Romanticize Your Life: 365 Simple Ways to Embrace the Beauty of Every Day

By Harper Celebrate

Romanticize Your Life invites you to reclaim the sweet moments of wonder that often get lost amid the hustle and the bustle, the worries, the what-ifs, and regrets. Tucked within every day are simple opportunities to live with greater mindfulness and joy every season, 365 days a year.

Through engaging illustrations and dated, daily inspirations for every season, Romanticize Your Life offers creative ideas for infusing magnificence into ordinary moments. Perhaps this week you will . . .

• Rearrange the furniture in your bedroom to create an entirely new vibe.
• Wake up earlier than usual and enjoy your morning coffee with the sunrise.
• Take yourself on a solo date to a movie. (Yes, you would like popcorn, thank you!)
• Revisit a favorite book from childhood.
• Cook dinner by candlelight and invite friends over to share in the ambiance.
• Handwrite a letter to someone you haven’t connected with in a while.
• And so much more!

Big or small, every moment of your experience matters. You can approach your days with purpose because you are the main character in your unique and fabulous story. As it turns out, embracing those ordinary opportunities with an intentional mindset frees you to discover that they were extraordinary all along. . . why not fall in love with it?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Release date: Sep 12, 2023
• ISBN: 9781400243464

Book preview

A Letter to Readers

Please read while narrating in the voice of the beloved Julie Andrews.

Dearest reader,

It’s time to romanticize your life.

In an ever-changing world and a culture that often places value on speed and efficiency over experience, there is a deep need for us to slow down and savor the unique magic found in ordinary days.

Through every high and low, every big event and fleeting moment, exists the beauty and sacredness of your one unique life—and that is a gift worth celebrating. There is both satiating contentment and extraordinary wonder to be found in the smallest of moments in your days.

Here’s the secret: the decadence is in the details of the life you’re already living.

A satisfying life is often found in the minutiae, the all-too-often missed moments of sweetness in everyday occurrences. There are small, simple ways to approach these forgotten opportunities with the kind of curiosity and intentionality that create an internal joy that radiates outward.

Over the next 365 days, you’ll explore a multitude of original ways to find inspiration for creativity, community, and self-care. Each month you’ll also revisit recurring themes that will help you establish efficient routines, mindsets, and emotional reflections that will create a solid foundation so you can free yourself from stress and comparison to embrace your life more fully. By adopting a childlike wonder, intentional presence, and viewing your experiences through a lens of gratitude, you can begin romanticizing your life—starting today.

Theme Index

To serve as a guide, this index of key words will help you focus on various aspects of romanticizing your life. You’ll see these listed in each entry.

Consider the following as you experience this book:

Delight in the loveliness of ordinary days | Beauty

Recapture the magic of childhood | Whimsy

Listen to your needs and fill your emotional cup | Self-Care

Strengthen relationships and community | Connect

Invigorate your creative energy | Create

Cultivate a nurturing environment for yourself and others | Home

Seek out newness and adventure | Experience

Find rejuvenation in the great outdoors | Nature

Replenish your energy with a bit of comfort | Coziness

Celebrate who you are as a main character | Identity

Imagine all the dreams your heart desires | Dream

January

JANUARY 1

Never Too Late

Identity, Dream, Whimsy

Screenwriter Eric Roth helps to start us off on our journey toward romanticizing our lives. No matter where you are in life, his is a good reminder.

For what it’s worth: it’s never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of. If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the courage to start all over again.

ERIC ROTH, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

JANUARY 2

Dream a Little Dream

Dream, Create

I don’t know yet what it is, or where it will be in reality, but I have a little house o’ dreams all furnished in my imagination.

L. M. MONTGOMERY, Anne’s House of Dreams

Today you are going to give yourself the permission to dream—to let your heart lead wherever it may. Grab some magazines, print out posts you’ve saved on social media, and round up some glue and scissors. Begin collaging together a dream board of these images: things you love, things you hope for, places you’d like to go, or the person you’d like to become.

Today isn’t about forcing, striving, or creating a five-year plan. It’s just about gathering, observing, and delighting in these desires of your heart. It’s about seeing what you truly want, without judgment or expectation.

JANUARY 3

Sit in the In-between

Nature

Every realm of nature is marvelous.

ARISTOTLE, On the Parts of Animals

Step outside today, bundled up against winter’s chill, paying attention to the small details that often go unnoticed as you hurry from place to place: the glint of sun upon an icy pathway, that crunchy crackle of boots on dried ground, or the particular scent of winter-crisp air.

