On this beautiful first day of spring, I am reminded of many things that I am grateful for.

The economy is still troublesome. We have been affected by it in many ways, but it certainly has helped me focus on what is good around me and I remain optimistic and hopeful about the future.

I welcome the change. Change is very good and change is coming. I think you have to get on board and embrace change or you will be left far behind. So in addition to change, following is a list of more things I am grateful for.

My top 30 things I am grateful for list:

1. PTA bingo night with family – good cheap fun
2. a supportive husband who gives flowers just because
3. beautiful, healthy children
4. my parents who are always there
5. my older son who has the babysitter call me to see if he can watch a movie since he is grounded
6. a smart brother who supports my websites for very little or no money
7. a creative friend who is an amazing designer and developed The Mom Entrepreneur brand for barter
8. my supportive friends in The Mom Entrepreneur Online Support Group
9. readers of my blogs
10. coupons – I just rediscovered these; great savings
11. interviewers who are prepared
12. creative websites that offer solutions
13. a lenient landlord who waived a late fee on office rent – clients pay late, rent is late
14. mint Oreo cookies – taste really good crumbled on chocolate pudding
15. billmelater.com
16. my Blackberry
17. President Obama – he will do great things
18. caller ID – yes, I know the medical bill payment is late, stop calling me!
19. Craig’s List – great for selling office furniture you no longer need
20. cats that sleep all day instead of chasing your cursor on the screen while you are trying to work
21. publicists who know what The Mom Entrepreneur is about when they pitch me – you know who you are:)
22. people who return my calls and emails instead of blowing me off – I try to reciprocate
23. auto responders letting me know someone is on vacation
24. email signatures – I like to know more about the person I am responding to
25. Joomla – love this platform
26. Twitbacks.com – so quick and easy
27. people who understand and respect the balancing act of a mom entrepreneur
28. friends who genuinely give and expect nothing in return
29. people who are not afraid to tell it like it is
30. clients who continually entrust me with their projects

Next time perhaps I will make a list of the top things I am not grateful for:)

What are you grateful for?

Traci Bisson has been a mom since February 2000 and an entrepreneur since August 2000. Eight weeks after she returned from maternity leave, the company where she had been employed for five years went out of business. She decided to try doing her own thing and failed miserably. After another year of working for two different companies (the first laid off the department she worked in and the other was showing signs of going under), she decided to try entrepreneurship again. Raising her two children and growing her company, Bisson Barcelona, has been both challenging and rewarding. Her story has been told in dozens of publications, including the Associated Press, National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB.com), Plan Ahead Get Ahead (cover story), Union Leader, The Portsmouth Herald, Our Times and Seacoast Ventures.