It's been done before — heck, we've done it before — but this recession ain't going anywhere, so I'm revisiting it. What are your little bright spots in days peppered with bills rolling in, portfolios plummeting, and the word "no" constantly falling from your lips? USA Today did a nice article on the small treats that get people by, and two things struck me. One, chocolate sales are up. It sounds so cliche, but that truffle or square really makes the difference for some people. I particularly liked this part, it gave me a nice warm feeling:

Think small, like Casey Elliott. She's here picking up a tin of gourmet hot chocolate mix for her kids, a small but welcome treat at a time when her husband is out of work. "We're trying to do simple things, like going for family walks and playing games," she says.

Two, people are spending more time at home — Netflix, for instance, is doing well in spite of the times, even because of the times. I don't know if it's because of the recession or because of general new-home-ownership, but I find myself more inclined to feather my nest than shop for clothes these days. What about you?

It's been six months since we talked about it here, so where do you find a little bit of happiness these days? And beyond that, what I'm really wondering about is this: When these articles about returning to simpler pleasures pop up, I usually roll my eyes — can it really last? When the economy rights itself, will Hummers reign supreme again, or will we really take to heart lessons from the downturn?