After reading an article in the daily mail yesterday entitled " How to have a happy life", which lists the top fifty things that make you happy and best of all they are free, it got me thinking as to what simple pleasures make me feel happy.I decided to compile my own lists but before i reveal all here are my favourite ten out of the featured top fifty pleasures.
1. An early night
2. clean sheets
3. letting someone into traffic
4. hot water bottles
5. reading poetry
6. gossiping
7. giving to charity shops
8. running after a bus and catching it
9. Watching my children sleeping
10. walking barefoot in the sand
And now for my very own top ten free and simple pleasures:
1. Listening to my old CD collection - It's amazing how listening to Phil Collins can take me right back to my dad dancing whilst cooking Sunday Breakfast in my old family home and Mariah Carey's music box reminds me of all that teenage angst and blubbering over boys.
2. Finishing a good book - I love the sense of accomplishment you get, but i equally loath waisting all my time on reading a crap book.
3. Tucking up my freshly bathed and dressed for bed girls - I love the smell of their hair and knowing that they are all clean and safely in bed.
4. Having a clutter free and dust free home - i rarely spring clean but love it when i do, i feel light and trouble free.
5. Having a cup of tea in bed - morning or night, it feels so cosy and indulgent.
6. Visiting my nanna or another elderly relative - I wish i could make more of an effort to do this more often.
7. riding a bike - admittedly it's been years but i love the feeling of pure freedom it gives you.
8. A boiling hot bubble bath - pure bliss, but my skin has to be red as a lobsters when i get out to feel the full effects
9. Swimming - I haven't donned a swimsuit with my kids, unless I'm on holiday...EVER! That's all about to change though this year as I've very recently rediscovered my love of taking a dip in the pool and my jelly belly isn't half as bad as i fear.
10. Swinging - Hahaha no you filthy minded lot, not THAT kind of swinging, i mean actually sitting on a swing in the park with the kids and seeing who can go the highest, nothing beats feeling like a kid again!
I'm now going to tag ten other bloggers and ask them to list their very own free simple pleasures that make them happy, lets call it the "Ten best things in my life that are free" meme. Feel free to join in even if i haven't tagged you i don't mean to leave anyone out but there are not enough hours in the day for me to tag all my blog roll. So enjoy guys, i know i did!
MBNAD Woman
and one more means four
metropolitan mum
The Dotterel
Rosie scribble
Brits in Bosnia
The babbling mummy
Baby Baby
Crystal Jigsaw
Not far from the madding crowd
Ooh, I like the look of this. It is sounds very positive. I'll have a go. Thanks for the tag! And a belated Happy New Year.
ReplyDeletebike riding is one of my favs too. i can't wait until the girl is old enough to ride her own and then I can put the boy on the back of mine and go for a ride with them.
ReplyDeleteI agree on most of the best things in life being free. I am working on my positive attitude for 2010
ReplyDeleteRosie - I need to take my own advice, the positive outlook is starting to ware a little thin now i've caught Mr Bolds tonsillitis - think i need a hot water bottle!
ReplyDeleteHeather - I don't even own a bike anymore, but i've got my eye on one in Ikea which i'm hoping to purchase in time for spring.
Madhouse - I love that song ha, yep staying positive is the way to go :)
I saw that article, although I thought some of them were odd choices (e.g. wallowing in self-pity). I like your choices though. My favourite thing is walking the dog.
ReplyDeleteNotsupermum - Yeah i thought that one rather defeated the object really! Don't have a dog but imagine i would enjoy walking my own dog - maybe we'll get one in a few more years :)
ReplyDeleteHey, I love your list! I would have to say I am totally with you on ALL of them - except for the hot bath one. Baths make me faint so I'll give that a miss, but the rest are some of my favourite things in life too. Happy New Year to you my friend! xx
ReplyDeleteagreeing with both lists DEFINITELY!!!
ReplyDeleteadding a few of my own:
sharing a great bottle of wine with a loved on by the ocean..mmmm...so good
the smell of a new book
walking in the forest early in the morning
afternoons or evenings by the fire
just to name a few....
This is a lovely thing to do, and agreeing with many things on your list. I'm giving it a go right now!
ReplyDeleteSimoney = thanks for visiting and your lovely comment x
ReplyDeletecAT - Loving your simple pleasures, especially the smell of a new book, forgot about that one! x
Hearth-mother - Just had a look at your list and it's fab, thanks for taking up the meme x
Ooh, I like the sound of this one, thanks for the tag x
ReplyDeleteSandy - Your very welcome, can't wait to read your list x
ReplyDeleteOh shall have to do this. Thanks for the tag! Like walking on the beach in barefeet too. Happy New Year - may 2010 be a great one for you. x
ReplyDeleteThanks emily you too, not sure i'm off to the best of starts though - sick kids already!!
ReplyDeleteI knew I'd been tagged, but I couldn't remember who by! Anyway, I'll get onto it. I haven't done a meme for ages.
ReplyDeleteCJ xx
p.s. loved your answers btw.
Just wanted to tell you that I've done the Meme and posted it on my blog!
ReplyDeleteFab list, I love the swinging one (in the same way as you!). I rekindled my love of swinging, see-sawing (have you tried it recently? lol)and laying in the field watching the clouds in August/ Sept 2009. Priceless!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mich x