My List of Little Joys

I want to try a new style of blog post, and would love to hear what you guys think of it!

I’ve been wanting to get back into gratitude journaling after an unintentional break, as well as just journaling in general. I used to write journal entries fairly regularly, but lately its been…every four months or so.

I noticed a funny trend when I’ve been writing in my gratitude journal lately—I’ve wanted to write something down that made me happy, but it made me feel silly to say I was GRATEFUL for it. So I thought I’d combine gratitude journaling with capturing moments that brought me joy.

This post contains affiliate links.

I was partially inspired by Not Just Tired’s Joy in Winter challenge. I love the idea of finding reasons for joy each season of the year. And reading about what brings joy to others makes me happy, too. So, here I am jotting down my little joys in hopes that it brings joy to you, my readers, as well.

I think this is a helpful practice to get a snapshot of what brings me joy. Inspired by Modern Mrs. Darcy, I want to then make a list of “Bits and Chunks of Joy” so I can try to add more moments of joy in my life as time (and energy) allows.

I hope you’ll join me in recording your little joys. I’ve been keeping my little joys in this journal and this imaginative book.

Here are the things that have brought me joy in the last month or so.

My List of Little Joys – February 2019

•  Birthday lunch with friends! Yep, it’s my birthday month. We had a ton of snow here recently, which is unusual for where I live, and I decided kind of last minute to scrap the plans for my actual birthday (which turned out to be a good thing as the roads were an ice rink), and instead got together with some friends ahead of my birthday and the snowpocalypse. I’m so glad I was feeling well enough, as I was dealing with awful autoimmune fevers most of the two weeks prior. It was a birthday miracle!

•  The snow was so beautiful. I love watching snow drift down.

•  I wasn’t sick on my birthday! I’ve had a cold or sinus infection on my actual birthday the last 2-3 years in a row. Ugh. But not this year! Yay! My hope is that next year I’ll even be HEALTHY on my birthday. Birthday miracle #2!

•  I was able to do a second interview for my blog. (Read it here). And another one is coming soon. (Let me know if you want to be interviewed next!)

•  I caught up with a friend via phone.

•  Someone down the road has new kittens! When driving by, I sometimes see them in the window. They are so dang cute, and it honestly makes my day. (I love all animals, but, you guessed it, I am a cat person to my core.)

•  Once I get my free birthday burger from Red Robin, that’s totally going on my list. I didn’t get one last year (see above: sick on birthday). I’m not even joking—this is one of my goals for this month. Free food that I’m not allergic to makes me disproportionally happy.

•  I was able to make Valentines!

•  After doing a very good job of not binge-watching, my Mom and I are allowing ourselves to watch some of the last season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

•  After some books that were duds, the last few I’ve read have been really good.

•  I made it to a friend’s baby shower! The baby clothes she got were the cutest.

•  The day I finished reading a library book, the book I wanted to read next became available at the library!

•  My grandma has some kind of sixth sense to know when figure skating programs are on TV. Figure skating is my FAVORITE sport. (Fun fact: I decided when I was like three that I wanted to go skate in the Olympics. Never happened obviously, but just goes to show you how much I love skating.) I got to watch not one, but two skating programs. Boom!

That’s my list so far this month!

Looking at my list, it’s easy to see that friendship is a very important part of my life. And cats. I need to find a way to have more cats in my life! This is a helpful start for my “Bits and Chunks of Joy” list.

Bonus: here’s a drawing on instagram that beautifully illustrates joy in the little things.

What little joys have you experienced this month? Let me know in the comments, or on my new Facebook page. (Stalking me on Facebook just might be something that makes you more joyful!)