How to Romanticize Your Life: 7 Simple Rituals for Everyday Joy

How to Romanticize Your Life: Simple Daily Practices

It’s easy to wait for the big moments—the vacations, the holidays, the someday plans—to feel joy. But what if each ordinary day could hold just as much beauty? Romanticizing your life isn’t about pretending everything is perfect. It’s about noticing the sweetness that’s already here. In fact, this just may be the essence of creating a happy life. 

You take a moment to notice  the breeze on your skin. You choose a pretty little basket to gather things from your gardens. Or you appreciate all the colors of a sunrise and the way the soft morning glow makes everything look more beautiful. Taking the time to notice these things isn’t a waste of time—it’s life-giving. It anchors you in presence and in the process allows you to relax and feel more peace. 

The Secret to Living a Romantic Life

The secret to living this way is not only to watch for the beauty that can be found all around you every day, but also to create your own little luxuries and magical moments. In this post, I’m sharing some of my favorite ways to bring that magic into the everyday.

Savor the Magic of Each Season

One easy free thing you can do is to really soak in what nature brings with each new season. Here’s a thought. What if, instead of just driving by the flock of geese you notice, you find a way to stop and watch the little goslings for a moment or two. I don’t go barefoot much myself, but there’s something truly magical about the first time you do it each spring–the soft springy earth and the chill you feel coming up through the ground. It makes you feel truly alive. I also like to taste the little drop of nectar from the honeysuckles each spring as it reminds me of my childhood. In fact, there are so many flowers that the only time you get to appreciate them is when they bloom for a short time each spring. If you don’t slow down to notice them, you miss them altogether.

Joyful Gardening: How to Use Herbs and Flowers to Brighten Your Day

It’s really fun to snip little things that you’ve grown. I’ve found that it gives you endless little pockets of joy from spring to fall. Even if you don't have much space, you can always grow a few little herb plants. Little snippings from your herbs, and even some of your flowers, can become a fun way to dress up your meals. Whether it’s adding a little spring of mint to your chia pudding in the morning, putting pinches of rosemary in focaccia,  or sprinkling a little handful of cut herbs over the main dish, it simply adds a little bit of delight. You can even add things like lemon verbena into your tea or a smoothie. 

Actually, I  think that these little bitty garnishes even make the meal taste better in some cases–for example, I know the shavings of chocolate and sprinkle of Maldon sea salt made the chocolate spinach muffins I made this week taste so so delightful. These were such a wonderful treat as the were absolutely delicious, yet naturally sweetened with banana and gluten free. 

Elevate Your Time in the Kitchen

It’s easy to find little ways to elevate your experience in the kitchen. Simply putting on an apron may feel good to you. Or you can turn on some music to create a mood. Or take a moment to add a little flair to whatever you are making. As an example, I added a cinnamon swirl to a loaf of sourdough pumpkin bread recently. The recipe didn’t call for this, but it worked really well and made it feel just a little more special.

Slow Morning Rituals: How to Make Backyard Coffee Moments Special

When you are just getting started with trying to add special moments that light you up into your days, I think meals are a really great place to start. Recently I’ve been taking a morning tea break in my backyard. It’s amazing what just spending a few moments outside for tea or a coffee break can do. You can even make it a little more special by lighting a candle or using china. Don’t have china? Look for a few nice pieces at a Goodwill store, as they are typically easy to find there.

Mocktail Magic

I know cocktails are all the craze right now. They are fun and you can get really creative with them. I’m not a big fan of hard liquor, so I’ve been making mocktails for a special drink from time to time. One that I really like was as simple as mulling mint leaves with fresh raspberries and then pouring a ginger beer mixer over the top. It was super simple to make and really delightful. 

Evening Self-Care Rituals: A Simple Foot Massage to Wind Down

Sometimes I like to sit down and give my feet some extra love at the end of the day. I have a whipped lotion that I made and like to use for this and sometimes I also like to use a few drops of an essential oil for a bit of aromatherapy at the same time. It feels so good and I feel so pampered when I take time for this. I’ll wrap it up by putting on the softest socks I have, as this feels good too.

Deep Breathes are Always a Treat

And lastly, something as simply as taking 3 deep breaths before you begin working, is something that is always available to you and your body will love you for it.

Romanticizing your life is really about choosing to live with intention. It’s about tuning in—to your senses, your surroundings, and what lights you up inside. These little luxuries don’t have to cost much, and they’re not about adding more to your to-do list. Instead, they’re about softening the edges of your day and making space for moments that feel rich with presence and pleasure. When you begin to create a life that feels beautiful in the in-between moments, you realize: joy was never just about the big milestones—it’s been here all along, quietly waiting to be noticed.