In the comment section of a recent post, mbmom11 mentioned how much joy her $9 (purple, sparkly!) phone case brings her ā and it got me thinking about the surprisingly big impact small aesthetic decisions seem to have in my own life.
While I generally lean toward a minimalist, neutral palette, I’m an absolute sucker for a bright punch of colour!
Take these jackets, for example ā both thrifted. The blue-striped one was $42, the bright pink was $7 ā but both have brought me so more joy than plain black ever could. (Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE black.)
It’s no wonder kid’s clothing is full of colour and bold patterns. Why not! (And yes, the frog coat had ears on the hood. Be still my heart.)
Years ago, I picked up two of these colourful bowls on the clearance rack at a home goods store. I still smile every time I use them. And when I add shredded carrot or tomato to a salad, it’s sometimes less about the nutrition and more about the burst of colour. (We eat with our eyes first, right?)
Let’s be honest ā coffee absolutely tastes better out of a beloved mug. Thatās just science. Okay, maybe not science, but you know what I mean!
Nail polish is fun and most of my go-to colours are under $5 a bottle!
When it comes to things like Bible covers or planner designs, I always choose what looks like the “happiest.” Why not pick the one with the colour or pattern I love most? It costs the same either way, but adds so much more joy.
One of our best garage sale finds has been this kaleidoscope lightbulb for $1. We put it in Belleās closet years ago and it still brings her (and visiting friends) a lot of joy. It’s a lot more memorable than a regular bulb.
Even something as mundane as reusable grocery bags are more fun when theyāre whimsical or bright. Practical and joyful? Yes, please.
Aesthetics matter, but itās not just about how things look. Beauty can be about all the senses. When we were in Paris hunting for gifts to bring home, I spent at least 15 minutes sniffing locally made soaps until I found the “perfect” scent ā lemon. It didnāt cost any extra, but it made me extra excited to give it.
My drawer organizers cost $5, but they bring me SO. MUCH. JOY.
Life is full of big decisions (*sigh* – I still haven’t found that adulting manual, Engie), but sometimes itās the little choices that make the biggest difference in our daily experience.
Your turn:
- Whatās one small item in your life that brings you unexpected joy?
- Do you have a favourite mug or piece of clothing that makes you happy every time you use or wear it?
- How do you bring colour, scent, or whimsy into your daily routines?
- Whatās one tiny aesthetic upgrade you’ve made that had a surprisingly big impact?
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coco
I fully agree to notice small things that bring us so much joy! for me they are: a spoon I bought in Bali that I use everyday for my oatmeal, same goes to the two bowls I love to use for oatmeal. In general, I love kitchen things, they bring me a lot of joy.
With color, I am moody, for some, I like neutral color (off white, beige), for clothing, I’ve bene liking to add more colors to my wardrobe to pop up my mood.
Elisabeth
I love seeing your special spoon (I think it’s a gold colour). It’s very “grounding” to have something that’s special and constant in our lives. The kitchen is SUCH a great place to bring in patterns and colours.
I tend to wear a lot of black and navy for clothes, but love patterns for my dresses.
Catrina
I have this scruffy old travel mug that follows me everywhere. Itās stained with tea and probably on its last leg, but I love it. Last Sunday, I brought it to the meeting spot for my long run and knowingly left it behind in the parking lot, prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice. I didnāt expect it to still be there later, so I gave it a silent, stoic farewell.
I ran a different route home and didnāt return to the parking lot until the next dayā¦ and there it was, waiting for me like a loyal little thermos. I was absurdly happy – way more than if Iād been gifted a brand-new one. It’s the little things! š
Elisabeth
I need to see a picture of this travel mug! I think the stories/history behind certain objects can make us feel warm and secure. Something that has literally been with us through challenging or exciting times. I have a $1 phone case my husband bought at a thrift store for me before we went on a trip a few years ago. The aesthetic is fine, but it reminds me of our trip and so it’s special and beloved for that reason.
Clearly your travel mug wasn’t ready to be done with you, yet!!
Hana
This time of year the little things I find endlessly beautiful are my garden flowers blooming and bluebird eggs in our bird box. I’ve been anxiously waiting for the bluebirds to make their nest and lay eggs, and they finally did! Nothing brings me more joy right now than those three little blue eggs filled with hope.
