10 Things That Make Me Happy

I think it is very important to take some time each day to appreciate the good things in life and reflect on the little things that make us happy.

That’s why I was super excited when I got tagged in the 10 Things That Make Me Happy tag by the lovely Alana from Burnished Chaos (who is sadly no longer running her blog!).

I am happy because I’m grateful. I choose to be grateful.
That gratitude allows me to be happy.
Will Arnett

So without further ado, here are the ten things that make me happy:

1. My husband

My dad always said: “Don’t marry someone you can live with, marry the one you can’t live without!”, so I did just that! 

At the risk of sounding cheesy: I have a pretty amazing hubby, who is the perfect balance of ‘crazy ideas’ and ‘solid common sense’! I love our life together and the family we have created! We just recently celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary and not a day goes by that I don’t thank my lucky stars for having him to share my life with!

2. Homeschooling our kids

One of the best decisions we’ve ever made was to homeschool our children. The kids can drive me absolutely crazy at times, but the opportunity I have to spend time with them as I teach them at home is priceless, and I am grateful for it every day. Also, the freedom homeschooling provides has allowed for lots of travel and exploration throughout the year, as well as aiding many of our crazy ideas in coming to fruition!

Read my Homeschooling Tips here!

3. The beach

I love long summer days at the beach, with no other plan than to relax, read, swim, sunbathe and build sand castles. It’s the one place where I truly switch off and can just be. Bonus points if that beach is a secluded one, with no phone reception!

4. Blogging

Blogging has been quite a journey for me, with lots of ups and downs, and plenty of learning curves. Through it, I discovered many things about myself, made wonderful friends, and connected with people from all walks of life. One thing is for sure: the longer I blog, the more I love it!

5. Travelling and exploring

Last year we bought a vintage caravan to travel as much as we can around Australia! We’ve now gone as far as crossing the Nullarbor and driving up the east coast all the way to the Daintree National Park in Queensland, and then back down again! I can’t wait to explore more of this beautiful country that we live in!

Read about our trip here!

6. Reading books and listening to audiobooks

I love the atmosphere of snuggling up on the couch, with cushions and a blanket, with a hot cup of tea, reading a new book! Or reading an old favourite again! I currently have my heart set on re-reading my absolute childhood favourite: Anne of Green Gables!

Recently, I also started listening to audiobooks, which gives me the opportunity to ‘read’ many more books by listening to them whenever I can: during long car trips, while cleaning or gardening… and even while grocery shopping!

Read more about my love for audiobooks here!

7. Miracle Morning

Strive to make everyday
the best day of your life,
because there is no good reason not to.
Hal Elrod

Hal Elrod’s ‘Miracle Morning’ is one of the best things that happened to me this year! I have been implementing his strategies for a few weeks now and I have absolutely loved spending that extra time in the morning (before everyone wakes up) on a little bit of self-care. I am much happier and more productive on the days that I take the time to have a Miracle Morning!

Learn more about Miracle Morning here!

8. Summer

I absolutely love hot summer days. They don’t even have to be spent at the beach, as long as the sky is blue and the sun is shining!

9. Wine

Ideally, the homemade kind that my parents make! I can not wait to get my own wine making bottle (I just googled it, apparently it’s called a ‘demijohn’!) and to put all those mulberries we get twice a year to a good use!

10. Movie days

Movie nights are great, but recently the kids and I spent a whole day in our pyjamas, watching movies. I can not believe how relaxing that actually was – we will definitely be scheduling more days like that into our busy lives! Next time, we’ll make sure it’s on a day when hubby is home to enjoy it with us!

I hope reading about these 10 things that make me happy encourage you to your own reflection on the things that you’re grateful for and that bring you joy.

I’d now like to tag the following lovely bloggers to share their happiness with the world!

Tash from Bound for Somewhere
Janine and Lynda from Incited Inc
Bronwyn from Four to Adore
Cristin from Between Roots and Wings
Kell from All Mum Said
Kelly from Kelly’s World
Emily from The Planking Traveler
Kylie from Capturing Life