simple pleasures – a reader giveaway.
i like simple pleasures. i like reading, and making photographs. i like taking long, leisurely walks and riding my bike through the city. visiting local shopkeepers, fresh cut flowers, making good food from scratch with fresh ingredients from the local farmer’s markets, eating ‘al fresco’ and keeping things simple around the house. i like all things stylish, but i’m trying to keep it uncluttered as well. real simple magazine is a wonderful resource for living with the simple pleasures in life, and i’m giving away a subscription.
what’s your favorite ‘simple pleasure’? if you comment below and share the little things in your life that put a great big grin on your face, or just make you sink back and go “ahhhhhh”, i’ll pick a contribution i like best and send you your very own subscription to real simple magazine! please comment by monday, july 19th (*and remember to leave a way to reach you) and i’ll announce a winner next week!
My simple pleasure is the 10 minute walk to work. The flowers and the morning sunshine and some tunes on the ipod. I find myself doing a little skip occasionally.
My simple pleasure is walking outside every morning to my garden to see if any new flowers have bloomed or if any vegetables or fruits are popping their new heads out. I also love devising new (mostly weird) types of tea I can make from my herb garden. Newest pleasure: Yarrow Mint Tea
Sound cheesy, but my simplest pleasure is enjoying a hot cup of tea while reclining with a good book. Ahhhh.
I love a big glass of iced tea, wandering through the city and glancing through the windows of the people who live there, perfectly ripe produce, being around friends who make you feel like your authentic self, hugs, and that feeling you get when you make something you really like.
My favorite simple moment is the night I get to myself. My biggest treat is when I can make dinner from the garden. Enjoy some fresh cut gerbers on my coffee table, a fresh candle and complete silence. Then sit outside by the garden with my dog, kick up my feet, and enjoy a glass of wine while watching the birds play by the bird feeder and bath I made for them. Ahh~ :)
my simple pleasure – fabric. printing it, stitching it, laundering, slashing and distressing it. i stop when it looks “right”.
a nearly effortless process, like breathing – a form of meditation for me.
My simple pleasure, curling up on the couch with my little boy for a good snuggle!
When it’s really hot outside, i just LOVE to prepare a big jar with ice, whater, and drops of lemon juice…so refreshing! Also take the time to dice a watermelon and a melon, put them a few minutes in the fridge, and then enjoy that sweet iced candy. Yum!!
I love taking long walks in Manhattan on Sunday mornings. The city is quiet and almost peaceful. My husband and I do this often. We’ll stop in somewhere and get a cup of coffee or hot tea and set about exploring. We have no agenda, we just walk around. We always discover new neighborhoods, unique shops and restaurants, and new cultures. It is one of the best ways to experience New York. Around noon we will typically find brunch somewhere and sit outside if the weather is nice. After we eat we head home and take naps. It is the simplest way to have a truly relaxing Sunday.
This is really simple, but I love being the first person my son sees in the morning. As soon as I hear him stirring in his crib, I rush down the hall to get him out! I love seeing the smile on his sleepy face when he sees me. It is my favourite part of the day!
rainfall on the roof as you’re falling asleep… getting ready for bed when the house is all perfectly quiet and still…AND collecting the eggs from the chook shed in the morning as the chicks all come out to greet you :)
My simple pleasure… Coming home from a long day, and ending it with a cup of decaf coffee, and time with the one I love most in this world: My soon-to-be husband, in the place I love most of this world: Our back patio.
dappled sunlight… the soft swaying of the branches and the movement of the light below… when I need to calm myself, i just imagine this.
A nice long shower — even when I need to take one and don’t really feel like it, I still have a hard time turning off the water. How can anything so simple feel so wonderful, even after 1000s of times of doing it?
leftover chinese food for breakfast!
My simple pleasure is sitting outside with a glass of ice tea or lemonade during the summer and watching my son blow bubbles or ride his tricyle. It’s so relaxing for the both of us.
My simple pleasure is leaving work every day at lunch to have peanut butter and jelly at home, then play Frisbee with my dog at the park across the street. It gets me through the day, and my dog’s enthusiasm over the simple joy of a Frisbee melts my stress away.
For me it is always the hug I receive from my husband at the end of a working day.
