Romanticize your life

Hello everyone,

I hope you're all doing well and finding time each day to tune inwards. What I wanted to share with you today is a topic that I feel helps one to cultivate a life with more intension and presence.

I'd like to encourage you all to contemplate how each of you can bring a bit more romance to your life. To me this idea of romanticizing your life is really all about finding small ways in which we can bring more beauty into our life. This is so important because so many of us seem to rush through life. We wake up every morning, day in day out, chugging away and we can sometimes feel like something is missing- a bit of sparkle. This act of romanticizing your life really helps us to tune inwards in a way that allows us to slow down enough and really take time to curate an atmosphere for our lives. Now, I want to dive into a few way in which I like to add a bit more romance into my life. By doing these simple things life seems to sparkle a bit more which can be a life saver when we're feeling a bit lethargic in our routine.

Tip #1: Light up some candles

Home is a place I love to be in. I love creating pockets in my space that allow me to feel specific ways. I like to feel cozy in my space so I will often centre my decor around candles which I light up daily (especially in the winter months). I use candles like no ones business. To me they add an aura in the house. I turn off all my house lights in the evening and light up the candles in the specific spaces I'll be spending time in. I have enjoyed many candle lit dinners on my own with a little glass of wine and my favourite jazz music with a small desert for one (mini pies are my favourite) or when my partner comes home from a long days work just to help us all unwind. I love candle lit bubble baths, I like meditate with candles all around me- you get my drift. These small things have become quite the essential decor in my home because I love the way they make me feel. They add so much beauty and joy in my life. Not to mention a bit more romance.

Tip #2: Beautify your home

This is key to curating a sense of joy in our lives. The home is the number one place we spend time in (for most of us) and it's really easy to let this aspect of our lives slip through the cracks. We get busy and sometimes it can feel like a lot of work to always set the stage of our home. But doesn't it feel good when we do? These things can be small little pockets that we work on to bring more joy in our lives. Wether you start by making your bedroom side table beautiful by adding books you're encouraged to read or crystals that help you sleep. Maybe you add fresh cut garden flowers to your kitchen table or next to the kitchen sink. These things all make a difference- especially when you're cleaning the same dishes over and over again because the moment your eye glances on that bouquet you may sigh a sign of relief- and isn't that sometimes all it takes to turn your mood around from "ahh God- here we go again.." to "Aww, wow- that flower bud finally opened- so beautiful". It's simple- but it works. Find a space in your home that could use a bit more romance and curate an atmosphere that brings you more joy.

Tip #3: Find nuances in the people around you

We add romance to our lives because a lot of the time life is simply doing the same tasks over and over again. It means seeing the same people, waking up to the same partner each day, getting your kids ready for school five days a week, seeing your same old colleagues for years at a time. I like to get in the habit of quiet observation. I'll often just sit around the people I see each day and find something unique, funny or even cute about them. Maybe its the way they discreetly laugh at themselves for spilling something on the ground for the hundredth time that day or the way your dog sleeps on his back with his head completely contorted. The next time your sitting across from someone you see everyday- take a moment to quietly and discreetly acknowledge their little nuanced personality traits and way in which that they move about life. Perhaps you see how your husband makes his coffee everyday and how he comes alive after the first sip or maybe your child scrunches their nose in a particular way when your family dog licks their face. These little moments of observation and appreciation for the people around us can really help us to start seeing them in a new light.

Tip #4: Play with your senses

When you're exploring how to cultivate more atmosphere to your life take advantage of your senses: hear, sight, taste, touch and smell. Start to bring in elements that play with these senses. Maybe explore different essential oils to bring into your yoga practice so that each time you breath in you're greeted with the smell of eucalyptus. Maybe you explore new flavours in the kitchen like saffron- a unique spice to add into your regular rice. Perhaps you'd feel more inclined to meditate if you wrapped yourself in your favourite soft blanket, lit some sage, set out a few candles, arranged crystals around you and really honed in on creating a specific energy in your space that you'd like to cultivate more of into your life. I find creating an atmosphere really touches all five senses. Explore what you can do to add more life in your space. This will give you an outlet of self expression and you'll start to notice that this is a very creative way to live life.

These are just a few ideas and tricks to help you start to add more romance into your life. Remember it's not about spending a ton of money to achieve this but really just noticing what's already around you, bringing in a few elements and intention to your space and life. Overtime, you'll notice how much beauty is always around you when you start to slow down and take the time to appreciate it. I wanted to end this post with one of my favourite quotes from the amazing actress Helena Bonham Carter- she says:

“I think everything in life is art. What you do. How you dress. The way you love someone, and how you talk. Your smile and your personality. What you believe in, and all your dreams. The way you drink your tea. How you decorate your home. Or party. Your grocery list. The food you make. How your writing looks. And the way you feel. Life is art.”

And with that- I am sending you all so much Love & Light.