identify 100 things that make me happy (besides money)

91.) Plants. I know I already said grass, but that’s totally different. I was looking at Zeddie after we’d had tarragon chicken for dinner… and I thought about how much I really appreciate and love plants. They LOOK cool (Zeddie is a prime example, but so are tulips, banana trees, and douglas firs). They have so many different textures: pricky, smooth, silky, spiny, hairy, spiny, lots of S adjectives… And the smell? Holy crap. Tarragon fills the air with a sweet almost licorice-y flavor and even though I don’t LIKE licorice, I know it’s gonna be a damn good meal. Basil and oregano? The same. What about rosemary or cilantro? Or roses, gardenias, and honeysuckle? The smells… heavenly. I love people who are green-thumb-ish enough to use plants in decorating and being surrounded by flowers, veggies, and herbs is definitely a reason to get happy.

92.) Gifts. I admit, I adore getting them, shopping for them, giving them, and occasionally wrapping them. The idea of giving someone something and knowing they’ll appreciate it is totally amazing. When lightning strikes and the PERFECT gift idea arrives? I get totally giddy. I love gifts!

93.) Games (scrabble with a worthy opponent, sodoku, Blokus, Connect Four, Battleship, Trouble, aka Aggravation, Michigan Rummy… ) Game nights with people and playing games with family… lots of laughs, conversation, jeers, cheers, and relaxation. Even logic puzzles, stories with holes… I love
games!

94.) Watching play. While I definitely dig watching performances, what I’m actually talking about is watching animals play together – be it the two legged or four legged variety. I love watching kittens wrestle, puppies race around, and kids play tag or “house.” Seeing children slowly develop an imaginary landscape is amazing to see. Suddenly the playground is an open ocean with various structures being somehow unanimously decided as islands, ships, reefs, and sharks… While playing is tons of fun, just watching it makes me lean back and a smile slowly and completely spreads through me. Love play!

95.) Catching a glimpse of someone and thinking “Wow, she’s pretty” then realizing… THAT’S ME! It doesn’t happen often, but occasionally I’ll see something out of the corner of my eye and take a second glance and say “Wow, that outfit really flatters her” or “Dang, her makeup looks good.” And then… it’s ME! I know that sounds horribly obnoxious, but I rarely seem to truly “get it right” when it comes to makeup and fashion, so … yanno. sheepish shrug Really, seeing anyone who looks good makes me happy. I love seeing how people dress, hold themselves, and carry on in their lives. Definitely a people watcher, am I.

96.)Speaking of… people watching and story hunting in stores like Viva Home, FoodOne, Target, cafes, bookstores, and of course, SafeWay at midnight.. You never, ever know what sort of unexpected things/beings you’ll find in places like these. There’s a giddy grin, a story idea, or a snapshot around every corner if you know what to look for.

97.) Which reminds me of how much I adore going for long walks with my camera. Or going ANYWHERE with my camera. A park, a walk to the doctor’s office, even randomly stopping by HomeDepot has awesome potential… you never know what you might find and it’s so relaxing to just wander around, seeing little changes here and there. I know a certain Rock Action Hero who does this with his iPod on shuffle…. Wonder what’s on his memory stick today? ;o)

98.) Visiting somewhere new. I get nervous, excited, a little scared, a little ecstatic… it’s overwhelming and exhausting, but so much fun and the memories last.

99.) Color. I love seeing what people can do with it in art, fashion, home décor, landscaping… I love being surrounded by color. I also love being in a monotone environment and seeing random splashes of huge color – like a room with various shades of brown splashed with bright blues and greens, or a white room with blazes of red and black. I love an unexpected blast of color from a hat or scarf or… even better… funky shoes! I also love color in my food – blueberries pop against creamy white yogurt, little bits of lemon zest dusting over roasted asparagus, the perfect blend of pinks and browns in a medium rare steak. Nom.
And… finally… something utterly random… (oh! Randomness! It also makes me happy!)