JANUARY 4

Find the Fun

Whimsy, Experience

The character Mary Poppins taught us to find the fun when there’s work to be done. Think of a chore you often dread, and brainstorm ways to make it more enjoyable. Whether it’s playing upbeat music, listening to a podcast, or treating yourself to a reward after the chore is complete, channel your inner Mary Poppins today.

JANUARY 5

Cozy Up

Self-Care, Coziness

Combat winter’s frigid nights with a bit of coziness. As you wind down for the evening, toss a blanket or sheet in the dryer for a few minutes. (Of course, check the laundry care instructions to determine if it’s dryer safe!) Once warmed, pull out your layers of coziness, and curl up with a good book, your journal, or your current go-to television show.

JANUARY 6

Create Your Hometown Field Guide

Create, Home

Create a map of where you live, marked with your favorite places: restaurants, parks, shops, landmarks, even your favorite neighborhood streets. Save this to use as your field guide when out-of-town friends come to visit.

JANUARY 7

Choose Your January Theme Song

Whimsy

Imagine for a moment that your life is a movie—and you, my friend, are the main character! What’s your January theme song to kick-start the year? Blast it from the car speakers with the windows down and with the cool wind in your hair, or listen to it via headphones as you move from scene to scene throughout your day.

JANUARY 8

Home Sweet Home

Home

Create a list of words to describe how you want your home to feel. Chic, cozy, traditional, modern, eclectic? Don’t overthink it; just let the words flow, and see what inspirations emerge. What elements of your personality can you see reflected in the tone you aim to create?

JANUARY 9

No Need to Rush Your Dream

Dream

I was thirty-two when I started cooking; up until then, I just ate.

JULIA CHILD, American cooking teacher, author, and TV personality

After a successful career in foreign services, Julia Child started studying cooking when her husband’s position—also in foreign services—led them to Paris. Julia didn’t seriously dive into cooking until her thirties, when she enrolled in Le Cordon Bleu, Paris’s famous cooking school.¹ The world-famous cook is legendary proof that it’s possible to be multipassionate and successful in diverse endeavors—and that it’s never too late to dive into a new interest.

If you’re feeling stuck, stalled out, or unsure of your current path, no need to fear! Keep pursuing the opportunities in front of you, along with the passions and hobbies that intrigue you. You never know what will unfold in the years to come.

JANUARY 10

HELLO, LOVER

Logophile

Whimsy

The English language has a number of -phile terms that refer to a person with fondness for specific topics, experiences, or things. Tracing back to Greek roots, the word phile comes from the ancient Greek word philos, meaning to love.²

The modern English -phile terms are less commonly known and can take a few tries to pronounce correctly but are fun descriptors to know! Who do you know that is a logophile?

Logophile: a person with a fondness for words

JANUARY 11

House Shoes

Coziness, Self-Care

Buy yourself a pair of slippers or fuzzy socks to keep your feet warm during these colder months. It’s amazing what a game changer warm feet can be as you lounge, cook, and get chores done.

JANUARY 12

Winter Walk

Nature, Experience

While blustery winter days aren’t quite as enticing as the warmth of other seasons, you can still bundle up and enjoy the outdoors! Whether you head to a park, city garden, or hiking trail, layer up and head outside. The movement and change of scenery will give you a much-needed energy boost.

JANUARY 13

Storybook Escape

Whimsy

Reread one of your favorite books from childhood just for fun. Whether you have your own copy or borrow one from the library, read it out loud to yourself, letting the words fully surround you, transporting you back to fond childhood memories.

JANUARY 14

Explore a Museum

Experience

Take a stroll through a local museum, or explore a digital tour of a museum online. Let it transport you to another world, place, or time. Allow the exhibits to bring your attention to topics you don’t typically dwell on. Perhaps it’s classical art, past historical events, or scientific deep dives.

Select one exhibit to ponder what story its creators are trying to tell. What feelings are they aiming to evoke in visitors—wonder, gratitude, a desire to take action? Take note of how visitors are engaged through different visual, auditory, or tactile learning styles. How might what you’ve learned in the exhibit influence your life going forward?

JANUARY 15

RECALIBRATE YOUR MORNING ROUTINE

Wake-Up Call

Self-Care

A consistent morning routine sets the tone for your entire day and helps to cultivate habits that support your overall physical, mental, and emotional health. There are simple ways to improve your morning routine and romanticize those early hours.

While the optimal wake-up time varies depending on the person, experts recommend waking up at the same time every