Things That Make Me Happy

Oct 10, 2018
5 min read

Hi Friends!

Today I thought it would be super fun to do something a little more casual and share with you the things I've been enjoying lately! Hopefully there is something you can try and also enjoy. This type of post is fun because it helps us remember and be grateful for the good things we have, especially when life gets tough. No matter how little or how big, there is always something to enjoy and be thankful for. I've been struggling the past few days, and it is refreshing to take a moment to think about all the good there is! The world is dark enough, let's share things that make us happy.

ONE // Chai Tea Lattes

I recently tried a chai tea latte from Starbucks (I believe I mentioned it in a previous post?) and WOW! I'm in love. They are my new favorite fall drink, even more so than the basic white girl Pumpkin Spice Latte. I enjoyed them so much I wanted to make them at home, but it turns out it isn't as easy as it sounds. However, my mom introduced me to the Tazo Chai Tea Concentrate (pictured below) and it tastes exactly the same! Even better, my husband found a Tazo Pumpkin Spice Latte Concentrate! I'm so excited to try it! So, if you love the Starbucks Chai Tea Latte (or the PSL for that matter), grab this and enjoy at home for a fraction of the price. It really is so easy, you simply heat it up and add milk. Take a sip and revel in the fact that it is F A L L.

TWO // Apples + Peanut Butter

I am always looking for a good, hearty snack that isn't oreos (because I will eat only oreos if I don't have any self-control that day, which definitely happens). I always get hungry between lunch + the gym and it is so important to have food in you when you lift, but it is important that the food you choose is healthy. One of my all. time. favorites. is apples and peanut butter! I've been eating this since I was a kid and it is still a favorite. I enjoy the honeycrisp apples, but I know a lot of people who like the contrast of a tart granny smith apple and the sweet peanut butter. It is a good snack because you get your serving of fruit for the day and the protein from the peanut butter is always a plus, but the carbs aren't outrageous. Highly recommend!

THREE // Lauren Daigle; The Rend Collective

I've struggled to find worship music that I actually enjoy. A lot of the stuff I hear on the radio is not really enjoyable, and I feel that it is sort of cheap. Like they just follow the same sound as every other Christian artist. However, I began listening to Lauren Daigle (I've known of her for a while but hadn't taken the time to really listen) and she is so great! I also was introduced to The Rend Collective and really enjoyed them as well! They have such a unique sound and their lyrics aren't overly repetitive or shallow. I listen to them on my way to work so that I start my day in the right mental place.

FOUR // Grace + Frankie; The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

I was in a show slump (I love Netflix guys, love it) for a while and couldn't find new shows I enjoyed. (I had either seen all the good shows, or shows I like haven't aired for a new season yet). Grace and Frankie ALWAYS popped up on my Netflix suggestions and I avoided it because I thought it was all about the homosexual agenda. However! as it turns out, it is more so a show about two old women learning to live and love together in a new phase in life. It is sweet, funny, and heart-warming. While there is a gay couple, the show isn't solely about them and it isn't all about the gay agenda. I don't mind watching shows with LGBTQ+ in it, but I don't like it when the agenda is what the show is all about. That isn't entertainment, that's politics, and that's the last thing I want to watch when I am relaxing. If I wanted to watch political agendas, I'd turn on the News. Grace and Frankie are so funny together and I feel like I can relate to both of them in some ways, even though I'm not a 70 year old divorcee.

The second show I'm into now is The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel which is a Prime original! It is honestly such a great show, every single episode I was sucked right it. It is so funny and I think that Rachel Brosnahan is just the cutest. Her character, Midge, is aspiring to be a stand up comic and her journey is so fun to watch. The show reminds me of "I Love Lucy!" because it is based in the late 1950's. It makes me feel nostalgic because I watched I Love Lucy all my life, the show almost makes me want to live in the '50s! There is only one season out right now but season 2 is supposed to premiere before the end of the year. If you have Prime, give this show a try. If you don't have Prime, get it so you can watch it!

FIVE // Little Women By Louisa May Alcott

I was looking for a good book to read (seeing as it is on my Fall bucket list to read a good book this Autumn!). I always have a hard time finding books I enjoy, and I wanted something that felt absolutely cozy. As a kid, my sister and I had an audio drama of the entire "Little Women" book and we listened to it a million times over, so much that we had it memorized. So I decided it's time to read the actual book again (I read it in high school). As soon as I started, a warm feeling filled my heart. This classic book is so full of good things. It is the absolute coziest book to read in the Autumn! I highly recommend reading it because you will feel so good about life. Download it or order a hard copy, curl up with a warm blanket, and be ready to cry happy tears.

SIX // Flannel Shirts

Okay, whoever knows me knows that flannel shirts are my favorite (and my husband's!). I have so many and can't have enough. I usually buy them in the men's section if I go thrifting and buy them a size or two up from the women's (you can't wear a flannel unless it is over sized, duh). I seriously look forward to cool enough weather to wear them all year! They are the perfect clothing item, you can wear as a light jacket, a shirt, and second shirt! I have recently been wanting some more because my eyes are kind of tired of the ones I have. I am hoping to get some more this weekend though. Here are two of my favorites (though I have one more favorite that I forgot to grab!).