100.) Sitting at a stoplight and getting lost in the flashers blinking in the turn lane. Have you ever watched them slowly synchronize and then fall back out of step and then… back in again? Maybe someday automakers will have all the cars blinkers work at the same rate. Until then, I can blissfully sit at a stoplight and get utterly lost in blink, blink, blinkblink, blink, blink blink, blink….

81.) Globes. There’s a lot of potential there – learning something new, reviewing history, watching them spin… imagination soars when looking at globes.

82.) Origami. I always get a little “whee!” thrill when I see someone create something amazing just by folding paper. So. Cool.

83.) Quilts. Handmade. Ohmygod. Not only are they filled with emotion, they have a certain comfort about ‘em…

84.) Foo dogs. They were wicked cool before, but then I read The Dresden Files. And not only are they cooler NOW, but various friends have the same set I do, so we’re sorta connected like that ;o)

85.) Rocks. I know it seems crazy, but rocks make me happy. Ones with holes, ones with swirls, ones that look TOTALLY different wet, the shimmer of a polished rock, the glitter of unpolished in bright sunlight… how they hold warmth or they can make excellent “markers” when you’re doodling in the sand.

86.) Bubble wrap. poppoppoppoppopPOPpoppoppop.

87.) Tents. Even now, even when it’s freezing at night and you just wanna curl up at your campsite and think of fireplaces and hot cocoa, I LOVE diving into a tent. I get a childlike sense of glee when we put one up and “move in.” Tents have their own special sort of mystery and magic.

88.) Cornstarch and water. Mix it, play with it, color it… is fun! Silky but smooshy.

89.) Twinklie lights. Commonly known as Christmas lights, but I love decorating with clear ones, the purpley Halloween ones, the big net kind… I love twinkley lights! They have a certain kind of feel to them and the light they give off is juuust right.

90.) Googly eyes! I got an awesome book (ok, Small Thing got it, really) from Kippy that had hordes of stick on googly eyes. Suddenly, everything takes on new meaning. :oD

71.) “Rock” conversations. There used to be this huge flat rock next to a long driveway going up to my friend’s house. We’d sit on that thing and talk forEVER, watching cars drive by, sitting and talking as the sun went down. We’d watch the houses slowly light up as the evening went on discussing everything from Bath & Body Works scents to religion to relationships. Sometimes these conversations would actually occur in Pizza Hut over bread sticks with ranch and marinara dips. Nowadays they tend to be over the phone or online… which doesn’t quite feel the same.

72.) Hugs. The not-so-awkward kind. I’m a physical contact kinda girl. Love hugs.

73.) Grass. Seeing big expanses, getting up close and looking at how all the blades have their own quirks and characteristics… sprawling out on the grass in the summer, seeing the tips of the grass poke through the snow in the winter… Grass is really cool.

74.) Toy boxes. You never know what treasures are hiding in there. And they’re so full of color and POTENTIAL.

75.) Always ultra thin pads. Yes. Happy. See me with no other choice but Tampax or Kotex and you’ll completely understand why this is actually list worthy. Though whoever came up with “Have a Happy Period” needs to be bleeding for six months straight. Happy period, in-freaking-deed.

76.) Anything that can be ordered “a la mode” Cake, pie, cobbler… something warm paired with some seriously high quality vanilla ice cream makes me incredibly happy. It LOOKS awesome, it SMELLS fabulous, and the decadent taste is heaven. (Yes, I know I already said “Food” but this is in a category all it’s own. Trust.)

77.) Walking barefoot on the beach in the evening when the sand’s still warm but the air starts to cool. Mmmmm. Love that.

78.) Misty evening sunsets in Whidbey. I love how it’s cool, breezy, and sort of damp but rarely “freeze your butt off cold.” The colors are soft and muted, it’s purpley, blue, and pale. Best shared with either a warm latte or a glass of wine.

