New Joy

There's nothing like cozying up one's home in January to make it feel more homey. A new (to me) vintage table cloth and paper whites in bloom. The first year I forced paperwhites, I had no idea they smelled like dead mice.  I was searching everywhere for the dead animal, even trying to send my husband up to the secret room above our kitchen to look (which is only accessible by ladder...it's really neat, I should take my camera up there sometime).  Regardless, those paperwhites are pretty, as is my vintage tablecloth.  Truth is, I'm concentrating on these areas of tidiness as I have piles in need of attention elsewhere.  May January be the month to de-clutter. I'm challenging myself! Now to find the energy to do so!

(More) of our Winter Rhythm

Wrote about our morning rhythm here. 

And now our afternoon rhythm, which is new this year compared to years past. Audio books. My kids are obsessed.  

I just love the peaceful activities that come into play during our afternoon audio books.  Drawing, painting, glitter, legos and sometimes just sitting by the fire or snuggling animals.  Sometimes just one chapter. Sometimes they beg to listen to chapter after chapter.

So calm, so peaceful.  I hope we keep this in our spring routine, when baby girl arrives.

 

Pickles

We are bunny sitting and I'm posting these pics so Pickles' owners can see Pickles is being very well loved.  This is as close as we're letting Hop and Pickles to get to one another. As much fun as it would be to see what a mini rex bread with a lop eared bunny would be, we'll leave that to our imaginations! Hope you're having fun, friends!

Homegrown

 To be deep in January and have virtually every dinner to be focused around using up homegrown.  ALL this was raised/grown/homemade by me.  And I still have so much more to use up. Feeding my family the good stuff....so much work, but worth it!

And next up is this, again all homegrown/homemade by me.....right down to the herbs. It's a delicious life.

January Thaw

This January thaw is so weird.  And this insisting it's too warm for coats in January? Equally weird. Or as Adrian says "This is unusual, mama."  It sure is.  Winter weather is coming back to Maine, but until then we'll just make mud castles.

Bunny Playset

A sweet little homemade playset for a special baby girl (not mine).  Maybe I will have to make another for my own baby girl!

Thimbles

Bright and early in the morning....

 "Mama, mama!  We need thimbles!"

"We are not sewing right now. We have to do morning chores."

"Not for sewing, Jack Frost came!"

 And so my vintage thimbles got some use as they drew in the frost with them, just like Laura did in the Little House in the Big Woods.

Sometimes when books come to life, it's simply magical.