Another week and another batch of Happy Things. Let’s dive right in, shall we?
CROCUSES AND SNOW
Yes, it was -8.5°C one morning. But, there are crocuses and birds singing. I can go outside the door without a hat and mittens most days. I have an appointment for switching out the snow tires on my vehicle.


When I opened the curtains yesterday morning I was SHOCKED to see a thick blanket of heavy snow. Even more shocking, I was actually happy to see the white stuff. To experience the magic of one last overnight transformation of the world. The trees were bending under the weight of the snow…and the roads were clear. Yes, please.

MOTHERHOOD
I often quick to grumble about the challenges of motherhood. It’s exhausting, emotionally complex, and frequently overwhelming. The demands are physical, emotional, and mental; becoming a parent fundamentally shifts one’s life in ways that can be difficult to fully prepare for. True, true, and true.
Yet, despite the challenges, motherhood is a joy and a blessing.
This week, as I reflected on the anniversary of becoming a mother — yes, it was Belle’s birthday! — I took time to be grateful for my often-overlooked reality that infertility was not part of my journey. Many people I care about have faced heart-wrenching struggles, sacrifices, and losses – often without the outcome they so deeply longed for – in their own path to parenthood. It’s far too easy for me to overlook the privilege of becoming pregnant without needing medical intervention.
To anyone reading this post who has experienced – or is currently walking – the difficult, painful road of infertility or loss, my heart is with you. I am deeply sorry that this is part of your story, and I want to honour the immense strength and resilience you’ve shown.
Hugs <3
THRIFTED FINDS
I haven’t done a thrift-store roundup in a while, but we’ve had some great finds. In fact, every single birthday gift for Belle was second-hand!
- A high-quality $8 scooter for Indy. We’ve only ever owned bare-bones hand-me-down scooters in the past and this is a real improvement. He is loving it.
- An iPhone for Belle ($200). More on this below!
- A new belt for $6. I didn’t own a belt and had some thrifted pants that really needed a belt.
- A $3 set of gender-neutral warm mittens. We can always use more mittens in our stash as they have a tendency to go missing *cough, cough – Indy – cough, cough*
- Belle adores university sweatshirts and we found one from a local school at a thrift store for less than $10.

- Three fuzzy pillow cases. Belle wanted a new BIG pillow (what my parents gifted her), but it required bigger pillow cases. I found 2 for $4 at a thrift store and washed them up. They are SO soft. Also, a fuzzy bear pillow cover ($3.50). The purple pillow is an old thrift find, as well as her giant reading pillow.

- I have been looking for a little orb lamp for YEARS to cast extra light into the corner of our dining room/living room. John spotted one at a thrift store but it didn’t have a price tag. A store worker ended up charging us $2.99 (-20% with our coupon). SOLD!
BELLE’S BIRTHDAY
Wow. Birthday’s are so much easier when kids get older. For starters, I didn’t wrap any of her gifts this year. I didn’t have gift bags that fit the bigger items and that inspired laziness on my part.

I also didn’t feel like wrapping up her phone, so we hid it in her room – setting the ring tone to crickets – and then called her number the morning of her birthday. She was SO surprised.
Decisions surrounding screens and technology are highly personal and I’m not trying to justify our decision either way as we’re confident in the timing. But I thought some readers might be interested in our reasoning for allowing Belle to have a phone at 14, and the rules we’ve put in place.
- She is literally the last student in her entire 8th grade without a phone. Just because everyone else is doing something isn’t a good reason to do something, and that’s been a hard lesson. But she has – quite shockingly – never really complained. She wrote an impassioned speech about all the reasons she should have a phone – and how she would use it responsibly – about a year ago, read it to us, we reiterated the answer was No, and she moved on with life. I’m a bit incredulous, actually. But she did really want a phone to communicate with friends.
