The Sunshine Box is not your average self-care box subscription.
We all need more self-care in our lives, but we are terrible at giving it to ourselves. Subscription boxes are a great way to simplify the process – the materials for a perfect self-care date with yourself are sent right to your door! But here’s the problem – self-care is a very personal experience, yet with most subscription boxes, you will be sent a carbon copy of what everyone else (or at least a group of people) are receiving that month.
It’s not the same with the Sunshine Box. By filling out the form below, I get to know you, what you like, & how you actually need to engage in self-care each month. Based on that information, I create a personalized box JUST FOR YOU! It’s a special gift for you every month, & it’s the perfect way to make sure you are making time for self-care in your life.
Learn more about the Sunshine Box & purchase your customized self-care box on the Evolve Wellness website.
Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase a product after clicking the associated link, I will earn a small commission off of that purchase.
I have always wanted to be one of those people who kept a daily journal. I would go through periods of my life when I regularly wrote in a diary, but to be completely honest, these were normally periods of only a few days in length. My longest stint was summer of 2019, when I kept a journal recording everything that happened every day of my 4K for Cancer journey. I thought at the end of it, I would keep the habit going, but as soon as I returned to normal life, I fell back into old habits and the journal stayed untouched on my bookshelf.
The shame of this is I actually enjoy writing, and there are many moments in my life that I wish I had recorded. The one thing I learned from journaling during 4K is it is impossible to remember all the little details that happen, but those are the ones I want to remember most. I love reading over conversations I had with people and the little things I saw while on that trip.
One of the main reasons I have always struggled with keeping a journal is that I struggle to keep my writing short and concise. I feel like I have to record every little detail of my day, which is rather time consuming and tedious when I am sitting in bed at night, ready to fall asleep.
Emily & me at Joseph’s & my engagement party
My solution came in January last year when I was visiting my childhood friend (and current matron of honor), Emily. While talking, she told me about a habit she had adopted over the last few years after seeing her dad do it. Every year, she buys a planner, not to record what she has to do, but to write down what happened each day. At the end of the day, in the space on the calendar, she records everything that happened that day. Sometimes, it’s just the mundane tasks of everyday life, but other days the content is more exciting. The most beautiful thing about this is that, whether big or small, all those special moments that happened are recorded. And if she has more to write than will fit in the little calendar square, she turns the page to the weekly view to write a little blurb about her day.
I bought a planner that week to integrate this habit into my own life, and since then, I have faithfully written in that little book every day. I love the fact that I am restrained to a small space to write about my day. It is a totally doable task at the end of the day, and it makes me think about what the most important details of my day were so they will be the ones that get recorded.
I just have to say, what a year to start this habit! After the beginning of March, my life suddenly became a lot less normal, as did the lives of most people on the planet. I can’t say every day at home was an interesting calendar square to fill out, but every interesting conversation or little hobby I started for fun or work was recorded. Looking back through my planner today, I can’t help but smile while reading all those little moments that I would have forgotten by now.
One of my favorite things about this is that I can easily turn back to any day to see what happened. So, a year from now, I can look back to see what happened today. I can remember exactly how I felt and what happened on any day by easily flipping to that calendar page.
In addition to the original idea given to me by Emily, I have added a few extra steps. At the beginning of the month, my planner has a space to record goals and important dates, and at the end of the month, it has a page for notes. These are my spaces to spend a little extra time at the end of the month thinking back over what happened and reflect on my experiences. In the goals section, I record goals, achievements, and big events that happened; in the important dates section, I write the days the most important things that month happened with their corresponding number; and in the notes section, I write a little summary of my month.
I love three things about this little extra step I have taken. One, I tend to be very hard on myself. I am a perfectionist, and I am often looking for the next goal to achieve rather than recognizing myself for what I have done in my life. Having a section dedicated to recording the achievements in my life, whether big or small, is a little act of self-care to recognize myself for the hard work I have done. Two, I love that the most important dates are marked, so I can easily look to see which days meant the most to me and then flip to those corresponding calendar dates to read more. Three, the notes section honestly gives me closure at the end of each month and it helps me to better reflect on what is happening in my life and set goals for the next month. I can’t know where I want to go if I don’t know where I have been. This moment of reflection both helps me to make sense of difficult times (such as during the worst of the coronavirus pandemic), celebrate happier months (my month of engagement and travel with Joseph), and look forward to what I want to do next with my life. It’s like taking a moment at the end of each month to write a closing to that chapter of my life.
If you struggle to keep a journal, I highly recommend incorporating this habit into your life. It takes less than two minutes at the end of each day, but I feel it has honestly increased the positivity, productivity and gratitude in my life. Giving myself a moment to reflect at the end of each day and month helps me to focus on the good in my life. And knowing that this moment is coming at the end of each day encourages me to spend my time more wisely so I will have something to write about.
