My Happy Basket

This week I put together a “happy basket”. A little basket of things that I can easily reach for that help my happy levels.  I can keep this basket by my bed, or bring it downstairs during quiet time, and have a selection of things that just boost my mood close at hand.

I spent some time thinking about things that make me feel happier. These are often spread around my house so I don’t think about them right away when I am feeling low. Placing them all in the basket, gives me a go to spot to help my mood. I have helped my son create a “toolbox” of things that help him when he is anxious, I figure mommy can have one, too!

So what is in it? I am glad you asked!

I started with a very small basket because I wanted to be really selective of what I included. If the basket was too big, it would be tempting to fill it with just anything.

First up, of course, is my Kindle reader! I mostly read on my phone, but there is something more relaxing about my reader. It is more focused reading (read: it doesn’t have Facebook or Pinterest).

Then I added a book of 5 minute mommy meditations. This book has great tools for meditating in short times, which, honestly, is all I have!

I included a favorite candle. This one might be hard to use because kids, but just opening it and smelling it brings me joy.

There is a notepad and a colored pen. I love colored pens. A notepad is for all the ideas that pop in to my head. And for brain dumping things that need to just get out of my head!

I received a charcoal mask for Christmas, so I put that in because I know it will be relaxing and bring joy. It would never get used if left in a drawer. I think I will try to keep something like this as a “revolving” item. A little beauty product or pampering thing.

This basket also holds tissues. Because sometimes the best way back to happy is right through the middle of a solid cry. I can’t count the number of times I have held it together until naptime and then sat down and let it all out. My days can include some intense moments. Crying is just another way back to where I need to be. Then, when I am done crying, I head to the last item in the basket….

The last item might be the most important. It is a little bag that holds chocolate. But, shhh! My family doesn’t know this. I don’t open this when anyone is around. It is just a little “mommy pick me up”. Sometimes I keep a bag of M&M’s, sometime it is truffles or something else I have picked up.

This basket is just a small set of things that bring me back to a better level of happy. That add joy when I am down. That provide that little lift to keep going. A little basket of things that says life will be ok, that mommy will make it another day, that there are little bits of joy in the day. I just have to look for them…right here in my happy basket.

This Goal is for Me

I am a New Year goal maker. I know a lot of people are jaded about starting new resolutions or life changes or goals in January. I don’t really care that it is cliché. While, yes, it is just “another day”, it is one that can be easily marked. In recent years, my “reset” days have often been with the birth of a new baby, also easily marked, but I am past that season so I am sticking with New Year’s for this round.

Actually, I did a lot of thinking about my “goals” over the last several weeks. Many of them could also be viewed as just a matter of intentional living. They outlined how I wanted to be mindful and purposeful with how I spent my time. It was certainly a good list of my priorities. The list included such things as “build deeper relationships”, “continually update baby books”, “live within our budget”. All good things, but not quite “goals” as I have been thinking of them recently.

Then I watched a video awhile back by Jon Acuff, this was hard for me, as my husband would tell you, I don’t like to watch anything. But it was about stay at home mom’s (I think) and doing ONE thing well. That you don’t need a huge list of goals. That raising kids could just be the ONE thing you are doing really well today (or trying to, because let’s be real, parenting is HARD).

So I started thinking about ONE thing. What was a one thing I could focus on for this year? Yes, I raise my kids (my long term goals include “raising decent humans” – time frame 18+ years), but was there one goal that could be mine as April rather than all my other roles?  I thought and prayed about it.

Then it came to me. Also on my long term goals is writing a book so I need a habit of writing. Or maybe even the writings I could come up with would slowly become a book. At any rate, writing started to be my goal. I actually love to write, so this was definitely one that would be an April goal. It would also be a stretch because I have 4 small kids so time isn’t exactly hanging off my hands.

I didn’t want to just say ‘write something’. That was too vague. I wanted something that was definable and could be checked off, so to speak. I would know when it was done. So my goal is to write 500 words a week. About what? That will be a surprise to all of us! I am giving myself the freedom to write this on my blog, as a long Thriving in the Middle Life FB post, as a journal entry. So long as 100 words are together, I will accumulate them towards my 500 for the week.

The math says this is 26,000 words. A quick check on Google says a 200 page book is about 55,000 words. Looks like I will be off to a good habit and start towards that book.

What are your goals this year? Do you have a big one? Several small ones for intentional living? I would love to hear about them.

And just in case anyone was wondering….this was 558 words. Week one done!