January musings
January is that time of the year when we do all those little things around the house that we usually don’t have time for. We clean, we try new recipes, we organize things and also plan our trips for the warmer weather. All is calm and peaceful. We enjoy the snow when we have it and we stay inside when it’s freezing cold and nothing fun to do outside. We embrace whatever this cold season may bring and we stay home, making plans for spring but also for the future. Because all this calm seems like a good opportunity for reflections, for doing more of what makes us happy, setting the tone for this year, letting our inner spirit guide us to whatever we want to accomplish or change in our lives. From setting a new morning ritual to adding a purpose to our work.
I’ve seen a lot of articles on how to live a minimalist and mindful life at the beginning of this year. I’ve never been attracted by this type of reads though. I actually find it hilarious when people suggest you should throw away half of your possessions to live a better, decluttered life. It’s not about following a trend, it’s about finding your own path. What makes us happy and connected to who we truly are. What enlightens our soul and makes our days beautiful. Maybe that is receiving your favorite magazine in your postbox on a Monday morning, planting tomatoes on your balcony, buying a canvas and starting painting or trying a cardamom chai latte for the first time and setting a new self-care routine.
So no pressured resolutions around here. We all have goals and dreams of course, but we have to be realistic as there are also days when life is anything but slow around here, when we just give up our morning ritual and decide to stay in bed until late. We all aim of doing more of what we want and like, but we can’t do or change everything at once, so we’re taking tiny steps into accomplishing our goals. We might be minimalistic but still leave with two vintage plates from a flea market after a rough day. And that’s fine, right?
Between all these musings, there are a few things that give us that hygge vibe and inspire us in the grey and cold January days.
Taking a little time to do the things that feed our souls. That’s the recipe that we have been following in the past two years and it works so well. We are living our happiest days. Of course we are no experts, but we just think that adding things that make us pleasure to our daily to-do list might help in slowing down the whole routine, helpings us to do a little something that we enjoy everyday. From fresh flowers to a breakfast in bed, dinner with friends or a ceramic class for kids. Here are some ideas of things that could feed your soul when the sky is covered with a blanket of clouds for days in a row: - trying a new afternoon drink that is not coffee (the morning espresso is a sacred ritual in here, so we are not even bringing that suject up). There is a recipe for a warm spiced turmeric latte on A better happier St. Sebastian that I really loved. And I also tried the cardamon chai latte. Delicious!
- Starting a dinner club. I had this one in mind for a while but never knew where and how to start. And then Meghan from The fresh exchange , who I’ve been following for years, shared some tips in her newsletter. On how to get this started in the most simple way possible. No fancy table settings, just a cosy gathering with friends, where the host sets the theme and prepares the main dish and the guests bring other snacks or side dishes. Or just a good wine for a beautiful evening with friends! This idea of a relaxed gathering is also developed in “The wabi-sabi welcome” and you are interested in this subject I highly recommend reading it!
- Pinning and scrolling through beautiful photos is everyones pleasure on a rainy and grey day, right?! My artist to follow lately is Marieke Verdenius , because of the minimalistic style and because all her photos inspire so much calm and pure beauty.
- We are in the stage of coconut in our lives (if that even exists, but anyway) so a triple coconut bread has been our go-to recipe in most of the weekend mornings. Recipe from Occasionally eggs .
- The cooking playlist put together by the amazing folks at Table Magazine . Playing music while cooking a weekdays dinner is one of out favorite things to do.