53: Intentional Indulgences for March: Simple Ways to Welcome Spring and Invite More Joy Into Midlife

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The first hint of spring can feel like a secret—lighter air, a brighter window, a whisper that something is waking up. We lean into that shift with a set of intentional indulgences that help you feel more present, grounded, and alive without adding pressure to your calendar. Joy doesn’t need to be earned; it needs room. So we make room with rituals that are small enough to start today and meaningful enough to change how you move through March.

We begin with the comfort drawer—your personal pause button stocked with sensory anchors like a favorite tea, a soft candle, and a notebook that invites five minutes of ease. From there we bring spring indoors with daffodils, primroses, and pussy willows, and we design a living Easter basket that grows as daylight returns. We swap autopilot for attention during the March equinox with simple prompts to release winter heaviness and invite what you want to bloom next. Along the way, we add playful nods to St. Patrick’s Day and low-lift ways to celebrate with heart.

Our signature practice this month is the creative excursion: a solo date to a gallery, trail, thrift shop, or new café where you follow your curiosity and listen for what lights you up. It’s a practice of agency and self-trust—especially powerful for women in midlife who’ve been taught to postpone pleasure and overfunction for everyone else. When you choose one or two of these rituals and repeat them gently, you teach your nervous system that rest is safe, joy is wise, and you matter right now.

If you’re ready to feel the season turning inside your own life, hit play, pick a practice, and tell us which one you’ll try first. Share this with a friend who needs a lift, subscribe for more weekly ideas, and leave a quick review so others can find the show. Your next chapter starts with small choices—let’s make them delicious.

Transcript

Spring Awakening And Garden Spark

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hey beautiful friend, it's Marnie. Happy March. I cannot believe that we are finally turning the corner into spring. Ah, I can tell you, March is actually one of my favorite months, and partly because it's my birth month. But also there's so many good things about March. You start to see the light shifting. And of course I'm a garden girl, so you can start seeds inside and you start to see things coming back to life, which is amazing. And this weekend, because I'm here on Vancouver Island, it was really mild and beautiful. We had sunshine and I literally spent most of Sunday out in the garden. I was starting all my seeds for my vegetable garden, and I managed to score these amazing raised garden beds, which a friend of mine helped me bring into my backyard. So super excited about that. And what was really interesting, which I think we don't always take into consideration, is I was just, you know, we get into this bit of a funk where you look around and everything seems dead and lifeless and it's dark and all of that. So I happened to be outside and I thought I got this beautiful clematis plant from a friend of mine, actually, two plants. One is a purple flower and the other one is white. And uh he gave it to me last year. And honestly, it's so beautiful. But I've never overwintered it before, and um I wasn't sure if I should cut it back or what I should do. So what I did is I went out and I just thought, well, I'm gonna just move it around and take some dead leaves off and see if it's even still alive, because it looks pretty tragic at this point. And something

Beneath The Surface: Growth Metaphor

SPEAKER_00 1:40

amazing happened. I went over and I kind of reworked some of the branches, and I looked and took a few leaves off, and it was amazing. This plant is already beginning to sprout. New shoots all over it, even on some of the longest, spindliest dead branches. And I thought to myself, you know how interesting it is that sometimes things are happening beneath the surface that we don't see in our own lives, and change and growth is actually happening under the surface. And I think maybe we discount that sometimes when it comes to those more hibernation-style months where things seem to quiet down and we slow down a bit and we're more internal. I think that's when some of the good things happen. I think sometimes we just need to slow down enough to give our bodies and our minds a little bit of a rest. And I think that's when some beautiful new blossoming begins to happen.

Intentional Indulgences: What And Why

SPEAKER_00 2:43

So last month I started this series. Um, we're gonna be doing it every month on the podcast for the whole 2026. And it's a new segment that I've decided to do called Intentional Indulgences. And every single month I'm going to revisit the idea with a new menu of different indulgences and seasonal indulgences that you can sprinkle into your everyday life. And the whole point of this is these are not supposed to be rewards or escapes per se, but they're supposed to be intentional moments of pleasure, of presence, and of permission that's designed to add more joy, vitality, and aliveness to our days. So, no matter what season of life you are in, the objective is just to crack the door open a little bit and let some more light in. That's the whole point. So I want to be very clear what this is and what it's not. This isn't about rewarding yourself when you're exhausted or overwhelmed or maybe you've worked hard enough to earn it. This is about learning how to inhabit our life more fully every day and on purpose. So for many of us women, especially in midlife, pleasure becomes quite conditional for us. We're taught that we have to earn it or postpone it, or justify it, or sadly apologize for it. And over time that teaches our nervous system that rest and joy and play are unsafe or are optional and maybe indulgent, but in the worst sense of the word. And isn't that interesting that we look at the word indulgent as something that is actually a negative thing? And we shouldn't, because when something's intentionally indulgent, it means it feels good and we can sink into it and there's real pleasure attached to it, and that's what I want these to be. So this is just the practice of choosing small, tangible moments of pleasure or purpose, and to begin teaching ourselves that these practices matter to our sanity, to our mental health, and they also matter deeply to our sense of self-worth. Because when we constantly deny ourselves pleasure, rest and joy, the message we can internalize is really subtle, but really powerful. And that's I come last. And most of us women are very familiar with that feeling. But as we step into this new chapter of life, I want to interrupt

