At the beginning of the week, alongside a recipe for chocolate cherry buns, I asked you a simple question:
What’s a little thing that softens the edges of your day?
I loved reading through your answers.
Some made me smile, some made me want to put the kettle on, and quite a few reminded me that we’re all comforted by surprisingly similar things. A favourite mug of coffee. A warm dog. Clean sheets. Sunshine. Peanut butter.
My soft thing this week has been picking tiny bunches of flowers from the hedgerows and putting them in my little cow jug.
I’ve shared your answers below exactly as you wrote them. I didn’t want to order them or group them together; they feel nicest just as they are.
Thank you for taking the time to share your little softer things with me. If you’d like to add another one (or share one for the first time), there’s a link at the end of this post. I’ll keep collecting them, and when enough come in, I’ll share another little collection.
Having two pairs of house slippers, one for when I’m wearing socks and another for when I’m barefoot.
Getting a tail wag or sniff from a cute dog you cross on a walk (and because you smile at the dog, the owner knows you’re one of the good guys and treats you with a generous smile in return)
To touch the cat’s warm fur with my cold feet.
Enjoying my morning coffee in my grandpa’s old chair, with my cat next to me
Being freshly showered and climbing into clean sheets! Another for me is to be barefoot on a freshly cleaned floor. I do a silly shuffling dance barefoot once the floor has dried. We have pets and live in a dusty desert so the floor isn’t clean for long.
Getting up early, before everyone else and having a tea and puttering around.
Goodnight texts from my adult children
The smell of grapefruit. It’s bright and lifts me from wherever I am, to somewhere lighter. It’s instantaneous. Also, I love reading in the sunlight. The combination of those two things does more for me than the individual parts.
Putting my cheek against my baby’s cheek. (The best feeling ever!)
When I wake up, get out of bed, lay on the floor next to my bed and stretch
Reading in the garden with a cat on my lap.
In summer: homemade kombucha. Haven’t had a proper cup of tea in weeks (months? lost track) because it’s sooo hot and i can’t stand the heat (I’m in Belgium but England is much the same, I think). However, I make loads of kombucha from both green and black tea and every fizzy glass full makes me happy and helps me trough another scorcher. It quences the thirst more satisfyingly than water, there must be magic stuff in there that just hydrates more? Honestly, i wouldn’t know how to survive these ‘new’ summers without it. And two of my kids (one very picky five year old) adore it too. If i don’t pay attention they empty my glass before I’ve had the chance, but it’s cute.
Golden retrievers
A pre boiled egg on a hike
Petting my soft fluffy dog Winnie, of course
Buying scent enhancing beads for my laundry! (everything I wear now actually smells nice and it makes me feel grown up)
Socks with bowls of ramen on them
The first sip of tea in the morning; my dog’s smile (even better when he is smiling at me), birdsong, clean sheet day, the smell of fresh baked bread, hugs
Peanut butter
Sitting at my little table in the garden with a Moka pot of coffee, looking at all the flowers and runner beans, butterflies and dragonflies.
Smushing my head into my cats belly and smelling her buttery scent
Frothy coffee. Opening a window to let the house breathe. Tiny side plates for a little snack.
Watching my dog snooze in the sun 🌞 or maybe slowing down enough to truly taste every bite of food instead of inhaling it goblin style.
Avatar: the last airbender 🤪
I love dancing in the kitchen to old jazz songs or musicals while my sisters and I clean up after dinner.
Opening a brand new jar of jam.
Pausing to enjoy the Guardian with my breakfast of (homemade) muesli and an espresso.
To read your baking stories ❤️ I love baking myself but I’m not able to at the moment due health issues. To see you baking makes me both happy and inspired and gives me a little push to get started again.
Seeing very happy dogs on their morning walk while riding my bike to work.
Sipping a warm cup of coffee in the morning while watching the sun rise always brings a sense of comfort to my day!
When the dog comes and sits on my lap on a cold day like a big heavy hot water bottle.
lying in bed watching tv in bed with my legs up the head board so im in an L shape
Making sure i have even just a little dance every day!!!!!
Having coffee in the morning sun.
Try and talk to a stranger at least once a day
Rye bread :)
If you'd like to add one of your own softer things (or another one!), there's a link below. I'll keep collecting them, and when enough come in, I'll share another little collection.
Survey here
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