What Makes You Happy?

Today, over on A Cup Of Jo, Joanna asked her readers to list three things that make them happy. Simple, every day things that bring them heaps of joy. You can read hers HERE.

Mine right now would have to be...

1. Shades on, windows down and stereo turned up
2. Things that smell of citrus
3. Listening to the rain with the windows wide open

 

 

What are your three things today? What brings you simple joy?

Here Is A Challenge

I challenge you to duel.

I will...

...impart wisdom onto a room full of students

...meet friends for lunch

...enjoy an ice cream

...bask in the sunshine

...get my gym face on

...see friends from far flung places

...get coffee and cake

...sleep happy

What will you do to make today amazing?

Winning

Today is a good day. I won some stuff. I like winning.

Over at Ellie Loves... I've just won a Neutrogena Grapefruit pack and ages ago, back in the time of thesis, I won a gorgeous wooden initial from Kate's Irrelevant.

All I need is a coffee and a hug and my day will be complete.

What do you need for a winning day?

Wednesday Wishes

This weeks wish is a simple one...

...and one that I think we can all learn from.

I wish to love the skin I'm in.

I'm very close to fulfilling this wish, I just need a little push.

Happy Monday Morning

Take a little time this morning for whatever ritual keeps you grounded.

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Things I Love Thursday

High Volume - I am really happy that over-ear headphones are back in vogue again. I am one of those people who complain about ear buds hurting, and falling out, and not great sound quality, and all the other things that people who don't like ear buds give out about. I will admit that they are really handy, incredibly space saving and allow for some sneaky music listening cause I can hide the fact that I'm wearing headphones under my hair, but I still love over-ears way more. The only thing... which ones should I get? I've been lusting after a few pairs lately and I just can't decide. Help - my choices are these, these and these, and maybe these. 

Jar - There is something awfully cute about using jars for more than holding jam and marmalade. This post HERE started off my jar obsession this week, but usually it doesn't take much to have me raving about putting stuff in jars. From baking cakes in jars, to putting cake in jars and cake mix in jars, even eating cake while the room is lit by candles in jars and a mason jar of milk beside you to wash it all down with, jars really do seem to be incredibly useful.

Faking It - Some things just shouldn't be fake - diamonds, sincerity and friends. Some things are ok if they're fake sometimes - tan, butter and nails. Other things benefit a little from being faked. Like a smile - even if you're not feeling it, even if you don't want to, you still should try to turn the corners of your mouth up a little. After a little bit you might even notice that the smile stays there on it's own, and maybe the person beside you might be smiling too. Sometimes it's ok to fake it til you make it - happiness and confidence are two that I often will fudge.

Honourable Mentions - eating peanut butter off the spoon, wildflowers popping up in the lawn, Red Bull shots, this Life calender, smelling cut grass again, eating pineapple chunks straight from the fridge, lime and fig scented candles, raiding my piggy bank to buy some sweets, online chats with much missed friends, matching underwear, sneaky slices of pizza, Zumba Mix at the UL Sports Arena, this skull ring that I picked up in a 30% off sale, this DIY Turban tutorial - am very tempted to try it out but am not too  sure that I could pull it off

Things I Love Thursday

Being A Big Kid - At least when it comes to easy entertainment. Give me a jigsaw and I'll be amused for several hours and I know that I'm not alone on this one. Recently myself and my club had the honour of attending and competing at the Irish Student Nationals, and guess what the girls brought as half time entertainment.... colouring books! Lots of colouring books, and markers. At my last count I saw at least 15 archers curled up in the bleachers at the shoot, markers in hand, trying to out do each other with how well they could stay between the lines. And they all put them up on display when they were done too. Me? I'm more of a scrabble or board game type... my mum even surprised me at Christmas with a beautiful backgammon set.

Juicy - There are few things that remind me more of good weather and sunshine than a huge glass of cold juice. I'm not awfully picky about my flavour either, give me orange, pineapple, tropical, apple and no matter what... I'll be happy. 

Movie Solos - My favourite way to watch a movie is all alone in a dark and empty cinema in the middle of the day, when it's just me and the movie and maybe a bag of Haribo. No one asking questions, no one going out to the bathroom in the middle of the movie, no one rustling food wrappers. I started liking being on my own at the cinema when I was researching my final year thesis for my degree. I was looking into redesigning the experience of going to the movies and seeing what needed to be changed to make the whole thing more enjoyable. I spend many hours of my labs in the cinema sitting, and watching, and eating, all in the name of research. That was a great time.  

Honourable Mentions - being 'tiggerific' (if you're my friend on facebook you'll understand this one), having blue varnish on my toes, birthday cake, finding clothes in my wardrobe that used to be snug and now hang a little loose, putting Nevermind on in the car at full volume and feeling like an angsty teenager again, keeping up with my 4-5 classes per week 'In the gym' schedule, this week I'm all about bags... so this one, this one and this one are on my wish list, and maybe this one too, leftover Christmas lights still strung around my room, open toe shoes 

It's The Little Things

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Celebrate

 

As the clocks count down to the end of one year and the beginning of the next I am spending my New Years Eve in the company of some amazing friends, in their wonderful home, drinking far too much wine and trying to figure out if this year has lived up to my expectations.

So please raise you glass and share a toast with me...

To all those goals you have met in the last year, to all those goals you have put off for a little while longer and to all those new goals you're going to aim for in the next twelve months.

  To the wonderful people in your life who got you through the last fifty two weeks - family, friends, even those horrible people in your life who keep reminding you to guard your head and heart a little better in the future. They have all played a part in making you the person you are tonight.

To ambition and the need to strive for something in your life.

