Photo by Li Gao

…in life that often bring us the most pleasure! Most of the time we just need a little inspiration, so here are some life brighteners that will have you beaming like the sunshine and pirouetting on rainbows all day long!

• Eat chocolate! Not just any old chocolate bar though — indulge in good quality Belgian truffles (if you want to experience true decadence, get your hands on some Godiva chocolates — absolutely amazing!) Or, why not scoff down a few squares of gloriously milky Swiss chocolate? Those guys REALLY know how to do it properly. When I was in Switzerland, there was literally chocolate at every turn… every day I would find little boxes of delicious pralines in my hotel room that would be replaced every time I gobbled them down! Be still my beating heart!

• Buy plants and beautiful flowers for your home! Plants can take a room from dreary to cheery in a millisecond — they just give that extra something, don’t you think? You might favour buying a pretty bunch of flowers from your local florist (the bonus is that your house will smell wonderful too!), but if you are keen to purchase something that will last a little longer, check out this list of top 10 indoor plants.

• Play on Polyvore and create outfits that will knock everyone’s socks off! Make a scrapbook or folder full of outfit ideas — could be a handy thing to have on your next shopping expedition. Time for a wardrobe makeover? Use Polyvore to get all the inspiration you need! Browse other people’s sets too… some are pure genius!

• Take a luxurious bath! Fill it with essential oils (camomile, jasmine and lavender are fantastic for relaxation), burn a scented candle, turn on some tranquil music, slap on a face mask, and let all your worries and thoughts slip away! Yep, that’s pretty much my definition of ABSOLUTE BLISS!

• Decorate a notice board. Rip out amazing photo’s and text from magazines, print out your fave online pics, grab some vintage postcards and, voila!, you have yourself a colourful work of art! We’ve actually got a huge canvas in our bedroom that has a whole bunch of quotes I have printed out in different fonts (and BRIGHT colours) stuck on top of some beautiful images. I love lying in bed looking at it! And the best thing? It cost next to nothing to create!

• Go for a stroll through the park, or along the beach. Grab a friend or go alone — take the time to truly appreciate everything around you: the birds chirping, children playing, the waves rolling in, the tranquility. Think about the way it makes you feel. I LOVE going for walks, and am fortunate enough to live across the road from one of the most beautiful beaches in Australia (yes, I may be biased!) which also has a tropical rainforesty-type headland wrapped around it… so beautiful! I always come home after my walk feeling so invigorated. Sometimes it’s all I need to shake off ‘computer overload’ — we all spend so many hours of our day in front of a computer or stuck indoors, and there’s nothing better than “getting back to nature!”

• Laugh ’til your sides hurt and the tears are streaming!

• Listen to music. And make sure it is CRANKED!

• Read a book or magazine. If you need new material, scour your local second hand book store — they are a veritable goldmine, seriously! Same goes with the library — I am such a book fiend that every time I’m in the library, I get a huge surge of happiness — there are just so many options! Total glee! (and yes, reading back on that, there’s a good chance I’m a bit of a nerd!)

• Speaking of books, why don’t you create an Amazon wishlist?

• Grab your favourite DVD and make a mini-mountain on your couch (or in your bed) with all the pillows and blankets you can find. Throw on your comfiest PJ’s and you are ready for the perfect cruisy night in!

• Practice yoga or pilates!

• Exercise! Run, skip, trampoline, ride a skateboard, do star jumps!

• Bake cupcakes! Better still, why not host a high tea with your girlfriends? Don your classiest outfit, craft your hair into an elegant chignon, and spend the day speaking in an outrageously posh British accent!

• Play dress ups. Plan outfits for special occasions. Doll yourself up — do your makeup and hair — and twirl in front of the mirror admiring your handiwork. Grab your digital camera and snap away merrily! You might like to do this with a friend instead (even better, because you can give each other makeover’s, strike crazy poses and click away ‘til your hearts content!)

• Be creative. Write letters on beautiful paper, play around with your photo’s in Photoshop, knit, make hand-made birthday cards to send to your loved ones, paint, draw, construct something, whip up amazing outfit on your sewing machine, write a poem — anything goes! Tapping into your creative side is so fulfilling!

• Sell things (or buy things!) on Ebay. Fun either way!

• Call your parents or your friends and have a long conversation full of giggles and warmth. Tell them how much you love them — give thanks for all the happiness they bring into your life! You will make their week, guaranteed! A little love goes a long way…

• Play on Flickr. Create an account, search for beautiful images and stockpile a group of favourites. Search other people’s favourites too. Hours of fun awaits you!

• Write a list of 100 and stick it in your diary or your room to be read over when you need a little pep up.

• Following on with the list theme, make a list of your “10 Favourite Things to Do” and make a pact with yourself that you will do at least one of them this week. Write the activity in big black letters on a colourful piece of paper/ cardboard and stick it somewhere you will see it often so it becomes branded on your mind!

• Read your horoscope or personality profile — I love doing this and have a personal rule that I only take the positive bits on board! (in case you are wondering, I’m a Sagittarius and an ENFP, and the profiles for these are actually very similar!)

• Eat nachos! Crisp corn chips engulfed in cheese, layered with beans and covered in HEAPS of guacamole and sour cream. Yum! The perfect meal?? Yes, I think so!

• Take wacky polaroids.

• Play on the Internet. Watch video’s and music clips on YouTube; design a logo on Logo Sauce that you can use for a future business (click the ’search’ option for an abundance of inspiration!); read and comment on blogs (yep, that’s a call out to all you lurkers out there!); and download songs and create new playlists on Last.fm or in iTunes.

• Read uplifting articles and quotes!

• Rearrange or organise something (your room, your closet, jewellery box, life!)

Tell me what you do to for an instant mood-boost!

Big love & happiness for eternity,

Rach xx