236 Things That Make Me Happy

For several years now I’ve maintained my own personal Happy List, first to acknowledge and affirm and then to remind myself of life’s beauty, richness, and blessings. I hope that by sharing some of the items on my list I will inspire you to slow down for a few minutes and think about the things in your life that bring you joy and contentment… and perhaps even create and maintain a “Happy List” of your own!

236 Things That Make Me Happy

1. rustic sourdough bread, toasted crisp and served hot spread with melting butter and blackberry jam
2. surprise recurring characters
3. sukiyaki with friends
4. shower puffs and fragrant, foaming shower gel
5. Japanese restaurant décor
6. supportive and encouraging friends
7. the weekly ritual of watching favourite TV shows with my husband while munching popcorn
8. caramel steamed milk
9. a freshly-done manicure
10. a simple Italian salad of fresh sliced tomatos and garlic, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkled with salt and freshly-ground pepper
11. unwrapping a Mini Babybel cheese
12. achieving a long-awaited goal
13. a refreshing shower with nice-smelling soap
14. the brilliant green of steamed broccoli
15. “AHA!” moments
16. a place for everything, and everything in its place
17. making a fresh tossed salad that’s a medley of colours and flavours: mixed leafy greens, ripe red tomatoes, red and orange and yellow peppers, white mushrooms, shredded purple cabbage, celery, cucumber, shredded carrots, chopped green onions
18. Nag Champa incense
19. clear, crisp, pure, icy-cold drinking water
20. dried strawberries
21. satiny embroidered Asian handbags
22. paper cranes
23. solving all the world’s problems over multiple cups of coffee throughout an evening
24. a lit votive candle in a clear glass holder
25. black enamelled chopsticks
26. the artistry and beauty and goodness of sushi
27. Simon & Garfunkel
28. watching a dry, thirsty plant come back to life after giving it a drink
29. a successful trip to the library – lots of intriguing books to read, and all for free!
30. rich hot chocolate with real whipped cream on top
31. going blackberrying – buckets full of yummy free treats… making blackberry apple crisp and eating it hot, with whipped cream and strong black coffee
32. glass bricks
33. Grandma’s tiered wooden sewing box… her gift to me
34. milk chocolate
35. stationery and office supply stores… strolling the aisles with my sister, under no time limits or restrictions, with money in my wallet
36. brewing espresso in a pot on the stove… heating and frothing milk… making a perfect little cappucino sprinkled with cinnamon
37. chocolate pudding
38. playing a game or two of Boggle
39. Celestial Seasonings Vanilla Maple tea with milk and brown sugar
40. the purity of clear glass canisters filled with supplies – epsom salts… coarse salt… sea salt… baking soda… cornstarch… skim milk powder…citric acid – for homemade bath products
41. collecting magazine pictures of pretty things
42. the smell of movie popcorn
43. making decoupage light switch plates – mini pieces of art
44. spiral-bound notebooks
45. spicy chai lattes sprinkled with cinnamon and nutmeg
46. William Shatner’s “Has Been”
47. swirly designs
48. getting “real” mail or e-mail from friends or family – not junk mail or bills or spam or mailing list stuff… but real, personal correspondence
49. plump Shanghai noodles with stir-fried bok choy and spicy pork
50. curling up for a mid-afternoon nap under our “How Do I Love Thee” Boyds Bears blanket
51. paisley
52. the feeling of confidence after having a professional haircut and style with good-smelling hair products
53. a cat’s purr
54. the feel of cool, creamy moisturizer on warm skin
55. peppermint tea
56. a sense of pride in making a good choice
57. cooked beet greens
58. the moment in a song where you start to sing along
59. a special new mug
60. the warm smell of roasting chicken
61. listening to the comforting swish of the dishwasher running in the background
62. cheery yellow, brown-flecked, sweet and juicy, ripe Bartlett pears
63. hours-long conversations with friends at a local café
64. buying fruit and veggies in Chinatown or at a farm market
65. freshly ground black pepper
66. cosy grey-and-red white-heeled-and-toed work socks
67. finished projects
68. flannel shirts
69. little, out-of-the blue kindnesses that take you by surprise
70. collecting pebbles… mottled, striped, spotted, marbled, smooth, weathered… while walking on the beach
