Things that kept me going over the cold winter

I don't know if this last winter has been unusually cold, or whether I have noticed it more because we haven't heated the house as much as we normally would. It certainly seems to have been a long winter - this weekend was the first time that I left the house without a winter coat, and the first time that I sat outside and genuinely felt warm. 

I've found that the evenings in particular are the hardest. I've sometimes felt so cold after I put the children to bed that all I've wanted to do is put on fluffy pyjamas and get into bed with a book and a hot water bottle. I do all the usual things - extra jumpers, warm socks, hot drinks and soup for lunch - but there have been a few items that we've bought this winter that really helped me get through!

The first was my Oodie (a blanket with sleeves), which was a birthday present back in October. I only have a basic grey one and it wasn't cheap, although you can buy similar items more cheaply. But I've purchased from the Oodie website twice now, the one for myself and again as a gift, and both times at the last stage of the checkout process I've been offered the chance to add a second at a greatly reduced price. There are also discount codes available and sales throughout the year (I'd imagine that Spring/Summer is probably a good time to shop!) 

Admittedly it's not that practical for day to day tasks like housework and cooking, but if you have the chance to snuggle for a while on the sofa with a book or in front of the television it's perfect!

Second was a simple hair wrap to put my hair in while wet. I honestly can't believe I've never had one of these before! I exercise regularly so I frequently wash my hair, usually first thing in the morning, and I don't like hairdryers both because of the electricity cost and worry about damaging my hair. Cold wet hair hanging round my face made me feel miserable, and I couldn't believe what a difference it made just to wrap it up for a couple of hours!

Finally towards the end of the winter we treated ourselves to a heated blanket. I thought it was a bit of an indulgence, but now I can't believe that we've not had one for years. I thought that heated blankets were more like a flat mat for heating the bed, I didn't realise that they are just as soft and flexible as a normal blanket but with the added bonus of being heated. We bought a large one which several of us can snuggle under on the sofa at a time, and I use it to warm the bed while I'm getting ready, only turning it off when I go to sleep! 

I appreciate that these all have an associated cost which may or my not have been cancelled out by the money that we have saved on heating the house, but they will last for years and they certainly made my winter a little more comfortable! Fingers crossed the warmth of the last few days will continue...

Photo credit Amin Hasani via Unsplash

Ready for some warmer weather

This year it feels as though it has been such a cold winter. I don't know if it's because we've tried to be a bit more sparing with heating the house, or because I've lost a little bit of weight and I'm feeling it more, but I seem to spend most of the day searching for the warmest place in the house, and going to bed early in my fleecy pyjamas with a hot water bottle.

We have had quite a bit of sunshine over the last couple of months (we recently had solar panels fitted so we've been monitoring it closely!) but it doesn't seem to have translated into any warmer temperatures and I've found it a real struggle to drag myself out of the house for anything. The garden is looking sadly neglected because I just can't bear to be out there for long doing the sweeping and clearing up leaves, let alone get on with jet washing the patio which really needs doing!

I did manage to get myself down to the garden centre this week to pick up some seeds for the spring planting. I knew that I needed some tomato seeds, and I was a bit worried that the tomato shortage might have spread to seeds as people considered being a bit more self sufficient this summer. It turned out that it was actually a legitimate worry as there were definitely gaps on the shelves, but luckily I was able to get some suitable varieties! I also got some easy flower mixes and some unusual varieties of sunflower to try out.

Now I need to decide when to actually get on and plant them, I don't want to get them started too early or else they will be enormous before it's warm enough to put them outside!

Things I enjoy at this time of year

I'll be honest and say that I don't much enjoy this time of year. It's cold and dark, and most of the time I just want to stay indoors hidden under a blanket. So in an effort to cheer myself up and think of the positives I thought I'd write about all the things that I really do enjoy at this time of the year!

* Sitting with my back against a radiator. When the heating is on that is where you will find me with a book or my Kindle. Best if the radiator is piping hot, but even if it's only slightly warm. I've always enjoyed having a radiator next to me, and when I was little my bed was next to a radiator which was lovely!

* Making and eating soup. I love my soup maker, it's so easy to use and I always enjoy the soup that I've made even when I've just made it up as I go along. It makes a lovely warming lunch with a couple of slices of bread.

* Feeling cold and putting on a pair of fluffy socks. It makes me feel warmer instantly!

* A mug of hot chocolate. I do drink hot chocolate all year around but it's especially comforting in winter, especially with a few marshmallows.