And it’s not too late to start! Check out the links below to get your planner, & some of my favorite journaling tools, & get started right away. The best time to have started this habit was the beginning of this year (or honestly, many years ago), but the next best time is today.
A 2021 planner to get you started
This planner has all the sections you need to help get you started on your new journaling technique.
Amazing pens
You don’t need a boring, black, ballpoint pen to journal with. Check out these beautiful, fine point markers, perfect for journaling, drawing, or just writing aesthetically-pleasing notes.
Washi tape
Washi tape is my new obsession. It makes everything look so much prettier & organized, even if it isn’t. Check out this set on Amazon, or do your own search! There are so many different colors, sizes & designs.
Planner Stickers
Maybe you’re not feeling the creative vibes of making your own stickers with Washi tape. No problem! Check out these beautiful stickers that you can decorate your planner with. There are over 1,500 designs to help you keep that planner looking beautiful and organized.
The wound is the place where the light enters you.
-Rumi
The first thing we were taught when we were young,
Was that each person is unique and special.
We are all different,
But our differences are what make the world bright and interesting.
On the playground, we distinguished each other by the games we liked to play,
Whether it was kickball or playing with dolls.
We did not care about gender or skin color.
We were too young to know about sexual orientation.
Our political knowledge only extended to knowing a mighty president existed,
And ruled over our great country.
Religion did not arise in conversation.
We cared only about ribbons and bows,
Four leaf clovers and the grass between our toes.
At what point did we begin to notice the variations in the color of skin?
When did we begin to believe it was strange to love someone like us,
Or that differences in our beliefs should divide us?
When did the bullying begin,
The blatant disregard for other’s feelings,
The cruel empowerment of a few to believe others are below them?
When did boys pulling pigtails become men unbuttoning blouses?
When did girls start painting their eyes and telling lies?
When did they begin to dwindle away or expand before our eyes,
As food became an escape or an enemy?
When did other’s expectations begin to weigh on our minds,
And cause life itself to feel heavy and wearisome?
As our lives crumbled, we would swear we were fine.
Meanwhile scars began to appear on arms,
Alcohol burned down throats,
And love became only a word instead of comforting arms.
We compared ourselves to one another,
In competitions where no one won,
And we judged one another for trivial things,
Things far more trivial than the games we played on the playground.
We judged each other for skin color, for love, for basic human beliefs,
We judged each other for our capabilities, our appearance, our family income,
We judged each other because we couldn’t face the judgment
That we inflicted upon ourselves,
And we finally created a world where no one felt at home,
No one felt they measured up,
And all of us were desperately looking for love,
Normally in all the wrong places.
Somewhere along the way,
During this collection of experiences called “life,"
We forgot how to love each other,
And so, in turn, forgot how to love ourselves.
I don’t know how to fix what it feels like we broke,
But it probably starts with us,
Each of us, individually,
Accepting one another for who we are,
And then, in turn, accepting ourselves.
It probably begins with loving others without constrains or expectations,
And therefore loving ourselves the same way.
It probably starts with extending words of kindness to those around us,
And so then also speaking those kind words to ourselves.
It probably starts small, with a hopeful outlook towards a brighter tomorrow,
And then working every day towards that goal.
I’m not sure if we will ever fix what we broke,
Here on earth, where we have been pushing boundaries until they snapped
Since the moment we arrived,
But maybe, if we focus on just that,
How it took all of us,
All of us brilliantly unique individuals,
All of us hurting, broken, lovely humans,
All of us to destroy what we were given,
Then maybe, just maybe,
We can rebuild something beautiful together.
For beauty comes, not from the absence of brokenness,
But from the light that is able to shine through,
When we put our broken pieces together again.
In difficult times, we can either tear ourselves down or build ourselves us up by the words we tell ourselves. Sometimes, our minds can be our worst enemies – we can convince ourselves that we aren’t capable or are unworthy before we even have a chance to prove to ourselves just how incredible we are.
The good news is we do not need encouragement from others to get through times like these. Just by changing the messages we speak to ourselves, we can empower ourselves to handle the challenges that come our way.
If you are currently in a season of stress in your life, give yourself some needed words of encouragement with these positive affirmations. Repeat them to yourself throughout the day, use them as your phone background, or print them out and hang them on your wall. And feel free to add them to your story or your favorite form of social media – spread the positivity!
It was your laugh that first captured my heart. It was one of those unique, true laughs, one that shook your entire body. Your smile was wide and genuine. Your hazel eyes were so bright they lit up your entire face. You made me laugh, too, the first authentic laugh I had experienced in a long time. I laughed more in that half hour with you than I had in the last year of my life.
Nothing could have prepared me for what I felt when I first met you. It wasn’t the usual attraction of a crush or the awkward first greetings of two strangers. When I talked to you, it was as if the two of us had been friends for years. Our souls knew each other before our hearts or minds did. Your eyes met mine, and I just knew, deep in my being, that there was something special about you.
