Today's guest post is from my husband Adrian. He is not a blogger (yet ... I am working on him! 
) As I mention in many of my posts, Adrian is a huge inspiration for me. He is one of those people that 'walks the talk.'
I have often found I get more pleasure from the small things in life. The obvious clichés like watching a sunset, or enjoying a good meal, for example. I have also become to believe there is a benefit to this. At times when I have bought an expensive purchase, I have done so with high expectations, much higher than small purchases. This higher expectation leads to a greater chance of disappointment. This has been demonstrated often in customer car surveys. The small, cheap cars often rank higher than the large, luxurious and expensive models. The magazines conducting these surveys, in their conclusions, often say this can be attributed to the fact that if you buy a car that promises more than you will obviously expect more. If the cheap car has a few rattles, so what? It’s not cost you much, if the expensive one has similar rattles; you start to question where the differences are between the cars, for the extra expense.
With this in mind, I have come to the opinion that downsizing your life, as my wife and I have, and enjoying the simple things, can be even more rewarding than working more in order to earn more, so as to be able to buy more. Obviously I’m not suggesting this will be the case for everyone, but it’s worth thinking about as it may be an option you haven’t explored that could bring you more contentment and happiness in your life.
So maybe give it some thought. If the things that make you truly happy are the small things, pursue them. You may find your life changes for the better, spiritually and financially.
Simple things that bring me pleasure
Getting a buzz when I see squirrels. Now, this may sound like a strange one but, anyone who delights in observing an animal that appeals to them can probably relate to this. I have often tried to describe why I enjoy spotting them, I think it has to be something about my perceiving their behaviour and movements as being playful and living in the moment.
Eating Italian style pizza. I wouldn’t say I LOVE bread, or cheese, or tomatoes, or basil but, put these together and create a pizza and I find the smell and taste absolutely divine!
The sense of freedom that comes from owning an old car. No worrying if gets scratched, second hand (cheaper) parts available, less chance of it getting stolen, and of course less expensive to buy than a new one.
What small things in life bring you pleasure?
Great post honey!
So true & I know my readers will enjoy this.
Nice post. My husband shares your love of fresh pizza and he feeds the local squirrels, maybe I should ask him to write some posts too.
Seriously though, I like your points about expectations being in proportion to expense and that older cars can be less stressful as well as less expensive.
I look forward to reading more...
Ananga @ LivingbyDesign´s last blog ..Review: Deepak Chopra's Stress Free App for iPhone
This one is really a very nice and useful post Great work
Thanks for dropping in Ananga.
Glad you enjoyed Adrian's post. Sounds like our hubbies have some stuff in common! 
I completely get the sense of freedom from driving an old car. It was liberating not to have to fret constantly about our cars parked outside when we lived in San Francisco. And, the savings from not buying new cars and simplifying our lives helped us save for travel. Appreciating the little things helps to free your mind, wallet and time.
Audrey´s last blog ..Are You a Stuff Junkie or an Experience Junkie?
Hi Audrey.
Lovely to see you here and thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. Great example - if you are happy to drive an old car and it gets you from A to B it can free you to to concentrate on other priorities & great quote: "Appreciating the little things helps to free your mind, wallet and time."
Thanks again.
Jen
Hey there, Jen, this is a great post from your hubby, Adrian. Nice work.
Adrian, you need to become a blogger. If not, get your stuff published.
This particular piece you wrote, for example, is one of the best I've read. It is written in a down-to-earth tone and has practical significance. Kindly do yourself a favor and keep up the good work. Thanks. Your piece really resonated with me and made me think about life
Mahatma Gandhi was famous for going on long walks in the countryside.
And waking up early in the morning as a habit to enjoy the sun, fresh air. I think when we use the word "cliche" to describe the simpler pleasures of life, well, it just shows how jaded we have all become.
We sometimes shoot for the kinds of achievements that bring us complex pleasures, which are really not that necessary to begin with. People like Gandhi have been living for thousands and thousands of years without the creature comforts we seem to take for granted in our modern age. Enjoy a quiet meal with Jen, by all means, and walk by a river, hand in hand, you don't even have to talk. Learn to enjoy the silence.
And, by the way, in one survey it was found that the happiest people in the world live in remote and godforsaken places in Bhutan, Nepal, Tibet.
And other places which are not really on our radar screens. How's that for the simpler pleasures of life? Cheers to both of you, Jen, Adrian!
Right on. I think appreciating the moments as they are is what makes us happy. Really, it's about being present, right? The natural wonder and awe we have when being present with a beautiful sunset/sunrise, or in your case, when you see a squirrel. It's the appreciation of being in the present moment and accepting it for what it is that can bring us peace and lasting happiness.
