random things making me smile lately.

Finding happiness in this broken world of ours can be difficult. There are constantly disappointing people and upsetting world events making headlines. That is the reason it is extra important to hold onto beautiful, happy, uncomplicated things that add a little bit of joy to each day. On that note, here are some of the random things that are making me smile lately.

New and Old Music. When the world feels like too much...there is always music. There are some new releases that have been making my life happier lately, including the new single, Manchild from Sabrina Carpenter and the new album, Something Beautiful from Miley Cyrus. I am totally obsessed with both! After a visit to a local record store, there were a few additions made to my music collection as well, like the classic Prozzak album Hot Show on vinyl, A Goofy Movie soundtrack on vinyl, and the Simple Plan album Harder Than It Looks on vinyl. I also found a CD version of The Carpenters Live In Japan 1972. 

Upcoming Concerts. The summer season is not my favourite. In fact, at this point in my life, it is my least favourite time of year. On the plus side, there are some different events that I am looking forward to in the next couple of months: concerts. There are three concerts that I will be attending in the near future. The first is the Pop 2000s Tour with O-Town, BBMak, Ryan Cabrera, and Chris from NSYNC. Then there is the iconic Debbie Gibson in July. And later in the summer, my husband and I will be seeing My Chemical Romance. Thank goodness there are exciting concerts to make this season feel a little bit happier. 

Beyond The Gates. Back in March, the soap opera Beyond The Gates was included on my What I've Been Watching Lately post and well...the watching continues. Though I do not like that it is sometimes difficult for me to watch this amazing show (sometimes the antenna works and sometimes it doesn't. And it isn't included on Paramount+ in Canada. PS - the customer service for Paramount+ is terrible!) I am doing my best to watch it when it comes through and read detailed summaries when it does not. I used to watch As The World Turns back in the day as well as Passions. I love a good soap opera, but none of the other ones on the air spoke to me at all. And then Beyond The Gates premiered. It is so good and I find myself looking forward to taking a little break at 2:00 p.m. to see what is happening in Fairmont Crest. The acting is incredible and the characters are fabulous. Beyond The Gates was recently picked up for a second season, so fingers crossed it will be on the air for a long time. 

Shop My Stash. Something else that has been making me smile lately is focusing more on shopping my stash rather than purchasing new makeup products. Though every now and then, a loved one gifts me something new, it has been some time since I actually bought a new makeup item for myself. I have really been trying to focus on using more of what I have. It has been fun to rediscover old favourites and fall in love all over again. It is very easy for me to get caught up in what is new, so this personal challenge has been a rewarding reminder that I have so many wonderful things to be grateful for already.

What has been making you smile lately? Do you have anything planned for the summer?