We’re nearly through the first week of May and life continues to keep me on my toes. They are repaving the curbs on my street this week, namely the cute little chunk of curb right in front of my driveway (and the driveways of many of my neighbors) which means I haven’t been able to park in my driveway since Sunday. First world problems, I know, but this small change in my routine has thrown off the whole week in little ways. With no access to my driveway and construction vehicles and limited street parking and construction noises keeping my dog on high alert 24/7, it’s been easy to get a case of the grumpies. Here are five things that are not making me grumpy this week:

1. Five dollar bouquets at the grocery store (photo above): The only pop of color in my yard right now is of the dandelion variety. Which is sad making because I love photographing and enjoying pretty flowers. I decided to take matters into my own hands on Monday and treated myself to a small bouquet of flowers at the grocery store. A clever blogger once recommended breaking bouquets down into smaller bundles and spreading the floral love and I did just that so my five dollar splurge has created a fresh pop of color in my kitchen and my dining room and as of Friday, they are still going strong. It’s amazing how something so small and simple has brought me so much joy with so little effort. #mustdothisregularly
2. I’m still enjoying the Instagram challenge that I mentioned yesterday. Today’s photo was the cover of Jenny Lawson’s book, Furiously Happy. The fringe benefit of these challenges is that purposefully taking pictures every day, even if they are just pictures of the books in my home, gets me thinking more creatively in general; taking more pictures of other things, too and thinking about everything from a place of creativity instead of just from a place of getting stuff done and when is bed time?
3. I got my Dia & Co. Box this week and fell in love with two of the items in my box. A pair of jeggings by Jessica Simpson that are actually flattering and don’t make me feel like The People of Walmart. And a super cute flouncy polka dot skirt that makes me want to have a twirling competition with my six year old. If you aren’t familiar with Dia & Co. it’s basically the same idea as Stitch Fix but they cater to plus size figures so my hips can actually fit into the clothes they send me. So far out of two boxes, I’ve kept three items which frankly for my budget is perfect. The jeans I got in my last box are my new favorite jeans and are getting a lot of action in my life.
4. Cute bookmarks make everything better. This month’s book club pick (Night Film by Marisha Pessl) is keeping company with my new Hagrid bookmark that was in my Uppercase shipment last month. I’ve only gotten one box so I haven’t formed a clear opinion of this YA bookish subscription service but so far so good and Harry Potter bookmarks are not hurting my life.
5. Giving back to the community makes my heart happier. Last night my son and I volunteered at a local food pantry with his best friend and said friend’s mom who is coincidentally and luckily a good friend of mine. The boys had a joint birthday party last month where they asked their friends to bring a donation for a food pantry in lieu of gifts and we finally got to take a tour of the food pantry we donated to and even helped stock shelves and bring bags out to the cars for the people coming in to shop this week. It was really cool to see the inner workings and to give back to the community in a small way. And it really put things into perspective when I look at the abundance of blessings in my life. And reminds me to be grateful that my biggest problems right now are the construction going on in my driveway and street.

Hope you have a great weekend! I’d love to hear about some of the things you are doing a happy dance about this week!