Day 53 - Cupcakes

It was a lazy day here at Chez Joy and we all had a hankering for something sweet. I pulled out my trusty Cake Mix Doctor cookbook (an awesome cookbook, btw) and we found Devil's Food cupcakes. My youngest donned his little chef apron and we got to work. Of course, the smell wafting through the house encouraged my middle son to help with frosting. And we HAD to have sprinkles. So now the kitchen is covered in chocolate and two kinds of frosting and sprinkles litter the floor. But those cupcakes were pure joy!

Day 52 - Flowers

It's been a little dreary where I live. And flowers always brighten up my home. I used to wait for my husband to buy me flowers. And when he hadn't in a while I'd hint and hint until he brought me home some. But that got tiresome. And I asked myself, why do I have to wait for someone to buy me flowers? What not just buy them myself? So that's what I do. When I need a pick-me-up I buy myself some flowers. That's just what I did today. Flowers bring me joy.

Day 51 - Red

It's not even my absolute favorite color. But today I'm finding joy in red. When I was younger, if I had a test that day or any other event where I might need a little boost of confidence I always wore red. It lifted my mood. Wearing it made me feel more confident. And today I woke up feeling a little low. So I put on my favorite red sweater and by mid-day I felt pretty good. Just seeing the little glimpses of red on my sleeve, or catching a quick glimpse in the mirror lifted my mood each time. Red is a joyful color to me!

Day 50 - M and Ms

Little bites of chocolate. The crunchy candy shell. The sweet, creamy, delicious chocolate in the center. The fact that it "melts in your mouth, not in your hands." My little, sweet treat at the end of the day. Sometimes it's just the simple pleasures that bring you joy. And tonight I'm finding that joy in M&Ms.

Day 49 - A cozy fire

I'm tired of winter. And I live in the south! But seriously, this has been so cold. And I'm so ready for spring and it's still January. I keep checking the 10 day forecast of The Weather Channel but there's no end of this cold in sight. Oh, I know you Yankees are laughing right now. "How cold is cold?" you're asking. Well, I'm not telling. (Pouting now) It's just too cold for the south. The remedy? A cozy fire in the fireplace. And a good book. But right now I'm going to light a fire and sit on the hearth and warm these weary bones. Because I find joy in a cozy fire.

Day 48 - A Teenager Who Drives

My daughter is seventeen. Almost eighteen, according to her (her birthday is still 8 months away.) And she drives. Today she helped me out immensely. She picked up the boys from school. She ran to the store for 2 forgotten ingredients for dinner. AND she put gas in my car (I hate putting gas in my car) in our frigid winter weather. My teenager drives! What joy!

Day 47 - Puzzles

I love puzzles. All kinds. My favorites right now are Sudoku, crossword, logic puzzles and, as always, jigsaw puzzles. I can get pretty obsessive about them. Someone once said to me, take notice of what is going on in your life when you seem "puzzle obsessive." And I have. I realized that when I'm all into puzzles, usually something is going on in my life that has me bothered. Puzzles provide both an escape AND a solution to what ever is bugging me. I've noticed that when my obsession is over, the conflict in my life is usually resolved. And that's why I find joy in puzzles.