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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to delight in life's silly little pleasures?

102 replies

UnderperformingSeal · 24/06/2020 14:45

It's been a fraught three months. There's been a lot of venting on here about people's inability to understand what isolation is, or what 2m looks like, or whatever other COVID-19-related stress was bothering us at the time. The light at the end of the tunnel might well turn out to be an oncoming train. If we aren't all at the end of our tethers by now, we can't be far away.

However, despite the pandemic and its restrictions on normal life there are always things from which we can still derive joy; obvious ones like clean bedsheets, a leisurely shower or long soak when the house is empty, or biting the chocolate off a *KitKat finger. And then there are the less obvious ones: today I caught myself drumming the teaspoon on the foil lid of a fresh jar of coffee before piercing it (which too is a joy in itself), and I realised I do this every time I open one. It's silly, and serves no purpose, but it's far more pleasing than it should be to a grown adult and I can't help myself. Further introspection revealed that it isn't my only daft little foible, as I am also prone to coiling those wire ties that hold cables tidy in electronics packaging around my finger to form a spring, and tapping my tweezers on my finger and holding them up to my ear like they're a tuning fork. There are probably others.

I may be a tiny bit mental, or perhaps this sort of idiosyncratic nonsense is perfectly normal. So, Mumsnet, which is it?

  • insert the confectionery and dismemberment method of your choice; there was a thread recently on here in which KitKat proved surprisingly divisive.
OP posts:
MaggieAndHopey · 24/06/2020 16:54

Most of these I wouldn't say are silly - they are the point of life. If you can't take pleasure in small things then surely the big things soon begin to pall as well.

thenewaveragebear1983 · 24/06/2020 16:55

@7ofnine very loudly, loud enough that we thought our cat was quite seriously unwell but it turned out to be an hedgehog, just walking along.

My simple pleasures: I love the sun, it's glorious
Treated myself to a little solar fountain (tacky as hell) for my patio so I can have plinky plonky water while I do my yoga
Tango cherry easy freezey ice pops
Nice to see our local shops beginning to open, coffee shop doing takeaways and the charity shops as well. Went for a little rummage today and got 3 books for ds

laurelhedge · 24/06/2020 17:00

Digging up worms and putting them on the seat at the bottom of the garden (hidden behind something) for the family of blackbirds nesting in the jasmine that is behind the seat. Also got some dried worms for them. I watch them sneak down and pick up the food

Papergirl1968 · 24/06/2020 17:04

I got the Fry’s strawberry from Home Bargains, Mariel. I bought a few packs but on tasting it for the first time in years, decided I preferred the orange! (Orange is also sold in Home Bargains!)

managinged · 24/06/2020 17:09

Kitty curled up on my lap

Strong coffee in the morning while I'm watching the morning news shows

Midsomer Murders reruns, especially the ones with John Nettles and Jason Hughes.

neverearlythoughItry · 24/06/2020 17:16

My cat comes into the bedroom every morning just before the alarm. I wake up and then go to the bathroom. By the time I've washed my hands she's at the top of the stairs. We race each other to the kitchen so I can feed her.I

It's a fun way to start the day (though one of us is going to kill the other one day!)

iklboo · 24/06/2020 17:18

I eat all the chocolate off a Bounty first. Start with one long side, round the edge, other long side, other long edge, bottom, top last.

Clean bed
Clean PJs
Clean me
Glass of chilled white wine
Good book
Good music

Bliss.

7ofNine · 24/06/2020 17:25

I eat bountys like that too iklboo!

7ofNine · 24/06/2020 17:25

I am amazed at the noisy hedghogs- they're so small!

NoBloodyFighting · 24/06/2020 17:46

Can't believe no one has said taking their bra off!
I put socks on in bed for the first hour. When I take them off my feet feel "free".
When your full wash fits perfectly on the line. Or even better when you accidentally just have enough pegs.
Small satisfactions!

TwoZeroTwoZero · 24/06/2020 17:50

@7ofNine

I eat bountys like that too iklboo!
A few years ago we heard a strange sort of snorting, shuffling noise when we were in the kitchen having turned everything off ready to go to bed and we couldn't work out what on earth it was until we looked out of the window and saw 3 hedgehogs that we assumed were a mother and 2 babies. They can walk silently but can be surprisingly noisy and quick!
TwoZeroTwoZero · 24/06/2020 17:52

Wrong quote, sorry!

Anyway, this is what they sound like but they can be louder.

iklboo · 24/06/2020 17:56

@NoBloodyFighting - of course!! First thing I do when I come home from work (when going to work was a thing). Well second, after my shoes.

pastalavistababy · 24/06/2020 17:58

This reminds me of a lovely poem by Jo Bell.

