14 Everyday Things I Love: A Tribute to Valentine's Day

Wednesday, February 14, 2018



Today is Valentine's Day, which has never been my favorite holiday, for a few reasons. Don't get me wrong, I love love, & I think love is absolutely worth celebrating, I'm just not much of a fan of this love-centered Hallmark holiday & all the fluffy pink hearts that accompany it. 

Instead of talking about all the people I love - of whom there are a great many - I thought I'd pull together a quick-hits list of some of the things in everyday life that I love most:
  1. Finishing a good book & getting to rate it highly on Goodreads & just reflecting for a moment on how great it was before moving on to another... this has always been one of my favorite feelings in the world. 
  2. Having everything neat & orderly. I was always incredibly messy growing up, & as an adult, I still can be - but I find so much peace & comfort in neatness. I hate cleaning, but I sure do love the feeling of everything being clean.  
  3. Eating meals with people I love. There's something joyful about a homecooked meal with my husband, or brunch with my mom, or coffee with a friend. Maybe I have such a hard time with dating because, for me, food is so linked to love?
  4. Being downtown in just about any city. I do love my slightly suburban life, but whether it's someplace small like Cleveland or the ultimate, NYC, being in the heart of a downtown area makes me feel so reinvigorated. 
  5. New episodes of my favorite TV shows & podcasts. I have a whole pop culture schedule. Mondays are My Favorite Murder minisodes & a new episode of The Bachelor, Tuesdays are podcasts about The Bachelor, Wednesdays are Chicago Med, & Thursdays are the best: last night's Law & Order: SVU & Criminal Minds plus new episodes of My Favorite Murder & Grey's Anatomy. Whew! I swear I do other things.
  6. Those perfect days - in any season - when it's not too hot & not too cold, just sunny & warm enough to go without a coat & to wear flats... I'm daydreaming about this weather right now. February in Cleveland will do that to you! 
  7. Cuddling with my cats. It may sound silly, especially to anyone who's not a cat person, but when they decide to grace me with their cuddly presence, I just feel so warm & cozy & fortunate to be their mama. 
  8. Being published. I am never more proud of myself than when I write something & get it "out there" - even if it's just right here on my own blog. I've been writing for Cleveland Magazine lately & just picked up a new regular contributor gig to be announced soon. Very exciting! 
  9. Buying something at a good sale. I've gotten much better about my overall shopping habits, but there's something so deeply satisfying about scoring a good sale on something you love.
  10. Getting a good night's sleep. This seems like a no-brainer, but as someone who's long struggled with sleep issues, getting a full 8-10 hours & waking up feeling refreshed is just so. freaking. good.
  11. Talking with kind strangers. I love chatting up randos - the pharmacist, the barista, the guy checking me out at Giant Eagle, the woman sitting next to me at the coffee shop. It might be weird, but I find joy in small, friendly interactions with people I don't know. 
  12. Listening to early-aughts emo. My go-to music is always music from the early 2000s, when I was fully obsessed with finding new tunes & tracking down live shows. Jimmy Eat World, Brandtson, Dashboard Confessional, Death Cab for Cutie, The Starting Line, Acceptance... I'm a sucker for it.
  13. Planning my next trip. I don't travel a lot these days, but I love thinking about where I'd like to go next & preparing for the times I do, in fact, get to go someplace. I've got a trip to NYC coming up, & I'm really looking forward to a little change of scenery. Always have to have something to look forward to! 
  14. Looking at my wedding photos. Every time I look through them, I find myself smiling ear to ear without even realizing it. I look at them whenever I want a pick-me-up. 
How do you feel about Valentine's Day? What do you love?

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