* A hot shower after a cold run outdoors. The run itself isn't the most pleasant thing but I always feel so good afterwards and a hot shower is the best reward.

* Family time together as we all flock to the warmest room in the house, usually the living room. Often we are all in separate rooms but in winter we are much more likely to congregate in one place together.

* Those glimpses of winter sunshine - the sun is appreciated so much more at this time of year than in the summer! The back of our house is south facing and the sun streams in through the windows of the kitchen which is lovely when I'm preparing food or tidying up.

* Heated seats in the car. Our current car is the first one that we've had with heated seats and I'd find it difficult to do without them now! It's so much nicer heading out for the school run in the car and knowing that I'll be toasty warm.

* Seeing both the sunrise and sunset in a day. We don't have any windows that face east or west, so I often don't notice the sunrise or sunset. In the winter they usually align with the school run so I get to see both and it's really lovely.

* Going for a walk in the frost and walking (carefully!) on frozen puddles.

What do you like about this time of year?

Winter snowflake lantern with mini Hama beads

A few days ago I shared how I made some mini Hama bead snowflake embellishments and today I'm going to show how I used them to make a simple lantern from an upcycled jam jar. 

To make the snowflake embellishments you need some mini Hama beads and a mini Hama bead pegboard. You can find links to the materials that you will need at the bottom of this post. The mini Hama beads are very tiny and take some practice to work with - you can find all the instructions and the free snowflake pattern in my mini Hama bead snowflakes tutorial as well as some tips for working with the tiny mini Hama beads. 

I made six mini snowflakes to decorate my jar. You will see that because they are so delicate the snowflake pattern includes transparent beads which are hardly visible when the snowflakes are in position on the jar. 

Then you just need to find an old jam jar which is a good shape for holding a candle. One with a wide neck is best so that you can easily light the candle. This lantern is suitable for both battery powered candles and real tealight candles.

To stick the mini snowflakes to the jam jar a glue dot works really well as it is transparent and will hold the embellishment firmly. You can also use glue, or for a temporary lantern a blob of Blu Tack also works really well, although it may show through from the other side of the jar.

It makes a great winter or festive decoration!

You can find my tutorial for the mini Hama bead snowflakes here. Below are the products that you need to make the snowflakes. I have made these snowflakes using mini Hama beads which are not the size which is commonly used. Make sure that you are buying the correct size board and beads. 

Mini Hama bead snowflake designs

I love crafting with mini Hama beads, you can make some really detailed and delicate pieces which are great for embellishing cards or adding to other decorations around the home. Today I'm sharing some designs that I've created for mini Hama bead snowflakes. The mini Hama beads are so tiny that each snowflake measures about 1.5cm - 2cm in diameter. 

Just a quick note to say that I know a snowflake should have six sides, but having spent ages with my graph paper trying to design a six sided snowflake upon such a small scale I sadly had to admit defeat!

I began with these simple snowflake designs. These snowflake patterns will also work beautifully for all pixel art crafts, for example cross stitch, diamond painting or digital artwork. 

However these snowflake patterns will not work for Hama beads unless you create a background using the beads as they are too fragile and the beads cannot fuse properly. If you want the snowflakes to be used with Hama beads but without a background then you need to add some transparent beads to the design. The finished snowflakes are still fragile, but have enough stability to keep them together. The light grey squares represent the transparent beads. 

These designs will work for all Hama bead sizes, but I have chosen to make my snowflakes using mini Hama beads as they are so delicate and I think they make perfect snowflakes. The beads are very tiny, about the size of a single cross stitch. If you are new to crafting with the mini Hama beads then you might like to read my helpful post - A guide to mini Hama beads which has lots of tips for using these tiny beads.

The snowflake designs are created using the square pegboard. Make sure that you are using the correct size pegboard for your beads. The best way to work with the tiny Hama beads is to use tweezers to position them on the board. 

When you are happy with the layout of your beads you can cover them with ironing paper and iron to fuse the beads together. You need to be very careful when ironing mini Hama beads. Make sure that the iron is on a low or medium setting and only press for a second or two. You can find more tips for ironing Hama beads here - Ironing tips for Hama beads. I like to iron my designs lightly on both sides to make sure that the beads are firmly melted together in place. 

Here are my finished mini Hama bead snowflakes! I do have a craft or two in mind for them which I will be sharing shortly here on the blog. 

