Simple Joys of the Week, December 11th Edition

Another week has come and gone, as have many simple, sensory pleasures...this time of year is SO full of them, isn't it?

​So, it's obviously time to pause and take a few moments to reflect on the little things that brought us joy over the past 7 days. Here's what made me smile this week...

HEAR: Serial Season 2 (Episode 1)
When I saw a new episode of Serial pop up on my podcast feed yesterday, my heart skipped a beat...it's back! I listened as soon as I saw it and just as expected, the first episode of Season 2 is really good (no surprise there). I know everyone thinks that there's no way this season will live up to last season, but I'm open and excited! Here we go...

SEE: Christmas Tree 
Although we haven't decorated our little Christmas tree yet, it's up, it has a few strands of lights on it, and it has made me *very* happy this week. I probably say this every year, but when you work from home, little things like a tree in the corner make a big difference in your day. Can't wait to get it decorated this weekend :) 

TASTE: Peanut Butter Salty Oat Cookie by Kayak Cookies
Helloooo best cookies in the world! Ben and I went to a fabulous holiday festival last weekend, and while we were there, we ran into our favorite cookie vendors, Kayak Cookies. We picked up two 3-packs of their newest cookie flavors, and this one was my fave. To say that we [ahem, Ben] devoured them is an understatement. So delicious. {You can buy your own pack here.}

SMELL: Celestial Seasonings Bengal Spice Tea
I am a total chai tea girl, but I don't like to drink more than 1 cup per day since it's caffeinated. A few weeks ago, I tried this tea at someone's house and was immediately sold--I just forgot to get it at the grocery store until last weekend. It's similar to chai but slightly sweeter and not caffeinated. Win-win! I've been loving the ritual of enjoying a cup of Bengal Spice after each meal this week (the scent is so grounding!). 

TOUCH: New outdoor light fixtures on the house
Before this past weekend, the outdoor light fixtures on our house were crappy, old, and rusted. We bought new fixtures months ago, but of course, didn't get them all hung until last weekend. Now that the new ones are up, I'm amazed at what a difference they make in our house's "curb appeal"! Each night this week, as I've flipped the switch to turn them on around 4:00 (that's when it starts to get dark here, ugh!), I've had a little sense of satisfaction at how nice they look and how well they light up the front of our house. {I'll share some before + after pics of the light fixtures + a few more house projects soon!}

So there you have it. Hope your week was full of simple joys, too!

​And I hope your weekend is full of holiday festivities, time with loved ones, and of course, evenings by the fire ;)