I strive for positive living and look for the silver lining in the most precarious situations. It doesn’t take much to fill my happiness bucket. As a result, the littlest of things tend to give me a happiness boost and bring a measure of joy to my life that I embrace with delight.
I am a fan of the podcast, Happier in Hollywood, which is hosted by television writers, Liz Craft and Sarah Fain. They had rainbow silipint cups made for the show, and I wanted one. So, I ordered one when they first came out which was when the pandemic started, so I had to wait a very long time to get one. My patience finally paid off, and I received one in the mail about two months ago. I get a happiness boost every time I use it while working in my scrapbook room.
I absolutely adore pineapple. Until just recently, I ate pineapple out of a can. It seemed complicated to cut a fresh pineapple with a knife. My friend Shelly had a Pampered Chef party a few months ago, and I decided to buy a pineapple slicer. I already have a slicer that cuts apples and pears perfectly, so I thought this gadget might work just as well. And, thankfully it does…for my hubby.
Receiving a selfie of two of my favorite people on the planet in the middle of a work day provides a ginormous happiness boost. My friend Karen works as a florist at Rouse’s, and our friend Jeff popped in on her at work last week. This picture makes me smile BIG.
I’m a huge fan of children’s literature and cherish picture books. Jan Brett is one of my favorite children’s authors and illustrators. I picked up this gem at my school’s recent Scholastic Book Fair. This delightful tale has been added to my Christmas Fun List for 2020.
Stephen King is my absolute FAVORITE author. I’ve loved his work since I was introduced to him in the 8th grade and read The Stand. I now have three of his POP figures. The first one is Stephen King with his dog Molly aka The Thing of Evil. The middle one is Stephen King as the shopkeeper in It. And, the third one is Stephen King holding a red balloon (reference to Pennywise the Clown in It).
On Sunday afternoons and Thursday evenings, I get a gigantic happiness boost from watching my friend Kelsi’s live stream on Twitch. She talks about so many terrific topics that I find both interesting and entertaining. Kelsi and I will be conversing soon about Christmas horror movies.
Today, I added a touch of whimsy to my Christmas shopping adventure at The Home Depot. I’m Kat the Elf, spreading a little Christmas cheer at this joyous time of year. As my friend Kelsi would say, “this is ridiculous,” and I would have to agree. However, adding a little whimsy to your day can be a tremendous happiness boost. This would actually make a good picture on a Christmas card. HA! I tried to convince my hubby to take a picture as the Grinch with Max the dog, but he would not hear of it.
These are just a few objects or activities, dear reader, that add some happiness to my day. I can honestly say that every day there is something or someone that boosts my happiness. The gestures or items may be small, but they are blessings, and their effects are huge. What are some things, activities, or people that give you happiness boosts? Happiness!
“Life is made up, not of great sacrifices or duties, but of little things, in which smiles and kindness, and small obligations given habitually, are what preserve the heart and secure comfort.” ~ Humphry Davy
Visiting friends also makes me smile. I had seen a recipe on Facebook during the week for an adult beverage called Purple Rain and tagged my BFF Shelly. We live down the street from each other, but we have not seen each other in weeks. She texted me Saturday morning and invited my hubby and me over for Purple Rains while practicing proper social distancing protocol. Barry, Andrew, and I drove over to her house after dinner and had a delightful time with her family. And, the Purple Rain concoction was rather tasty thanks to her hubby’s bartending skills. I consumed two.
Andrew and I decided to adopt a Senior from St. Thomas Aquinas High School. We chose Jade, who happens to be Andrew’s friend, former art classmate, and fellow traveler to Ireland. I was extremely excited to gather items she enjoys to make a basket for her. On Sunday, Andrew and I set out on quite an adventure to drop off her basket of goodies. A twenty-five minute drive turned into an hour when my car’s GPS took us down a long winding gravel road with nothing but wooded areas on either side of the road. Needless to say, when the kind lady on the GPS informed us that we had reached our destination on the left and there were woods and no house, we knew we were lost. After going down another wrong road, meeting a very loud dog (that would not move, so I had to drive back down the road backwards before finding a safe place to turn around) and its deaf owner, and a brief phone conversation with Jade’s father, we finally made it to her home and delivered her gift. Andrew caught up with Jade while I visited with her parents. Thankfully, we made it home without any other detours. Seeing the smile on Jade’s face and her appreciation was a huge happiness boost for me.
Yesterday, I received a card in the mail from a friend who I love dearly, but I have not seen in person in many years. Helen and I have been friends since high school. She now lives in Colorado; thankfully, we keep up with each other through Facebook. It was a pleasant and joyful surprise to receive her card full of peace and love. The message on the front of the card and her personal message to me inside the card were a perfect way to set the tone for this week. And, when this COVID-19 pandemic decides to subside, and we can safely travel, I want to start making plans to visit Helen. It has been too long since I’ve seen her in person.
The Kat Files 