Yesterday, we set out for the park and the ground was like an ice rink. When we got to the playground, it was frozen solid, so we just had a snack and some tea and headed home again. It still felt refreshing tasting the fresh air and being out early in the morning when no one else seemed to be 🙂 It was very sunny too and I find that getting outside before doing anything else enables me to cope better with whatever comes next 🙂
When we got home, we finished making the girls’ woven pictures. The ribbon they had dyed was dry so they threaded it through the foam sheets and then added the little frames they had decorated. One thing I love about Christmas being over is the leftover food. There are always plenty of festive treats to enjoy with a cup of coffee after a wintry walk 🙂 We also made the girls’ paper beads out of the watercolour paper they’d used the day before. They had to form the beads by wrapping them around a straw and gluing them. They let them dry so they would hold their shape. I prefer doing crafts with kids that unfold in stages. It creates less chaos and they seem more invested in the end product 🙂
I got an adult sticker book and I’ve been finding it so therapeutic. If I feel like everything is getting too much, it really stills my mind, and it’s rewarding seeing the pictures coming together. I didn’t realise you could get adult sticker books until I got one as a Christmas present, but I like them as much as adult colouring books now 🙂
I found a recipe in The Simple Things magazine for a Swedish chocolate cake, so the girls helped me make it. It turned out very gooey in the middle, like a big brownie 🙂 It did say in the directions that it was meant to be sticky in the centre. Usually the girls turn their noses up at most of my baking, but they said it was their favourite cake in the world 🙂 Maybe I can switch to making it for birthdays and save myself the bother of selecting one they’ll approve of from the shop 🙂
I had a major cleaning day, clearing out a lot of the Christmassy things, but I did it at a leisurely place and it soothed my mind. I think changing things about your home is one way to take back control of your life in lockdown. The fact that we are spending so much time at home means how it looks affects my mood much more. It felt freeing getting rid of things and making space to live amidst the piles of artwork 🙂 I’ll never be a naturally tidy person, but I still find rearranging things enjoyable 🙂 I added some of the girls’ new artwork to the walls to replace the blankness left behind by Christmas tree pictures I’d taken down 🙂
When the girls’ TV time rolled around, we all had some of the chocolate cake and I made a little sanctuary for myself in the kitchen. I love that time of the day because everything becomes less frantic and I can light a candle, drink warm coffee and have some time to gather my thoughts 🙂 Especially with homeschooling coming back in, I’m appreciative of any moments of peace I manage to acquire 🙂
The Funky Thrifter 