I get bored on the regular, often in anticipation of seasonal shifts. While I’m not restless enough to be airlifted out of my life by traveling or desperate enough to cut bangs, I do want to shake things up. Here are three simple ways I change my everyday life for $50 or less.
Color
People make fun of Ikea’s complicated flat pack instructions, but their textiles are the easiest way to refashion the vibe in your home. No assembly required. The motif of their duvet and pillow covers is distinctly Scandinavian, great for layering, which adds even more interest to a room. Ikea taught me that any two patterns belong together if one is organic, like a Swedish folkloric flora and fauna print, and the other is geometric, like stripes, when there is a single-color connecting thread, like a touch of red in both.
Extra: When days get short and gray, I change the light bulbs in my lamps from soft white to amber. Suddenly, the world glows.
Smell
We all know about the power of scent. But I don’t mean perfume—too vividly aromatic, too precisely applied. I mean creating a different personal fragrance environment by changing the way my skin smells with naturally scented, phthalate-free body lotions, especially when the lingering aroma is subtle but unusually transportive. Massachusetts-made Farm + Sea body creams are modern atmospheric blends inspired by New England, like Beach Wood, Mountain Lodge, and Cozy Harbor. Even better, they are the most velvety, hydrating body moisturizers I’ve ever used.
Extra: I give my friends different scents in the sampler size.
Taste
I understand that using different spices can help me out of a cooking rut. But despite all my kitchen experience, I still don’t totally get how spices behave together. So, I let the pros do it for me. Curio Spice Co’s creative blends like Bonga Spice, an Ethiopian-inspired green chile mix, and Supeq Spice, spicy and Unami seaweed salt, change the flavor personality of everything I make. Emboldened by their expert compositions, I even sprinkle their Vietnamese Da La Spice coffee rub on oatmeal and ice cream.
Extra: I’m a pantry basics snob, and as a B-Corp, Curio spices are single origin, transparently and directly sourced from small, sustainable farms.
Full (non) disclosure: None of these change-your-life recommendations are sponsored picks. I am a genuine fan of these products.