Question???

What small treats makes you incredibly happy?

Me?

That would be, hands down, my (grande) iced latte once a week. 

why??...

To me, small treats matter so much. Whenever i feel depleted and drained, especially when I have no time or energy left to devote to little activities that give me pleasure, i start to feel a little antsy and crabby. And surely after  indulging in a small treat, it helps refresh and energize my disposition. It's easier to be patient and to tackle projects and chores after a little feast. So lately I've been thinking about the importance of "small treats"  and by small treats, I mean ordinary, minor indulgences that won't break a bank and things we don't usually give ourselves every single day.

There are two types of treats id like to indulge once in a while. First, food. I love cakes, but my problem with this forbidden food is that I always eat out of control. One slice easily becomes two slices. And I love frosting. Yes, It may feel good for a moment but the after effect isn't really healthy for me. So now, I only eat cake in a birthday party. (So please invite me on your toddlers party) Therefore I settled with Iced latte as my food-treat. 

Second type is shopping. Retail therapy can be a treat, but spending too much money can make you end up feeling worse, not better. But us girls love shopping.so.so.much! To satisfy that craving I shop at inexpensive places like flea markets, garage sales and thrift shops. That way it limits my spending. Or sometimes, I do just the opposite. I go to a store that's so outrageously expensive that I wouldn't dream of buying anything, and just enjoy the sights and textures. Just like what I do when I have no moohlah - i POKE at those ex-faareeking-pensive things. I just think of it as going to an art gallery - just look at them, but don't buy them. Somehow, weird enough, the poking of expensive bags and shoes (sometimes I try them on when the sales people aren't snooty) is an enjoyable experience for me without spending money.   

But in order to keep a treat feeling like a treat, we can't indulge too often, right? My fancy iced latte once a week is a treat, but a fancy iced latte once daily loses its worth and just becomes ordinary activity of life. Sure, it's nice, but if it becomes a habit, it becomes boring. Dull. Having too much of everything too often is the murderer of simple joys. Yup, you can quote me on that. 

Case in point: when my family goes to Subic, my dear darling husband Jayson get to indulge in a yummy Dakasi Milk tea with extra-extra-extra pearls. Before we eat anything we need to have our Dakasi treat first or we'll go bananas. If we get to have this milk tea everyday, it would just be a boring milk tea, but because we can only have it twice a month, we consider it a treat. So we always look forward to that trip. 

I think treat has a special power. Like a spider bite or Darna's stone or like a pill. It gives me a boost whenever I feel blue, or when I am being anxious or overwhelmed, a cold latte and thift shopping soothes me. And if latte and cheap shopping didn't soothe me I always go to my books and to a new dvd to watch. Books and movies serve as a comfort food for my mind. They give me a break from my worries at least for a while and feel recharged, so I find it easier to stay calm, cheerful and easier to remedy a situation. Plus, I sleep better.  

So, please, please, please share us your favorite small treat. Id love to hear yours, so i might try it too. 

Thanks!