Please note that this craft uses mini Hama beads which are not the standard size Hama beads. Make sure that the beads and pegboard you buy are both same size, as the beads and boards are available in three sizes - mini, midi and maxi. If you buy a bag of mini Hama beads in mixed colours then you should have enough white and clear beads to make some snowflakes (although you'll have to sort through to separate the colours!)

Some books to keep you going through the Winter

This post contains Amazon affiliate links

Winter isn't my favourite season. I have lots of ways that I try to keep myself happy and motivated when it's cold and rainy - I even made a list of my favourite things to do in Winter.

Something that I really love to do is to snuggle up under a blanket with a good book, and I have a few non-fiction favourites that I regularly turn to for inspiration, gorgeous pictures, and motivation. I thought I'd share some of them here - these are all books that I can personally recommend as I own them and have re-read each of them many times!

Making Winter: A Creative Guide for Surviving the Winter Months by Emma Mitchell (affiliate link). This lovely book was recommended and bought for me by my sister. It's a chunky hardback packed with beautiful pictures and creative activities for Winter, including recipes, crochet patterns and drawing. It presents a good balance between getting yourself out into the fresh air to spend time enjoying nature at this time of year, and then retreating into your snug home under a blanket with a hot drink and some baked goodies. It inspired me this year to pull out a sketchbook and my old watercolours, and to appreciate the beauty of the season.

The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking (affiliate link). I love reading books about Hygge and I love this author, I have his other books too which I can fully recommend! It's a small format book so easy to carry around the house with you, and it also has some lovely pictures. It's great to pick up and put down if you just fancy a quick browse, and there are some lovely tips for introducing Hygge into your life, not just during the winter but all year round. I particularly love the idea of creating a Hygge kit within easy reach containing favourite books, chocolates, comfy socks and so on.

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying by Marie Kondo (affiliate link). I've written several times about how I've used the Marie Kondo method in my home, and even though I feel like I'm fairly decluttered I still enjoy picking up the book from time to time and having a look through. It's helps me to feel inspired for the decluttering urge that I usually find is stronger over Winter, after the excess of Christmas and spending more time in the house.

The Year of Living Danishly by Helen Russell (affiliate link). I love this book about the author's first year spent in rural Denmark, when her husband takes a new job with Lego. It begins appropriately in January during a long, cold and dark winter with a chapter about discovering Hygge and Home, and as I follow her journey through the year it gives me hope that the warmer months are on their way!

I hope that you enjoy my suggestions, I would recommend each and every one of these books!

My favourite things to do in Winter

❆  Coming indoors and knowing that I don't need to go out again that day ❆

❆  Eating soup for lunch, either homemade or shop bought ❆

❆  Working on the border of a knitted or crochet blanket that covers my knees ❆

❆ Going up to bed early with a hot water bottle and my book ❆

❆ Having a really hot, steamy bath ❆

❆ Cuddling up under a blanket and watching television ❆

Photo credit Brigitte Tohm via Unsplash

❆ Going down to the beach when it's deserted, and the sky goes on forever ❆

❆ Eating discounted Christmas chocolates, biscuits and festive themed cakes ❆

❆ Turning the lights on and closing the curtains  ❆

❆ Coming out of the shower to a towel which is warm from the rail ❆

❆ Wearing long coats and chunky jumpers that are comfy and flatter my figure ❆

❆ Sitting reading with my back pressed up against a hot radiator ❆

Photo credit Paige Cody via Unsplash

What are your favourite things about Winter?

Embracing the season

I know that I'm not the only one to struggle at this time of the year. I don't enjoy the cold weather or dark and gloomy days, and I just want to stay at home under a blanket or with my back pressed against a radiator. But this year I'm determined to do a better job of embracing the winter season, and although it's early days yet I think that I've already made a good start.

Making Winter: A Creative Guide for Surviving the Winter Months (affiliate link) by Emma Mitchell was recommended to me by my sister last year, and she very kindly bought it for my birthday a couple of months ago. It's a gorgeous big hardback book packed with winter inspiration from an author that has discovered many ways to encourage herself to enjoy winter more. There are recipes, craft projects and crochet patterns, along with plenty of tips and inspiration to help you make the most of winter. I've kept the book beside the bed and I've been leafing through before I go to sleep and it's given me many ideas. 