To you. My amazing readers. I know many of you personally, but I do love each and every one of you. Especially your comments and conversations.

and of course, because it's me. 

To too many new shoes, beautiful dresses, gorgeous skirts, cozy scarves, soft handbags. MY home will soon be your home. 

fuckyeahchubbygirls

I have found the most wonderful tumblr page called fuckyeahchubbygirls.

Normal, everyday girls send in their photos and are celebrated for how wonderful they are. In a world where body image is so prevalent and every where you look you are bombarded with images of perfection it's absolutely fantastic to see a site that celebrates a person for everything that they are.

Yea For News

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Dear Reader,

Thank you so much for nominating me for an Irish Blog Award. I feel pretty special to have even been nominated. You have made my week. Whoever you are *hugs*

xx

A Surprise For Mr T

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Hi to all my beautiful Tuesday readers. Now that the event has passed I can tell you what I got Mr T for our anniversary.

Mr T laments the fact that he doesn't know many people in Galway and doesn't have anywhere to go in the evenings. Ha also laments the fact that he doesn't get to see as many gigs as he would like...

You can see where this is going...

I got Mr T two tickets to go see the fantastic Lisa Hannigan play in Glaway next week. Now I didn't get him one ticket and me another... I got him two so that he could take someone else with him and get to know some more people. He wouldn't have to worry about me getting to Galway and getting back to Limerick for work the following day. He could just go and enjoy the night.

And I think he loved it, yea!

Sweet Home Whatever

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Oh I want to be the girl in the photo above. An open road, shoes off, toenails painted and nowhere to go and all day to get there. Limerick is not half as much fun right now. Legs are put away in tights and boots, toenails are getting chipped and neglected. Car windows are covered with condensation.

How come we always long for what we don't have?

All summer long I couldn't wait for winter - curling up in front of the fire, woolly hats, hot chocolate and Christmas shopping, and now that it's here it's really not all that I had thought it would be. Right now I want sunshine, kite flying, picnics, the works! And when we get to summer we still won't have it and I will still be looking for more.

And the cycle continues.

Monday Happy List

I was over at Jen Loves Kev, who I completely love, love, love, and I was reading her Monday Morning Happy List. Well it made me smile so much that I thought I'd put together a Happy list of my own.



1. Rosy pink apples
2. Reading all your blogs
3. Playing farmville on facebook
4. Cozy warm blankets
5. Leftover noodles straight from the fridge
6. New slippers
7. Blank notebooks
8. Getting to the petrol station just in time
9. Patterned tights
10. Lemon slices

Are you happy today?

Wise Words

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The Wonder of Friends

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I got a present, I got a present, I got a present...

A parcel was delivered to my desk yesterday and I opened it to find a new Yoo Move MP3 player inside. I think I should give you the background to this story...

A short while ago my ipod started acting up and not working. Now I use my pod for everything - music, movies, data, everything. I thought about buying a new pod but I didn't want a shuffle, a nano or a touch. I just wanted a classic pod, about 60g in size, for not too much money. It didn't happen. At the same time my camera was being kinda funny too and I really wanted to get a small, slimline camera that would fit into my purse without much difficulty. But my college stipend doesn't really stretch to new cameras or MP3 players so I said that I would wait and that Santa might be nice to me this year...

Until I saw her...

A thing of beauty, the Sony Ericsson W995. And I wanted it so bad. An 8.1mp camera, a great MP3 player, a 2.6" screen to watch everything on. But I wasn't due an upgrade, and it costs a bomb to buy simfree. So I have to wait until my upgrade is due in December to try to get it. So I was musicless, and movieless, and everything-less.

Until yesterday...

Fredrick and Doogle bought me the present. They thought that I should have music in my life and I love them for that. I tried to put up a photo but my everything is being stroppy so a photo of a nice parcel and an image of the player will have to do for now. So today I am YEA for great friends! Thanks guys, I love you both so much.

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Fill Me With Your Wisdom

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Good day to you all.

I had to duck into town this morning and find myself a double air mattress.

Because... Friday is PICNIC DAY! Roll on Eleccie Piccie! I can't wait, I've never camped before, I've never even been in a tent, I've never been to a festival before. I know - it's so sad that I'm 26 and have never been to a festival. I have no idea how to put up a tent, and Mr T won't be arriving until Friday evening so I am forced to bribe some friends to do it for me. I will claim naive girliness and get the big strong menfolk to do all the work. It will be a step backwards for feminism but a giant leap forward for 'Magatha-campinism'.

I have the baby wipes bought, a pair of pretty wellies and a rain jacket. I will remember to bring enough money and spare camera batteries. I promise to bring back lots of photos and hopefully no swine flu.

Please please please fill me with your festival wisdom before I go.

And if anyone else is going let me know and we'll meet up for a beer and a photo op!

Happy Birthday

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Happy Birthday Sonya!

I just want to take the opportunity today to tell her how much of a wonderful friend she is. She endures my sullen moods and I help her clean the kitchen. We spend a ridiculous amount of time doing the weekly shop and usually stop to look at shoes, well I do and Sonya tries to persuade me that I don't need another pair of black ballerina flats. We car pool to work and feel like we're doing just a little bit for the environment. We do our best to go to every Cirque Du Soleil show that will ever come to Ireland. We eat ice cream, and cookies, and she makes the best tasting lasagna on Tuesdays. She is the sister that I never had.

In the unforgettable words of the Golden Girls ' Thank you for being my friend'

Zubbles

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This is the coolest toy ever! Zubbles are the only coloured, non-staining bubbles in the world. How fantastic would it be to head to the park for the afternoon and just blow bubbles to your hearts content. But at $15 for two bottles you need to blow wisely.