Falling in love with you felt different than anything I had ever experienced before. It was different from the shakiness and clamminess of a first date. It was deeper than the butterflies at the first spark of attraction. It was a warmth that touched my soul and filled me from head to toe.
With you, I felt that on the second date. You and I drove around in your car, listening to music and talking about things people normally wait to share until far later in the relationship. I didn’t want the date to end. For the first time in my life, I was willing to be late to class, willing to skip school just to spend a few more minutes with you. I knew at that moment that I was going to marry you one day.
I remember sitting on my couch a few weeks later, when you told me you loved me. The next morning, the two of us watched the sun rise over the water, listening the caw of seagulls and the crashing waves. The sky blushed pink as I leaned my head on your shoulder. With you, I felt safe and comfortable.
I remember our first fight. I remember the yells, the tears of anguish, the sleepless night. It felt as if my heart had been wrenched out of my chest. I had not known before then that heartache is not just a metaphor – it is a physical pain when you are hurt by someone you love.
You and I made up the following day. The two of us ran to each other from across a parking lot like a scene from a movie. You brought me flowers and promised you loved me, that you were going to make things right. I knew that fight was not going to be our last. There would be many more disagreements, and the two of us would be hurt many more times in the future. But I knew that day, whatever life threw at us, I could count on you to work through it with me. Together, the two of us would always make things right again. That day, “you and I” became “we,” ready to take on the world together.
Our first holiday season together was full of new experiences and an undeniable warmth, despite the chill of the outdoors. For you, the days were filled with new rituals that would become traditions. For me, there were the thrilling days spent in the mountains, gliding down the snow at an alarming rate, feeling the rush of adrenaline in my veins as I went skiing for the first time. Catching my breath at the bottom of the mountain, I realized that with you, I was the person I had always wanted to be. You made me brave and strong – you made me believe that I could do absolutely anything. And I knew together we would tackle many more mountains.
February was bliss, and then came the dark month of March, when everyone in the entire world hid in their homes and watched the news with fear. In an instant, without me even realizing it was happening, we were separated, merely hours apart but with no way of being able to see one another. It was a month that should have tested us, but we only grew closer. Late night phone calls and vague plans about the future gave us hope. When we finally made the decision to risk seeing each other again, I held on to you as tight as I could and promised myself that I wouldn’t let you go for so long ever again.
April passed, and then May dwindled away as well. Before I knew it, I found myself in the warm days of summer, though it seemed the world was still stuck in the wintry blues. Jobs had been lost, rioters were destroying cities, and a looming pandemic had us all fearing what tomorrow would bring. But now I was experiencing all of the chaos with you, and somehow, that made everything feel okay. I had found my home away from home.
It was my idea to have a staycation. It would be a little mental break from all the worrying and stress. We could still enjoy our summer without ever having to travel too far from your house. I planned a week of activities. I knew it was going to be a week full of memories. I had no idea just how memorable the week was going to be.
We relaxed at home, tried new foods, and near the end of the week, we traveled around the state of Maryland. I always knew life was about the journey, not the destination, but never did that sentiment feel so true as it did driving in the car with you. We listened to music, told stories, and laughed all day. It was just with minutes to spare that we actually reached our final destination, an overlook with a perfect view of the setting sun. Out of breath from running to catch the view before it disappeared, we embraced one another. Life is a beautiful journey, and I knew then that I wanted to spend the rest of it chasing sunsets with you.
Little did I know you had the same idea. It was your idea to have a fancy picnic on the final day of our staycation. We dressed up in our finest clothes, made fresh Italian food with ingredients from a farmer’s market, and drove to the pavilion where, just a year ago, you had asked me to dance for the first time. We hiked through the trees up a rocky hill, which led us to a meadow filled with tall grass and small, yellow flowers. The pavilion sat in the center, waiting for us with a hidden secret it only shared with you, just as it had a year ago.
White flower petals led the way to the wooden beams adorned with bright sunflowers. Draped against the back of the pavilion was a white blanket. In flowing script against the backdrop, I read the words: “Of all the walks we have taken, this one is my favorite.”
Photo by Jon Mauler Photography
It was too perfect. Too perfect to be true. Too perfect to be for me. You held out your hand and asked me to dance, and I, still hesitant to believe, agreed uncertainly. You played our song, the words of which still ringing as true as they did the day you first played it for me.
Could I love you any more?
Could I love you any more? It’s a question I have asked myself every day spent with you. Every day, it feels as if my heart will burst with how much love I have for you. Yet, somehow, every day my heart grows a little more. Every day, I find more reasons to adore you. Every day, I fall even more madly in love with you.
Could I love you any more? Even as I write this, I don’t think it’s possible. But I know I love you more than I did yesterday, and yesterday I loved you even more than I did the day before.
