitude List

 Things I'm grateful for this month:

• Beltane
• Going to the beach for Beltane 
• The summer like weather- we're having a heatwave in the UK at the moment!
• Long days
• Spooners cookie dough dessert 
• The return of the Law of Attraction blog I Heart LOA- I used to follow it a few years ago and was pleased to see that the owner Amy has started it up again. :)
• My new cosy colouring book! 
• Revisiting a childhood favourite!

Feeling States Round-up

Over 8 years ago (9 in November), I started a series called Feeling Your Emotions. The intention was to look at different emotions (such as anger, sadness and depression, fear and anxiety, peace and love) and get in touch with them, to help heal and move forward. 

You can read the introduction here: https://fallingpetalsuk.blogspot.com/2017/11/feeling-your-emotions-introduction.html

Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor, so if you're having mental/physical issues please seek medical help in addition to reading this. :)

 

I've carried on the series sporadically since then, with my most recent post being in November 2024 (about peace). Prior to that, I wrote a recap of all the Feeling Your Emotions (FYE) posts in 2022. You can read it here: https://fallingpetalsuk.blogspot.com/2022/09/feeling-your-emotions-recap.html

In addition to that, I've written  "stand-alone" post about other feeling states (not specifically core or basic emotions) and just focusing on feeling better. While I currently don't have any plans for another post in the FYE series, I thought that I would share a round-up of the other posts which aren't part of  it. And also look a bit more at emotions and feelings. :)

Here are the posts:

 

Feeling Like a "Loser": https://fallingpetalsuk.blogspot.com/2019/05/feeling-like-loser.html

Feeling Lonely: https://fallingpetalsuk.blogspot.com/2020/05/feeling-lonely.html

 

Feeling Low: https://fallingpetalsuk.blogspot.com/2020/07/feeling-low.html

 

Feeling More Positive: https://fallingpetalsuk.blogspot.com/2020/11/feeling-more-positive.html

 

Feeling Stuck (When Your Dreams Feel Far Away): https://fallingpetalsuk.blogspot.com/2024/02/feeling-stuck-when-your-dreams-seem-far.html

Feeling Powerless: https://fallingpetalsuk.blogspot.com/2024/05/feeling-powerless.html

 

Gratitude List

 Things I'm grateful for this month:

• First full month of spring
• Easter
• Lots of sunshine! 
• Simply K-pop coming back (I thought it had finished for good last year)!  
• The days continuing to get longer 
• Amina Makhdoom's Joy Challenge- it's my 9th year doing it live (I think I first did it by myself in 2016)! :) 
• Lana's YouTube channel-  relaxing videos all about her solo life. 
• Listening to music- sometimes it's good to return to basic gratitudes and this is one of mine. :) 

Gratitude List

Another Tuesday post (like last month) but never mind! :)

Things I'm grateful for this month:

• Birthday presents and cards
• Birthday wishes :)
• Oestara/the Spring Equinox and the "official" start of spring
• Longer days
• Reading a good book 
• Going to the park
• Pre-Easter chocolate! 
• Blossoms

Gratitude List

I normally post on Sundays or Mondays but I didn't get round to doing this yesterday, so I'm posting on a Tuesday instead. :)

Things I'm grateful for this month:

• Imbolg/Imbolc 
• The days getting noticeably longer 
• Signs of spring
• Re-reading favourite books
• Sunny days after lots of rain
• A video by Janet Ndomahina about staying positive and getting motivated
• Parks
• Finding like minded people/communities online 

 

Gratitude List

 Things I'm grateful for this month:

• Early Easter chocolate!
• Getting fingerless gloves- handy because you can still use the computer/phone with them! 
• Adriana from YR Studio's A Slow Start to 2026 series.
• Eat in Month- a free challenge that's running this month, hosted by Diana of The Chic Life. 
• Rediscovering old music- I've just been listening to Blu Cantrell's first two albums! 
• Finding inspiration on YouTube 
• Daffodils emerging
• The few music channels that are left (after MTV shut theirs down!) 

