From the time I was a little kid, I've never been able to give one answer to any strain of that question. Color? Purple, blue, and green. Food? Cheesecake, garlic bread, lasagna, ice cream, ripe nectarines, etc. Thing to do? Craft, watch movies, hike, bake, etc. There's never an easy answer. When you couple that with a price cap like $5-6, how ON THIS GREAT EARTH am I to pick one favorite thing???
I always feel like I'm cheating picking just one thing, like all the other things I really like too are getting shafted. I know that's weird. Last year I took my favorite metallic purple nail polish and my then favorite chocolate bar (Lindt Intense Orange) and felt the entire time like I was being untrue to myself by picking something so... boring. This year, I'm going with my favorite hobby: Overthinking. Only it's overthinking that is masquerading as useful objects. Ha!
In truth, this method glass cleaner really is my very favorite. I love that it smells like mint and my house doesn't have that gross chemical clean smell when I use it. It's worked it's way into my heart enough that it's pretty much all I use, even to clean my floors. Since I love other things too, I couldn't leave it at that and had to add my favorite mint tea (Trader Joes) and my favorite mint chocolate (Ghirardelli). Since that still didn't cover the gamut of my favorite things, I packaged it all with a list. Yup, a list.
In the darkest moments of my life when it's been hardest to be happy I started a habit of making lists. Wanting to keep my focus on the good things in life I would just scribble down random things I was thankful for. This wasn't a November habit, it was every single day. I quickly found that if I made myself come up with something I was thankful for first thing in the morning, my entire day went better. I used a lidded glass jar and kept it right by my front door. Next to it I kept precut strips of scrapbook paper (because everything feels better when it's pretty) and a pen so I could easily jot down a thought on the way out the door.
The first few days were hard. Before long, it was easy to come up with something and I found myself writing two, three, or five things. I turned my habit of overthinking toward thinking about why my life was great and it really helped those moments when life didn't feel great to be so much better. Since then, I've had a greater respect for my addiction to overanalysis as I've found it can be a good thing if I choose to channel it that way.
So, I naturally had to incorporate that into my favorite thing.
Packaged with the cleaner, chocolate, and tea is a list of many of my favorite things. Is it cheating? Perhaps. This is a list that makes me smile, and helps me to remember that a trait I didn't love about myself for many years can actually be one of my favorite things.
Curious what it says? Here it goes:
* brownies fresh from the oven * acts of
compassion * thunderstorms on camping trips * quality over quantity *
flirtation * sleeping under the stars * children bearing testimony * toads * ad
jingles that stick in your head * creative IM status messages * orchids *
acoustic guitar * the restored gospel * a glance, a touch, a good kiss * 80’s
Cure songs * appreciating the little things * painted toenails * grilled salmon
* the inevitable girly rehashing of every little moment * pesto * cuddling in
bed on Saturday morning * elderly couples holding hands * Ben & Jerry’s
Phish Food * closets after spring cleaning * quotes * baking cookies with my
munchkin * movies that can be re-watched a hundred times and not get old * HOT
showers * candlelight * being able to laugh at oneself * elegant stationery *
friends who’ve seen the good, bad, and ugly but love you anyway * realization
of potential * forgiveness * sea turtles * sunsets of the beautiful southwest *
individuality * black & white photography * polka lessons in the park *
cool mountain breezes * puppy kisses * SPF 45 * playgrounds * 2nd chances *
catching crawdads in water bottles * a life of plenty * natural food stores *
introspection * back scratches * children’s literacy fund * living to avoid
regrets * hugs from my favorite little ones * pinterest * the opportunity to
vote * education * lazy sundays * mint * crazy, but totally devoted, extended
family * boots with everything * gemology * the chance to hone creativity by
being bored * baby snuggles * the rare instance I beat the hubby in just dance
3 * endorphin rush * how awesome the house feels after dropping off donations *
planned spontaneity * golden leaves raining from trees in autumn * kid giggles
* worn out library cards * homemade pasta * kids with flour on their faces *
pretending to be martha * cello * starbucks salted caramel hot chocolate *
ferry rides * waterfalls * finding beauty in the little things * instagram *
deep belly laughs * imagination * candlelight * beloved old cookbooks *
grandma’s wrinkled hands * how small I feel when at the ocean * tide pools *
optimism * love*
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