{GUEST POST} RACHAEL'S HAPPY LIST

Hey y'all!  Today I'd like to introduce you to Rachael of held by his hand.  Rachael and M "met" through the blogging world and have been followers of (and sponsors of) one another's blogs for the past few months!

Today, she's sharing with you all a list of things that make her smile.  And frankly, this girl is one after my own heart.  Most of these things make me smile too.   
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Hey Heavens to Betsy friends! I’m Rachael – I blog at heldbyHishand, and I’m so excited to be sponsoring Betsy’s blog this month. She invited me to write a guest post to share with you all. So, I’ve been thinking all week about what I wanted to share with you, and this is what I came up with.

Things that Make Me Smile – a list of 7 things that I grin for

1.  Small kiddos

These are ones I nanny for regularly… Triplets + big brothers! You can follow their adventures on their Mum’s blog – caitlinshappyheart.blogspot.com. I also have 9 siblings who are especially dear to me! :)

2.  The peak of a mountain hike

I haven’t been hiking in a good while, but looking at photos like this one from a year ago stirs me to walk! Something about a big view that reminds me how small I am…

3.  Sending and receiving snail mail

I love letters. It’s true, I really do! In fact, I have this awesome little thing on my blog, where if you plug in your details, I will mail you a handwritten card. True story! Go here to check it out: heldbyhishand.blogspot.com.au/p/but-wait-theres-more.html

4.  New books

I am a book junkie. Would you like to see my bookcase? Embarrassing as it is, here you go:

I recently purchased a few new ones from The Book Depository online, which is my bargain book place. Especially worthwhile for gifts, with Christmas coming up and all!

5. Hot porridge with raw sugar

Yummm… One of my favourite breakfasts is porridge with raw sugar. And while I think it is the same thing that you American’s call ‘oatmeal’, I’m going to stick with porridge. And eat it… all. the. time.

6.  Scented candles

Do I need to explain this one? Mmmm… I just received a new one for my birthday and it is a heavenly combination of vanilla and pears. Oh yes. New favourite scent!

7.  Blogging and blogs

You probably grin for this too! But the friends and adventures and things I’m learning in the blogosphere are so wonderfully delightful. Especially Betsy :)

So there you go, 7 things that make me grin. If you want to find out more things that put a smile on my dial, visit me at any of the links below! I would love love love to meet you!

{and thanks again Betsy!}

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thanks for sharing, rachael!  

you can find rachael at the following:  blog | Facebook | twitter | pinterest

a happy list

this photo was taken at a dear friend's wedding back in july.

i don't think i ever posted it on here, but it makes me smile, so it makes the happy list.

other things that currently make me happy:

spending time with that guy in that picture up there

brightly-colored fall leaves

bonfires & hayrides

scarves

cinnamon dolce lattes from starbucks

reorganizing and redecorating my room

crisp autumn air

new teacups

prepping for student teaching next semester

parks & rec

puzzles

spin class

knitting

my planner (geeky, i know)

fresh-picked apples

writing letters

visiting friends

cake batter frozen yogurt with blueberries

what's on your happy list?

{a happy list}

I know I just posted a list about spring things that I'm looking forward to, but if you haven't figured it out yet, I like writing lists.  

And happy lists are just the best kind.

So here goes!

things that are currently making me oh-so-happy:

warm weather

late-night walks

bicycles

new opportunities

sunglasses

having lunch in the sun

open windows

frozen yogurt on the way to class

finding little notes on my desk

taking photos

this song

running outside

bonfires

visits with friends

happiness is...

I came across this quote the other day and loved it.

I just had to share.

(and I'm linking up here today, so if you're feeling inspired, you should too!)

And this is why I love my friends.

This morning, I was woken up by 5 girls who were hitting me with birthday balloons and singing "Happy Birthday" to me.  Now, I'm not turning the big 2-1 until tomorrow, but since we had no classes today, my wonderful roommate, Emily, took it upon herself to plan a very special day of fun to celebrate my birthday!  We started off at Sugar Mags in Gloucester, then headed over to friends on the Anisquam River to go kayaking and canoeing, and then finally ended up back at Gordon for some strawberry shortcake!  It was a truly wonderful day!  Here are some pictures:

Things I'm currently loving:

1.  These Rockstars:  

(their instrumental ensemble got to open for a crowd of 14,000 tonight at the AG Fine Arts Festival in Detroit)

2.  Baking fun things, like these cupcake bites:

3.  That this girl will be here tomorrow!

4.  That I went to Africa two months ago (even though I miss it like crazy):

5.  That I will get to see these girls VERY soon!

6.  Pictures of flowers:

Camera life

Here's the thing about life lately, for one, its incredibly busy.  For another thing, most of the pictures taken of me recently feature me holding a camera.  For example:

And can I be quite honest?

I like it.

happiness!

Here are 10 things that make me rather happy:

1.  The fact that I get to spend 4 days in NC with these girls VERY soon:

2.  Baking.  Anything.

3.  Spending an entire day floating in the ocean

4.  Having a day to do nothing but read

5.  Tazo Vanilla Rooibos Tea...or any tea, really

6.  This dress from Anthro (even though I will never own it)

7.  Driving aimlessly around looking for an adventure

8.  Getting caught in the rain on a warm day

9.  Going for walks

10.  Taking pictures

...and I have so much more that I could list.