Little things that make you happy.

[GiddyRobin]

Thought I'd start a nice, light hearted thread about things that make you happy! I notice a lot of light hearted threads end up a bit down in the dumps, so for those who just want to share, need a bit of cheer, or are generally nosy parkers (like me! 😂), I thought this could be a bit of fun.

I'll start (and try and make it brief!)

• Family. Yes, yes, twee, sickly, blah blah blah, but it's true.
• Christmas. Festivities and seasons changing in general.
• Books! Give me a good book, a nice box of tea, and I'm happy.
• Cheese. Any cheese. My DS had a milk allergy as a youngster and I had to cut it out too as I was breastfeeding. God I missed cheese. I celebrated so hard with a cheeseboard when he passed the milk ladder that I made myself poorly. 😂
• Flowers in my window. I love watching how the light changes the shades of the petals during the day.
• A good black comedy. Anything Shearsmith and Pemberton does me.
• Oversized men's sweatshirts. Fuck women's jumpers, men's are the way to go and I will die on this hill.

Off to make some sarnies to take to MiL's - v. interested to hear other people's little joys!

Love this!

For me it's:

My cat coming to me for a cuddle. She's normally not a lap cat, can be quite nasty, but once a day when I'm working she jumps in my desk and purrs and rubs against me until I pick her up (she HATES being picked up any other time) - she then proceeds to curl up on my arms and go to sleep! Not helpful for work, but so trusting of me my heart melts.

When my kids actually get on and are playing together or working together to do something

My online game - but in particular the friend I've made through it who I probably talk to more than any real life friend!

Singing. I am crap at singing - but I am so happy when I turn the music up and have a good sing along. Even better when I have a dance too..., and I'm very uncoordinated!

The rare moments my pain killers REALLY work and I realise I have no pain anywhere. It doesn't last for long, but is just a relief even if it's just an hour.

Oh - and my middle son when we both just look at each and burst out laughing without saying a word. We have the EXACT same (very dark) sense of humour so we quite literally know what the other is thinking in any situation. He's 17 next week and just an absolute joy to chat to. This is probably very outing, but I bought him a t-shirt for Xmas that says "I love my amazing mum" but not in a narcissistic way - I knew he'd get the humour of it and he 100% did and wears it with pride everywhere. We just laugh so much.

@Rictasmorticia That sounds lovely - I know exactly the type you mean and they're so supportive! DH is on the thin side too, so it's always a balance of trying to find something comfortable but nothing too spongey that just offers zero support. How are you with memory foam? I know some people really swear by it for back support, but others aren't a fan.

Hahaha! I haven't had a bonny arse since my first DC. Went from peachy to flat as a pancake, and no amount of squats are bringing that back. You're in good company. 😁

@Tillow4ever I bloody love this! Especially your lovely relationship with your son. Reminds me of my old dad; we'd only have to slyly look at each other and the giggles would start. Terrible dark, vivid humour. The fact your DS is wearing that t-shirt genuinely made me grin - what a brilliant relationship! I know so many parents dread the teen years, but it's posts like this that really give me hope. It must be lovely to see them grow into almost-adults with their own quirks and ways!

What kind of game do you play? I've got an on-going game of sorts with an American friend. It's like a story that we both write a bit of, sort of like DnD but written like a book. She has her characters and I have mine. There's a whole world and everything now, we've been doing it for about 5 years over email. Just a post here and there a few times a week! It's only for us, we'd never try and do anything with it, but it's so much fun!

And yes to the cantankerous cat! I've got one of those. It feels like you're the chosen one when they finally come and snuggle!!

@GiddyRobin honestly, the teen years have been alright! My youngest has just turned 13 and we are really close so I hope that doesn't change. Your dad sounds fab and I'm glad you had that relationship with him.

I play a game called Viking: War of Clans. My friend lives in the UK but too far away for a meet up. We both push each other to be the best in the game, so it works well! And we have that same, dirty and dark humour!

I have got three different kinds of memory foam pillow. They are all curved or shaped in different ways. They are too hard for my head these days. They make excellent back support when sitting up in bed.

i have to sit still for an hour after taking my tablets so they are very useful.

I know what you mean about tablets that work. I have just got (3 weeks ago) some new anti-sickness tablets. They are literally life changing after months of experiments. I wake up in the morning without a blinding headache, I cruise through the day without vomiting or retching. Bliss and God bless the NHS and my GP for persevering with my treatment.

@Rictasmorticia that sounds awful but I am glad you’ve got something that works now. We take our bodies for granted when we are young - it’s only when we have ailments we wished we had not laughed off those manual handling videos, etc!

@Tillow4ever That's music to my ears! Well, eyes, but whatever. 😁 It sounds like they've both got a very solid relationship foundation with you, and I think that's the best place to start with anything. My oldest is only 8, so we're still some time off from the teen years yet...but with how quickly it all goes, I'm prepared to wake up tomorrow to him towering over me! Which he probably will do, as he's the spitting image of his very lanky dad. 😂

That sounds loads of fun! Such a good way of keeping in touch. I do love that these days there are so many options. Finding a friend with the same weird humour is never to be underestimated! Always in the most unexpected places I find...my American writing friend I bumped into in a card shop one Christmas! Must have stood there for about an hour!

