Lost my Marbles? Nope, I know exactly where they are!! 11 simple JOYS!

Pretty Marbles!

You ever notice how it is the silly simple, sometimes cheap, unexpected things that give you JOY? I think about it all the time... So many times I have found the most wonderful things come from the strangest coolest things. And I have bunches of them around my house. And when I see them I feel such JOY! So I am giving you my JOY list and maybe you can find some things that you can do that will bring you- Simple Gifts of JOY!

My first (1) and favorite, is glass bottles filled with colored water in the windows. My mom used to do this when we were little. But I really started doing it when we lived in the city. We had a neighbor who partook of liqueur and would leave his bottles on my lawn every morning. At first I was frustrated like all my other neighbors. But about the third time my optimism got the better of me as usual, and I noticed how pretty the bottles were. So, I filled them with colored water and put them in my windows. Soon people were commenting on how beautiful they were. Negative into positive, plus my neighbor who was an alcoholic was so embarrassed he eventually stopped doing it. Still wish he could have stopped drinking. But that is another story.

So here are a few more. 10 to be exact.

1. Marbles in Jars or as I have them in my hurricane lamps. So pretty! A friend was mad at her children for leaving them around she was going to toss them. Now they are mine and sparkle and shine.
2. Magnets. We take the little coins you press in the machines at the thruway or places like the Zoo, etc. add magnets to the back and voila. Instant talking point. The kids love them!
3. I hang prisms from my lamps and in windows. There are always rainbows! Nothing like getting up on a Saturday morning and your granddaughter pulls you into the room and says "look Grandma! I am dancing in rainbows"!
4. Cards turned into air freshners, yup! When somebody sends me a card I don't throw it away I punch holes in it and around the edges Sandwich an old dryer sheet sprayed with my favorite scent in the middle sew it up with some yarn and hang! It will last for months and is so nice when I see it. A scenty reminder of someone thinking of me. Hmmm...
5. Okay, we have this little electronic Yatzee game we got for Christmas years ago. It moved into the bathroom and stayed. Yeah, I know, but it makes the guys happy. And I have noticed that two of my children now have one in their bathrooms at home. LOL!
6. Balloons! Yes, I always keep a bag in my desk drawer. Sudden party? Need a party? Want to send the neighbor a smile? You are always prepared with a little something. Also there is nothing better for occupying a four year old safely for hour (with supervision) ! And you can draw on them with permanent markers! Yay!
7.  The next time you are somewhere and they have one of those photo booths... Stop, and take a picture. Some of our most favorite "in the moment photos" have come from doing just that and we treasure those photos! I add them to albums, frame them make them into pins, magnets, etc...You can do so many wonderful things with them.
8. Put stuffed animals on the couch instead of pillow. Oh, not all the time, but once in a while. Since I started making Amigurumi's and placing them on the back of my couch I can't help but notice how much people love seeing them there. They smile and they touch them, snuggle them on their laps while they sit there. And the kids think they have died and gone to toy heaven!
9. Homemade coasters! We make them out of old mayonnaise lids, old CD's, felted old wool sweaters cut into squares  They are fun useful and recycled. What could be better!
10. Some of you may have seen my Christmas tree, I started using McDonald's teeny beany babies as ornaments for my tree  about 7 years ago. My daughters had left them at our home when they got married. I was fair I gave them four years to get them out. The memory of the day they came in and saw me sewing ribbons through their heads...Well, I laughed so hard I think I peed my pants. It has been the most fun thing and my tree looks great! I never worry when the kids are around either. They take the ornaments off and put them back on and I don't have to worry. Plus they get the wonderful sensory pleasure of touching a beautiful thing. Cool huh?

So now I hope you have some JOY ideas! I hope you will share some of your own. Mostly I hope you can find ways to take the frustrating things in life and take them from negative to positive. Look at a situation or thing in a new way and make beauty, fun or usefulness out of it.

Check again, I think the jar is more than half full!

I've got the JOY, JOY, JOY, JOY down in my heart! Down in my heart to stay!