79.) Cards. I love building card houses, playing card games, using ‘em as flashcards, bookmarks, etc. I even love tarot cards. Oh! And greeting cards, but we already covered “mail.” ;o)

80.) Guitars. Listening to a talented guitar player is listening to magic.

80a.) I mentioned magazines twice. whoops! So we have an extra here… Finding THOSE jeans. I love jeans that fit well, look good, and are comfy. They are elusive. Finding them is a special thrill and wearing ‘em is a definite happy.

61.) Sweat. Not the scary “I’ve lived in it for five days” sweat, but a clean sweat after mowing the lawn or while working outside in the summer. I love being sweaty after a hard workout and the “ooohhhhs” in the shower easing tense muscles and rinsing the weird saltiness away. (Though note the earlier entry about deodorant. coughcough.)

62.) Knick knacks. Ya know, figurines, objet d’art, baubles, decorations, trinkets, curiosities, gaud, gewgaws, novelties, ornamentals, bric-a-brac. Not that I want my home to be coated in the stuff, but I love seeing a little figurine peeking out from behind a lamp base, or seeing a beaded pipe cleaner wind around a pencil holder, or a little frog sneaking around near a frame photo. Even my mom’s bell collection in her curio cabinet or my gram’s spoon collection… very cool are knick knacks.

63.) Pictures, post cards, etc stuffed around the outside of a dresser mirror. My mom always had family photos tucked around the outside of her dresser mirror. Mom’s room was sort of “off limits” while growing up, so getting a glimpse in there and seeing what she had on her dresser, the faces smiling out from the mirror, etc… was super special. So now we usually have SOMETHING hanging out around the mirror on our dresser.

64.) Really cool bottles. Deep colored ones, funky shaped ones, ones with long necks, the ones with short stubby necks and funky flared openings… I love to look at them, and fiddle with ‘em. Though, I’m not so big on dusting them. Alas.

65.) Penguins. Did I already say penguins? I should have. I love them. We have the penguin mafia living in our house. Really. The WaddleFather lives here.

66.) Magazines. Finding some random National Geographic from the 80s, browsing through the latest Newsweek in the checkout aisle, digging through a new Reader’s Digest, perusing the massive stack of craft mags at a friend’s apartment… I love magazines. I love the looking at the layouts, the photography, reading the stories, critiquing the ads.

67.) Looney Tunes! Ok, really cartoons in general. Scooby Doo, Smurfs, even Little Bear… I really love cartoons. (though I loathe and despise Sponge Bob. He sucks the sanity and intelligence out of people, I swear to you.) But Looney Tunes always get me.

68.) Marbles. So pretty! Even the “defective” ones with too many bubbles or a crack are so cool to look at. I love marbles.

69.) Tennis. I haven’t played in AGES and even when I was playing regularly, it was more volleying than hard core, score keeping death matches, but I loved it. Sometimes Small Thing would come along and play “ball girl” or ride her bike (training wheels and all) around the edges of the court. I love the THWOCK the racket makes when you connect with the ball and that feeling you get when you KNOW you just placed the ball where your opponent can’t possibly get it. Yessssssss. (of course, I offer laughing, but appreciative props when the same happens to me ;o) ) Love. Tennis.

70.) Watching American football. I don’t care if it’s in a freezing cold stadium or in a crowded living room, I love to watch football. The excitement, the music, the yelling of enraged fans, the ecstatic cheering of fans, the friendly jibes when people are rooting for opposing teams, and the foooood. (did I mention a love for food? Because I have one. Food. Nom.) Kinda wish I was that excited about other sports, I just don’t know as much about them so I tend to sit, lost and confused. Which is distinctly less happy. ;o)

51.) THE MUPPETS! Kermit, Gonzo, those two old guys in the balcony, Ralph, Fozzie, Miss Piggy, Beeker, Bunsen, The Swedish Chef…. I lurve them all. Even Dr Teeth and Animal! I love the old shows, the movies, the cartoons… all of it. Oh oh oh! And Fraggles! Boober, Wimbley, Red…. the whole lot. Down in Fraggle Rock! I never fail to get a huge grin when watching The Muppet Show or Fraggle Rock. Finding a DVD or flipping across a show playing on TV is like getting an unexpected pressie!

