Welcome to March’s installment of Mel’s Favorite Things. ?
I’m dedicating the last email of each month to share some of my faves, from books to recipes to life hacks and beyond. Basically, if I love it (and think you might, too,) I’m gonna share it here.
This month’s ‘Favorite Things’ topic is super fun for me.
For several years now, I’ve felt drawn to incorporate elements of beauty and delight into my daily life. (This extends beyond hair, makeup, and fashion—although they are part of beauty.)
Prior to this, I was good at the practical day-to-day requirements of life, but hadn’t taken much time to consider what would really light me up. Adding touches of feminine flair was something I typically didn’t make time for.
As I’ve learned more about my identity as a woman, I’ve come to deeply believe that beauty and delight are actually more than just whimsical ideas, they’re essential.
I’ve also come to believe that beauty isn’t just a need for random people here and there, on some level it’s a need we all have, especially women.
Therefore, my favorite things for this month are sixteen cost-effective ideas you can use to incorporate beauty and delight into your daily or weekly routines.
Enjoy!
17 cost-effective ideas to incorporate beauty and delight into your life:
- Light a candle
- Diffuse some essential oils
- Make yourself a cup of coffee/tea and drink it in a favorite mug. Sit down while you drink and focus on being present in the moment
- Journal 3-5 things you’re grateful for (allow yourself to feel the emotion of gratitude as you consider each thing)
- Declutter your clothes/possessions (it’s amazing how ‘light’ you’ll feel when you get rid of the old ‘stuff’ you no longer use or need)
- Take a bath
- Give yourself a facial
- Get a manicure or pedicure (DIY or at a salon)
- Do a deep conditioning treatment on your hair
- Put on a favorite outfit and do your hair and makeup ‘just because’
- Buy fresh flowers and display them where you’ll see them every day
- Buy a journal and nice pen to write with
- Speak kindly to yourself when you look in the mirror
- Go for a walk without your phone and notice your surroundings
- Have a heart-to-heart with someone you love
- Pray or meditate
- Eat something delicious (and ideally nourishing)
And so on. Use the above list to spark your imagination and begin creating your own favorite ‘go to’ list for when you need a pick-me-up.
If you’d like to dive deeper into this topic, here are some other resources I’ve created. Check them out below.
Curious about discovering what’s beautiful to you? Check out this blog post of good questions.
Want to win the day with a great morning routine? This blog post is for you.
Interested in my thoughts on how beauty and delight connect to our greater purpose on earth? Check out my book or workbook. You can also buy both as a package if you want to save $$. (I’m happy to send them anywhere in the world, just reach out to me personally if you’re outside the USA so we can figure out shipping. I’ve also sent several copies to a family member in Australia so if you’re in the South Pacific, we might be able to arrange shipping to you from Australia.)
Have a beautiful week, friend! ?
