I have never been a "go with the flow" girl. In fact, I'm envious of those types of people who do not require a plan or routine to function in every day life. My boyfriend is the definition of easygoing and while I am not always pleased with his aversion to plans, I think he serves as the chill Mr.Big to my calculated Carrie. Moving out of my parent's home and into a dorm, I had to learn to be more adjustable. Going from being an only child to sharing your teensy room with another human being requires compromise. So in order to be a happier and more agreeable person (mostly to myself) I have learned to appreciate the details in every day life. I have spent a couple of days studying what moments in the day make me smile a little bigger and feel free to put my hair down to share with blogland.
1) Get completely and mercilessly attached to a feel good song.Having a go-to happy song to listen to while stuck in traffic always makes me want roll down the windows and blast it! I stalk iTunes every Tuesday afternoon, when the new releases appear. I usually stick to the homepage and, yes, the country section, something about Virginia was bound to rub off on me! Then I just buy things that sound promising and hope for the best once they come up on my iPod shuffle. Right now my favorites are anything by The Band Perry, Teenage Dream by Katy Perry, and Mine by Taylor Swift.
2) Do not take bling for grantedI have always cherished my staple jewelry pieces. My staples consist of four rings that I wear on a daily basis all given to me by important family members, my grandmother's diamond earrings, two Tiffany's silver bracelets, my sorority family bracelet, and my Skagen watch. Of course I mix up my jewelry regularly but these are the pieces that I wear five out of seven days of the week. I wrote my college essay about the importance of my rings and they have truly become a part of me. Putting them on each day is a favorite part of my routine.
3) Online window shop Devote at least five minutes of every day to browsing your favorite online stores. I peruse
Betsey Johnson and
Rugby most often. Online shopping can provide the same sort of retail therapy that non-virtual shopping offers in the midst of a busy day filled with stressful tasks.
4) Surround yourself with photographsIn my bedroom at home, I have over thirty pictures frames full of memories of fun times with friends, family, and my boyfriend. I also have black and white vintage Vogue prints which add an artsy feel. This weekend I created a collage of pictures in different black photo frames to the wall above my newly desk-turned vanity. Pictures to come! Also, remember to update your pictures. I recently printed all new photos of my college friends and I to replace the high school friends. It's nice to see them when I am home for the summer missing them like crazy!
5) Make a change While this post is about learning to appreciate the little things in your daily routine, I think one of the best parts of every day is to make a change to said routine. For example go to the gym instead of running outside, have three outfit changes for no reason at all, or move a piece of furniture. Change is good!
"Every man's life ends in the same way. It is only the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguish one man from another." -Ernest Hemingway