What small, simple things bring you joy?

[imamumgetmeoutofhere]

With the world being so full of doom and gloom recently, I thought a light hearted thread might hopefully make some people simile.

So with that in mind, I'm asking you, what small, simple things bring you joy?

Mine is getting into a freshly made bed, especially if I've had a nice, relaxing bath before hand. Feels like heaven

When DH really grins - he is quite a stoic character
When my daughter laughs (she is preteen so rare atm 🙄)
My dogs excited to go out for a walk their happiness is infectious even when it’s raining
Standing in my garden with DH as it finally comes together after ALOT of work
Seeing my mums number come up on my phone (we both work in stressful jobs, she lives in another country so we don’t talk too often).
Getting into my car, I bought my dream car this year after years and years of saving/driving rubbish cars and it’s so worth it!

I went out in my sunny garden and heard a blackbird sing beautifully for ages.
(would totally have been impressed if I was a female blackbird).

Fresh clean sheets.

A spring day like today, there were wild primroses in the fields and lambs bleating, it was an absolute joy to be outside.

The sun on my face
Coffee
A clean, fresh, aired house
New sheets on the bed

Daffies in a vase on the dining room table.

Turning the little lights on that I put in the empty candle jars - they're orange and make the room look so much more cosy and warm.

A hot cup of tea and a fried egg butty.

When my dog does a play bow, and rags a toy. It makes me smile. She has no clue about what is going on outside of her own little world. I am jealous!

Tea in my cappuccino cup
Freshly mown lawn
Walking on dry crunchy grass
A snooze on a hot day in a cool room
Clean sheets (who doesn't love that!)
Tulips
Long dog walks in the sunshine

Removing my bra and letting the boulders free.
Matching up socks after they’ve come out of the wash.

Watching tadpoles in the garden pond
Jogging
Spring garden flowers
A happy child
Laughing with DP or friend

Having the house to myself. Don't get me wrong, I love love love my family. But when I find myself home alone I feel more able to stop and just breathe

First cup of coffee of the day. DCs squidgy cheeks, when I close my eyes I know the touch of every area of their faces. My dog wagging her tail so much she looks like she's dancing whenever I come downstairs.

My kids. My pets (3 cats and a 23yr old snake). Freshly changed bed sheets. A clean house. Cycling when the weather is good. The smell of cooking/baking. Being in the garden

My bills paid and roof over head and food in my fridge, I am truly blessed even if not rich x

Last April I started doing an art class, as I'd felt very inspired by all the art shows on TV during lockdown. It was an oil painting class which I had never done before and I was quite good at it. I've painted quite a few landscapes and as a result it's made me REALLY notice the beauty of nature all around me, the flowers in people's gardens, the colours, the changing seasons, trees, birds, and sometimes I just stand and look at the clouds in the sky in awe. It's really enriched my life in a way I hadn't expected!

At the moment,

• cherry blossom
• nuthatches feeding upside down on the bird feeder
• warm hot cross buns with melty butter
• wearing spring clothes
• sunshine

The spring flowers

When DCat snuggles in the crook of my arm to go to sleep. He does eventually stretch out so his heads at the top of my arm and his feet are on my hand and his warm fluffy tummy on my forearm. Even better if he's still laid like that when I wake up. Usually he has a quick snuggle and then goes and lays at the end of the bed. Although Last night he decided to lay on the pillow next to me and shove his bum in my face all night.

Fresh bedding after a shower

A nice coffee. At the moment I'm drinking asda value coffee so having a latte out somewhere is a lovely and rare treat. Also the occasional times I treat myself to some tassimo pods.

All the beautiful daffodils and flowers that are out at the moment. Even if they are wrecking havoc on my eyes and nose

The sunny days of autumn (I'm in Melbourne)
Clearing the veggie beds for autumn planting
Morning cuppa
Walking the dog on the beach
Hearing wildlife all night: I sleep with windows open most of the year
Autumn clothes where the need for a light jacket means I don't need to wear a bra.

Not small, but finally, FINALLY, getting decent view seats for "Hamilton":o

Early evening daylight.

A really nice cup of tea.

The smell of fresh washing brought in the from the garden.

Seeing pretty flowers spring up.

Completing a creative project successfully.

Arriving home from wherever in good weather then seeing that's it starting to rain but I dodged it - got my timing right for once.

Another nice cup of tea.

The smell of spring
Tea from a teapot
Enough food in the cupboard
Walking/exercise every day

Many of the above, plus a really lovely scented soap, that point when the buds on the branches of a tree are about to break into leaf, seeing my little nephews.

Spring sunshine
Daffodils in a vase
A hot cup of tea and time to drink it

Many already mentioned

Currently seeing big fat bees enjoying the spring bulbs in the garden. All summer seeing the various birds and the pollinators buzzing and flitting around our yard.

We have a yarden, and I've got as many trees, shrubs, and pollinator friendly plants piled in there as I could afford. Not much room for humans in there now

The leaf and flower buds about to burst on the trees.

I painted our black cast iron benches a really vibrant blue last summer, and it has made me so happy over the last autumn and winter whenever I stand in the kitchen and see the bright flash of colour out of the window on a grey, dark, bare, day.

Early summer mornings, before it gets too hot and sunny for me (and the retired neighbours move permanently and so fucking loudly into their yard all day every day), sitting on the floor in the yard, with a coffee, and enjoying the quiet apart from nature sounds, and pretending I live in the countryside not a terrace

I need some joy