Happy Valentine’s Day, loves! (Or, loveloveloves 😉 ). I used to not care too much about today, but it’s 10x more fun with a kid. Taking the pressure off of V-day as a cheesy, overly commercialized thing and turning it into expressions of love for all of your favorite people…I think it makes the whole thing more enjoyable. And that’s coming as a married woman! Sometimes, we see a certain attitude creep into dating – instead of a perspective of giving, it becomes one of getting. What are you getting from this? What are THEY giving YOU? If we’re not careful, we end up sitting on our own high horses, waiting for a white knight to come riding onto stage left – and by the time they get to us, they can’t even reach our horse with the expectations we hold on it.
Whether you’re married, dating around, happily OR unhappily single – it doesn’t matter. You can – and should! – always take time to do things for you. Not waiting on a partner or girlfriend or anyone else to make it happen – but taking ownership of it all and choosing and prioritizing you, for you.
In celebration of some seriously self-love today, here are 10 little things to do for yourself this month. Nothing crazy, nothing wild…just some totally doable, absolutely worthwhile things to boost your mood and lift yourself higher, regardless of relationship status.
And friendly reminder: chocolate will be 75% off tomorrow at CVS. Treat. Yo. Self. 😉
1.) Invest in a really classic, timeless closet staple.
This past Black Friday, I pulled the trigger on these; it was thanks to a super sale at Shopbop AND a gift card that I was able to snag ’em for about half price. Still a pretty penny, but waaaaay less than the original price. And so far, I have nothing but rave reviews (full Stuart Weitzman Lowland Boots review hitting CUR next week – stay tuned!). They’re super comfortable, super chic, super timeless. More on them to come, but a clear staple in my winter wardrobe so far.
A few other investment ideas: a Louis Vuitton Neverfull, great classic denim, or Golden Goose sneakers (here’s my Golden Goose review!).
Pick a piece that makes sense for YOU. For example, Golden Goose made sense knowing my own lifestyle – I can count on one hand how many times I’ve worn heels in the past six months, but I’m in sneakers nearly every single day. Consider your cost per wear, and if it’s something you’ll get bang for your buck with in how many times you reach for it, it may very well be a worthwhile investment for your wardrobe.
2.) Pick out one of your dreams/goals/resolutions and do one thing that will bring you closer to it.
Break a bad habit.
Spring clean your personal finances.
Get up one hour earlier.
Cross something off your reading list.
Brush up your negotiation skills (then ask for a raise at work! Booyah!).
Drink more water – and treat yo’self to a new tumbler cup while you’re at it!
3.) Join a fun new workout class.
Move your body in a new way! Before having Liv (+ pre-pandemic), I loveloveloved catching classes in person at Corepower Yoga.
But beyond in-person studios, there are no SO MANY FREAKING OPTIONS for at-home workout classes, too. I’ve heard good things about both Obe Fitness and OpenFit (should I try one over the other? And review for CUR? Sound off in comments below!).
4.) Try a new lipstick color.
This is my favorite drugstore lippy – it’s a longwear formula that’s NOT drying and is easy to apply, since it goes on like a balm (but wears like a hydrating liquid lipstick). I have a bunch! (This is the Pillow Talk lipstick dupe, I’ve blogged, too – shade Trust Your Gut is closest, with Lead the Way being a close runner up!)
This is my favorite hydrating glossy balm. An absolute must. Not super pigmented, color-wise – but suuuuuuper hydrating without being sticky. I have 6!
This is my favorite classic red lipstick (it makes your teeth look whiter, too!).
5.) Wear sequins/sparkles justbecause.
Do you actually need a reason?
6.) Pick up some bath bombs, a luxe body butter, and a fun face mask.
Give yourself the total spa treatment. Hold nothing back.
Just got word that this $8 drugstore find is a rumored dupe to the cult-favorite, ultra-fabulous Brazilian Bum Bum butter (which I loveloveLOVE!).
I’ve shared these glycolic peel pads repeatedly – it’s literally like getting 75 facials in one tub, for less than the price of one spa trip. (+ my code will get an additional 20% off: ERICA20)
7.) Learn something new.
So I recently learned that you can take certain Ivy League classes FOR FREE online. Like whaaaat?!? Beyond that, Masterclass is a totally cool way to learn new things from absolute experts in the field, whether that’s learning cooking from Gordan Ramsey or acting from Natalie Portman. You can pay $15/month and get unlimited access to the 150+ masterclasses inside…which seems unreal. The cost of 3 Starbucks for access to learning SO MUCH from SO MANY standouts who have built their celebrity on that very thing?! (Also makes a great gift idea…think Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, graduation, etc!)
8.) Post up in a local coffeeshop to work, write, or create.
IDK about you, but sometimes a change of scenery is *just the thing* to get creative juices flowing and kickstart major motivation. I just bring my AirPods and Starbucks card and let inspiration ~flow~ freely. My coffeeshop days look like looooots of writing, but I also think they’re great for going through an online course, brainstorming a new business idea, or even just flushing out your calendar and adding new time blocks.
9.) Cross a few things off of your Bliss List.
For me, that means a comfort show + 10-minute tidy to my Good Mood playlist…always does the trick! A Bliss List is a great go-to thing for little things to do for yourself whenever you need a personal pickmeup. Couldn’t recommend them more!
10.) Take a Friday off of work (if you can) – or really, any random day.
This is now a YOU day. Do whatever YOU need. Clean out the closet? Yes. Run random errands? Don’t forget Starbucks.
Sit and stare at the wall for 8 hours? Remember to blink. 😉
J and I have recently started doing this and tackle a house project every single Friday together – and it is SO FREEING. We were finding ourselves in this unproductive cycle of never finishing bigger projects because, well, time. The weekends were packed with laundry and chores and traveling and photoshooting and church and family time – and by the time Sunday night rolled around, there were gallery walls still unhung and walls still un-wallpapered. Taking one day “off” to handle all of the things that would be less stressful to handle then than over the weekend and make it happen. (Mind you, we have those work hours added on to the other days of the week…they’re not just arbitrarily eliminated, but wouldn’t that be nice??? Ha!).
What little things will you do for YOURSELF this month?
Anything from my list that you’ll swipe for your own?