71. Sharpies
72. weekend secondhand book store prowls
73. vanilla
74. sitting in a cozy café all by myself… listening to music, drinking black coffee, journalling, people-watching, reading
75. petting a friendly neighbourhood cat
76. cutting open a fresh bag of coffee beans
77. sandalwood
78. writing on black paper with soft milky-pastel-coloured pens
79. handmade crocheted scarves
80. enormous marinated green olives and crusty Portuguese buns with Genoa salami and havarti
81. Moody Bee lip balm
82. knowing how to hand-code HTML
83. small successes
84. Montreal-style bagels, fresh from the bakery in a brown paper bag
85. getting organized in the fall and thinking towards the year ahead
86. fun interior design, home improvement, and craft shows on TV
87. ten unbroken fingernails of decent length
88. being tired in the evening, but knowing you can sleep in the next day without guilt… then waking up in the morning with that delicious feeling of knowing that you can go back to sleep if you so desire
89. the crisp, smoky smell of fall in the air
90. tassels
91. Mom’s Italian cheese ball soup
92. staying cozily inside on a bleak, rainy day and drinking Earl Grey tea with milk
93. sweater season
94. fall leaves in brilliant shades of gold, amber and crimson – gilding the trees, crunching underfoot, being raked into piles
95. the contrast of silent, still, cool night air after leaving a noisy, crowded, hot club
96. butter soft black leather gloves lined with soft white rabbit fur
97. perfect, intricate seashells
98. thinking you have no cash in your wallet because there are no bills… then discovering $10 in toonies
99. creamy, spicy pumpkin pie with rich whipped cream and dark, strong coffee
100. sand dollars
101. closets and drawers full of clean, mended, wearable clothes
102. lightning storms
103. wrapping presents
104. Christmas oranges… sweet, juicy, fragrant, easy to peel
105. playing “Dutch Blitz” with family and/or friends… and being really good at it
106. chocolate-scented MAC “Desire” lipstick in a matte black and silver case
107. getting great coupons for something you were going to buy anyway
108. tiny brown dropper bottles filled with fragrant essential oils
109. the Lee Valley Christmas gift catalogue
110. old houses – coved ceilings, hardwood floors, crown moldings, wood trim, deep baseboards, filigree grilles, built-in cabinets with stained glass doors, dark wood panelling
111. enormous black cherries, sweet and juicy and firm
112. frothy bubbles on the top of a freshly-poured cup of strong black coffee
113. new makeup
114. hot ginger tea with honey
115. the potential of a thick blank book
116. sterling silver
117. thick black cotton turtleneck sweaters
118. spicy incense with lazy, curling trails of soft grey smoke… inside when it’s cold, outside on a warm summer evening
119. White Rabbit candies wrapped in rice paper
120. brown paper grocery bags
121. lazy, cozy, puttering weekends
122. cleaning a chalkboard with a shammy
123. a win by my hockey team
124. Body Shop eye pillows
125. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups – especially the crunchy ones!
126. our 4-CD set of favourite music, played at our wedding reception
127. scented tea light candles – café latte and ginger pumpkin
128. hand-me-downs from my sister
129. the sound of the breadmaker kneading dough… then the warm, yeasty smell of fresh bread baking
130. Indian food
131. flower baskets hanging from lampposts
132. finding all the “freebies” in a handful of sunflower seeds
133. wasabi rice crackers with wasabi peas
134. feeling loved… nurtured… cared for
135. thick white terrytowel bathrobes
136. watching a glassblower at work
137. hot, crisp buttered toast spread with Mom’s pear-ginger marmalade
138. metal-handled Chinese food cartons
139. laughter – laughing so hard it hurts… laughing uncontrollably… laughing until you cry
140. toasted cheese and peanut butter sandwiches
141. making books by hand
142. cinnamon sprinkled over coffee grounds before brewing the pot
143. honey pots with honey drippers
144. Deluxe Scrabble
145. waking up to find my love holding my hand
146. Genmaicha – Japanese green tea and roasted rice… nutty and flavourful, with a few pieces of “popcorn” popped grains of rice included in the mix
147. sleeping in
148. a goosedown duvet and plump feather pillows
149. new shoes
150. unpacking and setting up a new home or office space