- In talking with various friends who have children in high school, it is assumed and all but mandatory to have access to a cell phone in Grade 9. Knowing she will make that move in September, we thought it was important to have some buffer between the adjustment to high school and the transition into having a phone.
- Now that Belle is able to babysit and stay home alone, we have been leaving one of our cell phones with her since we no longer have a landline. This gets complicated and was not ideal.
- We have laid out a very clear groundwork for expectations. We have password protected parental controls. Safari is inaccessible. The phone goes to bed when Mom and Dad go to bed (we will charge it in our room). Like all screen time in our household, doors stay open at all times and 99% of the time that screen time takes place in a public space (i.e. not a room; but if in the room – the door is open).
- No social media – hopefully forever, but for as long as we have parental controls on the phone.
BONUS HAPPY THINGS
- Paying Belle and a friend to do some outside yard work that I was dreading so, so much. I offered them $2 each, but they worked for long enough – without complaint – I ended up giving them $5 each. Worth every penny.

- A card arrived in the mail from Maria! How thoughtful. She said she bought it specifically for me because it reminded her of the FIG Collective.
- I was doing a bit of yard work and spotted the crocuses pictured above. It was a nice surprise harbinger of spring.
- Plain yogurt, peanut butter, homemade granola, and berries. Words fail me. So delicious.
- A micro-nap that helped me deal with some lingering jet-lag.
- A deep-cleaned bathroom.
- Finding an IKEA drawer organizer that fit perfectly in my dresser and has helped me better organize my socks/underwear.
- Google Drive.
- Lemon chicken and mashed potatoes.
- Just-the-right-temperature coffee while I worked at my office desk.
- Continuing to re-watch the back catalogue of the Great British Baking Show.
- Crossing things off my to-do list.

- One of our friends (sort of like an adopted aunt to Belle) is a florist and she dropped off this arrangement on her birthday. Beautiful, no?
- The kind, thought-provoking, and inspiring the comment section on my guest post over at The Frugal Girl.
- One of my “fun ideas” for the year is making it to my favourite cafe at least once a month. I’m barely squeezing it in under the wire, but I made it today – the 27th of March – and that’s where I’m writing this post.
- That Belle’s friends so graciously moved conversations to their school e-mail so Belle could be included for the many months she was without a phone.
And that’s a wrap on Happy Things in my life this week. This afternoon and evening will be filled with pizza and cake pops and a gaggle of giggling girls as we celebrate Belle’s progression into her teen years with friends. In less fun news, we’ll say goodbye to my parents this weekend…but that means that summer is officially on the way. (That’s me adjusting my proverbial sails.)
Your turn.
- What are some Happy Things from your world this week?
- How frequently do you buy fresh flowers?
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Molly F.C.
Good morning! My son is older than your Belle as he’s at the end of teenage hood, sniff. We were trying to wait til high school when buying him his first phone, but succumbed at the start of his 8th grade year. He was one of the very few in his grade that didn’t have a phone, and he often had to borrow a friend’s to use when he needed to call home especially when he played sports and needed rides home after various practices. The most compelling reason was that his siblings were away at school, and he missed them terribly, so the phone allowed him to easily stay in touch. Brava to you for the guidelines you’ve established for your Belle’s phone use. Happy Birthday to her.
Elisabeth
Yes – it is all but assumed kids will have phones to communicate with parents about school activities and the like. The whole system has changed so it’s much harder to find alternate ways to call home.
I’m glad we made it as far into her schooling as we did. A few years ago there weren’t many restrictions on phone use at school but now there are VERY strict guidelines about when they can/can’t have their phones. I feel like there has been a bit of a shift toward recognizing how damaging phones/social media/being available 24/7 is having on youth – especially teen girls.
mbmom11
Ninth grade seems to be the point of phone ownership here too. We had to get my ninth grader one, due to all of the communications from school and band and clubs. It used to be, the clubs would have a Facebook page that the kid would have to join- not a fan- so having a text is preferable. Now I’m eying my youngest and trying to decide if he needs one ( 5th grade 😞). We used to gave a little basic phone that we’d give to whichever kid was on a field trip or competition. Might need to do that for him.
