Happiness Archives | Strength and Sunshine

9 easy and actionable steps anyone can take toward more sustainable living. Not only can we improve our impact on the environment, society, and health, but also our happiness!

I know I’m not the only one who wishes they were more conscious about living more sustainably. But we don’t have to “wish”. We can take simple easy actions to move toward living a more sustainable life! As I said, these can be small simple things, but sometimes those can make the greatest impact. Here’s a secret; leading a more sustainable (“green”) life, isn’t just good for the environment, society, and your own physical health, but also your HAPPINESS! According to the Renewable Living Survey conducted by Tetra Pak in the US and Canada, 70% of people feel happier when they make more renewable lifestyle choices (things as simple as using reusable water bottles).

I think we all want to be as happy as possible along with being more sustainable! So Tetra Pak created a large scale renewable living social experiment to raise awareness and give people easy ways to start living more sustainably! They recited 10 bloggers to complete their challenge over 28 days to show the world that you can create sustainable habits that are easy and will last! They gave me the challenge to complete these 5 tasks listed below and share my thoughts. I didn’t stop there though and I delved into a few more areas that I felt were important (and I think you will too!)Read More

I hope you had a wonderful weekend and Easter day! I spent Saturday getting all my blog work for the week together and then Sunday was for packing! Right now I am either driving to DC or am there this very moment! O the happiness and the joy! Speaking of happiness…a bunch of bloggers have posted this challenge presented by Erin and Sarah to post 32 things that make you happy. So what better way to Power your Monday than with listing all the happy things in your life? These can be small or big, anything that puts a smile on your face.

1. Yoga. Okay, okay you all know this makes me happy, but I just love shouting it out to the world any chance I can get! The power, the confidence, strength, serenity, and magic is just impossible to love!

2. Hot mugs of tea. I love my tea and I love buying new flavors, thus my tea shelf is overflowith! I also do not stop my hot tea consumption even in the Summer. I still like to drink my tea outside in the 90 degree weather 😉 No shame!

3. Summer. Speaking of 90 degree weather, I am not sure it will ever actually get here, but if it does, I will be the happiest human-being 🙂 O the sunshine, the warmth, the love!

4. Washington DC. Yes, I am there right now as you are reading this post. I am in my pure bliss walking in this lovely city. And they say Disney is the “Happiest Place On Earth,” well I beg to differ 😉

5. Weekend mornings and pancakes. There is nothing like waking up with the sun to the stillness and silence, taking an easy, slow, and relaxing few hours to prepare for the day. All culminating of course in some major pancake making 😉

6. Raw unsalted cashews. Random, but I am snacking on them right now and I feel pretty damn happy!

7. Blogging. Even though I complain about it a lot (at least to myself) I feel so “not right” if I don’t blog. Last week when I had my two guest bloggers come on, it felt weird not to see my own posts. It is so much work, but I don’t think I could ever give this up. However, reading blogs, that is pure joy! Even if I don’t comment and you have no idea that I read your blog everyday, I do, trust me 😉

8. Apples with nut butter. I think I would choose this as my last ~~meal~~ snack. Really this is pure happiness.

9. Potatoes. Another food, but hey! Preferably the “sweet” potato kind. I love them all. PSPs, Japanese, Okinawan, White, good old Orange. Earth’s underrated gift of the Spud 😉

10. Knowledge. When you have education and you know what you are talking about or understand the complex things in this world, it makes you feel pretty good, am I right?

11. Dresses and maxi skirts. After a winter of comfy sweats and big sweaters, I am ready to break out the Maxi’s and dresses! It feels good getting dressed up and walking confident in your sexy dress 😉

12. Pugs. I am not an animal person. When I see a dog, even a little one I run the other way, but if I were ever to get a pet it would be a pug! They are so adorable. My heart cries when I see those faces!

13. My fluffy robe. I do not know what I would do without this thing! I wear it all the time. I also wear it right when I wake-up on the weekends…and make my crazy breakfasts, thus you can tell what robe is mine by all the cocoa powder and flour on it 😉

14. Sunshine. Just look at the title of my blog. I hate rainy cloudy days. I crave the sun and sunlight. On those days I feel like 1 million dollars!

15. Planks. What?! Yes, they do make me happy, they are my favorite exercise. I feel like such a beast busting out those 5 minutes planks 😉

16. Hugs. The best form of affection and love is a hug! They speak so much louder than words. A simple embrace is all I need!

17. Laughing at old memories/pictures with my family. Those memories that only your family would understand are the best. Like my brother and I “mowing” our mashed potatoes and planting broccoli “trees” 😉

18. Cooking. Coming up with creative fun meals with fresh beautiful produce just can’t get any better. I would spend days in the kitchen if I had an endless budget and time!

19. Warming my feet in the sand. Need I say more?

20. Taking a walk and breathing in the fresh air. Only is the warm weather though. In the winter, I’m content with saying inside. 😉

21. Eating my meals outside. I started doing this last summer and I can’t wait to do it again. It is so lovely, except when a bug lands on your plate…

22. Organizing and throwing things away. Don’t you just love the feeling of having everything in its place and throwing away the unnecessary?

23. My Strength and Sunshine shirt. I love wearing this shirt. It makes me so happy and proud 🙂

24. Having time to sit with a good novel and just read. I also feel so accomplished completing a book too! It feels so good to check something off the to-read list. I just wish I had the time to read like I used to 🙁

25. Completing a really awesome workout. The endorphins and energy are the best feeling!

26. Wildwood/Cape May, NJ. I have gone every September for the Fireman’s convention since before I was even born, haha! But sadly I have not been able to go the last 2 years and it has been so sad. I love it down there! It is the best part of the Jersey shore for sure! I am always happy there and my family has so many memories down there!

27. Pure silence. Have you ever just sat in pure silence, no distractions, just peace?

28. Grocery shopping. My mom is probably like what!? No, but really it does make me happy. I love taking a leisurely stroll down the aisles looking for new products and produce. But I like it more when there are not 50 million people obnoxiously running you over or in your way. I would like it even more if I had a Whole Foods or similar store to do this is. (O and an unlimited budget 😉 Haha!).

29. Spacing out in the shower. This happens pretty much every day, but I love to just stand under the water and start thinking. I usually come up with great blog posts or recipes while doing this, haha! But then I realize 20 minutes have gone by and I still need to wash my hair…

30. Cows. O gosh, they rival pugs in their cuteness. I have loved them since I was a small child and they will forever be my favorite animal! Like I have said before, my life will not be complete until I hug a real life cow 🙂 Really!

31. Having a clean room, freshly vacuumed floor, and made bed. My room is always clean, and my bed is usually in order, but my floor always has “stuff” on it. But I love the feeling that comes with a freshly cleaned perfect room. It always gives me a pep in my step and makes me feel good.

32. Those few and fleeting moments when my family is all happy, no yelling, crying, or arguing, just enjoying one another and not thinking about anything but that moment.

This was pretty hard coming up with things, but then once I got closer to the end I started thinking of to many things! Really some of the happiest things are the little tiny things that you might not notice if your to busy worrying about the bad! Have a happy Power Monday and start the week off thinking about all the happy things in you life!

So tell me:

+ What are 3 things that make you happy?

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