50 Ways to Celebrate Life

 

 

1. Surround yourself with positive people.

 

2. Get involved in a charity or volunteer work. Do something good for your community.

 

3. Breathe deeply. Deep, slow belly breaths are good for reducing stress levels. 

 

4. Eat healthy foods. Your body will thank you immensely!

5. Laugh, laugh, laugh every day!

6. Dance! Turn up the tunes and shake it!

 

7. Have a yard sale. Declutter your home while making some money or you can also donate it!

8. Redecorate a room. Change can be a good thing, even if it’s just rearranging the furniture.

9. Go to your local farmers market for fresh produce. Support your local farmers.

10. Go out to dinner with friends and try new exotic cuisines.

11. Indulge in a piece of dark chocolate cake and cup of coffee while watching your favorite show, reading a book or sitting on the porch etc.

12. Travel as often a possible. See new places and learn about different cultures. Be humble and open to different ways of life when visiting other countries.

13. Take a slow walk with someone you love. Hold their hand.

14. Grow your own garden. Plant flowers, fruits, veggies and herbs that you like to smell and eat!

15. Clean the house while listening to your favorite music. It’s nice to feel organized.

16. Treat yourself to an item that you’ve been wanting for a long time. You’re worth it…you work hard. It’s ok to get something nice for yourself once in a while.

17. Spend time with your family.

18. Play a classic board game ex: Monopoly, Pictionary or Scrabble. Have a game night with your family and friends.

19. Drink red wine…one glass a day is great for your heart

20. Go on a date with your spouse, bf/gf or a lovely friend.

21. Write your letters by hand -- it's becoming a lost art and handwritten letters are beautiful and personal. Someone will definitely cherish your effort.

22. Learn something new {outside of your box}…Latin Dance, Trapeze or Karate. It may just be the greatest thing ever!

23. Keep a journal. Write down your thoughts, ideas or feelings.

24. Go for a bike ride. Bring picnic supplies.

25. If you’re tired, take a nap. You need it.

26. Exercise and establish healthy habits.

27. Take a mental health day.

28. Sleep in on the weekends. If you have little ones, take turns with your spouse. “You take Saturday, I’ll take Sunday.”

29. Get a massage, take care of your body…it's got to last you a lifetime J

30. Wear sunscreen, protect your beautiful skin!

31. Literally "smell the roses" when you take a walk. Enjoy them.

32. Have a technology-free day, weekend, or week {this is a hard one}. Go and spend a day outside at the beach, hiking, riding bikes etc.

33. Spend quality alone-time with yourself.

34. Call someone just to tell them how much you love them.

35. Snuggle and kiss babies as often as possible.

36. Have a spontaneous day. No schedules allowed. Follow your heart.

37. Reminisce with friends over old pictures.

38. Stay in your PJ’s all day.

39. Smile more.

40. Read a book. A real book. With pages.

41. Close your eyes, get in a quiet space and meditate, pray or reflect on your day and the people you love.

42. Once in a while be sure to take a leap - a big giant leap- do something that’s scary and watch how life supports you! You’ll never what will happen if you’re too afraid to make a move.

43. Write love notes.

44. Tune into the fact that there is only one you and you are here for a special reason. Leave every place better than you found it.

45. Do something nice for someone else. Share your gifts.

46. Forgive. Grudges weigh on your heart…life is too precious to spend it unhappy

47. Host a party and cook an outrageous meal to share with the people you love.

48. Give long hugs.

49. Follow the path that matters most. What makes you happy? If you're happy, the people around you will be happy too. 

50. Be grateful for EVERYTHING that has been brought into your life. Even challenging times can shape us into stronger, wiser people.

Picture:art

20 Ideas For An Awesome Date

Sometimes our dates are few and far between -- life is busy and we work 40-45 hours a week on, but when Friday night rolls around, we do our best to find something fun to do! Dan and I went to dinner at Embarcadero the other night. I was so stoked to get dressed up and have a nice dinner with my love.

We shared some dungeness crab cakes and a seared ahi tuna roll, with edamame, haas avocados, mango-papaya chutney with a ginger-soy reduction. Dan had a Filet Mignon with Grilled broccolini, lobster mashed potatoes and a zinfandel demi-glace. I had a New Zealand lamb rack with the best creamy basil-thyme polenta, baby zucchini a zesty garlic-oregano drizzle. Ooooooh my gosh. Best food baby ever.

After our amazing meal he swept me off to the mountains for the first snow of the year.
Dan is the best.

Here are some date ideas that we are fond of...good for  newbies or veterans.