So many happy things this week! I hope Belle has a fabulous party!
Elisabeth
We don’t do social media and while I realize Facebook is great for clubs, I miss out on stuff that way and it is SO frustrating.
We debated different kinds of phones, but settled on an older iPhone. It’s great for iMessage, John and I both use Apple products, and we figured we’d get her something that will last for a few years. We found an inexpensive phone plan and I’m really excited to be able to contact her more easily moving forward. Especially since high school is just around the corner for us.
Ally Bean
Happy things this week: landscapers came and did the spring clean-up so our home looks tidy, ready for flowers and joy; reached out to a few new-to-me bloggers and am hoping to make some new online friends; indulged in a mid-week cocktail, a Paloma; and found my winter hat that I thought I’d lost was actually hidden on the backseat of my car. Happy Friday, Elisabeth!
Elisabeth
Finding something assumed lost is one of life’s greatest joys! Love your happy things and how you’re ready for the magic transformation that spring will bring your way.
Michelle G.
Happy birthday to Belle! I love how you gifted her phone with the crickets chirping ringtone. I’ll bet her reaction was fun to watch. I love the bear pillow cover! I hardly ever buy fresh flowers for myself, although I’d really like to get some fresh tulips, and they should be showing up in stores soon.
Seeing a crocus is a sure sign of spring! Yay!
Meadowlarks are showing up, singing their sweet songs. I love it!
Elisabeth
I do think the chirping crickets was a small stroke of genius. We tried all sorts of ringtones but I thought the crickets were not overly obnoxious (in case it woke her up) and would make her wonder if she was going crazy and there were literal crickets in her room.
The bear cover is so cute and fuzzy. She was pretty delighted when she realized he has ears (they flop down, so when she first picked up the pillow you couldn’t really tell there were ears). It’s nice to have cozy things and don’t fuzzy bear pillows seem like the ultimate in cozy?
Suzanne
Happy birthday to your little girl!!! I love your plan for phone use and am taking notes.
Oh how I envy your beautiful snow fall! I could go for one last wintry hurrah.
Elisabeth
We will see how it goes. So far…I love it. It’s only been 48 hours, but I have used it to communicate multiple times. I’m sure there will be lots of bumps in the road but she really had shown she was responsible, and the fact she was the last kid in her grade to get a phone AND she didn’t make a big stink about that went a long way in us determining we were ready to trial her first phone.
Thankfully the snow was beautiful and now it’s gone. I loved the aesthetic but am happy to be back to greenish/brown grass today.
Birchie
Baby’s first phone! It’s an exciting day. There isn’t a one size fits all answer on when to get a kid a phone, but I think you got it right. Would you believe that I don’t remember when the boys got their phones? I remember they both started with not-smart phones and then upgraded to smart phones a few years later. I think they got the smart phones at the start of high school, so about at the same point as Belle. In any case, it’s a great birthday present.
We got snow on Wednesday but it melted pretty quickly. It’s going to be warm this weekend and I am here for it!
Elisabeth
You are so right – every decision like this (and most in parenting) work on a case-by-case basis. I’m glad we waited until this stage and I feel like she’s mature enough for this transition AND the schools have really changed their stance on cell phone access/use during school hours which means what we enforce at home will at least partially carry over to her time at school.
I think she’ll always remember this particular gift!
Nicole MacPherson
I don’t judge anyone on the timing of phones for kids. It’s a tricky situation and some people will be like “NEVER! NOT UNTIL THEY’RE 18!” but honestly, that is not practical or realistic in today’s world. I think my kids were in grade 6 and 7 when they got their phones. I had just started teaching and wanted to be sure that they had a way to get in touch with me. What year was that? 2016, I guess. Anyway, there will always be ups and downs, the social media thing is a thing, but this is the world we live in. Anyway, I don’t worry too much about it.
