#305: Warm Krispy Kreme Doughnuts

 Reason to Be Happy #305:

WARM KRISPY KREME DOUGHNUTS

 They're best right off the conveyor belt. It's so fun to watch them go through the waterfall of glaze. Mmmm... Must. Go. Get. Some. Now.

#304: That Floaty Feeling of Being Smitten

Reason to Be Happy #304:

That Floaty Feeling of Being Smitten

You know that feeling. When you can't stop grinning. When you have that little spring in your step. When everything seems a little brighter, a little more fun, a little more interesting. A little more full of possibility.

:-)

#303: The Way Colors Intensify After Rain

 Reason to Be Happy #303:

The Way Colors—Especially Green—Intensify After Rain

 All the spring flowers are almost shockingly vibrant after rain.

And that green—as bright as the fake Easter grass they put in baskets.

#302: The warm, damp smell of dirt

 Reason to Be Happy #302:

The warm, damp smell of dirt

#301: SWING

 Reason to Be Happy #301:

SWING

 The dance. The music. How can you not love this stuff?

Can you imagine how fun it was to hit those clubs, all dressed up, and dance like that?

Heck, even in a Gap commercial, it makes me smile!

#300: First Frappuccino of the Season

Reason to Be Happy #300:

FIRST FRAPPUCCINO OF THE SEASON

300? How did we get to 300 already? I started this on July 1, 2011 and said I'd do it for one year. That means we have only 65 left. (But since it was a leap year, we'll have 366 reasons).

As the weather turns warmer, it feels like a season marker when I order my first frap of the spring. Caramel, thank you. And yes, to the whip. Life is short, after all. I'm not a fan of deprivation. (That's why I run...). Enjoy!

#299: Sidewalk Chalk

 Reason to Be Happy #299:

SIDEWALK CHALK

 Coloring with sidewalk chalk is right up there with coloring in coloring books and icing sugar cookies. All have great therapeutic value. You will be happier when you give in and participate.

 I also love coming across messages in sidewalk chalk as you're walking through your day.

#298: Seeing older couples holding hands

Reason to Be Happy #298:

Seeing Older Couples Holding Hands

I know, I know, who am I to be calling anyone "older?" But you know what I mean...seeing couples who could be your grandparents, holding hands—I love that. There's something so sweet, so magical, so…hopeful about it. Romance is never out-dated in my opinion. Seeing this sight is one of my favorite things in the world.

#297: My cat's crazy old man eyebrows

Reason to Be Happy #297:

MY CAT'S CRAZY OLD MAN EYEBROWS

They are as long as his whiskers, but they shoot out from above his pale green eyes.

They are a thing of wonder!

#296: Entertainment Weekly's Summer Movie Preview

Reason to Be Happy #296:
Entertainment Weekly's Summer Movie Preview

I've, uh, mentioned that I love movies, right? Love. Them. And the summer movie preview is just a geek fest for me, of reading and planning and anticipation.
The Avengers. Snow White and the Huntsmen. Crooked Arrows. Prometheus. Dark Knight Rises. Moonrise Kingdom. Hysteria. Dark Shadows. A Perfect Family. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Beasts of the Southern Wild. The Amazing Spider-Man. Ted. Hope Spring. So many movies, so little time...

#295: Rereading a Beloved Book

Reason to Be Happy #295:
Rereading a Beloved Book

Such a great joy—revisiting a book you swooned over the first time. Those books that are capable of rendering us smitten (and blind to all other commitments) time and time again—those are among life's greatest pleasures for me. My most recent revisit is of The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. A beautiful, hauting book. If you haven't read it, do yourself the favor. I'd be willing to bet it's one you'll one day want to reread yourself.

#294: Learning to Make Indian Food Yourself

Reason to Be Happy #294:
Learning to Make Indian Food Yourself

Okay, so I'm no expert yet…but my friends are willing guinea pigs with my experiments. So far, what I'm pretty darn good at is mulligatawny soup and the fabulous dessert gagar ka halva (which is like a warm carrot pudding…I know that sounds icky, but trust me: it's divine).

#293: Indian Food

Reason to be Happy #293:
INDIAN FOOD

Ohh...perhaps my favorite cuisine (or at least seriously tied with Italian). I like it spicy hot enough to make my nose run. Fresh, fluffy, buttery nan. Chicken tikka saag. Hot pickle. Samosas. When I meet friends at Amar, I always write it "Ammmmmmmar." :-)

#292: Water Balloon Fights

Reason to Be Happy #292:
WATER BALLOON FIGHTS

Okay, this is going to sound…weird, but is there anything more satisfying to hold than a water balloon? They just feel good in your hands. And everything that's fun about a snowball fight is even better with a water balloon fight because they tend to happen in warm, sunny weather. Half the fun is in the preparation.

#291: Picnics

Reason to Be Happy #291:
PICNICS

The glorious season begins of eating (an activity I adore) outside (a place I adore). I love a picnic. They are always worth the extra effort, in my opinion.

#290: Marathon Writing Days

Reason to Be Happy #290:
MARATHON WRITING DAYS

Those rare days when two elusive things coincide: the writing is flowing and you have time to stay to catch it. A writer's dream.

#289: Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me: The NPR News Quiz

Reason to Be Happy #289:
WAIT, WAIT! DON'T TELL ME!
The oddly informative NPR news quiz...

One of my very favorite things about a Saturday morning.

#288: Hula Hoops

Reason to Be Happy #288:
HULA HOOPS

There are no photos of me using a hula hoop because that never lasts long enough to capture! I'm horrible at it, but it never fails to get me laughing...hard. Nothing makes you feel more ridiculous. And feeling ridiculous can be fun.

#287: Tire Swings

Reason to Be Happy #287:
TIRE SWINGS

#286: The Sensation of Digging Your Hands in Dirt

Reason to Be Happy #286:
The Sensation of Digging Your Hands in Dirt
Fresh, loose, rich, dark soil…nothing better!

#285: Sugar Cones

Reason to Be Happy #285:
Ice Cream in a Sugar Cone

There's something so wonderful about biting off the bottom of the cone and sucking out the last bit of melted ice cream.

#284: Jelly Beans

Reason to Be Happy #284:
JELLY BEANS

If you're talking old school jelly beans, my favorites are the black (with all their licorice goodness) and the white (which taste of cream soda). If you're talking the new-fangled Jelly Bellies, then I love the coconut, the strawberry daiquiri, and the cotton candy. Just so ya know...

#283: Easter Egg Hunts

Reason to Be Happy #283:
EASTER EGG HUNTS

My mother is the Queen of all Easter egg hiders. And, yes, even the adults have to hunt for them. This is a real hunt, not those lame games where they just put a bunch of eggs in the grass and everyone races to grab the most the fastest. No, my mother's hiding will keep us all occupied for at least half an hour. She's good. We get pretty competitive about it, too.

#282: Dyeing Easter Eggs

Reason to Be Happy #282:
Dyeing Easter Eggs

I love that funky, vinegar-y smell.

#281: Chocolate Bunnies

Reason to Be Happy #281:
Chocolate Bunnies

Two of my favorite things combined.