Although spring officially began a few weeks ago, that April feeling marks the beginning of the season, as it flowers with beauty in nature and flourishes within us. A fresh beginning inspires us with a smile and renews our intention to share positivity and joy with each other. Our hope is to uplift you when you visit us by bringing a light and airy spring feel to your everyday life. After all, isn’t cultivating a happy and beautiful home and bringing out the goodness in each other a wonderful way to enhance our community? With spring’s longer, warmer days in full swing, we have so much to look forward to! Let’s get ready for garden planning, seasonal flowers, local fresh fruits and vegetables. We all in for spring picnics and all the other wonderful occasions to celebrate with family and friends.
Spring Shift
We simply love seasonal transitions because we find them to be a perfect opportunity to reset and bring renewal into our lives. Spring lends itself to a positive change in mindset—especially if we focus on wellness, finding a healthy life balance between work and home and taking good care of ourselves and the people we love. With that in mind, we’ve put together two wellness essentials checklists for you to use as a guide. These are our strategies for staying centered and energized as we spring forward into the bright and sunny months ahead.
Five Ways to Invigorate for Spring
Exercise — Be active and spend time outdoors, whatever it is you like to do. Start or wind down your day with some kind of movement, or find a way to work fitness into the middle of your day. It really helps to clear your mind and change your perspective on the day in a positive way. This is a great time to enhance your routine—try adding in extra time during your day to take a hike in the woods or walk along the beach and enjoy the beauty of nature in springtime!
Eat and hydrate well — Energize your body with healthy food: plenty of leafy greens, fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and legumes. Make water your beverage of choice, drinking it throughout the day, with anything else counting as a special treat. Just as an aside, we’ve got another new infusion for you. Blend fresh ginger with a few squeezed limes and top with sparkling water or coconut water—it’s so refreshing! We like ours spicy with extra ginger…
Spend time with friends and family — It’s so important to make plans to spend time with the people who matter to you. Staying connected to others is one of the keys to longevity. Prioritize these moments—coffee or a yoga class with a friend, a morning family walk, Sunday dinner together—just set aside time to make these gatherings part of your daily life. We know you’ll appreciate them, and it’s impossible to overemphasize how much it means to those around you.
Self care — Be sure to set aside a little time for yourself, too. When we’re active and balancing full schedules for ourselves and our families, finding some quiet moments alone to recharge can be tricky but incredibly beneficial. Read a book, meditate, schedule a lesson or class, book a spa treatment, or just spend time gardening or enjoying time in nature. We like to suggest getting out of your comfort zone and doing something you’ve always wanted to do but never made the time. Remember spring can bring adventure—it's all about renewal, right?
Do good — Volunteer your time for a project. Reach out to someone who needs a smile or find a cause whose mission resonates with you and get involved. Never underestimate the power of kind contact—and even the smallest gesture can brighten someone’s day immeasurably. Doing our part to build a kind and caring community allows us to share the joy with others even beyond our immediate reach.
Six Essential Skin Care Tips for Spring
Drink water! — We mentioned it above in our general tips for reinvigorating ourselves, and we’re going to say it again: staying properly hydrated is key. This is true in any season, but as the weather gets warmer, remember to increase your water intake and to add electrolytes if needed during or after exercise. We love to start our day with a warm glass of water infused with lemon/ginger/turmeric. Pro tip: make a batch of ice cubes by placing one lemon wedge, a small piece of peeled fresh ginger, and a small peeled portion of turmeric root (or powder) in each section of an ice tray, then cover with water and freeze. Now, simply put one of these ice cubes in a cup and add hot water. You couldn’t ask for an easier and invigorating way to greet the morning than this immunity infusion.
Exfoliate — Exfoliating your skin regularly is a great way to keep your complexion refreshed and bright. Exfoliation assists in removing the top layer of dead skin cells and allows new cells to grow… leading to a renewed natural glow. And it’s not just skin-deep—we love the way dry brushing stimulates the lymphatic drainage system, which is important for detoxing our internal organs.
Protect — Now that we’re spending more time outside, remember to use sunscreen, and cover up with light layers, sunglasses, and a hat.
