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'?

I have a smart shower and it makes my mornings more efficient.

A hot chocolate in my favourite mug
Being in a comfy bed with a good book
A spray of a good perfume

Masks.

I used to enjoy things like a mooch round a craft shop or museum. None of that has ANY pleasure any more because you have to wear a fucking mask.

I will be having a ritual burning when we're told we don't have to wear the bastarding things any more.

@AnyFucker

Tiger bread and butter

This also improves my quality of life, and in unexpected ways. Because I really like tiger bread and butter, I also have to go running a lot, which has been stupendously good for my mental and physical health. Because my local Sainsbury’s makes pretty rubbish underbaked tiger bread, I had to locate a local bakery which did it better, which also happens to sell coffee, which means I now have a local business to support to go and get my morning coffee from and the baker remembers my name, which makes me feel special.

All hail the marvellous tiger bread.

Chocolate
Sunsets
Trees
All my lovely fabric stash (although that probably shouldn't count as it is far from 'little')
I would love an open fire but have to make do with YouTube videos of fireplaces!
My beanbag chair - which also doubles as a lovely soft, warm foot rest.

Taking my make up off,moisturising then opening a bottle of wine on a Friday night.

Thanks for these replies. I was minded to post, in part, because I've had a crappy couple of weeks and I'm just now starting to enjoy these lovely things again.

I'll be trying some of these things over the next few months. We are in a large village and have two coffee shops which I've clearly not made enough use of!

DH bringing me tea in bed so I get a slower speed start to my day.

Watching my cat clean himself - instantly soothing. He did his face last night which is always a highlight for me!

Flicking through a food magazine. Always perks me up and feels relaxing at the same time.

Good-quality thermals.
Nice tea in a china cup, not stoneware.
Nice glasses (I am blind as a bat and wear them all the time; I have to like having them on). Not exactly inexpensive though; but the cost per wear must be quite low.
Fresh bed sheets.
Getting the weekend paper delivered.
A nice coffee made for me with a professional machine.

@tellmewhentheLangshiplandscoz. The choice of coffee shops has made me really fussy about my coffee though. Only one of them makes a cappuccino exactly the way I like it and I get abit grumpy if our walk takes us in the opposite direction and I end up with a not-quite-so-good brew. DH thinks I’m mad!

Hi Op Good thread by the way,
I think listening to good music on YouTube, and watching people's reactions to soul music and other music genres on YouTube, makes you see,music genres, in a different way,makes me to want to explore find out other types of genre music.
I like being amongst nature.
Also like going for a stroll around my local beach overlooking the Gower, I am not sure which part of Gower it could be worms head.

I like being with my pet cats
I like going to visit my health spa being in Jacuzzi and swimming

Playing my instrument in an amateur orchestra. It was 45 mins of pure happiness every week. I haven't been able to do it since March (despite the fact that by definition you're massively spaced out between instruments). Heartbroken and hadn't realised how just these little things are so important for mental health.

@SpaceOp

DH bringing me tea in bed so I get a slower speed start to my day.

Watching my cat clean himself - instantly soothing. He did his face last night which is always a highlight for me!

Flicking through a food magazine. Always perks me up and feels relaxing at the same time.

Face washes are the best! Especially when she manages to turn her ear inside out

Reading restaurant menus. I dont have to eat, I'm just happy sitting there reading the menu. Sometimes I sit at home and read web menus and imagine what I would order.

Clean sheets

Salted popcorn
Naked Wines
Hot water dispenser by my bed
Our lovely seafront bars and restaurants who have made such an effort to keep us cosy in the open air (blankets, heaters, liqueur coffees and hot chocs)
The woods near my house
Couch to 5k and yoga - after suffering with lower back pain and tight hamstrings for years, I went back to basics and did C25k alongside yoga. I can now run pain-free again.
Group Fight. A bit like Les Mills combat but so, so much better.

Decent coffee
Decent wine
Decent food
Clean sheets, ironed, not by me.

My DH bought an automatic milk heater/frother (like a velvetiser but much cheaper). It brings me so much joy, lattes and hot chocolate in two minutes and no milky pan to wash.

My stitching stash - a whole load of new projects just waiting to be started. Hugs from my kids, clean bedding, Freshly painted toe nails.

@WishingHopingThinkingPraying - what is sliced pan? So curious...

The timer on my car which heats it up fifteen minutes before I get in.

@thosetalesofunexpected

Hi Op Good thread by the way, I think listening to good music on YouTube, and watching people's reactions to soul music and other music genres on YouTube, makes you see,music genres, in a different way,makes me to want to explore find out other types of genre music. I like being amongst nature. Also like going for a stroll around my local beach overlooking the Gower, I am not sure which part of Gower it could be worms head.

I like being with my pet cats
I like going to visit my health spa being in Jacuzzi and swimming

All of these except swap out dogs for cats, and back country skiing/mountain hikes for the beach.

Absolutely love those music reaction videos, they are life affirming. Watched a Black American gentleman the other day as he listened to Dolly Parton sing I Will Always Love You, the moment that he realized it was the original one that Whitney Houston covered- such a moment of joy and connection. I have cried along with total strangers on the internet as they make these discoveries, just awesome.

[quote SquirrelFan]@WishingHopingThinkingPraying - what is sliced pan? So curious...[/quote]
Shop bought, pre sliced bread. Comes in a plastic packet. If you're in the UK you might see brands like Tesco Own or Hovis? Am Irish so having trouble thinking beyond Brennan's and Pat the Baker, which I don't think exist there

Small things:
My heated electric blanket when WFH
Jumperoo to entertain my baby for 15 minutes while I make a cup of tea/breathe
Having a supply of my favourite chocolates

Bigger things that also massively improve my quality of life:
Fluoxetine (probably saved my life)
Having our weekly food shop delivered
Having a cleaner

Radio 6 Music / Radio 4 (when latter not too gloomy / news/y)
Online shopping delivery and free paper with it
Aromatherapy bath oil
Candlelight
Salted caramel hot choc

Also some apps on the phone:

Calm
The period app Clue
Fitbit
Audible
Spotify
etc