One that particularly struck me was the suggestion of holding a regular craft session with friends. I have a couple of friends that I think I could interest in the idea, if we can find a time when we are all free! So this week I made a brief foray into a crafting evening with a friend, and we had a lovely time attempting to make woven paper hearts, a craft that I remember from school. They aren't as difficult to make as they look, I began with a simple woven heart template from Twinkl and then used the template to try out some variations on the theme. I was so pleased with them that I ended up making more with the children after school the next day! I think I'll make one of my New Year's resolutions the promise to try and set up a few more crafty and cake evenings with friends.

My inspiration for making the hearts came from a second book which has inspired me to think a little more positively about winter. I'm very late to the Hygge bandwagon, but I bought The Little Book of Hygge (affiliate link) by Meik Wiking about a year ago, and it's another lovely book to dip in and out of. I have a couple of favourite sections that I enjoy referring back to - in particular how to put together a hygge emergency kit, and a selection of ideas for embracing hygge throughout the year. I love the idea of stocking up on blankets, warm socks and nice chocolate while I do some crafting, look through old photos, write letters or watch television.

I've also upped my game a bit with my Christmas decorations this year. My home decor does tend towards the minimalistic, but it's nice to have a cosier look at Christmas. Inspired by a display at the local garden centre I went a bit mad buying fake greenery, poinsettias and fairy lights, and now I just want to invite everyone over to show them off. We even have a wreath for the door for the first time, although I'm waiting until a few neighbours are displaying theirs before I put mine up!

Finally I've been enjoying my Christmas jigsaw puzzles. I have quite a collection now, and this year for the first time I want to try and finish them all by Christmas. I've managed to do three already and I have another three to go - I've started early and I'm confident that I can do it! I find jigsaws so relaxing, and once I've got past the initial sorting of the pieces it's so satisfying to watch them come together.

If you struggle with winter like I do, I'd love to hear your tips for embracing the season before we can start to look forward to some warmer weather!

This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

A winter scene lantern in a jar

It's never to early to start thinking about crafting for Christmas! Here's how I turned an old jam jar into a pretty lantern with a wintery silhouette theme.

You need:

A jam jar
White acrylic paint and sponge
Thin white card
Scalpel and cutting mat
Yellow tissue paper
Blu Tack Blu Stick 
Blu Tack Foam Pads (small)
Silver ribbon
Bostik All Purpose glue
A tea light candle (I used battery powered)

Instructions:

First make sure that your jam jar is clean and dry. Then pour some white acrylic paint into a flat container, for example a margarine tub lid. Dip a sponge into the paint, dab off the excess on a scrap piece of paper, then use the sponge to coat the jar lightly in paint, using a thicker layer of paint towards the base of the jar. If you accidentally apply too much paint, use a dry tissue to blot the excess and give the paintwork a smoother finish. Leave to dry.

Take a piece of scrap paper and measure around the base of the jar to work out how large your winter scene needs to be. Make a rough sketch of your silhouette. Take a piece of white card and use a pencil to copy your design onto the card. You are working on the back so that the pencil lines will be hidden, so remember that the design will be reversed when it is placed on the jar.

Make sure that your design has plenty of detail, but if you are new to paper cutting don't make it too complicated. I included two houses with windows and a few Christmas style trees. It might help to lightly shade the areas you want to remove.

Then use a scalpel to cut out the design. I found it easiest to start with the smaller more fiddly areas first, like the doors and windows, before making the larger cuts around the outlines of the design. Use a metal ruler to keep the line along the bottom straight. When you have finished the cutting hold the card up to the light to make sure that the composition is even and adjust as necessary.

Glue some scraps of yellow tissue paper behind the windows. I used the Blu Tack Blu Stick to glue the tissue paper in place, it's great because it doesn't make the paper wrinkle and because the application is blue you can see where you have spread the glue before it dries clear.

Then use Blu Tack foam pads to stick the silhouette to the outside of the jar. I used the small sticky pads which measure 5mm by 5mm. Because they are so small they can be used for more delicate crafts, and they are very sticky so will hold firmly in place.

Finally I finished the jar with some silver ribbon around the top. To glue the ribbon in place I used Bostik All Purpose glue which is great for adhering all different types of surfaces. It dries really quickly too which is always useful when crafting.

Finally place a tea light candle inside and watch your silhouette come to life!

This is a collaborative post in association with Bostik.

Things I love about winter

Let me be straight up here, winter is my least favourite season. Last year we were able to escape for some winter sun, but sadly that's not on the cards this year so there are still several months of cold days and dark evenings ahead. So I thought I'd write a list of the things that I do love about winter, to help cheer myself up while we wait for the sunshine!