52.) Fall. I adore the dropping temps, the changing leaves, the way the world seems to take a deep breath. It explodes in color, rain, sunshine, and falling leaves in preparation for winter. Some of my favorite memories are watching the raindrops dancing in puddles, listening to the crackle of leaves underfoot in the woods, the smell of Fall – even in the middle of the city you can smell Fall. Let’s not forget football returns en force in Fall. w00t!

53.) Cleaning. Ok, the act itself is somewhat reprehensible, in my not so humble opinion, but I love the results. I always get a satisfied grin when I come into my house and it’s neat and tidy. Usually I clean like mad when I’m a bit grouchy and by the time I’m done, I’m feeling WAY better and am satisfied with the clean feeling. There’s nothing quite like a clean house…. I guess the fact that my place is usually quasi-tidy means I’m rarely super grouchy? ;o) Still, I love a clean house!

54.) Libraries. Oh. my. gosh. Mecca from heaven. Libraries are amazing. I’ve said it somewhere on my blog before, but libraries rock my socks! I LOVE being able to go borrow books and return them. Whoever came up with library institutions is stellar. Having access to everything from trashy romance to fantasy fiction to how-to guides to books on varying cultures to books on building things with toothpicks is uber.

55.) Deodorant/Antiperspirant. It makes the world a better place.

56.) Oh! Speaking of weird smells… The smell of JP5 makes me inordinately happy. Jet Fuel. Woooooo boy. That definitely makes me happy. ((cough cough)) Oh yeah. Did I mention it makes me happy?

57.) Space Shuttle Launches. Ok, really, anything space-newsy. I love hearing about comets, missions to mars, new stars discovered, astronauts going here and there… SpaceTech is freakishly cool. I lurve StarTrek for similar reasons. Space….. the final frontier….

58.) National Geographic. I love getting glimpses into the rest of the world. Ok, really, I should just expand this to say “magazines” because I love Real Simple, Self, Reader’s Digest, Oprah’s magazines, decor mags, even Good Housekeeping. I just really love magazines. They take you places and give you ideas and provide excellent conversation topics. Love an afternoon with a few new magazines and a good friend hanging out on the couch or at a picnic table or in a cafe.

59.) Iced Tea. Especially peach. Or white tea with fruity goodness. Or darjeeling, hot. Ok, really just about any kinda tea. There’s a special comfort in warm tea and a different kind in iced tea, especially if your own little wedge of lemon is involved. (I usually name the lemon Spike and let him swim around like a shark in the water)

60.) Rice socks. I know that sounds odd, but we usually have some kind of SOMETHING filled with herbs and rice and we stick it in the microwave and plop it over sore muscles and the smell, plus the warm weight of the sock/sleeve/whatever, is super comforting and makes me smile.

41.) Funky finds at a dollar store or 100 yen shop. I LOVE these places. Random crap that you really have no use for, but you see it and suddenly you neeeeed it and HEY! You have a cell phone with a camera so instead of buying it, you take pics and randomly mail them to people saying, “LOOK AT THIS!” What could be better than finding a massive pink banana holder or a pretty paper lantern or a blue frisbee with a golden penguin on it?

42.) Finishing a project. Even if said project is facing down the dreaded Post Office Repulsor System and actually MAILING a package, I love how I feel when I get something done, check it off the to-do list, etc. (C’mon, who hasn’t experienced Post Office Repulsion? It’s like some kind of weird static field around the building that makes it difficult to get in there and MAIL something. Yeeeeesh.)

43.) Stars, unicorns, and rainbows. Seriously. I count it all as one because it’s frighteningly cliche.

44.) Going out for breakfast with friends. No matter WHAT time of day! In the mornings, I rarely become truly functional before double digits, so getting up and going out to eat in the morning is a rare indulgence. Once I’m there, I thoroughly enjoy it (be it a full sit down meal or coffee and a pastry at Starbucks).

