How do you like to play?

I was reading yet another interesting blog this morning that I feel really relates to our challenge; The Happiness Project. Today Gretchen Rubin is discussing how playing has a huge part in feeling happy. Thinking about our challenge of doing something we love every day and what things we are picking to do I am sure a lot of them are things we loved to do when we were younger. The things I loved to do when I was growing up are all the things that make me smile now; baking cakes, being by the sea, seeing my friends, dancing.....and even roller skating (not that I do that very often now)!


Hmm just thought of another one, I used to love making mix tapes!! Ok so that is my thing for today, I am going to create a play list (oh, how times have changed!) of all my old favourite songs from when I was 15 and under.....ooo this is going to be fun! I hope I can find Mel and Kim on Spotify!! (if you have not yet discovered Spotify it is an amazing tool for downloading free music).


Gretchen mentions a book by Stuart Brown Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul in which he lists various different "play personalities".  Going through the various options I think I must be a director, as I love to plan events/parties, and an explorer as I love going to new places and meeting new people. It helps to become present to what you are as then from there you can get ideas of things to do that will make you happy!


So I am taking on my director hat today and am booking the venue for our party on 14th April - I hope you can make it!


What is your play personality?


....and if you are stuck for things to do each day to make you smile, what would you have done when you were 8 years old?


Have fun! x

1 day to go - can't wait!!

Hello!

Just one day to go until the challenge starts, I just can't wait to see where it all takes us, what we get up to and what comes out of consciously planning to do something that makes us smile every day. Knowing that it is about to start I have been thinking about what I am going to do for my first week, I am a planner and like to get things planned in for my week ahead!

I had a fab idea yesterday whilst going through someone's wardrobe (I am an image consultant) of how lovely would it be to go up to random people on the street and give them compliments. It's so nice when someone comes up and tells you how nice you look or comments on something you are wearing, it really gives you a little lift. I often see people and think how fabulous they look but never actually say anything to them for fear of them thinking I am slightly odd! So I think I will do that on a few of my days in the challenge.

Another I idea I have had is to send people thank you cards, this idea came from reading about this fab book 365 Days where the writer sent thank you cards to people every day for a year. Every day I do think about what I am grateful for but this is one step further and again like the compliments idea it's touching other people.

After just spending a couple of weeks in an Ashram  in India I am addicted to yoga now so making sure I do bikram yoga will be another thing this week.

And finally I am going home next weekend to see my parents so I think I might bake a chocolate cake with my mum and enjoy licking the bowl afterwards (with no guilt!).....used to love doing that when I was younger!!!

Looking forward to hearing about what you all get up to!

Louise x