This post was partly inspired by one of the books that I received for my birthday -The Little Book of Hygge (affiliate link) - which I've been reading over and over. It really has helped me to think better of winter. My favourite sections are how to build a Hygge emergency kit and how to do Hygge on the cheap, it's definitely worth a read at this time of year!

So here are some things that I love about this time of year:

* Hot chocolate. I do drink hot chocolate all through the year, but this year I treated myself to a bag of mini marshmallows and I feel very decadent. It always tastes better when you've just come in from the cold.

* Sitting with my back against a hot radiator.

* Being cosy in bed in my fleecy pajamas with a hot water bottle.

* Snuggling under a blanket or working on a crochet blanket while sitting underneath it.

* Poinsettias, such gorgeous flowers, there's something about their shape and the colour combination that I love. I have a mini one above my desk and a large one in the fireplace.

A post shared by jenniferjain (@jenniferjain) on Dec 12, 2017 at 3:33am PST

* Snow, when we are lucky enough to have some!

* Dark evenings - it can be gloomy but I like that it takes away the pressure to actually go out and do something productive like go for a run, I can just stay inside!

* That feeling when you get back from the school run, come inside and shut the door, close the curtains, turn on the lights and enjoy the warmth, knowing that you don't have to go out again until the morning.

* Making plans for the New Year, a new craft project, New Year's resolutions, decluttering and organising.

* Wearing winter jumpers, both lovely thick ones and warm thin ones.

* Comfort eating and not having to worry about how I look in shorts.

* Seeing the sunrise and sunset. Our house doesn't have any windows that face East or West so we usually miss sunrise and sunsest, at this time of year I'm more likely to be out and about so I can enjoy them.

* Hearing the wind whistle in the chimney while I'm warm and snug inside.

* Making and eating lots of soup.

* Lighting candles, both scented and plain. I treated myself to some lovely Christmassy candles this year which I'm enjoying very much.

* Seeing the signs of spring, feeling the first warmth in the air, spotting the early crocuses and daffodils, and appreciating the longer hours of daylight.

What is your favourite season?

Photo credit - Alex via Unsplash. Post contains an Amazon Affiliate link.

Blog post ideas for Winter

As the nights draw in and the chill descends, are you looking to fill your blog editorial calendar over the winter months? Here's some inspiration to help you through! Do note that I've avoided any mention of Christmas...that's a whole other blog post!

* What do you love about winter?

* What do you hate about winter?

* How do you know that winter is on the way?

* Where is your favourite place for a frosty Winter walk?

* Share a recipe for your favourite winter meal or comfort food

* Share your favourite warming winter drinks

* How do you make your home cosy for winter?

* What are your favourite winter outfits - share your cosy knitwear picks

* Do you decorate your home for winter, not just Christmas? Share your ideas and inspiration

* What are your winter family traditions?

* Share some favourite winter family films to snuggle up together with

* What is your winter travel wish list? (you can see my winter travel wishlist here!)

* Share your favourite winter memories - is it just me, or did it snow every year when I was little? I have many fond memories of being taken to school on a sledge and building enormous snowmen.

* Tips for keeping warm, both at home and out and about

* Write a winter themed poem or short story to share on your blog

* Share your top winter gear picks for the family - snowsuits, wellies, hats and so on

* Cheer yourself up with some sunny memories - share some pictures from your last summer holiday and share plans for the next one

* If you have a few winter themed posts from previous years then combine them into a round up - for example crafts, recipes, days out

* Did you write any blog posts over the last year that could do with an update? For example a home renovation project, moving house, a new addition to the family

* Write about a television series or two that you've been binge watching lately

* What do you do in that period between Christmas and New Year?

* What are your New Year's resolutions and goals? How did the ones from last year go?

* Do you have any New Year's decluttering or organising tips to share?

* What were your top performing blog posts of the last year?

* What were your favourite blog posts from the last year?

* What projects do you have lined up for the year ahead? A list of unfinished craft projects, any DIY that needs to be done around the house?

* Looking a little way ahead, perhaps you have some Chinese New Year or Valentine's Day posts that you could start to write - recipes, crafts and so on.

If you've enjoyed this post, you may like some of my other lists of blog post ideas:

Blog post ideas for craft bloggers
Blog post ideas for travel bloggers
Blog post ideas for Spring
Blog post ideas for Summer
Blog post ideas for Autumn
Blog post ideas for Christmas

Finally, I've gathered many of these ideas together to form an entire year of blog post inspiration!

Image credit Ryan Pohanic via Unsplash