Mariposa Kisses (aka Dianne's Blog)

Spice it up a little. The day is long enough with all the have-to-do lists. Why not add a pinch of cinnamon to your coffee or a sprig of mint to your ice-water? Let's take a few ordinary aspects of the day and turn them into some sizzling fun. Here we go! Put your seat-belt on (metaphorically speaking). Place your goggles over your eyes for a motorcycle adventure into the unknown. Okay, it won't be that exhilarating, but we'll shoot for "fun" to say the least.

Take your bedroom, for example. Is it a room that exudes excitement and adventure? If not, it's time to change it up a little. Look at your color scheme and pick out the most striking accent color. Then, look through some of the artwork that clutters your downstairs closet or your garage. Think of the possibilities. You could take an old print and dress it in a new frame. Or you could take an old frame and fill it with a new photograph.

I recently hung three photographs I'd taken from a winery in Solvang, which completely changes the feel of my room. Instead of drab and bleak, my new favorite room shouts, "I'm exciting!" The black frames complement our large black Ikea bookshelf and our small black accent pillow. The organic purples and greens provide contrast to our tan duvet cover while they accentuate the royal red throw blanket. The colors are vibrant and the room comes alive, all because of these three little photographs. The cost was less than fifteen bucks to enlarge the prints to 8x10s and to buy a 3-pack of frames from Michael's. Who'd have known?

What about your meals? If the family is bored from the repetitive menu and the dull feel of leftovers, it's time to spice up the culinary palette as well. We've been there before. At the same time, we're on a tight budget, so we try to keep our spending to a minimum. It's time for a frugal food adventure. Use what you've got and improvise when you need to. You might even create your family's new favorite breakfast, like I did this morning. (Well, my six-year-old didn't even try one bite but that's because he's kind of boring).

So, I'm looking through my fridge thinking, "What do we have for breakfast today?" I see the unopened pack of pita bread staring up at me begging, "Please, don't let me go moldy, eat me!" Being the compassionate person that I am, I pick up the bag to save the pita bread from disgrace. The new and totally simple creation: Pita Yums. All you do is toast your pita bread, add butter, and sprinkle a dash of brown sugar and cinnamon. The optional flair of culinary wonder is to add whipped cream. Let's just say that I ate enough Pita Yums for a whole army.

Next stop, your wardrobe. Feeling a little bit complacent about your clothes? Try mixing two things together randomly. Seriously, just shut your eyes and pick two articles of clothing. This is easier if your bottoms and tops are organized in different sections. Though this might sound lame, you should keep an open mind. What if you discover a totally cool outfit just waiting to hit the Hollywood runway? Since everything is so relative when it comes to style, you can wear almost anything and get away with it, as long as you exude self confidence. Try the same thing with your jewelry rack as well. Just close your eyes and pick out a piece. Go for the shoes as well and see what kind of day you have. At least it won't feel mundane and lifeless.

For those with a little cash to spare, head to the mall. Pick a store that you don't usually shop at. This way, you'll add a few pieces of new style to your wardrobe. It could even be a simple white top, but it might have a different hang to it since it's from a different designer. You'll be able to wear it with twenty other items from your closet and it will renew your zest for fashion. Another basic addition could be a new hat that adds some pizazz to your existing wardrobe. A hat says a lot besides "Keep me warm" or "Protect me from the sun." A hat says, "I'm sexy" and "Check out my matching red shoes." Don't be afraid to branch out with some bold new sunglasses or some colorful jewelry.

Another area of life that requires a bit of a make-over is your entertainment. Dinner and a movie sounds great, but after ten years of that routine, you start to feel like you're in a rut. Why not try a new Indian restaurant and then some ballroom dance lessons? You could even get some Vietnamese take-out and then go for a picnic at the pond or the lake. Bring along some Japanese poetry or a book of French artwork.

There's a bunch of great Jazz music coming to the Inland Empire as well (Check out Vanessa Franco's blog). Maybe you think you're too old for loud and crazy? Deep down though, you know you're never too old for a good time. Perhaps you could kick it up a notch with some fantastic food at Cafe Sevilla in downtown Riverside and a few cardio moves upstairs at their dance club. It's dark, so people won't even care if you can't dance. Plus, the Sangria is to die for.

Maybe you're the quiet type and you'd just rather stay at home. Why not mix it up there as well? You could rent a yoga video and try some of those bizarre pretzel moves. Or, you could roast some marshmallows in your own backyard and set out some blankets for star-gazing. You could even dust off the old telescope and check out some of the astronomical wonders up above. Did you catch that cool meteor shower last week? If you insist upon a movie rental, then check out something besides the norm. If you love adventure, check out something in Chinese or Russian with subtitles. There are some extremely talented foreign actors that might never make it to our screen, so you'll miss out if you don't check out the foreign section.

Life is pretty boring sometimes because it is full of pretty boring people. Don't let yourself be one of those people. Take charge of your own life by spicing it up a little. If you don't charge it up a notch, no one else will. Don't let your marriage or your friendships ride the wave of idleness and indifference just because you don't feel like getting up off of your rear end. Give yourself a break from the monotony of everyday life by doing something new today. Waiting for tomorrow really means you'll never do it. You know that. Sign up today. Buy it today. Try it out today. Get going, the day's almost half-way gone.

Have you decided to spice things up in your own life recently? Share some fun ideas here.

Labels: kids, parents, spicy