50+ Little Things That Bring Joy to My Life

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.

1. The smell of lilacs
2. Ripe and juicy mango
3. My minimalist wardrobe – owning only clothing that I love
4. Having less material things (less managing “stuff” and more time for what’s important)
5. Reading fiction at the crack of dawn in a quiet house before everyone wakes up
6. Moisturizing my face before bed
7. Slipping into my linen sheets at night
8. Diffusing lavender before bedtime
9. Milky Peppermint tea and dark chocolate
10. When birds visit us at the window feeder
11. Watching reruns of The Office and Parks and Rec with my husband
12. Planting bulbs in the fall and waiting for them to greet us in spring
13. The smell of grape hyacinths
14. Opening the window and listening to the sounds of night with my girls before bed
15. Coloring or painting with my kids
16. Turning on mood lighting as the day comes to a close (lamps, twinkle lights, salt lamps)
17. Zen, classical, or relaxing nature background music
18. Pancake mornings
19. Listening to an audiobook while basking in the sun as my children play
20. Watching my children make mud pies in the backyard
21. Watching the waves crash on the beach
22. Watching the sunset from my kitchen every night
23. My favorite mixing bowl with pretty flowers on it (thrifted, of course)
24. Cooking from scratch
25. A good playlist and dance party in the kitchen
26. Watching my children play imaginary games
27. Cooking shows – The Great British Bake Off and Barefoot Contessa, especially
28. Puttering around our yard
29. Hot chocolate just because
30. Browsing the thrift store
31. My favorite mug
32. Freshly cut flowers from the backyard on the kitchen table
33. Eating breakfast on the deck
34. The color yellow
35. Warm pumpkin bread from the oven
36. Soup simmering on a rainy day
37. Listening to the birds singing
38. Open windows
39. Slow living
40. Constantly learning through non-fiction
41. Re-educating myself while on our homeschool path
42. My houseplants
43. Looking into my kids’ eyes
44. My Japanese Cherry tree when it blooms in the spring
45. Morning coffeeshop dates with my husband
46. Romanticizing our lives
47. Reading through a stack of picture books
48. Talking with a friend
49. Chatting and catching up with our lovely librarians each week
50. My 90’s R&B/pop playlist
51. My favorite white tee
52. Listening to 311 with the windows down
53. Orange chocolate