45.) Making lists. A small to-do list takes away some stress. A dream-travel list lets my imagination go. Oh, and a list of things that makes me happy is a good thing to have too ;o) Makes me appreciate what I have all the more!

46.) Hot bubble baths with a good book, a cold drink, and a fan. Preferably in a clean bathroom with a plant or three in it. Oh oh oh!!! Even better? JELLY BATH!!! Holy schnikes that stuff rocks. It stays warm forEVER and it’s totally yummy smelling. Mmmmm.

47.) Japanese ladies in winter. Shhh. Just let me enjoy it.

48.) Food. Really. I have an obsession with it that can’t be described here. Warm chocolatey cake with a cool glass of milk in the middle of the morning for NO reason, cheez its and a fizzy coca cola on a rainy day because I’m curled up with a book, minty water with cucumber slices while I’m out in the sun in the summer, tarragon chicken and wild rice with toasted walnuts and a glass of white wine on a crisp winter evening…. Food always makes me happy!

49.) Shoes. They’re very handy. The whole “avoiding nails, broken glass, and splinters” issue is a major bonus, plus you can get mismatched shoe laces and you can get super sexy heels (if you’re a chick) and you can get uber cozy flip flops and slippers…. and mecca of all meccas, BOOTS. Ohmigosh. I heart boots.

50.) Dancing! I love to dance, especially when no one’s looking. (self confidence issues, leave me be) I’ll dance to just about ANYTHING. Mah Nah Mah Nah, Yellow Submarine, even the Macarena (yes, even when people are watching – it’s worth the laugh, c’mon, you know you know the moves!)

31.) IMs. Ok, IMs, blogs, feed updates, what have you – I love online communication! It’s amazing. I can chat with people, comment on blogs, get news updates, check lolcats, etc and not have to worry if it takes me awhile to respond because I’m doing 43 things at once.

I will grant you that the internet is not only the biggest procrastination tool known to man, it’s also one of the biggest tools of miscommunication available…... but overall, I definitely get happy when I check IMs, emails, blogs, etc.

32.) Cameras/Photography. Not just my own, though I do get a little rush when I get a really good shot and I KNOW it’s good. (this needs to happen more often, btw! ;o) ) I love peeking at anyone’s pics and am rarely without a camera of some kind. It’s like looking through someone else’s eyes for just an instant. Truly talented people can make a moment speak volumes. I wanna do that some day!

33.) A home with pets. Something about a house with pets (be they fish, birds, cats, meeces (aka mice), or dogs) makes a house with people in it more of a home with a family. Not that petless families are BAD, don’t get me wrong, but walking into someone’s life and finding an extension of their family there, waiting, keeping the house occupied and happy, it… makes me feel fuller inside? Not sure how to word that – but you can probably get the gist.

34.) Amazingly wrapped gifts. It can be the sloppiest wrap-work ever, with wrapping made of yesterday’s newspaper and a clumsily tied shoe string wrapped around it…. as long as someone obviously went to the effort of wrapping and presenting a gift to someone, it’s awesome. I still love a crisp wrap job, but some of the most memorable gifts are the ones the kiddos wrap themselves, or the oddly wrapped ones that people obviously put a bit of thought into. Yup. Wrapping makes me smile a WHOLE bunch! (plus I really, really love those curly-cue ribbons of cascading rainbow awesomeness!)

35.) Long car rides. I know, it’s nuts… but my family’s always been one to travel somewhere within “driving distance.” (this is a relative term, by the way!) I can always snooze in a car and I love taking in the scenery and just letting my mind wander. When it’s my turn to drive, I love, love, love cranking the radio and singing along, watching the world flash by.

36.) Museums and galleries. Kind of like photography, I love seeing what people have created, watching people’s reactions to what they see, studying the displays and then seeing how other people take things in… it’s a fabulous place to learn, absorb, enjoy, and interact.

