Simple Pleasures

I think its important to find delight in the little things. I haven't always been good at this, but over the years I've learned that it really is the small stuff that keeps me keepin' on. These last few weeks, as it has been getting dark early, and the time of year automatically prompts me to hunker down a bit (a time of year I generally wish we didn't have to endure), I've taken a fondness to a few things that have been simple pleasures for me:

• Espresso Machine - Honestly, these last few weeks, I'm not sure how I would have survived without this wonderful piece of equipment. It seems I can't make it through a day without making myself a latte (or two). Lattes have become a comfort food for me. My latest experiment is trying to recreate Starbuck's Cinnamon Dulce Latte and I think I've figured it out - or close enough anyway. I guess we're official northwesterners now - we can't live without our daily dose of good coffee.
• Homemade Chex Mix - The aroma of roasting Chex mix filling your house is almost as good as fresh baked bread or cookies. Sure it's easier to just buy the pre-made bag, but then you can't eat the mix when it's still warm - our favorite way. Thanks to the "triple pack" of Chex at Costco, we can make about three batches of this yummy mix without having to go to the store for more ingredients! This is great news, considering we've already made two batches in the last three days! It's addicting.
• Hulu.com - Ben found this website for us. Watch TV online - for free! This is primarily important for Ben when he is bored at work and needs something to do, but it applies to us at home too since we have only the very basic cable. We don't watch a ton of TV, but this website has everything from prime time dramas to cooking shows and everything in between. And since our cable company recently took away my favorite station (HGTV) from our line up (apparently we had been getting it "by mistake"...for four years!), this is a great way for me to get caught up on all the shows that have inspired my house decorating ideas. We also really enjoy the travel shows. And since our computer is actually nicer than our TV, we can't go wrong.
• And my most favorite simple pleasure....Warm Sheets! I don't mean warm as in flannel, or warm as in fresh out of the dryer, I mean warm as in taking my usually cold body and getting into our bed after Ben has been sleeping under all the covers for a few hours. Pre-warmed sheets just for me!

OOPS! Without even realizing it, I just ate the last morsel of Chex Mix... wait until Ben finds out!