Navigating January, often considered a challenging month, requires resilience and a positive mindset. As the winter chill persists, embracing small joys becomes crucial. Embrace self-care rituals, be it cozy evenings with a book or invigorating walks in nature. Starting the week by writing the Happy List is something I’ve been doing for a while over the last few years. It is my chance to sit down and reflect on the things that made me happy in the previous week, as well as to record some of the adventures we have as a family. It’s a post I love to write and look back over.

Five Happy Things {Week 484}

I finished the Pretty Fabrics and Trims North Pole felt decoration pattern I bought in December. There was no way I had time to stitch them before Christmas but they made a really fun January project. I especially enjoyed stitching the little gingerbread house. Now they have been packed away until we get the Christmas decorations out again.

Last week we took the kids to see a pantomime, this is a traditional type of musical comedy performed around Christmas and the New Year. Again, we find December a busy month so I was happy to see a local performance in January. The theme was Cinderella and we had a fun night out.

I used up the last of the gingerbread dough to bake some gingerbread biscuits as an after school snack. The weather was so cold last week and both my children cycle to school. I thought the biscuits would make a nice treat and help warm them us when they got home from school.

I love a jigsaw puzzle and finished my 1000 piece The World of the Brontes puzzle from Laurence King. I love this range of puzzles and have also finished The World of Shakespeare, The World of Jane Austen and The World of Agatha Christie. I got a few puzzles for Christmas so I’m sure I will be starting another one soon.

There’s something about January that makes me want to have a clear out. I’ve started my Spring clear out early this year and have been going through drawers and cupboards and taken bags of stuff to the charity shop. It amazes we how many things we have as a family and it always feels good if we can donate goods to the charity shop and help them raise funds.