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Follow along as I document real love stories and share a glimpse of how I see the world through the lens of my camera.

For my 25th birthday, I bought myself a pair of shiny black Louboutin heels (that I hardly wore) along with a Chanel flap bag (that I hardly took out because I too afraid to scratch the delicate lambskin).

For my 35th birthday, all I wanted was a white terry cotton bath robe that would absorb all of the water after I showered. Oh how things can change quickly in just ten years. My family can attest that my Christmas wish-list for the last few years have been really boring. It consists of: pajamas, lounge clothes, fuzzy socks, chocolate and wine and that’s truly all I want!

This post was inspired by the little things that I’ve come to appreciate as I’ve gotten older. Often times, we wait for certain milestones before treating ourselves to luxurious things or experiences (for example, after we lose 10 pounds or once our bank account reaches a certain dollar amount). But life is too short and you should treat yourself to little luxuries will bring joy to your life daily.


Here are 10 little luxuries that I enjoy (I promise it will cost you less than $100 each):

1) A quality terry cotton bath robe: you already knew I was going to list this as my number one item. This is not your ordinary fuzzy fleece robe. This is the oversized kind that you find at luxurious hotels and spas. Yes – it is EVERYTHING! Here’s one that is similar to the one I own and absolutely love (make sure it has pockets!!):

2) Home made body soap: I mentioned this in my last post and I promise that I’m not their brand ambassador but I absolutely LOVE Dowker Farm’s Smooth-and-Creamy soap. It is made from goat milk and will leave your skin feeling butter smooth (unlike the drugstore soap that leaves your skin feeling tight and irritated). The scent is not overwhelming and there’s no harsh chemicals in them. You can call Susan Dowker (the nice lady that makes the soap) directly and order it from her or visit her farm (she’s located in Lansing, Michigan).

Dowker Farms Smooth-and-Creamy soap

3) Hair gloss: If your hair is looking a bit dead and dull, treat yourself to some hair gloss the next time you’re at the hair salon. It’ll only takes a few minutes and will make a whole lot of difference. The gloss will bring back the lustre in your hair and you’ll want to skip like a little girl while swinging your hair back and forth. Okay maybe that’s just me. But still – you know what I mean.

4) Jade or rose quartz face roller: Did you know that as you age, your face will transform from an up-side down triangle to the inverse? Yep it’s true.

I know that I cannot defy gravity but I will do everything that I can to slow down the aging process and this is where the jade face roller comes in. It’s a form of face massage and I like to roll it on my jaw line to help de-puff my face in the mornings. It’s also quite therapeutic. You can easily find these at your local TJ Maxx or Amazon for less than $20!

5) Soy candles: the butter smooth wax in soy candles are oh-so-luxurious! The benefits of soy candles are: it is natural (made of soybeans), burns cleaner, it lasts longer and it is better for your health because of less air pollution in the house (okay I totally Googled that). My favorite soy candles are from the Kalamazoo Candle Company and my favorite scent are I’ve Got A Girl and Fresh Laundry. Every time I go downtown Kalamazoo, I will make an effort to go into their store and stock up on candles.

Kalamazoo Candle Company

6) Monthly subscription to something you love – whether it’s beauty, clothes, wine or food. It’s like Christmas once a month – you know you’re getting a package but you don’t know what’s inside and that element of surprise feels good. For me, I love wine and have a monthly subscription where I get 2 bottles of wine (one red and one white) sent to my door every month. Your package will typically include some educational information on where the wine was made and the type of foods to pair it with. It’s a great way to do wine tasting in the comfort of your own home. I highly recommend Wine of the Month Club – they source from all over the world and provide tons of educational resources with the wine delivery.

7) Fresh flowers – fun fact: did you know that fresh flowers (especially pink flowers) can instantly boost your mood and spark creativity (no I did NOT google that); I’m speaking from experience. Don’t wait for your boyfriend, fiance or husband to buy you flowers; the next time you’re at the farmer’s market and see flowers that make you happy, get it and display it on the kitchen counter, coffee table or in the office. It’ll instantly boost your mood – I promise.

8) Go shopping at your local boutique. You’ll find some really unique things; plus you’re supporting your local community. To be honest, I never put much thought into this whole “buying local” movement until I started my own business and realized the importance of supporting other businesses owners around me. As you can see, the goat-milk candle and the soy candles that I mentioned above are also local to me and I love them even more knowing that they were made locally.

9) Browse the local bookstore or library. Okay this next one may not appeal to everyone but I’m a big nerd and I love to read. I can spend hours at the bookstore just browsing around and can get lost in a book no matter how loud it is around me. Find books that will inspire you or give you new perspective in life.

10) Lingerie. Not for him. But for you. Just because.

A boudoir photo shoot that I put together.

I can go on with more little luxuries that you can enjoy daily but I will leave it at 10 for now! I believe living luxuriously doesn’t mean you have to spend a lot of money. It just consists of doing little things that makes you happy. As you can see, the meaning of luxury has changed for me. In my early 20’s, I thought luxury meant getting all the designer clothes, handbags and shoes. In hindsight, all the flashy material things didn’t add much value to my life. Now, luxury to me means bringing joy to my every day life and the people around me.

I hope you enjoy this blog post and be sure to come back for more fashion, travel and lifestyle tips to living your dream life!

Sincerely, Sandra

DreamBox Diaries #2 – 10 little luxuries to enjoy now

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