This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Illinois State chapter.
Laying Down The Law: My Happy List
“When life gives you lemons, be grateful and say “Thanks, Life. That was really sweet of you.'”
Hey friends, it’s been quite a few moons since we’ve last chatted. It’s been a busy start of the semester for me and I’ve found myself getting pretty stressed out.
And sometimes, I’ve found that like most people, I just need a little pick me up. Whether you’ve had a stressful day, a fight with a friend, your crush witnessed you fall UP the stairs in Schroder Hall and didn’t even ask if you were okay (no? just me?) or maybe you’re just feeling down in the dumps, we could all use some cheering up at times. Sometimes, when eating an entire jar of queso cheese dip while rewatching Baby Mama for the 18th time isn’t enough, I take a second and try to brainstorm things that make me happy. Not just counting the blessings in my life, but random, everyday things that make me genuinely happy. Things that I stumble across and can’t help but stop and smile. Things that make me pause and say, “dang, life is pretty great.” But before this blog post turns into a Pinterest quote, here is my list of my favorite things that bring a smile to my face. Enjoy:
- Stickers. And having a place to stick them on
I wish I could scientifically prove why the brain (or maybe it’s just my brain) finds stickers so fun and fulfilling. But I’m not a scientist, so I guess I’ll just have to accept the fact that no matter how old I am, I will still always take a Spiderman sticker when I leave my pediatrician’s office. No matter what you say, MOM!
- A bowl of your favorite childhood cereal
Nothing brings you back to memories of the mornings filled with Velcro shoes and waiting for the bus like a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch or Cocoa Pebbles. It just makes me wanna throw on a pair of jammies and watch an episode of Rocket Power. Although It should also be noted that there are no words to describe my loathing for the person who made the executive decision to stop selling Oreo O’s or French Toast Crunch (that jerk). They were obviously the front runners in “Best Childhood Cereals.”
- Cute Old People, Specifically Cute Old Couples
YES. THIS. THIS makes life worth living. It would be physically impossible for me to count the number of times I have found myself watching YouTube videos of adorable old people at 3 a.m., while silently bawling as to not wake my roommates up. Let me just say, it has definitely been more than once. Actually, probably more than 15 times. I’M NOT PROUD OF IT, OKAY?! Here are some examples of my favorites, but I’m warning you, you better have some Kleenex handy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcN08Tg3PWw
http://www.faithit.com/watch-and-your-heart-will-grow-three-sizes-and-possibly-burst
http://vimeo.com/70426141
- Free Samples
Anything with the word ‘free’ in it should be enough to put a smile on your face. And hey, I’m a broke college student. There is no explanation I can say that will trump that.
- Candles that smell like laundry
I have said it once and I will say it again, I would die happy in the laundry detergent aisle of the grocery store. If you picture those Fabreeze commercials where all the party guests are laying on the floor sniffing the carpet, that’s what I look like pressed up against the Tide detergent in the middle of my local Jewel-Osco. And the fact that I can get that scent packed into a calming, soothing candle? DAMN. Life is good.
- Fuzzy Socks
If I ever find a man that makes me as happy as I am when I’m wearing a new pair of fuzzy socks, I will consider myself a lucky woman. They keep your feet miraculously warm, come in all sorts of fun patterns and colors, and I’ve actually heard that wearing fuzzy socks on a daily basis can help you lose weight.****NOTE: this is 100% false and in no way backed up by any real medical knowledge.
- Putting on sweatpants after being in tight clothing.
Whether you’re coming back from work, had to dress up for a presentation or are back from a night on the town, few things feel as good as climbing into the sweet, sweet comfort of a pair of stretchy pants. With that smooth, elastic waistband that moves to fit you rather than squeezing you into it, like jeans or skirts. There are no buttons to be hassled with, no zippers to be seen, just the relief and luxury of purely flexible material. Heavenly.
So that’s my current list of things I can think of. Of course, everyone’s list will vary, but hopefully mine was able to put a little smile on your face. Want to submit a list of your own Top Things That Make YOU Happy to be featured on our HerCampus ISU site? Email me at HCIllinoisState@gmail.com with an intro and your list and we’ll look at publishing it!
Stay crazy my loyal followers,
Lawler Baller
P.S. If that picture of Channing Tatum and I is not the creepiest thing you’ve ever seen then you must have seen some pretty creepy things in your life, my friend.