November 4th, 2010
Simple Happy
I’m thoroughly devoted to the idea that having a life full of wonder and loveliness shouldn’t have to cost a lot of money, no matter where you live. And in the past few days my twitter seems to be full of friends who are under the weather and struggling to feel like themselves- it’s the one thing about the change of seasons I don’t like! So in the spirit of sharing, here are a few of my favourite simple things that can turn my day around, in case you’re fighting the blues or need a little treat…
- Cinnamon & cardamom coffee at home. When I want to make my morning coffee a little more special I’ll sprinkle a little cinnamon or cardamom on the grounds before it starts to brew. The spices add a delicate flavour and a lot of fragrance that makes my morning coffee a little more of an exotic treat.
- Intentionally abandon that to do list. This one is hard for me because I need to run a pretty tight ship to get everything I need done in a week, but every now and then throwing my to do list completely out the window and doing what I feel needs to get done is brilliant. Even if that’s catching up with Jesse and the puppies instead of checking something off my list. Maybe especially then.
- Make a standing date. Sometimes when I’m always trying to coordinate schedules with friends it’s hard to find times that work, and catching up becomes hard. My favourite way to fix this is to have a standing date with my favourite people- weekly or monthly, in person or gchat or skype – so I can look forward to having a corner of their time. If I’m having a ‘long’ week having one of these to look forward to is such a boost!
- Find free books for e-readers. I just got a Kindle for Christmas (we agreed I could open it when it got here!) and I’ve been finding great sources online for reading books that aren’t protected by copyright anymore. Project Gutenberg works for computers and most e-readers- I’m really excited to read some classics with its help!
- Bring a journal & keep in touch. I’ve always been a fan of having a journal- but mine tend to be great unwieldy, giant things that are only good for using at home. Lately I’ve been carrying a small notebook with me (this one!) and have been writing throughout my day. It’s a great touchstone- especially if you feel a little less than inspired at work. Writing down how I’m doing and any exciting ideas that come to me keeps me in a creative head space all day, no matter where I am.
Are there any simple things bringing you happiness this week?
One of mine is definitely left over Halloween candy!
{image: beauty in everything}
Friend dates are always a lovely way for me to make my week better. They’re like a beacon in the middle of the week reminding me that I can still have fun, even if it’s not the weekend.
My simplest pleasure has always been iced green tea, but since I got pregnant, I’ve cut back drastically. That makes any tea I *do* drink that much more amazing–I had some this week! =)
i’ve been sprinkling cinnamon in my coffee grounds for the past two weeks now, isn’t it addicting? i love it!! :)
What a great list of ideas Kyla. I’ve been putting cinnamon in my daily cream of wheat to feel special. I don’t drink coffee at all so this is like my coffee – my day doesn’t really feel started without it.
Sometimes when I need some me time I enjoy to: bake cookies, watch soap operas, and read a good book. I am finding I have less time to do these things as my baby is slowly transitioning into toddler-hood but I appreciate the little things even more now!
Oo, I never thought of adding the cinnamon to the grounds! That is genius! I usually sprinkle a little in my coffee. Love it. :)
When I am feeling down/stressed, I:
1. Try to clear a weekend afternoon for “Lisa Time” and then I knit or read or watch Glee.
2. Try to go out to my brother’s to see my nephews. They always make me feel so loved!
3. Try to fit in some cuddle time with Tom. :)
I just baked some mini blueberry pies – that little project will definitely be keeping me AND my husband happy this week!! Hot coffee in the morning is another simple pleasure that lifts my spirits :) and taking a stroll outside around the neighborhood.
How did I not ever think of that?! WIth the cinnamon IN the grounds?! We add cinnamon to our coffee all the time and lament the fact that it doesn’t dissolve. I can’t believe I never thought about adding it BEFORE it brews. Silly Doni.
Simple things for me this week? Finding the right music to accompany my days.
I LOVE the idea of throwing out the to do list. I’m the same way, I run a tight ship and need to maximize my free time. But the idea of doing nothing and laying around, that is heaven
Kyla,
Your post was a breath of fresh air. I love the simplicity of things that make all the difference in our day! Whether it’s keeping in touch with friends and family or keeping in touch with ourselves through keeping a journal. Making time for people and the things we love and benefit from and that nurture us is what the good in life is made of!
I have chosen your post as the #JournalChat Pick of the Day for all things journaling on Twitter for Thursday, November 4th, 2010.
I will be posting a link to this post on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and my blog Refresh with Dawn Herring.
You can follow my @JournalChat account for all things journaling.
Have a terrific day, and thanks for such a beautiful post.
Be refreshed,
Dawn Herring
JournalWriter Freelance
Such a simple list but I’m sure it’s very effective.
Some simple things that made me happy this week: writing my first guest post, my boss informing my team that we only have to work a half day tomorrow, receiving Halloween candy from my co-workers kid (ok, so I paid him for it), a cup of tea each night and receiving random emails from friends who just wanted to say hi.
I must confess I immediately prepared myself a cup of cinnamon coffee after reading this =)
I had some time in the train today, I had only my notebook eith me, so I wrote my own list there. I posted it on my blog, referring to your wonderful blog =)
Have a nice day!!
I really love your list. :) What’s been making me happy lately? Good feedback on a pitch, slowly re-entering the blogging world, and Halloween candy, most definitely.