Yes, there will be times when you will have to fight.
We cannot spare you that. But then, there might
be times when you can hardly breathe for laughing.
There might be frogs in ponds to wonder at, and bumblebees
and opportunities to disappear your toes in sinking sands.
Later on, there might be days when chestnut trees are still and fat beside a river, or the motorway. There might be beer
in paper cups, and people throwing frisbees in the park. You might come cold and tired from work, to find
that someone’s run a bath. You might see hawthorn
in an English hedgerow; catch an urban dawn
or go to bed quite drunk, with arms around you; might feed a private hedgehog by the door one night. There might be snowfall, bonfires, dragonflies: a hug. And yes, there will be rain but then, there might
be rainbows. We’ll be with you. You will be alright.

icansmellburningleaves · 24/06/2020 17:58

@IndieRo

Friday nights are my favourite. I blitz house from top to bottom, change bed sheets etc, get food shop. I have a nice shower, put on my favourite pj's, plonk my arse on the sofa at 6pm and have a few beers, crisps with DH whilst kids have their movie night upstairs. It's my fave.
Sounds fab x
SoftBlocks · 24/06/2020 18:01

‘There is nothing better in life than writing on the sole of a slipper with a biro.‘

Half Man Half Biscuit

Shinyletsbebadguys · 24/06/2020 18:04

I have a thing about what is now called in our house "fizzing " something. Bicarbonate and citric acid down the loo or the sink. I get huge pleasure out of the fizziness and the sound and texture. In not particularly house proud but I love to fizz. DP has been known to come home with packets of each so I can fizz Grin I bear no shame at all

RhinestoneCowgirl · 24/06/2020 18:05

I love the poem that pastalavista just posted. I read it aloud to DD and she said 'how did they know?!' as we've just spent the last hour or so watching the frogs in our washing up bowl mini pond...

sassafras123 · 24/06/2020 18:26

Birdsong
Church bells ringing
The smell of freshly baked bread and freshly brewed coffee
A long hot bath
A nice glass or two of red
The smell of the garden after the rain
A purring cat by your side = Bliss !

InsanityRocks · 24/06/2020 18:27

I can't do this one now I'm vegan but one of the best things in life was biting the end off each twix and using it as a straw with a hot drink. the resulting gooiness is fabulous. You can do with other chocolate bars - KitKat, bounty, snickers (sort of) but twix is best.
Shinyletsbebadguys I love fizz too, it gives me a huge tingle of joy.

dementedma · 24/06/2020 18:35

Lovely poem. Ds (18) and I spent a happy hour the other day watching the frogs in our little pond. At one point he singled out one slightly smaller frog and said" That one's a female"
"How can you tell?" I asked
" Smaller, narrower head, slim body...and great tits"
I laughed so much I nearly fell in the pond.

Lemonyfuckit · 24/06/2020 18:43

My 'silly' ones are DP and I have a habit of making up ridiculous little songs / singing certain phrases, have lots of stupid little made up phrases. Also like watching the wood pigeons that often visit the patch of grass opposite our balcony - there are three regular ones so we have given them names. And also you have to shout out 'cow!' 'Horse!' 'Sheep!' Etc when pass them in a field. And always point out good dogs (all dogs are good dogs). I'm not sure we're adults at all....

My simple pleasures are Friday night, get home from work (when that was a thing) clean sheets clean pjs, sofa, couple of drinks and a take away. Those still apply, plus sitting on my balcony once I shut down my laptop for the day with a drink (and MN or book) and pretending I'm somewhere exotic on holiday having a pre dinner aperitif.

PunishmentSnart · 24/06/2020 18:43

I’m crying my eyes out at this thread for some reason. I love it.

I second taking your bra off, especially after a hot day I’m straight upstairs to whip
It off!

The feeling of babies/kids when they’re tired and a bit clammy coming to give you cuddles when they’re sleepy Smile always makes me nod off!

Handholding is underrated I think, I love a handhold and feel so safe and content holding hands whether it be DCs, DHs or even friends.

New pens or felt tips Grin

Belledan1 · 24/06/2020 18:45

Suffering menopausal night sweats. End up om sofa downstairs half the time . My pleasure is DH going to work at 6. I do 15 mins keep fit. have a shower then have bed to myself with window wide open. Tend to drop off until my alarm goes off at 08.45. I am wfh at mo. I love that time even if I don't sleep as rest of house in bed so no one bothering me.

Needhelp101 · 24/06/2020 18:50

Love that poem!

Everything already said before but I particularly like my guinea pigs funny little 'brrr' noise when they get fresh spinach. It's so cute and quite distinctively happy.