Kathleen Valenti

Small Stuff

You know the expression “Go big or go home”?

I’ve decided I’m more of a “Go small and stay home” kinda gal.

I’m a big fan of embracing the little things. (Yes, I’m talking about my dog, Olive, but other little things, as well). Their compactness just seems more manageable—more doable—than the grand counterparts. There’s less hoopla, fewer spreadsheets, smaller decision points and downsides. Plus, the affordability and accessibility of small stuff often lead to more: more variety, more opportunity, and more experiences.

Vivent les petits!

So with a big shout-out to the little things, here’s a list of my current faves (the list is on the wee side, as well):

Sweet & Spicy Tea
Is it the promise of apple pie in a cup? Yes. Is it the jaunty ampersand in the name? Also yes. Either way, this little nicety gets big points from me.

After yeaaaaaaaaaaaars of consuming “cinnamon tea” (my own potentially toxic concoction featuring hot water and eleventybillion teaspoons of cinnamon), my cousin served me a cup of this heavenly potion, and I haven’t looked back.

Comfy Socks
Sounds hardly worth mentioning right? My feet beg to differ. I have always cut corners with footwear. In fact, I trained for my first half-marathon in Kirkland Court Classics until my creative director essentially wrestled them from my feet before I did my dogs in. But I have reformed. I have discovered the joy of well-made socks with just the right amount of bouncy cushion. Ahhhhhhhhhhh…bliss.

Ice Cream Sandwiches
Whenever I want a break from licorice (and yes, it does happen), I’ve been reaching for mini ice cream sandwiches. They pack big flavor, are fun to eat, and basically make me feel like a kid on summer break who just popped inside for a quick snack.

Weekend Getaways
Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy the Big Vacation. But there’s a lot to be said for the weekend getaway—or the bop-around-town-or-perhaps-a-bit-further day trip. I find that when I turn off the electronics and tune into the experience, the gains—and the memories—are greater than I ever imagined.

Letting My Lapdog Live Up to the Title
Olive learned a new trick: she can now jump unbidden onto my lap during important Zoom meetings. At first I was flustered and shooed her away. Now I let her sleep on my lap most of my workday. We’re a comfort to each other, and she’s small and light. She’s also great at presenting creative concepts.

Tiny Tidying
Move over, Spring Cleaning. I present: Tiny Tidies. I like to mix up this repertoire, performing a concentrated cleaning task in one area for, say, 15 minutes, or doing a quick-n-dirty cleanup that delivers an immaculate appearance. As long as no one’s wearing bifocals.

Wee Workouts
I used to have an all or nothing attitude about exercise. If didn’t have a prescribed amount of time to do something active, I’d skip it all together. I know. I know. Not exactly productive. Now I endeavor to get in some kind of exercise, even if it’s a few minutes on a stationary bike, without adherence to a big (often unachievable) goal. It’s a nice alternative to that absolute thinking. And helps ensure that I don’t need those pneumatic compression devices used during surgery whilst doing my very sedentary job.

How about you, my friends? Do you partake in little things that bring big joy? Please share.  

29 thoughts on “Small Stuff”

  1. I like to get my reading in when ever I can, I almost always have a books with me. I get what exercise I can in the pool or the beach. Housework is always done in short bursts. Mine are mostly out of necessity due to a back injury. Luckily my husband does most of the difficult things like the floors, carrying the laundry baskets, etc.

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  3. Kathleen,

    Love this post. I’m more of a small partaker as well.

    I like seeing tv shows with the hubbs more than going out on a date. Dinner in front of the television is our together time.

    I like finding little presents for people, something a bit unusual, instead of doing the big extravagant gifts. This last Christmas I bought for my in-laws that book about English language you discussed in another post, because they love BBC, instead of stuff for the golf course and jewelry.

    And when it comes to a vacation, I like finding things off the beaten path that are recommended by the locals, instead of going the same place all the other tourists do. I found out so much about Las Vegas’s history for my manuscript idea by taking tour of Downtown, instead of walking along the strip.

    Did you know the first gaming license was given to a woman? Howard Hughes bought a hotel to keep the lights from shining into his hotel room at night? A death scene in Casino was reenacted by the same person who did the killing in real life? Cowboy Vic and Sassy Sally (two marquees) were “married” by a mayor? And of course the Mob Museum took over a decade to approve, because the mayor (a former mob lawyer) wanted it in an old federal building, and the feds didn’t want the mob glamorized in a building owned by them? FYI, the current mayor is the former mob lawyer’s wife.

    You gotta love the small stuff.

    Hestia

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  4. I’ve gone big into tea sachets instead of tea bags. What is a sachet, you might ask? Think a little silk triangular bag filled with whole tea leaves instead of a bag, which is often crushed leaves. First thing in the morning, I brew loose leaf tea. But that requires boiling the water, steeping in a pot, filtering out the leaves…not a big deal, but in the afternoon, I want to stick my mug in the Keurig, push a button, and get hot water for tea. Enter the sachet. And they come in a ton of varieties.

    Also become a fan of the 10 minute exercise workout. I did it all last summer with great benefits. I slacked off in the winter (cold weather mornings), but will restart in April. Exercising for 30 minutes feels daunting, but I can easily spare 10.

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      1. I just bought myself a smart watch and the other thing I learned is a) I’m not nearly as sedentary as I thought and b) I take about 3x as many steps in my daily activity as what was recorded on my phone. So yay!

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  5. Kathy, these are so great! I’m inspired.

    In terms of little things that bring me joy, sometimes I’ll have my needlepoint on my working desk and when I need a break, I’ll stitch for a few minutes. It’s absolutely calming and restorative.

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  7. I definitely embrace the little things! BTW, that Good Earth tea is delish as iced tea as well. Lapdogs are the best! My first toy poodle was not only a consummate lapdog, but he also liked to ride on my shoulder when I drove. I wouldn’t do it now of course because distracted driving is such an issue. But I was young and enjoyed the smiles and laughs when people saw Ziggy sitting contentedly on my shoulder. Thank God I never had an accident or a hard braking incident. I am all about comfy socks and shoes. They are one of life’s little pleasures for sure. I also enjoy small amounts of cleaning and exercising at a time Because if you have a small goal like 10 minutes, you are successful if you make it to that. But there is nothing stopping you from doing more. It’s a win-win either way. And doing something, no matter how little, is better than doing nothing.

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  8. I so agree, Kathy! Not just about your particular little things (I finally got on the “nice socks really are SO much better” bandwagon a few years back), but about the concept in general: one square of chocolate; stopping work to read an article in a magazine; a short walk around the block with Miss Ziggy. And speaking of pups, what kind of dog is Olive? She’s adorable!

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    2. I’m going to have to check out the sox thing! I definitely do the one square of chocolate thing, usually while I’m reading before bed. But OMG … ice cream sandwiches!! And did you know they come in minis??? Exactly enough treat for me. YUM!

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  9. Thank you for this post, Kathy, because I felt totally overwhelmed this morning by my to-do list. 1 step forward, 2 steps back (well, added). I’m going to envision each thing as teensy tiny to adjust my attitude. My dog is too big to sit on my lap or shoulder, alas–he’s a golden so he’s happy to sit under my chair and hope for coffee cake crumbs. And re: socks, I have been bombarded lately by ads for those “new” cheerfully striped compression versions. Do they show those ads to all writers, or is someone timing the hours I spend at my desk?

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