Greetings from day 231 of this week! Seriously, if you’re anywhere in the Midwest, I raise my hand in solidarity with all the parents who’ve been trapped in their homes with their children for 75 weeks of snow and cold and ice days. Winter has been less than kind to us in the middle of the country and if you’re not thinking about moving to Florida after a week like this, I want to know your secret! But the small silver lining is that today marks the halfway point of winter and that means that hope is on the horizon (behind all the snowplows and frostbite).
To celebrate making it halfway through this season of dark and cold, I’m joining up with others over at Modern Mrs. Darcy to share a list of things that are saving my life right now. From the silly to the profound, these small things are making life a little bit easier and sweeter as I wait for the warmer days of spring.
Related Post: What’s Saving My Life Right Now (2018)
What’s Saving My Life
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Bullet Journal + Quality Supplies
I love the freedom of being self-employed but sometimes the freedom can be a little bit overwhelming. I’ve done bullet journalling in the past but a few months ago, I recommitted to trying this uber-popular method of productivity/planning. And unlike past attempts, this time as been much more successful. The difference? I bought the good supplies. Instead of “making do” with the ratty notebook left over from my kid’s school project and a couple of pens dug out of the scary junk drawer, I intentionally purchased good materials.
I’m not 100% consistent, but having a place to keep all my thinking organized has been so life-giving. Not sure where to start? I love these ideas about making bullet journaling work for you, from Kendra of the The Lazy Genius Collective. And these are some of my favorite supplies right now. I’m using this journal, which is designed specifically for bullet journaling. These pens and these markers are my favorite for not bleeding through and offering lots of fun color choices. And I grabbed this set of stencils which makes me feel super artistic without having any actual talent. By far my favorite BuJo supply.
British TV
I blame The Great British Baking Show as my gateway drug into the world of delightful British reality shows. Netflix has had a plethora of them recently and I love having an episode or two waiting for me after watching something intense. Unlike lots of US reality TV and its drama-focused production, most of these shows are a nice escape that leave me feeling like I should lift my pinky while drinking my cup of tea. If you haven’t wandered down the rabbit hole of this sub-genre, I highly recommend it as the comfort food of winter TV watching!
Some favorite British TV on Netflix
- World’s Most Extraordinary Homes
- The Great Design Challenge
- Escape to the Continent
- Grand Designs
- Final Table – not British, but an international cooking competition make me feel cosmopolitan!
- Salt Fat Acid Heat – also not British, but a delight nonetheless.
Pineappling
Here’s the deal, true confession time…I hate to wake up early to get a shower in the morning. If I can, I prefer to shower every couple of days (go ahead and judge) and use that extra time for fun things like sleeping! The problem is that my hair doesn’t look very good if I don’t shower/blow dry/add product, etc. A few months ago I came across the idea of pineappling, which basically is a way of wearing your hair to bed that keeps it looking awesome for a few days.
You pile your hair on top of your head and secure loosely with a scrunchy or ponytail holder. I’ve done this when my hair is curly and when it’s straight and it works both ways. My hair has lots of volume at the roots and no greasy build-up on my scalp. Even though my hair is barely to my shoulders it still works (just leave your under layer down, it will get covered up when you take your pineapple down. So, if you’re a shower shirker like me, this might just change your life.
Heater Holder Socks
If you get cold feet, you need to stop what you’re doing right now and order a pair of these life-changing socks. They are by far the warmest socks I’ve ever owned and during our recent bout with the Polar Vortex, they did not come off my feet, which stayed nice and toasty the whole day. They’re thick so they don’t fit inside of boots or shoes very well but I’ve almost replaced my slippers with them because they keep my feet so much warmer. It looks like they also make a thin version (plus hats and gloves) so excuse my while I got and fill my cart with the warmth of a thousand puppies!!!
My Dog
In July we welcomed our beagle puppy home and while I won’t lie and tell you it’s been easy (she’s by far been the hardest ‘baby’), Maizy is also saving my life these days because she requires me to get out and walk most days. The fresh air, even when it’s cold, always makes me feel better and I don’t have an excuse to skip that outside time when there’s a little puppy barking at me. I also credit her for helping us meet more neighbors in our new house and for teaching our whole family a new level of responsibility. So yes, it’s sappy, but out sweet pup is actually one of the things that saving our lives right now.
Daily Contemplation Email
I’m really enjoying the work of Fr. Richard Rohr from the Center for Action and Contemplation. His meditative emails offer thoughtful ways to reflect on my faith and his words always seem to be timely. I appreciate his progressive view of faith and inclusive language and have found lots of comfort in someone articulating my own beliefs so well. Whether you come from a Christian tradition or not, if you enjoy spiritual contemplation, I highly recommend signing up for the free daily emails.
So, what’s been saving your life this winter? What are your favorites that make this long cold season a little bit easier? I want to hear about your favorite winter survival tool (or great British TV suggestions)!
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