If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, STYLECASTER may receive an affiliate commission.

Valentine’s Day is one of those holidays that it’s best to gift yourself even if you’re partnered up. Sure, your S.O. might get you a necklace or new perfume but there’s nothing wrong with grabbing what you really want: Bath & Body Works’ Valentine’s Day goods. As usual, the retailer is going all out for the romantic holiday with fragrance mists, shower gel, body lotion, body cream, body wash, bath foam, lip scrub, hand soap and 3-wick candles in so many new fragrances. Phew! We told you it was a lot.

The collection is sugary sweet with scents like Champagne Cupcakes and Bubble Rosé. The packaging is seriously cute, as expected from Bath & Body Works, in shades of red, pink and gold. Pick up a few for yourself (you deserve a night of self-care!) and grab some for your friends, work wife and mom. There’s so much to choose from, with even more fragrances online than you can find in the store.

Shop a few of our favorites below and visit Bath & Body Works for the rest of the Valentine’s Day goodies.

Bath & Body Works.

Feel Loved 3-Wick Candle

With notes of fluffy cake, whipped vanilla frosting and pink sprinkles.

Bath & Body Works.

Bubbly Rosé Gentle Foaming Hand Soap

With notes of sparkling rosé, sweet blood orange and cranberry juice.

Bath & Body Works.

Bourbon Cologne

Get the man in your life (partner, dad, bestie, brother — you name it!) this new cologne with notes of white pepper, dark amber and Kentucky oak.

Bath & Body Works.

Bubbly Rosé 3-Wick Candle

With notes of sparkling rosé, sweet blood orange and cranberry juice.

Bath & Body Works.

Lip Ritual Trio Gift Set

This cute set includes My Favorite night balm, pink mint mentha lip tint and original mentha lip shine.

Bath & Body Works.

Bubbly Rosé Mason Single Wick Candle

With notes of sparkling rosé, sweet blood orange and cranberry juice.

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, STYLECASTER may receive an affiliate commission.

Valentine’s Day is one of those holidays that it’s best to gift yourself even if you’re partnered up. Sure, your S.O. might get you a necklace or new perfume but there’s nothing wrong with grabbing what you really want: Bath & Body Works’ Valentine’s Day goods. As usual, the retailer is going all out for the romantic holiday with fragrance mists, shower gel, body lotion, body cream, body wash, bath foam, lip scrub, hand soap and 3-wick candles in so many new fragrances. Phew! We told you it was a lot.

The collection is sugary sweet with scents like Champagne Cupcakes and Bubble Rosé. The packaging is seriously cute, as expected from Bath & Body Works, in shades of red, pink and gold. Pick up a few for yourself (you deserve a night of self-care!) and grab some for your friends, work wife and mom. There’s so much to choose from, with even more fragrances online than you can find in the store.

Shop a few of our favorites below and visit Bath & Body Works for the rest of the Valentine’s Day goodies.

Bath & Body Works.

Feel Loved 3-Wick Candle

With notes of fluffy cake, whipped vanilla frosting and pink sprinkles.

Bath & Body Works.

Bubbly Rosé Gentle Foaming Hand Soap

With notes of sparkling rosé, sweet blood orange and cranberry juice.

Bath & Body Works.

Bourbon Cologne

Get the man in your life (partner, dad, bestie, brother — you name it!) this new cologne with notes of white pepper, dark amber and Kentucky oak.

Bath & Body Works.

Bubbly Rosé 3-Wick Candle

With notes of sparkling rosé, sweet blood orange and cranberry juice.

Bath & Body Works.

Lip Ritual Trio Gift Set

This cute set includes My Favorite night balm, pink mint mentha lip tint and original mentha lip shine.

Bath & Body Works.

Bubbly Rosé Mason Single Wick Candle

With notes of sparkling rosé, sweet blood orange and cranberry juice.

I have been divorced for 15 years and in that time period I have had three two-year relationships and many dates. Relationship #1 ended in his unexpected death. #2 ended because he bored me into a coma, #3 was with a musician 13 years younger than me and we lived together for one of those years. While it was fun, it was also not sustainable.

Interestingly, in being single, my life has grown the richest it has ever been. My adult children are mostly functional and out of the house, I have numerous hobbies, and I have healed from marrying (yes marrying) dysfunctional men.

I married a punk rock guitarist, a Hells Angel, and finally, the abusive manic-depressive artist who refused to work and who I chose to have my children with. That’s enough for anyone.

Is Anyone Out There?

As I have gotten myself emotionally healthier, I have wondered if I could find and date someone normal – like an accountant. Certainly, I was not meeting anyone in the many hobbies I engage in or outdoor and social activities.

My last encounter was with the handyman I found to do some small house repairs. He was nice looking, had a ponytail(!) and liked to hike. While I was holding a fence board, he said, “You’re a really fun-loving and nice woman. Would you like to go to dinner sometime?”

