The Little Things

I was tagged by Lindsay over at Ole Miss Mom to tell about ten things that make me happy.  Obviously, my faith, family and friends top that list, but I thought I'd let you in on ten little things that make me happy.

In very particular order:

Diet Mountain Dew: Around our house this is called 'the nectar of the gods.'  Seriously.  I have one every single solitary morning as my caffeine fix and it's pure wonderful.  When I picked up this habit in college, my Mama was shocked and appalled.  But I've made a convert out of my husband and my mother-in-law.  Mama's next.  The first ingredient listed on the can is orange juice.  Just sayin'.

My Eyelash Curler: Another important aspect of my morning routine.  Do you curl your eyelashes?  No?  Then start!  Even if you do nothing else makeup-wise, it makes a huge difference.  It's possible this item would be on my desert island list.
Neighbors: Up until a couple months ago, Andrew was the only child living in our building, possibly the entire neighborhood. The only other children we ever saw were either tourists or on their way to daycare near their parent's work. It was a tad lonely for our city kid and his stay-at-home mom. I prayed for companionship, and soon a bunch of stay-at-home moms and their children moved into the building temporarily while their dads were on assignment here with the FBI. It was such a fun time, and I was so sad to see them go. But God keeps answering our prayers. The very same week they left, we had a family move in right across the hall, with a little boy just two weeks older than Andrew and a mom who is staying home for now.  This makes me oh so happy!

Cheerios: The little guy loves these things; therefore, so do I.  They are an instant solution to crankiness and nutritious to boot.  As long as I keep doling out the Cheerios, he is content to sit in his highchair while I get something done.  This means I'm not constantly getting tangled up with baby underfoot.  What's not to be happy about?

DVR: It's so wonderful to be able to record my favorite shows and watch them at some other time.  No flipping channels.  No commercials.  It's a beautiful thing.

Black and White Photographs:  I just love 'em.  They look classic and cover up all kinds of photo imperfections.  Playing with the saturation toggle in your photo editor can open up a whole new world.

Naptime: Andrew's, that is.  The boy flat wears me out, so I love the time I get to rest, blog, clean, cook, when he's worn even himself out.

Snail Mail: Not the junk variety, but the good, old-fashioned, handwritten correspondence.  A letter, a card, a thank you note, I enjoy them all.  To my husband's consternation, I save every piece of correspondence I receive, collected in gallon Ziploc bags and stowed away under the bed.

Social Media: I guess this comes as no surprise, but it makes me happy to write a blog and read others' blogs.  It also makes me happy, though to a lesser degree, to be able to keep in touch with friends through Facebook.  In an age before social media, I feel certain I would have lost many of the connections I now enjoy.

Cool, Sunshiny Days: Like today.  In the city.  When the streets are bustling and people are friendlier than usual.  I think we'll go for a stroll.

I tag J and Em, if you're game.  What makes you happy?