Midlife, Pleasure, And Self-Worth

SPEAKER_00 5:10

that message and to create these intentional indulgences to teach us that joy does not have to be earned, and that celebration, even in a small way, can coexist with our regular responsibilities. And also that attending to ourself is not selfish, but it's stabilizing and really necessary. So each month I'll offer a few different ideas, and these are not a to-do list, and you don't have to do anything perfectly. Just choose one or two that feel nourishing to you and try to incorporate them into your life. This is a suggestion, but it's also a calling. Think of it as a practice of agency, a way of saying, I get to choose how I meet my days, I get to choose how I create my days, and I get to choose ultimately the life I envision for myself. And over time, these small choices add up to something so much bigger. A life that feels more intentional, more present, and hopefully more delicious. So if you're ready to start adding more intentional indulgences to your life, then stay right where you are, because you're not going to want to miss this. Welcome to this episode of Life is Delicious. I'm Marnie Martin, and I'm so glad you're here. And if this is your first time here, welcome to the Life is Delicious family. This podcast isn't about surviving midlife, it's about crafting your next chapter life, overflowing with purpose, joy, and delicious possibilities. Listen, midlife doesn't have to be a crisis. It can be a beautiful invitation to remember who we are, to rediscover a new version of ourselves, or to completely reinvent our life to reflect who we are becoming now. So if you're tired of being exhausted, living life on autopilot and putting everyone else first, then you are in the right place. Each week we'll bring you thought-provoking ideas and practical strategies as well as inspiration to help you prioritize yourself again. It's time to take back your join de viv. So grab a notebook and pen and pop in those earbuds and let's go get it. Before we get started, I just wanted to ask you a quick question. How many times this

Show Welcome And Mission

SPEAKER_00 7:30

week did you say yes to things that you really wanted to say no to? And how many times did you accommodate someone else's wishes so that they would stay comfortable? While in fact you were not. The reason I ask is because this has become a very common situation for women who overfunction, especially when we have a lot on our plate. So if you feel like you've been overfunctioning or people pleasing or maybe just doing more than you actually feel like you can do, happily, I've created something just for you. It's called the Five Day Midlife Boundary Reset. It's a five-day email program where we do some quick resets that help to rewire the fear of disappointing others, and it helps us stop disappointing ourselves. I invite you to come over to lifeisdelicious.ca forward slash boundaries, where you can sign up for free, and I'll send it right over. That's lifeisdelius.ca forward slash boundaries. Okay, back to the show. Welcome to March. Something's shifting. I don't know if you can feel it, but the light feels different, the air feels a bit softer, and even though there's

Boundary Reset Invitation

SPEAKER_00 8:40

still a little frost on the ground in certain places, something underneath is waking up. So today our intentional indulgences are all about stepping gently into that lighter space. And I have a few things to offer up for you, so hopefully one or a couple of these will resonate with you. And the most important thing is that these are not meant to add pressure to your life. The objective is pleasure and presence. So let's start with number one. This one I call the comfort drawer. And this one I read about in the Simple Abundance book years ago. And this one is all about creating something that allows you to have a tiny sanctuary. So it could be a bedside table, it could be in a bathroom vanity or a kitchen cabinet, or maybe in your office, in your desk. But I invite you to curate this drawer intentionally. It's not meant to be a junk drawer or a storage space. It's meant to hold things that bring you joy and allow you to have little tiny moments of indulgence, I guess. So in my comfort drawer, I have a beautiful hand cream that I love. I keep a box of my favorite tea. I have a

March Mood And Intentions

SPEAKER_00 9:50

really great lip balm in there, and I always have blank notebooks and pens. And usually I have a candle or two, which I bring out some evenings when I just need to get really zen with myself because I'm a candle girl all the way. And I also keep a little box. It's a wooden box that I've got years ago, and it's it's beautiful, and it has a little wooden lid that you lift. And I keep greeting cards in there, and I love, even though it seems really old school, I love to just get out a note card and write to a friend and mail it because it's the most unexpected surprise because nobody gets good mail anymore. So I love to do that. So that's one of my favorite things to do when I'm taking a moment. And this drawer just gets to become like a pause button, a place where you stop and maybe just take 20 minutes and write in your journal, or maybe you have a Sudoku book in there or a crossword book,