My favorite simple pleasure is java chip ice cream :O It has enough caffeine in it that I can tell the kids it’s off limits. It’s “Mommy’s ice cream,” and I enjoy every cold, flavorful spoonful :)
My simple pleasure is spending quality uninterrupted time with my man. No matter how busy my life gets or who’s trying to reach me, I turn off my phone and turn off my business brain and enjoy being in the moment with my loved one. Life is too short to not be fully present at those moments.
Simplest pleasure, you ask? Each summer planting my fresh potted herb garden for the patio – and then running out to gather what I need spontaneously for each night’s dish.
too many simple pleasures to name!
-waking up in the morning without the aid of an alarm clock with the sun coming through my window and dappling my pillow.
-delicious oatmeal and hot tea for breakfast
-gardening and making beautiful bouquets to put all over the house
-singing
-dancing
-curling up in my favorite wing-backed arm chair to read pride and prejudice (or perhaps A Room with a View) for the umpteenth time.
-watching past episodes of Bones. Or possibly just fantasizing about marrying Special Agent Seeley Booth (if you don’t watch Bones do it! He’s a marvelous character, while I recognize that Bones is not the best TV show ever, Seeley Booth is one of the most adorable characters on TV)
-eating a late lunch
-baking brownies (like these:http://www.cakespy.com/blog/2010/5/17/going-blonde-blondie-topped-brownies-for-serious-eats.html), or cupcakes (like these: http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2009/03/carrot-cake-cupcakes-with-dulce-de-leche-buttercream/)
-or maybe just reading baking blogs for hours and staring in wonder at all the delicious goodies.
-going on an outing to a museum
-smuggling said cupcakes and/or brownies into a movie
-ending the day with pancakes for dinner
-seeing the moon out my window as I fall asleep.
and many more!!
My simple pleasure is remembering the way my great-aunt’s screen door would sound when it slapped shut (and the little spring would sproing), while I sat on her porch swing, sipping ice tea. Oh…childhood!
I love stepping out our back door in summertime and grabbing a fresh tomato, gently warmed by the sun, topping it with fresh basil, on a generous piece of crusty french bread with just a sliver of fresh mozzarella…ahhh, simple bliss.
xoxo Beth
Kisses!
(Did you mean that the contest ends on JULY 19th?)
Just this weekend, I was reminded of what simple pleasures truly are. Visiting friends that you don’t get to see very often – the pace slows down and catching up feels warm and inviting…all the hectic things that are part of your experiences away from each other seem so much less dramatic. We ate fresh garden peas and greens, hiked to a great watering hole in the woods, watched my daughter Ella and Rachelle’s dog Kobe play hide and seek, painted on rocks and shells and made daisy chains. Good friends and an instantaneous change of pace – simply lovely pleasure.
My simple pleasures: the scent of in-season oranges in the grocery store when the weather turns dreary in the winter, smoothing out my dog’s bed head after she wakes up in the morning, coffee with friends just to chat about whatever comes to mind, the feel of a freshly scrubbed bath tub under my feet during my morning shower…
To drink a cup of tea in the garden with a pile of magazines. Maybe iced tea on a really hot day!
Taking time to play with my furry friends, and take them for a long, slow, shaded stroll.
The loud whir of our vintage fan (and the cool air it implies), sprigs of mint from the garden dipped directly into a glass of water, wrapping veggies in foil for the grill, and making the bed!
fresh off the line clean sheets…I cant think of a single thing better…
My simple pleassure is flea markets and antiquing on the weekend. Even if I don’t find anything, it’s fun to think of new ways to use old things.
My hammock, with a glass of watermelon limeade…possibly spiked.
I try to live and be a part of the simple pleasures in my life, every single day. I like waking up to a tiny bit of sunshine coming through the crack in the curtains, cutting sunflowers from my garden to bring inside, and cooking with things I grew in the yard.
I adore Summertime, and all the sticky nights outdoors with friends on a patio, catching fireflies, and escaping to our little watering holes when the heat becomes too unbearable. I love when the leaves first change in the fall, and the sound it makes to hear the wind travel through them when they become dry and burn bright. I love hot tea in the Winter, twinkle lights strung up all around the inside of our house, and fuzzy socks. In the Spring I love the first day that the ground turns green, and wakes up from a long sleep, to let us know it’s almost Summertime again.
