Today I’m linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy and a bunch of other bloggers, sharing a list of things that are saving my life right now. Winter in Wisconsin is long, bitter cold, and pretty dreary. When I heard about this link up challenge earlier in the week I knew I definitely wanted to participate with my own list.
So in no particular order, here are all the random little things that are saving my life right now!
1. My Cozy Reading Corner
As you can tell from a huge portion of my instagram pictures, I’m obsessed with this beautiful space in my house. I selfishly created it entirely for myself. It’s the one nook of the house that is almost always clean and tidy. It’s welcoming, it’s comfortable, it’s decorated in my favorite colors with lots of candles and twinkle lights. It’s my favorite place to read and chill out when I need some self care.
2. My Space Heater
It’s been COLD this winter. And it costs a lot to truly heat an old house. And we were without a working furnace for two and a half days in subzero temps a few weeks ago. My space heater that I literally carry with me from room to room has been a lifesaver!
3. Books
Books are the love of my life. 🙂 I love to actually read, obviously. But I also love to read ABOUT books. I love Tuesdays when I can check out all the newly released books. I love listening to podcasts about books. I love going to bookstores and just browsing through them. I love collecting the huge amount of book emails I get, saving them for a day when I know I need a break from life and can just hunt through each email, adding more and more books to my To Be Read lists. Books are the best.
4. Annie
She’s about the best companion a girl could ask for! I love having her present with me all day long. It warms my heart when I realize she’s in the same room as me about 99% of the time. She’s not super needy, she’s not super cuddly, but she wants to be near me at all times and it makes me happy. It’s because of her that I also spend WAY more time outside and enjoying fresh air more than I ever have before.
5. Nap Time
I’m only slightly ashamed to admit that I take a nap probably six out of seven days a week. To be fair, I usually wake up around 4:30 and often start working at 5am. By noon my brain is pretty much shot. I thought that becoming a coffee drinker would eliminate this problem, but I still find myself pretty tired. By evening when I need to be my best self for my family, I’m often a nightmare to live with. So I’m starting to view my naps as a blessing and essential part of my life if I want to be happy and whole. My cats LOVE their daily cuddle time with me and it forces me to actually take a break from everything every afternoon.
6. Bullet Journaling
I promise not to become one of those insane bullet journalers that only want to talk about bullet journaling. But it’s so exciting to me to finally find a system that legitimately works for me. I’ve tried so many planners over the years, trying to find some sort of balance between paper and digital. Bullet journaling has become my answer. It’s also become an awesome little creative outlet that I spend 5-10 minutes working on every morning and night. It’s given me a way to journal again, without spending too much time on it and hurting my hand. It’s also given me an excuse to buy stickers for the first time in 25 years. 🙂
7. Chapstick, Lip Balms, and More
I’ve been obsessed with chapsticks for as long as I can remember. I’m ALWAYS on the lookout for new brands and flavors. I seriously check out the lip balm section of every store I go into, always. I have seven different kinds on my computer desk right now. I have five different kinds on my writing desk. I have two in my purse. I have an entire drawer full in my bedroom. They’re useful and effective, but they’re also a fun little splurge of beauty goodness that rarely costs more than a few dollars. I couldn’t live without them.
8. Weekly Date Night
We’re very fortunate that our kids have all their grandparents living within 20 minutes of us. Greg’s parents take the boys for an evening almost every single week. More often than not, Greg and I just stay home, eat together, and then split to do our own things or watch tv together. It’s usually not terribly exciting, but it’s something I count on and look forward to every week. A night to make something for dinner that I know nobody is going to complain about. A night to actually talk to Greg and not be interrupted a million times. And sometimes an actual date out of the house on a weekday for no reason at all. It’s fantastic and something that I know not many people are fortunate enough to have.
9. Podcasts
Podcasts make every mundane task SO much more bearable. Laundry, cooking, dishes, showers, walking, long drives, sitting at the sewing machine. I had no idea what I was missing out on until I joined the podcasting world a year and a half ago. Now I really don’t know what I’d do without that form of entertainment.
10. Self Care
I am all about the self care movement right now. I firmly believe that if I take better care of myself I am going to be much more equipped to take care of those around me. I love looking at self care from a mental perspective, but in the last few weeks I’ve been experimenting with some physical things too. 30 straight days of yoga, new skincare routines, an evening bath, etc. It’s FUN to take care of yourself. And it’s not selfish or self indulgent. It’s essential and completely worthwhile.
11. Chipotle Bowls
So once a week I have a big errand day in Madison. I try to do all of my out of town shopping in one day so I’m not wasting time multiple times a week. But going to store after store takes a lot of time and energy. I’m usually STARVING and fell into the habit of getting fast food that I’d scarf down on my drive home every week. But then I discovered just how good Chipotle Bowls are (versus hard shell tacos, which I’ve always gotten in the past, but clearly do not travel well!). I’m not sure I could argue a bowl from Chipotle is any healthier than fast food, but it feels like it is! It also teaches me a little discipline to shop as quickly as possible (sticking to my list!!) and then wait until I actually get home and put groceries away before I can sit down and truly enjoy and appreciate a well earned lunch.
I’d love to hear what’s saving your life right now!
Podcasts, books and dogs. This is chicken soup for my heart! Here are my musings: https://reachingwhilerooted.com/2018/02/03/the-things-saving-my-life-right-now/ We are in Indiana, so yay for the Midwest and our lovely frigid winters!