I have been MOODY and GRUMPY recently, and so I have been buying a number of little things that seem like they’d increase the cheer levels around here.

Zak Designs Happy Spoon (photo from Amazon.com). These are about $5.00 each online, but I sometimes find them at Home Goods, TJMaxx, and Marshalls for $2.50 each (or, on one happy occasion, on clearance for $1.00 each). There are also cheeky (winking) and surprised designs, but I only like the smilies. I have them in white, green, and orange so far, and I bought one each of red, white, orange, and green for my cousin for a wedding present. (The $5.00ish shipping for a single spoon is daunting, but it’s not per spoon: that is, if you order, say, four spoons, the shipping is $8.00ish. And the set of one cheeky and one smiling is free shipping.)

Cheap fun glasses (photo from ZenniOptical.com). Eight bucks a pair, baby. I ordered a bunch of pairs a couple of months ago and have been very happy with them: they’re just as good as the prescription glasses I got at the optician’s office. So I ordered a few more pairs, including the ones above. You’ll need your prescription to order, but your optician will have that on file and it’s easy to get a copy (call or stop by—the prescription is right in your file and legally belongs to you). A little trickier is getting your PD, which I think stands for pupillary distance: the optician measures it but it’s not part of the prescription so you have to ask for it separately.

Boston Warehouse Porcupine Scrubbrush (photo from Amazon.com). It’s $9.99 on Amazon, but sometimes I see him at Home Goods or Marshalls or TJMaxx for $5.99, or maybe it was $4.99. I have the little guy on the windowsill over the sink, and he’s excellent for scrubbing potatoes.

Red Vanilla Salt and Pepper Pigs (photo from HomePreparations.com). I can’t find my camera (I let a child borrow it, and WHO OH WHO could have predicted the consequences of this action?), and so sadly I have to use the only photo I could find online, and I don’t think it comes close to capturing the whimsy of these plump round little piggies with their upturned snouts. I get a little humorous/happy heart-lift every time I see them on the counter. They’re a discontinued design, but I found them at TJMaxx for $3.99. I’m going to buy a second set if I see them again, to give as a gift or put in a care package.

Cheap used humor books (photo from Amazon.com). I supplemented my Doonesbury collection by buying several anthologies. Many of them were available used for a penny each. Granted, it’s $3.99 shipping per book, but $4.00 total is okay with me. I got a couple in hardcover for less than $5 each including shipping.

Mrs. Meyer’s Honeysuckle Hand Soap (photo from Amazon.com). I found it at Target for $3.99, which is expensive for hand soap but it smells sooooo good, and the bottle is pretty. Oddly, I found it on the shelf with hand soaps (I realize that doesn’t sound odd, but wait for it) instead of in the Mrs. Meyer’s section (which includes hand soap) over in laundry and cleaning supplies.

Neutrogena Triple Moisture Deep Recovery Hair Mask (photo from Amazon.com). I found it for about $6 at Target, or maybe it was on sale for $5.00. I like to use deep conditioners as directed (putting it on the hair then rinsing it out), but I also like to use a teeny bit as a leave-in conditioner.

Crush Jewels Retro Petite Daisy Stud Earrings (photo from Crush Jewels on Etsy). I am wearing these right this minute and I love them. And only $7!

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