The thing I love most about simplicity in life is that it finds you everywhere you look, as long as you’re willing to look for it. These things can never be constructed into a list, they’re a lifestyle and a choice to wake up every day and appreciate all the beautiful things around you.
My simple pleasure is fresh flowers on the table in my milk glass collection.
sprinkles. lots of sprinkles.
what a lovely post! thanks for this amazing giveaway. my simple pleasures include berry picking, riding my bike, hammocks, listening to the rain fall on the roof, and red wine.
Any quiet moment in the day with my dad, wether its a hug when he gets home from work or coffee with him on the rare days I wake up early enough to have breakfast with him. :)
Anytime spent reading books with a drink or two (coffee, tea, iced tea, etc) is also a simple pleasure I try to take at least once day. :)
Washing clothes and *here is the simple pleasure* hanging it out on the clothesline to dry. I love the simple act…The way the skirts come to life little by little as they dry…Line dancing in the breeze…
I love it…
Good for me and the environment.
Thanks for the opportunity to have this great magazine!
xo
Andrea
Walking my dog. Anywhere at all. Just the two of us, walking around and seeing our city.
Saturday morning sleep-in kitty-time!
when i’m in my car driving alone, and all these multi-colored leaves that lay on the side of the freeway get picked up by the wind and start twirling around me. i find myself in the middle of a dance, a moment for me alone to enjoy, and no one else sees. i feel so happy and grateful for the simplicity & charm of that moment. :)
It’s wintertime in Cape Town now, and while it’s nothing like the frozen winters you Northerners get, it’s still pretty icy when there’s snow on the mountains. So at the moment, there’s nothing I find quite as delicious than finding a precious patch of wintertime sunshine in which I can stop for a moment, eyes closed, warming my chilly bones. Ahh….
PS: Loved reading everyones’ simple pleasures – a treat all of its own. xx
making berry or stone fruit pies and them gobbling them up whilst reading shelter or home living magazines, especially living etc., jamie oliver, and, of course, real simple!
a glass of tang & talking heads on vinyl.
a summer evening in the country… sitting on the back deck with friends or family… drinking sangria or sipping peppermint tea… having quiet conversations and watching the fireflies.
A hot cup of coffee with cream.
I try to find simple pleasures everyday….fresh berrries, walking by the ocean, a glass of cool fresh iced tea with tons of fresh mint to swish around, closing my eyes and falling asleep on the beach while listening to the waves, seeing the sun early in the morning, a no traffic commute to work…
eating breakfast with my oldest and dearest girlfriend when she is in town is one of my most favorite simple pleasures. getting a blacktea lemonade after the gym is a refreshing one too!
Sincerely,
Claire.
My Simple Pleasure is soaking in a room temperature bath with fresh mint leaves…sounds ridiulous I know, but it’s SO refreshing in the summer and smells oh-so-lovely!
the crispy smell in september, the touch of water on my skin and the sounds and faces my baby girl does! being alive!
I love summer picnics! Making some simple, good food with garden produce, dropping it in the basket with a bottle of wine and then heading up the mountains or to the Friday night movie in the park.
@Layla Payton’s simple pleasure sounds wonderful:)
I love homemade granola with yogurt & fresh fruit in my favourite bowl. Riding my bike to my studio and having friendly morning greetings with other cyclists before I have to spend a day mostly solo. Those moments never happen in the car!
I love making a cup of tea and sitting down to read a book or recent magazine I’ve purchased!
Chocolate ice cream and a Harry Potter book! :D
I love waking up early in the morning and make breakfast in bed, the assam milk tea brightens my day <3
Summer cherries, cold beer on a hot day, and new episodes of Friday Night Lights.
my simple pleasure is when I begin my day in the studio and slice through a large slab of wet clay and breathe in that damp, cool clay smell. it always smells like home.
Homemade ice cream made with only 3 ingredients: honey, milk and strawberries. Yum!!
I like taking pictures of my daughter,spraying my body with my favorite cherry blossom body spray, online on flickr just seeing beautiful photographs and watching food network :)
these are all so wonderful! inspiring ideas!
and yes – i meant JULY 19th. oops!
My simple pleasure is stretching out on the porch swing with a tall glass of ice water and a great book I can’t put down.
