Inside: I share a list of 50 things that make me happy!  Read this list to inspire your OWN list of things that make you happy and join in on the Happiness Project today.

Here is a list of 50 things that make me happy! There are reasons to be happy all around us, all we have to do is look! This is a great journal exercise to think about the positive things in your life and a great way to practice gratitude in your life.

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How often do you stop and think about what makes you happy? The things in your life that make you smile and truly bring about a sense of joy?

I know I personally don’t stop enough….It’s so easy to get caught up in the day to day hustle and bustle that we don’t stop to notice the little things that make us happy.

Today, let’s change that!

Thank you to my friend, Sarah, from A Simple and Contented Life, for challenging me to write down a list of things that make me happy! And not just a list of 5 or 10 things, no.  She challenged me to come up with 50 things that make me happy!!  I about fell out of my chair when the notification popped up in my Facebook feed and immediately thought, there is no way I could come up with 50 things!  That’s a LOT!

But after I took a few deep breaths and calmed myself down, I accepted her challenge.  

And I am SO glad that I did!

I am excited to share my list of things that make me happy with you in this post.  And I did come up with all 50!  Maybe I’ll challenge myself to come up with 50 more. 🙂

Scroll to the end to see which of my blogging buddies I challenge to the Happiness Project as well. 🙂

“Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be.” – Abraham Lincoln

But first, you may be wondering, what is the Happiness Project?

Here is a list of 50 things that make me happy! There are reasons to be happy all around us, all we have to do is look! This is a great journal exercise to think about the positive things in your life and a great way to practice gratitude in your life.

The Happiness Project: Things that make me happy

I did a bit of research online and couldn’t find where the Happiness Project originated from, but there are several bloggers who have been sharing their list of 50 things that make them happy this year. These posts are great for inspiration if you are struggling to come up with your own happy list or just want to put a smile on your face this afternoon!

You can read Sarah’s list of 50 again here.

Why is happiness important?

Happiness is something that we are taught to strive for. It’s the ultimate goal in life….we all want to be happy!

But what does that really mean?

WHY do we want to be happy?

“Focusing on the things that make us happy diverts our focus in life from what we do not have to what we have, from complaining to appreciation, from negative to positive, from sadness to happiness.” – Ronit Baras [SOURCE]

I did a bit of research and found that focusing on happiness and actually feeling happy can have a positive impact on your overall health and wellbeing.  How amazing is that??

Here are a few points that I found interesting about happiness:

  • Happiness protects your heart by promoting a lower heart rate and blood pressure. [SOURCE]
  • Happiness strengthens your immune system so you get sick less often. [SOURCE]
  • Happiness combats stress. [SOURCE]
  • Happy people have more friends. [SOURCE]
  • Happy people smile more and have deeper conversations with others. [SOURCE]

I will say that actually taking the time to write out 50 things was well worth it for me. I felt calmer and happier after thinking about all these seemingly mundane things.

This exercise is similar to a gratitude practice or even practicing mindfulness. By thinking about what makes us happy, we are essentially thinking about what we are grateful for. And by thinking about what we are grateful for or what makes us happy, we are present in the moment. There is no other place we can be!

Read more about practicing gratitude here.

Read more about practicing mindfulness here.

After reading through a few of the other bloggers’ lists, I noticed that we are each so unique and I love that everyone has a different happy list. The really amazing thing is that once you write up your own list of things that make you happy you can add to it anytime and refer back to it when you need a little pick me up.  🙂

50 Things that make me happy list

Now let’s get to the good stuff! In no particular order, here is my own “Things That Make Me Happy List”:

