BE Happy

A few things that are making me happy right now....

1) Connecting With My Funny: Social media...love it or hate it? Both? Me too. I hate that too many people use it to spread falsehoods and negativity, to bully, or to just complain. But, I do LOVE the babies with puppies posts! 👶🐶 💕 And, I enjoy getting recipes and outfit inspo too! Most of all though, I love when a post makes me laugh. So recently, I actually put the time and effort in to remove all accounts that were not bringing me joy and add more that do! The result is a feed full of content that makes me happy. Social media really can be a positive experience!

Along this journey, I discovered a few gem accounts that I hope you'll check out:

• Twitter- @AnnieAgar, who does a fabulous job each week of recapping NFL and College games in an amusing way (you don't have to be a big football fan to love her I promise!);

• TikTok @mrs.frazzled/Twitter @ms_frazzled, who hysterically explains whats going on in todays world as only a kindergarten teacher can;

• Instagram @icgmst which stands for 'I can't get my shit together' who I can totally relate to! She does not give a you-know-what about becoming the next Martha Stewart and neither should you!

• Instagram @tj_therrien, who compares his first, middle, and youngest children in a hilarious way. His takes are so spot on!

• Instagram @karenmorgancomedy, who is a lawyer turned comedian that always makes me giggle!

BONUS: Two dog instagram accounts I love @lucamorkie and @goldenloversclub!

2) New Friends: When is the last time you made a new friend? Let me rephrase that...when is the last time you made a new friend who was NOT the parent of one of your kid's friends; or the spouse of your spouse's friend? For me the answer is...a long time ago! Like many of you, I presume, I have my "high school/hometown friends", my "college friends", my "work friends", and then in the last 25+ years I've pretty much ONLY made new friends who are parents of my kids' friends. Now I LOVE all of those friends, but recently I made a friend all on my own! It was a truly refreshing experience to meet someone and click with them in a completely organic way. I got to choose. I got to decide. The connection was between me and her- only. I gotta tell you, it felt very empowering and, probably because I did the selecting without any prompting, I truly think she will become one of my all-time BFFs! New friends = happiness! READ MORE- Friends Nourish Your Soul 👭

3) Finding New Hobbies: A hobby is defined as "an activity done regularly in one's leisure time for pleasure" (dictionary.com). Some hobbies come and go - pilates and painting for me- and others last a life time - walking and reading ♾️. Hobbies are like the sprinkles on the ice cream cone...they make life extra sweet! And, the good news is that we can discover new hobbies at any age. In fact, Arthur Brooks says one of the best habits that lead to happiness in old age is to keep learning! (Read his entire list of habits to adopt to ensure happiness later in life HERE).

This year I was delighted to find a number of new hobbies that bring me happiness including creating style boards and light-box sketching! In this month's BE Stylish and BE a Giver 1 & 2 you'll get to see some of the style boards I've created. I love 'shopping' for items and putting outfits and ideas together! It's become a great way for me to be more mindful of what I actual buy and I really enjoy the creativity of it. The light-box sketching started as a joke of sorts with me creating a funny sketch for my family, but now I'm hooked! I get to be artistic and funny at the same time. 🤗 Check out my creation below if you want a good chuckle!

"People with many interests live, not only the longest, but also the happiest."

~ George Matthew Allen