leaning into the cozy winter vibes
aka ways to say sane when it's grey 24/7
These are some of my current favorite rituals and thngs tht help fend off the seasonal depression and cabin fever.
Reading
𓇼 Getting Things Done by David Allen
My partner Justin has been evangelizing the book Getting Things Done for weeks. He finally wore me down and the other day I started reading it. My understanding of this book going into it was that it was another “optimizing productivity” style books to squeeze every ounce of your energy into being productive. I resist anything I percieve to be mcmindfulness style corporate-y jargon written by a white guy who seems patronizing. My perception of the book was….not acurate. It’s ACTUALLY about creating organizational systems for things you want to work on with the intention of getting them out of the anxious thought loop in your head and into a system that will remove the constant thought - what should I be working on? The system is created so you don’t have to use your mental energy on cataloging your ideas and instead creates a way to track and organize things into actionable steps that make it easier to actually do things. In the age of constant distractions, it’s definitely appealing to have a way that’s much easier to process information and help me focus. Unfortuantely, the rumors are true and this book is worth the hype. It’s definitely longer than it needs to be. I watched a 15 minute YouTube summary on it before reading it which actually convinced me to finally read it. I am now on chapter four and getting excited about building my new organizational systems. I’ll report back if this ends up changing my life for the better. 🤓
Playing
I created this January playlist that captures the chill, sleepy and cozy vibes of this chilly month. You can listen to it on Spotify.
Obsessing
I recently picked up a box of Rishi turmeric ginger tea and it has been a delight in my life ever since. I love the box design, I love that the bags are compostable, and I love the taste. It’s the perfect herbal tea you can drink all day. I will be purchasing the loose leaf version soon!
I started a new journal for 2024 and have been enjoying doodling ideas for ceramic projects, copying down my favorite poems and writing lists of my goals for the year. I love that brand new notebook feeling!! My go to is Leuchtturm with dotted and numbered pages. The index and numbered pages make it easy to organize your notebook and find what page you wrote down something brilliant.
Eating
𓇼 Tea time with homemade lemon bars and dried cherries at Object Studio while Mollie takes apart and cleans my sewing machine
𓇼 Homemade French Onion soup ~ hot tip: wear glasses when slicing 3lbs of onions to save your poor watery eyes
𓇼 Homemade Meatballs ~ Recipe via Smitten Kitchen
Recommending
𓇼 Cardigan no 7 knitting pattern
𓇼 Rosemary Gladstar’s Honey Onion Immunity Syrup
𓇼 Getting bundled up and going for a winter walk
I worked on this at the monthly knitting circle that I host at my studio. I am nearly done with the raglan increases! I’d love to spend some time today listening to an audiobook and knitting with a cup of tea.
I read about this recipe on the Everyday Oil blog. Their email newsletter is a delight and I have been a dedicated user of Everyday Oil for years. I made this syrup and added a few cloves of garlic as well. I plan on eating a spoonful of this a few times a week.
I have been very conscious of boosting my immunity while working at my shop the past few months. I’ve been taking a vitamin C supplement, using bee propolis mouth spray and Covixyl or Betadine nasal spray (this creates a barrier to reduce virus absorption through your nose). I also got COVID and flu shot at CVS.
It feels so peaceful with the freshly fallen snow and the quiet of winter. I love to get bundled up and go for a winter walk. I purchased this long shearling coat secondhand in Montreal in 2022 and it’s EXTREMELY warm. I also like to wear the wool balaclava I knit for myself, heat tech gloves and socks and my fleece lined weatherproof Rometty Boots (I got these secondhand on eBay).
Treating
Zingerman’s chocolate babka
Infrared sauna with my love
I picked up a loaf of chocolate babka from Zingerman’s in Ann Arbor last Thursday to share with my friends at the knitting circle. I had never had their babka before and it was very tasty. Highly recommend! I’d like to make this at home sometime.
It was Justin’s birthday on Saturday and I unexpectedly had some available time after closing the shop due to the blizzard. We live within walking distance of Meta Physica Wellness, so I grabbed the last available appointment of the day and we walked over there and enjoyed a blissful hour of infared sauna. Finnish style saunas are my favorite, but this one is so close to home that I can’t complain! Saunas truly are a balm for the soul during the winter. I dream of having a backyard sauna in my future home.
What have you been loving lately? What are your winter self care rituals?