37.) I. Heart. Aquariums. And zoos!!!! Wanna make me bounce around like a little kid? Tell me we’re going to the zoo. Or to the aquarium, especially one I haven’t seen before. Woooo! Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there YET?????

38.) Let’s continue a trend, shall we? AMUSEMENT PARKS! For me, they always, always live up to their name. I love the cheesy designs, the crazy rides, the cotton candy, the kettle corn, the elephant ears and funnel cakes, the classic rides, the sunburn the day after….... A perfect day for me: Wake up, get coffee, drive a couple hours, go to a relatively empty amusement park, play all day, grab a great dinner, mellow and relaxing drive home after applying a small vat of aloe vera. (not that I LIKE getting sunburned, I just forget the sunscreen after a funnel cake, two trips to the bathroom, and the third coaster ride)

39.) The woods. NOTHING is as renewing, refreshing, and relaxing as a walk through the woods. I don’t care if it’s rainy, snowy, ungodly humidly hot, I love walking through the woods. (as long as I’m dressed appropriately, strappy heels and a mini skirt isn’t an ideal “woodsy” outfit, really…) It’s vibrant, colorful, and alive, no matter what time of year you go!

40.) Frisbees!!!! C”mon, who doesn’t get an urge to try chucking a frisbee if you see people leaping around the park, playing with a flat plastic disk? So. Much. Fun. Occasionally frustrating, but even that’s laugh worthy. ;o) How far can YOU throw a frisbee???

(pic chosen because standing under that tree makes me feel like it’s raining green… which…. also makes me happy)

21.) Cherry blossom trees. We have three sakura trees behind our apartment and I never realized how amazing they are – at all times of the year! I love the palest pink of the blossoms in spring, the way they drift in the streets and you can throw handfuls and watch people laugh as they flutter around to the ground. Even in the winter, when the branches are bare, the bark shimmers in the sun and in the moonlight. In the summer, they provide leafy shade for our backyard and in the fall we have tons of leaf piles to play in. I’ve never quite seen a tree enjoy the seasons so much before…

22.) Video games. Be it an MMORPG, a first person shooter on the PS3, Rock Band or Guitar Hero, or even the latest Mario or Zelda incarnation, I can always rely on video games to, in the end make me happy. Granted, there’s frustration, occasional tears, and the inevitable “THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE” cry of desperation coming from my general direction during a game session, but by the end of it, especially once I’ve gotten past a “hard part” (aka – received my reward), I get a happy, glowy feeling of accomplishment. Maybe it’s a silly one, after all, it’s a video game, but it’s still there! So, if you find me playing an Atari 2600, or playing sodoku on my DS, or Pictochatting with my daughter, you’ll know I’m most likely in my happy place or at least, questing my way there ;o)

23.) Mail. Ohmigosh. I’ve always loved checking the mailbox, wondering what surprise will be there, but since getting to Japan, mail is usually personal and not bill related. So when we hear we’ve got mail, it’s either something from Amazon or Old Navy, or something from friends or family. Eeee! Totally completely giddily excited when Jase sends me a text saying we’ve got mail. :oD This is part of the reason I added sending postcards to people when they don’t expect it to my 43Things list. :oD

24.) Comfy flannel pj pants. The other day, we had some friends over. They said they’d be over after they changed out of PJs, because they were having a lounge-around day. I said that was cool and hung up… but then I thought about it for a second and immediately called back. “No jeans allowed. You show up in comfy pjs or you get sent back home!” I think it was one of the most mellow, enjoyable dinners we’ve had here so far. I highly recommend a PJ dinner party. ;o)

25.) Kid’s crafts. Ok, I get that adult-type crafts are cool too and there’s nothing like FINISHING one and being able to say “Look, I made that. WOOO HOOOOOOO!” but seeing kids make crafts? That is the awesomest feeling ever. I love my little penguins from the kiddos in Kansas. Small Thing just finished Emily the Giraffe (pics to follow sometime soon) and that giraffe is so freakin’ cool! She’s on our bookshelf, looking for leafs to nom. Some of my favorite pics of Small Thing are pics of her gleefully playing with paper plate swirly snakes she made when she was 2. I love helping kids with odd crafty projects and seeing the results.