Parenting is for sure a ride!
Happy birthday to Belle!
In Calgary, heavy snow is pretty common in March/ April, sometimes May, but here it is very rare. We’ve had a lot of rain this week, and it makes me thankful – remember the big fires in 2023! I am grateful for anything that increases the snow pack in the mountains.
Elisabeth
I agree about the rain – I always think of the farmers and people tending our forests who are surely so glad to see rainfall to replenish water reservoirs and help offset the upcoming hot temperatures of summer.
Jenny
Happy Birthday to Belle!!! Did she know she was getting a phone, or was it a surprise? I agree that I’m not completely on board with this, but they really do “have” to have a phone in high school. It’s how the kids all communicate with each other (again- I’m not saying that’s a good thing. It’s just the way it is.)
Yes, motherhood is a gift. For all our complaining, it really is such a beautiful part of life. It’s not everyone’s choice, but since it was ours, we’re very lucky it worked out for us. As you said, a lot of people struggle with infertility which is heartbreaking.
For you, spring is coming. For me- a long, hot summer lies ahead. SIGH! Keep posting those crocus photos so I can live vicariously!
Elisabeth
She didn’t know she was getting a phone. It was a complete surprise which made it all the more exciting.
It’s strange to see how dependent we have all become on phones, but it IS actually hard to function without one now because it is a general assumption that every person will have a smart phone. I didn’t get my first cell phone until I was 22? And it was a flip phone with no text capabilities. It was all that existed at the time and I felt very cool and sophisticated 🙂
Central Calif. Artist Jana
Thank you for the crocus photos! Such a beautiful color, and then followed by snow?! What different worlds we occupy.
Great thinking on the phone decision, and a wonderful way to surprise Bella. I wonder if flip phones are still available for parents who don’t want their kids to get sucked into social media but need a way to call and be called.
Elisabeth
I felt sorry for the poor crocuses yesterday, but it’s warmer and sunny today and all traces of the snow are gone. Early spring is a wild ride in Nova Scotia.
We did look at various “dumb” phone options. It was tempting, but a) she loves to take photos so we really wanted a phone with that capability b) everyone texts vs. calling, so for communicating with friends she really needed a screen for texting and c) if she ends up needing specific apps for high school she’d need a phone capable of downloading such things. There are some phones that LOOK like iPhones but only have photo, texting, and call abilities and we did research those options for a while.
Central Calif. Artist Jana
Belle, not Bella.
Elisabeth
Belle is not her real name (I just use it online), so spelling is kind of irrelevant in a way 😉
Alexandra
The weather has been doing the same here too, Elisabeth. One minute it’s mild and spring-like, the next? It’s snowing and we have minus 12 again!
Oh, indeed, motherhood is hard. I am constantly reminded my mum had SIX kids, and had to drag us all over the world even while we were babies. Can you image? She juggled us, moving, flights to far off countries, and settling us all into new homes every 2-3 years. My mum was one tough brass cup cake.
I wish we had more access here to thrift-style shops, but as yet, I haven’t found one. I miss consignment stores. So many great finds.
And of course HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Belle on making it to her teenage years. And good luck with the phone thing, I know these days they’re a must for teenagers. A necessary evil?
Elisabeth
Isn’t Canadian weather a wild ride?
I cannot imagine having more than two kids. Even that has felt like stretching to the max sometimes! That said, I do think parenting was a bit different/less hands on/less comparison and pressure in previous generations. Your mom is a true inspiration!!
My hope is we can view the phone as a helpful tool to build community and ensure safety and avoid it being an evil but that is hard. Phone addiction is so insidious. Sigh. But each generation has their own unique burdens to bear, and perhaps this is one of her generations. I do think more attention is shifting to the dangers of social media etc, so the narrative is flipping back to one of moderation and engaging with real, literal friends not virtual ones (says the woman who belongs to an active – virtual – blog community)
Alexandra
It’s as wild as it comes here, in Canada. We had fun weather abroad in different locales, but never the extremes of here.
