At the beginning of every week in 2013 I’ll be sharing a different way to get happy for FREE. Being happy doesn’t cost anything except your decision to try. I show you how I got happy that week and hope to inspire you to do the same. Join my Get Happy for FREE challenge, you have nothing to lose and a whole lot of smiles to gain!
I was on Google about to type “How to be frugal,” in the search box. The first option that came up was How to Be Happy.
Huh. Isn’t that the truth?
Saving money, spending money, making more money…isn’t the real goal to just be happy.
Now there’s a resolution worth making! This is the first post in a year long series to get happy for FREE. Being happy doesn’t cost anything, except the decision to try.
So I forgot about searching for frugal and started searching for happiness. Sounds so poetic doesn’t it?
I’ve done several media interviews about getting out of debt. In every interview I always stress how little stuff we need to be happy. It’s about being with each other and having meaningful experiences that bring us peace, not things.
THE CHALLENGE
Every Monday I’ll be posting a new “Happy Challenge.” It will be one way to focus on creating more happiness in our lives. If you accept the challenge, I’m going to give away a $5 Amazon code every week to one reader…just for trying!
And really, even if you try the activity, you are already a winner…I made you smile. 
HOW TO PLAY
- Just leave a comment on this post letting me know how you completed the challenge!
- I will ONLY announce the winner in the weekly email I send out every Sunday. Be sure you are a subscriber or you won’t know you won!
- One entry per challenge, but you can win multiple times. Every week is a new chance to get happy!
WEEK 1
This week we are focusing on relationships.
If you have children or grandchildren, play with them and give them your undivided attention. When they speak to you, look them in the eye. Ask them questions about the game you are playing. Be present. Put away the phone, turn off the TV and focus on them.
If you don’t have children, set aside time for your spouse, co-worker or neighbor. Even just a conversation where your mind doesn’t wander when you chat with them.
Give them your undivided attention, ask questions, be engaged. Relax and enjoy the company.
After come tell me about it in the comments and snap a pic that represents this week’s challenge!
This is how my challenge went this week:
Week 1: Focus on Relationships
My 4 year old looooovvvvesssss hide and go seek. To be more precise, she loves seeking and someone else go hiding. I’m not big on the game, but it’s what she wanted and we played…16 times. Consecutively.
She’s about to find me hiding in my closet…again, for the 16th time. We live in a small apartment, not many places for a full grown adult to hide.
I still smiled and so did she. And we both knew what was about to happen next.
Gotcha! Again! 16 times!
No play is complete without a tea party. She asked me if I would dress up also. Hey, why not?
The last time I wore this was when she was a baby, and we had a party in her honor. Seemed appropriate for our tea party. What was I saving it for anyways?
She went with princess.
We made semi-homemade cinnamon sugar doughnut holes (easy peasy recipe coming soon). A little cookies, a little milk and and a lot of great conversation.
Have fun this week! Can’t wait to hear how the challenge went. Remember to be eligible for the $5 Amazon code:
- Leave a comment on this post letting me know what you did.
Other posts in the 52 Ways to Get Happy for FREE Series:
- Week 1: Focus on Relationships
- Week 2: Go Somewhere New
- Week 3: Try a New Food
- Week 4: Spend Time Alone
- Week 5: Write to Someone
- Week 6: Smile
- Week 7: Take a Walk
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5 Dollars for 38 Worth at Rite Aid Includes a Shaver! 1/13-1/19
Hi! I'm Isra, aka The Frugalette. I took my family from fancy to frugal in 3 years, with 3 kids and 1 income, oh and found the meaning of life too! To read more about my fancy life gone frugal, 
So true! I think we do get caught up so much in life, that we forget the purpose of life is to enjoy and be happy! And for me, that is good friends! Thanks for making me happy everyday!
Aww thanks Char! Being happy is definitely a choice. Surrounding yourself with positive people helps, a lot.
Love her big smile! What a joy it is to see her happiness in her mama.. A tea party & 16 games of hide & seek are what childhood memories are made of. ~smile~
Cherish these years because they flee so rapidly…
I’m trying my best to remind myself how fleeting these moments are..thanks for the reminder.
I spent some time reading to Rissa this afternoon before I saw your post. Of course since I put my phone away I couldn’t get a picture lol
Reading is the fastest way to connection, I really believe it! When my day is spiraling out of control, I ask the kids what book do they want to read.
And I saw the cute pics you posted…;)
Love this post – and what a fun idea! Fabulous photos – you really captured the fun of the afternoon!
Thanks MaryAnne..you would rock this challenge I know! You do this everyday already! Just tag any of your gorgeous IG pics with #gethappy1 and tell me what made it extra special
Hi Isra- this is a great idea and a wonderful post! I spent some time yesterday teaching my co-worker about a specific task and listened patiently while she asked me a million questions. No picture – that would’ve been weird.
I LOVE this Tazim! Isn’t it amazing how different a conversation goes when we actively listen. And the picture could be anything that you feel represents the challenge, it doesn’t have to be a literal interpretation.Even if it’s a pic of your office space or a pic of the thing your co-worker had so many questions about. As long as the caption includes the #gethappy1.
I love this concept! I’m down to participate.
This week we had a date night as that was one of our new goals. To do the whole alone time thing more often so our own relationship doesn’t fade. It was so much fun and I’m so glad we did it.
Aww I love it! I miss date nights, we used to make a special dinner for the two of us every Friday after the kids went to sleep…really need to start doing that again.
Thanks for joining the Happy Challenge! 
I absolutely love the inadvertent sneak peek at your gorgeous collection of headscarves!
And your little girl is so adorable!
Can’t wait to see this week’s challenge; I missed it last week but I’m on top of it this time!
Thank you so much. Yeah!! Join the challenge this week..Im sure you could come up with something awesome!
This is such a neat idea and a great reminder… We always are “to busy” taking care of the house, taking are of ourselves and our children, we forget that time is passing by and we need to stop and enjoy moments with our family… Thank you for posting this.
Always a good reminder to know that not everything good in life is paid in money but in smiles.