Because love is a choice. It’s not something that happens passively. It’s not the butterflies on a first date or the spark you feel the first time you hold hands. Love was what I found at the beginning of our relationship, when we both chose to take a chance to be vulnerable with another person. Love was what I found during our first fight, when we both decided to make the effort to make things right and to grow together. Love was what I found when you were willing to try new traditions and do the things that I loved, even if they weren’t the things you most wanted to do. Love was what I found when I went skiing down that mountain, even though my knees were shaking and my heart was pounding and I had never been more scared in my life, because it was something you loved to do. Love was what I found when the entire world was separated, yet we still chose to work on us, to keep growing stronger, even though the distance was threatening to pull us apart. Love was what I found during every trial we faced, when we chose to love each other despite any reason there was to turn away.
Love is a choice. And I choose you. I will always choose you, every day, for the rest of my life. You are my home and my adventure all at once. No matter what each day brings, no matter if it is a day filled with laughter or tears, it is a joy to be spending my life with you. I choose us. I choose you.
The proposal – Photo by Jon Mauler Photography
So when you bent down on one knee, it wasn’t even a question. As our song says, the question was practically rhetorical. Will I marry you? Could I possibly love you any more? The answer is, and will always be, yes…and I do.
There is no doubt about it – 2020 was a crazy year, filled with multiple devastating events. But, despite all of the bad that happened, there were some things that managed to give us hope to carry on. Somehow, while the world was struggling, we were able to keep ourselves afloat by recognizing how resilient and strong we are when we work together and help one another.
So, if you are struggling to remember anything good that happened last year, read below to remember 12 encouraging events that helped us to get through a challenging time.
January – We fought the wildfires together
January was our first taste in 2020 of how capable we are of tackling challenges far beyond our abilities when we work together. People from all over the world donated money, and firefighters from other countries flew to Australia join workers and volunteers in fighting the blaze.
February – The Chiefs won the Super Bowl
They may not be your favorite football team, but everyone loves a good underdog story. This was the first Super Bowl the Chiefs won in 50 years! That is something worth celebrating.
March – The Cares Act was signed
Despite the rifts between Democrats & Republicans, when our country was in need, these two groups came together to sign a document that provided relief to millions of Americans and businesses who were suffering at the beginning of the pandemic.
April – Spotify launched Daily Wellness playlists
In addition to many other mental health resources that became available, Spotify launched its Daily Wellness playlist. This simple daily collection of songs and podcasts gave people peace of mind and a simple way to engage in self-care.
May – SpaceX launched 2 astronauts into space
Elon Musk reminded us just how resilient and tenacious the human race is when he successfully launched two astronauts into space…and brought them home safely.
June – NASA inaugurated the Jackson Headquarters
NASA named its headquarters in Washington, D.C. the Jackson Headquarters in honor of Mary W. Jackson, the first Black female engineer to work there. 2020 was a year for Black voices to be heard and, hopefully, for change to have begun.
July – A COVID-19 vaccine became more promising
In the month of July, deals were made and the first trials of vaccines for the novel coronavirus shows promising results. For the first time, we were able to hope that we would be able to beat this terrible disease soon.
August – Polio officially left Africa
In August, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the poliovirus is no longer present in Africa. This means just two countries are still threatened by this disease – Afghanistan and Pakistan.
September – Meals were donated to HurricaneLaura victims
After the devastation of Hurricane Laura in Louisiana, Rikesh Patel, a local McDonald’s owner, initiated the delivery of 10,000 free meals to those in need. it was a true act of generosity, service and kindness amid a catastrophic event.
October – NASA landed a spacecraft on an asteroid for the first time
2020 was quite the year for space exploration events. In October, NASA landed OSIRIS-Rex on an asteroid. It was a mission that took four years of work, and it may lead to new discoveries about the history of our solar system.
November – A record-number of Americans voted the first-ever female Vice President into office
No matter how you feel about the results of the 2020 presidential election, there has to be a bit of pride for the number of Americans who took on the responsibility to be a part of our democracy and make their voices heard. In addition to this, the first female vice president in history was elected, which is groundbreaking to say the least.
December – The first COVID-19 vaccine dose was administered
After a year of chaos and fear, the first vaccine dose for the pandemic that seemed to characterize 2020 was given. As we look forward now to 2021, we are now able to have hope that life will return to some semblance of normal in the near future.
This list is by no means meant to diminish all of the tragedy that occurred in 2020. But, perhaps by remembering the few good events that did happen will remind us how very much we have to be grateful for, even when life is threatening to make us forget. For me, 2020 was a reminder of just how blessed I am, and it was confirmation that most people are dedicated to helping one another. This past year, I saw more selflessness, compassion and generosity than I have in a long time, and that alone gave me hope for a brighter future.
