How I’m Learning to Romanticize My Life (One Simple Moment at a Time)
An ArmStina Family Easter Story
Lately I’ve been learning how to romanticize my life more.
That means actively choosing to find joy and notice the beauty in the small things, like enjoying a slow morning with a cup of coffee and conversation with my husband, or approaching gardening tasks with a sense of quiet magic.
Romanticizing your life doesn’t mean ignoring reality or pretending everything is perfect. It’s a mindset shift. One where you focus on gratitude, presence, and creating moments that feel special, even when they’re simple. You’re choosing to live artfully, rather than just going through the motions.
It’s living as if you’re inside a storybook, where the mundane is secretly magical.
This mindset really came to life for me over the weekend as I prepared to host Easter for my family. Instead of rushing through the preparations, I leaned into the beauty and intention behind the day.
The first act of love and joy for me was baking and decorating Easter cookies. I spent Friday night recording a fun and silly video about cookie dough magic, and baked cookies with my niece and my son. It was a Friday evening that might seem quiet or ordinary to most, but to me, it was pure joy.
Then I got to do something I used to do every day during my ArmStina’s Cookies days—I decorated those cookies. I didn’t focus on perfection, and I didn’t use a projector at all. It was just me and my creativity. Armando and I even recorded another silly video of me decorating cookies. I fully embraced my goofiness, and it was medicine for my soul.
After I finished decorating, I did something I haven’t done in years: I had a cookie photo shoot. I arranged the cookies on my wooden Groot cutting board and snapped a ton of pictures. It was all just for fun, and the fact that I get to share this with my family was the icing on the cake.
Once the cookies were fully dry, Armando and I tag-teamed the packaging. We had Paint-Your-Own egg cookies and large peep cookies for my son, nieces, and nephew, while the mini cookies were set aside for Easter dinner dessert.
After that, we worked together to fill the eggs with candy for the Easter egg hunt and put together small goodie bags for each child. I genuinely enjoyed assembling them. They weren’t filled with much—just a few sweets—but it was a simple way to create a moment of joy for the kids. Like sprinkling a bit of sugar into their day, just for the sparkle.
I recently watched With Love with Meghan Markle and loved every episode. I’m a sucker for shows that include cooking, baking, and flowers—and this one had all of it. I’ll admit, I always feel a little envious of shows like that. They often showcase a lifestyle filled with luxury and abundance that most people don’t have access to.
But what this show reminded me is that joy doesn’t come from extravagance. It comes from intention. Whether you're in a multimillion-dollar home or a small kitchen, the act of baking, arranging flowers, or preparing a meal can be done with love and presence. That’s what stuck with me.
There were two recipes I wanted to recreate for Easter: a rainbow fruit platter and a naked three-layer cake with fruit filling and frosting. I didn’t have a fancy platter for the fruit, so I picked up a plastic one from the dollar store. I used a boxed cake mix but made my own version of the filling and frosting from scratch. Armando helped me with everything, and we even recorded the process for fun.
I was nervous about making the cake because I knew it wouldn’t be perfect, but I did it anyway. I truly enjoyed the process and felt proud once it was done. The cake was delicious, and I’ll definitely be making it again.
These are the kinds of moments we often rush through or dismiss as ordinary. But they can hold joy if we let them. You are the main character of your life. Romanticize it. Make the most of what you have. We don’t need anything fancy to be present and enjoy the beauty already around us.
Before the day arrived, I picked up a couple of bunches of tulips. There’s something about fresh flowers that makes a space feel alive. I had so much fun arranging them in a vase, letting each stem fall into place like its own little piece of art.
I know I’ll be doing much more of this once my garden is in full bloom. I’m still surprised by how much joy I felt last summer, cutting flowers, arranging them, and having fresh blooms all over the house. Having a garden truly is its own kind of magic. But more on that another time.
Easter morning didn’t start out picture-perfect. I wasn’t in the best mood and felt a little off, like the energy just wasn’t quite there. But as the day unfolded, I kept noticing the small joys. Laughing with my family. Armando helping cook dinner. Watching the kids paint their own egg cookies. Hearing their laughter as they ran through the house during the egg hunt. Sharing the cake and cookies I had made with love.
Each little moment brought me back to center.
That’s the thing about romanticizing your life. It’s not about waiting for the perfect mood or moment. It’s about being present enough to notice the magic, even when it’s quiet or imperfect.
So if you’re feeling stuck in routine, if the outside world feels heavy and chaotic, or if life’s been passing by too quickly, I invite you to slow down and romanticize the little things. Light a candle while you read a book. Try cooking that recipe you’ve been wanting to make. Bake something from a premade box and decorate it like it belongs in a fairytale. Have a family movie night with all your favorite snacks.
It’s about creating memories with care and intention, treating your life as a beautiful, cozy film.
You don’t need a perfect mood or a perfect setting. Just a little presence. Just a little intention. The magic is already there, waiting to be noticed.
And don’t forget to THINK HAPPY THOUGHTS-you deserve them!
It was a blur of non-stop chaos, but I’m glad I took moments here and there to appreciate it. Reading through your recollection brought back bursts of memories that had almost slipped away!