Tomorrow I celebrate my 38th birthday! Finishing out my year with a global pandemic wasn’t really what I had in mind, but it’s helped me to focus on what’s important and where I want to go in my 38th year. Before I get into celebration mode, I wanted to reflect on what it means to me to have 38 years of experience under my belt.
There’s a popular TikTok sound going around about romanticizing your life and it goes “You have to start romanticizing your life. You have to start thinking of yourself as the main character because if you don’t — life will continue to pass you by. And all the little things that make it so beautiful will continue to go unnoticed. So take a second, and look around and realize that it’s a blessing for you to be here right now.” You can read more about the trend here. I really LOVE this trend and thought that I would make it my theme for my 38th year. So here are 38 ways I’m going to “romanticize my life” this year.
1 Treating myself at least once a week
I have a few things that I consider “treats,” just little things that make me feel fancy. This doesn’t have to be expensive, it could be something small. They include getting macarons, going for a pedicure, stopping by Sephora for my PERK facial (if it opens up again), or anything that makes me feel special. I will start sharing these on my Instagram with #TreatYoSelf!
2 Keep putting myself first
After I started the Miracle Morning I saw some amazing changes in my life. I am committed to doing the SAVERS as many days as I can and I can only hope to keep growing!
3 Meet a friend once a month for tea
You all know how much I LOVE my tea time so I thought it would be fun to meet a different friend for tea every month. It could be at one of the amazing tea rooms around town or at my house or on a Zoom call.
4 Celebrate the small (and large) wins
When I first started my business, I would bring home a bottle of champagne for every small win. I’ve stopped doing that along the way and need to get back in the habit of celebrating every small victory. I heard Rachel Hollis mention naming your bottles of champagne for different goals which I love!
5 Plan a monthly brunch date
I LOVE having brunch with the girls and/or John. It makes for such a fun Sunday that I always end up wondering why I don’t do it more.
6 Spend time outdoors everyday
I was listening to Kelly LeVeque’s podcast a while back and she interviewed a cognitive neuroscientist about memory. He shared how important it was to start your day by getting outside and seeing actual sunlight to help boost your Vitamin D production. I could take my morning tea outside or just stand outside when I let Sport out every morning. I also love the idea of connecting with the outdoors on a daily basis.
7 Fresh Flowers
would love to have fresh flowers around the house all the time! Even if I just pick up a bouquet at the grocery store, it’s enough to really brighten up the house. Maybe this is the year that I get a monthly flower delivery like Flowers for Dreams or one of those everlasting flower boxes.
8 Enjoy every second with Skyler
I adore my 2 year-old niece Skyler! She loves to play and get into all sorts of things. I want to remember to always make time to play with her and not get too busy and to get into the sandbox or play in the water with her even if it means I get dirty or ruin my manicure. These are the things I’m going to remember when she’s older.
9 Schedule regular spa appointments
I LIVE for massages and facials and as soon as I can get back into my favorite places I want to start getting a monthly massage and Hydrafacial. Or at least try to alternate and get one every other month.
10 Read more books
As a child, I was always reading. As soon as I opened a book I couldn’t put it down. That’s why I’m so excited about my “The Book Was Better” Book Club to hold me accountable for reading more this year. If you haven’t joined yet, get to it! We started out with Little Fires Everywhere.
11 Invest in a magazine subscription
When was the last time you spent the day reading through a magazine front to back? I used to get so many magazines in my youth, but sadly I only get them now when I’m at an airport or maybe pick one up in a waiting room. This year, I want to find an awesome magazine that I can take with me to all my appointments and really enjoy. Let me know your recommendations!
12 Celebrate every holiday like crazy!
This year I want to go all out for all the holidays, even the little ones like French Fry day! Sometimes I get lazy and forget to decorate or don’t get as into the fun of each different celebration. This year I want to throw all the parties, wear themed shirts and really enjoy every moment! What are some of your favorite holiday traditions?
13 Monthly Godiva
Did you know that you can get a free Godiva truffle every month as long as you sign up for Godiva’s reward program? Every year I tell myself that I’m going to take advantage of the program and I always forget. This year I’m going to treat myself!
14 Eat at the table
We have a nice dining room table and I own five sets of china (with a sixth set on the way) and most nights, we eat in front of the TV. Even if it’s only once a week, I would love to get the table set and dinner ready to go for my husband and make it a big production. John does most of the cooking so this would be a treat for him!
15 Stock the bar
For a while in quarantine, I was trying to make a new signature drink every week. I tried an Aperol Spritz, a blueberry cucumber Collins, and a Mojito. I would love to have a few things on hand to make these during happy hour or when a friend stops by to visit. I also want to work on my wine collection and collecting wines that age well.
16 Try something new
I’m a creature of habit and tend to stick to a lot of the same foods and routines. This year I want to enhance my experiences by trying new experiences. Maybe this will be taking a class and learning something new like going to the shooting range or it could be trying a new type of food. I am open to ideas!
17 Build a sleep wardrobe
Who else sleeps in leggings and a t-shirt? Or the oldest pajamas you own? This year I want to commit to getting a new set of luxurious pajamas each month (a set that I would not be embarrassed to get the mail in). Did anyone watch Revenge? I always LOVED Victoria Grayson’s sleepwear. She looked fabulously put together 24/7.