151. perfect, seedless green grapes… sweet and firm, almost crunchy
152. a “defined curls” hair day
153. a perfectly straight hair day
154. thick greenish glass bathroom counters with shiny silver fixtures
155. the mixed-up collection of dishes at the cottage… choosing a “special” mug to use throughout your stay
156. aromatherapy facials
157. true freebies
158. the way yarn comes out of the middle of the ball – magic!
159. live theatre
160. More-with-Less Cookbook (Doris Janzen Longacre) – more than just recipes… a whole philosophy of life
161. A&W root beer in a frosty mug
162. the silkiness of loose face powder
163. watching grown men play like little boys
164. brightly-coloured, plastic-coated paper clips
165. twisted ropes of seaweed left on the beach at low tide
166. old-fashioned clawfoot bath tubs
167. a thick, clear glass bowl of ocean-polished beach glass
168. pictures of Greece… blue sky, sparkling blue water, whitewashed houses
169. Kinder Egg vehicles with moving parts
170. vintage Pyrex mixing bowls and baking dishes with glass lids
171. my love’s smiling blue eyes
172. ocean air… salty, seaweedy, fresh, envigorating
173. thick, fluffy, soft, absorbent bath towels
174. warm raisin scones with butter and honey
175. the soft trickle and bubble of a water fountain
176. cinnamon
177. amber perfume oil in a delicate glass-stoppered bottle
178. pure white, silky-smooth sand
179. organizer wallets
180. burgundy velvet
181. sweet and spicy freesias
182. finding your favourite brand of anything on a phenomenal sale, and having the money to be able to stock up
183. the greyness of the ocean on a rainy day
184. refreshingly soft, misty rain
185. the smell of a secondhand book store
186. fresh flowers on your desk
187. soft ice cream
188. mason jar mugs
189. old round Volvos
190. the aroma of dark roasted, freshly-ground coffee beans
191. basic black
192. speckled enamelware
193. the feeling of satisfaction when a project is completed
194. “Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil” monkeys
195. electric trains
196. wooden back scratchers
197. popping bubble wrap
198. drops of lavender essential oil in an unglazed ceramic jar beside the bed
199. peel-and-stick postage stamps
200. milk in glass bottles
201. discovering a secondhand shop full of treasures and possibilities and bargains
202. strings of sparkling white lights
203. pretending (just for a moment) to be Amélie while cracking the top of a crème brûlée with your spoon, then letting the crisp brown sugar shards and creamy, rich smoothness melt in your mouth
204. creating something
205. the fragrance of lilacs
206. games nights with friends
207. those first few seconds when your head rests on a perfectly plumped-up pillow
208. a heartfelt compliment
209. vintage typewriters with round keys
210. potluck parties
211. learning another language
212. jeweled chandeliers
213. losing yourself for awhile in the beauty and inspiration of Pinterest
214. the sensory perfection of real, live, hard copies of books
215. the convenience, portability, and accessibility of e-books
216. iPhone photo editing apps
217. Mom’s melt-in-your-mouth whipped shortbread cookies
218. wearing a pair of warm knitted slippers around the house
219. skewers of fresh fruit dipped in a Nutella fondue
220. Depression Glass
221. clean eating
222. tangling
223. birdsong through an open window
224. cheerful orange day lilies
225. cats with big fluffy paws
226. the mouth-watering smells and tastes of an outdoor meal grilled on the barbecue
227. the ability to connect with people all over the world via social media
228. a re-run marathon of a favourite TV series
229. front porches
230. the soft leather and functional beauty of my purple Filofax Malden organizer
231. art supplies
232. the delight of seeing the first firefly of the summer
233. the ever-changing moods and colours of the river
234. fabulous thrift store finds
235. the aroma of a freshly-mowed lawn
236. friendships that pick right up where you left off, even after a long time apart

Now, I challenge you to come up with your own list of at least ten things that make you happy! Once you’ve done so, I’d love it if you’d either post the list in a comment below or write out your “Happy List” as an entry in your own blog. (Be sure to share the link to your post in the comments below so that we can all visit your blog and revel in the goodness!)

So, what makes you happy?
Please share!