Welcome to Spring! Here are a few of my favorite things.

March has been all about finding the inspiration to put myself and my needs first. These five things helped me do just that.

1. Family Time I was in need of some major family time. Although I had seen my mom in New York in November, my entire family in North Dakota in December, and all three again in Washington in January, I hadn’t been home to LA since July. Going home this month for a long weekend was much needed and the perfect reset to my happiness gauge.
2. Peaceful Aesthetics If you read this post, then you know that I went through a phase of feeling totally bogged down with busyness. One way that I have helped combat those feelings was to dive deeper into minimalism. Something about keeping my space less busy has helped me feel less busy – or perhaps just more capable of clearing my full plate. I have been keeping my eyes open for inspiration, like this clean and peaceful space at Oolong Bar. I gave my room a simple update by rearranging the furniture and stripped my walls of all but one piece of art.
3. Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Lotion I have probably gone through three of these bottles over the past four years and I have loved every ounce of it. Although I now live in cloudy Oregon, taking care of my freckled skin has always been a priority of mine, rain or shine. This lotion gives me the freedom to explore with easy and without worry of the sun leaving lasting damage on my skin. This is the best face sunscreen I have ever tried and don’t see myself deviating from it any time soon.
4. World Map 

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   I have been loving this world map from Etsy. The map starts off with a boring brown, but once you visit a country, you scratch off the brown to reveal a vibrant watercolor. This gives me some major travel inspiration, and I cannot wait to scratch off China and Singapore this summer!

5. My BrotherNow I know I have already listed Family as a favorite, but I need to give a special shout out to my brother. Nick recently graduated college (congrats!) and has been taking a page out of my book (or, blog). Just like me, Nick graduated college in under 4 years while working and is now enjoying some much needed time off. He recently took off for a week in Australia and spent a little of that time traveling solo. I so admire him for taking the opportunities he is presented with and enjoying all life has to offer. Maybe he will write a guest post about his travels?!

I hope these favorites provide you with some inspiration on simple ways you can put yourself and your desires first.

-TM

What are some of your favorite things from March? Let us know below.