Best Books to Cozy Up with this Winter
The winter months some times leaves us wanting to remain indoors. Around my house this week is the perfect example. Temperatures are in the teens and I am more than willing to stay indoors and cozy up to a good book. Here is a short list of the best books to cozy up with this winter.
The Christmas Bookshop
If you can handle reading a holiday book after the holidays, I found this one to be quiet charming. Set in Edinburgh, Scotland, this story makes me want to visit the Scots! This was a delightful read of a girl finding her way in a new space. It made me smile again and again.
Grab this sweet book from Amazon, here. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn commission from any viable link. Lessons in Chemistry
A show on Apple+ was created based on this book: Lessons in Chemistry. This book shared the hardships, grit, and determination women show on a regular basis with some cheeky charm. It was a neat experience to read how one woman pushed the boundaries of her current times’ ideals of women with wit and sometimes unbeknownst humor.
This book can be bought here. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn commission from any viable link. The Paris Library
I’m a sucker for World War II books and this one is sad and amazing. I still recall images that were created in my mind as a result of this heartrending story. Adding in a library into the storyline is nothing but a win/win!
This book may be purchased from Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn commission from any viable link at no cost to you. The Rose Code
Another amazing historical fiction, The Rose Code hi lights all of the work that went in to helping the Allies become successful during World War II. It took more than just the Frontline soldiers to bring about victory. This thrilling tale kept me reading for long periods of time!
Click here to purchase this book from Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn commission from any viable link at no cost to you. Code Name Helene
This book wrecked me in the best way! What I love the most is it is based off a real life woman that lead troops in World War II. Code Name Helene had it all: love, struggle, loss, and victory. It is one of the best books I have read in a while. I highly recommend this book!
You can purchase this book from Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn commission from any viable links. While this list is heavy on the World War II era, I feel there is so much to explore during that period of history. Finding time to read is very important to me. I even include reading time in my ideal self-care routine. Please let me know if you have read or plan to read any of these books. I would love to hear which books you choose to cozy up with this winter.
Winter Capsule Wardrobe: functional and stylish winter wear
Focusing on a well-planned winter capsule wardrobe offers you functional and stylish winter wear. The following are some tips for how to curate your closet to work for you!
Categorize your clothing.
Take the time to go through each item in your closet and put them in the following categories: tops, bottoms, solo pieces, and extras (shoes, belts, purses, coats). Go through your items and toss/donate what doesn’t fit or has stains or is torn.
KonMari your wardrobe.
If you have not heard of the KonMari method, I highly recommend you check it out. Basically, touch each item you own and if you do not feel an immediate joy then toss or donate it. Once you have gone through your items, you are ready to create your functional and stylish winter wardrobe.
Utilizing neutrals and classic basics like a good dark wash jean will help establish a tried and true wardrobe. Layering basic tees, sweaters, and pants allows you to get more outfit options from fewer clothing items.
You do not need a lot of clothing to create functional and stylish winter wear.
Curating a seasonal capsule wardrobe is not a new topic for me. In fact, I have written before about my spring capsule wardrobe here. For example, using the site calculator on combineclothes.com, I logged: 12 tops, 10 bottoms, four solo items, and 10 extras. With just this amount of items, I have enough clothing items to generate 1, 360 different outfits. I think I’m good for at least the winter season!
The misconception is that in order to have a great look, you must have lots and lots of clothes. I do not believe that to be true. With lots of clothing comes clutter and your mind will tend to forget what items are available in your closet. Sticking with a few key pieces each season not only helps you identify what you have to wear but it also reveals when there is a gap and a true need to buy a necessary item. In the case of my closet, I have found that I am in need of a classic blazer that can serve as business professional and keep me warm during the winter months. Another closet staple I would like to aquire is a trench coat.
Here is my curated winter capsule wardrobe. From this volume of items alone, I can create over 400 outfit options! Admittedly, I will still add an item or two to this group! Let me know if you choose to create your own winter capsule wardrobe.