26.) Speaking of kid’s stuff? PLAYDOH! Endless fun with playdoh. :oD It. is. uber. cool. I love opening a new jar of the stuff and being the first person to smoosh it! Or watching the kiddos look at it and decide what it’s going to be… then smoosh it! They have so many cool toys and mats and colors in the Playdoh world now. It’s happiness in the plastic jar!

27.) Donuts. I don’t even really like the taste, to be honest (I know!) but they’re so COOL lookin’ and they make me want to eat them. Chocolate with colored sprinkes? White icing with chocolate swirls? They’re so pretty! Strawberry frosting with white sprinkles! They’re such happy looking snacks! Again – I’d rather have a slice of bacon or some scrambled eggs, but donuts look. so. happy! I love them :o) The world should not be without donuts.

28.) HOW DID I GO THIS FAR WITHOUT MENTIONING BACON? Bacon. Perfection in food form. I. Heart. Bacon. Even cooking chicken in a daub of bacon grease makes it taste better. They’ve made a bacon flowchart for Pete’s sake! (who’s Pete?!) Bacon makes me VERY happy indeed. The sizzle, the scent, the crunch when it’s ready. *sighs OOooooh yeah. Crisp bacon. *swoon

29.) Full bookshelves. There’s something comforting about seeing book lined shelves and knick-knacks and momentos scattered amongst the stacks of books. I think they’re kind of a personal reflection and I rarely really scour someone’s shelves without asking first. Seeing books and such arranged in certain ways, perusing the selections and seeing what people decide to display… it’s like getting a more personal glimpse into someone’s life. Yup. Full bookshelves make me happy too.

30.) Water. Swimming in it, listening to it, taking long showers, or unwinding in an oversized bathtub, sitting in a steamy sauna, even drinking water, it’s definitely on the Happy List. Let’s not forget water balloon and squirt gun fights, running through sprinklers and gettin’ crazy on the slip ‘n’ slide!!! w00tness!

11.) Stickers! I love stickers. Personalizing stuff by covering it in stickers or just drooling over stickers in stores, stickers are tons of fun. Colorful ones, poofy ones, color change ones, big ones, teensy ones… long rectangular ones with funny sayings. Kids have the right of it when they cover a paper in stickers. Use ‘em, enjoy ‘em, smile at ‘em… and move on. w00t!

12.) Office supplies. Holy. Canoli. Put me in a store with pens, notebooks, binders, even printer cartridges and I’m just happy as a little clam. The only thing that makes me sad is the fact that I can’t buy it all. Sometimes I don’t buy stuff because I know it’ll take me awhile to get the confidence to USE it. (Notebooks I’m particularly bad about!) Oh! And binders. I love getting new binders, tossing stuff in ‘em and organizing them… some of my favoritest journals were binders!

13.) A nicely made bed. Oooh, it’s soooo relaxing to collapse into bed and feel crisp sheets and heavy blankets all nicely arranged around you and snuggling down for blissful, snuggl-icious sleep. I love how freshly washed sheets smell and cuddling down with a good book under warm blankies in Fall and Winter is a fantastic thing to enjoy. I look forward to flopping down on the bed with the bedroom window open and a spring breeze flowing in the room too. Mmm. Noice.

14.) Coca Cola. Ok, really, just certain sodas. Coca Cola from a fountain in a glass with a straw kicks ass. I love the fizz, the bite of it…. it’s awesome. Mt Dew makes me happy too (the American version, thanks!). My gramma always had Mt Dew in the bottom right shelf of her fridge for when the grandkids visited. We’d get one (sometimes two) each for the day and to this day, Mt Dew reminds me of gramma’s house.

