Please come visit with me every Thursday… I love to chat with you all!
You know you’re an adult when…
And I know, this sounds like a leadup to a Jeff Foxworthy bit, but sadly, I’m not quite that amusing.
This past Sunday, on Mother’s Day, we were all gathered at my mom’s house and my niece was talking about finally finding a house for herself and her long-term boyfriend. It was funny listening to her talk about adult things, despite the fact she’s well into her 20’s, but sometimes, she’s still that little girl with the big eyes, you know?
At one point, she said she was officially an adult, to which I joked back about how on Saturday, I had finally completed my conversion into my own mother. Why? Because I had replaced my long-dead chest freezer with a new one. My mother would have been both excited by the new appliance and the fact I’d saved $160 on it thanks to a mega sale at Best Buy. She was, too, when I told her later.
But this got me thinking about all the silly little things that make us happy or get us excited as we grow older.
A friend mentioned that she was officially an adult when she realized that the prospect of new bed sheets made her happy. I can’t lie – this makes me happy, too. Even more so when I can find a smoking deal on them, since they’re always so dang expensive.
So, what are some other unexciting things that I get excited about?
A good sale! Especially on practical items like a freezer or a vacuum.
Dish towels. I don’t know why these make me so happy, but they do. My kids have caught onto this and have started buying me cute and/or funny towels to hang up.
Comfortable shoes. I’ve always appreciated a good pair of shoes, but the older I get, the more my feet hurt.
Being able to find everything I need at one store. This never works with groceries, but if I’m out shopping for other things, if I can get it all in one stop, bonus.
New appliances, even small ones. I once got really excited over a mini vegetable chopper my mom gave me. I used the heck out of that thing, too, just because it was so convenient.
A clean house or even just a clean floor. I have cats, though, so nothing really stays clean for long. Not thirty seconds after I mop the floor, all four of them will go trekking through the kitchen, leaving little paw prints there to dry.
A bulk store membership. Years ago, I’d had a Sam’s Club membership, but we were so broke that we weren’t able to fully take advantage of what they had to offer. After a year or two, we dropped it. Last year, when my older child moved out, we joined Costco to get her the things she needed and stock up on. It gets used a lot, and not just by her. Why is having nine rolls of paper towels so satisfying?
A coupon for something I’ll actually buy. So many of the coupons I see are for things I either don’t need or won’t spend the money on. But that digital coupon for $0.88 bell peppers? Heck yeah!
What about you? Do you have silly or mundane things that make you overly happy?
What funny cats you have!
Yeah, bedsheets are far too expensive.
I love the feeling of a clean house, an empty laundry basket, a full fridge, and not having a weekend booked full of plans already. One or two plans are fine, but I also enjoy my downtime. 🙂
Finding socks or underwear or other bits of clothing that can be worn year-round or almost year-round on sale is nice, too. I stock up when that happens.
My cats are ridiculous, but that’s cats for you. 😀
I’m telling you. And I’m not even buying 300 thread count Egyptian Cotton either!
Yes! All of those things, especially having some downtime, are wonderful.
Agreed. And knowing you have those extras stashed is a great feeling.
My first washing machine and dryer made me feel like an adult.
Anytime I even look at increasing the amount of my retirement contribution I feel adult.
The first time I could use the washer without my mother fretting I’d ruin it made me feel like an adult!
Oooh, that’s a good one!
Since I love to cook, finding a really good buy on some of the things I use is Wunderbar!
But, finding beautiful produce and fruit really turns me on most. Isn’t that nuts?
Nothing grosses me out more than soft grapes or wrinkled bell peppers. Well, wait…as much as I cook with chicken, nothing grosses me out as much as having to handle raw chicken. Yuck.
Agreed! Especially fancy things you wouldn’t normally buy.
As someone who has spent the majority of her life in the desert, it absolutely is not nuts! Good fruit is so hard to come by here.
Yeah, I love chicken in general, but raw is really gross. But old, wrinkly produce comes in at a close second.
I don’t recall when I first felt like a grown up. At my age I prefer to avoid adulting all together if I can help it. I rather escape into a book or go fishing. As far as what makes me happy, I love it when I go to get something and it’s actually easy to find. Such as my glasses, chapstick or phone. My husband says “If you put it in the same spot every time you wouldn’t go through the stress of looking for it”. A pen, clippers, scissors, the list goes on and on. They are never where they are suppose to be. Ha, ha.
I can relate to things never being where they’re supposed to be, but I have four cats. Hahaha. I put my glasses in a case on my nightstand when I go to bed at night. Every morning, without fail, I have to fish them out from under my bed where they’ve been exiled during the night. 🤣
I got super excited when I had to buy a new washer after I bought my house. (I was also super excited over the house…) Especially because the one I had prior was the 20+ year old one my mother gave me when she moved in with me.
My AP pointed out today that I sounded REALLY excited about my new roof… Um, yeah? Because I’m not going to have to replace that sucker!
I’m sure there are other things, but I can’t think of them right now.
Yeah, a new roof is definitely worth getting excited over! Better energy bills and no leaks!
Things that make me realize I’m an adult:
– being able to enjoy a quiet day to myself, without feeling like I might be missing something. Doesn’t happen often, but I can enjoy it when it does!
– really good socks. Not necessarily expensive, but cushy, mushy socks are the best.
– Not going to bed with dishes/pans in the kitchen sink anymore. Nightly kitchen reset is a joy in the AM.
It’s amazing how satisfying those little things are, especially the socks! And a clean kitchen is a beautiful thing.