My favorite things . . .

My favorite things . . .

a partial list of things that make my life joyful . . . in no particular order

1.  Bacon.  In all its forms, it is nothing but pure salty, fatty goodness.  It will most assuredly cure even the most foul mood with the first bite.  (Except for hangover bad moods . . . just trust me.  It doesn't work for them, and it isn't pretty.  Enough said. ) It goes well with veggies (think salads), sandwiches (BLT's - one of my favorite pregnancy cravings), and sweets (If you have never had brown sugared bacon stop right now, google the recipe, and eat yourself happy.)

2.  A clean house.  I'm not talking about just a straightened house.  (Although that is also fabulous, there is a marked difference between clean and straightened).  I am talking about a CLEAN house.  A house with windows open, fresh air pouring through, floors swept and polished, and dust non existent.  A house that exudes the pleasant aroma of fabric softener sheets and the hum of a working dryer.   A house with beds made, clothes put away, and bathroom seats down and sans pee droppings from the male household members. Aaaah.  Bliss.

3.  75 degree, blue sky, no humidity days.  Just perfection.  Days where you can wear shorts, but not get a chill.  Days where you can spend the whole day outside without wondering if you need to reapply your deodorant.  Days where you can lay on your back in the grass, look at the white clouds, and imagine with your kids that those white puffballs are more than just condensed water droplets.  That they are princesses, or castles, or even Darth Vader.  Days like these are few and far between in my area of the country, so when they arrive, I herald them as a blessing, drop everything and just appreciate their goodness.

4.  Snuggling with my kiddies before they go to sleep. Whether it is the smell of their freshly shampooed hair nuzzling under my chin, or their goofy nightly prayers (Dear God . . . I am thankful for . . . cake!  Cake???  How about mom???), there is just something about little hands and feet pushing into and under you to get warm, that makes you smile.  It is almost as if that time of the day makes up for the pukes, poops, cries, whines and general craziness of the rest of the day.

5.  Chocolate.  Not the low grade fakey type of chocolate.  The really good, expensive chocolate that you think that you are crazy for spending the money to purchase, but after the first bite, you instantly know that it is and was worth every penny.  Good chocolate should be like a daily vitamin - a necessary part of every person's daily diet.  USDA take note.

6.  Sleep.  During those walking dead days when hubby and I had infants around, I would crave sleep like a person craves a hot fudge sundae.  I would literally catch myself daydreaming about curling up under my afghan and sleeping until I woke up, not until someone else woke me.  These days I am getting more sleep, but I still love a good Sunday afternoon nap.  I always feel like a million bucks afterwards.  It too should be a daily requirement (especially for my little one!).  Maybe the siesta is why Mexico is such a laid back country.  . . something to think about.

7.  Playing games with hubby and the kids.  Not mess with your mind games, but good old fashioned competition inspiring games.  Whether it is scrabble (Hubby is a math teacher and purposely figures out mathematically where to place each of his valuable letters for the most points.  Ultimately frustrating!), or poker (My two oldest have been weaned on hold-em.  Ethan could say "All in!" when he was two.), a little family challenge always leaves us in a good mood. And, when its outside weather friendly, I love a family game of golf or tag in the yard.  Nothing beats the giggles you get when you are playing and being silly.  

8.  Eating outside.  This one probably comes from my Florida upbringing, where we grilled out and ate on the porch year round.  I always feel so relaxed when we fire up the grill, crack open a beer and sit out on our deck watching the kiddies play while we wait for dinner.  It reminds me that life is good. 

to be continued . . .