I think this is why more and more people are turning to a more simplistic lifestyle. People are starting to realize that 'things' don't create happiness. We can only truly find that once we look within.
Nate´s last blog ..Devastation in Haiti
Hi again Archan.
I am glad you enjoyed Adrian's post, and I will let him know about your fabulous comment and feedback when he's back from work.
I love what you said about enjoying the simple things - there is so much to enjoy in this amazing world of ours, but as you said we sometimes make it more complicated than it needs to be! Thanks again for your feedback and I love your comments btw - always so thoughtful and uplifting.
Hope to see you again soon!
Jen
ps - are you a blogger?
Hey Nate.
It does come down to being present and I completely agree, I think we're starting to see the error of just relying on the material world to make us happy - I truly think there are exciting times ahead of us as more people et in touch with who they really are and start living more simply.
Thanks as always Nate,
Jen
Nice post Adrian. Question though. Why don't you blog? You're really a good writer.
Yeah sometimes we completely get sucked in to the big things in life and forget to be cherish the small things.
I'd say my most cherished small thing is seeing my kids sleeping at night. They're at peace, sleeping soundly. They look like little angels.
Ben´s last blog ..Taking the red pill – lessons for life from the Matrix
Hey Ben.
Thanks for the feedback - I can't wait to show Adrian all the comments here!
What you shared is so beautiful Ben - the love you have for your little angels is really shines through.
Squirrels are among my favorite of animals. They are simply too awesome. Sometimes I wonder if they aren't the ones control of this little blue planet of ours.
It's funny that your husband wrote this post because this is exactly what I've been drifting towards intuitively. Cherishing and appreciate the small stuff. It really improves your mood when you take your mind away from the small problems to the small things you enjoy.
I can also completely relate with the downsizing. My girlfriend and I are living a very simple life in Spain but we're loving it. We don't need a lot of fancy stuff. Give us organic food, laptops, internet and so on and we're good
.
Henri Junttila´s last blog ..Guest Post Roundup #3: Inspiration, Poker and Blogging
Hi, it's Adrian here. Just like to say, thanks for all the positive comments, very touched! I didn't plan to write this post, I just got up one morning and started writing. Don't know if I'll get the urge again
Well anytime you get the urge give me a shout and you can post for me
Hey Henri.
Squirrel's are awesome aren't they? After Adrian and I met, I adopted a squirrel (called Rufus) for his birthday. Rufus lives on Brownsea Island, one of the only places in the UK with red squirrels.
I am glad you enjoyed Adrian's post too, and you are so right, enjoying the little things really does improve your mood.
It's great to hear how you and your girlfriend have down sized and created a great life together in Spain.
simple pleasures! the feeling after a workout, pizza on sunday night, a clean room
Robert´s last blog ..Freedom Business | Making Ideas Real (Keyword Truths)
Ben - Aw that's great! I'll let Adrian know.
Robert - thanks for dropping by .. a great list!
Ahh...the simple things. Just what is that special bouyant feeling one gets from simple things? I derive as much pleasure from a simple walk or a swim in the ocean as I do from anything. Great job Adrian and here's to fresh hot pizza and sunsets!
Sheila McCann´s last blog ..injustice/justice Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Hiya Sheila. lovely to see you here and I agree - it is the simple things that make us feel really good.
Why is it that we can only appreciate simple thing when we discover that we can gain nothing from complicated things like fame and fortune. Your husband Adrian is a wise man. You're lucky.
Hey Walter.
I know - we do make things compliated don't we!
He is - and I know.
Thanks for dropping in.
Jen
Hi Jen and Adrian,
I love this concept!! I do "try" to live this way. And the more I have, the more I do appreciate the little things. Like this morning - as I took a different route into work. That alone was enough to just see some backroads and woods. Then, two deer meandered across the road in front of me. It all made me slow down a little bit - and even pull over to get a picture of a small landmark along this road. Small things, all off the beaten path.
Keep enjoying the squirrels...and the pizza (...and if you ever need help finishing that pizza....)
Lance´s last blog ..Choosing Boundaries For Life Success
Hiya Lance.
he always tells me he is like Joey in 'Friends' ... he doesnt share food! lol! 
Lovely to see you here and I am glad you enjoyed Adrian's post. I love your story about your journey to work ... how fantastic! I think animals and nature have a great way of slowing us down don't they?
Heres to squirrels and pizza!
Jen
btw - unfortunately Adrian never has a problem finishing his pizza!