@Rictasmorticia Yes, I always found them a bit hard on the neck too. It's great they're good for back support though, a hell of a lot comfier than some couches can be when you're suffering. Comfort is definitely always top priority!

I've just realised I've managed to get through a whole box of Lady Grey to myself in about a week. Rather a lot of tea, I'm sure my dentist will be chuffed with me. 😂 Absolutely not planning on driving to get more.

@GiddyRobin glad you like house plants too! I have many different varieties, including my original monstera, Jonathan, and the proprogated one who is, naturally named Son of Jonathan. I've also got a string of hearts which I'm very fond of.

I'm checking in on my favourite thread. Lovely updates, books, birds, dogs, plants - what's not lovely about that? String of hearts is my favourite houseplant @Needhelp101 .

I'm not long in from work, ended up going in a day earlier than planned for various reasons. Simple things today - not falling over in the compacted snow and ice 🙏. DC2 making me a surprise dinner, emptying the dishwasher and bringing me a cup of apple and cinnamon tea. I am now under a blanket on the sofa drinking it.

Lazy weekend snuggles in bed with DH
Listening to my son giggle
Watching my son sleep.
Knitting, crochet, sewing.
More knitting, crochet and sewing
Browsing Pinterest for craft project inspiration
The first daffodils in Spring
The smell /sound of the sea
The smell of cinnamon at Christmas
Christmas trees and fairy lights
A brand new notebook
The smell of my dog's fur
Crispy bacon sandwiches

@GiddyRobin - I'm with you on the men's jumpers....

Buying a hardback book with a beautiful dustcover and choosing a matching bookmark.

The first morning coffee in my favourite hand thrown mug.

Mooching in charity shops.

Looking out of the window on a cold, frosty morning.

DH pulling me in for a cuddle and resting his chin on top of my head.

Spending time with our DDs. I just love being with them.

I’m a bit late to the thread but going out tonight to pick ds2 up from work and realising the nights are getting lighter really cheered me up.

@Needhelp101 Jonathan the monstera! That made me chuckle; the fact he has his own wee Jonathan Jr is even better. 😁 Monstera is a lovely plant. The glossy leaves! I have to say though, I have now been officially influenced by this thread and I want string of hearts. They look like climbers but without the climbing!

What a lovely evening, @RachelCarew ! That first day back is always a bit flat, but I'm glad it was still filled with nice little things. What did your DC make for dinner? Also curious to try this apple and cinnamon tea, too. I did restock my Lady Grey, but tonight's cuppa has been jasmine to match my candle. 😁

I really am enjoying this thread; every time I check back in it's just bursting with such nice little moments, and it brings me back to my happy place!

@Twixtmasjigsaw Aren't they so much more comfortable?! Honestly, I've decided to stop buying women's ones for the house (and outside sometimes...they actually look just fine!) now. The quality is better, and some of them actually have a lining!

Absolutely agree on Pinterest for crafts. The sheer amount of creativity on there is brilliant - the DC found these hanging moon and stars that I'm going to make with them on Saturday. Little run out to the craft shop for some gold paper and twine! In fact, I'm with you for all of your list! (Aside from the knitting and crocheting, I am useless. But I like watching other people! 😂)

@Arraminta Bookmarks! Oh yes. Etsy has some absolutely gorgeous ones, but it's also fun coming upon them in the wilds. Heavy ones can be so lovely too - have you seen those metal ones? I'm always a bit nervous in case they bend the pages, but they're seemingly harmless! 😁 And you cannot beat a charity shop mooch. That feeling of having absolutely no idea what you're going to come out with is exhilarating. Like a grown up lucky dip!

@Justgivemehotchocolate I thought I noticed this earlier, too! I wasn't sure if it was the brightness of the snow, but if it is changing then we'll definitely have to keep our eyes peeled for snowdrops soon!

Mine this evening have to be:

• DH cooked his fancy pho dish, and made summer rolls and a peanut sauce to go on the side. I love watching him make this because he takes it so seriously, but in a really sweet way. He also has really elegant violinist's hands, and it sounds soppy, but watching him make the summer rolls is a bit hypnotising! Mine always end up bunged together and his are flawless!
• The DC and their determination to use chopsticks. DS has kind of got the hang of it, and he was teaching DD how to use them. It was so sweet.
• I remembered to bring wood in for the fire when I took the dogs out earlier. Forgot I did it, was about to take off my slippers and put my boots on, and then saw the stack by the door. Absolutely no need to get un-snuggly!

I love all things books. Without realising it, I ended up swapping the TV for books & podcasts. We very rarely turn the TV on now, but I definitely read every day. I also like buying books for birthday presents & taking time to choose books that suit the person or suit the situation they are going through at that time.

@GiddyRobin I studied for my O & A levels and then degree in the Religion & Philosophy section of Central Library. The roof leaked and when it rained they had to have buckets scattered round. I still remember the thud of rain on bucket.
Today:

• walked my dog with my GNiece and her puppy for some socialisation very late afternoon. We had to take a torch - my dog was very patient with a very springy puppy. I thought there may be a clip around the ear at one point.
• a friend is taking her mum back to her home country in the next few days and we had a farewell dinner - her mum is glowing at the thought of being home with her family. Seeing her so happy made me happy.

