Seeking it out!

I'm not gonna lie--circumstances here are stressing me out much more than they are bringing me happiness. Hospital drama, work craziness, being away from family, and just living in Japan in winter in general are all adding up and making me a lot more stressed than I usually am.

On top of that, everything here is so expensive! I get the urge to sew or crochet but can't find any materials that are cheap or suitable for what I want to do. Good thing I am working on an afghan that will be keeping my hands busy for years or I would have serious anxiety issues.

I am not depressed but have realized that life here is full of discomfort, which is a good thing to experience once in a while but over a year, it takes its toll. So, I am seeking out happiness! I started with writing a list of 20 things that made me happy.
Then I read it. Then I realized that I had zero access to most of those things (sweet potatoes, magazines, Mexican food, my cats). Luckily, I do have my fun children and loving husband...and a few other things that bring me great joy that I need to remember, such as:

1.) I can finally get away with washing my hair 1-2 times a week! This may seem gross or not like an accomplishment at all, but I have been working on being able to do this for years! I have tried the no-shampoo method and natural cleansers, but my hair would always get greasy after 2 days. Maybe it is the Japanese shampoo I am using (Lux Super Shine) but my hair very rarely gets greasy like it did in the States. Hooray!

2.) This Being Elmo trailer makes me so happy! Kevin Clash is awesome, and the documentary looks so inspiring!


3.) Zombie Dice!

Fox gave me this game for Christmas (along with perfume called Samurai Woman..rrawr!), and I love it. It is Yahtzee-like and so simple that even my kids can play it. Cash is learning to write numbers and loves to keep score. Oh yes, my kids know all about zombies and find them funny. They know the book "Scooby Doo on Zombie Island" by heart.

4.) Funny pictures on Pinterest. I follow some really funny boards, so Fox and I usually get a really good laugh before we go to bed. Love this one:


So there are some things. What I really need is new music, which makes life so much better. I can not find any good music! Anyone? I can not handle folksy, melancholy music or Adele or anything super sappy at this point in my life. I need good, uptempo, clean, happy music. Or any good acoustic-guitar stuff. Any recommendations?