I thought that for a post that is a little different today. My plan is to sit down and chat to you guys about some of the things that make me happy. I have done posts in the past about my favourite things. But they have always been about pretty superficial things. Today, I thought that I would talk to you about some of the things that are really important to me. That really do put a smile on my face. Or that just put me in a generally more upbeat and happy mood. Without me rambling on anymore, let me jump into it!

 

 

Smell of the air on a hot night.

I know that this is probably quite a strange one, but there is something quite amazing about the smell in the air on a hot night in England. It is quite sticky, normally with an underlaying smell of BBQ in the air and sun cream. I don’t really know how to describe it, all I know is that I truly adore it and as soon as we get some of those scorching days, I cannot wait to sit in the garden with a gold glass of wine and take it all in.

 

 When my dog gives me a cuddle.

There is honestly nothing purer in the whole and entire world than a doggo giving you a cuddle. I have a Golden Retriever and as much as she is a real handful, she is also the most loving thing on this planet. Every now and again when I get a moment to sit on the sofa and relax, she will jump into my lap like she is a tiny little puppy, she will put a paw on either side of my head and really nuzzle into the crook of my neck. It is just a small gesture that she does every now and again, but it always makes my day!

 

The stars in the night sky.

I did a post not that long back about how I feel about the night sky, so I will not go on about it too much. There is something incredibly grounding about the stars in the night sky. For me, it puts into proportion how small and inconsequential my problems are, compared to the absolute vastness of the entire universe. Plus, they are bloody stunning if you get to sit out on a clear night and watch the stars and the sky begin to change. I find that they are always best to see on frosty and cold nights!

 

Getting tipsy with my friends and family.

All of my friends and family say that they only see 100% true Danielle after a couple of drinks. Because I am pretty highly strung and my day job takes it out of me, it takes hell of a lot of effort for me to begin to actually relax and let my hair down. I love that stage, halfway between sober and drink where you just start to let loose. At this point, I drop all walls and I am a proper laugh even if I do say so myself!

 

Feeling skinny.

It is an effort for me to stay feeling trim. I am pretty much intolerant to everything that I put in my mouth and that means that 9 days out of 10, I wake up and look as bloated as the Michelin man. I have grown to just get on with it and be used to it now that I am a little older, but every now and again I will have a day where I wake up and the bloat is nowhere in site and it just blows my mind. It makes me realise that my hard work has been for something and I can see the results!

 

Watching the water.

I feel incredibly lucky that where I live is surrounded by water, it isnt great when it is flooding season, but great every other minute of the year. There have been many days where I have been rushed off my feet after a particularly crazy day at work, and I will walk to the canal which is just a stone throw from my front door. I will sit on the banking, have a glass of wine and watch the water for as long as I can before I freeze. So incredibly calming and wonderful to watch the wildlife!

 

Having money in my bank.

I grew up in a household that didn’t have much money. It was a single-parent household and even though my mum worked every hour that she could, it still left things pretty tight in our house and it is still a huge pinch me kind of thing that I have a decent amount of money in the bank and that I no longer have to utter the words ‘no money’ or ‘skint’. I honestly have to pinch myself if I go and do a shop at M&S and it may come to £150 and I can just spend that cash without batting an eyelid. Crazy to me!

 

Eating good food.

As much as I am keen to keep up the good work that I have put in when it comes to losing weight and toning up, I also so not want to deprive myself of having really tasty food.. I love foods that are cooked well, rich in flavour and normally quite bad for me. My husband and I will schedule in one night a month where we can really let go and eat the foods that we have been craving and that we adore, and it is just simply wonderful. For me, it is normally a really great curry!

 

Ticking off my to-do list.

Because I need so much order and structure to every single day of my life, I live my life by to-do lists, often that are as long as my arm. It is quite an accomplishment when I manage to tick every single thing off my to-do list for the day. Normally, when I get to tick everything from my list for work, my blog and just simple to-do list tasks for around the house, that is when I get a chance to kick back on the sofa, enjoy a glass of wine and watch some trashy TV.

 

Feeling positive.

I have OCD and crippling anxiety, which means that most of the time I am super nervous and can barely get through the day without having something on my mind that bothers me and drives me absolutely insane. Every now and again I will have a day where it feels like the fog has lifted and I am just happy with a super positive outlook. I wish that these days happened more often, but it is pretty amazing when they do and I count every single moment as a blessing. Honestly, I would kill to be an optimistic person every single day!

 

I hope that you guys liked this blog post and got to see some of the things that I love. Hopefully, it will give you a little more of an understanding of me as a person. For me, it is often the little things in life that help to put a smile on my face. These are just some of the things that I could think of at the top of my head. I would love to know some of the things that make you happy. Please leave me a comment down below. Let me know what you love and what puts a big old smile on your face!