Hello Dr. Stephanie readers! I apologize for being absent for the the last few days.  I am prepping for an exciting event this afternoon! I will be sure to post details after it has happened (and is published!).

My posts so far this year have been pretty serious, so I thought I would keep it lighthearted today – it is Friday after all!  For those DIY’ers out there, you may already be familiar with the blog Young House Love.  It’s a blog written by a young couple as they tackle home projects including construction, decorating, yardwork, etc.  It’s fun to read with lots of cool photos.  Even if you are not a DIY’er it is worth checking out.  Anyway, they posted a thrift shop challenge last week inspired by this song by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis (note: this is the clean version, so may be OK to share with the kiddos in your house):

I am going to forgo my urge to write about the merits of this song (because it encourages originality in dress and thinking, promotes inter-generational understanding, and challenges our materialistic culture that makes us feel as though we need to spend $50 on a t-shirt to be cool).  I am also going to resist writing about the pitfalls of this song (trashy language galore).  Instead I am going to focus on the FUN of it!  It simply makes me smile.

I had a professor in graduate school who frequently warned that “happiness is not a hot dog.”  I’m still – 10+ years later! – trying to figure out what that means, but I think it has something to do with not expecting happiness in things, food, or anything else external.  True happiness comes from within.  That may be, but sometimes silly, funny, and charming things do the trick in the short term.  Those are important pieces of mental health too.

I’m signing off now and keeping the rest of my psychology-heavy thoughts to myself.  Have fun listening, watching and thrifting!