Happy On-The-Go
I want to put together a happy kit. Something that I can carry with me (in my bag) that I can use to lift my mood quickly. I had taken an art class a few years ago and the instructor was very much into the tapping into your inner child thing and had us make toy boxes out of old cigar boxes. It was fun decorating them, but I’ve only touched mine once or twice since and mostly just to see what was in there. But a happy kit? That I can get behind.
So, what might be in a happy kit? Anything that makes you smile, laugh, dance, play, etc. I tend to get very anxious when I’m about to go to some sort of social gathering and I could see this kit idea coming in quite handy. Even when I’m at a party or something, I could duck into a restroom and access that happy!
Just some initial ideas for my own kit: A picture of my husband, puggyman and tabbycat. A sourball or other hard candy (peppermint!). Something soft or fuzzy to feel/pet, maybe a tiny plushie. Something to smell, like a peach or berry or citrus fragrance. I should really create a HAPPY playlist on my iPod, too. Maybe even a picture of one of those hilarious memes that always seem to be on the web. Something silly, ya know? And maybe a picture of Jessica! What Jessica?
This Jessica:
What else should be in there? Oh, Advil, Pamprin, Tums…things I may actually NEED! Ha-ha! A wet wipe! Practical stuff, like a Tide pen. What else?
What would you include in your Happy On-The-Go Kit?
A little container of bubbles- the kind with the wand in the lid. I keep one in my glove compartment for traffic jams. It’s the best stress reliever ever. 🙂
(Here via the fat’osphere feed. Hi! I’ve enjoyed reading your blog.)
@Kit: Hi & welcome! Love the bubbles idea! Hmm, gotta see how much room I have in my glove compartment. Fabulous!
i have a little book my youngest daughter made me. its an inch square and maybe 20 pages long. it has stars, moons, and bear fetishes im it (my 3 favorite things) as well as a bunch of “i love you” ‘s and “you are the best mom in the world”s. i carry it everywhere in my wallet. I also have random my little pony stickers to give to people. i am PAINFULLY shy in social situations (you cant tell by how i act though, no one ever believes me when i tell them that) And found if you compliment people or give them a little present they like you better….making it easier to make frineds.
@erylin: Oh man, that sounds like the cutest most sweetest thing ever! And stickers? I’m a sucker for stickers. Gotta track down some old fashioned scartch and sniffs!
@erylin: Oh man, that sounds like the cutest most sweetest thing ever! And stickers? I’m a sucker for stickers. Gotta track down some old fashioned scratch and sniffs!
@erylin: That sounds like the cutest most sweetest thing ever! And stickers? Hell yeah! Now I gotta track down some old fashioned scratch and sniffs!
I like Kit’s bubble idea. Mine would definitely include a kazoo. It’s impossible to be unhappy with a kazoo at the ready. And something chocolate. Chocolate makes everything better.
@Twistie: I like those ideas, too! Oh this happy kit will be made of awesome!
I wish they still had those bubbles that never popped. They left residue on stuff but man those were fun. I’d want to include fashion inspiration pictures probably, maybe make-up (Don’t carry stuff like that in my diaper bag) and one of those squeezy anti-stress deals, the kind where their eyes bulge from their sockets…
@E. Ai. B.: Fashion? Hmm…perhaps a fabulous brooch? Just trying to think small. Or a gorgeous feathery hair clippy? Hmm…I like those anti stress guys. Great ideas!
Oh, the happy tunes are required on some days. I have a very eclectic playlist called “Positive” that I use to psych up for tough stuff all the time.
I have a friend who used to make a lot of what she called “shrines” in Altoids boxes. Just a little diorama representing some concept. Back when I had a public desk, I really enjoyed being able to open one or two up to sort of set a mood. They were just the right size.
@Chutti: Oh that sounds amazing! I’d seen some mini dioramas from matchboxes ages ago, very detailed stuff, but lovely! Altoids boxes sound like a better size, actually. Hmm, I would rather like to have a go at making my own. Thanks for the lovely idea! <3
An iPod shuffle full of Broadway music
A $20 Ulta giftcard. Because nail polish makes me happy.
Pictures of my husband and my cat.Particularly the one where they are asleep forehead to forehead with the same serene expression on their faces.
A sprig of dried eucalyptus, because the smell reminds me of my grandmother’s house.
@Shieldmaiden1196: oooh I like those, too! I’ll have to see if I can find a basil essence that smells like the fresh stuff, always makes me happy!
I agree with the first commenter about the little bottle of bubbles. Also this one picture of my cat Ein where he is laying on the floor with this feet in the cat bed as if he just sort of fell out of it and fell asleep. A chocolate bar, some tiny colorful plastic toy like a mini My Little Pony, something that smells good like you suggested, a five dollar bill for an emergency pick-me-up, glitter, a list of really bad, awesome jokes.
@Katy: Okay, now I wanna see this kitty picture, it sounds fantastic! And I love your idea of bad/awesome jokes! Woo!