Indulgence 1: The Comfort Drawer

SPEAKER_00 10:45

or maybe you put a little drawer liner in there and add a really nice sachet of scent of lavender or something. So it should be a sensory experience and something that just brings you complete and utter joy. And when life feels a little bit heavy, you can just open that drawer and take a little bit of time for yourself. Number two is bring the spring indoors. And this is where if you don't have them already growing in your garden, I encourage you to go and get some daffodils or some little primroses, the early, early flowering bulbs and flowers so that you can put them somewhere, either at your front door or on your windowsill. It just brings some of the outside in and helps to brighten up those darker days. And March invites us to collaborate with nature anyway. One of the other fun things you can do is actually go to a like a garden shop and see if they have any pussy willows. And that could be something you can bring in and sort of force them in a nice vase, and it just adds a little pop of color and reminds you that spring is just around the corner. The other thing you could do is make a simple natural wreath for your front door. That could be fun as well. So this is all about creativity and finding ways to play a little bit in your everyday life. Now, one that you can do near the end of March is what I call the living Easter basket. And this one is really fun to do because Easter's in April, so you get it started in March, and then you have this beautiful table centerpiece. So it and then you just get some small potted herbs, maybe some bulbs like tulips or hyacinths, and then you get a seed packet with some grasses in it, and plant it and put it on your kitchen table, or gift it to somebody who needs a lift in early April. So the next one is, of course, one of the reasons I love March so much is because there's lots to celebrate. We've got St. Patrick's

Indulgence 2: Bring Spring Indoors

SPEAKER_00 12:40

Day, and I am a good Irish girl. So I love to make some green mashed potatoes. I'm not opposed to a good green beer. Maybe going out on St. Patrick's Day and celebrating with some friends and just making a fun afternoon of it. Wear your green and try not to get pinched. That's the most important thing. The other thing you can do is make a traditional Irish soda bread, and I'll set the recipe in the show notes for you for a really great bread that my mom used to make. And then we have the March Equinox. And this is really fun because this is when the equinox actually brings equal light and dark to our world and creates this beautiful balance and reminds us that we are seasonal beings and that from here forward we are going to appreciate more light than darkness. So I'd invite you to do this simple ritual on the equinox day, which is usually the 20th or 21st, light a candle. And then sit down with this question. What felt particularly heavy this winter? Physically, emotionally, or spiritually? Write it all down. And then the other question is what are you ready to invite in? What would you like to bloom more in your life as you step into this next season? Write that down as well. And then if you have the opportunity and the day allows for it, get outside and allow your feet to touch the earth. And just be in the sunlight for a few minutes if you can. And if you can't get outside, just stand by a window and give yourself five to ten minutes of gratitude for the light returning.

Living Easter Basket Idea

SPEAKER_00 14:25

What I love about this is that the equinox always reminds me that darkness is not permanent. So let's get ready to grow into this next season with grace and beauty and joy. This last one is called the Creative Excursion, and I have talked about this before, and this one is I hope that you will incorporate into your daily life all year long. But if you haven't heard of this before, because you're new to the podcast, a creative excursion is an invitation to take yourself somewhere you've never been before. And it's our signature indulgence for March. So this could be an afternoon or an evening, but the objective is not to be with your partner or your kids or a friend. This is just you time. And some of the things you could do is maybe take yourself to a thrift shop or go thrifting to a bunch of different stores in an afternoon and just see what little treasures you find. It could be maybe taking an evening and having a spa night where you do a facial and light a candle and have a hot bath, just you time, beautiful music, and time to recharge

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day

SPEAKER_00 15:35

your batteries. But it also could be maybe a gallery that you've never been to before, or a botanical garden, or maybe a new cafe you haven't been to yet, or maybe it's a great trail that you love to walk, and it's just getting your feet on the ground and listening to the rhythm of your own intuition. Or it could be a workshop or a lecture or taking yourself to a really good movie. It doesn't matter what you choose. Just bring your notebook along and take some notes about what feels great about this. And what catches your eye, and what part of you feels more awake and alive being out on this excursion. Because it's kind of like having a really great date with yourself. And at the beginning of

Equinox Reflection Ritual

SPEAKER_00 16:20

any really good relationship, the best thing we can offer someone is our time, our undivided attention. And that's what we need to learn to give back to ourselves. So there you have it. Those are my tips for March intentional indulgences. And I hope this is something you look forward to every month. So if this resonated with you, or you know somebody in your life who's actually needs an intentional indulgence in their own life, I would be honored if you would share this with them. You can even share your ideas after you've done it, because it's really fun to do this with a friend, even though you do it independently on your own. It's nice to be able to share it with the people that you love. I hope you enjoyed today's episode. I hope it inspired you or motivated you in some way to keep going and to create your very best life. If you did, would you take five quick minutes to leave me a review on Apple Podcasts? It's the best way for me to know that you are enjoying the show, and it helps other listeners find me as well. And while you're at it, head over to lifeisdelicious.ca and sign up for my email newsletter. It's like a warm hug from me every week. And not only will you get first access to new episodes, I've also put together a free five-day email experience called the Midlife Boundary Reset, where you'll get five days of insights, mindset shifts, and daily journal prompts to help you gently start choosing yourself again and create better boundaries without guilt, drama, or burning bridges. I've put the link in the show notes as well, and I think you're gonna love it. One last thing, if you know someone who would enjoy an episode like this, please do them a favor and share it with them. It's the best gift you can give someone that you love. If no one has told you today, there is no one on this planet that is exactly like you. And this world is a better place because you're here. So thank you for being here. I'll be back next week, and I hope you'll join me right here on Life is Delicious.