17
As soon as the dark days make way for rays of sunlight and wild bluebonnets, my smile definitely shows up more often. But spring isn’t the only thing that’s made me beam lately. I’ve also found joy in surprise rug wins, antics from our goofy pup, finally conquering procrastination, decorative “money trees” in the house (minus the money, of course), real-life prairie retreats, and spirited debates about lemon vases. Here’s my Happy List—full of cheerful, funny, and just plain satisfying moments from the past month.
- That it’s still light outside at half past five. And bright at eight in the morning too. In other words: spring is loading in Texas, and I’m thriving on it.
That we finally got a dividing door installed downstairs again. You don’t realize how clutch a dividing door is until you’ve had to go without.
Pippa’s clumsy door drama. She’s still figuring out the new door—stands on the slat to look through the glass, triggers it to close, and ends up stuck. Cue the dramatic whines from the other side. I’m holding out hope she’ll learn the trick to unlocking her own freedom.
Scoring a perfect rug for our living area. Even better? A rug company reached out about a collab while we were searching. Said yes, found the rug we didn’t even know we were hunting for. More on that soon.
That moment I thought I had the local trails figured out while running, only to get totally turned around. Got my steps in though. Took a wrong turn on the way back, too. These suburban-style neighborhoods all look the same till you’ve lived in ‘em a while.
Lately, I’ve carved out time during work hours to tackle email. Major win. Half an hour a day and my inbox no longer feels like that thing I cram in between real tasks.
A Texas-sized debate with my buddy Bartina about the phrase: “Our tech will arrive between 8 and 10.” Bart thought that meant she’d be gone by 10. Fast forward to 6 PM—yep, still there.
Thinking I’m the only one feeling something, then talking about it, and realizing—yep, everyone’s been there. Sharing emotions makes things feel lighter. Story of my life.
Finally cleaning up my Google Photos after deleting five pics at a time just to stay under that 95% mark. But my photo habit always catches up. Had to stop bailing water while the tap’s still on, so to speak.
Made date bread from the box of dates Laurie brought me from Oman. Sad news: we’re almost out. Those things went fast.
Having appointments down in Austin’s SoCo district and using it as an excuse to explore the shops. I still think Bishop Arts in Dallas might just be my favorite spot to shop.
Discovering you can make rich, chocolatey vegan cheesecakes with silken tofu—and they don’t even taste like tofu. Curious? I’ve got the recipe for a killer vegan chocolate cheesecake.
Birthday weekends that February and March always bring. Seems like my whole family and friend circle was born between those months. It’s party season for us.
Booked tickets for a theater date night with Bartna to celebrate 4.5 years together. We’re seeing a local Texas production and I’m already counting down.
Then I made the mistake of checking reviews… found one. It had a single star. Oh well, low expectations = pleasant surprises.
Proud owner of a rainbow-shaped doormat now.
Found out you can buy coconut cream separately. No more sticking cans of coconut milk in the fridge just to scoop the top layer. Big win for lazy chefs like me.
Realizing we can bike to the nearest local theater. That’s one perk of living near the city fringe with enough space, but all the conveniences.
Took Celine Charlotte’s course on personal branding. I usually multitask through online classes, but not this one. Couldn’t look away—every minute had something valuable.
Stocked up during the Week Without Meat and Dairy. Thanks to that 2-for-1 deal, our fridge is Costco central.
Saved ten bucks at checkout. Boom—Kindle!
Bartina (a hardcore meat-and-cheese lady) voluntarily joined me for the no-meat, no-dairy week. Didn’t see that coming.The flowers blooming out front. Bart planted bulbs as a quick fix for our gravel-heavy yard. Now we’ve got bursts of color while we wait on a front yard game plan.
Added a fake money tree to the living room. No financial miracles, but it does look good.
Discovered carrot cake oatmeal. Yep—dessert for breakfast, but make it healthy.
Found old blazers during the move that I forgot I liked. Shopping your own closet = free and sustainable.
Accidentally tested my mascara’s waterproof claim during a rain-soaked bike ride. Mirror said: raccoon. Verdict: 1/10.
Listened to the audiobook Something About Setting Boundaries. It’s practical, relatable, and full of real examples. Inspired me to write my own post on the subject.
I’m slowly getting better at boundary setting—still clumsy, still learning, but progressing. Also working on not caring so much about what other folks think.
Neighbor’s comment after seeing Bart bike to the bus stop once: “Wow, Bart bikes to work every day?” Me: “Uh, yeah… once.”
I happened to be in running gear when that convo happened, so now we probably look like a fitness couple. Spoiler: my running shoes live in the closet six days a week.
Started Flikken Maastricht from season one. Now we’ve got 17 seasons of binge-worthy material lined up.
Thanks to Bart’s negotiation skills, we shaved $175 off some miscalculated construction charges. I’d have let it go, but he fought for it. Respect.
A literal retreat on the prairie near Fort Worth with my client’s writing team. They even had vegan poppy seed cake waiting when we got there.
After a hectic week of being out and about, a slow Saturday morning at home—cooking, baking, blogging—hits just right.
Hearing folks say they’ve tried my recipes. Always fun to know someone else is eating your creation.
These days, every TV night starts with me admiring our fake flower arrangement beside the screen. Best home buy yet—okay, second only to the pink kitchen tiles.
Bart’s face when I seriously suggested ordering a lemon vase like that. Let’s just say his enthusiasm didn’t match mine.
Finally got our IKEA wardrobe in. After two months without one, hanging my clothes again—sorted by color, no less—is pure bliss.
And today officially marks two months since we moved into this place. Crazy how it already feels like home.
What made you happy last week ?