Breakfast on the patio…
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=173938&id=604751911&saved#!/photo.php?pid=4553740&id=604751911
the sound of “night mom, love you” from my fourteen year old son… just never gets old.
reading my book with a glass of wine
I love having a bit of vanilla ice cream and a cup of earl grey tea at the same time. You can put the ice cream into the tea or eat some ice cream and then sip the tea. It’s the best, most simple and delightful combination ever!
kissing my baby’s soft round cheeks
Being creative is one of my fave simple pleasures. When ideas flow through me and I can tap into them effortlessly.
Recently I created a fantasy tea party for my 5 year old.
Check it out…
http://floatmedia.posterous.com/diy-birthday
I love the way the light shines on aspen trees in the late summer…and when the wind blows and makes the leaves sparkle when they quake.
my most favorite simple please is changing all the curtains in my old SF home from heavy-duty winder velvet, usually in March, to light and airy linen and cotton ones. The way the light filters through them on longer days and the breeze blows them, make me feel like all is right with my world! xo N
The feeling when I am waking up in the morning. So comfy and I don’t want to get out of bed. It’s a fresh start. I could stay there forever.
Stopping and just listening to the earth. No cars, no TV, no radio. Just the birds… or the ocean… or the wind. Puts my mind back to square one.
Every Wednesday, sitting in the dark late at night with a cup of hot chocolate, slowly going through the new listings on 1stdibs.
I love biking to the neighborhood ice cream shoppe and having a homemade popsicle. Strawberries and Cream is my very favorite and its so wonderful!
I love “table time.” Sitting at the dinner table on our front porch with my husband and our 2 year old son. Eating dinner as a family, and not being in a rush seems to be a lost art. We are teaching our son to just sit and enjoy “table time” as a family, and not rush off to the next thing. This is my simple pleasure.
Contact: kristyn7@gmail.com
Having coffee on the sunny deck in the morning with the cat at my feet staring at the birds, that is my perfect simple pleasure. Makes for a great start to the day.
I love whiskery kitty noses, sunlight, open summer windows, pouffy skirts, vintage bicycles, film cameras. Food. Snuggles.
walking my two little sausage dogs !!!
lyingin the grass. under a tree. watching the clouds roll by.
my favorite simple please is a cone of soft serve vanilla ice cream with rainbow sprinkles. . . simple and perfect
I think my favorite simple pleasure is watching my two boys interact with each other, their little smiles and babbling back and forth. I also really look forward to my iced coffee on the subway to work, listening to music and being calm before the workday begins.
I love reorganising my bookshelves, into alphabetical order, or different colours, or height order. Then I like choosing a book and sitting on my bed, just to flick through and enjoy the sunlight.
I really enjoy simple pleasures. I don’t do too much in the way of extravagance as I live on a very small budget. I couldn’t pick just one simple pleasure so here is a short list of my favorite things.
I Love sweet tea, the smell of fresh jasmine in the sun, the sea breeze on my face, the view of the golden gate bridge from my office, grilled cheese sandwiches and spooning and snuggling on Saturday mornings when you have all the time in the world to stay in bed.
Nothing better than getting into a bed made with freshly washed sheets.
the smell of an old book, coasting on my bicycle and gummy grins from toothless bebes :)
Hiking in the wilderness is the simplest pleasure for me.
I love my little girls sweet and messy kisses… they are so genuine.
Closing my laptop and reading a book in the bath!
I love the (brief) times during the year when the temperature is comfortable enough outside to open all the windows in the house. The atmosphere inside is just so much more pleasant and fresh. Invigorating and relaxing all at the same time.
My sister and niece just moved in with me, and I have never smiled so often in one day than I do living with a happy 7 month old.
That, and crushed ice in my gin and tonic.
Sticking my nose into the basil I just bought at the Farmer’s Market and breathing in its wonderful scent, while I silenty debate whether I can should treat myself to a slice of the red velvet cake at the cake and pie booth a few steps away….
I love having a tall glass of iced coffee walking around outside…shopping at a market, or just browsing store fronts. I love the smell of rain, and the way it leaves its drops on pretty flowers. I love a good book, especially curled up with a blanket. I love opening the windows during a thunderstorm & sitting in front of the fireplace listening to it rage on outside!
Heading to the cute little cafe up the road on a Sunday with my husband. It’s nice to have a morning date on our only day off together!
