Boy do I love a good freebie!

I’m not sure where I’ve been… Oh wait, I do know! I’ve been paying .99 a song to legally download music from iTunes. I love iTunes and I love my iPods! But I’ve just been alerted to another legal music download service offered by Yahoo that you can listen to directly from your computer or from a Non-iPod brand MP3 player. I’m a sucker for freebies. For some reason they have the power of making my day sometimes. Be it a gift with purchase, a buy one get one free, a free sample or just plain free. It makes me smile and that can’t be bad for me, or you for that matter! So Yahoo Music Service is offering a 2 WEEK FREE trial! Don’t miss the boat on this one! I’m sure in that two weeks, you can find lots of happy music to fill your ears with audible smiles! So, click above and get taken directly to the Yahoo Music Free 2 Week Trial signup page.

Be Well =)
Angelica

Know When to Fake It!

I remember coming across a study that “faking” a smile when you are not happy, can actually end up making you happy (or at least lighten your mood).  I can’t remember where I read this in detail, but regardless if it is “proven” in clinical studies or not, for me it actually works.  I have a mirror near my computer (not for vanity’s sake, but because my back is toward the television.  That way, if I want to catch a glimpse of something I can look up while I’m working and not miss a beat.  But every now and then, I’ll just make the biggest smile I can muster in the mirror.  You know the kind of smile that you may not have made since you were a kid? Yes, that kind!  Even if I was already in a good mood, it still just acts as a reminder to “lighten the load” any chance you get.

What’s Your Happy Trigger?

Inspired by a story on HappyNews.com , I began to wonder what some of my “happy triggers” are… So here goes:

My Kids (they make me laugh and fill me with deep joy and love), sometimes asking for a hug will just do the trick, or being on the receiving end of a great big smile, or catching a”happy dance” moment together.  I take pictures of my kids making really goofy faces or laughing and put those up in frames rather than any posed shot. We also take time several times a day to just be “goofy” together, be it talking in accents, making up songs, or doing super cheesy dances in the middle of the living room.  Those times are priceless!

Happy Music is another great trigger for me.  I have a playlist on my iPod simply called “Happy” for the times I need to lighten the mood or just to extend the joy.  Here’s some of the songs on my list:

• “I Can See Clearly Now” by Jimmy Cliff
• “Beyond the Sea” by Bobby Darin
• “Ain’t Got No Home” by Clarence “Frogman” Henry
• “Jump in the Line” by Harry Belafonte
• “Rocklobster” by The B52s
• “House of Bamboo” by Southern Culture on the Skids
• “Groove Is In the Heart” by Deee-Lite
• “Something Stupid” by Robbie Williams and Nicole Kidman

It’s great how fun music can change your mood.  Sometimes daily chores like grocery shopping or washing the dishes don’t end up seeming like a chore.  The grocery store is literally less than 10 minutes away from my house, but for some reason I usually find it tedious to walk there, shop, then lug all of my groceries home.  But now, I pop in my headphones and it makes the trip more enjoyable.  The first time I tried it, I actually found myself wanting to giggle and found it rather hard to stifle the big grin on my face.

Take a moment and think about what your happy triggers are and try to make it available whenever you need or want it.  Please share your happy triggers here too =)