15.) Books! They’re great for escaping, learning, laughing, sniffling, solving problems, and even causing problems (DaVince Code, anyone? Uhye – WHY was that controversial again???). I love talking about books with friends. I always enjoy rereading some of my favorites, it’s like visiting an old friend.

16.) Candles. Not only can the lighting change a mood, but the smells bring back memories or can completely change the feel of a situation. I’m not really big on the ones that smell like kool-aid, but I like the spicy scents and some herbal ones and a few fruit combos too. YAY for candles!

17.) Hoodies. What’s not to love???

18.) NERF guns. PEW PEW PEW!!!!!!! Someone may be initially pissed when shot with a NERF dart, but honestly… how long can you stay mad at someone for shooting you with Nerf stuff? Especially when they give you a NERF of your very own so you can retaliate…

19.) Glider rockers. Swish, swoosh, swish, swoosh…. cozy comfy. Ok, really I like just about ANY kind of rocking chair (because I totally dig my rocker recliner too… it’s overstuffed and dark blue and, erm, it rocks. *cough) My mom had a rocking chair that squeaked JUST so when I was little. We spent a lot of time hangin’ out in the rocking chair…

20.) Pretty glasses. An easy way to feel pampered or “special” is to have a glass you’d normally not think of using for “everyday” and then… using it every day. On the other hand, I really dig Coke from a mason jar too. w00t for glasses!

1.) Sunsets.

I know people may expect the first entries to be something like “My family” or “my friends,” those aren’t things that make me happy. Those are people and they’re kind of a given ;o) For me, it takes a village to live a satisfied life and my family and friends are part of my village. That being said, sometimes the people in my life really piss me off. I’ve yet to get pissed off at a sunset.

So. #1: Sunsets.

2.) Knit or Crocheted hats and scarfs. Warm snuggly happiness, made by someone else for me to enjoy. I love them! Having a funky looking scarf to grab and race out the door is a must. Bonus points if there’s a quasi-matching hats with a poof yarn on top. w00t!

3.) Conditioner that smells awesome. I’d list a specific kind, but my definition of “awesome” tends to change. For now, I kinda dig herbal essence. I used to adore Outrageous from… Loreal, I think? But it’s been discontinued.

4.) Thick toilet paper. I KNOW, Ok?! But seriously – do you like the 1-ply uber thin stuff? Really? There ya go then. :oP

5.) Plushies! I love stuffed animals. The weirder or the softer or the more loved the better. I have a couple of rabbits that make me go melty every time I see ‘em on my shelf and I have some penguins who make me think of John Lennon whenever they catch a glimpse of me. I have The Infamously Awesome Sunshine Bear who has helped me through many, many rough nights and smiled with me through some of the best days of my life. And….. I covet UglyDolls. I… I don’t know, I just want one.

6.) Fall leaves. Crisp, crackly, deep browns, oranges, reds, yellows…. it’s like Mother Nature grabbed a paintbrush and decided to have a blast. I love finding leaves outside to grab snapshots of too.

7.) The backlit keyboard on my MacBook Air. I giggled like a school girl when it lit up. Like a school girl who just got her first bottle of dark blue nail polish. Yeah. LIKE THAT.

8.) Speaking of… dark blue nail polish! Holy crap. The first time I got a bottle, I squealed. (I was a school girl) I just saw some from OPI that made me squirm in my seat it was so awesome. Covet! Ok, so really it’s really just about any cool nail polish color, reds, purples, blues… I used to paint this dark mulberry color on and top it with shimmery green. I called it “Japanese Beetle,” because that’s what it looked like. *nostalgic sighs

9.) The Pixar Lamp. I love how they gave that little guy so much personality! It makes me giggle.

10.) Hot coffee in a killer cup. Usually with milk and chocolate sauce added. I love colorful coffee cups… but I also have favorite coffee cups that seem plain, but have more memories attached than I could relate in a single coffee sipping session.

(pic chosen because… well, it makes me happy too!)