Enjoying a hot cup of coffee on the porch (sometimes with the newspaper and/or other reading material).
1. sleeping in on the weekend, when my husband gets up and handles the kids. 2. homemade iced tea with just the right amount of sugar. 3. an occasional facial, when I have the time. 4. fresh flowers from the local farmers market and last but not least… 5. a good soak in the tub!
My simple pleasure is visiting my mom. Somehow talking with her and being in her house makes everything in the world seem a little better and brighter.
What a wonderful giveaway!
My simple pleasure is probably sitting on the porch spending time with my husband.
Being outside, barefoot in a summer rain! :)
with two boys in the house under 3, my simplest pleasure is having an uninterrupted thought when I’m not in the shower.
my simple pleasure– good summertime reads, currently anything hemmingway!
My simple pleasure is a cup of herbal tea made sometime in the late evening. I use one of my mismatched assortment of mugs, which each have some kind of memory or significance of being a gift from someone. Lately, I mostly use a large blue flowered mug that fits perfectly in the bowl of my hands, which was a gift from my aunt on the occasion of my college graduation. Often, my cat sits on my lap and purrs against the warmth of the mug – she loves the ritual as much as I do, I suspect.
the san francisco breeze in my hair is hands down the most amazing simple pleasure.
My simple pleasure is the quiet hour I spend in a quiet house after my hubby leaves for work and my toddler daughter wakes up every morning. Bliss.
I love waking up in the morning, hiding completely under my fluffy white blanket and looking out through the blanket at the blurry sunlight beaming through my window :)
One of my very favorite simple pleasures in life is leaning back in a worn beach chair with a soft towel wrapped around my shoulders, right at that moment when the hot afternoon sun gives way to a refreshing evening breeze. Eyes closed, listening to the gulls squawk while the waves roll in and out… this moment is just heaven to me.
faithtowers@gmail.com
I’ve never told anyone this, but one of my favorite things is to wonder my neighborhood (in St Paul) with my dog and peek into people’s windows. Not creepy-like, just from the sidewalk! :) I love to wonder about their lives, see how they have decorated and of course dream about what my house will look like someday.
I like laying in bed (or laying outside, even better!) with my dog, my boyfriend, and a good book.
And I have to agree 100% with Amy, above me! Hehe I love to look in people’s windows when it gets dark out and their lights are on! I love it.
Having my cat jump in my lap and instantly start purring is one of my favorite simple pleasures. It is the instant de-stressor!
My favorite simple pleasure is playing with and hugging my dogs, Boomer the beagle and Lucky the shih tzu /poodle mix. Just being around them makes me feel loved and safe and they make me happy.
Playing frisbee with my dog. His unabashed joy is contagious.
I enjoy slowly ripping out pages of magazines and adding my own caption with my typewriter. It gives an image a whole new life – a new identity. A chance to be seen as something more (or less).
that smell of steak on the grill. i don’t even eat meat, but every so often when i smell that smell, it just stops me in my tracks and i inhale a big whiff.
Grapecicles – My grandfather used to make the for us when we were little.
Pluck and wash seedless green grapes. While they are still damp put them in a ceramic bowl in the freezer and in an hour or two you have ice cold sweet grapecicles. The ultimate summer treat!
Doing something for my husband at just the right time, like making his lunch when he’s running behind in the morning, and seeing that smile. You know, that one.
As much I love interior decorating and scavenging for vintage gems, every once in a while I have to stop and take a deep breath to remember what’s really important in life. Most often times I find it’s the little things.
So, without any hesitation, my simplest pleasures are two little puppy dogs named Sweet Potato and Soda Pop. They are sweet, soft, happy little boxers who lift my spirits and keep my heart calm through turbulent waters. They are rescue babies, but while I may have pulled them out of the shelter, they pulled me out of one of life’s greatest slumps.
After a long, grueling day at the office, I am always excited to come home to their slobbery kisses. Life’s hard knocks hit a little softer, the weight on my shoulders feels a little lighter, and anytime I need a good cry, they’re always there to nuzzle their soft, wet noses into my soft spots and make me feel better.
My favorite simple pleasures: freshly laundered sheets and a glass of chocolate milk
My simple please is looking at the moon. I am always amazed at it’s beauty and it makes me realise how small me and my troubles are in comparison to the universe. You could say that it brings me back down to Earth!
