NaBloPoMo and 30 Days of Thanksgiving

It's November again, and on the tail of the October Dress Project, I think I may actually succeed at NaBloPoMo this time!

I had big hopes and dreams of writing something creative, like a poem, every single day of November, but let's face it. I have three children, I am self-employed in three different ways, I am a volunteer Treasurer for a charity, I am the Principal Boy in the upcoming panto and I am prone to migraines. It's unlikely I can commit to writing something amazing and out of the draft stage every day. So while I'll attempt to write poetry as much as I can, I'm stealing borrowing an idea from a fellow ODPer, Connie, called 30 Days of Thanksgiving.

It's pretty obvious what this will be; each day this month I'll write about something I am thankful for. I'm going to try and include a photo each day of the subject I am writing about.

And on bonus days, you'll get a poem.

So where oh where do I start? I am the most blessed person imaginable with so, so many things to be thankful for. I feel if I try to start out with The TOP BIGGEST THING I'M THANKFUL FOR, I won't be able to choose where to begin. So I'll begin simply.

It being the first day post-ODP, I am thankful for my clothes.

We just take it for granted that we will be clothed. We maybe don't love our wardrobes, or maybe don't like the way things fit us, or feel what we have is old and worn out... but we never worry we won't be dressed.

We never worry our kids literally won't be dressed.

We may worry that our kids are going to school in dresses too short or trousers with holes or shoes a bit tight, but we don't worry they will have nothing to wear at all. They will be clothed, and they will have coats, and they will be safe, warm and dry.

This is not the case all over the world, and in our case, we are doing much better than many people around us even in our town. I have clothes I love, some were expensive and some were cheap, but I love them and like how I look in them. My kids have clothes, nice new clothes and warm coats and boots. My husband has clothes, even after dropping a few sizes he still has clothes, many of which he too really likes.

I am so, so blessed and thankful for clothes. One thing the October Dress Project taught me was how frivolous I am with my wardrobe. I own far more than I need and I buy far more than I ought. I now think more than twice before buying something that very likely I do not need. I realised by wearing just one dress for a month how versatile one garment can be... I don't need five little black dresses, three black skirts and endless black tops. I did a clothing clear out during the project but will continue clearing out until I am satisfied that my closet is not an Aladdin's cave of unnecessary items.

Today I am wearing my owl sweatshirt with a denim skirt and black leggings. I am happy to look the way I look in my outfit, even though my belly is still a bit round from having a baby, and tomorrow, I have more clothes I can put on. So will Jaguar and Fifii and Lolly and Scott.

Thank you, God, for clothing us.