Little Luxuries That Turn Everyday Routines Into Rituals

As I’ve been ramping up new parts of my business and preparing for our baby girl to come literally any day now, I’ve been leaning into the concept of rituals to keep me grounded. Of course, rituals are not a new idea–all of us have them, sometimes without even realizing that they’re rituals–but I think it’s worth putting some intention behind making space for even just a few minutes each day to turn something ordinary into something special. 

On Instagram the other week I asked about people’s rituals and I was thrilled to see so many good responses. Many people turn to doing special, small things in the morning–drinking different types of tea or coffee, taking a few moments to sit outside, watching the sunrise–and lots of people like to spend time in nature, connect with their friends and family, or create a beauty or wellness routine that feels extra luxurious. My personal favorite was someone’s answer that they hug the love of their life each night before bed. So sweet!

What heartens me most is the idea of turning a routine into a ritual. Yes, you have to take your dog out each morning for practical reasons but with a small mindset shift you can turn it into a ritual. Lots of us put on makeup before we go to work, but when we take the extra few minutes with a gua sha stone or to do a face mask, suddenly we’ve turned something we have to do into something we get to do. The same goes for connecting with our loved ones. There’s a difference between plopping down on the couch and watching a TV show while you simultaneously scroll on Instagram wordlessly next to your roommate or partner versus spending 15 minutes with them with no phones, talking about the high points of your days. 

I also can’t write about rituals and routines without mentioning self-care. There’s a lot of talk about self-care, and, understandably, some backlash. Self-care has turned into something that feels inaccessible for most people, which is why I prefer to talk about turning something that you already do into something you look forward to. Taking care of yourself, to me, simply means nourishing the most basic and essential parts of you–getting good sleep, spending time outside, a little bit of movement, some good laughs with friends, and both giving and receiving love from your favorite people. 

I’d love to hear more about your tips for turning everyday routines into rituals, and I wanted to share some of my favorite “little luxuries” that I’ve been enjoying recently in case they spark inspiration for you!

First, most of you know how much I love my matcha routine and I look forward to returning to regularly scheduled daily matcha programming once I am no longer pregnant. (For those that don’t know, I gave up caffeine in my third trimester except for one matcha per week on Fridays.) I turn it into a ritual by creating my own creamy vanilla cashew milk once a week and I use a simple matcha kit to bring it all together. The intentionality and the act of making every part of it myself makes me that much more excited to drink it!

In the morning I also take an hour before I look at my phone (my quiet-time wakeup ritual) and I do morning devotions and gratitudes every day. I’ve found there is no better way to start the day peacefully and full of happiness for the world I’ve created and the people around me. 

Working out is another ritualistic moment for me, but that’s because I’ve done a lot of work over the years to understand how to seamlessly integrate working out into my lifestyle in a way that I truly enjoy. I used to do long and punishing workouts that ended with me dripping in sweat, but now I focus on low-impact and effective workouts that I actually look forward to. EVLO prenatal program, Lagree pilates, walking and long bike rides are some of my current favorites. 

Skincare and beauty are the rituals I look forward to most these days. While I’ve always loved indulging in a good skincare routine, I used to be a little afraid of makeup because so many things would clog my pores and make my skin break out. Now my makeup routine has become an experimentation ritual!

Skincare has been a form of self-care for me since college, when I first started struggling with cystic acne. I remember being so afraid to touch my skin or try any new products—afraid that doing literally anything differently would make it worse. But as I started learning more, I realized what kinds of products would work best for my skin–gentle, non-comedogenic products that could work alongside the other holistic changes I was making, and that journey helped me build a loving relationship with my skin again. 

Makeup has been a later evolution. For a long time, it felt like I had to choose between products that wouldn’t break me out and products I actually enjoyed using. But clean beauty has come such a long way. Over the past few years, I’ve tried and loved so many new formulas that are non-comedogenic and perform beautifully. I’ve been having so much fun creating my own custom glowy, natural looks by mixing and layering products—blush with a touch of highlighter for a dewy finish, tinted SPF with bronzing drops for a warm glow (shoutout to the Westman Atelier Sun Tone Bronzing Drops), luminizing serum as subtle eyeshadow. I think playfulness is underrated when it comes to routines. Giving myself permission to experiment has made makeup feel joyful again.

My new favorite weekly ritual is that every Friday, I treat myself to the Garden Sammie at Local Foods. I look forward to it all week—not just because it’s delicious, but because it marks the close of another full week of work and life. I could probably eat it every day it's so good, but that would take away the magic of my Friday lunch celebration!

Lastly, I’ve recently gotten back into reading fiction, which really helps nurture and spark my creativity. For a long time, I only read non-fiction because I felt pressure to read things that were educational or work-adjacent. Now I appreciate the way a good novel can quiet my brain in a way very few things can. Lately I’ve been carving out 10–15 minutes each night to get lost in a story, and it’s been such a peaceful way to wind down.

I’d love to know what your favorite rituals are, or what helps you turn a routine into a cherished ritual!

My good friend Rachael DeVaux Harlington just upgraded her most popular ebook — 7 Day Added Sugar Detox. If you are looking for low-sugar recipes (there are 35 in this ebook!), information on the effect of sugar on hormones and overall wellness, and guided detox for  improved energy, reduced brain fog, better mood, and clearer skin, this is a great guide for you!

Emotionally, I’ve been ready to welcome baby girl for a while, but we were a little behind on buying the things we needed and preparing our home for her arrival. I finally checked off the last items on my baby essentials list. Linking what we purchased based on recommendations from other mommas and our own research into what we’d need given our lifestyle and how we imagine we will operate. 

I’ve spent some time journaling this week on the reality of pregnancy coming to an end, envisioning the birth I hope to have, and welcoming our baby soon. I thought I would be experiencing more anxiety at this stage but it seems the closer we come to this major life change, the more calm and prepared I feel. I attribute so much of this to the mental, emotional, and physical preparation I have done (I plan to share more about what this specifically looked like for me). Journaling about my feelings has also helped. This is my favorite notebook to use for free-form journaling.