A few years ago, I wrote a post on my OG blog, The Shadow And The Shimmer, titled, 100 of My Favorite Things (favourite/favorite...I'm so tempted to go back and add a 'u' to that original post. I do a lot of freelancing in American English, so my brain is in constant battle...).
Back in 2017, it seemed like there was no shortage of 'favourite things' to think of/list/manifest etc;. I was pretty much constantly writing/journaling/dreaming about flowers and puppies and dream pop.
Sadly, the past 14-15 months have been a bit *different*, and I've pretty much exclusively focused on the following things:
*My kids (I guess this is a good thing, haha)
*Sorting through the in's and out's of a separation, and all the fun stuff that comes with that (planning international move back/lots of legal counsel/therapy/sorting through what I want to bring home vs. what can be given away...etc;)
*The pandemic.
*Writing (also a good focus)
The truth is, the dreamer inside of me is feeling severely neglected. It's really difficult to tap into the excited/dreamlike/consciously-creating-the-life-I-want-to-live side of life when everything just feels like a big bag of dicks. I know. It's been a rough one.
And I am definitely not into the whole 'fake it 'til you make it' attitude when it comes to feelings.
Ignoring or masking/covering up our shitty feelings only makes them worse.
No more toxic positivity, please.
Having said that, there is a part of me that is like...I AM ready to be slightly less miserable, I swear! I really am. Life is still really weird and tough, but I think a lot of the biggest hurdles are behind me, now. (I hope, seriously, no more!).
Even if I can only manage to be dreamy and excited about what comes next SOME OF THE TIME, it still feels really good to know that I am slowly getting there.
And I can still like things.
So here are 100 things that I like.
When toddlers do/say really cute things (Jake always asks planes 'comment ça va??' and it's just so wholesome and heartwarming).
Lipstick/lip gloss...
Calendars/planners and diaries. Anything papery that I can write plans on
Birds singing super early in the morning when it's almost spring, and it's still dark out, but you know they know the good weather is coming
Opening the mailbox and seeing a letter/package from my mom
Spa days (miss this so bad)
Picking up kids from daycare and getting the biggest hugs and kisses from my mini's
Discovering new bands/artists that you just LOVE
Cleaning
Reading
Finding change (this NEVER happens to me in Switzerland, but I found so many dimes in Canada, and I can't wait to get back to it).
The first coffee of the morning
Getting really into a TV series
Eating watermelon outside in the summer (extra points if you're doing so in a baby pool)
The smell of amazing perfume/cologne
First kisses (excited to get back to this too haha)
Brown eyes (I'm so done with blue eyes, #next)
When you randomly connect with a funny/nice stranger in Switzerland (sadly, this doesn't happen very often and it IS worth celebrating). And by stranger I mean...lady working in the grocery store or kiosk
Funny meme exchanges with besties
Imagining my/our future backyard and how we are gonna LIVE THERE and just roll in the grass and BBQ and do #allthethings
Noah Gundersen
Listening to Dreampop/Shoegaze and thinking about imaginary lovers and how great they would treat me
Walking away from situations/people that don't serve you anymore
Snacks
Sushi
Massages (mmmm come to me. I need to book one ASAP)
Baking
Getting deep into the rabbit hole of decoding #birthcharts when you meet a new friend/person and want to know what you're dealing with (#backgroundcheck)
Thunderstorms
Growing massive basil plants in the summertime from seeds
Buying flowers for myself whenever I need a 'pick me up'
Sorting recycling (this is so 'Swiss' of me, but I really like sorting and clearing out recycling, every time I get rid of a bag of empty bottles I feel SO accomplished/at peace LOL)
Having those moments in therapy when you're like 'OHHHH I get it now!' Amazing
When the weather is nice, and the kids are in daycare, and you're alone, and you can just sit out on a lawn chair and listen to music and tan and drift off into relaxation (me, relaxing?)
