Monthly Musings & Thankful Thursday
2. Fighting the winter blues- See above. I feel fortunate that I don’t get the winter blues.
3. Making a living space cozy- Having numerous throw blankets, using the fireplace, soft light from lamps, etc
4. Fun wintertime activities- I enjoy baking in the winter. We tend to do more indoor events like concerts at smaller venues in the winter.
A miss from last weekend, but make them pretty!
5. Exercise routines- my exercise routine is pretty similar in the winter as it is in the other seasons. I enjoy exercising outdoors and I do that so long as the sidewalks are not icy. Extremely cold temperatures (if the temp is in the negatives), thunderstorms, and ice being on the sidewalk are the only conditions under which I will run on the treadmill, usually. (Though occasionally the treadmill sounds more appealing.)
6. Goodness, I wish I had some! My sleep is hit or miss. Lately, I have been sleeping really well but there’s no rhyme or reason to it that I can discern.
7. Favorite warm beverage- I’m in the minority of people who don’t like coffee so that is never a warm beverage that I drink. Instead, I drink warm tea. I wake up with a caffeinated blend and then drink herbal (if I’m going to drink any more tea that day)
Some tea bags from my tea bag/ tip/ cupcake liner drawer in the kitchen
The girls like this as do I- I made some tea for Alyssa when she had a cold recently.
8. Best winter skincare tips- I don’t really do anything different in the winter than in any other month- moisturize dry skin and the face. I know that I drink more water in the winter due to the dry heat. Even with a whole house humidifier, I wake up super parched and I’m guessing it’s due to the dry heat. I drink a big glass of water when I wake up and then usually another one almost right away. I know that drinking water is good for the skin. One of my friends says that she can tell a difference in her skin when she drinks more water. I can’t say that I can tell a difference. All I know is that I drink a lot of water in the winter. Hopefully that is doing my skin some good (as well as quenching my thirst!).
9. Flannel Sheets- None of us have flannel sheets on our beds. I have considered buying some but my linen closets are overflowing with extra sheets, blankets, towels, etc. I cannot in good conscious and/ or without more closet space purchase sheets that we don't need. No matter how much I want to!
10. Favorite winter PJ's- my warmest PJ's are probably my favorite. I bought these a couple of years ago at Vineyard Vines. They are children's sized (being not tall has its advantages!) and adorably kid like with the colors and design.
Thankful Thursday- short and sweet
I'm thankful for the gift of time. I can pick and choose the days that I work, and I love that. I do like working some. I like feeling like I am making a small difference in students' lives and I like all the staff at the schools where I work. However, I love being able to not work when it makes more sense to serve the family or other loved ones. When Alyssa is away at college, I will likely look for a job with more structure but for now I am grateful that I can spend a lot of time with her. She has an abridged school schedule which is really nice.
Not to be excessively melodramatic, but, speaking of Alyssa, today is her last day of being 17. I am thankful for her, of course! And thankful for (almost) raising three kids into adulthood. It isn't for the faint of heart and I have made so many parenting mistakes over the years but the kids know they are loved by Donnie and me and by the Creator of the universe so that is something!
The baby growing up hits the hardest!
I am also one of the minority that doesn’t like coffee! But I’m not a fan of hot tea, either. I also bake more in the winter - but I probably shouldn’t since I’m trying to lose some weight.
ReplyDeleteI know, that is a downside of baking. I am using healthier ingredients right now since I´m avoiding sugar. But what I am baking is not exactly low calorie.
DeleteI love your cozy pjs and Lemon Ginger tea is so good! Happy (almost) birthday to your baby!
ReplyDeleteI'm also impressed with all the water you drink. I find it much harder to drink water in winter.
DeleteThanks, Natasha! I feel like I drink a ton of water due to being extremely thirsty. I will drink probably eight ounces within a few minutes of waking up and then feel thirsty again ten minutes later. That is what is driving the water drinking!
DeleteOh I won't drink coffee either; yuck. I love how it smells but can not stand the taste but I'm not a huge fan of hot tea either... hot drinks in general do nothing for me. I bake more in the winter too but I'm trying not to this year since no one in this house needs any more sweets or baked goods in their life.
ReplyDeleteI used to love the smell of coffee as well, back when I could smell everything normally (before Covid). I hear you about the sweets. I am trying to make them a little bit healthier!
DeleteAwww the throwback pics- such mixed emotions for sure :) I am so like you- love the blankets and coziness and try not to change much in winter- the only big difference between you and me? I despise winter ;)
ReplyDeleteYep, for sure- mixed emotions! Our winters are more mild than yours are- maybe that´s why they don´t seem so bad to me!
DeleteLovely photos in your thankfulness post! What caused the fail on the chocolate muffins? I've heard good things about Vineyard Vines.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Pamela- I am not sure what caused the fail. I suspect it was the ¨healthier¨ cocoa that I used. The entire muffin just tasted like nothing. It´s hard to describe and I´ve never had any food that was completely devoid of taste.
DeleteHow I love those throwback photos! And these posts! Why have I not got that lemon loaf tea yet, I was just at target yesterday and it was on my list but of course I forgot three things on it, lol! I love to be cozy as well give me all the soft blankets and low lights and candles!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Andrea! You can always order the tea on Amazon. That´s what I did and the cost was very reasonable (though I had to order six boxes of it (something you probably shouldn´t do in case you don´t like it!))
DeleteBeautiful blog
ReplyDeleteAw, hope Alyssa had a great birthday weekend! I feel like so many of us are similar on our winter routines. That's a bummer about the muffins. They look good anyway!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Marilyn! So far, so good with the weekend! I thought the muffins looked really good, too. So far the birthday treats are tasting good and that is all that really counts!
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