It seems kind of wrong to be posting about happiness today. The tragedy and devastation going on in Japan is so sad. I’ve found it hard to tear myself away from the news and worrying about those people still searching for their loved ones. I can’t even fathom what they are going through, and I find myself glued to the news updates, hoping for some glimpse of a happy ending for at least some of the people over in Japan.
With that being said, if you are anything like me and get pulled into news stories so deeply that it effects your overall being, then maybe a little reminder of happiness is in order. What do you think?
To start off my Happiness Report, I have to say as much as I love soup, I am more than happy to see salad weather finally approaching us! Sun, longer days, fresh fruits and veggies are just around the corner and I can’t wait!
Another thing that made me smile in a big way happened this week. I have been blogging for close to 4 1/2 years and for the first time in Dine & Dish history, my husband made a comment on my blog! Something about the Being Irish post and sharing his Grasshopper cocktail recipe made him feel compelled to come out of the woodwork and make an appearance.
I bought these cute pink polka dot straws and some other products from an Etsy store called Hey YoYo. All of the products they have at Hey YoYo are smile inducing. From colorful polka dot straws to fun cupcake liners… even her business cards bring a smile to my face! If you love fun and whimsy, you’ll have to check out the Hey YoYo Etsy store.
Photo courtesy of Beth from the blog OMG! Yummy
Earlier this week on Twitter and Facebook, I asked some of you to share your favorite posts you wrote or pictures you took in the month of February. In return, I received links from many of you that really made me smile. One such post that stood out to me was a post by Beth from the blog OMG! Yummy. Beth’s post starts out with this picture of her Grandma and then goes on to talk about her Grandma’s Bubula recipe. It makes me happy to read about how food can evoke such strong memories in people. Beth went on to tell me that her sweet Grandma lived to be 100, and if this picture weren’t cropped you would see her holding her great-granddaughter, causing her to smile that precious smile. I told Beth that I think I’m going to print out this picture of her Grandma and hang it up where I can see it everyday. How can you be grumpy when you see a sweet smile like that each day?
Reading your favorite posts from last month made me happy to. If you didn’t get the chance to share your favorite blog post or photograph from February, please share the link in the comments below. I’ll make sure to head over to take a look and comment.
Here’s to a happy week for all! Best wishes.
OHHH – Kristen! Reading this just made me cry — from happiness! Thanks for sharing my grandma and for sharing your other happy moments and also your real concern for our neighbors across the ocean in Japan. Despite the miles between our coasts, we certainly felt a little bit of their devastating crisis as we watched the waves roll in violently all along the coast of California yesterday. May the world have a peaceful weekend.
That salad looks soooo good!
I am happy because I FINALLY got my passport application turned in for a trip to Greece with Eric (and no kids) this May. There was all kinds of stuff messing up the process that was out of my control – like they require a different format of your birth certificate if you were born in certain states, but they don’t put that info on the passport website. So the first time I went to turn it in they turned me away and I had to file to get the correct copy. Kind of a pain. But I am SO GLAD it is finally done.
And Logan had a few great days in a row this week which is always a nice surprise.
It is especially at times like this we need to remember that happiness exists – even in the face of great tragedy. I loved every single one of your “happy” things for the week!!!
I think everyone should do this every week – we too often forget about the good in our lives!!!
I love the Happy Report! Just makes me smile, like those darling pink polka dot straws!
You make me smile too love, thanks! Smiling…it’s a nice thing to do after a long yuck-o week…
SUch a neat post… I totally agree about the happiness! And I LOVE the comment from your hubby. I am still waiting for my hubby to do that! 😉
Blessings-
Amanda
I love the comment from your husband as well, how sweet of him! And to think it only took him 4 1/2 years 😀
Loved reading your happiness post; it brought a smile to my face! Love the comment from your hubby too! 🙂
HAPPY wishes to YOU Kristen!
Those straws make me HAPPY and so does that YUMMM~O salad!
How adorable that your hub COMMENTED on your blog!
What a THRILL!
G likes to read my comments…but he has never~ever commented!
Your SMILE in your twitter pic makes me HAPPY too!
HAPPY weekend to YOU!
xo
We all need to be reminded of the blessings and happinesses in our lives, and to have gratitude. And I would be really thankful if I could have a plate of that beautiful salad!! Those straws are way cute, too.
O yes we all need a little happiness these days and your post just brought a little happiness over here!!
Kristin, your happiness and lightness shines through in this post. Even when tough things are going on out there we need to find the good, happy and pretty. Smiles make things better, yes? I am gonna go break the bank at that Etsy store. OMG….xxoo
Kristen, I love all that you do. You are an inpiration and I am “happy” and “grateful” to call you my friend. I missed the announcement on Twitter(I am guilty of not participating all that much), yet I am getting right on it. This post makes me happy!
My favorite post from February 2011 was the Vanilla Bean Angel Food Cake. It’s my favorite becasue I am loving my virtual baking project that I share with my friend, Patricia from Technicolor Kitchen. It reminds me of how wonderful this community can be as well as how life takes us in directions that we may have never exptected.
http://www.theurbanbaker.com/vanilla-bean-angel-food-cake/
I just love how you see the “happiness” in the little every day things Kristen!!
I’m in love with those straws!
My happiness for last week……Allison was struggling in her French class some and got her grade back up to a “B”!!
Hearing the news that YOU, and another blogging friend are coming to visit with me next week!
After 7 months of waiting Heather finally got news that the new salon is ready to open!
Happy bring in Yum Food & Fun for Kids this month!
My favorite part is how sweet it is that your husband not only reads the blog but posted a comment on it too. What a lucky girl you are to have such a supportive & sweet hubs.
What a great post! Wonderful things to be happy about…and congrats on the comments from your husband! He made you wait awhile!!!
Way to go Nick!!
Honey, I’ve been blogging for over EIGHT years and my husband — as much as he adores me — has never commented on a single blog post. He reads most of my blogs, but he kind of feels like it’s my domain. 🙂
That said, I seriously NEED the recipe for that salad. Yes, I can see chicken and strawberries and green, but I know it won’t taste like it should unless I have it exactly. Yes, I’m just that bad at cooking.
I always love your happiness report posts and this one is my favorite so far!!! I love that Nick left that comment. So sweet.
What a sweet photo – made me smile for the first time all morning
I love these happiness post. I especially love the comment your husband left for you. That’s so sweet!
I’ve been glued to the tv too watching the reports. It’s hard to focus on other aspects of your life when you start to imagine what everyone over there is going through. 🙁
This is a great post
Sadly, it takes tragedies like what is happening in Japan, has happened in Thailand and Haiti, and closer to home Hurricane Katrina, to remind those of us physically unaffected because we live miles away just how many little things that we have that could go on our happiness report. This week I realize how happy and grateful I am for clean water, a roof over my head and good food to eat. It doesn’t matter that the water may be drank from mismatched glasses, that some of the furniture is a little shabby and that the food is nothing special.
LOVE that shot of your husband’s comment… you should have blogged about him sooner! 😉
My favorite blog post from February… that’s a tough call because I loved the Raspberry Carob Chip Pancake post (now those make me really happy!), and I couldn’t leave out the soup recipe post that came from your Soup-a-Palooza party. But this one is what started our Star Recipes Collection, inspired from the popularity of the soup recipe post! And I enjoy seeing all the great new recipes that get added to the collection.
Congratulations on 4 1/2 years blogging… you have made quite an impact on the world of food blogging! 🙂