Little Indulgences. Cynthia MacGregor

you can entertain at parties, volunteer to visit hospitalized kids, cheer up the residents at nursing homes, and bring happiness wherever you go in your costume—whether it's a do-good effort, a paid performance, or just for fun.

      Buy a single carnation (or rose, or other flower) and place it in a bud vase in the center of your dining room table (or in some other location in your home where you'll see it often).

       Start a house-decorating scrapbook—cut out pictures from magazines that inspire you and fantasize about your perfect home.

      Wash your hair, and take the time to give yourself a thorough scalp massage while you wash it. Better yet, get a friend to do it for you.

      Go out in the backyard and throw a Frisbee.

      Buy yourself some expensive chocolates from an upscale candy shop—where you can pick exactly what you want. (No more, “Ugh . . . raspberry!” when you're looking for butter cream!)

      Throw a tea party and ask each person to bring two of their favorite herbs or spices. Then have everyone create exotic, new tea blends from all the different ingredients offered.

      Do an Internet search to find a childhood friend you've lost touch with.

       Take a small child to the petting zoo. You pet and feed the animals, too.

      Write down or record the story of a pet you had as a child. If you didn't have a real pet, did you have an imaginary one? If you didn't have an imaginary one then, would you like one now?

       Buy yourself half a dozen plants for your house, including at least a couple of plants that flower or have colorful leaves.

      This morning, fix your hair and makeup extra-nice, as if you were going out somewhere special, even though it's just an ordinary day. Now, take a good, long look at yourself in the mirror. It doesn't feel like just an ordinary day anymore, does it?

      Hire a window-washer and get your windows sparkling.

       Set aside a Sunday morning to cook and freeze a week's worth of dinners. (Choose recipes for foods that freeze well.) Now you'll have a “night off” from cooking every day for the next week—or for any seven days, not necessarily consecutive, that you choose.

       Rent a horse from a local stable for an hour's trail ride.

      Give some time to a charitable or other do-good effort. Be a “Big Sister,” teach an adult to read, or simply stuff envelopes for a fund-raising drive for the local library or homeless shelter. By doing good for others, you'll feel great about yourself!

      Start an herb-garden outdoors or on your windowsill.

      Deep condition your hair.

      Your Mysterious Admirer

      If you're single, order a bouquet of flowers sent to yourself at work—or even one bouquet every other day for a week. When your co-workers ask who the bouquet was from, you can answer (in all honesty), “There was no card.” Let them wonder who cares about you enough to send you flowers. Let them speculate on your Mysterious Admirer. Let them see you in a whole new light.

      Dig out your old photo albums and just reminisce alone, with your special someone, with your mom, or with your best friend.

      Buy a big, floppy men's shirt to wear yourself.

      Go to a karaoke bar and sing!

      If you don't have a regular cleaning person, hire a housecleaning service to come in and thoroughly clean your home.

       After washing your hair, dry it in the sunshine.

       Host a Christmas-in-July party. Get folks to bring gifts for homeless children.

      Write yourself coupons for special treats—a shopping spree, a milkshake, a new blouse.

      Take singing lessons.