He then countered with, “I live in Florida for half the year, so I don’t see my wife that often. We got married two years ago, then she got cancer, has gotten cranky, is no fun to be with, and won’t have sex. By the way, you have a great body.” This encounter made me rethink online dating.

The Online Meat Market Bar

I have had my daughter help me with my online profile. I have created profiles with my three single girlfriends over a glass of wine. I have posted a picture on a good day, just laughing, and engaging in my hobbies. I have been funny, honest, transparent, and followed best practices.

Despite all that, online dating feels like sitting in a crowded smoke-filled bar with a crappy band playing cover songs. Everyone is making eye contact, winking and smiling but never engaging. Also, I live in a very rural area so saying, “I love the outdoors!” is countered with photos of men in camouflage with a dead animal.

I did manage to date a fellow white-water paddler who worked for Microsoft. I broke up with him when he quit his job so he could go to more music festivals. (THERAPY HAS WORKED!).

So, What’s the Problem?

Querying my single girlfriends has yielded interesting results.

Location, Location, Location

None of us know any single men in our rural area – everyone appears to be married.

Many Men Seem Limited

They don’t read, get their news off of social media and drink a lot of soda.

They Want a Warm Body

Any body. Two farmers I dated wanted to get married after dating for six weeks. I will never get married ever again. My perfect relationship would be monogamy with two separate houses.

The Problem Is Me

When I was dating one of the farmers, who appeared stable, normal and functional, my sister told me, “You better hold onto him because, you know, you’re a bit odd and this opportunity won’t happen again.” A month later, I found teen girl porn on his iPad and discovered he owed his ex-wife about half a million dollars. Good-bye!

I have done the homework to mitigate my dysfunctions, which has resulted in being engaged with my life, and I don’t look to anyone to fix me. Most importantly, I’m not attracted to dangerous men. And, after a certain age, compromising just to be in a relationship does not feel right.

I don’t want to be anyone’s teddy bear or mother, and I certainly don’t want to take care of anyone as they physically or mentally deteriorate. I raised three difficult children by myself, managed a farm while working and caretook a severely mentally ill spouse and two aging parents. I’m done.

“Don’t you at least want to be married so we can take care of each other as we age?” asked one suitor. “NO! You better have enough money for a nurse cause I’m not doing that, and I don’t expect anyone to do it for me.” I replied.

Kissing Frogs

Occasionally, very occasionally, like when I want a date for a wedding invite, I muse about finding someone, wondering if I will ever have sex again before I die, and if I really want to have sex again. Yet, if a physically and mentally healthy man showed up with a bottle of wine, the New York Times, and hiking boots, I would consider it, but right now, the only person who fits that bill is the Amazon delivery driver.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Have you been on and off dating, with terrible experience to show? What kind of man would feel good to date at this time in your life? If you have to make a compromise with yourself in order to date a man, would you?

There’s a cultural shift taking place right before our eyes. The generation that created consumerism is now embracing the idea of choosing to live with less… much less!

For years, baby boomers’ big wallets and significant disposable income allowed them to buy big houses, fill them up with lots of beautiful stuff, then to buy even bigger houses, and fill them up with even more stuff… and so it continued.

But as we’ve gotten older and a little wiser, and as we enter a new phase of our lives, many baby boomers are adopting minimalism as a lifestyle choice because they’ve discovered that less can really mean more.

Less stuff, more freedom. More freedom, more life. Less clutter, simpler life. Simpler life, more happiness.

When you hear the word minimalism, you might naturally think of millennials, not baby boomers.

But a fast-growing trend within the baby boomer generation is to learn how to live abundantly with less… a lot less.

While the minimalist lifestyle spans across many generations, it is a relatively new concept to baby boomers, who, for years, adopted a consumer lifestyle of “bigger, better, more.”

We Have Learned

Many of us have learned a little bit about minimalism from our own adult children, who are extremely selective about what they allow into their homes and their lives. We may have even experienced a resounding “no” when we offered them some of our stuff as we decluttered our basements and attics. 

Perhaps turned off by growing up in homes with an overabundance of stuff, the younger generations have clearly identified what they deem essential, and they also have the courage and willpower to say “no” to what’s not necessary or useful. 

Our generation is finally starting to realize that having excessive amounts of stuff not only creates clutter, disorder, and chaos in our homes and in our lives, but that stuff can also feel empty and meaningless. Many boomers have started to realize that when they intentionally remove the excess and unnecessary stuff, they free up time, money, and energy to focus on what matters most to them.

The days of spending so much of our time, money, and energy on accumulating “more” seems to be dissipating. Instead, we are beginning to discover what our kids knew all along… LESS IS MORE!

5 Key Factors Contributing to the Cultural Shift to Living with Less

The Decluttering Movement

Marie Kondo’s book and Netflix show, Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, has had a major influence on people of all ages to live with less, and to embrace minimalism. In her book, Kondo encourages us to remove anything from our home that doesn’t spark joy.

The Pandemic

The Covid lockdown challenged baby boomers to rethink their priorities. Many were forced out of their jobs, while others opted for early retirement. 

