Simple Joys of the Week, January 24th Edition

Well, we've weathered (ha!) another snowy/cold week, and without a doubt, we've also experienced countless simple, sensory pleasures over the past 7 days (despite the bitterly cold temps!). 

I also have to say that as it gets colder and colder outside, it becomes more and more wonderful to bundle up on the couch--with your furry family members, loved ones, or a cup of tea [wine] + a fire--and just soak up the heat. Ahhhhhhh.  

So anyways, before we jump ahead into our weekend plans (as we often do on Fridays), lets take a moment to reflect on what brought us joy over the past week or so.

What made you happy? My SJOTW are below...

HEAR: "Say Something" by A Great Big World & Christina Aguilera

Oh, you guys, this song just gets me every time. Every. Flipping. Time. Whenever it comes on the radio, I turn it up as loud as my eardrums can handle, sing at the top of my lungs, and let the emotions just pour out. In my mind, I'm C. Aguilera. Ugh, it's so intense! And beautiful! And wow, such powerful words. You can listen below (feel free to sing along!): 

SEE: Lots of peeps via Google Hangout
If you haven't already picked up on it, let me tell you that I'm a big fan of Google Hangout. I'm basically an unofficial, unpaid, unknown spokesperson. It's free, super easy to use, and allows you to be on a video call with up to 10 people at a time. I use it for everything these days! This week I participated in 3 Hangouts--one with a teacher training mentee in DC, one with friends, and one with my e-course participants. Each time, after I got off of the call, I felt simply amazed by what technology enables us to do. I love it! 

TASTE: Morning granola
I've been off of cereal/granola for quite a while. In fact, I think that I must have stopped eating it right around the time that I went gluten-free last year (even though there are many delicious gluten-free cereals and granolas). But, for some reason, I've been drawn to granola again lately, and I've really enjoyed adding goodies to it and eating a small amount in the mornings. I've been throwing in some shredded coconut, walnuts, bananas, and of course, milk, and it's been quite tasty. After eating oatmeal for breakfast all winter, it's been a fun change this week!

SMELL:  The scent of wood stoves and fires while walking outside in the snow...
Although I'm pretty disgruntled about the fact that the snow boots that I ordered in DECEMBER have been backordered so many times that they've missed two (2!!!) blizzards, I still really enjoy taking walks in the snow (sans snow boots). Yes, I must credit Sayde for the fact that I'm taking these walks, but once I bundle up and get outside, I'm always glad that I did. Plus, the scent of a wood stove and/or fire while walking out in the snow? Heavenly. It really is a winter wonderland here on the Cape. And yay, I'm not a bitter northerner yet! 

TOUCH: Painting, painting, painting.
I finally finished the last of my remaining 2013 painting commissions this week! Yippee! Now I can start on my 2014 orders! Every time that I finish a painting and email the final pic to it's commissioner, I feel an amazing sense of excitement, accomplishment, and in a way, sadness (that I have to part with the creation). The painting process is such a wonderful part of my life, and I feel so lucky to be able to do this.

I have a BIG weekend ahead of me (teaching two classes, a workshop, and doing a consulting session!), so I'm going to try to use today to prepare, relax, and of course, yoga. What about you? What do you have planned this weekend? 

Cape Cod yoga teachers and teacher trainees, if you aren't busy on Sunday, join me for my "Art of Assisting" workshop! Details here. 

Happy Friday, everyone :)