Check the entire “5 things that bring me joy this week” weekly series here, a collection of seemingly insignificant things that serve as a reminder to appreciate the little things — those small joys that make a difference in our day-to-day.

We’re back from an extended (and very lovely) weekend over here, so needless to say, this week’s been a little tough getting into the swing of things. It’s also not helping that we’ve seen a significant change in daylight time already, making it harder to wake up, and cutting our day short, it feels. Boy, have I been needing my morning coffee this week — I cannot go without it!

Coffee and dark mornings aside, here are the 5 things that bring me joy this week:

• cooler evenings/nights. A cold front that barely touched our area managed to bring cooler temps for the evening and night, and it’s been really nice catching the fresh air early in the morning before the suppressing heat takes over. For the first time since April, these last few days I was able to open the windows, even if only for an hour to enjoy, along with the bird songs. Love windows-open season!

• this House of Harlow 1960 candle. It smells nice, though I have to admit that I bought it for the vessel more than anything else, and it brings me so much joy every time I see it! Once I burn the candle, I will use the container as part of the decor and/or storage.

• blackberry crumble. It’s so easy to make and since we’ve had an abundance of blackberries lately (they’ve been on sale), I have been whipping one up quickly. I don’t have a recipe; I “eye” and combine and mix well whole wheat flour, oats, a little bit of sugar, cinnamon, a pinch of salt, coconut oil, and blackberries, and bake at 400F until the top turns light brown. Quick, easy, and so yummy!

• A kombucha a day! I’ve said it before, but my drink of choice is kombucha. I don’t like to drink alcohol or beer (personal choice), but I do love my everyday kombucha. We prefer the Health-Ade, GTS, and Kevita brands over any other brand; others we tried just tasted “watered down”. Anyway, these fizzy drinks sure bring joy with each sip.

• frozen grapes. It’s still very hot and humid in Florida, so we’ve been freezing grapes to enjoy as a [cooling] snack that brings joy. Try it — they’re so good!

What’s bringing YOU joy this week?

xo,

Em