i’ve come to love the winter season. it’s the calm before the busyness of spring. it’s a time to relax & cozy up by the fire with a cup of tea. of course, the novelty of the winter season can sometimes wear off before the days grow warmer & longer.
that’s why i thought i’d share with you a list of ways to erase those winter blues.
1. bring nature in. purchase a bouquet of fresh flowers from the grocery store. a fun activity we love to do is force bulbs inside. paperwhites are my favorite.
2. bake something. i love nothing more than spending time in the kitchen dirtying up bowls with ingredients such as flour, melted butter, brown sugar, & chocolate chips oh my! it’s good for the soul, my friend.
3. plan an elaborate meal & invite friends over to feast. the oven will warm up your home & conversation will warm your heart. play a board game, too. we are settlers of catan addicts!
4. learn a new hobby. around this time each year, i make a quilt. it’s refreshing to see all of that color as i sew. dig into that stack of books you’ve been dying to read or take a pottery class. embrace your time indoors with interesting activities.
5. eat well! eat color! it just makes sense. eating good food will help you fight off those winter blues & make you feel better from the inside out! decorate your plate with colorful foods like greens, carrots, red cabbage & more. slowly savor your meals. set the table & light candles. you’re sure to feel better once you’ve taken your last bite.
how do you fight the winter blues? please share!
love,
natalie
this weekend we visited our college town for our annual tradition of attending the t/f documentary film festival. it was a whirlwind of fun all packed into a little less than three days. we stayed with our dear friends who always open up their doors for us so i knew a little hostess gift was in order.
i keep a small woven bag in our guest room closet full of small gifts i find here & there. i pulled out a mrs. meyers lavender candle (i buy them every time they’re on sale) from my stash & filled up a carton with eggs from our girls.
just a handful of small gifts from the heart wrapped in color. i removed the label from the egg carton & taped a bright yellow card stock on top with washi tape. i used some tags i made not too long ago & placed just so with ribbon made from strips of vintage fabric.
what are some other inexpensive gift ideas that you regularly gift to others?
love,
natalie
p.s. if you’re looking for other gift ideas, visit my homemaking tab for more ideas!
one year ago today my papa passed on.
in this year, my brother has had papa’s first great grandchild, oliver. oliver is named after his papa. oh, the light oliver has brought this year. little oliver has brightened my nanny’s days more than he will ever know.
in this year, we also bought our farm. papa & nanny used to grow a large garden in their backyard. they would bring us plastic bags full of the biggest tomatoes i have ever seen. i remember when luke & i showed papa & nanny our home garden. i’ve never seen him more proud of us & our accomplishments. i know he would love our farm.
i still mourn the loss of my papa & his presence in our lives. a loving man who knew how to paint & make furniture from scratch. he was such a stubborn man (i get that from him) & i loved how he called me “sweetie.”
i sometimes feel his presence in the backseat of my car when i am driving alone on our dirt road toward home. i am confident he is still with us sharing in the daily gain & loss of life.
papa, you are loved. we miss you today & always.
love,
natalie