The Happiness Report: 8-24-2020

I really can’t even make this up…I just typed 2019.

Well, I guess that’s just an everyday casualty of the current environment and not leaving the house much for six months.

I mean really y’all, all you can do some days is just laugh. As I shared last week, laughter has been a huge source of happiness for me these past few weeks. For me, it is a healthy escape, and it has brought me (and so many others) a lot of joy and a much needed reprieve. But this last week? Lots of joy, my friends! Let’s dig in!

A Special Fundraiser. For over a year, I’ve had this idea tumbling around in my head. (That’s a constant thing around here…) I have wanted to do a fundraiser with a graphic tee that said “KC Mama,” and donate the proceeds to a nonprofit that supports moms in the Kansas City community. But I’m no t-shirt maker, and I really had no idea where to start. But dang I love this community! I was connected with Pink Dinosaur a few weeks ago, so I reached out to her with my idea, and she jumped right in! We’re a week into our fundraiser and have raised almost $600 for Happy Bottoms. I am so grateful to Elle, the owner of Pink Dinosaur and to all the ladies who have purchased our shirts!
#SendKindnessChallenge. If we’ve been hanging out for a while, you know I love greeting cards. I love buying them, sending them, receiving them. Love em. So I go through a lot of stamps. Last week, I shared my USPS trip on my InstaStories (riveting, I know…), and I asked if people would be up for a card sending challenge, and it was a resounding YES from so many. So I kicked off the #SendKindnessChallenge to encourage people to support the USPS by buying some stamps and then to send a little kindness by sending a card to someone they love. People are using the hashtag, and I am loving it!
A Day on the Farm. On Friday, I got to experience one of the coolest things I have done since moving to Kansas City. I am going to do a full blog post on this, but I had the opportunity to attend a private event at Of the Earth Farm and Distillery. We were given a behind the scenes tour, history, and tasting of the food and the booze. I absolutely love learning about business owners and their businesses. There is really nothing watching them light up with pride as they nerd out about their craft. Everything on the farm was fascinating and delicious, and it was truly an honor to be there. More to come!
Family Fun and Games. Our family has been trying to go on an “adventure” every weekend to get out of this house. It’s a great way to switch up the typical at home options, and we use it as a “carrot” all week with Jack to encourage good behavior and earned rewards. The crew at Draftcade reached out and invited me in to explore and play, and I knew this would be a perfect family funday. We spent a couple of hours at the arcade on Saturday afternoon and had a really great time. Draftcade has over 60 games and over 60 beers on tap, so it’s basically every parent’s dream. Jack Attack was still a little small for most of the games, but he was able to play his first rounds of Skee-Ball, and I think that’s a really important life lesson. Chad and I agreed that this would be a fantastic date night spot, so we will definitely be back!
Date Night! Yes, that deserves an exclamation point, my friends. Because datin ain’t easy in the ‘tine. Luckily we have a babysitter that we love, know, and trust, but we are definitely trying to limit exposure as much as possible, for everyone. But on Saturday night, we busted out to try Paros Estiatorio in Mission Farms. Oh my goodness, friends! This restaurant opened right before COVID and was closed for a few months, but it is open, and we have been dying to go. The restaurant is absolutely beautiful; the patio is so charming and lush; and the food is incredible! Everything is fresh and flavorful, and there are so many more things that I want to try! It is an absolute date night dream, but it would also make for a great girls night spot too. I am so happy that we were able to get out and have the time to connect.