Elisabeth
Bluebird eggs! How exciting. And they come wit the promise of more joy and beauty when those eggs hatch. That’s so exciting, Hana. Thanks for sharing <3
Nicole MacPherson
YES I AM HERE FOR THIS! I love choosing the pretty things! I love having pretty tea towels and soap dispensers, these are two things that make a huge difference for me. I have many mugs and I love choosing a different one every day. Right now I’m drinking from my Pride and Prejudice mug. I choose a different scented body lotion daily, based on my mood, and while I don’t wear much colour, I almost always have lipstick on, or at least a tinted lip balm. I’m counting it!
Your drawers reminded me that I want drawer dividers! Maybe I’ll do that today.
Elisabeth
I KNEW YOU WOULD BE HERE FOR THIS, NICOLE!
And while I know you adore black even more than I do, you radiate joy and light!!!!
And you’re reminding me that my tea-towel game is pretty sad. I really could improve things in that department. Maybe my next travel souvenir?
Bijoux
Iām a sucker for foaming hand soaps that are food scents. Right now, my bathroom has lemon pound cake. It smells amazing! I have a gorgeous blue dress that makes me happy when I wear it. For the past 15 years or so, I only wear a purple metallic toenail polish in the summer. It makes me so happy to be able to have bare feet. I love summer.
That lightbulb is everything!
Elisabeth
There is something about lemon!!! I also like grapefruit-scented handsoap. Something zingy and refreshing.
I haven’t even seen the dress but you had me at blue.
And I need to start painting my toenails again. I give it a break over the winter, but it is time! I officially have my sandals out of the storage bin.
Jan Coates
A bright spot of colour that makes me smile – the sunset-tones quilt I made my parents for their cottage; sadly they rarely got to use it, but I have it on the back of a couch here at Pine Lake. And my go-to mug here, the NS one I found at the Huntsville Restore last year:) $1
Elisabeth
Blankets and other textiles are such a great source of beauty – both in terms of pattern, colour, and the comfort they bring!
Hooray for beloved mugs.
Ally Bean
I’m all about making things pretty when possible. Big or small doesn’t matter, but I admit I get a charge out of little details done well allowing me to show some love.
Elisabeth
Yup. Sometimes aesthetic decisions are big (like the look of something major in our homes) and sometimes they’re small (what mug we choose for our morning coffee), but they can all make us feel more joyful!
Lisa's Yarns
This is something that I am terrible at. Like I do not own a single unique mug – I only have our fiesta ware red and yellow mugs. But at least they are bright/fun colors. We do also have some fun yellow bowls that I tend to eat ice cream out of. So there is some whimsy in our house. I do have a great coffee mug at work, though, that looks like an old school library card. I got it from my old colleague/mentor for my birthday years ago!
For soap, I love the Mrs. Meyer’s Honeysuckle scented hand soap. And I always notice when someone’s house or a restaurant/clinic has really nice smelling hand soap!
Elisabeth
I think aesthetics play a MUCH bigger role for some people than others. I’m in the middle. I really do care about aesthetics for some things and then I’m “blind” in other areas. There is no right/wrong.
I think it’s fun to have little pops of colour. Like a yellow bowl for ice cream. Things just do taste better when they’re in something aesthetically pleasing to me. And it doesn’t have to be colour. It could be a design (or lack thereof)!
I’ve never tried the honeysuckle scent. I need to make sure to add that to my shopping list the next time I’m due for handsoap.
Jenny
Well, you know I love my mugs!!! And my new golden bookmark : )
I actually love this whole post. I agree, it’s the little things! I really have to push myself when it comes to colors- I always veer towards neutrals. As a matter of fact I love gray (which, when you think about it, is the most depressing color in the world. But somehow I still like it). I do get a lot of joy from scents though- I love scented soaps, candles, body lotion, and I always take an extra moment to enjoy them- like I’ll bring my soapy hands up to my face to smell them while I’m washing.
I should give myself a “color challenge” for a while- choose anything but gray!
Elisabeth
You have such a great assortment of mugs, Jenny!
And hooray for gold bookmarks š
I tend to wear a lot of neutrals (mostly dark neutrals), and LOVE grey. There’s nothing wrong with that! Embrace grey. You also have Christmas shower curtains, burn delicious-smelling candles, make bright and colourful meals. I’m not sure if you’ve read Gretchen Rubin’s book about the five senses, but I think we all have a default and while it’s great to embrace things that might not be our go-to, I’d just continue leaning into scent since you know it’s such a feel-good sense for you. I think this post was more a reminder to myself that being choosy about aesthetics that DO matter to me (they don’t all; I actually would say scent is one of my least-used things here, partially because I’m very sensitive to scents so have to be soooo careful – I would LOVE to wear perfume, but it gives me a headache and makes me sneeze…ditto with most good-smelling candles…*womp, womp*).