Warm summer nights, the smell and sound of garlic in hot oil, pretty nail polish, and chocolate. :)
Bubble baths! Lying back and soaking in my bathtub gives me that special time to myself every day. In summer months I use citrus scents like grapefruit or verbena to invigorate and wake up my senses. In the winter months I like headier smellss like fig or hinoki (used in Japanese bathhouses).
My simple pleasure would have to be a perfect cup of peppermint tea!
I work with kids in the inner city and often, due to the harshness of life and how tough they have to be to survive, forget they are kids. My simple pleasure is working in our school garden and having a kid come up to help, and eat a homegrown strawberry for the first time ever. The surprise on their face that it tastes just as sweet as it does from the store is just priceless. The shy smile after they finish warms my heart. It simply makes my day.
I love simply:
~Cuddly, rainy day naps with my hubby T
~When my Maltese, Gidget stands up on her hind legs begging me to pick her up.
~Talkin with my sister who is miles and miles away. Me-TX, Her-GA.
~Getting advice from my mom (even if I don’t think I need it at the moment).
~Having a girl’s night with my friends.
Basically connecting with the people (and animals) that I love. THAT’S what life is about.
nothing beats going to bed early with the mister, putting in a FRIENDS dvd and laying in bed for hours laughing at ross & rachel, sharing our aspirations for what our next adventure in life together will be… and of course eating starbucks ice cream.
A simple pleasure from today: out for a sticky, futile errand on this hot day. Finding a place through the woods to reach the little river. Wading in to our knees, feeling the cool water. Finding it irresistible and dunking in with my summer dress on. Lying back to float on my back as I hear my daughters, 7 & 9 years old, squeal with delight, “Mama went in first!”
a cool, wet washcloth placed over my closed eyes, at the end of a hot yoga session.
Walking my two Jack Russell’s, Pansy & Tonto. The joy I get as they prance as we walk, seems to put a smile on my face every day.
Taking our Chinese Shar-Pei mix, Rosie, out in the back yard at dawn to play fetch. She won’t let us sleep past 6 – a mixture of needing to relieve herself and simply being bored and craving our company – and as much as I hate mornings, it’s impossible to be grumpy watching her romp around the yard, watch birds and squirrels, and cock her head at chirping birds as the sun fills the sky with pink and yellow. Best way to start the morning, ever.
The back porch of my parents’ house is my simple pleasure (a la the bottom picture in this post: http://allisonia.wordpress.com/2009/08/27/summer/). I am not home this summer, but it’s a joy even to remember reclining in the adirondack chairs that my dad made. The porch is perfect year round (although in winter, seasonal clothing is required, since we do get snow). The view of the mountains is lovely, and it’s always a wonderfully peaceful place to read or have a conversation over chips and salsa or simply be.
3 words: lemon lavender marmalade. Just made some this weekend and it tastes like a cross between sunshine and a walk through a meadow. I’ve been eating it on my back porch with blueberries, yogurt and homemade granola in the morning. Life. Is. Good.
If anyone is interested, the recipe is on my blog.
Whats simple and sweet to me is a long hike with my spunky and energetic yellow lab. The exercise, sun on my shoulders and favorite canine makes a ordinary day seem like a treasure!
Right now my favorite simple pleasure is toddler kisses.
At least once a week I give in to the mouthwatering temptation of fro yo (frozen yogurt) I am a regular at our local shop called Wild Cherry. A couple bucks and I am in heaven! My favorite flavors are Simple Tart and Guava.
Yum!
Sunday mornings: Sitting on the hand-me-down couch that keeps getting more comfortable as the years go on, drinking a hot cuppa joe, and reading the New York Times Styles section while my husband briefs me on the front page.
Sleeping in clean sheets with an open window and fresh flowers.
oh how i miss that magazine. life’s simple pleasures… a nice warm shower at the end of the day. it washes away all the day’s worries and stress. and it allows for a good night sleep.
By far the best simple pleasure around is a good old fashioned cup ‘o joe.
And a bit of vanilla coffee mate creamer to go with :)
My simple pleasure is stopping to smell the roses. Honestly. I love peering down into a bed of roses or whatever fragrant flower crosses my path, and breathing in the natural aromatherapy. It makes me feel light, childish and grown up, all at the same time!
