Ideas to make deep midwinter lovely ( or at least bearable)

[FoxRedLabbingtons]

I loved the ‘make autumn lovelier’ thread. But is there any hope for deep winter loveliness?

There was frost on my office windows this morning ( should’ve left a heater on over Christmas), dog walks are ankle deep in mud, all the chocolate is gone and it’s dark all day.

It’s lean picking for loveliness but here are my ideas:

I went to the church epiphany carol service this evening. A peaceful, candlelit hour. 2nd February is Candlemas- early pancake day!
Swimming with a quick jacuzzi dip once a week.
Actually lighting my posh candle. It’ll look it’s best on a grey afternoon.
Comfort food. DH is making boeuf a la daube this weekend.
Facing down the weather and enjoying beach walks and snowdrop rambles.
Spending my Christmas money on L’Occitaine bath foam.
Wintry books- Ghost stories. And comfort TV- maybe a bit of Scandi noir and This Farming Life.
Living vicariously through my best friend in Perth, who has been complaining all month about the terrible heat 🙄

Watching films under a heated throw with my cuddly dog after we get back from walks as it gets dark outside.

Declutter a bit because that makes me feel much calmer.

Oh lovely. I'm feeling the full on Jan blues so will try to think of some stuff to aim for.

I got REN rose Otto bath oil for Xmas so will schedule in a lovely bath.

I will actually get round to painting my toenails in a deep wintry burgundy.

Hot soups and Pot Noodles

Ummm I'm stuck now. Repeated isolations over the winter months have not left me wanting to do anything other than run around in the sunshine!

Hot tub
Oodie
Chai tea
Candles
Wool socks or ugg slippers
Porridge with cinnamon and dried fruit
Panatone toast
Cashmere scarf
Bobble hat
Decent rain coat
DM type boots (awesome from Matalan)
Mashed potatoes

Great idea for a thread.

Last year there was some talk on here of leaving some Christmas lights up until Candlemas to make the grey winter months nicer, which I thought was a great idea.

I have left my natural, seasonal decor up like cinnamon sticks, pine cones and some evergreen branches in vases as they still look lovely.

It's nearly over.

Part-bake baguettes with everything- soup, stew, bolognaise...

Fairy lights around plants for ambiance (and the sorrow of saying goodbye to the lovely Christmas tree)

Candles and lovely smelling oil burners

Making an effort to co ordinate scarves with outfits

Game nights

Movie nights

Lovely wintery flowers and greenery

Bubble baths & dressing gown on the radiator for afterwards

Guilt free lie ins / coffee in bed

I've taken the decorations off my Christmas tree, but it's still in the corner with the lights on. It's too beautiful to chuck until the needles really start falling, the loveliest tree I ever had so it's staying for now! All the other fairy lights are staying until spring as well.

Some lovely ideas already.

I like the idea of leaving lights up. I’ve left the some up on my rose arch and can see them from the snug as I sit on the sofa.

Good ideas about making bedtimes lovelier too. Bed socks, pyjamas and a good book. Guilt free early nights and sleep-ins.

Normally I look forward to getting proper snow and Alpine sun in February. I’m going to really miss that if it can’t happen. The sun and snow gives me enough lift to get through to April.

DH has been doing gardening jobs at lunchtime and comes before in red cheeked and cheerful. I planted two hundred bulbs in October- I wonder how many will start to appear soon?

Have left the fairy lights outside up until Candlemas and otherwise am balancing hunkering down with facing firmly fowards. Lots of sorting and organising ahead of spring cleaning and, as well as a fair amount of cosy novel reading under blankets, also planning summer holiday and what to plant in the garden. Am also enjoying cooking lots of wholesome wintery foods after weeks of "Christmas food".

I decided to embrace it this year and it's much more bearable. I saw a quote about winter being a time to withdraw and renew, and it kind of made sense, so I'm enjoying spending time at home lighting candles and wearing thick cosy socks and reading by lamplight. Anything comforting! And when Spring comes we can venture out like the green shoots again.

Going to get some new wintery foliage to brighten up the window sill (no garden)

I've got a new book from the library

I've got some £1 face masks (the vitamin kind not the covid kind) from boots, I'm doing one per week

Last year at school (I’m a teacher) someone suggested taking a photo at 4pm each day to notice the return of the light, I didn’t manage to do the photos but would try to notice the days getting brighter.

I also made a conscious decision to embrace it and face it head on for the first time ever and so far so good!
Things that have made a difference:

Getting out on a walk every day and being conscious of the fresh air on my face. I really try to notice and take in my surroundings.

Treating myself after a day at work to a podcast (currently working my way through Uncanny on BBC Sounds) as well as other non-food treats like a face mask or long soak in the bath.
Not feeling guilty about ‘me time’.

Keeping ‘summer bodies are made in winter’ as a mantra at the forefront of my mind so eating better, upping my step count, moisturising, drinking lots of water and looking after my feet.

Reading at least a chapter of my book every night.

Love reading everyone’s suggestions so far. Great thread.

