I personally felt like I was in a rut last year, so I decided why not make my every day activities more enjoyable? It’s super simple to do and can bring joy to your every day life. I am not saying that you have to spend crazy money to get a “Pinterest” aesthetic because that is not realistic. It’s just taking a couple extra moments to create a more enjoyable experience for yourself. It’s just about being more attentive to your every day tasks. You don’t have to wait for this magical grand moments in life to create happiness for yourself just romanticize your life with your day to day.
“I just really try to find joy in everyday life and make those mundane tasks, or responsibilities that are just essential needs of being a human, and try to make them fun and engaging”
By Ashley Kipps
Morning Routine
If you work from home or go to the office try to think of small moments that can create happiness. Try making a new type of coffee, make a to-go drink on your way to the office, or make yourself a nice breakfast to start your day.
- Create a new coffee recipe or warm beverage
- Light a candle when you work from home
- Make your bed in the morning
- Spend some time to make a delicious breakfast
- Step outside for a 10-15 minute walk for fresh air
Every morning I brew a Nespresso coffee, light the candle in my living room, make my bed, and snuggle under a fluffy blanket while reading my work emails. After I finish my work emails I make myself either a breakfast smoothie or avocado toast with an egg and chili oil.
Organize and Refresh Your Clothing
Every 3-4 months, I go through my closet and transition the seasons of my clothing. Because I don’t have gigantic closets, I do store some of my seasonal clothing in bins underneath my bed. By changing out seasons of clothing, you can restyle your items you haven’t worn in a long time. When you are changing out seasons look at what you are storing and get rid of items you can’t style or haven’t worn in 1-2 years. I keep some clothing that I haven’t worn in a couple of years if it is more “niche” like gowns or cocktail dresses or “themed” such as Western style, vintage clothing, or jewelry. Lastly, I try to put a section in my closet of already styled outfits so I can grab and go.
Create a Mood Board
Mood boards can seem very cliche. I use mine as an almost to-do list every month. Personally, I have my dream goals for my life and my monthly mood boards. The moods boards almost give me something to do and allow me to be creative throughout the month. I just put in the word of something I want to do on Pinterest and just screenshot to place into a Canva template. If you don’t have Canva, feel free to go into magazines or print out pictures to be more crafty.
Make Yourself a Bouquet of Flowers
I love going to Trader Joe’s and buying different flowers to make my own bouquet. No offense, but floral shops charge way too much for florals to buy them once or twice a month. There are so many tutorials online on how to make amazing arrangements. You can just make small dainty bouquets or one large bouquet to place in your home.
Grow an Herb Garden
Last year, I got into gardening when all I had was a balcony. Herbs are probably the easiest thing in the world to grow! I grew all of mine from a seed which does take more time, but you can buy the plant itself. You just need a pot, soil, and whichever herbs you will use. I personally grew basil, oregano, rosemary, lavender, and dill. I made my own pesto sauce with both basil and oregano, lattes with the lavender, roasted potatoes with rosemary, and salmon dishes with dill. Gardening was insanely rewarding and a fun summer project. I bought a greenhouse for my balcony but I will say if you have strong wind sheers it could tip over and rip. I had to buy cinder blocks to make sure it didn’t flip over.
Use your Nice Stuff
Stop saving your items for a special day, just use them! I have so many candles and perfumes I would just keep to collect dust because I considered them for special occasions. I have also done this with purses and certain clothing items. Make a special moment for yourself even if you are just at home or going to an informal dinner with friends. Light the candle while you watch a movie and get a special treat from a local bakery to snack on.
Take a Drive to a New Town
This tactic can really romanticize your weekend! I am relatively new to New Jersey as I moved here about 5 years ago. There are so many cute towns in New York, New Jersey, and Philadelphia that I will drive to on the weekend just to hangout. Just driving can be therapeutic and I love finding different boutiques and small businesses to shop at.
In Philadelphia I would highly recommend going to New Hope! It’s super adorable and you can take a short train ride to explore the forest area and an old vintage train. They also have adorable restaurants and boutique stores. In New Jersey I like going to Westfield, Princeton, Montclair, Ridgewood, Summit and obviously Hoboken where I lived. In the summer I love going to the Jersey Shore beach towns like Ocean City, Asbury Park, Point Pleasant, and Cape May. In New York I love going to Lake Placid, Lake George, and Hudson.
Upgrade Your Pajamas
You don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on pajamas but stop wearing old T-shirts and shorts to bed! Last year I bought a couple of sets of super soft pajamas from Victoria’s Secret and TJ Maxx (option 1, option 2, option 3, option 4, option 5). I love that feeling of changing into pajamas before bed. I also bought a cozy robe off of Amazon for when I wake up in the morning that I slip on when making my coffee! It keeps me so warm so I don’t mind getting up to start my morning. I typically size up in all of my pajamas.
Make a New Recipe
Every Sunday I pick a new recipe on Pinterest to make during the week. I eat at home for most meals and created a meal list on my notes section of my phone so I don’t forget. I am vegetarian (recently have been trying fish) which can get very mundane in regard to what you can eat. I have made some excellent recipes that I will share below. If you don’t like cooking, you can always find an amazing tea or latte recipe as well. For more ideas, you can visit my personal Food & Drink section on my blog!
- Rosemary Mushroom Pasta
- Middle Eastern Tofu Kebabs
- Roasted Garlic and Potato Soup
- Cucumber Avocado Feta Salad
- Crispy Baked Korean Tofu Bowls
Take a Walk Outside WITHOUT Scrolling on Your Phone
I know the weather isn’t ideal year round in most places, but I bundle up and love getting fresh air. When I have time I try to take a break during the work day but most of the time I go in the evening. Just start to appreciate your surroundings and take in the beauty of nature. I love going walking in the Spring and Summer with all the beautiful flowers, smells of nature, and green grass. I never look at my phone when I go on a long walk as I just love to take in my surroundings. I feel so rejuvenated after I walk and feel grateful that I am able to get in all my steps for the day.
