The Craftiest Workshop

Looking back at my self care calendar I will admit that I did not do everything on there. I did read a book in the bathtub, connected with a friend I hadn’t spoken to in years and made my favourite meal. The tasks on my calendar were more of a way to help me push forward on the dreary cold days. Fortunately, most of January was quite mild and we even saw the sun a fair amount; albeit after 9am when it finally rose for the day.

Here are some of the other things I did do this month.

Go For an Outdoor Walk

How about an outdoor snowshoe instead? I did this almost everyday (not the falling down part).

Beautiful Outdoor Photos

It is not hard to find beauty in winter after a heavy snowfall.

Write down Things that Calm Me

• Smell of vanilla or cinnamon
• the sun shining
• an outdoor fire
• wood burning
• knitting
• playing music on any instrument

Brighten Up Your Kitchen

My post about cleaning your cutlery and mugs.

Winter Memories

I found some more pictures from our outside winter adventures.

This first group is from Barrie where the snow was plentiful and weather mild.

We did a lot of tobogganing and playing in the back yard.

Brandy often turned into a big snowball.

These are more from our Trenton days.

A better view of the catch basin where we did sliding and skating.

Writing my winter memories post was a great way to reminisce.
It also prodded me into starting to sort all our digital photos.

Clean the Oven

Cleaning the oven lead to defrosting the freezer at our house in Fort Mac.
Once you get started on a project, it often leads to another.

Make a Heart

I had not used my burner in a few weeks.

Burning onto these heart keychains prompted me to start another wood burning project.

I also pulled out some yarn and made a few hearts (future post).

The hearts gave me the starting idea for my drawing.

Doodle About Myself

I tried to keep the things in my drawing positive.
I focused on hobbies, personality traits and things important to me.

Truthfully, it was hard to get going but things flowed once I got started.

3 Positive Things About My Shadow

The sun stays pretty low in the sky in winter and I guess that is why my shadow is so long.

Sort Junk Drawer

My junk drawer was pretty neat but it got me looking at my utensil drawer.

I decided to split it into two drawers: the one on the left with things I use daily and the one on the right for other tools.

I still have quite a bit more in Fort Mac and when it arrives, I may require a third drawer.

This month reminded me of things I enjoy that I do not do enough of. For me that means things like organizing, crafting and reading.

It reminded me how important it is to do things like breathe, stretch and exercise.

Lastly, it reminded me that staying connected with family and friends is also key to maintaining positive mental health.

For February I plan to work on some hobbies that I enjoy: wood burning, yarn crafts and baking.
I am gathering ideas for spring for our outdoor areas: gardening, firepit area additions and a fairy garden.