Great thread, I also loved the autumn one! I'm going to adopt the phrase lovely deep midwinter to help reframe my feelings about it also making an effort to actually light candles every evening. Drinking fancy coffee in nice mugs. Buying luxurious looking fingerless gloves and wearing them indoors. Decluttering as PP said and rearranging the house for new things/different decor after Christmas stuff goes away so everything looks nice...I will be keeping an eye on this thread for more ideas!

What’s Candlemas?

Escape for some winter sun? In 5 hours you could be lying by a sunny pool in the Canary Islands.

Enjoying my Christmas presents of heated throw, books and fragrance lamp.

Echo leaving some fairy lights up - everything seems so dark now all the Christmas decs have been taken down.

Definitely getting out for a walk every day with my young dog - she needs it and even if the weather isn't great you appreciate coming home .

Soft, cosy clothing for home.

@ParadiseLaundry

Great idea for a thread.

Last year there was some talk on here of leaving some Christmas lights up until Candlemas to make the grey winter months nicer, which I thought was a great idea.

I have left my natural, seasonal decor up like cinnamon sticks, pine cones and some evergreen branches in vases as they still look lovely.

I’ve made an ‘epiphany mantlepiece’. I was going to add holly and ivy but ditched the holly after reading here it was bad luck after the 6th. Also made galettes des rois and I’m going to bake amd cook my way through. Burns night, swedish semla cake …

I am going to leave the fence lights up, but I suppose I should bring in the light up stag's head?

I cannot wait for this weekend, dh is back to work, and ds2 is back to base as his leave is finished. I haven't had the house to myself since 2oth, and it seems like forever. I might lose my raving narna if the Coviddemons cause any bother.

I am just pondering a new crochet blanket, I like the look of the Delft Tiles or the Persian Tiles, but I want to swap out some of the colours so if I get peace and quiet I'll work out my subs and get it ordered.

I want to get some fakey leaf garlands to put around the candle sticks in the window....feel like I am pulling the spring closer and hastening the better weather. Wondering if that might be a naffness too far though!

never heard of semla cake, it sounds lovely, almonds, oranges , cream filling and bready...that's going on the list!

I've left all my fairy lights and winter decorations up (holly, evergreen swags, orange pomanders, that kind of thing) and they're staying up until Imbolc (1st February). LOTS of candles, too. Plenty of thick fleecy throws on the sofa so we can snuggle down when we're all in for the day. Plenty of comfort food type meals.

@wonderstuff

Last year at school (I’m a teacher) someone suggested taking a photo at 4pm each day to notice the return of the light, I didn’t manage to do the photos but would try to notice the days getting brighter.

This is such a good idea! Lovely thread too, properly made me smile tonight.

Thanks for this thread, OP, I loved the autumn one too.

I bought myself a lovely velvety new throw for the sofa and always light a candle in my oil burner every night. Still using the Christmas oils which are a nice mixture of cinnamon, orange, cloves etc.

Also can confirm there's nothing cosier than a hot water bottle at one's feet!

This thread is just what I needed .
I second hot water bottle, watching good movies, not just Netflix series, warming up (oat) milk for my tea, keeping the house as tidy and uncluttered as possible, love the idea of wintery foliage, mulled cider, phone call with select few loved ones rather than messaging. I too feel like retreating and re-emerging in spring.

@Latte40

Part-bake baguettes with everything- soup, stew, bolognaise...

Fairy lights around plants for ambiance (and the sorrow of saying goodbye to the lovely Christmas tree)

Candles and lovely smelling oil burners

Making an effort to co ordinate scarves with outfits

Game nights

Movie nights

Lovely wintery flowers and greenery

Bubble baths & dressing gown on the radiator for afterwards

Guilt free lie ins / coffee in bed

I thought it was just me doing part baked baguettes with everything this time of year And entirely with you on guilt free coffee in bed. I have an almost 2yo, so it isn't relaxing as such - but it certainly does give us a bit more of a "cosy" feeling than in the living room!

I used to really suffer with seasonal depression, but for the last couple of years I've been really trying to embrace the dark/cold/cosiness of it all, and this year I've made it to January and am still feeling good. These are my favourite things about this time of year:

• Dim lighting for the afternoons and evenings; fairy lights, lamps with dim warm bulbs, candles (even battery powered are nice).

• Blankets everywhere. I received a beautiful lambswool blanket for Christmas which has taken over as my go-to, but I feel it is important to have many options in this area.

• Wool to wear. There is nothing better. Beyond this, wearing good wool base layers under a "proper" outfit makes me feel so much more "together" and happy than anything else (in a "look at me, I look presentable but I'm also really warm - I totally have my shit together" kind of way). Don't get me wrong, I love a fluffy dressing gown and also own an oodie and many pairs of joggers, but they don't quite bring as much joy most of the time

• The chance to potter about at home in the dark evenings, rather than feeling like you could or should be elsewhere or being productive in the good weather. AKA an excuse to slow down and make my home more enjoyable to be in.

• Getting outside even when I don't want to, and feeling the jolt of mood-lift it brings.

• Soups. Warming, brothy chicken soups. Spicy lentil soups. Cheesy tomato and basil soup. Any variation of lovely homemade soup that can be served alongside part baked bread is instant happiness.

• Hot water bottles and microwaveable beanbag things. Cups of tea. Hot chocolate. Baths. Anything that brings warmth.