What Are Your Simple Pleasures?

My Infrared Light when the temperature gets chilly
When I’m biking and the light turns green as I get to the intersection so I can keep on rolling without braking.
When I walk into the subway station and my train just arrived so I have enough time to swipe but don’t have to wait at all.

A piece of bread with butter and cheese

When my mama makes my favorite, whether it’s steamed egg or noodles or some sort of amalgamation of leftovers doused in kimchi and avocado.

My favorite condiments. Franks hot sauce. Grainy Mustard. Mayo. Ketchup. Trader Joe’s Everything Bagel Seasoning. Furkikake.

Oh I loved this so much. How pleasant to just sit and think of happy things. Here are a few of mine:

– the smell of birthday candles, just blown out
– the sound of my husband’s car pulling up after a full day of toddler-wrangling
– hearing the mailman drop a package on my porch
– that soft spot of fur on the side of cats’ ears
– knowing the cake/cookies/bread is done just by the smell of it
– a perfectly ripe avocado at the perfect time
– red wine and popcorn at the end of a long day
– waking up and realizing it’s finally cool enough to wear that favorite sweater
– waking up and realizing it’s finally warm enough to wear flip flops

This is such a fun and heart-warming exercise!

– watching the ocean undulate
– a fresh new book from the library
– a cup of tea that is *just* the right temp
– taking my hair down and shaking it out after a day at work
– waking up and realizing I don’t have to leap out of bed
– the first crack of a fire starting
– an unsolicited hug from a wee one
– the first tomato sandwich of the summer, preferably on sourdough

– Listening to the faint sound of the fog horn in the distance at my childhood home
– smell of freshly cut grass
– the sound of my dogs drinking water
– the smell of roses/honeysuckle/gardenias/lilacs in the wind
– the sight of a massive harvest moon laying low in the horizon
– a clear, crisp fall night, when you can see the stars
– the feeling of a freshly made bed with freshly shaven legs
– the smell of the ocean
– the smell of the first fall day when someone is burning a fire
– the crackling of fire
– listening to rain hit the roof (even better in a tent)

so many more

-Drinking tea when I when I wake up and when I get home from a long day.
-going through old photos
-listening to music with my headphones
-taking a stroll around my neighborhood
-trying different wines
– organizing my closet and planning out outfits
-going to a shoe store (I’m a shoe addict)
-driving around with my friend whIle introducing each other to songs and replayong our favorites
-driving around with no set destination

Listening to miles davis while cooking on a summer evening, coasting on my bike, movies all day on a rainy day, sitting in the kitchen with my parents chatting, beers after soccer, nighttime skincare routine, walks, walking to the coffee shop for a latte to go, tv with friends, searching for seashells, reading, singing, my family belting out JC superstar or simon and Garfunkel.
What a nice reflection. I have so many more!

Building something with my hands
Really seeing the stars at night
Collaborating on a crossword puzzle
Figuring out an actor’s name or filmography without IMDB

My 6 year old daughter came home after a long day of school and asked if she could have a bath and get into her pjs. Such a lovely act of self care.

sneaking back into bed after a shower, when my skin is still slightly damp…YES! i plan on extra time for my shower so I can indulge in this guilty pleasure…with my hair wrapped up in a small linen bathtowel and a new magazine.

This is the best thread! And such a pleasure to stop and think about:

Kissing wet dog noses
Iced coffee and a book in bed as the sun rises
Tucking into a Pho shop while it’s raining
When a child unexpectedly holds my hand
Sunsets… all of them
That first sip of wine
Big round harvest moons
The smell of citrus

Unexpectedly finding Mari’s new book at my library this weekend!!!! I sat down immediately on the floor and began flipping through. And of course I checked it out. It made my whole weekend ❤️

-the sound of my dog smacking his lips/jowls once he has settled down and is ready to nap
-the perfect crisp on the outside, warm and fluffy on the inside raspberry/rose water scone
-the smell of an old book
– a NY/NJ bagel – so good it tastes better not toasted
-a large iced mint green tea on a hot day (especially good if you have a headache or hangover)
– your first glimpse of a new city from the window of a taxi you’ve taken from the airport
-hot mint tea (+ raw honey) after a long run in cold winter weather
-a hot shower after a cold run!
-savasana!
– knitting in bed with a podcast/netflix on and my dog by my side after a tiring, long day
– sitting in the shade at the dog park, watching 20 doggos play with each other, having the time of their lives

