What Makes You Happy?

My best friend, Nicole, and I were talking a few weeks ago, and someone from her small group (I think?) suggested everyone make a list of 100 things that they like and make them happy. It could be as random as "the smell of freshly cut grass" or as simple as "fried chicken." I'm sure they probably came up with some really intellectual and deep things. But ... how do I phrase this? I'm intelligent, but I like simple things. I think very simply, and that's probably because I'm such an efficient person.

Anyway! Nicole thought it might be a good idea for me to make my own list! I was kind of going through a slump of "I quit my job, and I'm freaking out," "I don't know if I'm going to have a paycheck from week to week," and "I don't know what I want to do with my life," type things. :)

So I made my list, and it, indeed, made me happy! It was harder than you'd think. Once I hit around #60 or so, it started to get a bit more difficult to think of new things. I know most of you don't care, but I think a few of you might actually read it. (And I'm going to throw some photos in there, just to break up the blah-ness of it.)

1. Chocolate and peanut butter

2. Spending a day scrapbooking

3. Going to movies at the theater (especially with friends)

4. Reading

5. Watching all 5,000 of my television shows

6. Late-night pillow talk

7. UNC basketball games (in the Dean Dome is even better than on TV!)

8. Spending time with my friends

9. Date nights with my husband

10. Eating out at restaurants

11. Back scratches

12. Long, hot bubble baths with candles

13. Yankee Candles and all of the accessories that come with them - the photo is Autumn Leaves, my favorite Fall fragrance!

14. Small dogs - this Pomeranian looks like my friend Casey's dog, Krum

15. All places tropical

16. Road trips and travelling with my husband

17. October 17, 2009

18. Shopping at office supply stores, despite the fact that I never need anything from them

19. The smell of old books

20. Accomplishing things

21. The feeling of my house right after I’ve finished cleaning it

22. Post-It notes and index cards

23. Hugs

24. Seeing my designs in print

25. Waking up next to my husband

26. Worshipping the Lord through singing

27. A little bit of coffee with my sugar

28. Freshly baked chocolate chip cookies

29. When my husband feels proud of me

30. Shopping with my girlfriends

31. Alligators and crocodiles – yes, they’re my favorite animals


32. The feeling of putting contacts in or glasses on – that moment when you go from blurry to crystal clear

33. When people take the time to show that they appreciate me and my friendship

34. Handwritten letters – both sending and receiving

35. Diet Coke
36. All things pink

37. Classic novels – Pride & Prejudice, Tale of Two Cities, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Last of the Mohicans, etc.

38. New clothes

39. Photos of wonderful memories

40. New York City

41. Waking up in the middle of the night and realizing you still have 4+ hours to sleep before you have to get up

42. iTunes, iPods, MacBooks, and all things Apple

43. The security of experiencing the mercy and grace of Jesus

44. Finishing a book

45. Seeing my name in print as a Donovan

46. The feeling of beach sand between my toes

47. When my employers think well of me and think I’m doing a job above and beyond what is required

48. Beautiful, stylish stilettos

49. When the elevator reaches the floor I want to go to and the doors open

50. Receiving texts or phone calls from friends to let me know they got to their long-term travel destinations safely

51. A new pack of Crayola crayons or markers


52. Cross stitching

53. Giving gifts to others – especially ones I’ve made

54. Bojangles and On the Border


55. Watching TV or movies with my husband

56. Fast-forwarding through commercials with my TiVo

57. High-definition television

58. Going to baseball games with my husband

59. Bouquets of roses, lilies or tulips

60. Celebrity gossip

61. When people trust me enough to tell me things

62. “Friends”

63. Looking at people’s wedding photos

64. Being hired for an awesome job

65. My candy-apple red car

66. The fair – the food, the rides, ALL of it!


67. Riding in my car with my hair pulled back, the windows down and my music blaring

68. New books and school supplies when I was in high school and college

69. Egyptian history

70. New phones

71. All of my magazines – Glamour, Real Simple, National Geographic, etc.

72. When my husband wears blue

73. Flying

74. Having friends and family over for dinner or parties

75. The smell of my grandparents’ house on Christmas morning

76. Family vacations with my parents, grandparents and my aunts and their families

77. Crossing off things on lists

78. Staying in hotels

79. Watching sunsets

80. Sweaters and coats in the winter

81. When my father-in-law comes to town and we get together with him, my mother- and brother-in-law

82. Northern weddings

83. My parents’ generosity and selflessness to me throughout my lifetime

84. Being on time

85. Chicken fingers!

86. Spending time with my best friend and my other family – especially vacations to Missouri

87. Having someone play with my hair

88. When the workday flies by faster than you thought it would

89. Sleeping in without an alarm

90. Adobe Creative Suite – these programs are amazing



91. Collecting T-shirts from places I’ve been

92. Fixing problems or issues in my relationships

93. Never going to bed angry

94. Rainbows and Sperrys for my feetsies

95. That my maiden name always placed me at the top of any list, since everyone does everything alphabetically (and my married name doesn’t put me too far from the top, either!)

96. Having a degree from such a wonderful school

97. Things that are organized

98. Cuddling up on the couch with a blanket

99. Drinking glass after glass of orange juice

100. Being loved by the most wonderful man in the world