Moisturize — Applying moisturizer both morning and evening will keep your skin hydrated. Try adding a few drops of vitamin C serum for brightness and a hyaluronic acid serum for extra moisture.
Cleanse — Use a gentle cleanser on skin, morning and evening. Rinse your face thoroughly with tepid water and pat dry. If you tend to sweat during the day, you may also want to rinse your face with water or use a freshening spritz after exercise.
Breathe — Try to keep your stress levels in check. Mindful breathing is one of the easiest ways to help regulate stress without changing anything else in your life. And who knows, smiling more may even help to prevent those frown lines :)
Spring Design Notes
Share the Spring Cheer
April offers an array of new blooms, and tulips are at the top of our list. Whether cut fresh from the garden or purchased from a local market, we love the way their clean lines and bright colors bring a little spring into our home. Take advantage of those beautiful cherry blossom branches or whatever is blooming outside near you. Place a few branches in a tall vase on a table or entrance for a dramatic display (faux stems work as well). Bring in the spring green by adding a few new plants to your indoor spaces. Check out our home collection for stylish woven containers just right for the occasion. Pro tip: Spring is a beautiful season to capture family moments—brightly blooming branches make a wonderful backdrop for stunning images.
Refresh your Outdoor Oasis
With the planting season on the horizon, get a jump start by cleaning up your patio and outdoor spaces. Check your climate zones for planting times or start with planters that can be covered or brought indoors if cold temperatures/frost are possible. We love to plant a kitchen herb garden to add homegrown freshness to our spring recipes. This can be as simple as planting your go-to cooking herbs in a few decorative pots on your kitchen counter—or going all out with a raised bed or planters on your patio. If you’ve got a bigger garden going, dedicate a corner to these bright aromatics… it’s all about the little joys too!
Fresh air is invigorating and springtime means its prime time to begin the alfresco dining and leisure season. Create your own outdoor cafe terrace to enjoy lunch, brunch, or a morning coffee after an outdoor workout. Keep a few cozy, comfy throws handy—remember, the only thing we can really count on with spring weather is its refreshing and unpredictable nature. Let your flower arrangements be inspired by what’s growing in your garden and on the branches blooming overhead. We can’t wait to style our patio and fill our outdoor planters with beautiful new blooms for the season.
A Spring Style Edit
Setting a Spring Table
Think simple and inviting when you’re choosing your tableware. Mix and match whites and patterns with light spring tones with fresh linens and woven textiles. Cluster vases of varying heights with bunches of your favorite spring flowers or create a spring tabletop garden with our woven planters filled with fragrant herbs or tiny plants—perfect to bring outside as the season warms.
Springtime means accessorizing your home with light textiles—and we’ve sourced beautiful new cotton linens, table accessories, and freshly scented candles—all to perfectly complement a seasonal table and refresh your home for spring. Shop our home collection
Spruce up your Style
We’ve restocked our favorite breezy white cotton pants and simple striped versatile kimono for the season along with printed sarongs and a classic white linen blazer to style with jeans or over a dress. We’ve also added a super-soft recycled leather tote that works beautifully for every occasion. Shop our style collection
Living Well
In our wellness collection we’re putting a priority on taking good care of our skin this spring. To exfoliate, try our agave cloth and amazing Himalayan salt cleaning bar. To calm your nervous system, promote relaxation with a soothing lavender eye pillow and a magnesium bath salt soak. Then you’re sure to sleep well with our sleep essential spray to mist your pillow and bed linens. And to moisturize, we’ve sourced a velvety smooth lip love balm in an adorable clear mini pouch, lovely body oils, beauty elixirs, body butters, rose hydrating facial spritz, and our signature hand cream. Shop our wellness collection
Spring Happenings
Host an Easter Gathering
We’re looking forward to gathering our family for an island celebration with spring vibes this year. You know it yourself: as families grow and children begin new lives, finding time to have everyone together can be challenging… so at plj we are super excited that our party of four will be together again at last!
For your own spring gathering inspiration, we’re sharing our plan for a special sunset extravaganza. Fill various vases with muscari, tulips, crocus, and daffodils to scatter about your living space and incorporate them into your table setting. Color pastel easter eggs for table decor. Choose lightweight linen or cotton table linens, while adding texture with woven table accessories. Adding a few accent plates in pale tones enhances a light and airy ambiance.