18 Date Night
I’ve been 50/50 about planning date nights with John. Sometimes I’ll get in a good grove for a while and other times it might be weeks before I plan something special. This year I want to make sure I have something special planned for us every week, even if it’s a movie date with special snacks and a theme.
19 Set phone/screen limits
I just discovered that you can set up screen time limits on your phone. I sometimes find myself mindlessly scrolling and I loved the idea that my phone can snap me out of it and tell me I’ve had enough for the day. I have SO many other things to do and don’t want to waste all my time reading comments on Facebook
20 Enjoy my house now
We’ve done some great updates to our house during quarantine, but I’m terrible about getting furniture on the walls and updating the decor. I also have dining room chairs that I’ve been dying to recover into something more modern. My goal this year is to start enjoying my house and make small improvements instead of waiting to finish a room in one big sweep.
21 Gratitude
I’ve started a little bit of a gratitude practice with my Start Today Journal. Every day you have to write down five things you’re grateful for. I’m trying to do a better job of really being in the moment and enjoying the wonderful things I have.
22 Take more pictures
I’ve been horrible about taking pictures of myself or me with friends as I get older. On my birthday this year, I had to remember to snap a few with Skyler because I always end up with a bunch of pictures of her, but us together. I don’t want to look back on these years and not be in any of the pictures. At the beginning of every get together I need to snap one with me and whoever I’m with to memorialize the moment.
23 Correspondence
Over the last few years I had started sending close friends birthday cards and special holiday cards in the mail so they would have something fun to open on special occasions. Plus who doesn’t like getting actual mail (that’s not bills or junk)? I’ve let it fall off a bit and REALLY want to get it going again. It was such a fun thing to do.
24 Music/Playlist
I rarely listen to music because I’m obsessed with podcasts but I’ve been thinking that I should add more music to my life. I mostly work at home now and want to start curating a few playlists for myself for work and for when I’m driving with people in my car. For now I’m partial to the French Cooking Music Radio on Pandora.
25 Have more fun
Most of the time I tend to stay at home and do work just because it’s there. If it’s not work for my business then it’s blog work or some other chore that needs to be done. I want to be more mindful of taking time out for fun activities instead of only working or spending my free time scrolling social media. This could be playing a board game at home, reading a book, or planning happy hour for my husband.
26 Channel Creativity
Creativity breeds creativity. To come up with more creative ideas for work I need to spend more time being creative during my personal time. I mentioned a few of my passions in this post including practicing the piano, calligraphy, and cake decorating.
27 Romanticize my relationship
Many years ago a friend told me about a website called The Dating Divas. I was trying to come up with some fun date ideas early in our marriage and let me tell you they have TONS of great ideas. I’ve seen their emails for years and want to try a few this year.
28 Start a weekend ritual
I love the idea of having something we do (or I do) every weekend. Whether it’s strolling up to the farmer’s market every Saturday, visiting a patisserie on Sundays, or having a spa day every Sunday night, I want to come up with something great. Let me know if you have ideas on this one!
29 Volunteer
During the first eight weeks of the pandemic, I volunteered at the Michigan Mask Donation Center on behalf of The Glamorous Moms Foundation. I loved being able to help during the crisis and hopefully can do more this year.
30 Friend dates
This year I wanted to make a special effort to see all of my friends on a good rotation throughout the year. Whether that’s over dinner, drinks, or brunch just making a plan seems to ensure these outings happen more regularly.
31 Pump my own tires
As someone in public relations, you think I would have an easier time of pumping myself up, but when it comes to writing bios, updating my career page, and promoting myself I find it difficult. Unfortunately, I don’t have that luxury now that I’m a business owner. This year I want to push past my comfort zone and really start to get out there as a business owner.
32 Shop local
I’ve been wanting to start a new series called Sip n’ Shop where I visit a new neighborhood each weekend for a cocktail and to hunt for amazing items. Supporting local businesses during this time is so important. Stay tuned for that new segment coming soon!
33 Enjoy the local arts and cultural activities
To add to #32, I also want to spend more time enjoying arts and culture at the great places we have around town. I can’t tell you the last time I was at a museum and that definitely needs to change!
34 Do nice things for other people
I always try to do this, but I want to be more intentional this year. Throwing in some random acts of kindness and also doing things like sending cards to friends, dropping off a casserole during a time of need, or offering help to a new mom. Let me know if you have any ideas!
35 Take time out for meals
I don’t know about you, but most of the time I find myself eating in the car or in front of the TV. I would love to have breakfast al fresco in my backyard or take an actual break for lunch instead of trying to do five things at once.
36 Travel
This will be a different year for travel, but just because we probably won’t be leaving the country doesn’t mean I can’t travel throughout Michigan and still explore our great country! There are so many places I haven’t been yet!
37 Get organized
Your space can reflect your mood! If you have clutter in your house or your favorite spaces it can make you feel stress. I have seen so many organizer TikToks lately and it is motivating me to get my spaces organized and create a fun ambiance so I can enjoy them.
38 Invest in a special scent
I have SO many perfume samples, but I don’t have one special scent that’s my go-to. I would love to invest in a fun one that I wear on special occasions or when I’m having a big day. Maybe even different scents for different occasions as I build up my collection.
What are some ways that you’ve romanticized your life?