After a particularly long and taxing day there is nothing quite as pleasurable as curling up under a down duvet with a handful of your fav new magazines and devouring them before you drift off into a peaceful slumber.
As much as I love the net and how it opens up our worlds I hope magazines( and newspapers for that matter) never ever disappear from our cultural landscape.
What a wonderful giveaway!
I’ve always enjoyed things that might be considered “simple pleasures”, like spending time in conversation with my father, or my sister who moved across the country, or celebrating a happy event with my closest friends, so it’s hard to choose just one… I can say, though, that since being laid off last year my budget and excess of free time have led me to discover even more simple pleasures. I would say my favorite of late is packing a good book, my sunhat, a cold drink, and my beach chair into my car and driving to a favorite spot on the north shore of Long Island. I sit for several hours, just reading; taking in the view of the boats bobbing on beautiful waters of LI Sound; watching the bees buzz over the grass; the ducks, egrets, and swans preening and drifting through the water. I always feel so happy, relaxed, and thoroughly in love with life after one of my afternoons in the sun.
I have a mason jar on my desk that I use to collect scraps of paper and record what I am thankful for, good happenings, and answered prayers. When I read what I’ve written in the past, or add a new entry, I am overcome with gratitude for all that I have.
Perspective is my simple pleasure.
I have an almost 15 year old dog who loves more than anything to sit under the olive tree in the yard and watch the world go by. My greatest pleasure is when I pull myself away from the computer to lay down next to him. Makes me want a dog’s life. : )
watching dogs roll around on their backs in the grass! what’s simpler than that? any dog, anywhere. it always makes me stop and laugh. it’s a great reminder to get out of my head and enjoy my life.
those early moments at night, after i’ve washed my face in warm water, and curled under my cozy, white down comforter, I’m able to release the tension in my mind and recall all of the beautiful things that has happened recently, and dream of the moments the following day that I hope to happen as well
“Ahhhh” happens when embracing my dear sweet husband after each long (OR short) day’s work and commute as if it was the first and last. He is my world and what a beautiful world it is!
Magazines are a must. A croissant filled with chocolate and a capuccino comes next. And my new potted jasmin, yes, that’s a really simple pleasure. Sadly Real Simple ceased publication here. I’d love a new subscription, please!
My simple pleasure is curling up to my hubby while we’re watching a great movie!
A warm summer evening watering flowers at the cemetery is a calming pleasure for me. I look around at all the flowers that need some loving care and give them a little lift.
Oh what a sweet sentiment! Every friday night I set my bread machine so that we wake up on saturday to the smell of fresh bread, enjoyed simply with butter and jam- and a big mug of coffee.
Really, really, really good home-made lemonade is my favorite simple summer pleasure. You post inspired this…
http://pamkorman.typepad.com/if_i_canyou_can/2010/07/obsession.html
Thanks!
I know I have started a day right when I find myself outside in the garden in my bare feet with a cup of coffee in hand.
I love camping… Whether I’m skinny dipping in an icy pool of water or laying on a fleece blanket next to the warmth of the crackling fire… It’s just me, the crickets and the stars.
new reader…
my simple pleasure…. looking for toads in the garden at night. I believe they are actually accustomed to me picking them up now ;)
a good chat with good friends :)
my simple pleasure is sitting in my backyard. nothing beats it…
My simple pleasure is the uninterrupted time on my subway ride to and from work. I don’t have to deal with the hassle of traffic- I can just turn on my headphones, read a book, and a brief moment of freedom from the world where no one can ask anything of me.
My simple pleasure is basking in the sun every day at lunch. . .I work in New York City and spend so much of my day in the air conditioned office. I always make time at lunch to sit and warm my self in the sun and enjoy the breeze that makes it’s way through the tall buildings, even if only for 5 minutes. It’s so refreshing to be able to enjoy a few relaxing moments as the city buzzes around me!
stopping for a chai latte once in a while at the friendly little espresso cafe near my office.
