Why Not . . . Elevate the Everyday in Your Daily Routine?
Wednesday December 11, 2019

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At the foundation of living a simply luxurious life is consciously choosing to elevate the everyday moments that we may have previously dismissed as unimportant and incapable of being savored, even approached with dread. A significant part of TSLL’s 2nd book – Living The Simply Luxurious Life: Making Your Everydays Extraordinary and Discovering Your Best Self shares multiple ways to do exactly that and tailor your days to your unique preference of living and enjoying life.

Today I would like to share with you 12 ideas I have found to elevate my everyday, many of which have been brought to the forefront of my attention recently as I have been figuring out my new routine in my new home. I know I have spoken quite a bit about this change in my life, so I appreciate your indulgence, but I can honestly say it comes from a place of absolute giddiness. What I continue to do in my life and have for as long as I can remember always doing, is to tailor my way of life to optimitize contentment as well as a feeling of positive contribution to the world and community. This is a ever-evolving process as we learn and grow and apply that knowledge about yourself and the world to our daily lives.

Part of why I believe wholeheartedly in the concept of living simply luxuriously is the necessary requirement that we not neglect ourselves in the efforts to live well and feel at peace with how we live in the world. There is no reason to feel guilty for tending to our needs because after all, if we cannot be at our best, then we are doing a disservice to the world at large as well in our immediate world as well.

Tending the many different arenas of our lives well requires dynamism, and the skills which are required demand we take care of ourselves. This doesn’t mean we have to book an expensive, budget-draining spa appointment every week to recharge. The good news is that we can rejuvenate ourselves every single day so long as we design a life in such a way that our everydays acknowledge what we need and encourage us to be present from morning until we slip into bed for a restful night’s sleep.

Let’s take a look at the list and may your everydays be abundantly full of moments and experiences to appreciate and look forward to.

1.Make your own professional floral bouquets without paying the floral shop price

From combining similar hues in different varietals (seen below with the white hydrangeas and ornamental cabbage) to the salmon/blush gerber daisies and blush John’s Wort, layering with similar colors creates depth, texture and intrigue, along with an eye-catching display.

~YOU MIGHT ENJOY: Arrange Your Flowers with Ease and Effortless Finesse

2. Arrange candlesticks, pedestals and/or candelabras around the home and light regularly in the evening to signal the mind to begin winding down (a la M.L. Longworth’s Petit Plaisir sharing in episode #268)

3. Play the genre of music that nudges you to unwind, letting it fill your home and being.

In the evening, jazz will often stream throughout my home, while in the morning classical musics gently helps me start the day. Both are powerful without being intrusive.

~Check out TSLL’s Classical and Jazz Playlists (here and here)

4. Buy an ottoman or hassock and literally put your feet up at the end of your days

5. Create small areas or tabletop space for board games to remain set up to invite engagement that encourages the absence of technology.

6. Determine what time of day your creative or most productive energies are flowing, and design your day to maximize your efforts, while simultaneously giving yourself permission to relax and unwind during your low-energy periods during the day.

7. Cultivate daily and weekly rituals that are fiercely protected and regarded as your time in your own company and/or your time with those you love. My Sunday mornings (as seen here on IG – #tsllsundaymornings) are my time to savor a weekly croissant, watch my favorite Sunday morning news program and read my Sunday papers without watching the clock.

8. Imagine one living space in your home as you would love it be decorated, and make a plan to create it into being in a time-frame that fits your budget and availability. Start with a small room – the foyer, the mudroom or reading corner, and then make it a priority to invest in curating a space of high quality details that will last for many years to come and beckon you to unwind and enjoy yourself when in that space.

9. Buy a better lamp or light source that creates warmth in the home and flatters the complexion of any person who is sitting in the room.

10. Buy the best quality tea or coffee you can afford and savor the part of your day when you have the opportunity to sip it (sip it while being still, rather than tending to a task that pulls your attention away from the moment of leisure).

11. When enjoying your afternoon snack or aperitif (as seen below as presented by Susan Hermann Loomis), present it thoughtfully, on a tray perhaps or any such way that encourages you to slow down and nourish yourself so that you savor it and as well, do not over indulge.

