Hello, hello!
I wish I had more hooking greetings like Arman.
I hope Monday treated you all well. It was actually kinda nice to get back into the swing of things, but I do miss my blog reading downtime. And my fuzzy blanket in the freezing morning.
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It was warm-ish yesterday, but the temps are dropping by, like, 40 degrees today. Ice day? I think yes.
Moves
Yesterday I headed to the gym to get some blood flowing to my cold muscles! I did a 20 minute incline walk and an arm workout that looked somewhat similar to this TRX one from last week. This time, I switched up some of the core moves and added some TRX bicep curls, which were a nice challenge considering I haven’t done a curl in forever. I also spent some time on this contraption:
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Except I did NOT smile this much.
On this rope climbing machine, I did 6 minutes total, pulling down and pulling up on the rope every other minute. This is one of my favorite ways to work the whole upper body— it’s one of those things that you feel really cool doing, especially when you’re listening to intense music. Intense music being Starships by Nicki Minaj.
Lastly, a plank to finish! I had to switch from elbow to straight arm plank to fight for these 4 minutes.
Shouldersssssss.
Current Simple Joys
Yesterday, I passed by a poster that I used to love looking at in my freshman English teacher’s room that has a long list of simple pleasures in life that you can enjoy by yourself or share with others. I love that poster so much because I do believe that the simple joys of everyday life are what can bring the most fulfillment.
So in honor of that idea, I wanted to share some of the simple joys that I’ve noticed in my life lately. Please play along and list your current simple joys in the comments!
- Eating that perfectly ripened banana. Not too green, not too brown.
- Getting a good night’s rest.
- Sitting down for dinner with the family on a Monday night.
- Holding that plank.
- Getting up just a wee bit earlier to make a hot bowl of oats.
- That peanut butter melted in the center of the hot oats.
- Loving texts from mom and pop.
- Not having a lot of homework.
- A friend making that extra effort to help finish a project.
- Little dancers smiling and saying “hello!” and “thank you” after I assist their class.
- A really good sandwich for lunch.
- Fuzzy pajamas.
One other thing that I’d like to mention from yesterday is something that touched me deeply. A man named Mr. Halligan came to our school yesterday to talk about the story of his son, Ryan, who committed suicide in 2003 due to bullying and depression. His words broke my heart as they portrayed the agony and pain of the story, but they also showed hope, peace, and forgiveness. Some things that he said that really stuck with me:
- “You are loved more than you will ever imagine. Don’t you ever think for a second that no one cares about you or that they will not miss you.”
- “Forgiveness felt so much better.”
Mr. Halligan’s presentation definitely had a profound impact on some of the students in my school, including myself. He has been extremely courageous and generous in giving these presentations to many schools and on many shows, including Oprah. Please keep him, Ryan, and his family in your prayers. You can learn more here: Ryan’s Story.
I didn’t really want to end this on such a somber note, but just know that there can be so much positivity brought forth from this tragedy, as Mr. Halligan clearly displayed in his speech.
Have a lovely day, everyone 🙂
So tell me:
List some of your current simple joys!
Do you like planking?
Daily Moves and Grooves 
Woah impressive planking time! I love AND hate planking all at once lol. Incline walking is the best ❤
Fuzzy pj's..yesss, the perfect banana..yesss, a good night's rest..for sure. I agree with all your's and I'll add fresh morning air and playing with my pup to that :). Mr.Halligan's story is so touching. And his strength is super inspiring
Fresh morning air is a good one! If only it weren’t so dang cold! 😉
that melted peanut butter on the center of my morning oats…I totally feel ya on that one! And I’m also loving my fuzzy christmas socks I wear year round 😉
fuzzy socks are the best! can’t go without those for sure 🙂
Oh, I read this history and it so impressed me… I can’t be at loss for words at all… Thank you that shared – I think, everyone has to read it
Definitely a powerful story and message! Glad it touched you, Marina ❤
Simple joy is a heated throw blanket.
word to that!
My current simple joys are:
A hot sweet mug of tea
That feeling when you’ve found the perfect “comfy position” in bed
Watching great movies with family
Constant prayer with Christ
Trying a new recipe and it turning out stellar
Great post! Thanks for getting me thinking this morning 🙂
-Ashley
Those are all amazing simple joys that I totally love as well! Family nights are a favorite of mine. 🙂
Hope you have a great day, Ashley!
What a great post! And really got me thinking! Some of my current simple joys are being able to taste food and breathe out of my nose (still getting over a bad bad cold), good morning texts, getting mail (especially in the form of packages;)) making someone laugh, someone making me laugh, helping someone out, new books, being excited about something, getting my oatmeal perfect in the morning, and clean sheets!
Have a great day! Stay warm!
Being able to taste food after a bad cold is definitely something to be excited about! Stay warm, girl. It’s so cold out there!
I’m so jelly of the machines you guys have over there- TRX ones, THAT one which induces faux smiles…Why do we suck here?
I despise planking, only because I suck at them! Little joys- perfectly flipped pancakes. Seriously, it’s an art form. One which is hit and miss for me. More the latter 😉
We are definitely super lucky to have the rope machine and TRX frame. They’re both fairly new too!
Perfectly flipped pancakes are SUCH a joy. Especially after your failed attempt that leaves batter dripping off the side of the skillet. *SIGH*
I love the melted peanut butter on hot oats! Sometimes, I add a handful of dark chocolate chips. Oh, that tastes so good!
Great plank time! Most people can’t hold it for that long, unlike me. My record is 10 minutes!
Stay warm. =)
Oooo melted pb AND melted chocolate? This is why breakfast rocks.
Dang! 10 minutes?! Core of steel, girl!
I try to write down five things I am grateful for everyday (simple joys), so I love this post!
Today it was:
fuzzy four legged friends (aka dogs)
kinder then necessary workers
unexpected down time
technology to stay connected with friends miles away
sunshine after two days of snow!
That’s such a good daily practice! Those are all great simple joys. I especially love the “kinder than necessary workers” one, because they really can make your day so much brighter!
Hope you have a great day, Hayley!
You may think you ended this post on a sad note, however it wasn’t. His story is so powerful, and should be a lesson to everyone – especially the words you shared with us. He’s a strong guy, and I will pray for him & his family. Even though the death occured years ago, that pain will never go away. Bless his heart.
Amen, Jessie. I know he and his family would be eternally grateful for you words here and your prayers ❤
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