Top 10 Lazy Day Ideas

I'm a busy person, plain and simple. Between everything that I'm involved with both through my university, writing for outside sources, being with friends and everything in between, it can be hard to find down time for myself. When I finally do have a day where I don't have much to do, there's a few things that make me feel cozy and content. Here's my top 10 list to you, in hopes that you'll find them just as relaxing on your lazy afternoons off as I do:

1.) Drink lots of coffee and tea.
Ah, two of my favorite words. The first thing that I love to do is flip on my Keurig and brew a perfect cup of either hazelnut coffee or green tea (feel free to pick your own poison.) They both give me an extra boost of energy and taste delicious. Warm and wonderful, they guarantee a great start to my day.

2.) Comfy clothes.
If there's no pressing matters that I have to attend to or anywhere that I have to be, go-to outfit is generally my laziest pair of sweatpants and a hoodie. I tend to be the type of person who stays away from wearing sweatpants to class (because Lord knows I'll doze off,) so they add to putting me in a relaxing mood for sure.

3.) Candles, candles, candles.
My room isn't complete until it has a perfect scent, and neither are my lazy days. I have a million (maybe not quite, but just about) wax melt tarts that I put in a candle warmer that i bought for $6 and it works like a charm. Wildberry cheesecake, vanilla cookie crunch, apple cinnamon - you name it, I've got it. The aromas quickly fill up any room and help to relieve stress.

4.) Get a little bit of your work done.
Personally, I find myself more at peace when I've finished any pressing articles or assignments that I know I need to get done. Even if you know you only have 1 paper that's coming up within the week, you'll be happy that you got it done sooner rather than later so that you can focus your energy elsewhere.

5.) Tidy up, re-decorate, and re-organize.
I'm definitely the type of person who loves consistently changing up my room or re-organizing certain set ups I might have in my room. If you're room is a complete pigsty, I highly recommend at least putting your dirty clothes in your hamper before getting too comfortable. This way, you know that you won't have as much to do later and you'll feel less like you're procrastinating.

6.) Catch up with friends and family back home.
If you're away from home like I am, you might find yourself missing some of your favorite people miles away every now and then. With such a busy schedule, it's easy for me to remember or find the time to call friends and family during the week. What better time to share a good laugh or story over the phone than when you have nothing to do?

7.) Write.
Okay, I know we all don't love to write as much as I do. I literally always find myself writing 24/7 because A.) I'm obsessed with it and B.) it's honestly such a great outlet for any kind of emotion. Just writing down what you're feeling can make things seem a lot better if you're super stressed out.

8.) Create the perfect playlist.
If you already have one, awesome. If you don't, make one! Having a playlist of some of your favorite music playing in the background of whatever you're doing can make your lazy day even just a little better. If you don't have any music on your iTunes account, create a Spotify account through Facebook and have unlimited access through your laptop.

9.) Netflix.
You know how I said that coffee and tea were two of my favorite words in my first item on this list? Yeah, well Netflix is definitely a third favorite word of mine. So many shows and movies, so many devices, and so cheap! How could you say no to a scary movie on a chilly fall afternoon cocooned in your room?

10.) Fuzzy everything.
If you know me, then you know that I adore soft blankets and pillows more than anything. They can be incredibly therapeutic and are definitely a mood booster for any person. Fuzzy blankets, fuzzy pillows, fuzzy socks . . . who could ask for anything more!?

Arts & Crafts Time

Recently, I've been mulling over the thought of what I would include in my first substantial blog post (which would be this one.) My mind has been wandering in circles trying to pin point just what I want to write about, and I have been thinking about what has stood out to me that has made me truly happy.

Honestly, for today, I would have to say that both my drawing and watercolor classes have been true sources of my joy. With visual arts as my second major, I've really been able to immerse myself in one of my core passions through both my drawing and watercolor classes.

I have always found both painting and drawing to be captivating activities. The way that the paint flows so eloquently and the pencil marks up the paper brings such content to me. By being able to create, I have control over what I want to make and how I want it to look.

While I do sketch on my own every now and then, I have found genuine bliss in fine tuning some important skills in a classroom setting. Having assignments set by both my instructor and myself have given me a source of discipline in my craftsmanship with deadlines and certain techniques to practice that I might not want to do otherwise.

Regardless of if I want to or not, using certain drawing utensils or methods that I might find tedious are what will make me a better artist in over time. Habit and repetition will also keep me sharp in my ability, and without it, I would never really learn.

Because drawing and painting are two of my favorite outlets for relaxation in my life, these classes are rather important to me. Even though they may not bring the same thrills to others as they do to me, I am able to say that I'm happy when I am involved with them, and that's enough for me.

For Starters

In case you haven't read my 'What's My Story' page, my name is Caitlyn Morral and I am a writer, an artist, and a college student. I have created this blog to share my two cents on how I am making my own happiness.

A lot of times, it seems like it can be a strenuous and difficult task to find a glimmer of light in the world that we live in (at least, for myself.) In other words, it may often feel like every person is obsessed with the same social fad, latest trend, or some Beyoncé song . . . but where do I find my own happiness?

Through my posts, I'm aiming to share my views on how I am able to find my own happiness day by day. In essence, I am on a quest to find and do things that make myself happy, instead of going along with the mainstream crowd. Everyday is a new day that I have the opportunity to find something that will allow me to grow and find hope in the smallest (or the largest) of circumstances.

If this initial post has given you even an inkling of curiosity about what I have to say, then follow me on my adventure through life as a college kid trying to squeeze as much as I can for myself out of my everyday life.