 

Note: January can be a hard month for me (and other people too) but it does help to write these lists. What's been inspiring you lately? :)

Letting Go of 2025

It's the start of a new year and so time for my annual year-end (letting go of the previous year) post! I most often write them at the end of the previous year (and publish them on New Year's Eve), but I didn't manage to get this one done in time. I did include a quick section in my December Gratitude List post though:

Gratitude List + Year-End Thoughts (2025): https://fallingpetalsuk.blogspot.com/2025/12/gratitude-list-year-end-thoughts-2025.html 

 

So now I'm doing my letting go post at the start of the new year instead. I've written letting go posts for the past 8 years. You can see them at the links below:

Letting Go of 2017: https://fallingpetalsuk.blogspot.com/2017/12/letting-go-of-2017.html

Letting Go of 2018: https://fallingpetalsuk.blogspot.com/2018/12/letting-go-of-2018.html

Letting Go of 2019 + Starting a New Decade: https://fallingpetalsuk.blogspot.com/2019/12/letting-go-of-2019-starting-new-decade.html

Letting Go of 2020: https://fallingpetalsuk.blogspot.com/2020/12/letting-go-of-2020.html

Letting Go of 2021: https://fallingpetalsuk.blogspot.com/2021/12/letting-go-of-2021.html

Letting Go of 2022: https://fallingpetalsuk.blogspot.com/2023/01/letting-go-of-2022.html

Letting Go of 2023: https://fallingpetalsuk.blogspot.com/2023/12/letting-go-of-2023.html

Letting Go of 2024: https://fallingpetalsuk.blogspot.com/2024/12/letting-go-of-2024.html

 

The first half of 2025 was quite difficult for me, due to personal issues and also having a hard time with anxiety (specifically health anxiety). I also write a mid-year reflections post and I mentioned it in that post and also linked to some resources to help people with health anxiety. You can see the post here: https://fallingpetalsuk.blogspot.com/2025/06/mid-2025-reflections.html

I usually mention numerology in these posts. If you follow that, the Universal Year Number was 9, which signalled the end of a cycle, completion and closure. So 2026's is 1, the start of a new cycle (which will last for another 9 years). Themes include new beginnings, change and release. You can read more about it here: https://astrostyle.com/2026-numerology-1-universal-year-predictions/

Gratitude List + Year-End Thoughts (2025)

I normally post on Sundays or Mondays but I was behind with posts on my other blogs (Star Sparkle Blog and The Seasonal Life), so I'm writing my monthly Gratitude List today instead.

Also, I write an annual year-end post but I haven't managed to get that done yet, so I thought I would include some year-end thoughts here and then write the more in depth post later. :) 

Things I'm grateful for this month:

• Getting new earrings
• Christmas lights
• Yule/the Winter Solstice 
• Beautiful sunsets (I've shared a pic of one below)
• Christmas presents and cards
• Cooking a proper turkey myself for the first time and it coming out ok!
• Hot chocolate
• Christmas chocolates! 

 

Year-End Thoughts 

 

I decided to add a quick section to this post, like I've done with a couple of Gratitude Lists in the past (most recently last month).

Gratitude List + November Thoughts (2025)

 Things I'm grateful for this month: 

• Last of the autumn colours 
• Going to the park- I went in early Nov as part of my Hallowe'en/Samhain celebrations.
• Going to Meetup events 
• Browsing blogs- I like to read Shay from Mix and Mama's Friday Favorites (she co-hosts it with Andrea from Momfessionals and Erika from A Little Bit of Everything) and see what other blogs are linked up. :)
• Getting new slippers! 
• Video by Dia Jin about feeling stuck even though you've done a lot of work on yourself 
• Evette Renee's relaxing Sunday reset routine video
• Doing a mental health course at a local centre- it's been a few years since I've done a course.

 

Thoughts

 

I thought I would also add a quick section here, a sort of mini blog post (like I did back in 2022). I haven't posted much on the blog this year (although I've been more active on my other ones, Star Sparkle Blog and The Seasonal Life). 

