Inspired by one of my favorite blogs Brocante Home (who was in turn inspired by a feature in Harper’s Bazaar written by Diana Vreeland), Why Don’t You is a week’s worth of ideas for adding a little something special to your life. Simple ideas for lovely days!
Pick and choose what sparks your interest and fits into your schedule. Or use these simple ideas for special days as inspiration for coming up with your own ideas.
Why Don’t You? – Simple Ideas for Lovely Days
Do a brain dump.
Sit down with a pen and piece of paper. Just start writing – whatever is on your mind. It might be things you need to do, errands to run, things to buy, stuff that’s bothering you. Write whatever pops in your head. It can be so freeing to get it all down on paper.
Look at what you’ve written down. Let go of what you can. Don’t let those thoughts drag you down. Are there any things that can be delegated? Can you make a specific plan and add things to your to do list?
Some people even do a brain dump daily – first thing in the morning or last thing at night.
Clean up the hot spots in your home.
Hot spots are those places that constantly seem to attract clutter. We have a pass-through from the living room into the kitchen that’s always full of stuff. Same goes for the antique dresser in the front hall. Things get dropped there either a) as we walk into the house with full arms or b) because we’re trying to get things out of the reach of little fingers.
Look at those spots and find a way to keep them neater. Think about your reasons why. Why does it get cluttered? How can you stop that from happening again? Maybe you can corral some items with baskets or trays. Then, as least they look neater for the short-term. For the long-term, you can simply pick up the basket or tray and put things away properly, quickly and easily.
Write yourself a love letter.
Okay. at first glance, this sounds hokey even to me (and I just suggested it!). But it can really be a beautiful exercise in building your self-esteem. You don’t have to get elaborate. You don’t have to use flowery language.
This can even take the form of a simple list. However you do it, just do it. Write down all the things that are good about you. Now is not the time to be self-deprecating.
Once you’ve written the letter, you have a few options. First, I suggest that you read it all the way through. Take in all of your amazing qualities! You might want to hang it up somewhere where you can see it every day. Heck, you might even want to buy a pretty frame for it. Or tuck it away in a drawer for a day when you really really need it. You could even mail it to yourself and read it all over again when it arrives.
Build a blanket fort.
Seriously. Embrace your inner child and make yourself a cozy blanket fort. Fill it with comfy pillows and throws. Add your favorite books and maybe a special treat to eat. This could be just for you (or you and your significant other). Or, make this with your kids and hunker down for a movie on your tablet and a popcorn snack.
Come on – what could be cozier on a cold February day?
Plant an herb garden in your kitchen.
A sequence of pots on a shelf (the window sill when it’s not so cold out) will do just fine. The herbs can help brighten up a dull, overcast winter’s day. Their green color hints at spring! Added bonus – you can pluck fresh herb leaves for your cooking! YUM!
Go visit a thrift store.
I’m not much for window shopping. I find it boring most of the time. But a good antique shop or thrift store and I’m there! It can be such fun to find items I’ve never seen before or to reminisce over things from my past.
I always set myself a dollar limit before going. It’s usually only $10 because I don’t want to go crazy and fill my house up with more clutter. I do have a list of things that I’ve been looking for and will go over the limit if I find just the right item from my list, but otherwise, it’s just a browsing or low-cost day.
Put up a gallery wall.
Oh, my heart just goes pitter-patter when I see a good gallery wall. It can be a lovely way to display treasured photos, favorite quotes, and precious mementos. I think it stems back to my teenage years when I would cover my walls and closet doors in collages – mostly made up of images of my favorite celebrities.
These days, I have inspirational quotes, artwork from my travels, photos of family and friends, and special items made by my great-nieces and nephews. They remind me of my happy places on a daily basis and fill my home with joy.
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