NGS
Let’s talk about scent, shall we? I have a Jo Malone (Wild Bluebell) and it was a tiny bit pricey when I bought it, but I spritz on a little every single day and it brings me such pleasure. Also, I’ve had the bottle for years now and it’s still going strong!
Elisabeth
Let’s talk about scent…ha! Did you see my post from today. Hilarious timing.
I am so sensitive to most perfumes but I LOVE the smell. Argh. Is there hypoallergenic perfume???
Rebecca Jo
I tend to keep things GRAY – but that is the perfect color to add those pops of colors
Those thrifted coats – LOVE!
Elisabeth
Yup. I’m definitely a pop of colour girl, not a all out colour with pops of neutral!
Gigi
I completely agree that those little things can bring beauty and joy into your life. For example, when I bought a new tablet I immediately ordered a protector covered in flowers – why does my protector have to be black? It doesn’t.
Elisabeth
Darn right it doesn’t!!
Sophie
What a lovely post! Love both those Jackets. Now I want a new phone cover.
I have my favourite teal and white mugs and coffee definitely tastes better from them! I bought fleecy bear socks in Canada and love to wear them to bed! Also fridge magnets from my travels (including Nova Scotia) brighten up my fridge. I definitely go for a happy planner cover too. And sometimes a pair of bright coloured sandals can make a more neutral outfit more joyful.
Elisabeth
Oops. My goal was NOT to get people to go spend more money š
Those bear socks sound delightful. And yes to shoes having potential to really zing an outfit!
Suzanne
Oh yes I love this, Elisabeth! The thing that pops into my mind is flowers. I love them so much. I am happy to spend $6 on a few stems of grocery store flowers and then I enjoy them every time I see them.
It’s so funny how you aren’t supposed to “sweat the small stuff,” while small things can make a big difference in your enjoyment of life!
Elisabeth
I always admire the beautiful flowers you have in your spaces!
It is ironic, isn’t it. The the littlest things can have the biggest impact. Maybe because they tend to intersect our lives more frequently. I handle my favourite mug a lot more than many other more expensive purchases. And I think we CAN control the little things. I might not be able to stop my kid from getting the flu, but I can control the fuzzy blanket I have to curl up under on the couch while we wait out the sickness.
Michelle G.
I love all your lovely little items! I love it when everyday items are beautiful. You’re right, why not make them beautiful? I’m especially fond of pretty mugs, plates, and bowls. I love pretty packaging, too. I LOVE your pink coat! It looks amazing on you!
Elisabeth
Pretty packaging! Yes!!!
Ernie
These are all such great ways to add color or joy. I love it. But I admit that I’m struggling to find a way that I do this. I did add a bookcase in my family room for all the tot books that were all over the floor, but not sure that counts. It was bought second hand, can I get an amen? It does look nice in the family room. I do really like the drawer organizers I added 4 or 5 years ago. Was it during covid? Anyway, they help keep the drawers so organized. Oh, I do love my cookbook. I ordered it for myself for Christmas a few years ago, and I typed up all my fav recipes and put them in sleeves. It looks nice sitting on the counter.
Elisabeth
I saw all your outfit choices yesterday and you have lots with fabulous cuts or colours!
My cookbook (binder) is literally falling apart at the seams but it’s so handy to have all my favourite recipes in one place!
Katy @PracticalWalk
I’m so grateful God made beauty and color!
Some of my favorites that come to mind:
-my orange mug
-my heart mug from my cousin
– brining wildflowers in the house
– color-arranging the books on the shelves
– my yellow cloth napkins
– my beaded bracelets from West Africa
Elisabeth
All of this sounds both happy AND beautiful! All good gifts from God <3
Alexandra
Gosh, there are so many little things in my life that bring me pleasure. A small Steiff bear my dad bought me when I was born. A teaspoon I stole from my mom because it was my Gran’s, I wanted it to remind me of her along with a small piggy bank I was allowed to take when she died.
And yes, I have a favourite mug, my Ugly mug that was a commission my OH had made for me one Christmas. And an old pair of walking shoes I simply refuse to throw away. I will have to, one day, but not today.
As for an aesthetic upgrade? Fresh cut flowers. Of which I’ve two small pink carnations left from mother’s day (yes, even though I’m not a mother myself.)
