Neil Parischa was just an average guy with an average life when his life began to take some challenging twists and turns.  He was lonely. He was stuck. He was falling deeper into a state of depression. He decided to blog a list of all the small awesome things in his life. Things he never paid attention to before. His blog and book, “The Book of Awesome,” quickly became well known and award winning. His mood was lifted, his attitude and approach to life shifted, and he became a much happier and healthier person. 

So, I decided to make my own Awesome List. Especially as we move into the next two to three weeks, it would be awesome if we focused on the Small, Simple Pleasures in our lives.

Some small. Some tiny. All awesome. And different for everyone. 

Together let’s shift our minds from overwhelmed to gratefulness. And let us focus on the small, amazing, awesome things and feelings to be grateful for: 

Here are some examples: 

• Finding the black shell you’ve been missing in the back of your daughter’s closet 

•  Having the perfect amount of eggs in the fridge needed to bake that cake 

• Listening to the crunch of dirt pieces being vacuumed up from a spot that isn’t typically vacuumed. Ahhh. 

• Taking a wipe and cleaning the molding and seeing it turn white again and seeing the dirt fuzzies on the wipe 

• Throwing out the suitcase that has been ripped and broken but for some reason was still taking up space in the front closet 

• Getting rid of all the gloves and socks the don’t have a match. Heaven. 

• Giving away old black hats that were once perfect for Shabbos Abba and now not needed anymore…

• Remembering the brownie recipe by heart when you’re baking it for just the third time!   

• Stealing homeade egg noodles from your mother in law when no one is looking 

• Underbaked pesach cake. Heaven! 

• Polishing the silver and watching it go from yuck to beautiful 

• Matching up the teaspoon/tablespoon set and putting it in order from smaller to bigger 

• Taping up the cabinets that will be sold for pesach with blue painters tape 

• And then taking off the tape….. 

• Cleaning out the garbage from inside the bushes in the front and backyard and realizing how it makes such a difference 

• The feeling and smell of walking into a clean car after THE car wash 

• Finding your credit card you’ve been looking for in the car after the car wash 

• Opening the machzor and hearing the crack of the binding open 

• Changing the direction of the furniture in the room as you were cleaning and wondering why it wasn’t always that way 

• Throwing out the doll without the head 

• Making a goodbye ceremony and Chucking your husband’s trophies and diplomas from the garage 

• Label machines. Labels. Labels. Labels. Pretending to be a professional organizer 

• Amazon prime coming just in time 

• Organizing the messy drawer in the kitchen 

• Moving the bed and finding the AirPod you were looking for  

• Finding the black sweater on the bottom of the closet that you forgot you bought at the beginning of the season 

• Cleaning the inside of the windows 

• Opening the lucite matzah box and smelling it for the very first time 

• Eating boiled potatoes in saltwater at karpas. Committing to making them fir supper since everyone seems to be enjoying…

• Buying new organization bins 

• That first sip of cold wine at the seder 

• Mayonnaise on matzah 

• Raspberry jelly on pesach

• Seeing cousins for the first time in a while

• Remembering the little kids’ names … 

• Getting into bed the night after the room was scrubbed clean and linen changed 

• Finally getting rid of the shaimos box that’s been accumulating since last year. Or the year before…

• Adding random benchers to that shaimos box that should have been there years ago 

• Eating Matzah and then afterwards realizing it was whole wheat (the orange “Razava” sticker. Know what I’m talking about??) so it’s less guilt 

• All the garbage bags as they leave in the garbage truck 

• Saying goodbye to the old nasty moldy stroller 

• Chucking the connect 4 set that’s missing pieces 

• Organizing the coat closet and giving away all the small coats and old knapsacks

• Clean air conditioner vents

• Finding money in the pockets is an oldie but goodie! 

• Throwing out the winter tights with the holes and the toes. 

• Hanging the mirror you’ve been wanting to all year 

• Thank you Hashem for Magic eraser!! Is there anything more awesome than the magic eraser? 

• The Pine Sol smell 

• The first sip of hot coffee in the morning and in the afternoon if thats your jam

• Cleaning the lint behind the washer dryer and the lint inside the dryer  

• Pulling hair out of a shower drain with screwdriver

• Getting rid of old outdated serving pieces and all the Trader Joe’s vases that are taking up unnecessary space

• Matching up lids with the right Tupperware (is that a word nowadays?)

• Throwing out the Tylenol bottle from 2003 

• Washing makeup brushes 

• Buying new plain black pony tale holders to have in a convenient place 

• Finding the nail clippers around the house that we can never find when needed 

• Throwing out old chargers 

• Finding the 3 day candle In the cabinet when we need it and forgot to buy it 

• The sound of cutting paper towel in advance 

• Cleaning out the freezer and finally throwing out that gnocchi that you bought but never used 

• Buying a brand new white shell 

• Professional carpet cleaning

• Pulling out a book from couch crack 

• Counting magnatiles and realizing you’re close to the original number 

• Throwing out markers that don’t work 

• Bleaching the kitchen grout again 

• Using a toothpick to clean around the faucets 

• A swiffer! Catching all those hairs…

• Fresh, cut up fruit on busy days 

• Throwing out the empty cereal box that your kids (or spouse) put back there 

• Organizing the cans in the pantry 

• Color coordinating the cookbooks 

• When taking off the stickers for toiveling goes smoothly 

• Enjoying When the fridge is totally empty between chometz and pesach food 

• Using that Dunkin Heinz mix right before it expired  

• Buying a new black spring skirt 

• Cleaning out the empty shampoo bottles from the bathtub in the guest bathroom

• Actually dropping off the clothing you aren’t wearing anymore 

• Finding the The kitel. A plus if it is still starched from Yom Kippur 

• Brand new white shirts for the boys/men 

• Finally Throwing out the old shells for women /undershirts for men that aren’t white 

• When the cleaning lady shows up early 

• When the kids offer to help 

• Fresh Haircuts! 

• Opening a Can of cold Fresca while cleaning for pesach 

• Joray shoe leather on pesach even if we need to take out a mortgage to buy them  

• Cleaning the bottoms of the outdoor garbage cans 

• Redting a shidduch and both sides saying yes!

• New lipgloss 

• Using a new knife for the first time 

• Taking an omelet out of the Pan that works perfectly 

• Pesach Pancakes with ice cream 

• Airport hellos! And Welcome home signs 💕

…I honestly think I can go on and on! So much fun to focus on the awesomeness. Feel free to reply if you think of any!

And don’t forget… Make Memories! 

💕,

Shifi