Yeah, mum was quite the woman of her age. That time when big families were a norm. And it’s true. The pressures were so vastly different it’s hard to compare. We were thrown out the back door and told to come back at meal times. We had no smart devices, but got up to our own. But, to be honest, I think we had the better childhood. Less depression and peer pressure, a little more freedom, dare I say? And we learnt a whole other different skill set to the now generations.
Yeah, I hear you. My nieces and nephews all have kids of their own, and all bemoan the fact that their kids, no matter what age, want a phone. It’s crazy. Fingers crossed you do alright by your two.
Elisabeth
Childhood tended to be just that – childhood. And now there are a lot more pressures on kids. And parents. You’re frowned on if you let your kids just go outside and play. Not so much where we live (rural Canada has perks), but in general. There is more structure to their days, less freedom, and a lot of resulting mental health challenges.
I suppose every generation navigates unique challenges with parenting and our parents did too.
Happy Things Friday – Alexandra Wolfe
[…] in Elisabeth’s footsteps, from over at The Optimistic Musings of a Pessimist, I thought I’d dive into another Happy Things Friday and try to remind myself that there is […]
Lindsay
That phone section got me in the feels! I always had such a set plan for technology and my daughter in my head which got blown out of the water in the last year or so because of how big her life is (and busy) and how often she is at activities for hours or places I am not… Not to mention considering how her generation communicates and stays connected with each other (the only child guilt I carry is oof, sigh, after her multiple slide presentations about why community is important to lifelong health, haha sigh). All of us have learned so much – parental controls and boundaries and communication and etc. She’s learning to accept our “hard stop no’s” to social media and most apps and we are adapting to her looking so grown up with it and finding the right oversights. It’s a lot to navigate, but bright spots in my weeks always include her texting me a little joke or picture or smile from her days <3
Elisabeth
It is a lot to juggle – for our kids and for us and it’s uncharted territory in a way because OUR parents didn’t have to consider these sorts of issues.
And it’s good to remember that screens and devices can, if we use them right, bring us closer together. That’s what I’m hoping for in her life <3
NGS
The sunrises this week have been spectacular! I actually sat down on a bench in our local park on Wednesday morning to watch the sunrise. The dog doesn’t appreciate them the way I do, but that has been making my mornings this week.
Elisabeth
I’m glad Hannah has been willing to humour you for those sunrise viewings. They sound gorgeous! I want pictures!
Katie
I appreciate reading about how you decided on the phone/your stipulations. And hey, it seems like she had good friendships and a social life before even having a phone, so that’s encouraging to know! We are so far off from those decisions but I am guessing we will be similar to you- on the later side, but also, would like our kids to have exposure to smart phones before they’re off on their own.
Elisabeth
She does have amazing friends. It does feel a *bit* like opening Pandora’s Box, but it also feels like the reasonable timing. Unfortunately! I do wish we lived in a pre-smartphone era for everyone’s sakes. But we don’t so it’s all about trying to be wise in decisions and modelling good behaviours (easier said than done sometimes!)
Katy @ Practical Walk
Your mention of yogurt and peanut butter, reminds me of a treat I really love. I mix yogurt and peanut butter as an apple dip, but if there’s leftover, I put it in the freezer and it becomes a delicious cold treat!
Some happy things from this week:
– My little sprouts, sprouting!!!
– My hibiscus blooming a pretty peach color!
– My wonderful mother-in-law
– A job for my husband! Big answer to prayer!
Elisabeth
Ohhh. I’ll have to try the freezer bit. Sounds yummy.
Oddly enough I’m someone who cannot STAND to dip my apples (or most fruit to be honest) in anything. People always rave about cream cheese caramel dips for apples and I just cannot do it with the texture difference. But I have my own fruit things – for starters, I cannot (well, I suppose I could, but I won’t) eat watermelon without salt!
