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. Pick and choose what sparks your interest and fits into your schedule. Or use these as inspiration for coming up with your own ideas.
Why Don’t You? – Simple Ideas for a Lovely Life
Get a group of friends together for a game night.
Choose your favorite board games or play a live “role-playing” type game such as a live action version of Clue or a game of Werewolf. Both are fun but low-key and require little advance preparation.
Make a cozy comfort food meal to warm you up on a cold winter’s day.
Cassoulet is one of my favorite choices – it’s a French bean stew of sorts that you slow cook in the oven. Hearty and delicious, it’s a full meal in itself. Just add some crusty bread and you are all set.
Take some time to just sit and breathe.
Even 5 minutes can make a huge difference. You can sip a cup of tea or a glass of water and just do nothing for a few moments. Or simply close your eyes and concentrate on some deep breathing. It’s a great way to refresh and regroup before moving on to the next segment of your day.
Keep your duvet from bunching up in the corners of your cover.
Some ribbon or twill tape and a few simple stitches and you won’t have any more duvet cover frustration!
Take just 15 minutes and have some fun with your family.
Of course, if you have longer to spare, feel free to extend any of these activities for as long as you want! But, these ideas for 15 minutes of family fun really can be done quickly and easily (little or no prep!). It may seem like a small thing but kids will remember these little moments!
Clean out your pantry.
No need to make this overly complicated! I empty out the pantry onto my kitchen table. Wipe down the shelves. As I start to put items away, I check them for expiration dates. I also like to group them so that like items are together when I put them back. They always start out that way but don’t always stay organized when we get in a hurry.
Take this one step further by taking inventory as you go through all of the items. Just jot them down as you go or enlist the help of a family member to write them down as you call them out. Put this inventory list on a clipboard to keep it handy. You’ll save money and time by knowing just what you have on hand.
Try a new craft.
Or revisit one that you haven’t done in a while. Over the holidays, I pulled out my supplies for paper quilling, embroidery, needle felting, and crocheting and started dabbling with them again. It was incredibly soothing and satisfying.
A new one that I’d like to try is Pergamano – embossing on parchment. I have a kit for it but have never even used it! What about you? Is there a new craft you’ve always wanted to give a go? Or one you used to do but let it slip away?
What lovely moment will you add to your life this week?
For more ideas, check out the previous Why Don’t You post here.
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