 

 

1. Hot Groupon Dates (as the one above)! Pick a new restaurant on Groupon...half the price and amazing food!
2. Go on a hike (drive out to a local hiking area or research a new spot. Don't forget to pack a lunch)
3. Beach Day -- grab your boards and head to the beach.
4. Go out to breakfast -- start your day off right.
5. Go for an evening walk with hot chocolate or coffee in-hand. It's nice to slowdown and have a  good conversation while taking a stroll.
6. Wii game night. Invite your friends over and have a competition
7. $1 movie theater (they play reruns for cheap! Check to see if you have one near you)
8. Try a new ethnic restaurant...something different.
9. Hit the city. Sometimes we'll drive out to LA for some fun. Where is your largest city?
10. Take a cooking class together
11. Taco Tuesdays
12. Krav Mega lessons (Dan and I took a complimentary martial arts class once...Daniel got paired with this giant of a man named Mammal. What!? It was pretty funny to watch him defend himself. Haha.)
13.Sky Divining. If you dare
14. Camping
15. Thrift Store Shopping
16. Farmers Market for fresh fruits, veggies, cheese and bread
17. Bowling with your buds. Beer, Pizza and an embarrassing lack of bowling skills.
18. A mountain weekend trip...Drive to your local mountains and rent a cabin
19. A Duffy Ride (for those of you who live near a bay or harbor). Fun little boats to putz around in.
20. Cocktails and pictionary night with a few friends.

Secrets To Finding Your Joie De Vivre

What makes you happy in life? I believe that each person finds happiness in a unique way. Here are some tips to finding your joie de vivre that I noted while reading Bonjour Happiness.

A beautiful exercise that we all should do...

When you come across things that make you smile -- those "Ahhh life is good moments", write them down. Make a list of the things that you like to savor. It's a fun little project that will remind you about the simple pleasures in life.

• Love yourself, and others. Do everything in love
• Take a bubble bath with rose oil
• Treat simple things like treasures ex: serve your mineral water on a tray
• Take the time to enjoy each bite of food -- notice the taste, texture and smell





• Organize and simplify
• Have breakfast on the porch
• Wear lipstick
• Take a walk and focus on fine details; the color of leaves, tiny blades of grass, and the smell of those jasmine flowers that are blooming nearby
• Volunteer in your community; for your church, your neighborhood, your friends etc. Doing something nice for others will make you feel great too
• Ride a bike





• Sip a cup of coffee with cream while reading a good book or magazine
• Enjoy fires in the fireplace
• Snuggle up with your love and a cozy blanket
• Shop at mom and pop stores or farmers markets
• Practice good posture + being confident in yourself and your decisions = sexy
• Grow your own fruits and vegetables in the summer time
• Hand write your letters and save all the ones you receive





• Cook with fresh ingredients
• Display original art in your home
• Teach, laugh and learn from children
• Learn a foreign language...and use it
• Take a class on a subject that interest you
• Buy or pick fresh flowers for your home







• Don't fight aging, welcome it. Aging is a beautiful process
• Accept compliments instead of denying them, but remain humble while doing so
• Wear French lingerie even if no one sees it
• Take time-off for yourself
• Get pampered once in awhile. "An empty well gives no water"





• Travel
• Practice your handwriting. Make it something to be proud of
• Dress the part -- if your sweeping, wear a kerchief. If your cooking, wear an apron. If your gardening, wear a floppy hat and cute gloves. Become involved and excited about each event.
• Tell others how much you appreciate them and love them
• Find joy in everyday things. Focus on fine details within your daily routines. Find everything special and something to be thankful for.

Things to think about...

  

Joie de vivre is "Loving life, loving people loving to be alive, feeling alive. It's about smiling in your heart and being grateful for the things [and people] in your life: being in good health, being able to hear, to see, to walk etc." (P. 13)

Every day is a new beginning

I hope you are having a wonderful day my friends.

-Brittany

Pictures: Chocolate ice cream, girl on bike, letter, newspaper flowers, hair, flower basket, Paris breakfast

Professional Beauty & Makeup Tips

1. "Take a shimmery gloss to the center of your lips, top and bottom - this will attract light to your lips, making them look pouty."-Katrina Barrion, makeup artist for Giella Custom Blend Cosmetics

2. Breakout before a big event? "Take oral cortisone a few days before the event to clear your skin"- Ava Shamban, dermatologist and author of Heal Your Skin.

3. For fuller lips, extend the lip line using a flesh tone lip liner. Be careful not to go overboard!

4. Always use an oil free moisturizer with SPF in the morning.

5. Winter can be especially harsh on your hair leaving it extra dry. Eugene Davis, celebrity hair stylist suggests using an Avocado Hair Mask.

6. "Use your concealer as a base on your eyelids" it will help even out your skin color and keep your liner set for longer.-Melissa Silver, Maybelline makeup artist.

7. When choosing the correct shade of red lipstick keep in mind your skin color. If you have dark to olive skin pick a shade with orange, yellow or golden hues. If you have fair to light skin, pick a shade with a blue base.

8. Drawing thick dark lines all around your eyes will make your eyes look smaller. To avoid this, don't close the lines---line only the outside half of your bottom lid or don't line the bottom lid at all.

9. When using lipstick always be sure to put a tad more product on the middle of your lips. This is the first place where lipstick tends to fade.

10. Brighten eyes with a dot of pale gold cream shadow at the inner corners. “It makes the eyes look wide open and beautiful in the light,” says makeup artist Tom Pecheux.

One of My Favorite Speeches

"Everybody's Free to Wear Sunscreen" By: Baz Luhrmann

First Comes Love, Then Comes Marriage...

"Sexiness wears thin after a while and beauty fades, but to be married to a man who makes you laugh every day, ah, now that’s a real treat" -- Joanne Woodward with husband Paul Newman

Pictures: Pinterest