That’s such wonderful news about a job for your husband and I’m glad you have a supporting in-law <3 Hooray for blooms - a sign of spring and a reminder of God's promises to make all things new.
Lisa’s Yarns
Happy birthday to Belle and happy 14 years of being a parent to you!! What a clever way to gift the phone to her!! I do not look forward to the phone stage of life. It is quite a ways off for us luckily. But I know it’s coming for us!!
We had warmer weather this week while I was in DC and now it’s going to be rainy/slushy and cooler again. Spring is such a roller coaster in MN. Sigh. But I enjoyed seeing all the flowering trees in DC last week!!
Elisabeth
I’ve been dreading it for a long time and I am sure there will be lots of ups and downs, but it is a reality – for better or worse – of modern society and something that generally has to be addressed long before kids are adults.
It is sunny but SO cold here today. The wind is still sharp. I’m ready for “true” spring with warm days that make me want to take off my coat and go in short sleeves.
Daria
Happy things! Love these posts.
I don’t buy flowers as often as I’d like. I have a friend who is Danish and she always, always has fresh flowers at her house- and I love it so much.
This week was rough… But I am happy with the warmer weather, sunny skies, and the sound of chirping birds.
Elisabeth
What a joy that even in hard weeks we can find those little glimpses of good. So often, for me, it IS in nature. Sunshine in particular makes such a big difference in my mood and how well I can handle challenging circumstances. Everything seems just a bit easier and more pleasant if the sun is shining.
Maria
Happy birthday to Belle!
Spring snows are extra enjoyable because they melt quickly and so we can enjoy the fun aspects without the “here come six months of snowsuits” feeling that fall snows bring. Plus there’s that “This could be the final time to have a snowball fight/sled/whatever, so have to enjoy it!” mentality.
Some happy things here this week:
-enjoying the TWO surprise overnight snows
-enjoying the sunshine and relative warmth on the other days
– new skills in the 14 month old
– more and more sprouts coming up outside
P.S. How was Indy’s tournament last weekend? (Or did I miss you mentioning how it was?)
Elisabeth
What a delight to see a baby progress to a toddler. So much happens in such a short amount of time and each day brings a new surprise! It’s exhausting but also exhilarating as as parent.
Thanks for asking! Indy’s tournament was a HEARTBREAKER. The won the first game, and then lost their next two by one point each time. They were nailbiters with chances in both of the lost games to win. But they played their hearts out and it was such a great team and such a great duo of coaches so it feels like a winning season regardless of what the scoreboard said.
Maria
Oh man that’s a bummer about the tournament but good that the season as a whole was a good experience!
Kyria @ Travel Spot
Happy Friday! I love crocuses; they remind me of spring and my mother! She used to (and I guess still does!) plant bulbs and it was the “sign of spring” to me to have the daffodils, tulips, crocuses and whatnot pop up their little heads out of the sometimes chilly ground! It is magical. Where I am there are orange blossoms (not sure why, since oranges are a winter fruit, but whatever) and wisteria, and I love both of them for the look and especially for the smell. That also reminds me of spring, as we used to have a lilac bush that smelled so sweet in the spring time! Ah, the joy of new life. I hope that your snow is fun while it lasts but that it goes away soon and spring can be properly sprung! My favorite things from last week: my first swim of the year, a great run that went longer than expected, a hike with new friends and inexpensive eggs! Enjoy the rest of your weekend, friend!
Elisabeth
The snow is gone but the chilly temps are back. Kyria, I am ready for spring. Like…real spring. But in Canada March and April are pseduo-spring, so I should know better than to be expecting T-shirt weather.
And we’re getting more snow overnight. At least it is beautiful…and tomorrow – yes, after snow – it’s supposed to get to 14C. Wild weather rides.