Time for some gratitude.

I enjoy monthly favorites posts because they help me practice gratitude. It is a simple way for me to dedicate some time each month to the things that have been bringing me joy. I usually try to include a mix of products and actions, so my favorites do not feel dependent on money. Today I am going to take that idea to the max and do only free favorites.

1. Jon Olsson and Janni Deler Vlogs – I love YouTube because I can use it to learn about anything. So, with my desire to live abroad, I hunted down some Swedish YouTubers. Enter Jon (pronounced “Yun”) and Janni. They live a very international life and I enjoy being able to tag along on their travels. I’ve also been loving Swedish YouTuber Jenny Mustard for some time. Side note – I never read blogs, but I love to watch vlogs…yet I have a blog, not a vlog…am I doing this wrong??
2. Peanut Butter Oatmeal  High cholesterol runs in my family, so I have oatmeal for breakfast almost every morning. Because I opt for the old fashion, plain oats, I make this breakfast a little more tasty by adding a scoop of peanut butter. Game. Changer. The PB adds tons of flavor, a creamier texture, and some extra protein. Definitely give this breakfast treat a try.
3. Duolingo  This is a free language learning app! All month long I have been using Duolingo to learn some basic Swedish (I am currently 20% fluent!). You use the app each day to learn some basic grammar broken down by topic. The app requires you to listen, read, match, translate, and write in the language you are learning. I also think this is a great way to get a language you have already learned back up to par.
4. Habit Tracking As you know, I’m all about personal growth and development. I have been tracking my habits on an Excel spreadsheet (thanks for the recommendation, Pilar!). I first brainstormed the activities that I want to do more of (like “meal prep”), the things that are important to me (like “talk with family”), and the things I am curious about (like how often I eat a vegetarian diet). Each night before bed, I fill in the habit tracker. It seems that I am excellent at flossing, but not so good at finding time to read (for fun – all I do for my classes is read!).
5. Friends With year two of my MBA in full swing, I am reminded how nice it is to have a built-in group of friends around me (pretty much at all times because we are never not together). Meeting up and hanging out with a friend for a walk and chat is one of my favorite free things to do. Here we are at a University of Oregon game that we get free student tickets to.

They say the best things in life are free! And this month, it was nice to remind myself of that.

-TM

What are you favorite free things? Let us know below.