Ten things that make me Smile

Whenever I am feeling down in the dumps, I look at this list and smile. Here are the ten things that make me happy:

1. Spending time with friends and family. 

I think it is so important to have family time; whether that is watching a movie together, going out dinner, or for walk. Also, with your friends, you don't always have to go out every night. However, just them coming over or you all meeting for lunch can be a great way to spend time together. I always feel the happiest when I am bonding with my friends and family.

2. Baking Sweets

I remember baking the classic, "chocolate chip cookies" with my grandma when I was a little girl. Although, most of the dough would make it into our mouths first before it made it to the oven haha. I've always loved to bake. My mom and I bake together all of the time. We love making cookies, cakes, cupcakes with LOTS of frosting, and brownies. Our signature item are peanut butter cup brownies...let me know if you all would like me to post a recipe for those soon. Sweets in general make me happy. Whenever I am at a birthday party and I receive a piece of cake with TONS of icing on it, a feeling of excitement spreads all over my face. I guess you could say I have a bit of a sweet tooth. ;)

3. Shopping and putting outfits together. 

Whenever I am shopping, I am constantly thinking to myself, "Oh, I bet that would go nicely with that." Whether it is a pink blouse with polka dot pants, or a white button down with green pants and riding boots, I'm always putting outfits together in my head. I love going into my room with a cup of tea, playing some music, and heading towards my closet to pair my favorite clothing pieces together. I find it so calming, soothing, and relaxing.

4. Singing and Playing piano

I've been playing piano since I was six years old and singing for as long as I can remember. Whenever, and I mean whenever, I am stressed out, I go downstairs to my piano and just sing and play as loud as I can. I forget about everything going on around me when I do it, I can just enjoy the music.

5. Writing

My mom is a writer, so it's no surprise that I love it too. English has always been my absolute favorite class at school. I love writing short stories, articles for my school newspaper, and of course, on my blog. Writing is in my blood. I'm always drawn to the shows and movies that involve writing; I re-watched both seasons of  The Carrie Diaries twice on Netflix, just to see what she wrote about for Interview Magazine....not to mention that have a complete obsession with Carrie Bradshaw.

6. Summer in New England

Whether it's Newport, Cape Cod, Nantucket, or Martha's Vineyard, I absolutely love spending my summer vacation in New England. From walking the sandy beaches with a cold cup of Del's Lemonade in my hand to walking down Bowen's Warf in Newport Rhode Island, while looking out at the sailboats. New England has always been my favorite spot in the whole world, and holds such a special place in my heart.

7. Pinning on Pinterest

Just like every other blogger, pinterest is an ABSOLUTE must have. I spend countless hours on there pinning quotes, fashion, brightly colored photos, decor, and pretty much everything else. I am constantly on it in my down time doing all sorts of things, and I find it very perfect and relaxing. My pinterest username is: @ThePreppyPress

8. Going out to breakfast

Going out to breakfast with my dad has been a ritual ever since I was little. Our favorite spot is a little diner near my house. I always get chocolate chip pancakes, and he gets eggs and toast. It's a great thing to look forward to and definitely a great thing to wake up to. Going out to breakfast is a really fun way to start off your day, and surely makes me very happy.

9. Decorating

A good majority of my pins on pinterest are all about decorating. I'm always reading tons of decorating blogs. I find that a lot of the reason spring is my favorite time of year is because I love cleaning and switching things up.  I love adding accents to my room, looking for inspiration, and going to Michael's Craft Store to find new decorations. I can sit in my room for hours switching things around, adding pictures on my walls, and putting little knick knacks all over my dresser. 

10. Making others happy

One of the most important things in life is being genuine, positive, and making others happy. I love seeing a person's face after I've given them a compliment. One nice thing you can do to one person, can make his/her whole day. I love seeing someone smile after they open a present you've given them. Be kind to people. Hold the door for the old lady coming in behind you. Say hello to a new friend, or even a person you don't know, while you're walking down the hallway at school. I promise you, it will make them feel amazing, and make you a lot happier as well. :)