Autumn often means the kids are back in school and you might have some free time on your hands. Don’t feel guilty about making more time for yourself. Please yourself and then go about your daily routine more cheerfully. Here’s some inspiration to get you in the mood:
Hand Model Worthy. Candy apple red? Toasted pumpkin? What about autumn gold? Discover your signature fall color and give those finger and toe nails two coats between one clear layer of bottom coat and top coat.
Oatmeal Cookie Soak. You’ll fall hard for this sensual skin-softening bath. In a food processor, combine 1 cup rolled oats, 1/2 cup baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract. Blend on high into a coarse powder you can dump right into a warm- running tub. Enjoy your tub!
Instant Bliss. Try this any time of day when you feel tense. Breathe in deeply through your nose all the way down into your belly and hold that breath for a count of five. Let the air slowly out of your mouth. Pause. Repeat four more times.
Spice up Your Coffee.Make your own pumpkin spice latte: in a microwave-safe bowl, combine 1 cup of 2 percent milk, 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract. Partially cover and microwave until hot 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk until mixture is foamy and pour over 1/2 cup fresh espresso in a large mug. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice. Yummy.
Bring the Outdoors in. Slip on a lightweight jacket, grab a basket, and go gathering in your neighborhood. Keep an eye out for seedpods, bird feathers, pinecones, acorns, branches, fallen leaves, and twisty vines. At the store, supplement your stash with dried flowers, mini-pumpkins, gourds, nuts, and Indian corn. Pull items together onto platters or into vases to create inspiring autumn displays throughout your home. Enjoy the compliments.
Tea Time. Purchase some fancy tea cookies, scones or muffins and stash them away in a secret place especially for you. Flavors in season might include maple, ginger, cinnamon, oatmeal, cranberries, pumpkin and toffee. Pull them out when you are ready to create a festive afternoon tea party. Don’t skimp on the silver and the good china. You deserve it.
Discover a Timeless Daily Practice. When I collage, time disappears and I am free to spin a unique story on the page without a care in the world. What’s the thing you enjoy doing that makes time irrelevant? Is knitting, drawing, reading, writing, or painting? Whatever it is, can you make time for your passion daily, or at least weekly, this fall? Set some alarms on your cell phone to remind you when it’s time.