@Joyfulincolour It's quite a relief when you realise it, isn't it? We only really watch a few things here (if I'm honest, mainly repeats and the odd film), but the "quiet feeling" is so calming. A podcast (which I'm still newly getting into, but definitely enjoying) is easier to pause than a telly show, so it feels a bit less like your brain is rabbiting away.

It's such a lovely thing to do, isn't it? Books can be so personal, and it's lovely being able to chat about them afterwards if the giftee has really enjoyed it. I think some of my favourite books have been presents from family and friends. I remember getting The Picture of Dorian Gray when I was about 15, and just fell in love. It's old and battered after so many house moves now, but still so precious.

@StripyRedSocks Was that before they did it all up? It was getting pretty shabby at one point, although part of me still misses how dark and typically libraryish it was. The escalators were such a shock at first, I didn't know what to make of them! 😂 Picton Reading Room is still gorgeous though. Those spiral stair cases!

Oh that sounds absolutely lovely - has it been a long time since her mum has been back? That must be so so special for her. And so emotional too, but in that really nice way that makes your heart go all tight but melty!

I have a few decorations on my door including a gnome that came off Christmas packaging years ago, they bring personality and I have no intention of removing them

Good Morning, it was pasta with a homemade tomato sauce @GiddyRobin , parmesan and a dressed salad (salad isn't on DC's radar so that was for me)! DC2 does not like preparing meat or fish, they eat it but don't like touching it 😂.

This library sounds fabulous.

As predicted, I was asleep by 8:32pm according to my watch, slept until 6:02am, no reading last night!

That's lovely @Lovelybitofsquirrel3 , we have a rule here, if a decoration is missed when we pack things away, it stays out for the year. We had missed a snowman one year when DC1 was little and they insisted that it stayed, it became, springman, summerman .... you get the drift.

@GiddyRobin the tea is TeaPigs apple and cinnamon, it is one of my favourites.

Good afternoon, all!

@Lovelybitofsquirrel3 That's a fabulous idea! I think your gnome definitely deserves a free pass to join in the fun all year round. When I was young, my dad used to put up red felt bows. He'd tack them to picture frames or have them on silver bells. There would always be one missed, and he'd discover it in the summer or something. It stayed until the next year! Here we have a little dove that accidentally got left up on the mantle one year. I don't know how we missed it, as it's quite sizeable...but it's become a feature now, despite its holly crown!

@RachelCarew That sounds lovely! So thoughtful of them! I was a bit like your DC2 as a youngster - the thought of touching raw fish, etc., made my stomach funny but eating it was no problem. It took me until about 16 before I finally bit the bullet. I cooked some salmon, and....didn't cook it all the way through! 🤣 New fear was instantly unlocked, and I still have a good poke at it even now haha!

It really is a wonderful library - there used to be virtual tours of it online during Covid, but I'm not sure now. There's a lovely one in Manchester too, I think Chethams Library? Or it may be the John Ryland. I didn't spent a lot of time in Manchester, so can't be sure.

I may have to take a jaunt to explore some of this Teapigs later. That and Bird & Blend are definitely favourites at the moment.

Anyway, I also slept like an absolute log last night! I think my brain knew it was back to work today, so needed the rest. Very grateful to my past self for sorting out admin work earlier in the week as today hasn't been quite as much of a faff. It's quite nice to be back to it in a way.

Today's so far!

• My job. As much as I wish I could have been off forever, I do really like my job so I know I shouldn't complain. Very very glad to be in the role I am, and my colleagues are just lovely. Had a lovely Teams meeting this morning and it was fab hearing about everyone's Christmas.
• Breakfast! It was absolutely freezing when we got back from the school run. DH made us crumpets with cheese and Marmite, and we sat and ate them huddled up in our dressing gowns.
• I got a really nice lavender hand cream from MiL at Christmas. It smells so nice, and my hands are quite prone to getting chapped in the cold, so it's been an absolute lifesaver. Usually I'm slathered in that Norwegian Formula cream, which is nice but doesn't have much of a smell, so this feels rather luxurious!

Actually, an updated one because it made me so happy I'm still as giddy as my username suggests.

I was on a Teams call and heard my office door creak open. It was DH, who had apparently "needed to go out to buy milk" on his break. Turns out he didn't, as we already had some. What he did go out to buy was the fancy artisanal chocolate they sell in our local bakery, the one I'd been talking about last night. He threw it onto my couch (so he didn't highjack my camera), gave me a cheeky wink and walked off back to his own office.

I love that man. 🥰

@GiddyRobin It’s a 15 hour journey for her and she is late 80s - but she was luminous at the thought of being with family again (and not struggle with her English 😂)
Today for me was NOT having Teams on my phone - I didn’t reinstall on new phone so I can walk the dog without a constant buzzing in the background 😂 and these trees - it was so much darker irl my phone gave it quite a long exposure.