These photos have nothing to do with today's post, but this is an outfit I wore last week!
I didn’t realize how much this winter had been affecting me until yesterday, when the temperature finally climbed above 30 degrees. It sounds dramatic, but it felt like a switch flipped. I found myself in a much lighter mood. I took one walk outside with Henry yesterday. I was all bundled up, and as I walked, I started to realize it wasn't frigid. I did a double-take!! To be clear, my confusion was justified, as when I woke that morning, it was 0 degrees. I pulled out my phone to check the temperature, and it read 34 degrees. I took off my gloves, and my hands did not immediately freeze. I practically skipped for the rest of the walk, and Henry was right there with me! It made me realize how worn down I’d become without fully noticing it.
What’s interesting is that I don’t hate winter. I like skiing, I love a fire going in the evenings, an oversized sweater, hot tea and coffee, and I’m very happy leaning into cozy comfort meals. I'm a born-and-raised Pittsburgher, so I have been through a lot of tough winters! But to be frank, this stretch of extreme weather has felt especially hard for me. I am typically a bright and energetic person. The cold was so extreme that it limited even the parts of winter I normally enjoy. I know many of you are right there with me, nodding in understanding. Ohhh, how I took just taking Henry outside for a walk for granted. Being stuck inside for weeks at a time, with no real break in sight, made me feel sluggish and uninspired.
I did feel slightly validated in the fact that our local weather teams have said that this was the coldest stretch of weather since 1979. You know it was bad when 30 degrees feels 'warm'.
Feeling that shift yesterday (thank goodness!!!!) made me think about how much everyday choices matter, especially during seasons like this. The little things we do to make daily life feel more pleasant can often be seen as frivolous, but I'd argue that they are not! Which is what inspired this post.
I also asked you all to share what you do each day to make daily life feel more elevated, so this is partly things I like to do and partly crowdsourced from all of you. Maybe you'll be inspired by something on the list and add it to your day, and it will put a smile on your face! The best part is that many of the items on this list are free or very low-cost!
- Decant everyday items into pretty vessels. Example: Q-tips in a silver cup, pens in a beautiful ceramic canister, etc.
- Have a go-to playlist for things like cooking dinner, cleaning, etc. I have been loving this calming jazz playlist for background music while I work, do chores, or drive.
- Coffee every morning out of a beautiful mug. I always do this, but lately I have been wanting to collect some mugs with matching saucers, inspired by a hotel we stayed at in December, The Jefferson. I love the idea of a saucer. It makes so much sense, as you don't need a coaster!
- Non alcoholic drinks in wine glasses. I am not a big soda person, but I will have a Diet Coke about once a quarter, and I love to drink it out of our fancy rocks glasses with a big lime wedge.
- Serve snacks to yourself in things that you would use to host. Small silver bowls, a pretty cocktail napkin, a crystal dish, etc. I am known to eat Flaming Hot Cheetos out of a silver bowl, and it somehow makes the experience that much better.
- Greenery in the house that doesn't require a lot of upkeep. We have quite a few plants throughout the house, and most are very low-maintenance. I love seeing the live plants, especially in the wintertime!
- Turn down service before bed. This is one of my favorite rituals ever. I turn down our bed around 6pm, as a hotel would. By the time we are done with dinner and anything else, I come upstairs with a task already done in an orderly manner. It's so calming. It's also amazing when we go out for the evening and come back to find everything turned down and ready for bed.
- Light taper candles during dinner. This was one from you all! I need to try this!
- Light the good candles, use the good silver. Why not?!
- Iron linens and pajamas. I actually use a steamer for this. It's definitely time-consuming, but I have never regretted doing it. It's such a feel-good extra step. For many of the Pima cotton pajamas I have, I don't iron them, but I often steam flannel and cotton poplin! I don't let this stress me out. If I have time, I do this, but if I don't, I just don't, and it's not a big deal.
- Frequently changing things like towels, linens, etc. I've read various articles over the years about the ideal frequency. I change my sheets every 4 days, but once a week is good enough. For towels, I have read every 3-5 uses. I tend to swap right around 3 uses, but I'm not as regimented about this as I am about the sheets. I don't think there is a perfect rhythm here, but all I know is that the more I change them, the happier I tend to be!
- Always go to bed with the house tidied. I don't sleep until the house is put together, and luckily, my husband is the same way. It is so refreshing to wake up to a clean, organized house. I've hosted a few parties at our house that run into the wee hours, and even then, we put everything back in order before going to bed. There's a quote I saw many years ago that has always stuck with me: 'Do today what will make tomorrow easier.' I try to follow that.
- Open the house windows as often as possible. This has not been possible lately, but isn't it such a delight ot have the windows open and fresh air wafting in?!
- Splurge on small things used daily, like fancy toothpaste, luxury hand soap, nice underwear. Those little luxuries really are a treat.
- Always having a fruit bowl stocked with whatever is in season. I'm so into navel oranges right now, and we have a fruit bowl filled with them. An embarrassment of riches!!
- No overhead lights, always lamplight if possible! I think this one is maybe one of the biggest things you can do in your space. I think lighting has SUCH a huge impact on everything in every situation. As a former event planner, I know why people spend so much on lighting for a big event. It truly makes all the difference. Lamplight is so warm and calming.
- Open the blinds to let light in first thing in the morning. It's such a good feeling, but it actually helps your circadian rhythm, too!
- Giving everything a place to lessen clutter. It really makes life easier!
- Have one seasonal scent that you stick to, so the scent always smells like 'home'. This was sent in by one of you, and I never thought to do something like this, but it's a cool idea. You'd get hand soap, candle, diffuser, etc., all in one scent. I like to burn different candles based on whatever mood I am in, and I like to swap out hand soaps when I finish one so I don't get too used to a certain scent, but I could also totally get behind this.
- Always keeping a small backstock of things we use frequently, so I am never stressed about running out of something. Just the other day, I ran out of my go-to hand cream, and I was so happy to see I had an extra waiting!
None of these things are groundbreaking, and that’s the point. They don’t require a lifestyle overhaul or a large budget, rather just a bit of intention. This winter caught me off guard in how draining it has felt, and it reminded me how much the small, everyday choices matter. When the days feel repetitive, these little rituals add comfort and texture.
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