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    Home » Life

    Things That Make Me Happy

    Published: Jan 29, 2023 · Updated: Jan 29, 2023 by Jennifer · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Things that make me happy range from the simple: a single dahlia to the precious: my son's laughter to the mundane: a hot cup of coffee.

    I'm sharing this list of 100+ things that make me happy in part to encourage you to draft and use your own list of things that make you happy.

    Coneflowers in pink and orange blooming in Maine late August.
    That make me happy include a Maine flower garden, like this crop of Echinacea aka coneflowers.

    The world is on fire right now and mental health for many people is hanging by a string. People have lost civility and basic manners.

    But a little joy can help.

    Enjoying small things you love or sharing them with others can make a difference. 

    I challenge you to make your own list of ways to spark happiness by doing something for yourself or someone else. It needn't take a lot of time. 

    Make a list of 100 things that make you happy.

    They can be simple things but they should be happy things.

    toffee cookies on white plate with cup of iced espresso on the side with a napkin.
    Fresh homemade cookies and espresso are an easy lane to happiness.

    100+ Things That Make Happy

    1. Petting my cats
    2. Taking a walk with the dog
    3. Face timing with my son (who is recently moved out of state on his own at 19)
    4. Emailing my son and getting a reply
    5. Morning walk
    6. New yoga pants
    7. A hot, strong cup of coffee
    8. An iced doppio espresso with a lot of ice and a teensy bit of cream on the side
    9. Clean sheets
    10. Yoga
    11. Meditating (long run happiness)
    12. Haribo gummy bears
    13. Swedish Fish
    14. A new lipstick
    15. Having a recipe turn out

    Simple Things That Make Me Happy

    1. Going to a movie
    2. Taking a hot shower with a shower bomb
    3. Getting a mani/pedi
    4. Texting a friend
    5. Watching a mystery
    6. Reading

    Work as many of these simple, little things you can do for yourself or others into your daily routine.

    Set reminders on your phone.

    1. Cleaning my desk—maybe not so much happiness as satisfaction
    2. Emailing my readers
    3. A good night’s sleep
    4. Rolling out cookie dough or a pie crust
    star shaped cut out cookies on parchment with metal bench scraper
    1. The ocean
    2. Beach combing
    3. Music—preferably jazz or classical but sometimes a good R&B hits the spot.
    4. Driving fast on the highway
    5. Agatha Christie
    6. The All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Darkness
    1. A Sunday morning with a pot of coffee and the Wall Street Journal
    2. Shooting photographs that I’m satisfied with
    3. Margaritas or martinis with good girlfriends
    4. Hearing my sons laugh
    5. A bra that looks good, fits great and is on sale
    6. Ditto dresses
    7. Dansko clogs
    8. Sneakers (partial to Brooks right now)
    9. Red woolen mittens
    10. Holy Donuts
    11. Poke
    12. Kitchen Sink cookies from Panera

    Little Things That Make Me Happy

    chocolate raspberry pie on a dark platter with a slice cut out on a dessert plate with a fork.
    Chocolate and raspberry is a happy-making flavor combination.
    1. Raspberry and Chocolate anything
    2. Old linens
    3. Aprons (new or old)
    4. Line-dried sheets
    5. AirPods
    6. Dior foundation
    7. Bobbi Brown pink lipstick
    8. Cats in hats
    9. Dog shows
    10. A good candle
    11. Grapefruit scents
    12. A half of grapefruit sprinkled with sugar for breakfast
    13. A Lemon Drop Martini
    14. Sushi
    15. Crab Rangoon Pizza
    16. A perfectly seared steak
    17. Fresh lettuce from my favorite farmers
    18. Seedings from my biodynamic gardener
    19. Starfish
    20. Diamonds

    Funny Things That Make Me Happy

    card with a man face on it.
    Funny cards are another thing that make me happy.
    • Will Ferrell in anything
    • Kathleen Madigan standup comedy
    • Tom Papa
    • Iliza Schlesinger
    • Eddie Murphy
    • Chris Rock
    • Steve Martin
    • Martin Short

    Little Things I Love

    1. A freshly plucked Maine Honeycrisp apple
    2. Cash
    3. Bird watching from the living room armchair
    4. Movie theater popcorn
    5. Stand up comedy
    6. Saturday Night Live
    7. A fresh cut and color
    8. Chocolate frosted donuts from Frank’s Bake Shop
    9. Planting dahlia tubers
    10. Amaryllis bulbs during winter
    1. Picking Maine strawberries
    2. Maine blueberry pie
    3. An ice cold Coke
    4. Beer battered tacos from Taco Trio in Portland, ME 
    5. A quiet plane ride 
    6. Bamboo and wool blend long underwear
    7. Snow shoeing 
    8. Cashmere wraps 
    9. Mexican food and margaritas 
    10. Prop shopping
    11. Doing something unexpectedly nice for someone else 
    12. A good podcast (currently listening to Ghost Herd)
    13. Fresh flowers on my work desk
    14. Jasmine tea 
    15. A hot water bottle
    16. Aleve 
    17. The color pink 
    18. Tiny white twinkle lights
    19. Fiestaware 

    Easy Ways To Make Yourself Happy

    1. Black cats 
    2. Creating concoctions like flavored simple syrups and infusions 
    3. Greenhouses 
    4. Vintage kitchenware 
    5. S’mores 
    6. K18 Leave-In Hair Mask
    7. Sephora birthday rewards 
    8. Fluffy socks
    9. Yoga pillows and props (Gaiam is a good brand)
    10. My family

    Have you heard of the free Yale University course The Science of Well-being?

    Cheers to your happiness and mine,

    Jennifer

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    About Jennifer

    Hi, I'm Jennifer Osborn, the food photographer and recipe developer at Kitchen Serf. You'll find easy, delish dessert recipes for the lazy home cook.
    Have you ever found your desserts at a spaghetti supper dumped in a trash bin? I once did and it was mortifying. I help you avoid that situation with successful recipes for amazing cookies, bars, pies and cakes that people won't stop eating.

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    HI, I'M JENNIFER, WELCOME TO KITCHEN SERF

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