The Changing Light

We have about 6 more weeks until the winter solstice, when the light slowly returns beginning its new cycle. Thats not very long yet right now I'm feeling a bit meloncholy by these long nights and short days. I visited a friend this past week and the subject of how to get through the winter kept coming up. So I thought I would share a few ways I like to beat the cold dark nights.

Rise with the light: Go to bed earlier - wake up earlier. I am not usually a early riser but since getting back into coffee that has helped. There is nothing more exciting then the first smell of fresh ground coffee beans right in the morning with the first light.  

Get outside: Go for a quick walk right before sunset it will warm you up and get you energized for making dinner.

Learn something new: Pick up a new craft- knitting, watercolors, jewelry making...

Tidy up: Pick a category of items in your life that feels cluttered and disorganized and discard of any items you don't use, like or have too many of. It will feel really good! The top on my list for tidying up are my clothing, the cupboard in the kitchen that contain spices from who knows when and then of course my toiletries. So many half used jars of salve, expired tinctures and sunscreens. Inspired by this read which I first learned about on Erin's blog. 

Bake: Then you have lots of yummy treats around. My favorite at the moments for baking are muffins: Blueberry and bran.  

Cook with friends: I started a tradition with my good friend Ana where we cook and share a meal together a couple times a month. We each pick a part of the meal to supply for but then prepare the food together and enjoy! 

Take a soak: Take a bath if you are so lucky to have a tub in your home. It warms you to the core and will make your night sleep so much better. 

Please share below what creative ways you pass the winter nights with, the more the better for us all! But really I should not be complaining as I know people who live up further north have it much worse.  

*Owynn above - loves watching his papa through the window working outside. The whole time he repeats  "dada, dada, dada" it pretty sweet.