Happy Thursday! This post is the first edition of my Thankful Thursday series, which will be sharing with you one little thing that made appreciate each day of the last week. Last Thursday, I shared with you the 50 Little Things challenge that is being hosted by Julie over at Savvy Eats.

Day 1, October 4: Afternoon Coffee

My afternoon coffee trip brought a smile to my face today. Almost every afternoon, I walk across the street to the Starbucks and grab a cup of coffee. Today, one of the baristas greeted me at the door by name and asked me what I was drinking today. Several of them either know me by name or by face but they never really go above and beyond like that. My day wasn’t going especially well at work and this barista really brightened my day.

Day 2, October 7: My Little Sister

Today is my little sister’s 24th birthday. I didn’t get to spend the day with her like I normally do but I did look at some old pictures of us and they brought a smile to my face. She moved to Chicago a few months ago so I don’t get to see/talk to her as much as I would like to but I am very proud of her for pursuing her dreams.

Day 3, October 8: Man-made Flying Machines

Silly I know but watching people fall fly into the water from a height of 30 feet really made me appreciate how important it is to live my life to the fullest. I am not saying that I will be signing up for the next Flugtag or crazy Red Bull event but I do want to make sure that I am living each day to the fullest.

Day 4, October 9: Spending time with My Boyfriend

Today was a crazy rainy day. Unlike Saturday, we didn’t have any specific plans for the day but it was nice to just sit around and talk. We enjoyed each other’s company and even watched some movies together. Our day was complete when we ate an absolutely delicious lunch together.

Day 5, October 10: Personal Time

I don’t have a lot of “me time” anymore and that’s ok. I love spending time with my boyfriend and my family. Today I was able to be alone completely. It allowed me the time I needed to refresh and enjoy the time I spend with others that much more.

Day 6, October 11: My Treadmill

My treadmill and I have not met in over a week. I was actually starting to go through withdrawals until I went for a run tonight. My treadmill helped cross the finish line of my first half marathon and for that I truly grateful. Tonight’s run didn’t go according to plan but I appreciate the fact that my treadmill won’t judge me for that. It just appreciates the time we get to spend together.

Day 7, October 12: The mirror in my Bikram class

Most people HATE the floor to ceiling mirrors that appear in gyms and yoga studios. They often allow us to be even more judgmental of ourselves then usual. That didn’t happen to me tonight. In fact, a strange thing happened as I stared at myself in that mirror. Instead of judging myself, I appreciated myself. I finally saw the new (almost 60 pounds lighter) version of myself, which I have never actually seen before. The mirror allowed me to see that all of my hard work over the last 9 months is actually paying off.

What small thing made you appreciate the day?