Simple Joys of the Year, 2016 Edition

Today, I bring you the last edition of SJOTW for 2016. I can't believe it.

Since today falls on the day before New Year's Eve, I figured it made sense to share my overarching sensory pleasures from the entire year in this week's post--instead of those from just the past week--so that's what we're going to do ;) 

When you look back on your own 2016, which sensory experiences stick out to you the most? Which simple pleasures were a big part of your year + brought you joy multiple times over the past 12 months? 

Some of my favorite simple pleasures of 2016 are below...

HEAR: Beyonce's Lemonade
Of all of the music that I listened to on repeat over the past year, Lemonade is BY FAR the most-listened-to album in my library. I wore this album to the ground, y'all! Before releasing Lemonade, Beyonce was already on another level in my mind, but when this album [+ the accompanying film] dropped out of nowhere, she blew me away. When I think back on this year, I know I will always think of this surprise album as the soundtrack to it...

SEE: Charlie Mae!!!!
I mean, obviously. Nothing has brought me more joy [ever] than our darling little girl. She turned 4 months old + enjoyed her first Christmas last weekend, just rolled over for the first time, and is simply the light of my life in every way. I never could have imagined how happy she would make me, and even though being a mom has been super challenging, it's my favorite thing I've ever done. 

TASTE: Kashi 7 Grain Crackers + Peanut Butter
I have eaten my weight x 1000000 in peanut butter cracker sandwiches this year. Peanut butter + crackers (specifically these crackers) was my go-to snack when I was pregnant and hungry all the time, and now that I'm breastfeeding and even hungrier all the time, this little delicacy has remained my fave. In my mind, there's just nothing that hits the spot in the same way (and Sayde agrees!). 

SMELL: Sayde (for better or worse)
As weird and gross as it sounds, Sayde has gotten stinkier over the past year. Her breath has gotten a little more stale [and as a result, she had her first trip to the dentist this month] and she's become more gassy lately [this was never an issue for her before!], but despite both of these things, her little Frito feet [does anyone else think their dog's feel smell like Fritos?] and the scent of her fur is still one of my favorite smells. Sayde has always been an incredible snuggler, but she amped it up when I was pregnant, wrapping herself around my belly on a nightly basis--and her scent was definitely one of my favorite scents of the year (besides Charlie Mae's scent, of course). She's just the best. 

TOUCH: Sneakers hitting the pavement
If there's one thing that I've done almost every day this year--or at least, 5-6 days per week, except for the three weeks or so after having Charlie Mae--it's take Sayde on her daily walk in the neighborhood. When I was pregnant it was the one form of exercise I made sure I did every single day, and since having Charlie Mae, it has remained the one constant in my days (one of the only things that remains a daily constant from my pre-baby life!). Every day, we go on a very fast-paced 1-hr walk, and it's a pretty sacred part of our routine. Of course, Charlie Mae now accompanys us on our walks and we love having her join, even if it does make it a lot harder to get out the door.

So there you go, some of my favorite simple pleasures of the past year. 2016 was full of SO many other simple joys that I can't possibly begin to list them all here, but I hope that this post gives you a little snapshot ;) 

Similarly, I hope that in the next day or two you can find some time to look back on the past year and reflect on all of the little things that made it wonderful for you, as well. 

See you back here in 2017! Yeeehaw!