Need a Pick Me Up!? Try this!

Routines can be efficient but they bring no excitement and many times, I think its boredom that plays a key role in many unhappy marriages, parenting relationship, and work commitments. Boredom is a killer so to combat boredom, try to add a little zest. Get outside of your comfort zone. Try something small and then go BIG!

Add a little spontaneity, veer off course and see where it takes you. Stop playing safe and start playing! When doe right; it makes your life so much more enjoyable! Here are a few ways to bring it into your life.

FILL YOUR HOME WITH GOOD MEMORIES, but don’t stop there add to those memories with a little silliness!

Don't take yourself too seriously! Have Fun!

Remember your pre-school picture where you are smothered in dirt and you still managed to flash a somewhat toothy grin? Remember your prom picture where you wore a hideous dress, bad make-up and a hairstyle you still can’t quite describe- it looked bad, but you had a great time and whenever you see that picture, it puts you in a good mood!  Take those pictures out of hiding and paste them all over your home! Everyone posts perfect professional pictures, sterilized smiles and with back story but try something different- put your memories out front because that is where real life is lived- the life that has meaning and makes you happy! Seeing these memories triggers a part of the brain that recalls that memory and connects it with good moods. It’ll also be a conversation piece- sharing stories and laughs with everyone who enters your home and it’ll make them smile too and recall their great stories too! With a lot of good memories haunting your home, what’s not to smile about?

HAVE AN ARTSY HOME

Fun and Youthful will help your mood!

I think too many times in our home, we try too hard to conform and be regular. I am a big believer in, if you find yourself in a rut- try something new, different, out there- do something to feel alive! Life is too short to stay confined if you’re unhappy and unfulfilled. It doesn’t have to be big. Start small with watching a movie you would never choose to see (you may be surprised and like it). Try a new food or maybe start with your home. A new comforter that screams anti-you! Blue plates or dessert first... Try something different and when you are ready: be bold, big and crazy! Try décor that doesn’t take itself too serious if you really want to add some fun back into your space, If you can’t remember the last time that you’ve been fun then you’ve really aged, badly! LOL

I think starting in the home is a great idea. Sometimes we get caught in habit and the home is a great place to shed those ideas and add in some life. Recollect the atmosphere of fun. I think with some thought ideas and touches, you can easily add some fun back into your home. Color, patterns, décor, art- can all make drastic changes with just a few easy tweaks. Be careful: seek some help (magazines, blogs, internet, decorating shows… but most importantly have fun! Nothing is unchangeable or life-threatening, so if you go a little crazy or it looks a bit looney, don’t fret. It really is about the journey of you. Did you have fun because if not, stop, reassess why and try again!

FEEL-GOOD FOOD… YUM

For me, feel good foods are foods that make you feel good- its that easy. It will be different for each person. It can be sweets, soups, steak, mashed potatoes, ice cream, sushi- the list can go on forever. Some people think your feel good food should not be eaten everyday and devalues the feel-good-ness of the food. Maybe?  But it is undeniable that certain foods have the miraculous capacity to make you feel better after eating it.

Cupcakes are connected to good memories for me!

These foods are more than just taste good, they are usually connected with feel-good memories- and feel good memories are great as they help lower stress, makes you smile and have an overall feeling of contentment.  The thing about feel good foods is that, no apology is necessary! That’s one of the best features of youth and should be the best thing about feel good foods. If it’s a nice day outside, or you had a crummy day at work, grab the kids, go out to the local ice cream shop, maybe one of them by the side of the road where you can sit out and eat ice cream, or maybe go to your freezer and head out to the backyard with all the trimmings for great sundaes and do nothing but laugh, get sticky and remember those lazy summers as a kid, even better, make those same memories for your kids over your favorite feel-good food. How’s that sound?

Alcohol can also be an option. I am a huge proponent of happy hour. Drinks and food discounted, sitting around the table with my girlfriends, laughing, talking, trading stories and did I say laughing? I love those moments together, eating half-price sushi and drinking half-price martinis while we laugh (yes, I love to laugh!), joke, kid, play together. Happy hour can be at your home too. That’s a great feel-good moment for me!

The point is… Stay young, stay fun and stay passionate about life. Three ways to bring happiness into your home; try one today and tell me how it worked for you!