Hi friends!
I recently watched a video on YouTube that I was so inspired by. Well, to be more specific, I am always inspired by Madisun Gray. If you are interested in motherhood simplified, homeschooling, minimalism, go over and check out her channel. It is a breath of fresh air in our fast-paced world. But she recently shared a video called “50 *little* SELF CARE ideas that make me happy (and it might not be what you think)” and it was so beautifully laid out that I was immediately motivated to write my own list. She’s 100% right: we do need to rewrite the script for self care. At this stage of my life, self care truly lies in the little bits and pieces of my day. The 5 minute sunset at the end of the day; the pockets of peace to listen to a podcast while I prepare dinner (interrupted, but still good); kissing the tops of my daughers’ heads while they sit on my lap and listen to me read. There are little things in my day-to-day that bring me so much joy and satisfaction and I just know that when I am at the end of my life, these are going to be the things that I look back and yearn for. These will be the small moments that mattered.
So today, I wanted to share that list to continue on spreading the message that Madisun shared with me in that video: the small things are the big things. No need to over-complicate it – simple is truly the most satisfying. I hope that you feel compelled to run off and jot down your own list as a reminder of what is good and beautiful in your life, too. x
So, here are 50+ things that make me so very happy in my life.
- The smell of lilacs
- Ripe and juicy mango
- My minimalist wardrobe – owning only clothing that I love
- Having less material things (less managing “stuff” and more time for what’s important)
- Reading fiction at the crack of dawn in a quiet house before everyone wakes up
- Moisturizing my face before bed
- Slipping into my linen sheets at night
- Diffusing lavender before bedtime
- Milky Peppermint tea and dark chocolate
- When birds visit us at the window feeder
- Watching reruns of The Office and Parks and Rec with my husband
- Planting bulbs in the fall and waiting for them to greet us in spring
- The smell of grape hyacinths
- Opening the window and listening to the sounds of night with my girls before bed
- Coloring or painting with my kids
- Turning on mood lighting as the day comes to a close (lamps, twinkle lights, salt lamps)
- Zen, classical, or relaxing nature background music
- Pancake mornings
- Listening to an audiobook while basking in the sun as my children play
- Watching my children make mud pies in the backyard
- Watching the waves crash on the beach
- Watching the sunset from my kitchen every night
- My favorite mixing bowl with pretty flowers on it (thrifted, of course)
- Cooking from scratch
- A good playlist and dance party in the kitchen
- Watching my children play imaginary games
- Cooking shows – The Great British Bake Off and Barefoot Contessa, especially
- Puttering around our yard
- Hot chocolate just because
- Browsing the thrift store
- My favorite mug
- Freshly cut flowers from the backyard on the kitchen table
- Eating breakfast on the deck
- The color yellow
- Warm pumpkin bread from the oven
- Soup simmering on a rainy day
- Listening to the birds singing
- Open windows
- Slow living
- Constantly learning through non-fiction
- Re-educating myself while on our homeschool path
- My houseplants
- Looking into my kids’ eyes
- My Japanese Cherry tree when it blooms in the spring
- Morning coffeeshop dates with my husband
- Romanticizing our lives
- Reading through a stack of picture books
- Talking with a friend
- Chatting and catching up with our lovely librarians each week
- My 90’s R&B/pop playlist
- My favorite white tee
- Listening to 311 with the windows down
- Orange chocolate
