I try to pay attention to the small, sweet moments whenever possible—those flashes of joy that don’t ask for attention but light up your day all the same. From colorful creatures to childhood memories, unexpected desserts to roadside discoveries, here are 13 things that made me happy recently. Maybe they’ll light up your face with a smile as well!

This goes towards Thursday 13 where we make a list of 13 things, anything we wish, and to July’s Ultimate Blogging Challenge.

13 Things that Made Me Happy Recently

1. Parrots at the Happy Hollow Zoo and Park.
This one reminded me of a rainbow—vibrant, bold, and impossible to miss.

2. My friend’s new puppy, young and excitable!
He had just tired himself out and was happy snuggled on my lap. A rare still moment!

3. Our friendly neighborhood hummingbird!
Like I’ve mentioned before on my blog, it’s fiercely territorial about the feeder right outside our kitchen window. Here it is, standing guard.

4. This Goat Cheese Marionberry Habanero ice cream at Salt & Straw (our first visit there)…
Truly the GOAT—goat cheese never tasted so cool! Sweet, tangy, and just the right amount of heat.

5. Roses blooming in my backyard
These are in my favorite color—though not my favorite roses overall (shhh, don’t let them know!).

6. Artwork by the host of an Airbnb we stayed at last month.
Her home was filled with her art and completed puzzles, all framed in a just-right-kind-of-way. We loved the creativity and personal touch.

7. Watching these three little ones watch their car go through a local car wash 🙂
That attention made me smile just as much as the bubbles on the windshield.

8. Cane chairs for sale at a roadside dhaba on Highway 5.
Seeing them transported me back to childhood modas—woven, colorful, and full of nostalgia.

9. Mulberries!
Before tasting them for the first time just a few weeks ago, I only knew of them from the nursery rhyme. They’re a pop of dessert bursting in your mouth—sweet, earthy, and unexpected.

10. These speckled eggs on the jasmine plant just outside our front door—
Our very own front-door fairy tale. We’re using the back door now so we don’t disturb the mama bird too much.

11. California sunsets never fail to make me happy.
This one looked like sherbet poured across the sky.

12. Volunteered at the Pride parade in San Francisco on June 29th.
So much joy, color, glitter, and positive energy all around. I left with a full heart and sore feet!

13. A straight, pine-guarded stretch of road somewhere in California.
It smelled (I imagine!) like a Christmas dream. As for where it was? Anyone’s guess—thanks, menopause-memory!

And Now, the End of This Post of Things That Made Me Happy

Dear reader, what’s brought you joy lately? I’d love to hear the little (or big) things that made your heart feel lighter—drop them in the comments or share your own list!