Saturday Happiness

I've been thinking. Thinking about things that make me happy. Thinking about things that help me relax. Thinking about things that fill me up (foods and non-foods included). So, I've compiled a list. Kind of. The list is scattered in my mind at the moment. Some things may come up as I write. Thoughts scattered. List in no particular order. Sentence fragments allowed...just this once.

1. Newest addiction.

Cinnamon Life has been my go-to cereal for some time now, but when I saw the big box of Life Maple & Brown Sugar on sale at Wal-Mart I had to give it a try. Boy-oh-boy, pancakes in cereal form. Sound good? Well, it is. I'm constantly grabbing at handful and just eating it dry. I can't get enough of this stuff; therefore, it makes me oh-so-very happy.

2. The smell of rain on a warm day. I could just lay on the asphalt and sniff it for hours after a spring shower. I haven't personally done this yet, but if I could find a road where I know no one would see me or run over me, I would be all over this.

3. Snuggling on the couch with hubs and Walter after an exhausting day at work...or just anytime.

I love these guys.

4. Going to the new laundromat.

The laundromat I've been going to moved to a new location, and it was such a pleasurable experience...well, as pleasurable as a laundromat can be. It's super close to the apartment. It smells fresh and new. The machines are bigger and better, which means it takes fewer quarters to clean and dry. I felt safe the entire time. They have complimentary coffee and T.V.s.
You have no idea how happy my trip to the laundromat made me today. It's the small things, y'all.

5. Finding great deals.

I went to Goodwill yesterday and bought a few outfits and a large bulletin board that's in great shape all for the price of one pair of jeans or a meal for two at Olive Garden or a movie date including popcorn. It's good deal, folks. I'm planning on re-vamping the board, so check back later for the before and after. (Give me a few weeks. I tend to procrastinate.)

6. The fact that we just found a place in Greenville for when we move back in July!

We are enjoying our time in Maine, but we're anxiously counting down the days until we get back down south. We miss our family, friends, Chick-Fil-A, sweet tea, and the southern way of life. I never thought much of this laid-back, slow-paced, friendly, southern drawl way of life until I moved away. Then I realized it's the only life for me. Patrick and I love Greenville, and we're extremely excited to settle down there for a while.

View from a hike near Greenville.

7. Skyping with my sister.

She's my greatest friend, and talking to her makes me feel at home.

8. And what fills me up the most tonight is thinking about my awesome mom. I wish I could zap myself home to spend Mother's Day with her and the rest of my family tomorrow, but it doesn't look like that's going to be a possibility this year. She's such a kind-hearted, incredibly funny woman. Y'all should meet her sometime. :)

I love you Mom!

Okay, I guess that should do it for now. But come to think of it, compiling a list of what makes me happy makes me happy, so consider the closing number nine.


Until next time.


Diana

 

Weekend Ramblings

I have five things, plus one, to share with you today. Enjoy.

Number One:
I'm making an oath today. I'm not getting on Facebook until it's actually warm here. All I've been seeing are posts exclaiming how beautiful of a day it is and how spring has finally arrived. Well, I'm still bundled up in the 20 degree weather in Maine. We've had a mild day or two recently, but I need consistent warmth. Though the whole oath thing might have been an exaggeration, I'm still envious of the fun, warm activities my Southern friends are enjoying today. Think of me as you're frolicking in the sun this weekend.

Number Two:
My mom sent me an enormous amount of coupons, so I spent my Saturday morning clipping coupons and grocery shopping. Ever since I learned that Shaw's, the local supermarket, doubles coupons up to .99 cents I've been saving anywhere from 40-60% on groceries. Today, I saved 45%. I get really excited when the cashier hands me the receipt, and I see that the price is almost half of what it originally was. It's kind of like reading a Facebook status about how warm and sunny it is and I can actually agree.

