Check the entire “5 things that bring me joy this week” weekly series here.

It’s been a busy week on the personal front, with lots of things to take care of, including preparations for an upcoming and unexpected trip we have to take soon. While it’s not a trip we’re making for fun, we’re hoping we can squeeze some of that in there as well. That aside, here are the 5 things that are bringing me joy this week:

• Today’s rainstorm. I adore a good rainstorm, and we have gotten so few of them this summer, that I’m “craving” them like nothing else… I especially miss the crazy rainstorms and lightning we would get in the middle of the night, making the entire room light up. While those have been no-shows so far, at least in our area, I’m enjoying whatever rain we get these days.

• I’ve mentioned last week that we’ve been starting our day with a smoothie consisting of frozen bananas, plant-based milk, and dehydrated barley grass powder, and I’ll say that I am obsessed. It’s so yummy, nutritious, and the highlight of our morning, thus bringing me daily joy. For those reasons, I’m adding it to the list again.

• This silk scarf I purchased that will be perfect for fall and beyond, while I’m eyeing these as well. I don’t wear them nearly as much, but scarves definitely bring me joy — they’re a weakness of mine.

• A clean and organized home. The environment I’m in has a big influence on how I feel and a messy home wreaks havoc on my mind. Cleaning used to be therapeutic for me years ago, and while that is no longer the case, the result always brings me joy. Oh, a tip… I try to make the activity enjoyable by either listening to an audiobook or my favorite music — try it if you find cleaning (or other house chores) annoying as well.

• A new-to-us show we started watching and enjoying a lot so far… I’ll probably share about it in an upcoming blog post so I don’t repeat myself over and over…

What’s bringing YOU joy this week?

xo,

Em