ONE // Fresh Living Space
This past weekend, I put Christmas away for another year. I like to keep my decorations up for as long as possible and not stress out about putting things away during my break. I like to go back to work the first week of January, and put things away the following weekend. It usually coincides with Epiphany. It's a big task and takes me a few hours because I like to also deep clean as I go. That way, when I'm done, our space is clean and feels fresh. It's always bitter-sweet and I miss the warm glow of the tree in the evenings. It really does bring comfort on long, dark winter nights. However, I do like how uncluttered and neat the space now feels. I do put out very few winter-specific items to avoid the complete lack of décor, but it's nothing compared to my fall and Christmas decorating. After months of extra décor, I want to ease back into the normal look of the space. It's shocking enough as it is!
TWO // Snowflake PJs
My mom sent us a surprise box over the holidays and inside were some Christmas goodies. One of those was these baby blue waffle pyjamas. Clearly, my mom knows me well. I spend a great majority of my time cozied up in pjs, so this was a very appropriate gift! I love the shimmery snowflakes on the light blue background. I have an abundance of festive pyjamas, but not many wintery options so this is a great winter set. I also like that it's a thinner option for me as most of my winter pyjamas are heavy-duty flannel or polar fleece. This waffle knit is lighter and thinner, so will be good for warmer days. A girl needs options!
THREE //Snowy Winter?
Well, the old saying rings true once again - be careful what you wish for. I've been wanting and asking for snow since we had a green Christmas. It was January, winter and still no snow as of last Saturday. Well, I got my wish, ha ha! We got our first snow dump of the new year on Sunday, followed by a crazy winter storm on Tuesday. That storm had strong winds, lots of snow and some freezing rain thrown in for good measure. While it was brutal during the afternoon and well into the night, the next day was so mild everything turned to slush and the streets were massive puddles. It actually felt like a spring day at 2°C... The forecast is calling for more snow and rain this week, so who knows what we're going to get. This winter weather has been quite the roller coaster so far. Not usual for us at all.
FOUR // Winter Bloom Collection
A new season means a new Hill House drop! I'd be lying if I said I didn't look forward to seeing some new Nap Dresses... The Winter Bloom Capsule collection will drop on January 16, so next Wednesday. We're getting classic Ellies in new pastel prints and other silhouettes with long sleeves. The blue and pink pansy prints are very cute, but read more "spring" to me. Same goes for the blue hydrangea hue, although I do love the clip dot texture of this fabric. I think my favourite is the petite fleur print. While it comes in an Ellie (which is still my go-to), I also like it in the Matilda and this is a style I've been wanting to try for a while now. As of now, I'm still undecided on whether I'll get something from this drop. I might just hold out for the larger spring collection launching in February. Decisions, decisions.
FIVE // Croutons
We have recently rediscovered the joy of making our own croutons. The buttery, garlicky, crunchy little cubes are a real delight to the taste buds. I've been making various homemade breads since 2020 and only this fall did we consider making croutons with the last bits of a loaf that had gone a bit stale. What a revelation! Just chop into small pieces, coat in olive oil, sprinkle with various seasonings and bake until golden and crispy. Voilà! There's nothing more to it! I enjoy salads of all sorts and get real pleasure in adding in my own croutons for some crunch. Store-bought is fine, but you can't beat homemade. I think my most delicious ones yet were made with leftover focaccia bread. Those were in a league of their own. The best part is that it's a great way to avoid waste. No more throwing stale bread in the compost. It was always harder throwing out the bread that I had made myself. It just didn't feel right. Now we are sure to enjoy every last morsel of baked goodness!
No comments:
Post a Comment