After thinking it through and really asking myself what it would take to make 2011 better than 2010, I began to get some clarity. As a busy mother of three and a business owner, I sometimes focus so much on the big picture that I often forget to stop and smell the roses. Though when your daily list of things-to-do takes up more than one sheet of your notepad, it’s a little hard to schedule in rose smelling. So how does one squeeze in time to enjoy life’s little pleasures despite all the chaos around you? Like Nike says, Just Do It.
I may not have time to train for a marathon, or learn how to knit, or keep my home clean enough to be ready for a magazine shoot at the drop of a hat, but I do have time to create little bits of happiness for myself throughout the day. And hey, let’s be honest…life gets so nuts sometimes that simple pleasures may be the only thing that can get you through that day, and ready to take on the next one.
With that being said, I have decided to resolve to make life more fun for myself and fill my days with little perks and pick-me-ups during this new year. Some of the most trivial things can really change my mood for the better, like getting into bed with clean sheets or taking a few extra minutes in the morning to make an iced coffee. I’ve started a whole list of ideas (which I’ve shared below) that will hopefully keep me smiling a little brighter in 2011.
*Have fresh flowers, herbs, or pretty clippings from the yard and put them in little vases or jars all around the house*Get a magazine subscription that your husband or kids wouldn’t be interested in or tempted to swipe. Once a month, it’ll turn up in your mailbox and make your day.
*Get a book on tape that you can listen to in the carpool line or on your way to one of the hundreds of places you have to go to in a week’s time
* Keep a large bowl of cleaned and cut lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and carrots so that you’ll have a ready-to-eat salad whenever you need it
*Clean the inside of your refrigerator
*Set the table with pretty dishes and napkins for a special family dinner, but order Chinese take-out so you won’t have to do one bit of cooking
*Make your bed every morning
*Donate the clutter. You are never going to use that Thigh Master again.
*When you do the dishes, crank up your favorite CD and sing along
*Take a personal day off work to go to the movies. Get popcorn and coke, and don’t feel guilty about it.
*Get a car wash
*Fill pretty glass bottle dispensers with hand and dish soap
*Give yourself a facial.
*Have a secret stash of your favorite candy that the kids don’t know about.
*Drink more water
*Go to bed at a decent hour
*Light your favorite scented candle
*Enjoy, because you deserve it
Tamara even gives a demonstration of how to make these little gems, here. I can't believe how easy it is. I love the idea of setting these out as place card holders at my next get-together. What great little conversation pieces. Thanks, Tamara!
