At the start of last year I set an intention for myself to “live a more beautiful life”. I wasn’t really sure what that would look like or mean for me so I didn’t have any specific expectations. I think I just wanted to approach every day with the goal of making the most of it and finding the beauty in simple everyday moments.

Last January my mother-in-law sent me the book “Living A Beautiful Life” by Alexandra Stoddard. She knew a little about my goal and said she had really enjoyed the book and thought I might also. I read it within a week and it gave me inspiration and ideas about how to live out my intention. While the book is a bit dated (published in 1986) so much of it still rings true and can be applied to much of my daily life.

So much went in to this year and journey of living a beautiful life that I’m finding it hard to write about it. But I can assure you, it made a HUGE difference for me. I’ve found that I truly do enjoy each day more, I’m a better wife and mom, my anxiety and depression has decreased, and I find that I have more energy and confidence as well. I really hope this inspires you to try living life beautifully. I know that may look different for everyone but here are the changes I made to help achieve my goal.

*Note: None of this is groundbreaking or difficult changes. The simplest of swaps and efforts can make a big difference.

HOME

I am someone who really feeds off of my environment and surroundings. So my first goal was to declutter, tidy and organize our home. We spend so much of our time here so it is important to me that it be a space that helps us be our best selves; focused, happy, comfortable, grateful. I also love interior design so making these spaces beautiful was important to me too. But in order to do that, I didn’t want just random things filling up our house. I’ve tried to be selective in what we decorate with, choosing sentimental pieces and special artwork rather than random knickknacks.

DRESS

I love clothes, probably a little too much. I blame wearing a school uniform for 7 years, but it took me until my late-twenties to really find my style and what made me feel great. I have a closet full of great pieces, but I felt like I wasn’t wearing at least half of it. I have never been someone who regularly wears leggings or athletic clothes, even just around the house. But I still wasn’t really utilizing everything I had. So last January I cleaned out my clothes and made it a goal to “shop my closet” each day, trying to wear pieces that I didn’t wear as often or for whatever reason I was “saving” for a special occasion. Everyday can be a special occasion so I wore the clothes that I usually reserved for dinners out, coffee dates and holidays. This helped me further clean out my closet by figuring out which pieces I really wasn’t reaching for. But it also made me feel SO good. I grew up being told to “dress the way you want to feel” and this has always rang so true for me. I feel much more confident and energized on the days that I wear things I enjoy and love.

CHORES

It’s hard to make chores fun, but they have to be done. But there were two things that helped me stay on top of housekeeping without feeling overwhelmed. Having a rough schedule works really well for me. I start the dishwasher before bed each night (if needed) to be unloaded the next morning. I also start a load of laundry each morning to be folded and put away in the afternoon. And then each day I usually tackle at least one big task or room. This helps me stay on top of it all (usually, I still have days where I’m behind or don’t get anything done. But that’s life). But let’s be honest, that still doesn’t make it fun. So I play my favorite music while doing it. The kids enjoy it more too, it just makes it a bit more fun and makes it all go by so much faster.

MAKE IT SPECIAL

I realized that I spent so much time waiting for a special occasion. And then I realized I can make any day I choose a special occasion. Wear the outfit you’ve been saving, set the table, use the good dishes, light the special candle, make a fun meal. Instead of looking forward to the next big or fun thing, spend time making the ordinary events fun too. One way I’ve done this is once a week I try to make a dinner that is a little more special or fun than our usual meals. I set the table, light candles and just enjoy a nice dinner as a family. Its such a simple thing, albeit sometimes a little more time consuming but its worth it. You can make simple moments something special, adding more joy to your day-to-day.

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Doing these things can sometimes add a bit more work but I have personally found it to be more rewarding. Sitting down at a beautiful table with candles lit makes the dinner prep more worth it. And the days that I “dress up” or wear something that I feel good in, I end up feeling more productive.

I hope to share more on “living a beautiful life” and go more in-depth for each section, but for now I wanted to share a bit about this past year and the impact it had on me.