Simple Joys of the Week, March 22nd Edition

Even when your week is a frustrating or difficult one, there are always still SO many things to be thankful for--and this past week was no exception. Over the last 7 days I was able to appreciate loads of simple, sensory pleasures, which was a great reminder of why we should work to be more present and mindful in our daily lives (so we don't miss all of the amazing moments due to being distracted by the less-amazing ones!). 

So, what brought you joy over the past week? My SJOTW are below...

HEAR: "We Found Love" by Matt Kearney
When I heard this song in a fellow TS teacher's yoga class on Thursday morning, I knew I had to go home and find it. Beautiful acoustic-ish cover of a Rihanna pop song? Right up my alley (as you probably know by now). You can listen to this gorgeous song below:

SEE: The discovery of "Google Effects" during a Google Hangout with 2 of my BFFs
To understand this one, you just have to take a look at the screenshot below. We probably spent 30 minutes of our "call" decorating ourselves with hats and masks, trying to have serious conversations while wearing them, and then dying laughing. Yes, that's me on the bottom right (in the cat mask, with the striped hat). Pure simple joy, this one :) 

TASTE: Tagalongs & Samoas
Is it awkward to have Girl Scout Cookies as a SJOTW two weeks in a row? Yes? Oh. Whoops. Well then, ditto to what I said last week re: going non-gluten-free for super special treats. Worth every moment of stomachache. 

SMELL: Trader Joe's Channa Masala
I think I found a new go-to, last-minute, late-night home, too-tired-to-prep-anything-for-dinner option: TJ's frozen Channa Masala. I had it this week and really, really enjoyed it. It's hard to tell if that's just because I hadn't had Channa Masala in a long time and was really hungry, or because it's actually really good, but either way, I definitely liked it. And yum, did it smell good!

TOUCH: Muscle Activation Techniques (MAT) + Massage  
I got one of the best massages EVER yesterday. Not only was it a fabulous massage that really focused on all of my problem areas, but it also included about 15 minutes of MAT at the end, meant to get your messed up (that's a medical term) muscles firing and contracting more efficiently. It was intense, but I left feeling simply a-mazing--like everything was aligned properly for the first time in a long time. I'm sore today in a really good way, and can't wait to go back again next month (FYI: Tammy at The Teal Center).

Other amazing SJOTW? Spending almost an entire day painting in watercolor (pics coming soon!), JT and Jimmy Fallon's "History of Rap 4" video (obsessed with these guys), seeing signs of spring and celebrating the first day of spring, "The Great Yoga Pants Shortage" video, this article on brain function, and taking 5 fabulous yoga classes. 

I hope your weekend is full of simple pleasures--and that you have the luxury of enough time to stop and truly appreciate them.

Namaste!
Mary Catherine