In an effort to make their savings last longer, many baby boomers decided to declutter their large homes, downsize, and move to smaller homes to reduce expenses and live a simpler, more fulfilling life.

Aging and Mortality 

The pandemic also forced us to face our own mortality. Realizing that they were much happier not working, many baby boomers discovered new ways to live their best life right now while they still could. 

Many chose to sell their big homes, downsize so they could live closer to their children and grandchildren. They chose meaningful experiences with their family and loved ones over the big house and the big mortgage.

Life Circumstances

When our lives change, so must we change and adapt.

Divorce, death of a spouse, caregiving, and declining health are just a few situations we are faced with in our daily lives. 

By choosing to sell the family, homestead, declutter, and downsize to a smaller, more affordable and manageable home is often what’s necessary to restore some semblance of calm in stressful life changing situations.

Lifestyle Choice

Many boomers are just plain tired of the mental, physical, and financial burden of their once-beloved large homes and properties. 

They are ready to let go of much of the stuff that weighs them down and prevents them from living the life they really want… a lifestyle that provides more mobility, flexibility, and a lot less responsibility.

They can then choose to spend their time on what matters most to them: their relationships, experiences, health, and passions that light them up.

Fortunately, it’s not too late. 

We’ve Learned Much from Our Life Experiences

• More stuff doesn’t make us happier.
• Too much stuff gets in the way of the more fulfilling life we could be living.
• Stuff is just stuff and it’s no longer as important to us as it once was.

An overabundance of stuff causes clutter and clutter comes with a cost to our health, well-being, and overall happiness… a cost, that at this stage of our lives, we cannot afford to pay. 

Knowing that we have fewer years ahead of us than we do behind us, it’s not at all surprising that we want to:

• MAXIMIZE our life experiences, and 
• MINIMIZE our excess clutter.

The trend towards minimalism, to travel light, and to pare down our possessions to only what we need, love, and will use is the natural offshoot of the wisdom gained from years of overindulging and overspending.

Settle for LESS

It’s only natural that we want to settle for less in our third act.… not less life, just less stuff so we can focus on what matters most. 

The cultural shift and trend towards minimalism for boomers is an example of our shifting values as we age and how we are choosing to spend our time, money, energy, and resources.

At one point in our lives, we likely chose to buy more because it gave us pleasure, and we enjoyed it… the big house, the beautiful designer furniture, and the dinner table. 

But at some point, perhaps not too long ago, we acknowledged that all of that stuff was just stuff. 

It felt empty. It felt superficial.

The never-ending desire for “more” robbed us of precious time and resources. 

The vicious cycle of buying “more” promised happiness, but never really fulfilled on that promise.

As a baby boomer myself who has decluttered and downsized and who now and speaks nationally on the impact of living with less, I’m not at all surprised that baby boomers are embracing the freedom of less. 

It’s our third act, and by choosing to say goodbye to the emptiness of material possessions, we are saying hello to a richer, more abundant life.

We are going from a life full of stuff to a life filled with meaning.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Have you downsized? How did you feel afterwards? Do you think you have lived a life of consumerism? Is minimalism your new lifestyle?

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, STYLECASTER may receive an affiliate commission.

Valentine’s Day is one of those holidays that it’s best to gift yourself even if you’re partnered up. Sure, your S.O. might get you a necklace or new perfume but there’s nothing wrong with grabbing what you really want: Bath & Body Works’ Valentine’s Day goods. As usual, the retailer is going all out for the romantic holiday with fragrance mists, shower gel, body lotion, body cream, body wash, bath foam, lip scrub, hand soap and 3-wick candles in so many new fragrances. Phew! We told you it was a lot.

The collection is sugary sweet with scents like Champagne Cupcakes and Bubble Rosé. The packaging is seriously cute, as expected from Bath & Body Works, in shades of red, pink and gold. Pick up a few for yourself (you deserve a night of self-care!) and grab some for your friends, work wife and mom. There’s so much to choose from, with even more fragrances online than you can find in the store.

Shop a few of our favorites below and visit Bath & Body Works for the rest of the Valentine’s Day goodies.

Bath & Body Works.

Feel Loved 3-Wick Candle

With notes of fluffy cake, whipped vanilla frosting and pink sprinkles.

Bath & Body Works.

Bubbly Rosé Gentle Foaming Hand Soap

With notes of sparkling rosé, sweet blood orange and cranberry juice.

Bath & Body Works.

Bourbon Cologne

Get the man in your life (partner, dad, bestie, brother — you name it!) this new cologne with notes of white pepper, dark amber and Kentucky oak.

Bath & Body Works.

Bubbly Rosé 3-Wick Candle

With notes of sparkling rosé, sweet blood orange and cranberry juice.

Bath & Body Works.

Lip Ritual Trio Gift Set

This cute set includes My Favorite night balm, pink mint mentha lip tint and original mentha lip shine.

Bath & Body Works.

Bubbly Rosé Mason Single Wick Candle

With notes of sparkling rosé, sweet blood orange and cranberry juice.