50 things (out of many many more) that make me happy (and I promise they won't ALL be food nor will they be in any particular order):
1. Laffy Taffy (banana especially, but I'm an equal opportunity laffy taffy eater) - I also totally crack up at the jokes that are written by grade schoolers.
2. Nerds Ropes - ok, really, an incredible Wonka creation (God bless that man)
3. The crackle of fallen leaves
4. The smell of fall - crisp air and burning leaves
5. New school supplies - I always LOVED this as I kid, new pens and pencils and fresh notebooks, new bottles of glue - I always packed them all in a new backpack the night before the first day.
6. The Apple Hut - Fritz's fresh out of the hopper apple doughnuts are to die for. I love walking through the trees and sneaking an apple and picking out pumpkins...
7. Yoga pants, a sweatshirt and ballet flats make me really happy
8. Flip flops - which is one of the reasons I loved living in Cali so much - I could wear them year round!
9. Canoe trips with lots of friends and even more beer
10. Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches - with strawberry jelly
11. Quaint downtowns with fun little shops and old buildings
12. Christmas lights and singing Christmas carols - even more so because they bug my sister
13. Hot Chocolate with peppermint schnapps
14. I can't resist smiling at pandas, dolphins, orangutans, chimps, koalas and wombats. Baby animals of all kinds that look cuddly make me happy.
15. I think pigs are pretty awesome. I would love to play with them in the mud.
16. Travel - by plane, train, or automobile; if I'm going somewhere, I'm happy.
17. Southern Utah - probably my favorite scenic place in the U.S. - Zion National Forrest and Brice Canyon are really incomparable to much - even the Grand Canyon in my book.
18. Running - nothing beats putting on the running shoes - when I run I think - about everything, I day dream, I answer my own questions and am very introspective.
19. Swimming - When I jump in a pool to do laps my brain quiets and I am very meditative like.
20. Yoga
21. My niece - while my entire family makes me happy, my niece is the most amazing person in the world. I can have the worst day ever and I just look at her and nothing matters - she makes me smile and totally cracks me up. She is the coolest kid who continues to blow me away with how smart and funny she is.
22. Chai tea lattes
23. Green tea, especially in late afternoon when it gets really cold in the office
24. Sea shells - I love picking them up and looking at how different each one is from the next. They make me think of my mom, who always collects shells and of my grandpa who was rather creative in using them.
25. Peanut M&M's - yeah, we all knew that would make the list. However, I do love the Yellow M guy - he's quirky and funny.
26. Art - and while not all of it makes me happy, most art can move me - inspire me, make me think, make me smile, sometimes make me a little sad, but that it can move me in any way makes me happy.
27. Getting my hair did - yes, I just wrote that - I love spending time at the salon, it's great downtime and I happen to love my stylist. And, I feel like a whole new woman after I get my hair cut and colored - even if it's the same
28. Big hoop earrings
29. Shoe stores - just being in one brings me sheer delight. But trying them on and buying a new pair makes me giddy!
30. My friends - while they really don't fall below flips flops, peanut m&ms or laffy taffy I should mention them now. I have this amazing, core group of people in my life who I appreciate so much. Some live down the street from me, others across town or in different WI cities, and still others across the country and some in remote areas around the world - I have been able to depend on these people when I need them the most, trust them with secrets and have more fun with them than any normal person should have. They are more than my friends, they are family and without them I could not be the person I am.
31. California - northern, southern, and everything in between. I am truly a "California Girl" and an "LA Woman" at heart
32. The Ocean
33. Movie theater popcorn
34. Packer football at Lambeau Field - I still swear that everyone should try to see a game there sometime - even if you're not a Packer fan! The history is incredible and it's such a fun time.
35. Gossip magazines
36. A good bottle of wine - a cab or a pinot noir - and ok, I'll be honest, even a crappy bottle of wine can make me smile. But the good stuff? It really makes me happy.
37. A baseball game on a perfect summer afternoon with a beer and a hot dog
38. Reading, I love to have my head buried in a book
39. Rainy days with nothing to do but stay in bed and read, nap, and write in my journal
40. My journal - it has become this amazing thing for me over the last year - I love writing and I love finding things to put in it - inspiring quotes, pictures, etc.
41. S'mores - even more so if made over an open fire while camping
42. The beach - I love sand in my toes and playing in the water, having a margarita, reading a book, ahh...the perfect day!
43. REAL Christmas trees - while I haven't had a real one since I was in college, I love the smell of them and putting them up and decorating (I love that about a fake tree too, but there's something that I really enjoy about a REAL one).
44. Hockey rinks - the game itself makes me happy, but being in a rink and the smell of the ice and the sound of skates on it really makes me smile.
45. Pictures. My own especially, but I love looking at other people's pictures, hearing about trips or people in them. I love taking pictures so to be able to capture and keep so many memories, and I can look at them over and over.
46. Massages
47. The first heavy snowfall. When the snow sticks to everything and it's a beautiful winter wonderland. (then I'm pretty much done with it!).
48. Thanksgiving - I think that this is my favorite holiday - you get to hang out with the fam, eat yummy food, take naps, watch football and unlike Christmas, you don't have the pressure of trying to find the perfect gift for everyone.
49. Coffee - let me drink it in an adorable little coffee shop and it's even better.
50. Flowers - while I love being the recipient of an awesome bouquet of flowers, I just love looking at them in people's gardens, in parks, etc. The Capitol always has an awesome display of something going on.
I could go on for days, and may continue to add to this list, but it's fun to think about the little things that can make you smile. It doesn't take grand efforts to make me happy and I appreciate that about myself. I like that I can find happiness in the small things...
4 comments:
Okay, a few comments.
1-Oh christmas songs-you would probably hate them if i enjoyed them, so this year i may pretend to enjoy just to piss you off :)
2-Yay to Ches for being the best..ever.
3-Skates on the ice-Ches wants to go skating (or so she thinks she does, until she realizes what 'ice skating' is..) and it opens soon-like this weekend. :)
Ok Jen, I am a little worried...you listed your friends as #30 but NERD ROPE as number 2...what's up with that?
I like getting my hair did too. In fact, I just got my hair did, cut a bunch off. Nothing like getting one's hair did.
Our you still sure you want to include friends? Or maybe include a disclaimer/exception?
Hair did. I had to read that three times. ha.
Jake.
Eeww, fake banana flavor. Now peel me some twizzlers and you will have one happy chick...
Mmm, fake strawberry flavor (H. Simpson drooling noises).
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