What’s Making Me Happy This Week (2nd Edition)

Since the last couple of posts were on the heavier side, I thought it was time for some fun around these parts! (To see where I got the idea for this post, check out the first “What’s Making Me Happy This Week.”)

Let the fun begin!

1.) Do you love country music? Did you want to be Tammy Taylor from “Friday Night Lights?” Then you should be watching “Nashville.” Since I often enjoy the same things as Jessica from How Sweet It Is, I figured I should give it a shot. Um, SO GLAD I DID. I watched 13 episodes in an embarrassing amount of time and am now eagerly awaiting a new episode. (Speaking of which, WHEN WILL THERE BE A NEW ONE?!) (If the amount of caps used has any correlation with how much I love this show, then I obviously LOVE IT.) Bottom line: Drop what you’re doing (yes, even reading this blog post, it’ll be here when you get back) and WATCH IT. Hulu has all of the episodes available. (This is not an endorsement, although I do love me some Hulu.)

2.) In an attempt to save money and fulfill my current role as stay-at-home wife, I’ve been making dinner a few nights a week. This vegan sweet potato + quinoa chili was perfect for this gross end-of-winter weather we’re having. And it was super easy. I had almost all the ingredients on hand and it took about 30 minutes from start to finish. Plus there were plenty of leftovers. (Sidenote: Mike ate it. For those of you who don’t know him, this is a big deal. My husband can be somewhat picky when it comes to food – some things he dislikes: strawberries, broccoli, ice cream flavors other than vanilla, anything with a “strange” texture, shrimp, any fruit other than bananas + apples, yogurt. The fact that he ate a whole bowl of sweet potatoes, quinoa, and black beans speaks highly of this dish.)

3.) The 20/20 Experience. I think that’s all I need to say. (I didn’t think my Justin Timberlake crush could get any bigger. But it did. It really, really did.)

4.) Rachel Bertsche wrote MWF Seeking BFF with me in mind. Okay, that’s not true, but it seemed like she did. Confession: Making friends has never come easily for me, especially in adulthood. I tend to be shy when I first meet people, and it can take some time for me to warm up. Going to a small university and pledging a sorority helped me form friendships that I will be forever grateful for. And joining a book club post college was one of the best decisions I’ve made since moving to Baltimore. But your 20s bring a lot of changes, and sometimes that means friends come and go. This book made me feel like I’m not the only one who struggles to make those same friendships that came so naturally in college. Not only did Rachel share her experiences with “dating” 52 different women, but she also included research about female friendships that I found very helpful. Definitely pick this up if you’re looking to meet new people but aren’t sure how to go about it.

5.) The last thing that put a smile on my face this week is for my Baltimore readers. I attended my first Stoop Stories at Centerstage on Monday and am now begging Mike to take me to all of them. For those who haven’t been, Stoop Storytellers is hosted by Jessica Henkin + Laura Wexler – two hilariously smart Baltimoreans. At every show, seven people tell a seven-minute story related to a particular theme. (This last one was about the legal system and featured the former Baltimore Police commissioner, an investigative producer at Fox45, and a public defender, to name a few.) The show also includes live music from different local artists. It’s a great way to learn more about Charm City (and it’s super fun, too!).

So tell me, what’s making YOU happy this week?

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