Gratitude List

I normally post on Sundays or Mondays but I was behind with a post on my seasonal living blog The Seasonal Life, so I'm posting today instead. :)

 Things I'm grateful for this month:

• Autumn colours 
• Hallowe'en chocolates!
• Trying new coffee shops/restaurants 
• Sunshine after rain 
• "Cosy season" inspiration! 
• Listening to music - sometimes I struggle with these lists, so it's good to go "back to basics" when thinking of things you like!
• Buying new notebooks 
• Samhain/Hallowe'en coming up 

Gratitude List

 Things I'm grateful for this month:

• Golden days as we transitioned into autumn
• Madron/the Autumn Equinox
• Going to Hove Park for Madron 
• Autumn inspiration- check out my Pinterest Seasonal board and Various Seasons- Autumn board for some! :)
• New music- Justin Bieber released a 2nd new album (SWAG II) and my fave singer Mariah Carey just brought out her new album Here For It All!
• Making hot chocolate for the first time in several months!
• Discovering new lifestyle blogs 
• Relaxing YouTube videos from Kay (Living the Life You Love) 

 

I also thought I'd share a photo I took when I went to Hove Park:

Sunset across from the park.

 

Gratitude List

 Things I'm grateful for this month:

• Lammas
• Going to Hove Park for Lammas 
• Last full month of summer
• Meeting family members for the first time! :)
• Going to Harry Ramsden's and Brighton Palace Pier with family
• Relaxing YouTube videos 
• Going to Five Guys   
• Sunny weather and blue skies after rain

 

And here's a photo I took at Brighton Marina when I went to Five Guys: 

A rainbow coming out after the rain. :)

 

 

 

 

Gratitude List

 Things I'm grateful for this month:

• Hot weather and summer days
• Blue skies
• Getting new nail varnish- I acually bought it last month but forgot to include it in last month's post!
• Going to Yallabina (a belly dance event)
• Getting a frappe from Hellenic Bakery in Brighton
• Rebecca Jay's YouTube channel- nice, relaxing videos. :) 
• Cooking programmes- in recent weeks I've been watching Barefoot Contessa, Delicious Miss Brown and Girl Meets Farm. 
• Listening to new music 

 

Also, I thought I'd post a picture of my painted nails, for a change! The colour is called lilac but I thought it wasn't quite that, lol.

 

Taken last month.

 

Mid-2025 Reflections

We're halfway through the year, so it's time for my annual mid-year reflections post! It's late this year but never mind, lol. I started writing them in 2017 (8 years ago, although my first one was in May, so just before mid-year. You can see my previous posts below:

Reflections (2017): https://fallingpetalsuk.blogspot.com/2017/05/reflections.html

Mid-2018-Reflections: https://fallingpetalsuk.blogspot.com/2018/06/mid-2018-reflections.html

Mid-2019 Reflections: https://fallingpetalsuk.blogspot.com/2019/06/mid-2019-reflections.html

Mid-2020 Reflections: https://fallingpetalsuk.blogspot.com/2020/06/mid-2020-reflections.html

Mid-2021 Reflections: https://fallingpetalsuk.blogspot.com/2021/06/mid-2021-reflections.html

Mid-2022 Reflections: https://fallingpetalsuk.blogspot.com/2022/06/mid-2022-reflections.html

Mid-2023 Reflections: https://fallingpetalsuk.blogspot.com/2023/06/mid-2023-reflections.html

Mid-2024 Reflections: https://fallingpetalsuk.blogspot.com/2024/06/mid-2024-reflections.html 

 

I also write an end-of year post. Here is 2024's: https://fallingpetalsuk.blogspot.com/2024/12/letting-go-of-2024.html

The first half of the year was quite difficult for me, due to personal issues. I've been struggling with anxiety (specifically health anxiety) a lot. I may do another post in my Healing Health Anxiety series, which I wrote back in 2016.

Similarly to last year, I mainly went to Happy Café meetups (organised by Action for Happiness) and to the park a few times. Also to the beach. I most often went to the park and beach as part of my celebrations for sabbats (seasonal festivals). I write about my celebrations for those on my seasonal living blog The Seasonal Life.

I haven't belly danced so far this year but I did meet up with my dance friends at a pub in March, which was nice. I hope to do some dance related things later this year.

 

Gratitude List

 Things I'm grateful for this month:

• Sunny days
• Email newsletters from Dr. Britney Chesworth, who helps people with health anxiety
• Litha/the Summer Solstice and the "official" start of summer!
• Going to Hove Park for Litha
• Finding meal inspiration online 
• Seasonal blog posts by Adriana on YR Studio 
• New Mariah Carey music!
• Listening to new music in general