Little things make a big difference.

I am noticing a pattern with the little things that make me happy... apparently, food and fancy coffee drinks bring me a lot of joy. This week, most of the things I captured to share were food related. What can I say, I love to eat. So, without further ado, here are some little things that made me smile this week...

Butter toast. By the end our first day at the Life is Good festival last weekend, I was tired, hungry, and feeling a little off. After we got back to the hotel and got ready for bed, all I wanted was bread. So, Brian went downstairs on a mission to find "crackers or something bread-y." Ten minutes later I heard the key swipe in the door and popped up to see Brian holding a plate of buttered toast. He is my hero. I can't really put into words how much I appreciated him going to the restaurant and requesting a piece of toast, the only thing I really wanted. It was exactly what I needed.

Honey Dew Donuts. Brian snuck out of the hotel room Sunday morning before I woke up to get me a surprise breakfast treat- Honey Dew Donuts. I had been wanting to try their donuts for a couple years, so it was very exciting to wake up to a blueberry glazed cake donut and venti Starbucks coffee. It was the perfect way to start the day!

Peppermint Mochas... iced. The muggy summer-like weather is not going to stop me from enjoying my favorite fall drink. This week, I discovered that iced peppermint mochas are just as good as hot ones.

Real mail. Oh, how I love to find real mail from Brian in my tiny apartment mailbox. It brightens my whole day.

It's Okay to be Different. In my little things post two weeks ago, I shared some of my kids' work from a core value activity we did. After honoring ourselves with that activity, we read the book It's Okay to be Different by Todd Parr and discussed the importance of honoring others. We talked about how our community can celebrate each other's differences and how being different is not only okay, but wonderful. We were so inspired by Todd Parr's book that we decided to create our very own It's Okay to be Different book. I could not have been more proud of my second grade friends as they created pages that read, It's okay to have two moms or two dads, It's okay to have different skin colors, It's okay to be shy, and It's okay to have different size houses. If only everyone could think like a second grader.

Healthy (?) cookies. I picked these up on a quick grocery run one night after work, and fell in love with them after my first bite. If you like coffee flavored treats, I recommend these!

Working together. My class spent a lot of time this week thinking about our second core value, working together. I asked my kids to try the human knot activity, where they start as a tangled clump and try to untangle themselves without letting go of each other's hands. Our first attempt was far from successful. What I loved most was the conversation that developed around our failed attempt and the ways the kids talked to one another about how we could work together to achieve our goal. They clearly explained the importance of communicating with one another throughout the activity and expressed their concerns about individuals taking action without consulting with the group first. It was one of those teaching moments where I knew good things were happening. It made me think about how grateful I am to get to do what I do. I am so lucky to get to spend my days with the most amazing kids.

Fall leaves. Fall has officially arrived in Minnesota, and the leaves are gorgeous. I am home for a few days to spend time with family, and I can't wait to admire the autumn hues on my drive up north tomorrow morning.

Getting to hang out with my little brother Lucas. Lucas lives in Chicago and I live in New York, which means we don't get to see each other enough. I am so happy we are both home to celebrate my grandma's birthday and am looking forward to catching up with him over the next couple days.

Driving skills. My mom does not have any. She gets anxious when merging into traffic. She cannot park in spots big enough for a small plane. And, apparently, she does not know how to drive up to the ATM at the bank. I almost peed my pants as I ran around to her side of the car to take this picture as a line of cars waited behind us.

Sunny. My parents got a new kitten a few weeks ago, and I was so excited to meet her! She is so cute, so soft, and so wild. She has a tendency to randomly jump up and hang on your clothes by her ridiculously sharp claws, which can cause some pretty serious injuries. Even though I am covered in scratches and claw marks, I love this little kitten.

What little things made you smile this week?