There is a lot of weird stuff circulating around the webz lately about Happiness. People preaching about how we must always be striving for it, other people preaching about how it can never truly be captured, and yet others that are sick of the word completely and just moving for the whole “finding happiness” campaign to end already. Stop making a simple little word like happy into such a life-altering big deal! It’s just happy, man.
With that being said, here is my current list of what’s making me happy. Because actually writing lists is one of the many things that makes me happy.
(Huh?)
(Sorry.) Ahem.
Happiness (whatever the heck that is) is…
Sunshine.
Planting flowers with my daughter, making a huge mess, and not caring.
Dogs lounging on brick patios.
Journaling even when I have a ton of other work to do.
Eye contact.
Thinking about them growing up together.
A new plant.
Birthday party planning.
Infant gurgles and smiles.
Best girlfriends.
Ignoring my cell phone beeps.
Fitting back into your favorite pants.
Pretending you fit back into your favorite pants.
Not caring that you’re only pretending you fit back into your favorite pants.
Animal crackers.
When the lightbulb goes off and you finally understand that word that your 2 year-old has been repeating ALL MORNING LONG. (Today’s word was “fairies.”)
Worrying obsessively that your infant shoved a leaf into her mouth three hours ago and not being able to find it and then finally – finally – succeeding in fishing it out of her cheek.
Corona Light with a lime.
Weekend guests.
Bows. In hair, on gifts, everywhere.
Changing out the dish towels to the one you own that’s unique to each season. You decorated! Go you! I mean, me. I mean, uhh…
Giggling.
The realization that today – yes, today! – is the peak of your fall color. Then waking up the next day and realizing that, no, nope, IT’S ACTUALLY TODAY.
Fall leaves.
Trees during the fall.
Pretty foliage on all the plants in all the land right before winter.
Trees with bright red and orange and yellow leaves.
(Sorry.)
Not being ashamed of posting 672 tree photos to your Instagram feed this time of year.
Sitting with a child without a television, phone, or laptop nearby and just, being.
Brainstorming.
Caramel apples.
Tiny girls with huge heads of hair.
Eating a healthy breakfast.
Eeu de Home Depot.
Hearing your text notification, and seeing a lovely message from a friend you haven’t talked to in a month. Or two. Or twenty. Then replying. Then going back and forth a few times over the course of the morning. And then setting the phone down and being content with that communication. They touched base, you replied, it made you both smile from afar, and that was a satisfactory “touch base” with an old friend. Until next time.
The day your HGTV magazine arrives in the mailbox.
Candy dishes. In everyone’s home except your own.
Warm coffee.
Bacon.
Drinking black coffee while eating bacon.
That feeling when everyone leaves your home after you entertained at the last minute, didn’t think you could, but did it anyway.
Christmas shopping in October.
Finding a small leaf in your child’s diaper that went “all the way through.”
Children that think you pretending to eat their feet is the funniest thing on the planet.
Children that are finally old enough to understand, and therefore laugh at, the antics of cartoon characters on television.
Children who repeat phrases you say all the time, suddenly making them hilarious. “Mama! Be CAHWFUHL. You ammost step on LELAH! Watch wheh you going, young wady!”
Grilled pork tenderloin.
Reading the first page of a new book.
It Just Rained smell.
Finally fixing your iPhone after living with a cracked screen since July.
Long-standing text groups.
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Cheers and happies to you and yours! Have a great week, all.
Hugs,
AS
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I'm an author, marketer, and mommy who loves to read, write, and drink coffee. My husband and I live in suburban Kansas City with our two little girls. This site chronicles my world. Thanks for stopping by!
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