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.

You’ll notice that this week’s joys are focused on coziness as we’re seemingly easing out of summer and heading into more pleasant times weather-wise.

We’ve been watching old movies and cooking more comforting food in hopes of “inviting” fall in. And I guess it’s been working? Read on for the 5 things that bring me joy this week…

• the cold front coming to Florida. I am so excited for this cooler weather coming our way; It was 91°F today and humid — I think we’ve had enough of summer! I just hope that we don’t get to a freezing point (which for us here is anything below 70°F during the day).

• this pearl choker necklace. I just got it in today and it’s so beautiful! I think it will be my new favorite piece of jewelry and right now it’s bringing me a lot of joy.

• making this Mediterranean “stew” with artichokes, potatoes, and beans. It’s one of my favorite dishes as it’s delicious and it helps that my husband “inhales” it. I tweaked it based on what I had and used marinated artichokes instead of fresh, and navy beans instead of broad beans. I also adjusted the lemon juice quantity based on taste. I always make this during the cool season and it hits home every time — it’s a comfort food for me and it brings joy!

• drinking chamomile tea about an hour before bed. Chamomile tea is calming and relaxing, and since I’ve had trouble sleeping lately, this has been helping. Plus, a cup of tea before bed is the epitome of comfort and little joy.

• these Swedish dishcothes. Nothing says that you’re aging more than the simplest household items bringing you the most joy. But seriously — these are amazing! They’re so easy to clean with and leave no residue or streaks behind (if you give them a good squeeze). After going with a cheaper version I thought was going to do the job just as well but fell apart really quickly, I ran back to the originals and will never look back. Getting old is fun, right? 😁

What’s bringing YOU joy this week?

xo,

Em