Thanks for sharing this! It is an awesome list and reminder that the fun stuff doesn’t always have to cost mucho dinero!
My Halloween candy is all gone. It’s tragic. A happy baby is bringing me happiness this week … Topher went swimming for the first time and absolutely loved it! I love it when he’s happy :D
sweeping. it sounds really dumb, but Jack loves to sweep with me, and seeing the little pile of cheerios and goldfish makes me appreciate this life just a little bit more.
one simple thing i like is keeping a secret. doesn’t matter if it’s a little secret or a big secret, and i absolutely don’t tell anyone i even have a secret [that just makes folks mad], i just keep it. i like to think it gives me a glow.
My simple happy this week was receiving a scarf from a certain shop – yours! The colour is perfect!! I adore it and it made me smile and kept me warm last night :)
Ooooh I loved this list! You’re so right, the change in seasons tends to do a number on people… whether it’s sniffles or the blues, the seemingly endless stretch of grey November days is no fun.
I’ve been trying to counter this by catching up with friends (even if it means taking half an hour to write a novel-sized e-mail), taking walks (I may find it chilly now, but I know it’s going to get waaaaaay chillier!) and cleaning. That last one may sound weird, but honestly sometimes it’s a total mood-lifter! I think it has something to do with being able to see your progress…
For my birthday a couple of weeks ago, my friend got me about 15 sample size different flavors of coffee. Trying a different flavor everyday this week as made me extremely happy. Something to look forward to when I roll out of bed each day. Today’s flavor: Butter Rum Amazingness (I added the Amazingess – because it’s well deserved).
Thank you for writing this! I was feeling like I was the only one feeling down. Will definitely be following some of these steps :)
I’m a relational person to the extreme. The thing that gets me through rough patches, seasons, and days is reaching out to friends. Having regular coffee dates, dinner dates, wine nights, annual trips with the best friends.. that sort of thing. It gives me something to look forward to, and always makes me feel more grounded and grateful after.
Love these ideas, especially about the coffee. I’m going to have to try it out this weekend.
When I’m feeling down and out I usually like to sit down with a cup of coffee or tea, my dog curled up next ot me, and watch old movies on TCM or AMC. There is something about old movies that just brightens my day.
Love this!! I definitely think curling up with a big mug of tea and a good book puts me in my happy place. I also have been trying to shut my computer down a little earlier at night (so hard to do) and spend some time curled up on the couch with Eric or reading.
Love the idea of carrying a notebook around with you and journaling throughout the day!
Love all of these ideas, Kyla. I’ll be putting the cinnamon over the coffee grounds to use tomorrow morning, if I can wait that long. Are you loving your kindle? Carrying around a small notebook to write some thoughts in as they tumble out of my head is something I’ve been doing for a while and its my saving grace sometimes.
A Cocomotion is the simplest and surest way to warm-drink happiness.
Carving out 20 minutes for a mini-nap, turning off the cell phone ringer, and just relaxing really helps me. Or tackling a simple organization project that will make me feel oodles better to complete. not to mention a leisurelly stroll with Jack!
I love your advice, Kyla. It’s the simple things we have to focus on sometimes (like stealing that our in the evening to watch Sister Wives…. I am just going to say to last night’s special: OMG! ;)).
Thanks for the Project Gutenberg link. I downloaded Anna Karenina for about a penny, but the copy is horrible–full of spelling errors and it’s really hard to get through it. I’ll try searching through the Gutenberg site instead!
Great advices! I’m carrying a note book too, for ideas and things like that!
Reading a book makes me calm and more concentrated.
I’ve been carrying the notebook I got from you in my purse and it definitely has helped with my writing – I just scribble things down when they come to me – who knows what it’ll turn into, but I like the idea of carrying around a book of possibilities which is how I think of it!
I made my own salted hot chocolate! I couldn’t find any caramel around the house, but it’s almost as good as Starbucks!
I am starting to feel under the weather too. It’s getting a bit colder here (for Florida) and I’m just not myself. A cup of green tea always makes me feel better!
P.S. I have finally gotten round to joining the perfect protest over on my blog. Thanks for the inspiration and wise words :)
Just a month ago I decided to start a blog where I would write down the small things that make me happy every day. It can be silly things like seeing a old couple holding hands on the street, or making a wonderful dinner at home, the point is for me to realize that throughout the day I have countless experiences that make me smile.
Also, I’ve struggled with balancing studies and ordinary life with my husband. I’m trying to slowly letting go of some of my ‘perfectionist’ thoughts about my studies and instead spending some quality time with my hubby. With small small step I hope I’ll improving.
I love your suggestions for being ‘Simple Happy’, and I’ll try some of them out.
I love this because I completely adhere to your simple happy philosophy. I love to write letters, to scrapbook, to take the time to make myself a ‘real’ latte, to blog, to photograph. Love it all.
Husband and I often spend time sitting in our living room working on things at our laptops, so we’re together, but we’re not spending quality time together. This week, we’ve made a point to shut down the laptops, and we’ve played games on our Wii together (like bowling and tennis), and it really has put huge smiles on our faces. I’m also hoping that we can go out tomorrow night for a date night.
Hot tea really brings a smile to my face. It was dreary and chilly yesterday, so I made some Earl Grey, and it fit the mood perfectly. It was cozy!
I’m also a big believer in abandoning the to-do list every so often!