Categories
Fabulous living

Getting Through the Winter Slump

Hey guys! Happy Wednesday! I hope you had a wonderful Valentineā€™s or Galentineā€™s Day! Now that we have made it through the holidayā€™s of the month, my mind is on the next seasonā€¦hello Spring! Just kiddingā€¦well kind of.

I love that I can live In a place with all four seasons, but sometimes, the cold and snow can seem never ending, especially when itā€™s May and you still have a chance of snow on Motherā€™s Day. As much as I love the winter months and winter activities, I have found myself in a bit of a winter slump. 

Here’s just a little look at all the snow

At the start of the year, I found myself really tired with winter and it just got started. We kept getting hit with snow and cold weather, Covid-19 cases were high around my area and it seemed like we would never see warmer weather. 

If you felt like this at all then you know what Iā€™m talking about. Iā€™m used to the cold and snow and gray clouds, but sometimes, the lack of sunshine really gets to you.

We got hit with two big snow storms in a month. Here’s a look at the snow.

I decided that wishing it was spring wouldnā€™t be productive so I did my best to change my mindset and find little things that brought joy and warmth to my days and make them a little less gray.

Hereā€™s what worked for me and if you are feeling this way, then maybe they will work for you.

I found the simple joys in the days and really leaned into them, like savoring my cup of tea in the morning with my candle lit. Instead of rushing through my morning routine of making a cup of tea, reading and doing a word search, I did my best to savor it and enjoy it and take pleasure in those simple joys. 

Starting my days slower and savoring them definitely helped.
I also enjoyed cozy days off enjoying my favorite hobbies. Here’s what I’m currently reading.

I also found that moving and exercise helped my mood. I go to the gym during weekday mornings, but I carved more time to get some exercise, whether itā€™s a 15 minute yoga session at the end of the day or even a walk to get the mail, moving my body and getting fresh air made a big difference.

Enjoying the outdoors helped too…I enjoyed skating.
And cross country skiing…just make sure you are all bundled up!

I also decided to brighten my wardrobe and have some fun with it. Even though it is winter, I have been wearing brighter colors and fun jewelry to brighten up my outfits. Even if itā€™s swapping in a pair of hoops for a pair of studs, itā€™s little things like that that can just make you smile. 

I also gave myself things to look forward to, whether it was a dinner date with a friend, making plans to see a new movie, or a mini day trip. Making plans for the future gives you something to look forward to and it shows you the importance of looking for the positives.

Making a winter bucket list gives you ideas for fun things to do while making the most of the weather! Here’s mine!

While the cold and winter may seem to last forever, we know that it will end but the snow mounds do make it hard to look past. 

By always looking for the positives or simple moments of joy certainly makes a big difference. Also, by reminding ourselves to take it one day at time helps too. 

What things do you do to make it through the winter slump?

Categories
Fabulous living

Friendships First

Hey guys! Happy Wednesday and Happy February!


 I love the second month of the year, purely to celebrate Valentineā€™s Day! When the winter months seems to drag on with no need in sight, itā€™s always fun to celebrate love and get into the holiday spirit in the midst of a long and cold winter. Whether you are celebrating February 14 with your sweetheart of Galentineā€™s day on February 13 with your girlfriends, thereā€™s always a reason to get into the holiday spirit and celebrate the big and little things in life. 


Speaking of girlfriends, today we are talking about prioritizing friendships!


One of my goals for 2021 was to prioritize my friendships, the pandemic made it hard to see friends and catch up in person, but no matter how far the distance, itā€™s still important to  make those friendships a priority and I think I did my best to make thta happen for the past year and I plan to keep it going in the year ahead. 


Hereā€™s three ways to make sure you are getting the must-have friend time in:

-Set up FaceTime dates
This is a great idea for long distance friendships. It can be hard to make a trip for a day or a weekend getaway to visit friends especially if your days off donā€™t line up. However, setting up a monthly or biweekly FaceTime date or call is an easy solution. During the pandemic, I was really good with doing regular FaceTime calls with friends but as things got back to normal peoples schedules got busier too and it was harder to have regular FaceTime dates. However by finding a time that works good for you and friend whether itā€™s monthly or weekly and sticking to it, ensures you are staying in touch with friends and getting that quallity time in with them. My one friend Sydney and I started doing monthly FaceTime dates in January of 2021. Weā€™ve been great at following through on this and only missed one month! We decided on the last Friday of every month we would FaceTime to catch up with our jobs, actviites, and adventures. In the summer, we did a few meet ups in person which was so fun, but monthly FaceTimes have worked great for us. I put it in my calendar on my phone and the event repeats every month, so I know on Friday nights, once a month, itā€™s FaceTime date time with Sydney!

-Scheduled coffee or dinner dates
For friends a bit closer to home, maybe a coffee, dinner or walk date is more convenient. Whenever Iā€™m planning out my months and weeks, I always write a list of monthly goals, from work, to personal. One of my goals is often friend dates. For some of my local friends, I always like to make it a point to see them in person once a month,  whether it be a coffee break in the morning, a after work dinner date, or even a walk when the weather is nice. Schedules can get busy so itā€™s important to make a point to get it on the calendar for friend dates. Iā€™ll even set a reminder for send a text to remember make plans with friends. My friends and I love to support local, so we try to make it a point to shop local when it comes to our food choices. Even with friends who live just a few blocks away, work schedules can become hectic which is why getting a plan set-up early on is key. Even if you have a big group of friends and canā€™t get everyone to meet up at the same time, a one on one date, or a smaller group is better than none, plus it also allows you more quality time with friends.

Grabbing a meal with a friend is a perfect way to catch up.
If you don’t have enough time for a meal, maybe a coffee break is better!


-Find common activities

This is such a fun way to stay in touch with friends and try new things out. FInd common activities or hobbies for you and your friends. Last year, a few of my high school pals and I did a book club, we would each choose a book, read it and discuss over Facetime. This was a great way for us to catch up and get our reading in (a goal we all had last year-read more!). This activity opened my eyes to new genres and authors. If reading isn’t for you, maybe try a fitness class if that’s one of your resolutions. You can try out new workouts, get a good sweat in and enjoy time with friends. The best of both worlds. If you are looking to get a big more creative, maybe try tackling sewing or scrapbooking, for find a hobby that you and your friends can enjoy and get a finished product at the end.

Finding a common interest, like reading among friends is what worked for me.
Or if you are looking for a way to get exercise, try going for a walk.

How do you put your friendships first?