The Simple Things

During stressful times like these, I really cling to the simple things in life to cheer me up.  With just 4 days to go 'til concert #1 (pre-concert Stake Patriotic Night was last night with a preview of 3 songs!) and James & Dawson to make it interesting, I really rely on these little joys to keep me going.

"Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens" really don't do it for me.  In fact, I don't even like kittens, so why would I like their whiskers?  Not to mention the shedding and the smell and their arrogant demeanor, and the fact that I'm totally allergic to them!.....But ANYWAY...

No, no.  What really makes everything "all better" is.... (in no particular order)

1.  Häagen-Dazs ice cream.
                
After a long day, there is nothing better to me than sitting on the couch with Jordan and eating ice cream.  It makes my whole day worth it.  My favorite flavor right now is Butter Pecan, although I have gone through several phases, including, but not limited to: Dulce de Leche, Vanilla, Chocolate Peanut Butter, and Mint.  And yes, I eat ice cream almost every night.  Sometimes a whole pint, depending on how hungry I am.  And, no, I don't feel bad about it.  And, yes, I feel great the next day.  And, no, I don't gain any weight.  More on my Intuitive Eating, later to come.

2.  Lemi-Shine.

Nothing makes me giddier than opening my dishwasher and seeing spot-free dishes.  I know, I'm so lame!  But I was so frustrated with the water spots and residue left on my dishes, and I tried EVERYTHING.  Little did I know this life-changing (ha ha!) product was just sitting on a grocery store shelf waiting for me to buy it.  Thanks to Jordan's mom, I now use it in every load.  Now, each time I open up the dishwasher, it's like Christmas Day.  Thank you, thank you, thank you, Mom Peel!  To everyone else, I say: Buy it.  Use it.  Love it. (Another great product: Dishwasher Magic, which I use to clean my actual dishwasher, thanks to my smart and savvy sister-in-law, Sally.  Now try and say that 10 times fast).

3.  When my little munchkin says the sweetest things.  James sure knows how to melt his mommy's heart when he says "I lu yoo Mommy" or when he turns my head towards him and says, "Unt kiss you Mommy."  There's truly nothing better.  Or, no matter where I tell him we're going, he automatically says, "Mommy come."  It's nice to know I'm loved and wanted.

4.  Music.  Whether it's hearing Rihanna's Rockstar on the radio, or sitting down at the piano and singing my heart out to a Colbie Caillat song, or playing Chopin's Waltz in C# Minor, Op. 64, No. 2 - nothing pumps me up, moves me or uplifts me more than music.

5. Dawson's smile.

Need I say more?

6. My favorite comedians.  I love to laugh, especially with Jordan because we have the same sense of humor.  The other night we watched Brian Regan's stand-up routine called The Epitome of Hyperbole.  If you have never seen him perform, YOU HAVE TO!  He is truly hilarious, and not only that but totally CLEAN - which is extremely hard to come by these days with comedians.  Other comedians that leave me crying because I'm laughing so hard are Kevin James, Jack Black, Conan O'Brien, Jerry Seinfeld, and Jim Gaffigan...to name a few.

7. Sunny weather.  This is sure not hard to come by here in Boulder City, NV.  In fact, right now it is a gorgeous, sunny day at a cool 103 degrees.  Really, even one day of cloudy weather makes me blue.  I lived in UT for 5 years while attending BYU - and for 5 long years I was clinically depressed.  Thank goodnes for you, Boulder City, NV.  Your miserably hot summers make this girl a happy camper!

8. Jordan.  Jordan always knows how to cheer me up.  Even though he is always totally stressed out with work, he somehow manages to maintain a cheerful personality and a strong desire to make me happy.  His motto is, "My baby gets what my baby wants."  Wow - I am a lucky girl.  He is happy when he knows he is making me happy.  If I ask him to help me with something his responses include, "Absolutely, honey!" or "Honey, I would love to do that for you!"  No, I am not kidding.  He really says these things with actual sincerity.  Not only this, but he is constantly telling me how beautiful I am - like on a daily - NO - hourly basis.  He somehow thinks I am the most beautiful girl on the planet.  And although I will never believe him, it's comforting to know there is someone who adores me despite all my physical (and otherwise) flaws.  Jordan's always there with open arms (literally, he is a very cuddly guy) and encouraging words when I'm having a bad day.

9. Mater on Cars.  

This is actually a really clever and funny movie.  When James threw-up on our way to Arizona, we not only bought him a new car seat at the nearest Walmart, but we bought him the movie Cars.  It was Jordan's idea, and I was totally against it thinking that James would not be into it and that it looked like a really dumb movie.  Boy was I wrong!  James is obsessed with it.  And since I hear, see, eat, drink and breathe it on a daily basis, I've gotten to know the characters and dialogue very well.  My favorite character being Mater...."as in 'ta-mater,' without the 'ta.'"  His not-so-intelligent, country-bumpkin, (some might call this "white-trash".....do you see how I'm trying to be tactful about it?) personality is extremely endearing.  His quotes are the best, my favorite being "Ta not to."  If you've never entered the world of Cars, I encourage you to take this brave step into "Hickville" contrary to your better judgement and reason.  But beware -- you just might love it.    

10. A tall glass of the good stuff.

The pop of the can, the rich, brown color, the perfect taste on my tongue, the fizz going down my throat, and of course the red logo (my favorite color) - it's ALL good.  My dad introduced it to me when I was just a young girl (gotta love my dad!), and I was hooked ever since, although I didn't actually start buying it until recently - being when I was pregnant with James.  I craved it so badly when I was pregnant, but wouldn't drink it until I was about 6 months along (caffeine is linked to miscarriage - and a myriad of other health issues when not taken in moderation).  After that I allowed myself a Coke a day, because my craving was so strong.  Then, after James was born, my love for Coke did not die.  I still have one every once in awhile, especially when I'm having a sluggish day, or when I go out to dinner.  It is one of my favorite tastes on the planet, and I figure my Grandma Jo had a Coke everyday of her adult life and she is now 100 years old.  It can't be all that bad!

So thanks to the simple things in life that get me through the day....or week.....or month....

What would I do without you?