False spring gets me every year. The sun pops out for a week or two mid-January and I will whole-heartedly believe this is the lucky year spring has arrived early. My naivety makes for a great couple sunny weeks, but the gloom when winter returns is rough. Over the years I’ve started finding small, non-clutter ways to add some cozy to our home during the winter.
I try to keep fresh flowers in the kitchen. Nothing fancy, just a plain-jane store bought bouquet to brighten my mood for a couple weeks. It costs less than a coffee run, and is oh so worth it. If you’re only going to do one thing, this is the one I recommend the most.
The sun going down before dinner drives me insane. To make it seem like a perk instead of a problem, I keep a candle on the dining room table. When the sun is setting early, it’s nice to have a flickering flame during the evening. Again, this doesn’t have to be anything expensive to add joy. I bought the candle holder from a local thrift shop and the candle was the cheapest non-toxic one I could find. Together, they were less than seven dollars, and can easily be tucked away when true spring and sunny evenings return.
In the spring and summer it’s easy for me to come up with ideas to do; play outside, go to the park, ride our bikes, work in the garden, go out for ice cream, go swimming, etc. In the winter all my creativity flees with the sun and I tend to glare out the window at the clouds. To combat this, I try to keep cozy activities out for my family and friends to do. Instead of decor, our coffee table holds a quadruple shut the box game – another local thrift store gem. An oversized puzzle board moves from the table to the couch, and we’re going through puzzles faster than I can keep up. A friend introduced a new tradition to our family and we now write the date of completion on the last placed puzzle piece, everyone looks forward to it. I keep my kindle charged and by my bed to read a quick chapter here and there.
These inexpensive, simple changes have brought a lot of joy to my winter days, and can be replicated in any home.
Disclaimer/Reality Check: I once gifted a woman I knew a bouquet only to be met with a catty comment about “cheap grocery store flowers”. While taste preferences exist, I don’t think a higher price tag necessarily means more joy. In fact, I think a higher price often makes expectations soar and therefore joy diminish. Don’t be that woman, no one truly likes her. This column will be about motherhood, parenting, and homemaking for the most part. It can be funny things my kids have said or a serious discussion on children’s safety in online spaces. Most importantly, I don’t ever want this column to make another mama think she’s not doing enough. If you’re reading this, I want you to know that you are, you’re doing great, keep it up. Sing it with me: no-one is doing it allllll!