Looking at the moon
Seeing other planets without a telescope (seeing the Saturn/Jupiter conjunction last December was like...the highlight of my life. I cried.)
Telescopes. Going to buy one when we move.
Nice neighbours
Harry Styles
Taylor Swift
Turquoise anything
Writing poems about boys
Writing poems about pain
Writing poems about boys and pain
Puppies
Hawaiian pizza (yes, pineapples belong on pizza)
How cuuuuute toddlers look when they're all snuggled up and sleeping. Toddler jammies?! Just all of it.
Tarot cards/runes
Crystals
Huge trees
Being able to see lots of trees when you look out the window (this is oddly specific, but I find it really soothing to have some nature to look at from at least one window in your home. My bedroom looks out onto a brothel, a barbershop, and an illegal poker room, but at least my back patio is filled with green! Balance.)
Chocolate
Not giving a F what size you are anymore (this has been life-changing) and just focusing on loving your body at all stages of it's evolution
Picnics by the lake
Seeing how happy the boys are when it's their birthdays (coming up SOON!)
The feeling of accomplishment when you publish a book! (coming up SOON again too! I'm gonna die. I'm gonna cry.)
Connecting with people who just get you
Watching cheesy rom-com's and finding them so ridiculous but also secretly hoping you get to live out the plot one day
Unexpected romantic gestures (omg, I want this so bad in my life again haha...but for now I'm manning this department)
Random chats with people waiting in line at like...Tim Horton's/Pharmaprix/Jean Coutu in Canada. I MISS THIS SO BAD. I'm gonna be 'that girl' when I get home. Just chatting with every single person cause they are nice.
When you fall in public and it's super embarrassing (ok this isn't the good part), but then afterwards when it's over and you can relive the scene in your mind and it's actually REALLY funny. A bunch of years ago, I was walking way too fast down Decarie to get to Vendome metro to go to work (during winter). I was listening to 'Battle Born' by the Killers and feeling very empowered/untouchable until I slipped on black ice and ended up pretty much doing a backwards somersault and landing on my tailbone. I managed to make it to the metro, and rode all the way to Cote Vertu before I realized I was really badly hurt. So yeah, OK this isn't the best example because I DID break my coccyx and had to have a lot of physiotherapy, and my mom had to walk my dog and do my groceries for 4 days cause I couldn't move from one position in my bed. But every time I hear that song I can't help but laugh because of how dramatic the music is...when they knock you down...you're gonna get back on your feet....
When I see any of my favorite number sequences (for some reason, I really like seeing my favorite numbers spray-painted on buildings, I always feel like they're just there for me). 555 or 444 or 13 on the side of a building just does something to me
Cute dresses
My boys <3
65. Hiking
66. Visiting waterfalls/lakes/any other bodies of natural water
67. All the amazing women I have in my life
68. My family
69. Ordering things online
70. Taking long bubble baths and reading/zoning out
71. Tiny Desk Concerts (my faves are The National/Bleachers and Jason Isbell)
72. Country music
73. Flowers
74. Symbolism/synchronicities and cool patterns
75. Milo
76. Chats with good friends
77. The feeling I get when I land in Montreal and feel like I'm HOME
78. Browsing through book bins/bookstores to find something new to read
79. Getting paid to do what I love doing (writing)
80. Saving money
81. Sobriety
82. New adventures
83. Trusting my life's path and knowing that I can co-create, but a lot of things are out of my control
84. The month of April (both of my sons' birthdays + Easter)
85. Any special event hosted at my mom's house (so many laughs)
86. Going through 'stuff' at my mom's house and finding random things I forgot I had that she kept for
me
87. Forest walks
88. Laughing
89. Cool earrings/necklaces
90. Getting presents
91. Giving presents
92. Researching things and learning new things (it never ends, it never gets boring)
93. Dream analysis
94. Romantic songs
95. Going on dates
96. Lying in the grass and talking to someone
97. Tea
98. Overcoming fears/limiting beliefs
99. Having a good crying session
100. Sunshine <3
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