Day 26 – Make Every Day Magical

Continuing with our tour through 30 Chic Days, today’s suggestion from Mme. Ferris is to “make every day magical.” This is, I think, a wonderful concept to ponder on the day after Christmas. (Happy Boxing Day, my UK friends!) It’s so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of preparing for the holidays and to then get lost in the frenzy of feasting and crumpled paper only to feel a profound letdown on the Day After. We need to be careful of this sort of thing. Most of life is mundane. Humpty Dumpty might remind us (as he did Alice) that a year has 364 Unbirthdays. If we are only focused on the Grand Occasions like weddings or vacations – well, we’re basically wishing away the vast majority of our lives and that’s just terribly unchic!

Mme. Ferris points out that one trick is to always have something to look forward to. It needn’t be a particularly large something (like Christmas) – it could easily be starting a new novel or TV show, trying a new recipe or restaurant, or using something from our no-longer-stashed collection of “good things.”

Also, she suggests that we all work to do small things throughout our day that make us feel good – stop and stretch, put lotion on your desk to give your hard-working hands a break, and wear clothes that feel good against your skin are three of her suggestions.

I wanted to apply these ideas today and I was delighted at how much fun it was to do. My husband was perfectly content to stay at home and sort through Christmas books, so I made my own plans. There were a few simple errands, but then it was lunch with friends, followed by pedicures and coffee. It really was a lovely, unforced afternoon.

She also suggests applying these ideas to routine tasks that are “unfun” but necessary, like bill paying. Instead of putting this required task off until the last minute and then rushing through it resentfully, work to make it more pleasant. I’ve done this before, but this was a great reminder to put some effort into it. Knowing that I needed to balance our accounts and check our budget, I poured myself some sparkling water (I added lemon), put on Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos, lit a candle and sat down thoughtfully. Bill paying will never be one of my favorite things to do, but I’m trying to focus on the rewards of learning to consistently be fiscally responsible – like the sense of comfort that comes to me from seeing debt go down and savings/investments increase.

Honestly, if you sit quietly and think about it, we are swimming in good fortune. It’s a good idea to recognize that each and every day.