HUMP OF HAPPINESS | THE LITTLE THINGS

I'm sure that i've talked about it on my blog before - i'm a lover of the little things. The attention to detail, the small gestures, the random acts of kindness. Those tiny things in life that can absolutely brighten up your day. 

Here's just a reminder to do more little things, whether that's for yourself or for those around you. 

#HumpofHappiness

Have a lovely day!

Krissie x 

Social media favourites | week one

Good morning, 

I have been inspired by the quote "be the reason someone smiles today" which has encouraged me to add a regular feature to my blog.  If you haven't guessed already, I am a great supporter of all things motivational and positive, whether that is a quote, a memory, a picture, a story or even a video and combined with the beauty of social media, all of these are now widely accessible. So from the inspiration of 'being the reason', I plan to share my social favourites each week from treasures that I have found via Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, YouTube or Pinterest and hopefully they will bring a smile to one or two of your faces. 

Week one:

1. Tips for happy relationships:

I follow Action for Happiness (a movement of people committed to building a happier society by making positive changes) on twitter and each day they share motivational images. This one stood out because my eyes were drawn to the words 'love one another' and with valentines day coming up, I have been thinking of some innovative ways to show Mr P how much he is loved without buying a gift - sharing my favourite love themed quotes may just be an idea. 

If you like daily updates similar to this lovely image below, then be sure to follow @Actionhappiness on twitter too! 

Source: @actionhappiness

2. When Ellen met Elias:

For those who aren't familiar with Ellen Degeneres, she is a talk show host in America who has been said to be 'making audiences laugh all over the world with her signature brand of humour and her powerful message of kindness' - two ingredients for the perfect best friend! Ellen always has brilliant guests who are mostly known to the online world for either being a YouTube sensation, doing a random act of kindness or just generally being a fabulous person. 

Ellen's discovery of Sophia Grace and Rosie Lee; two amazing little performers from London who can be spotted by their trademark tutu's and tiaras is actually the reason why I continue to watch her show, or rather the clips they upload onto YouTube. 

So when my subscription email came through to say that the Ellen Show had uploaded a new video 'When Ellen met Elias', I just knew that it was going to be fantastic! His sparkly hat and gorgeous personality were just the start of this great feature,  but what I didn't expect was the stunning performance that was to follow his chat with Ellen. There is no wonder that he has been labeled 'one of the most memorable guests in history' by the production team.

Take a look at the clip below, you will see what i mean! It's sure to put a smile on your face. 

Source: +TheEllenShow 

3. #Glittergetsfitter:

Being a social media junkie, means that I do spend lots of time scouring various platforms for something with a bit of pizzazz. Through Blogger I came across a lifestyle and beauty blog called Sprinkle of Glitter which is a lovely 'day in the life' of Louise Pentland. Anything with Glitter in the title is bound to get my attention, but her entries are a great read and her matching YouTube channel is a weekly treat too. 

Louise has set herself a New Years Resolution to fuel her body better and improve health levels and is doing this by joining Weight Watchers through their new Simple Start plan and keeping fit with daily exercise. Sprinkle of Glitter fans have been encouraged to follow and get involve with Louise's journey via the #Glittergetsfitter hashtag on Twitter and Instagram, sharing their developments, regimes and healthy food recipes. 

This is a fantastic idea and such a great way to feel positive, whilst joining a community of likeminded people to become healthy and happy. 

Source: +Sprinkleofglitter 

4. Do you wanna build a snowman?:

The Shaytards are a family of seven with their own YouTube channel of video blogs following their daily routines and funny moments. Each member of the family have an awesome nick name too; ShayCarl, Mommytard, Sontard, Princesstard, Babytard, Rocktard and Brotard! This week Princesstard (aka Avia) took over their vlog (video blog) to sing her version of 'Do you wanna build a snowman' from Disney's latest film Frozen. 

The adorable cover is far too cute to miss and has over one million views and likes already. 
If you watch the video then please click 'like' to share the smiles. 

Source: +SHAYTARDS 

5. 365 days happiness app:

Yesterday I uploaded a post about my lovely Positivity Pot and have received kind comments and messages from people who are looking forward to reading what the rest of the notes say. 

But if you don't have the time or a fabulous friend to make you a pot of motivational messages then there is an app that you can download for your phone which alerts you of happy thoughts and activities to complete, either daily or weekly. 

Click on the image below to download the app for free and here is today's happy thought from Audrey Hepburn "Nothing is impossible, the word itself says i'm possible". 

That is all of my social favourites this week and if you fancy sharing yours with me, please leave a comment below or tweet me @Krissie_Akrill. 

Happiness fact! 

Having a network of social connections or high levels of social support has been shown to increase our immunity to infection, lower our risk of heart disease and reduce mental decline as we get older.

Keep smiling :-)

Pot of Positivity

At Christmas I was fortunate enough to receive a beautiful handmade gift from my lovely friend Jo in the shape of a positivity pot. She made the present from scratch by scripting positive messages onto brightly coloured paper, folding them neatly and filling the pot. The aim for the positive pot is that I can pick out a message on the days when I am feeling down and reveal a pick me up to raise my spirits. 

Jo and I have supported each other over the last few years through both the good and the tough times and she knows only too well, how much I try to remain positive, even with a few obstacles in my way. It's because I was brought up to see the good in every situation and my parents always instilled that I should keep the saying 'everything happens for a reason' in my mind. 

Therefore, when the funding and contract for my previous position came to an end, I told myself that it would have a positive impact on my life but finding a job since, in this economy, has proven to be a little more difficult than I originally thought. So keeping me motivated whilst applying for jobs are the short bursts of inspiration, folded up inside the pot of positivity. 

Plus, what makes it extra special is that Jo wrote each individual message by hand. 

 

Just lately I've also realised that happiness is only real when it is shared with others, therefore when I pick out a note from inside the pot of positivity in future, I am going to share what it reads in the hope that the message also makes someone else's day. 

Here is the one that I picked out the other day at random: 

H`Happiness fact!

Happiness fact!

When we give to others it activates the areas of the brain associated with pleasure, social connection and trust. Altruistic behaviour releases endorphins in the brain and boosts happiness for us as well as the people we help. Studies have shown that giving money away tends to make people happier than spending it on themselves.

Keep smiling :-)