How to Plan a Productive Yet Relaxing Start to the New Year – tips for setting yourself up for success
Planning a productive yet relaxing year seems a bit of an oxymoron, am I right? However, with some easy tips, I feel you too can set yourself up for success this year.
Journal.
Keeping a journal is cathartic and beneficial. Because I have written in a journal off and on since childhood, I count my journal keeping skills as consistent even though I do not write every day. Putting your thoughts down on paper can ease your mind and provide organization to your ideas.
Journals are also a beautiful way to track your progress or see where you might have faltered. For me, this blog is a good journal outlet. It can be a progress tracker or show if there is an area to work on. You can read my post from a year ago, here, and compare where I was to where I am.
Use a planner to plan a productive yet relaxing New Year.
A planner of some sort will allow you to keep track of your obligations as well as plot your success. A planner gives visual encouragement to your goals.
I love a good planner. It is a thing of beauty. TJ Maxx usually has a great selection of yearly planners at cost efficient prices. Amazon does as well, like the one shown below. *As an Amazon Associate, I may earn commission on any viable link at no cost to you.
A good planner can actually make your planning experience a relaxing one. Build in a day of rest for a productive yet relaxing New Year.
This tip seems counterproductive but I have experienced the most peace when I implement one day of rest per week. I call it Sunday Bumday. Try it out, you might be like me and find that by the end of an entire day where you do nothing, you are recharged to tackle your goals.
For a day of rest, literally do as little as possible. For me, the only obligation I have on my day of rest is to attend church and to have a lunch prepared. Besides those two items, I do nothing. There are no people invited over on Sunday, I do not leave the house. Typically there is a nap built in and reading time or something else that brings me joy. On my days of rest I might sew or attempt to play the violin or I might binge watch tv all day. There is so much freedom in having one precious day of rest. I might even go for a walk. Don’t just take my word for it, here is an article with scientific backing to promote a day of rest.
Now, these tips may not be life altering, but they may be just what you need to plan a productive yet relaxing year. Happy New Year!
A Year in Review: A look at my 2024 Resolutions
If you are handing out a pass or fail grade on my 2024 Resolutions, I’m afraid you would give me a failing grade. I did not complete the two resolutions I made from 2024, but I did learn from them. Here is what I learned.
My 2024 Resolutions
My resolutions for 2024 were pretty straight forward: 1. Run a 5k and 2. Write 52 blog posts. While I did not achieve either, there are definitely lessons I am taking away from the experience. You can read about all my hopes and excitement for the 2024 year in my January 2024 blog post.
It’s okay to change course.
In my mind, I was going to take 2024 and learn to run 3.1 miles in its entirity. I was an athlete in high school. Heck! I even played intramural sports in college. But something has transpired in me over the last 24 years of settling down and raising babies – I became more stagnite instead of active. There have been periods of time where I have attempted 5ks only to end up run/walking them instead of running them. While I did participate in a local 5k, there was an “ah-ha” moment for me in my preparation – I don’t enjoy this.
5k Run In the midst of my struggle to make the time to train for running, a neighbor invited me to walk with her and another neighbor at 5:00 each morning. 5:00 in the morning??? You will never mistake me for a morning girl. However, the invitation answered a prayer of mine to make more friendship connections and it revealed to me that I could be active (we walk 3 miles 1-4 times a week) and not feel like I was dying each time! My course changed from running to walking and I am so happy with the outcome. This is an activity that I have been sticking with.
You can fail forward.
My second resolution: write 52 blog posts afforded me the opportunity to fail beautifully. What does that mean to fail beautifully? I consider it beautiful because I learned so much this year in trying to increase my blog activity. While I only posted 29 out of 52 blog posts this year, I discovered that this is almost triple the amount of posts I have made annually over the last three years! That is quite the improvement.
This failure has only encouraged me to keep going, keep trying, keep learning. There is so much more I can improve upon!
And while you are looking at my year in review, feel free to check out some other 2024 recaps here from the blog, Corporette. Let me know – how did your 2024 go? What does your year in review look like?
