With discontent rising among some supporters about a perceived lack of movement in plans to sell the club, the Scot was pleased to be able to talk about some good news for a change.
United States international Donovan will return to Goodison Park in January for a second spell, having spent a couple of months on Merseyside in the early part of 2010, while Barkley has agreed a four-and-a-half-year deal.
When Moyes was asked whether the news about Donovan and Barkley had put a spring in everyone's step he said: "It does in mine, it makes me feel good.
"I've always said making progress at a club is really important. "I think we have made a bit of progress in signing a young boy like Ross Barkley, making sure he is our player, and bringing in Landon, who did well for us in his last spell.
"We are working hard to bring in more (players) just now. There are never any promises but if Landon is the start we are hoping to do one or two more.
"Hopefully it filters through to the supporters and they are much happier and have something to talk about and look forward to."
Norwich are the visitors to Goodison Park on Saturday and Moyes is hopeful his side can start rectifying their poor home record which has seen them take just seven points from seven matches.
Losing at Arsenal last week after the home defeat to Stoke the previous week has undone some of the good work achieved with back-to-back wins late last month.
"I don't think we played sparklingly well but I don't think we played that badly to have lost them both but we did and we need to make sure we don't have another defeat," said Moyes.
"We have to get back playing and scoring goals. We have created a lot of opportunities to make chances but have not delivered it well enough or not finished it off.
"I think Norwich have done really well and (manager) Paul Lambert has done a great job having come up a division with a lot of momentum.
"They've had some good results on the road and they are playing with freedom."
Lambert wants Norwich to concentrate on delivering consistent performances over the hectic festive schedule rather than get too carried away with the Christmas spirit.
The Canaries are currently perched comfortably in mid-table ahead of the trip to Everton.
However, with another tough away fixture at Wolves next week before the visit of Tottenham on December 27, Fulham on New Year's Eve then a trip to Queens Park Rangers on January 2, Lambert expects every man to be fully focused on the job in hand.
Asked whether his players had held a Christmas party, the Norwich manager said: "The lads know my feelings on it at the minute. It is more important to get a foothold in the league before anything can happen at the minute.
"We will see - it might come in May. I will wait and see." Lambert added in a news conference: "We are playing well that we can compete and give teams a game, which people never thought we could do, so the lads deserve credit because they are carrying this club forwards.
"You can look at every game in the Premier League, and you just don't know where they are coming from - but that is the magnitude of how hard it is
"We have done really fine to put ourselves in a decent position at the minute."
Norwich have competed well on a first return to the top flight for the Norfolk club in six seasons, only really being outplayed in a 5-1 defeat at Barclays Premier League leaders Manchester City.
The Canaries produced the required response with a 4-2 home win over Newcastle last week. Everton are a couple of places below Norwich in the table but Lambert is expecting nothing other than a testing encounter.
"Everton have a great manager and the atmosphere will be fantastic, so I am looking forward to going because I have never been to Goodison Park," the former Celtic midfielder said.
"David Moyes has been exceptional for what he has done up there. From the outside looking in, they are a terrific side.
"Everton have been established in the Premier League for a long time, so it will be a really tough game for us - as hard as they come. Some results may not have gone their way but they are still a dangerous side."
Source: DSG
