Livin' Little--or--Sometimes it doesn't take much...

...to make me smile. : )

I know I said I would probably be too busy to post this weekend but it is Friday evening as I'm typing this and my mind has been working overtime all day long. I just want to share a few thoughts with you. : )

Nowadays it seems like everyone is all about livin' large, but like the title says, sometimes it just doesn't take much. It's the small, simple, everyday things that make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside or put a smile on my face. I LOVE having a day where lots of little things add up! And today has been one of those days for me. These are just a few of the little things that have made me happy today:

*Tucker's beaming smile because it's FINALLY Thanksgiving break! No school for a whole week!

*Perri going back for thirds at dinner because...well, it was good! : )

*The warm and cozy atmosphere when there is a fire in the fireplace and candles burning all around the house.

*The feeling of accomplishment I experienced once I completed many tasks I had been putting off for days. (Yes, I've been sort of binge cleaning. That is also the reason for the next two points...)

*Seeing the empty hamper in the laundry room. WOW! That feels really good.

*Sweeper marks. Yeah, the kind you get on the carpet when you've just vacuumed. Everything looks so much cleaner when there are fresh sweeper marks on the floor. ; )
(This particular carpet is not my own, but hey...I'm sure whoever vacuumed it felt just as happy!)

*Reminiscing about holidays past while preparing for those that are just around the corner.

And I suppose that last one is really what this post is all about. I can't help but think about the Thanksgivings and Christmases of my youth. Those memories always make me smile. : ) They do make me miss folks who are no longer with us, like my Mama Jones and my Daddy, but there is much comfort to be found in reminiscing, too.

So let this be a lesson to you. Pay attention to those tiny details that we so often let slip right through our fingers. Don't just let the good stuff pass you by.

• Feel that grin that tugs at the corner of your mouth when you hear a child's laughter. And give in to it. Laugh with them!
  
• Experience that tug on your heartstrings when a song on the radio brings back a sweet memory. Remember to your heart's content!
  
• Revel in that feeling of accomplishment at a job well done. Bask in the glory of it!
  

Let all these things add up in your day and make you HAPPY. Do them with passion and purpose and expect more of them to come along because I'm telling you, once you get a taste of it, you're gonna want more and you'll be looking for more! And you know what? That's when you'll create more.

Take your happiness into your own hands, people. : ) Pay attention to life.

Be a rebel.

LIVE LITTLE. : )