Elisabeth
That Steiff bear (well the link you recently posted) is adorable.
Everyone needs to have a favourite mug. It should be mandatory for becoming an adult! It makes life so much happier.
Alexandra
Oh, agreed, I think everyone has at least one favourite mug, if not more. Hurrah for the little, simple things in life.
Stephany
Sometimes I feel like I take this to the extreme, haha. I just really want the things around me to be beautiful and lovely to look at, and sometimes I’ll pass on something that may be cheaper because it just doesn’t have the right aesthetic I’m looking for. Sigh. I love having all of my colorful books as decor, and so many different beautiful coffee mugs to choose from, and little knick-knacks and framed prints. It’s a favorite thing of mine for sure!
Elisabeth
Obviously there are extremes, but I think it’s good to be mindful of aesthetics if it’s something that matters to us! I do have a few friends where I think they truly do not care. In that situation, pick the cheap/plain option. But I find usually it’s marginally more expensive to buy something with a pop of colour. Though I also don’t want to harp on colour. Sometimes it’s the shape of something. I actually love muted tones. My Stanley is a very pale pink and I love it and had ZERO desire for a bright colour. There’s no right/wrong answer but what feels the happiest is generally what I try to go with and that is very relative!
Tobia | craftaliciousme
Totally agree. Small little things can bring so so much joy. Every time you look at an item. The feeling it sparks. It’s just the best.
Last weekend the husband and I spent a ton of money in the drugstore. On a whim I threw in bright blue flower napkins that were on sale. I knew the husband hated them but I knew they would make me happy. Last night the husband asked me if he should place the blue napkins and they made my heart skip. 0,70ā¬ for that. And I have a few more until they are gone.
Elisabeth
Yay! And I’m glad your husband liked them! Napkins are definitely a very inexpensive way to brighten up a table.
Kate
I absolutely have a most favourite coffee mug (it’s a tall, “double” mug). It’s purple and it was left in the apartment where we lived in Rome. It’s my favourite shape, size, and color, and it reminds me of Rome every time I use it — which is every day I don’t work, when I pour my coffee directly into my other favourite mug — a Yeti traveler that was gifted to me last year by a nurse practitioner student who did a rotation with me!
The little things really do make a difference and add much-needed bits of play and delight into our days!
My favourite planner (the Passion Planner) comes in black as its default color. Every year when I order my new one I debate about ordering one with a fancy cover, but the colorful covers cost $10 more and I pretty much keep my planner open all the time so I wouldn’t be seeing the cover that often. If they ever make them cost the same I will definitely opt for that!
Elisabeth
YES! My favourite mug has a backstory and was purchased on vacation and it brings me extra joy because it has a “storied” past.
Darn. It’s too bad the cheerier planners are more money. But, as you said, you leave it open most of the time. You could always jazz up the front of what you already have with stickers or even use clear tape to make a collage of the front of favourite pictures of the kids. Or…leave it black. That works too š
Suz
This post speaks to me in so many ways.
Yes, coffee tastes better in a beloved mug–I think there’s probably science in there somehow.
I love your bright jackets (and the kids) It’s actually better to have brighter colors because you’re less likely to leave them behind, and they probably won’t be mistaken for someone else’s (black) jacket. Right?
There are so many little things that bring me joy, and right now it’s my organized closet. I’ve reused old baskets to sort things and I know where everything is and it’s the best feeling. (I mean, aside from actual LOVE-ha!)
Elisabeth
I love the way your think! I bet you’re right about it being much harder to lose a bright coat! I also find, with the kids, it’s easier for them to spot me in a crowd which is always nice on vaca.
I do love a nicely organized closet!
San
I wholeheartedly agree that it’s often the little things (and pops of color) that bring the most joy to my life. You know I am a mug addict and drinking out of one of my favorite mugs is truly the highlight of my morning! š
I also admit that I LOVE black (and buy way too many black clothing items!) but having a pop of color here and there (I bought a beautiful jumpsuit to wear to my cousin’s wedding in PURPLE!) is so fun!
I also love a nice pen, a beautiful journal, nail polish (although I am not as consistent in applying it!) and colorful workout clothes! š
Elisabeth
I want to see a picture of this pantsuit, San! Sounds lovely!!! You know I love purple.
My workout clothes are dire. I really should make that a goal for 2026 to find myself some “happier” workout clothes. Even if happier is just ones that make me feel happy wearing them (because I am a sucker for black or navy in workout attire). Stay tuned.