Remembering The Little Things

I like to remember the little things in life. Those tiny pockets of happiness that just brighten my day that little bit more. Being a huge pessimist (and quite morbid honestly), I tend to focus on the doom and gloom in life, so finding small things to smile about is part of my self-care. I never used to pay attention to how happy these things made me feel. Now I try to remind myself that it really is the small things that count, and use every one as an excuse to smile and feel a bit better about everything.

I've been working on this list for well over a year. It's taken that long because I don't want to just put any old thing onto the list. It's for things that really cheer me up in the simplest of ways. Maybe someday there will be a part two, but I wouldn't hold your breath for that. Small pleasures are hard to identify because they're things we usually just take for granted.

• Waking myself up by laughing in my sleep
• The first drop on a rollercoaster
• Lying in bed at night, listening to the rain
• The first sips of a cold, fizzy drink
• Getting into pyjamas at the end of a long day
• Walking in the middle of the night when no one's around
• Cold cider on a hot day
• The feeling of 'slipping away' just before falling asleep
• Sweet tea
• Forgetting the world while reading a book
• The smell after rain
• Long walks
• When someone in a film says the title
• Perfect golden toast with butter melted into it
• Afternoon naps
• Crunching ice cubes
• Laughing fits that go on for ages
• Comfortable silences
• When people compliment my baking
• The feeling after finishing a really good book
• Buying stationery
• Spontaneous trips and adventures
• The smell of the air by the sea
• Looking at old photos
• Drinking ice-cold water after exercising
• Pens that write really nicely
• Singing really loudly when no one's home
• The smell of books
• Remembering a song I haven't heard in years and listening to it again
• Having a hot drink after coming in from the cold
• Learning a new word
• Campfires
• Autumn
• When old people say good morning to me
• Train/plane journeys
• Picking up/cuddling/petting animals
• The sound of the sea
• Candlelight
• The smell of strawberries
• Soda floats
• Walking in the middle of nowhere
• Communal laughter in public places
• Inside jokes
• Spotting wild animals
• Smiles from strangers
• Free food
• Long drives
• Birdsong
• Making people laugh
• A bright blue sky with no clouds (or a few fluffy, white clouds)
• Walking barefoot in the grass
• Finishing a to do list
• Wild flowers
• Running through untouched snow
• Having a really nice, big stretch when I wake up
• Boozy picnics
• The smell of freshly-cut grass
• Family barbecues on hot days
• The anticipation of seeing a loved one
• When my food arrives at a restaurant
• Going out for lunch/dinner
• Fruity cocktails
• Rainbows
• Having my hair styled by someone else
• When a package arrives in the post
• Being pleasantly tipsy
• Duvet days
• Random acts of kindness
• The satisfied tiredness after completing something
• When a vending machine drops two items at once

Tell me what your 'little things' are! What makes you happy or gives you a little pep in an otherwise bad day? Maybe you also enjoy some of the things on my list - what are they? I would love to hear from you - hey, maybe I'll get more ideas for my list! Please comment below and tell me all of your favourite little things.