These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

Day 11 - 15 of my favorite things

Raindrops on Roses and Whiskers on Kittens...

Whenever I hear the term favorite things I think of the song from the Sound of Music.  This blog could also be titled Things That Make Me Happy.  That's the beauty of favorite things, they have a tendency to make you happy. It's usually the little things that become your favorite and make you the happiest.  Here are fifteen of my little things.

1. Dutch Bros. - My favorite coffee.  It's so amazing.  They make their mocha's with chocolate milk.  Their lids say wonderful things, like "Smile" and "You Taste Good", on them and the employees are always laughing and listening to loud music.

2. Merlot - I love my wine but I love my Merlot the most.  I used to make fun of my dad for drinking wine "you could chew" and now it's my favorite.  A good Merlot has the ability to make even the most perfect day a little bit better.

3. The sound of the ocean - Waves, wind, seagulls.  There is nothing better than the sound of the ocean. Someday I'll live where I can hear the ocean all of the time.  For now I'll just keep using my sound machine to help me fall asleep at night.  A recording is better than nothing.

4. Taking off my bra and shoes at the end of the day - Yeah I said it.  The removal of the heels and the bra at the end of my workday is probably the best part of the whole day.  It's a huge sigh of relief.  It's giving yourself permission to relax.  Plus it's just more comfortable.

5. Sunshine - I've lived in the Pacific Northwest for my entire life.  I'll take whatever sunshine I can get.  It doesn't have to be hot, the sun just has to be out.  Sitting on the porch in the sun.  The sunlight peeking through the curtains in the morning. Having to wear sunglasses.  They are all happy because of the sun.

6. Reading in bed on Sunday mornings - I love lazy Sunday's and I love laying in bed with a cup of coffee and a good book for as long as possible on Sunday mornings.  There is just something happy about knowing that you are enjoying wasting time and you have nothing more you would rather be doing.

7. Mexican Food - There's another upcoming post devoted to favorite foods so I won't go into too much detail but Mexican food is definitely my favorite kind of food.  If I am forced to choose what to eat I'm probably going to pick something Mexican.  True authentic Mexican, the kinds that doesn't have all the cheddar cheese and sour cream, is my favorite.

8. Gerber Daisies - They're my favorite flowers.  I would rather have Gerber Daisies than roses any day.

9. Birthdays - Birthdays are special and birthdays are important, and not just my birthday, anyone's.  I think that birthdays should be as important to everyone as they are to me. They are by far my favorite holiday to celebrate.

10. Road Trips - A good road trip beats any other type of vacation.  I love stopping at historical markers, viewpoints and random small convenience stores for Snickers and Snapple.  I love it when you find yourself someplace that you hadn't intended to end up but the wheels took you there.  I love listening to music and laughing and long important conversations that feel safe in the car where you can't get away.  I REALLY love road trips.

11. Good country love songs - Seriously, those country boys know how to romance a girl.  They aren't afraid to say exactly how they feel in their music and it's amazing.  I was listening to the country station the other day and I kept saying "Oh, I love this song".  PJ chimed in with "You love too many songs".  I don't think that's possible.

12. Yellow and Pink - My favorite colors.  Yellow has been my favorite color since I was old enough to say what my favorite color was.  It's bright and happy and the color of sunshine.  I used to hate pink.  I didn't want to have anything to do with it.  Then suddenly one day I just loved it and now I can't get enough pink.  It just makes me happy.

13. Cuddling - I don't really think I realized until recently how much a good cuddle means.  I don't just mean cuddling in bed, I mean any cuddle.  In front of the TV on the sofa or sitting next to each other touching in a booth at a restaurant. There is just something about touch that is so important and vital to emotional well being.  A good cuddle has the ability to slow you down, make you feel loved and important.  Can't get much better than that.

14. Jeopardy - It's not just Jeopardy it's trivia in general.  I know a lot of random stuff. My favorite games to play are games that make all of the random information I have crammed in my head seem not so useless.

15. Looking at the stars and moon - I've always been fascinated with the moon and stars.  I love going someplace really dark and looking at all the stars.  I pay attention to the phases of the moon.  If you can see the stars and the moon that means there aren't any clouds, which in turn means it isn't raining.  I hate the rain so that's a big deal.  Also, for whatever reason, the idea that you can be looking at the same moon as someone else, thousands of miles away, at the same time, is happy.