Waking up to a sunny day
Making someone laugh
Chai tea
Snuggling up to a good book
freshly ironed pjs
a hot shower at the end of a cold day
watermelon in season

Finishing a good book
Taking a bite out of a freshly-baked cookie or brownie
Watching or reading something online that makes me laugh out loud
Catching one of my favorite movies on TV—always a thrill even if I know everything can be played on demand these days
Reading new blog entries from my fave reads <3

Outdoor showers in the summer, preferably with my husband.
Dog snuggles.
The smell of my neighbors lilac tree when its blooming.
The first flip-flop day after a long winter.
Being with my friends who knew me before I had kids.
Letting my husband carry my bag at the airport.
Making my kids laugh.
Seeing my kids perform in school plays.

Listening to my husband’s grandparents recount their history and decades long love story, the perfect cup of tea where cream and sugar is in the proper ratio, when people can’t help but laugh at your punchline, the look on a child’s face when they master a new skill, my husband’s face when he has pulled off a surprise, freshly baked bread, and soft puppy kisses when you are sad.

When the air is so still in the morning, the leaves on the trees are silent. My husband says, “They’re having their coffee before striking up the day’s conversation.”

Starting a campfire at dusk.

The steady warmth on the back of my daughter’s neck.

Watching an orchid blossom bloom over the course of a single morning.

Crying while reading. (Last week it was Jodi Picoult’s “Small Great Things.”)

A full chest of air in a redwood or pine forest.

When the ocean breeze picks up in the afternoon, rendering the leaves on the trees into a river of whispers.

I could go on and on but now I want to read everyone’s comments!

This is fun!
– first glimpse of the ocean after a long period away (Midwesterner ;))
– warm dinner rolls with salted butter
– laughing with friends over dinner about nothing and everything
– making a stranger smile and/ or feel “seen”
– that first step into my mom’s house where I’ll always feel at home
– summer sun + swimming in cold water

– The silky feel of my dog’s ears
– The feel of any dog’s ears
– The ritual of making coffee
– The first page of a new book I’ve been really looking forward to
– Soup. Pretty much all soups.
– Breathing in frankincense from the oil diffuser
– My husband’s dimples

Making someone laugh so hard they can’t breathe.

Coming home after a weekend brunch, and taking a nap * bonus points if it’s raining .

Re-directing a Childs bad behavior, and it worked.

Spring rain when it smells like worms .

Getting to the heart of the artichoke.

Sitting in Mass and feeling your heart get all warm.

1. Holding my coffee in both hands.
2. Books I can’t put down.
3. Hugging a large dog.
4. Forehead kisses.
5. Plant shadows
6. Meals that don’t mess up the kitchen.
7. Sister inside jokes

Oooh. I love this so! Here are a few of mine:
Nursing baby breath, the way it smells like mozzarella cheese before they start solids
A really nice glass of wine – at lunch!
My daughter singing to herself in the bath
Slow mornings with fresh espresso
An unexpected foot rub
Getting a cheap pedicure when you’re supposed to be running errands
I live on the coast and love getting an unexpected glimpse of the Pacific Ocean while driving
Listening to my kids laughing with/ at each other in the back seat of the car
A good long chat with a dear friend – that can fill you up for weeks
Spooning with the hubs in bed while we wait for our four year old to come “wake” us up
Wind gently blowing sheer curtains in the early evening
The sound of a train in the distance
Listening to the rain at night – in souther California this is SO rare, it’s hard not to get excited

1. Putting my face into my children’s hair and smelling…
2. Rubbing my daughter’s back at bedtime
3. When it’s so quiet that I can hear my children’s breath as they sleep
4. The way my lawn looks when it’s freshly mowed
5. Every time Jack from This Is Us talks about his wife
6. No Homework
7. Rain at twilight on a warm summer night when the fog is out
8. When the wind blows autumn leaves across the street
9. How dark tree bark gets when it rains in the fall
10. That deep sleep you get after meditating.