  1. Snuggling with my kiddos while reading them a book.
  2. Snuggling by the fire while I read my own book.
  3. Date night with my husband!
  4. Going for a walk with my dog, Homer.
  5. Listening to an audiobook or podcast when I am driving in the car, sans kiddos. Psst…get two free audiobooks here!
  6. Sipping a cup of fresh coffee with cream.
  7. Chai tea lattes.
  8. Walking to the park with my kids, while they ride their bikes.
  9. Snowshoeing in the woods with Matt and Homer.
  10. Going out to lunch with a friend.
  11. Talking and laughing with a long-distance friend on the phone.
  12. Writing articles for this blog.
  13. Practicing hand-lettering and watercolor painting.
  14. Sitting on the beach and soaking in the sun, though not for a long time since my skin is so fair!
  15. Watching the sunset and seeing all the pretty colors that fill up the sky.
  16. Hearing my kids laugh and have fun playing together.
  17. Rocking my daughter to sleep.
  18. Spending time with my family and my husband’s family who are basically my family too!
  19. Visiting friends that live in other parts of the country.
  20. Listening to the rain on a warm summer night.
  21. Watching my kids grow….it’s amazing how their little brains work!
  22. Reruns of my favorite TV shows.
  23. Watching Game of Thrones and trying really hard to understand what is going on.
  24. Making smores over a campfire.
  25. Camping.Here is a list of 50 things that make me happy! There are reasons to be happy all around us, all we have to do is look! This is a great journal exercise to think about the positive things in your life and a great way to practice gratitude in your life.
  26. Swimming.
  27. Watching the stars at night, especially if there is a shooting star!
  28. Making Christmas cookies.
  29. When I make a new recipe and it’s a winner!
  30. Eating popcorn at the movie theater.
  31. Eating ice cream on a hot day.
  32. Drinking hot chocolate on a cold day.
  33. Making photo books and looking through the pictures with my kids.
  34. Cooking with my kids.
  35. Organization!!  I love Trello and Evernote and spreadsheets are my jam!
  36. Clearing out space in our home.
  37. Making our house (or wherever we are living) into a home.
  38. Watching the excitement on my kiddos’ faces as they experience the magic of a simplified holiday season.
  39. Listening to my daughter as she learns how to talk….the words she comes up with are priceless!
  40. Looking through the photo stream we started when our son was born.
  41. Getting my nails done at a salon.
  42. Breakfast for dinner.  More meal planning tips here!
  43. Getting my haircut.  The best part is when they wash your hair and massage your head!
  44. Fresh sheets.
  45. The smell of clean laundry.
  46. Having a conversation with my husband without being interrupted by our kids.
  47. A good pair of boots.
  48. Girly Smartwool socks!
  49. Visiting and exploring big cities.
  50. Dance parties in the living room.

Phew!! That was such a fun exercise!  I encourage you to take some time to come up with your own list.  It really will make a big difference in your life!

How to complete your own happiness project

“Happiness is a now thing. Don’t wait until later to be happy.” [SOURCE]

I hope that this post has inspired you to stop what you’re doing and write your own list of 50 things that make you happy. 🙂

Here are a few tips to help you write your own Happy List:

  • Grab a fresh notebook and pretty pen and just start writing.
  • Don’t feel like you have to write the whole list in one sitting.  Maybe think of 10 ideas per day for 5 days.
  • Don’t limit yourself to just 50!  Maybe you can think of more things that make you happy! Once you start, it really starts to flow out of you!
  • Check out these articles about ways to be happier:  HERE, HERE, and HERE
  • Or, check out one of these great books about happiness:


I challenge these bloggers to create their own list of 50 things that make them happy:

No pressure here, but I think this is a fun exercise in mindfulnes. 🙂

“One of the best ways to make yourself happy is to make other people happy. One of the best ways to make other people happy is to be happy yourself.” Gretchen Rubin

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What is one thing that surprised you about your list of things that make you happy?

For me, I was surprised that 50 things make me happy, and I honestly could have kept going!  What are 50 things that make YOU happy?  Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. 🙂

Here is a list of 50 things that make me happy! There are reasons to be happy all around us, all we have to do is look! This is a great journal exercise to think about the positive things in your life and a great way to practice gratitude in your life. What are 50 things that make YOU happy?

3 Comments on List of 50 Things That Make Me Happy

  1. This is such a wonderful list. And a great way to show gratitude. Thank you for sharing😊
    You’ve inspired me to make my own list now.

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