If young children are part of your day, an Easter egg hunt outside is a wonderful, lively way to celebrate in the open air. We also love to set a special Easter theme treat at each place-setting—a simple bow tied around a chocolate bunny or a small basket filled with assorted confections. Let your creativity come into play!
Keep your menu light and bright. Decide on a spritz cocktail and prepare a light grazing basket with our homemade lemony hummus, crudites and assorted cheeses. For our dinner menu, we’ve chosen a spiral honey ham, spring couscous with snap peas, roasted pineapple, braised greens, carrots, asparagus, a traditional ricotta pie and for a sweet finish, a special vanilla birthday cake to celebrate a special 21-year-old! See our epicure for all the recipes.
A Garden Party Gathering
Dreaming about sipping a prosecco spritz or a fresh lime and ginger mocktail on your patio to celebrate spring time? We’re getting inspired to set our first of many tables outdoors for the season. Here are our thoughts. Keep your menu simple and bright—a fresh green salad with our truffle grilled brie cheese with fig and our lemon chicken orzo soup for lunch, a fresh spring twist on the classic soup. Or if weather permits, organize the first barbecue of the season. Hop over to our epicure for many seasonal menu ideas. Even a fresh fruit smoothie or a turmeric latte with a friend is a great way to brighten an April morning! Let the sunshine inspire you to gather and enjoy these springtime moments together.
Earth Day
On April 22nd, Earth Day gives us a special occasion to celebrate nature and take joy in its beauty while renewing our commitment to preserving our environment and ecosystems. Plant a garden or a new tree, hang a bird feeder, take a hike or pack a picnic and enjoy some time in a nearby nature reserve, national forest, or park. There are many ways to celebrate Earth Day—volunteer opportunities abound and most of them involve getting you and your family outside for some fun and fresh air while doing something good for the planet.
Mindset Shifts for a Fresh Perspective
We lead busy lives with many responsibilities, and we often tend to get too comfortable with the sameness of our routines. So how do we create balance in our lives? Springtime encourages us to think about the possibilities that open up when we think about life from a fresh perspective. Setting an intention to be positive and welcome new possibilities creates inspiration within us and helps us to grow. We know that time doesn’t stand still.
At partager la joie we’ve been reflecting on our tendency to postpone and compartmentalize our joyous moments, which diminishes them—and us. Putting off things we love to do until someday… doesn’t really make sense, right? How about setting aside some time now for an activity, a project, time to refresh—you decide what it is you need and go for it. It’s amazing how good it feels when you choose to prioritize the things that bring you joy. In fact, we think you’ll find more pleasurable moments in the routine tasks you do as well. It is changing our mindset that makes the difference and learning to appreciate our time and the need to find joy in that time. So let’s find ways to deliberately or spontaneously make time for the things we really love. Give it a try—we know you’ll be happy you did!
Epicure
April’s menu is all about spring—Easter favorites and everything that’s zesty, refreshing, homemade, seasonal, and locally sourced if possible. We love the start of alfresco dining—the thought of gathering in nature inspires many of our recipes this month. Sharing plates, seasonal sips and soups and make-ahead simple sweets are definitely putting a little spring in our step.
Quinoa Kale Salad with Lemon Dressing
Truffle Grilled Cheese with Brie and Fig Jam
Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Squash Blossoms
Spring Couscous
Greek Chicken Bowls
Bouillabaisse
Salmon Papillote
Spiral Ham
Lemon Blueberry Cake
Raspberry Bread Pudding
Roasted Pineapple
Ricotta Pie
Coconut Lime Ginger Mocktail
Prosecco Spritz
Let Spring Thinking Inspire You
April marks a full-swing transition into spring—and the optimism and growth of a new season. Natures blooming inspires our own creativity not only in how we style our home spaces and design our gatherings for the season, but in how we create balance in our lives. This balance is a life force that comes from within, think of it as that space between where we feel comfortable and challenged at the same time—just enough to energize us.
Our hope is that by bringing joy into our everyday moments and by opening ourselves to the possibilities and growth ahead, we’ll give connection to that joy that lies within us, evolving from a fleeting moment to a way of thinking to a way of life—our joie de vivre🤍
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