Number Three:
The only reason I'm blogging right now is one: I'm waiting on my nails to dry; therefore, I'm physically unable to do anything for at least the next half hour; and two: my husband and cat are both conked out, so I have nothing else to do.

Number Four:
Speaking of my husband, I have the best there is. As I was grocery shopping this morning, he swept and mopped the floors (even under the rugs!), did the dishes, and straightened up the apartment without me even having to ask. I'm glad I snagged this guy before some other gal got a chance to!

Number Five:
This evening will consist of pizza and basketball. All three of us filled out a bracket this year. "Did she say three?" Yes, that is not a typo. Walter filled one out too. We flipped a coin for him, but he had a vital role in the whole process. It just so happens that he picked NC State to win, so he wasn't a threat for long. Patrick and I, on the other hand, are neck-to-neck. He chose Louisville, and I picked Michigan. So, it's come down to the final games for the winner to prevail!
Actually, this is reason #3 I'm blogging today. I wanted to document to the world that I chose Michigan before they actually win it all so I can bask in my victory...or tuck my tail when they don't even make it to the championship.

Plus One:
We go to Boston in less than two weeks, and Grandad is flying up two weeks after that. Fun times are a-comin'!

Tuesday Shmuesday

I've just written two paragraphs two times and I keep erasing them. I guess that's a sign that I don't have anything good to say (besides that fact that it's 50 degrees in Maine today!). So, instead of my ranting on about recipes, life, or bargains I'll just share a couple photos. 

Though Walter may look angry, this is his happy face #livingthedream

You know, I recently heard about a study that proved looking at cute pictures/videos of animals makes people more happy and productive during the work day. I feel like this will benefit you more than my ramblings. 

You're welcome.

An Extraordinary Maine Morning

After a long, hard week of grocery shopping, cooking, a little cleaning, occupying Planet Fitness, exhausting the web with my jobs searches, watching The Chew, and cuddling with Walter (our cat) it's nice to have a nice, relaxing Saturday morning with the hubs. Yeah, I understand that this is a very slow season of my life, but I might as well enjoy it while I can, right? 

Anyways...I like traditions. Now that I have a small family of my own, Patrick and I have tried to start a few traditions that will hopefully carry on when we have a larger family one day. One of those traditions, which is a very common one, is weekend pancakes. I've made them from scratch just about every weekend since we've been married (give or take a few that we've been out of town). It seems like I've tried a different recipe every time, but this morning was exceptionally good. I usually make whole wheat or oatmeal pancakes, but I went with the grand supreme this morning...chocolate chip buttermilk pancakes. Light, fluffy, chocolaty...perfection. Plus the fact that hubs does the dishes, makes them taste that much better. 

This post isn't about pancakes, I promise. But it does add to the simplicity of our Maine mornings. This morning is extra special. We're packing up for a short ski getaway at Sugar Loaf. We're staying at a quaint B&B tonight and skiing all day tomorrow. Pictures to come. 

As we leisurely gather our things, I get to enjoy Walter running sluggishly prancing around the apartment, and Pat sweetly serenading me in the other room. 

This was a time I tried a sweater on Walter. He went limp, so after about 5 minutes of laughs I decided to take it off. I need to find an outfit he can actually run around in. Let me know if you have any suggestions.

I think Walter knows that we'll be out of town for a day. He's been acting very strange this morning. Moping around and meowing a lot (he rarely ever meows). Who knows? It may just be me subconsciously thinking he's going to miss us because we're going to miss him, even though it's just for a day. Weird, I know. We're "those" people. I'm not too good to admit it. 

So to save a few bucks at the slope we decided to pack a few snacks/lunch. Slope food is pricey. I thought I would pack some good fatty protein and potassium (hence the graham crackers filled with PB and bananas) and hubs threw up a big box of oatmeal creme pies. I didn't object. I threw in a couple sandwiches and water as well (not pictured). 

Even though I love my lazy Saturdays with Patrick, I'm ready to hit the road for a new adventure!