What little things disproportionately improve your quality of life?

[BoogleMcGroogle]

I know that the big things (secure housing, relationships and finances, good physical and mental health) make all the difference. But I just turned on the car radio and it got me thinking about the small, inexpensive things that make life so much better. Here are mine:

Radio 4
The Sunday Times
Having a lovely coffee shop next to the small office I rent
Cheese from the market
Having a village library
Good footpaths nearby
An open fire
Being able to go swimming each week ( roll on Wednesday!)
Baths
Gardener's World and Call My Agent (French comedy drama)
Being on a good bus route (I'm now down to only one school run, thank God)
Brogues and colourful tights

What are yours'?

Silence at night, we do have neighbours but they are quiet and except for the resident owl, it is so quiet and peaceful

Dh and I were woken up by a very loud and persistent owl at 5:00 this morning!

@mildlydepressed

Listening to podcasts while I prepare dinner makes the whole process so much more enjoyable.

Ohh, I do that too. And when I’m doing boring chores like cleaning or folding clothes.

My DH says he regrets buying me AirPods for my birthday as everyone has to shout if they want my attention...but from my perspective, it blocks out the teenage bickering and improves mundane tasks.😂

Proper 100% cotton bed linen
My gorgeous new bed and mattress
Lovely loose tea and nice ground coffee

I’ll be flamed for supporting both of these, but Uber and Amazon Prime make my life sooo much easier. Uber especially, like having a chauffeur.

Oh, and my other addiction: lip balm.
I have loads of them, and feel a bit distressed when one isn’t within sight!

Cats. Good coffee. Roaring fires. Books. A nice single malt. Seeing the first seeds germinate in the seed tray. Fresh cut flowers from the garden. A really juicy satsuma.

Coffee
Hot tub at 6am and then at 10pm, and no it`s not a sex pond before anybody chimes in
Wildlife we feed in our garden

Having a cleaner/helper once a week
My dog
Sunny, windfree days

How HAVE you been living without a freezer? Wowies! Congrats!

Friday night, turning off my alarm... bliss! ( or Saturday night if I have to work Saturday )
That feeling that you can sleep on 😀.
I always wake up at alarm times mind! 🤦🏻‍♀️

the nail in the broom cupboard which I hang my tickling stick duster on. Sounds ridiculous, but today I admired it's usefulness.

a decent sports bra for high impact exercise. I hate jiggling.

the sky. always something different.

I agree about Amazon. I signed up to prime it's brilliant!!

Amazon firestick as I don't have an aerial.

My dog he never leaves my side!

My garden I cultivated from bare topsoil (new build) it saved my sanity in lockdown.

The coffee pod machine I bought for the caravan. It's amazing and so much better than my wanky delonghi I've got at home. And the pods don't go off and are super cheap in Iceland!

Kindle app on my phone and kindle unlimited I never have nothing to do.

Swimming most days (pool under my flat).
My cleaner coming weekly and changing bed sheets
Getting out for a walk every day

@roarfeckingroarr. I want your flat! It’s my dream to have a flat with a pool in the building and I’d like a cleaner...used to have them come every two weeks helped a lot , but decided to economize and get my teens to help out more. Big mistake.😂

My cleaner.

Playing and umpiring netball, I've missed it in the last month (and most of this year).

The occasional silly treat of my DH wrapping my birthday or Christmas presents, while I'm by his side. I have a sleep mask on so I can't see what they are, but hearing the action gives me great pleasure.

My 60+ Free Oyster card (cannot be used before 9am Work days, but still a bargain!).
Hearing the foxes and owls at night despite living in London!
The numerous parks and the nearby river
The cafe when it is open!
The variable weather! No way would I want all round sunshine!
Listening to a very patient dad the other day explaining to his distraught little girl (who had a sit down protest on a very cold ground!) that it was too cold for ice cream! He explained that you have ice cream in hot weather. Her protests went on and on until she boarded the bus , then asked if they could go upstairs. I was prepared for more protests when Dad said no, but she immediately sang Old McDonald had a farm - with her own words but with gusto!

I love listening to kids trying to get their own way as long as they are not too screechy!

Hearing owls hooting at night since we moved to a new build estate!

The library. It opened today. Dd1 who is 11 was skipping she was so happy. We borrowed the Ickabog it looks like no one else has read that copy yet. The librarians greeted us like old friends.

Hearing the opening notes to "Fairytale of New York" when I'm out at the shops

Seeing (and hearing) geese flying in formation

Laying in bed listening to the rain
Discovering during lockdown that I love gardening
A bacon sandwich
Clean sheets
Autumn
Not doing my usual 3 hour daily commute
A facial or massage

Thank you OP - I’ve enjoyed reading this thread.

Enough coat hooks in the hall and coat hooks low enough for the DC to use.
No more coats lying on the floor and things falling off hooks.

The Polish bakery

I've recently started small sessions of meditation maybe once or twice a week for half an hour. The benefits have been huge and way way outweigh the time taken. Somehow I feel more in touch with myself, softer, calmer, and more easily process my emotions. I eat more mindfully, enjoying food and sensations. I do feel a bit more emotional because I am getting in touch with myself but the feelings go more quickly and then I am feeling better. I would strongly recommend it to anyone looking for an easy way to improve their quality of life disproportionately compared to the effort and time involved.

Underfloor heating.