12. Create a “returning home from work” ritual that prompts a pleasurable sigh of relief and anticipation of the next part of your day whatever it may be. From curating spaces in your home where items are placed or removed and stored neatly, making them easy to find, to arranging the furniture in such a way that you can turn on the radio to your favorite music station the moment you walk in the door or a glass of water is easily found that you drink to hydrate yourself to avoid eating unnecessarily anything that is available to quench your exhaustion.

Every day we have the opportunity to live well, even in the simplest of ways. How you choose to elevate will be unique to you, so have fun exploring what tickles your predilections.

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14 thoughts on “Why Not . . . Elevate the Everyday in Your Daily Routine?

  1. I do continue to look forward to your posts, they do inspire me to slow down, enjoy the everyday moments, and to spend time doing what is essential to attain my simply luxurious life.
    I have not been able to access the latest posts on your website as it still comes up as this & that post from November 22. I receive notification messages when you have a new post and access it from the pop up message bar. I’m sure you’re aware and working to resolve the issue. Thank you so much for all your content you share!

    1. Mary,

      Thank you very much for your comment. I am so happy to hear you are enjoying your visits to the blog. We are indeed looking into this tech issue which is more than just a hiccup to me. I am so sorry about this. One quick fix you can do is clear your browser history and the old Nov. 22 post will be updated with the most recent post on the homepage. That should resolve the issue on your browser. Thank you so much for your patience and continued visits. I do hope the holidays are going well. ?

  2. Loved this post, Shannon 🙂

    In particular the idea about having board games/non-tech entertainment for engagement at the ready. Feeling inspired to find a beautiful chessboard for my living room or something like that…

    1. Great idea! I am working on finding a backgammon board game. There is just something about having a board already set up that encourages more readily people to invite one another to play. 🙂

  3. Shannon,
    You are changing lives in a very positive way…every day!
    Thank you for choosing to spend your time and energy doing this.
    I am so grateful and respectful of your life’s work.
    You inspire all of us in small ways, adding up to huge ways, to live better lives.
    Lighting candles in the evening is such a simple idea to light our way through this darkest time of the year in the Midwest. Personally, I do not care for scented candles, but the glow of the flickering light is magical and soothing.
    Wishing you happy holidays!

    1. Rebecca, You are very kind. ? Thank you for sharing show having candles elevates the short days during the winter. I am so tickled you find inspiration here on TSLL. Thank you for stopping by. 🙂

  4. Such lovely ideas Shannon. I love subtle lighting in tbe winter evenings so candles are a must and I have string lights with batteries coiled in glass vases dotted around in several corners of the living areas. The batteries mean I don”t have to have an elevtrical socket nearby.I also have lots of solar lights in the garden as here in my patch of France the countryside is not lit. The lights are so cheery ?

  5. These are practical tips that are so easy to integrate–or just try!
    It truly is our choice to elevate the nuances in our lives, which can change the mundane into the sublime:
    the lamp that flatters both the surroundings, but also the inhabitant(s);
    curating your time and space because you respect yourself;
    getting the awesome hassock so you can put your feet up at the end of the day and enjoy your choice of music and a wee bit of taste indulgence–chocolat chaud or triple chocolate truffle.
    Or re-listening to your favorite TSLL podcast. (Confession, I do that ;D).
    Great post Shannon! XOXO

  6. I love this post (and this kind of podcast too 🙂 I need help with #9. Sometimes I miss the previous albeit less energy efficient light bulb options. I need to find a good replacement for evenings. It’s tough to get the right watt/brand in my opinion.

  7. Hi Shannon,

    Many years ago I started practicing some daily routines which helped to me ease into the evening after returning from work. Music being the top of the list along with preparing a luxurious meal(time permitting, as I had young children at the the time) I also had my husband build a small “office” for me out of a closet under the stairs. Although it was a very small room, it provided a sense of privacy and beauty that was all mine. Thank you for some additional ideas.

  8. Another lovely post, Shannon! Numbers 3 & 10 are firmly established in my routine, and I love the other suggestions, especially lighting candles in the evening and having board games at the ready. When I was a teenager, my family often worked on puzzles together over many days. It’s time to bring that tradition back. Wishing you an excellent weekend!

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