What Makes You Happiest?

{really really loving this song right now..on repeat daily..}

I'd like to think of myself as a pretty happy person. "I just like to smile...smilings my favorite!" who's with me? I'm generally a friendly person when you meet me...at least I hope so?! Can anyone step up and second this for me? Anyone...? ;)

However, on Mother's Day? One of the most difficult days of the year for me and the many others who have experienced the loss of a Mother. Everyday, I wonder if I'm making my Mom proud and if I will ever live up to the woman that she was. This year, I decided to turn my frown UPSIDE DOWN (yep-went there) and planned ahead to focus on the things that make me the happiest.

You know...the stomach kickers. The things where I just stop, right in the middle of the moment, let out a big sigh and say, "this is the life!" The things that light a big ole fire in my heart.

I rounded up a list of those stomach kickers that make me happiest. They might seem small and not worthy of such a title, but to me, they are! I truly believe that by focusing on the small things in life, they can and will help your attitude and make you appreciate everyday you are given. I can definitely thank my Mom for that, she was the queen of gratitude and was appreciative for everyday! So, here we go...

+Country music while cooking dinner  
and in the car...and at concerts...and with friends while cooking out in the backyard
+Trying new things 
going to a new city, new restaurant, checking something off my bucket list
+Cooking out in our backyard / sitting by a fire with friends
what is it about that smell?! ahh...
+Traveling 
and having a special couple that you love traveling with (cc: Steph and Beau)
+Swinging in our hammock
+That feeling after a long run / hard workout 
+Seeing my friends and Billy happy 
+SUNSHINE / the beach / Corona's 
because they all go hand in hand..

 

+Rocky in the window waiting for me to get home everyday (and his unconditional love)
+A clean house
ah! feels so good, right?
+Finishing house projects with Billy + that feeling of accomplishment!
+Comments on my blog and social media
2.5 years later I STILL read every comment you guys leave on my blog. I love them oh so much. Thank you, thank you!
+A beer in a frosty glass
+THE POOL on a hot day

 

+Finding random love notes around our house from Billy :)
+Reading my Mom's journals
+Making plans and being so excited that you have a countdown!
+Ohio in the summer / fall
+Talenti, Sea Salt Caramel Gelato
+Celebrations with family and friends
+Boating with Billy's family in the summer

How can one NOT feel blessed after all those wonderful things?! AND now....bum bum bum...as I mentioned on Friday, I asked you all on Twitter last week to tell me what makes you the most happy. Seeing all the results come in made me smile just by reading them! I want to share some of them (if you aren't listed-please don't hate me, it's just because I couldn't keep up and some were repeats of others!:)) not just so you can read them but because you will now have some AWESOME ladies and their blogs to follow!

Ashley said waking up on Saturday morning and going for a run with my husband and fur babies. Chelsea mentioned when her plane touches down in Jamaica and surprises (AGREE! I love a good surprise...) Tess and I must have been on the same page because she said experiencing new things as well. Touche! Alexa said dinner with friends, her pup, vacation, sleeping in! Callie told me monogrammed things, drinking on the patio on sunny days, sweet tea vodka, her fiance, and baseball. Samantha sounds like she was reading my mind when she said country concerts, pedicures, Nashville (YES!), quiet nights at home with her boyfriend, and puppies. Erin confessed crawling into a freshly made bed after a really long day. Kay told me hour long phone calls with her sister, fresh flowers, all the little things. The lovely Ashley said a hot bath with a glass of wine in hand and no technology. LOVE THAT ANSWER. :) Lastly, Tori said finding a surprise love note in her wallet from her husband. So sweet and awesome!


And just like that, you have some fabulous new blogs to go explore and fall in love with. Happy day.

In other news-this weekend we took my parents to dinner at Cooper's Hawk Winery and Restaurant. This is our second time here since they opened late last year, but my parents haven't been yet. We did a wine tasting that I'm pretty sure is normally supposed to take just an hour, but ours was about two hours long. We chatted and chatted with the workers and had a BLAST! They even gave us a couple extra wine tastings that weren't included in our package.. who can complain about that?! We had great service for dinner as well and all of us loved our food... definitely one of our favorites now here in Columbus!

PS: I can tell you one thing that doesn't make me happy. Unloading the dishwasher...I avoid that like the plague.

PPS: Thank you to those who took time out of your own Mother's Day to send kind words, emails, etc. my way. I can't tell you how blessed and happy I felt when reading them. I'm so thankful for this amazing blogging community!

*If you haven't watched the video on my Beachy Waves Hairstyle post, go watch & enter for your chance to win!