100 Finer Things
- The smell of a baby fresh from the bath.
- Clear, starry nights.
- The unbridled laughter of children.
- The words “I love you” partnered with the look that means it.
- Freshly cut grass.
- Swinging at the playground.
- A child’s hands folded in prayer.
- Eating produce grown from your own garden.
- The whole family snuggling in one bed on Saturday morning.
- Watching older siblings care for younger ones.
- Fresh clothesline-dried sheets.
- All of my children napping at the same time.
- The refreshing smell of rain.
- Homemade gifts: given or received.
- Chocolate chip cookies, fresh from the oven.
- Witnessing your child’s first steps. (or any firsts!)
- A hot bubble bath on a cold night.
- Sleeping with the windows open to catch the cool breeze.
- A quality back rub, or foot rub… or neck rub… shoulders…
- Chocolate covered strawberries.
- The way bread baking in the oven makes the whole house smell cozy.
- Chasing fireflies.
- Random acts of kindness.
- Rocking a waking baby while the sun rises.
- Catching your own fish, and reeling it in.
- Family bike rides through town.
- A large, close-knit extended family.
- A freezer fully stocked with fresh foods.
- Checking off everything on the to-do list!
- Putting the to-do list aside to play with or read to the kids.
- Not running the air conditioner in August, in Kansas.
- Comfort food.
- Playing outside in beautiful weather.
- A back yard bumper crop.
- Giving.
- Having money available when an unexpected expense arises.
- The smells of fall (pumpkin, apples, spices).
- Napping on a cloudy, cool day.
- Answered prayer.
- Unrushed family meals eaten peacefully.
- Snuggled up with the kids in their jammies, reading a good book.
- Kids’ footie jammies.
- Sleeping in a tent… on a comfy air mattress!
- Water-skiing.
- The funny things kids say… when they’re not trying to be funny!
- An unexpected phone call from a long-distance friend.
- Volunteering.
- A child’s faith. “Jesus IS coming!”
- Cheering for the winning team.
- Receiving a heartfelt thank you note.
- Christmas through the eyes of children.
- Celebrating the full 12 Days of Christmas.
- A fun afternoon at the park on a 63° day in January.
- Skate Crazy 9′s.
- Antique furniture hand-me-downs.
- “You the best mom ever!” accompanied by a voracious hug.
- Learning to make it better than you could buy it.
- “Mommy, we forgot to pray,” as he closes his eyes and bows his head.
- Playing in 10-foot snow piles on a 55° day.
- Unasked for, undeserved hugs.
- Surprise notes found in the fridge, in my shoe, on my pillow…
- Garage sale treasures.
- Harmless thunderstorms, quenching the dry earth.
- Family game time.
- Creating a delicious recipe from scratch.
- Forgiveness.
- Finding and communicating with friends from long ago.
- A fresh coat of paint.
- A clean bathroom.
- A full bucket.
- The resilience of small children.
- Holding hands around the table before supper.
- The brilliant colors of fall.
- Surprise phone calls from a friend or family member.
- A child’s pride at accomplishing a much practiced task.
- Recreation league ballgames for little kids. (What a hoot!)
- Sleeping in.
- The first beautiful spring day after a long winter.
- Observing brand new baby animals.
- Frisbee.
- Rickety, tiny (but safe!) county carnivals.
- Hearing “This is the funnest day, ever!” from our children.
- Holding my 3-year-old baby, while feeling my in utero baby swimming around.
To be continued… I’d love to know what’s on your finer things list.























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1. Listening to your toddler begin to say her own unique prayers–they are perfect!
2. Watching your children sleep so peacefully.
3. Freshly cut home-grown roses.
4. The flicker of a candle when the electricity goes out.
Sunlight
Fresh air
Eating [pesticide-free] blueberries right off the bush
Green ~ green grass, green trees
Clothes that fit
Good, sweet, spring water flowing out your faucet
1.A good surprise
2.Finding pictures or videos on your camera that you forgot about
3. A moonlit jog along the beach at night
4. Ferns and moss that grow in cool, rocky forests
5. Kisses from my kitten, when she lovingly licks my hands and face
6. The feeling when winter turns to spring
7. Getting good mail
8. The crunch of acorns under your feet in fall
Having a devoted loving husband!
17 year old sons hugging me and saying “I love you, mom” in front of their friends.
1. My 8-year old son sneaking to stay up past his bedtime to finish a novel he is excited about (especially when he struggled with reading a year ago).
2. A ten-year old helping his 5 year-old brother make the bed.
3. My 5-year old reminding us to say Grace at dinner.
4.A tap on the shoulder at 3am, a small child declaring softly ‘ I had nightdreams, can I sleep with you?’
5. A clean car!
6.When a child discusses the gifts God has given him, and how his brothers have been given different gifts.
When your child’s first word is Mommy
What a WONDERFUL list!
I love
# 48- JESUS! I love Him!
# 29- checking things off the list.. yippee!
# 10- older siblings caring for younger ones!
I’m so happy that I found your site through a HappyHouseWife twitter.
Thanks!
What a lovely list.
* – having the freedom to serve a Loving God, in church, with our children.
* – watching my children serve Him.
* – puppies breath.
* – finding Pyrex dishware at a garage sale
* – roadside bargains (garbage) that make my hubby cringe and me squeel with joy.
* – a warm breeze in my windows
* – when my children can say, “thank you, or I’m sorry” without being prompted.
-When my man just calls to say he loves me
-When my daughter tells me I’m fun to be around
-Finding juicy rasberries in the woods
-Rubbing Bee Balm between my fingers
-Digging in the dirt in the Spring
Thanks for this list…very enjoyable to read!
GartenGrl at Loved it! Totally inspired and an interesting site.One of these days I am going to build a vertical herb garden…
GartenGrl at
Planning Plants to Plant
First time to your site- love it!
I would add to this list:
1. visiting the final resting place of a loved one and feeling that incredible peace that only exists there
2. knowing that your best effort was good enough
3. reading a favorite childhood book to your children
-falling asleep with fresh sheets and freshly shaved legs.
-when you’re cat want’s to cuddle.
-naps
-watching you’re favorite Television show late at night.
-lazy sundays.
-someone telling you something they love about you.
@Cassie, Fresh sheets AND freshly shaved legs?! You’re making me want to hop in bed right now!
Love your list!
I am celebrating my husband’s dream, of quitting his current job, to move on to bigger and better jobs, in his eyes, his dream job!
Thanks for the warm fuzzy feeling…
A few of my favorites:
* A smile where the eyes sparkle at you
* The smell of fresh baked bread
* splashing in puddles
@Rachel, Love it. Especially the “sparkly eyes.” My hubby comments on that look sometimes.
I added your post to my college report. Regards
1. The songs of a baby. Words don’t even need to be understood to be precious.
2. Snuggle time.
3. The satisfaction of a newly clean/organized house!
4. Having your child say, “I’ll help!” at just 2 years old.
Yes! Thanks for adding to my list.
Found it!
Found It!
A few of the finer things in my life!:
Waking up to a clean house
The first time your baby sleeps through the night!
Husband arriving home early
Sunday afternoon football in the fall
The smell of homemade hot cocoa simmering on the stove
Cutting and bringing home your own Christmas tree
Finding money in unexpected places (like the bottom of the diaper bag or a coat pocket!)
Ah, such great additions to my list. Thank you!
found it.
Each day waking up and being able to claim the joy that He gives us.
Water coming out of a tap.
Warm tea made by a loving family member.
A hug at the airport.
Giving someone a compliment and watching them shine.
Yes! Such a great list. Thank you for adding to my Finer Things.
A babys first cry.