Lovely post. I think once we have enough to keep the wolf from the door then it doesn't take much to make us happy. Today as the sun shone, I fed the birds and the squirrels and took joy in their antics as they tipped the water bowl over. I had a laugh with friends at the gym and watched a really good educational programme as part of my studies. Often the best things in life really are free (or cost very little).
Thanks for posting Adrian. Hope to hear more from you and Jen. x
Janice Robertson´s last blog ..5 Steps To Achieve Your New Year Resolutions
Hi Janice.
I think you're right. We are very fortunate to have the essentials sorted (especially when we see what is going on right now in other parts of the world), so we can enjoy those little moments.
Those little squirrels are scamps aren't they!? We don't get as many in Kent as I used to see in London!
Thanks for your comment Janice.
Enjoying the beauty around us can really put a positive spin on your outlook on life. So many people see a negative, dirty and dying world full of hate and pollution. But they couldn't be more wrong. This world is full of life and beauty everywhere. Just gotta take notice of those simple things in life. Sometimes because we are exposed to it so much we become blind to it.
Hey Mike.
Great comment! Thanks for dropping in.
I think you're right ... slowing down and actually seeing how great the world is, is what it is all about. It's also about what we look for, as you said ... the positive or the negative? It is easy for anyone to point out the negatives, bringing positivity and an 'attitude of gratitude' changes everything.
I can totally relate to this post by your husband. No matter how many amazing things happen and no matter how hard life is, it's the little things that bring me right back.
My son insisting he does something for himself, a cup of coffee in my favourite chipped cup.
All these things make life the miracle it is.
By the way if your husband isn't keen on being a blogger, get him to be an InfoPreneur!
Hi Adrian! How you doing?
Yeah, since moving out of the city and into the country, I've really started to value the smaller things in life too. I work at home a lot of the time now, and, when the weather allows it, go out for a walk along the little country roads and lanes at lunch times. It's amazing what you can see and hear there - all the little birds and animals, trees and plants. I come back refreshed and energised to crack on in the afternoon.
Interestingly too, I spend much less money since I came here. I think I need to buy less "treats" because I have them in abundance on my doorstep.
Christine´s last blog ..3 lessons on work and life from walking 10 miles in the snow
I always used to find it incredible how some of the poorest people I have met during my travels were also the happiest. But when you appreciate the small things, such as having enough food and clothes for your family, your risk of disappointment as you mentioned is drastically reduced.
Earl´s last blog ..Long-time Friends and Long-term Travel
Jen and Adrian, I enjoyed this post and in thinking about the small stuff, today's cherished moment is right now. I'm finally alone, in a quiet house, able to focus on centering myself, getting connected up inside. Thanks so much for the inspiration.
Dammit. It's Sunday night and I have no pizza. And suddenly, I just realized how amazing it would be. I'm blaming my hunger pangs on you, Rob! :p
Ash´s last blog ..Is Lifestyle Design A Manifestation of Perfectionism In Disguise? A Self-Reflection
Oops! I meant for that last comment to go up in the thread under Robert's comment. Whoops! No matter, because I wanted to drop a line here anyway and say that I commend you both for making the decision to downsize, with the intentions that you did. Fist. Pump. To. That.
Ash´s last blog ..Is Lifestyle Design A Manifestation of Perfectionism In Disguise? A Self-Reflection
James - great to see you here.
Lovely example about your son - how cute! Am sending Adrian over to your site to find out more about being an infopreneur!
Christine - fantastic to hear about your transition to country living. We had a similar experience moving to the countryside, somehow it seems a little easier appreciating the small stuff when closer to nature.
Earl - really interesting to hear about your experiences travelling. We definitely have got something topsy turvy when we think 'more = happier' haven't we?
Linda - glad you enjoyed this.
Ash - mmm, pizza!
I am not sure why the comments they don't go where they are mean to ... I'll have to look into that! Thanks for the comment and fist. pump! 
Jen´s last blog ..Cherish the small stuff
Adrian,
I enjoyed this post and I'd love to hear more about how you and Jen are downsizing, other than driving an older car. As far as small things that bring me pleasure. One, in particular, is relaxing in my family room with a fire roaring in the fireplace. I get so much pleasure out of our fireplace and wouldn't know how to deal without one in the winter. Helping out building sets with my wife for my daughter's play brings me pleasure. The list could be very lengthy.
I look forward to future posts by you.
Best,
Bob
Bob Bessette´s last blog ..5 Parental Tips for Dealing with College Separation Anxiety.
It sounds like you and Adrian have a fair bit in common Bob ... we have a woodburner and Adrian's a dab hand at building a fire too!
I will pass on the request for more info about our downsizing ... he has been very encouraged with all the great feedback.
Lovely to hear about what you cherish too Bob.
Jen