(It has nothing to do with food.)
Considering the reaction I got when this idea was pitched, a few people do, in fact, know of the “Dopamine Menu” trend going around: a small curation of things that bring you joy every day. Most people participating are social media influencers, and I am, by no means, an influencer. Hence, the visual for this is definitely not as “aesthetically pleasing” as some of the videos out there, but it does the job of capturing some of my “menus.”
First up, we’ve got fresh flowers. I recently moved, so I haven’t had time to go and purchase some flowers, but I went this weekend, and my bouquet now lives on my dining room table.
Speaking of which, my dining set has quickly become a favourite — specifically, the little corner of my apartment that it’s in. I finally got around to hanging up my prints and the wall decorations my late Oma and Opa brought over from their homeland of Germany and from their travels in the Maritimes. The chairs I found remind me of the ones my neighbours had while I was growing up, and the table has these gorgeous, intricately carved legs that match the chairs. Total for both sets was $100, a bargain for old-school solid wood furniture. So cozy!
As a proud Vancouverite, I was introduced to Murchie’s, a B.C. tea and coffee company, early on in my life. I’m forever a Murchie’s girl. Their flagship in Victoria is always a must for me whenever I’m there. Some of my favourite teas from them are the Assam Pure and the Paris Afternoon. Though I tend not to drink coffee because it makes me jittery, their French Roast is pretty stellar.
Baking and cooking bring me an indescribable joy and satisfaction. I challenged myself this year to try out a new cooking and baking recipe each month, and thus far, I have accomplished the goal. This month, I made a Maharashtrian sabji (curry) for my boyfriend’s birthday, but I have yet to decide on a new baking recipe. Though not daily, pizza date nights are a super fun activity — especially making everything from scratch.
I’m truly a Monica Geller when it comes to cleaning, so doing a “closing shift” on my apartment before bed helps set the following day off to a good start, and bi-monthly deep cleans allow me to reset my space.
In the morning, I can see the trees from my bedroom window. Having grown up in Vancouver, and lived in both downtown Toronto and Montreal, I find this a welcoming view in the mornings — much more peaceful than waking up and seeing a bleak hotel across the street.
Finally, the various knick-knacks I’ve acquired over the years: old family photos, notably the ones of my grandparents I’ve stuck onto my mirror, my handed-down jewelry that I keep in a seashell dish, or the gold-tubed red Estée Lauder lipstick that I swiped from my mum. My new favourite is the little music box I got from a mechanical music store in Rüdesheim am Rhein during my vacation this year; it tinkers out the chorus to “Edelweiss” and has Edelweiss flowers embroidered on the top.
Surrounding yourself with small things that never fail to bring you joy is something worth taking the time to do.
