My Brief List of Good Things To Bring You Cheer

Whew! Hey, y'all, I hope you and all of your loved ones are well. The two weeks have been quite a whirlwind, both in the US and around the world, and I definitely didn't expect to be talking to y'all while in this situation. Nevertheless, here we are.

First off, I feel it's part of my responsibility to say stay safe and keep others safe—wash your hands regularly, practice social distancing, minimize touching your face, cough/sneeze into a tissue or your elbow, try not to hoard supplies, and contact the appropriate officials if you believe you've contracted COVID–19. This is undoubtedly a difficult period for all of us and it is paramount that we all do our part to keep ourselves and others safe.

With that being said, I want to contribute what I can towards adding a bit of cheer to the world during these uncertain times. So, naturally, what better to do than to share my list of good things I've recently encountered? I got the idea from Alexandra over at Twirling Pages, who shared her list of good things and I thought it was a brilliant idea, so why not share my list too? Because despite the craziness of the world recently, there's still plenty I've found to celebrate! Let's take a look...

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M Y   L I S T   O F   G O O D   T H I N G S

1. My Friends & Family Are Lovely, Loving, And Lovable! If there's one thing this whole pandemic quarantine thing has shown us, it's probably (I would hope) that friends and family are a super important part of our lives, our well-being, and certainly, if not anything else, our sanity. I'm lucky enough to have wonderful friends and family who I'm very close to and we've been finding ways to keep in touch while social distancing. We group chat, talk on the phone, and video call daily and every time I hear from one of them, it adds that much more brightness and cheer to my life!
2. This blog post (from Michelle at A Geek Girl's Guide) Giving Self Care Tips Based On Your Hogwarts House Is Da Bomb Dot Com! I'm a Ravenclaw and I gotta say that Michelle's suggestions for Ravenclaw self care are on point!
3. Dancing Around My Front Yard While Blasting Music Is A Superb Way To Exercise And Get Outside! The weather is starting to warm up, which means it's prime time to get your booty outside and moving! My favorite way to do this is to turn on some music and just dance around outside! I may not be the best dancer, but it gets me out in the sun, gets me moving, and instantly lifts my spirits!
4. Speaking Of Music, This COVID-19 Quarantine Party Playlist Started As A Joke But Actually Slaps? Who woulda thunk it, lol!
5. A Kitty Adopted Us! There are a bunch of stray cats in our neighborhood and my mom always feeds them. About a month to a month and a half ago, one of them started to curl up in my mom's lap everyday when my mom would sit outside. For several reasons my mom and I believe this cat was abandoned. Finally my mom let the cat into our house. Now he sleeps on our housemate's legs every night and curls up on our couch all day between brief jaunts outside our house. I think the cat has adopted us so I guess we have a cat now? I'm certainly not complaining!

A stray cat decided to adopt us for quarantine cuddles. It showed up a month ago begging for food and curled up in my moms lap after being fed. It sat on my moms lap all day/night until she let it come in. Now it cuddles us and curls up on our couch. I guess we have a cat now? pic.twitter.com/iJP4fWJN8N

— Lila/Hardcover Haven📚 (@hardcoverhaven) March 16, 2020

6. Audio Drama, Comedy, And Bookish Podcasts Are Giving Me Life! Hello, friends, my name is Lila and I am a bona fide Audio Addict™, here to tell you that if you are not already listening to podcasts, um, HELLO, now would be the time to start!! If you, like me, are already an avid reader, then allow me to suggest audio dramas, such as TANIS, The Bright Sessions, and Kalila Stormfire's Economical Magick Services, as a great starting place. Interested in learning something new? Check out Myths And Legends, Stuff You Should Know, and Bad Science! Looking for a laugh? Maybe try Guys We F****d or My Dad Wrote A Porno! Want the cozy experience of having a conversation with friends? Say no more—listen to Books Unbound instead! There are an infinite amount of great options for your every whim and wish!
7. It's Cherry Blossom Season In The DMV! Admittedly, it's not quite the same, given that the annual Cherry Blossom Festival was canceled, but you can still see the trees in full bloom around the area. My family has a weeping cherry in our front yard and it has blossomed and is absolutely gorgeous! I shared some of the peaceful footage in hopes of bringing some tranquility to someone. The festival also continues virtually, so definitely take a look and add some beauty to your life!

Cherry blossom season in DC isn't the same this year, for obvious reasons. So here's some peaceful footage of the weeping cherry in my yard which just recently began to bloom. Hope it brings you some peace of mind and reminds you that the world is still full of beauty pic.twitter.com/yJeAMMX8mJ

— Lila/Hardcover Haven📚 (@hardcoverhaven) March 19, 2020

8. YouTube Walking Tours Are A God Send! On the recommendation of someone the other day, I discovered walking tours of YouTube. They're tours of places filmed from the point of view of someone walking around and exploring that place (sometimes with music, sometimes not). Voilà! A (kind of) cure for cabin fever! They're great for helping scratch that itch to get out of the house or just to turn on as background noise while you're #WorkingFromHome. Definitely check out my YouTube playlist of my faves below!