Why I Finally Started Romanticizing My Everyday Life
By Sarah Polite
Today I'm welcoming Sarah Polite to the blog. Mom of 4 and founder of The Polite House, a small batch beeswax candle company built around one simple idea: presence is a practice. This post is such a beautiful reminder to slow down and notice the life you're already living.
I can see her now. She was shoving extra baby clothes and diapers into a bag, wiping down the high chair, hair piled on top of her head in a messy bun, no less than 178 cheerios waiting to be cleaned off of the floor.
I know her well. She was me.
At the time, I thought what I needed was a better system. I thought if I could just become organized enough, efficient enough, disciplined enough, I would finally arrive at the version of motherhood I wanted most: calm, joyful, connected, fully present.
Instead, the systems only added to the weight and pressure to optimize every corner of our lives.
That version of me was not into the seemingly unnecessary idea of romanticizing life. What I didn't understand then was that the organization was never going to give me what I was actually searching for.
Because what I truly wanted was not productivity.
It was presence.
The Milestone I Can't Remember
What I didn't know then was that a perfectly organized life lived on autopilot leaves very little to remember.
Last week we celebrated my youngest son's first steps. He's nearly one. Standing, wobbling, finally saying mama.
My oldest son, now nine, started asking me about his own baby milestones. His first steps. His first words.
And to my surprise, there were pieces of that season I couldn't remember.
Not because I didn't love him deeply. Not because I wasn't physically there.
But because I spent so much of those early years in survival mode. Rushed. Functional. Mentally somewhere between the next task and the next responsibility.
Presence is required for memory.
And many of the moments we ache to hold onto are lost not from lack of love, but from lack of attention to the present moment.
What Romanticizing Life Actually Means
The idea of "romanticizing life" felt unnecessary to me then. Maybe even indulgent. I associated it with aesthetics and curated beauty when my actual days felt filled with dishes, laundry, spilled snacks, exhaustion, and the relentless demands of raising little ones.
But over time, I began to understand something different.
Romanticizing life is not about pretending life is prettier than it is. It's about learning to notice it while it's happening.
Oddly enough, a little owl helped teach me this.
The Owl That Changed Everything
During those early years of motherhood, my favorite coffee mug was gifted to me by a dear friend. It was green with a woodland landscape on the outside and the words: "The earth is filled with your love, O Lord."
But my favorite part was hidden inside.
Every morning, my final sip of coffee revealed a tiny painted owl at the bottom of the mug. Large eyes staring back at me as though it was gently asking me to return to the moment.
That mug became my favorite not because it was expensive or particularly beautiful, but because it interrupted my autopilot. It called my attention.
One morning, staring into the bottom of that mug, I had a thought that quietly shifted the trajectory of my life:
What if what I really needed wasn't more control over my days, but more visual reminders to actually inhabit them?
What if small anchors of beauty and delight could help pull me back into the present moment and celebrate the life I'm living in it?
That realization changed the way I approached my home, my routines, and even my parenting.
How One Small Beautiful Thing Becomes a Practice
Slowly, the rigid systems I had built began to soften.
Not through extravagance. Not through adding more pressure.
But through beauty in the ordinary. Intentional attention.
A favorite mug. Fresh flowers on the counter. Open windows while folding laundry. A candle lit before reading aloud together.
Small environmental cues that reminded me: this moment matters.
One of the most impactful additions became the 20 Minute Candle. Lighting it signals something to both me and my children: this time is set apart. The flame becomes an anchor for our attention. Books open. The room quiets. The pace softens.
And I've noticed something fascinating over the years: children respond deeply to environments that invite presence.
What Romanticizing Reading with Preschoolers Actually Looks Like
There is a difference between trying to force connection through urgency and creating an environment that naturally welcomes it.
A timer says: "Hurry. Finish."
But the warm light of a little candle, a stack of books, and a mother willing to sit down herself communicates something entirely different:
"We are here together now."
This is romanticizing life. Not performing, picture-ready motherhood. Not pretending every moment is magical. But creating small anchors of beauty in the ordinary moments of our days.
I Am Watching This Time
My youngest is taking his first steps right now. I am watching. I am here.
Not because my life became less busy, but because I finally learned that presence isn't something I need to make time for. Presence just requires my attention in the middle of it all.
And romanticizing it just inspires more and more fully present moments.
So perhaps the question is not whether your life is beautiful enough to savor.
Perhaps the question is:
What is already beautiful in your ordinary life that is waiting to be noticed?
A favorite mug. A bedtime routine. Morning light through the kitchen window. The sound of little feet running down the hallway.
Notice it.
Highlight it.
Be present with it.
Romanticizing this ordinary life is a work worth doing. We only have this moment. Let's fully inhabit it.
About The Author
Sarah Polite is a mom of 4 and the founder of The Polite House, a small batch beeswax candle company built around one simple idea: presence is a practice.
She believes small anchors of beauty in the ordinary moments of our days are what call us back to the life we actually want to be living.
Find her on Instagram at @thepolitehouse. 🕯️
Through June, use code OURLITTLEPEAS for 20% off her candles → Shop the 20 Minute Candles here
Note from Our Little Peas
If this message resonated with you, and you’re wanting simple, meaningful ways to live this out with your child.
That’s exactly why I created The Learning Pod.
It’s designed to help you connect with your child through play in a way that feels doable, not overwhelming—so you can be present in your days without feeling like you have to figure everything out on your own.
→ You can learn more about The Learning Pod here.
