The Pursuit of Happiness

Sometimes I think it is good to stop, look around, and take stock of all the wonderful things you have in your life.  Happiness can mean many things to many people; to me it is found in the small things, the simple things, these are the things that brighten my day without even needing to try.

Aside from my family and wonderful friends, here is what is putting a smile on my face this month.

Daffodils – Spring is finally coming, it must be, as there are daffodils in my kitchen. This simple, brightly coloured, greeting when I come downstairs every morning is enough to make everyday start in the nicest possible way

Laughing – Not just giggling, but laughing to the point where you begin to wonder if you will ever stop, to the point that your cheeks ache and your eyes are streaming.  February saw me have a weekend in Madrid with the girls; I spent most of the time crying with laugher at my amazingly witting friends. It really dragged me out of my winter blues, laughter is indeed the best medicine.

Drinking outside in the sunshine – Festivals, Beers Gardens, Weddings, I love them all.  Surrounded by friends and family, dressed in a new summer outfit and with a drink in my hand is one of life’s simple pleasures.

Cookbooks – Food porn, meal planning, trying out new ideas. I love to cook and a shiny new cook book with undiscovered culinary delights awaiting me it’s my idea of heaven.

Watching Football – I may be a girly girl most of the time, but Saturdays are for football.  Meeting the boys for lunch, having a few beers and hopefully seeing Orient secure 3 points will always equal happiness for me.

What makes you happy?

I will be linking this post up with Kate Takes 5 Listography 5 Things That Make Me Happy – pop over and take a look as there are some FAB reads linked up.

Why Am I So Happy?

Its cold and windy outside, BBC news is telling me that there is no good news and my post Christmas bank balance leaves a lot to be desired.

Doesn’t sound too happy in the Essex household does it? Well it is, and here are the reasons why;

1. Baby Essex is now smiling – Lots! There is nothing in this world that can turn my frown upside down like a smile from either of my girls.
2. Mr Essex, my lovely husband, has changed his team at work meaning that he will be around more at weekends.  This means the return of dinner dates and staying up late to watch MOTD and this makes me very happy.
3. My beloved Leyton Orient have only lost 2 out of their last 8 games.  Anyone who knows of the mighty O’s will know this current pick up in form is to be enjoyed as it may not last that long.  I always enjoy my weekend that little more, and have a slightly bigger smile on my face, when Orient have won on a Saturday afternoon.
4. In 3 weeks I am off to Madrid with the girls for the weekend.  3 days/2 nights of being called Alice not Mummy, of eating my dinner without having to share it and going to bed as late (and as drunk) as I want without the worry of having to be up early the next morning.  This sense of freedom makes me happy and, the best bit is, after 3 days away I’ll be missing my girls so much I will be glad the freedom is over once I’m home.
5. Spring is on the way. Soon there will be Daffodils all over the village (and all over my house), the weather will start to improve and Easter will be on its way…..bring on the Chocolate!

It doesn’t take much to please me. I like the simple things in life and have been blessed with all I that have, but it doesn’t hurt to stop and remind ourselves of all the wonderful things we have in life once in a while.

So today, stop for a minute and think of something that makes you smile. Write it down, tell your children about it, blog about it, tweet about it or just make a mental note of it, no matter what you do thinking such nice thoughts is bound to warm you up from the inside out.

Lets share our happy thoughts and put a big smile on each others faces….come on people, spread the love.