I love going on walks at night, especially when the moon is full. The moonlight makes everything more beautiful, I can smell night-blooming flowers, overhear snippets of conversation and the clink of dishes being washed, and enjoy the general delicate calmness of the evening.
iced white chocolate lattes in my favorite coffee shop, and picking tomatoes fresh from the garden then eating them there with a little bit of salt!
walking my dog, rufus, every morning and letting my mind wander before i head in for a crazy day of work is the BEST!
sitting on the back patio on a warm summer evening listening to the wind softly blowing through the trees, watching the big puffy clouds roll by.
climbing into a bed with crisp, freshly washed sheets after a hot shower or a long bath, and taking a nap in a warm breeze under the shade of a tree.
I love going on picnics with homemade lemonade, bagels with cold chicken salad, a good book, and sunshine :) Love this post and everyone’s comments!
My simple pleasure is the visit with my husband over a drink (virgin for me at the moment; I’m knocked up) and a snack when he first gets home from work. Out on our deck or in the living room, it’s the most relaxing half hour of the day.
the smell of water from a garden hose
Mine is so simple but my morning cup of coffee is by far my simple pleasure…it makes me smile!
food!
right now the simple pleasure i enjoy must in life is that quick moment of clarity i feel when i realize, this too shall pass.
The streetlight gleaming into my 2nd story window while I listen to the soft patter of a summer night’s rain.
My simple pleasures:
1) writing thank you notes to my friends and family
2) letting my husband cook dinner for me.
Taking coffee breaks during the day on our porch bench with my husband ( he works from home ), picking herbs or salad leaves from our garden just before using them, our special tea ceremony my 3 year old son and I would have, with fennel tea, using a nice (breakable) teapot and nice (breakable) cups and saucers,listening to NPR or FIP ( French radio station ) -having lived in the US and Paris – while going about my daily life in Sydney, cycling on flat roads ( hard to find in Sydney ), listening to the street sweeper go by at night, curling up with a book, these are the simple things that give me greatest pleasure, and of course, reading my favorite blogs like this one and d*sponge, design files, apt therapy etc !
Priya
cooking!
My simple pleasure – picnic at the beach preceded or followed by reading on the beach blanket!
watching my girls dance in the backyard with fairy wings.
xo,
cristin
My simple pleasure is coordinating a really fine, seasonal meal for myself. It should be tasty, colorful and include produce that is at its peak. The meal is served from aesthetically matching dishes, silverware and on a beautiful napkin/placemat.
My favorite simple pleasure is making my nieces laugh.
My current simple pleasure is snipping fresh basil off my balcony garden.
My simple pleasure is taking the time to create treat scavenger hunts for my pups. Their excitement brings a smile to my face.
One of my simple pleasures is my morning latte! I can’t bear to face the world without it, so I savor it :)
My simple pleasure a cup of hot coffee and a croissant in the quite of the morning…before the kiddo wakes up! ;)
Riding my bike to the farmer’s market with my boyfriend. Fresh baked banana bread. New shoes. Hearing the birds singing. Cuddles.
my simple pleasures are:
- drinking a big mug of tea/coffee (blue bottle, please!)
- sitting/napping/lounging in the sun
- listening to music… loudly.
- LAUGHING
:)
My simple pleasures:
watching the sun set
watching my son grow
being around family & friends
waking up each day & giving thanks
baking my son’s favorite cake
My daily simple pleasure is waking up to the smell of coffee and the sound of my coffee maker (chugging). The best moment is walking upstairs with a nice big cup o coffee!
there is a time early in the morning, after i’ve gone for a run and showered and had breakfast. i’m sitting in my bay window at a sun-dappled table, sipping coffee and reading the new york times. i set aside this time to slowly enjoy the quiet of the morning, before rushing out the door to classes and diving into my hectic day. this sets the tone for my day, a calm reflective time to chill, reflect, and enjoy.
the sound of a polaroid. a simple pleasure from just a noise. bliss.
I love when I’m on buses and trains, just watching the scenery pass by :)
When I was young and very rarely my family would take a trip somewhere I would always bring so many books and stuff to read, but just end up watching out the window for hours on end. Sure I’d read eventually but seeing the world pass by in was the best.
there are so many simple things that brighten my mood! here are just a few:
waking up to sunshine and green outside all the windows
hearing morning birdsong
ginger peach green tea that’s just cool enough to drink
a splash of bright flowers
a phone call with a far away friend
:)
thank you for sharing ..!!!
My simple pleasure – picnic at the beach preceded or followed by reading on the beach blanket!