Imagine yourself waking up each day to the gorgeous sunlight streaming in your window. You stretch, listening to the birds chirping in the trees outside and throw on a plush robe excited to start your day by following your nose to the kitchen for a cup of fresh brewed coffee. This sounds like a peaceful start to a movie, right? What if this way how your day started, EVERY day? What if you woke up each day excited for what the day had in store, even if that day was just a normal, busy day at the office or in the house as a stay-at-home mom? Romanticizing your life is focusing on the little things that make up each day with a new perspective. You live with intention and enjoy the little things that make up your day, all of life’s simple pleasures that we generally overlook. A few months ago, I really made the effort to romanticize my life and it has made a world of difference in my level of happiness in my every day life. I want to share with you 10 ways you can romanticize your life and start enjoying all of life’s simple pleasures!
{ONE} Create a Morning and Night Routine: Begin and end your day with a calming routine. In the morning, stretch for a few minutes as soon as you step out of bed and before you look at your phone. Enjoy the feeling of waking up to the new day. Or your morning routine can be washing your face and serenely putting on your face lotion, allow yourself a couple minutes to focus on pampering your skin. At night, your routine could be a 10 minute relaxing yoga video, night time skincare routine, or journaling to allow yourself time to unwind.
{TWO} Savor Your Morning Coffee/Tea: This is a wonderful way to start your day on a happy note. Instead of rushing with your coffee, be sure to set aside 5 to 10 minutes to intentionally sit with your drink and savor it. Smell the fragrant aroma, use a cute mug that you love, or sit outside and sip while you enjoy the morning sun. Pretend you’re in a Parisian café and read a newspaper with your coffee and a pastry. Having even a small amount of time to enjoy your morning drink will make you look forward to that time every morning.
{THREE} Set an Ambiance: Create your home into a place you want to be in. Light candles, play some positive music to complement your mood, buy yourself flowers to decorate your home each week if that would make you smile, or put up some artwork you can appreciate each day as you walk by it. If it makes you smile, then it isn’t a waste of money. These little things, such as a vase of pretty flowers sitting on your bedside table, can really add value to your every day life.
{FOUR} Wander in Nature: Take time each day to enjoy being in nature. It could be as simple as taking a leisurely walk after dinner, walking with a friend at an outdoor mall, a hike, or sitting outside a coffee shop on a break from work. When you’re outside, be sure to take a deep breath, enjoy the warm sun on your face, the feeling of a fall breeze in your hair, or (if it’s gloomy weather) appreciate the beauty in the mysterious dark clouds or the feeling of raindrops on your skin.
{FIVE} Three Good Things: Every day list three good things that you are thankful for in your day. It could be as simple as you were happy to have had waffles for breakfast, but it was something that made you happy! Saying a few things you are grateful for or happy about will ultimately make you think more positively about your life.
{SIX} Shop at a Farmer’s Market: Take the time to stroll through the market, look at all the fresh, seasonal produce and pick what catches your eye. You’ll go home with some yummy, healthy produce and also had a delightful walk through the market.
{SEVEN} Make Pretty Food: Make yourself a pretty plate of food. (Use the fresh produce you found at the farmer’s market.) Let yourself admire the gorgeous food in front of you that you are excited to eat. Take a picture of it! Show it off! Or simply smile at the lovely food in front of you and savor it. It made you happy and it was totally worth it! 🙂
{EIGHT} Read: Enjoy the simple pleasure of reading. Read a book, a magazine, or a newspaper. Anything that you will enjoy reading will work, find a cozy place to sit down, and cherish a quiet moment to get lost in your reading.
{NINE} Write a Letter: Letter writing seems like a long-lost artform, but we should bring it back! Everyone loves happy mail and what a nice surprise it would be for a loved one to receive a sweet letter or card from you. Write a letter to let someone know you care about them, send a card, or find a fun postcard on your travels (or even from your own town) and mail it to someone who’s on your mind. It’s a fun way to reach out and it will bring a smile to their face when they open their mailbox!
{TEN} Create a Spa-Like Bathroom: Make your bathroom feel like a luxurious spa without having to spend a ton of money. Light some candles, place some indoor plants around, organize your toiletry/skin care items in a pretty way, or hang some eucalyptus in the shower. All of these small touches will make you feel like you’re pampering yourself every time you walk into your bathroom.
The art of romanticizing your life is a wonderful way for us to slow down and appreciate the little things and moments in life that generally get overlooked. When you start to live with intention and find the beauty of everyday life, you feel happier and more fulfilled. The everyday moments and things we might consider mundane will become exciting. I hope these different ways to romanticize your life will help you start to fall in love with your life again, and enjoy the small things in life that make life worth living!
True Joy & Glow 