Winter has arrived!
We had snow, snow, and more snow. (And then some rain!) The kids had a day off school on Monday and a delayed start on Tuesday. I got my cardio and strength training thanks to a lot of shovelling.
I read something this week—from a fellow Maritimer—that said January doesn’t really feel like a fresh start around here. It feels like… winter. And just like there are morning people (and decidedly not morning people), I think there are winter people and non-winter people. I mostly fall into the latter category. I am a fall girl at heart. Give me sunshine, beautiful foliage, and crisp mornings, please and thank you.
The reality is that I do live in a winter climate, and I think that’s part of why I don’t feel much New Year Energy right now. I mostly just feel cold—and tired of dealing with wet snow gear. Instead of letting that get me down, I’m trying to remind myself that the winter doldrums are normal, and that it’s okay to feel a bit antsy when we’re housebound. At the same time, I’m trying to embrace small, everyday things that break the monotony and bring me some joy. (I’m leaning into this concept on Patreon where we’re brainstorming Joy Languages.)
Like right now. I started writing this post in our basement office, but it was dark and a bit depressing. So I moved to the dining room table. Everything outside is coated in a thick layer of snow, which makes the world look bright and cheerful. The sun is shining so I’m toasty and warm sitting in front of the sliding door. I already shovelled the driveway this morning, and Indy cleared off the car—so the sunshine can do the work of melting the ice on the windshield!
This week I’ve had to work a bit harder to look on the bright side of life. Between hormones (I felt so seen reading SHU’s posts on the subject), the news cycle, solo parenting, weather, and various personal challenges… I’m happy to be nearing the end of the week!
Which means my first Happy Thing is the fact today is Friday!!!
Here are some more…
SNOW
I am the first person to complain about snow, and it is a nuisance. But it is also beautiful and magical. On the snow day, I decided we needed to get out of the house for some Forced Fun Time in the afternoon. We went to the sledding hill—each kid brought a friend—and then one of my friends walked over (she lives just a few minutes from the hill) with a cup of tea, and we sat and watched them.
It was a lot of snow!!! (Where was this when my sister and niece visited from the southern US???)
PICKLEBALL
I know this keeps coming up, but I think that’s one of the secrets to a regular gratitude practice: taking note of things that bring delight over and over again.
It is so much fun to be active with other people in a quasi-competitive environment. Plus, it’s in our church gym, and church feels like an extension of home—safe and welcoming. If you had told me a year ago that some of the highest points of my week would be playing pickleball, I would not have believed you. But here we are!
PHOTOBOOK
My 2026 photobook is ordered! This is truly a labour of love. I’ve tried automating the process before, but it just doesn’t work for me. We have so many pictures, and I’m picky about how I like things organized, so every single photo gets placed by me. It’s admittedly time-consuming, but I’ve slowly streamlined the process over the years.
It’s still… a lot of work. And such a relief to be done.
There was a 25% off deal open for a short window, so I used that as the final push I needed. Photobooks aren’t cheap, so I always try to wait for some kind of deal. It’s not perfect, but done is done—and I’m so excited for it to arrive. The kids keep asking when it’s coming, which I take as the highest form of praise.
FOOD
We had some really good food this week. I am so thankful for food. It’s delicious. It takes a lot of time, and sometimes (many times!) I wish I didn’t have to think about cooking or prepping or buying ingredients—but then we have suppers with candles, everyone is talking, and it feels so good.
I made mashed potatoes in the Instant Pot and they were a huge hit. Also, soft-boiled eggs in the Instant Pot are soooo good (and easy).
Another night we had risotto and salad. Indy is very into chopping things, so he tackled the lettuce for our salad and cut up smoked salmon for the risotto and took his job of Chief Risotto Stirrer very seriously.
Don’t be fooled. There were some vegetables but we also ate oatmeal for supper one night, I consumed more Albanese gummy bears than I am willing to admit… ditto leftover Peanut Brittle Bars in the freezer from Christmas.
BONUS HAPPY THINGS
- The kids were thrilled about the snow day. After shovelling, Indy took a well-earned rest and watched Minecraft tutorials. This posture captured it perfectly: pajamas, total relaxation. He was living the life.
- John wanted to try to get something sorted at the Portuguese Embassy while he’s in Helsinki. (The closest consulate for us is Montreal—a very long drive away—so taking public transit 20 minutes from his office is much more convenient.) Success! On paper, things shouldn’t have worked out but he was able to get his citizen card renewed and we can pick up his new passport when we’re back in Helsinki in a few months!!! AND we should be able to do all the work with the kid’s Portuguese citizenship + passports when we’re in Helsinki which, again, will be so much easier than a long drive/hotel stay to accomplish the same thing in Canada.
- Coffee with my Dad. I met Indy off the bus and we walked down together. Unfortunately, I think having coffee that late in the day ruined my sleep and I had an epically horrible night… but the coffee (and cookie) was a delight.
- I have been trying to sort out curtains for our bedroom since we the room painted back in November. I have FINALLY made my decision, I tossed the curtains in the dryer with a wet cloth to steam all the wrinkles out (it worked like a charm), they are hung… and I am so relieved. Sometimes the tiniest of design decisions feels like it takes FOREVER.
I have zero desire to do ANYTHING but there are things that need doing. Off I toddle to muddle my way through another snowy day. There will be a time after this, right?!
Your turn.
- Tell me all about your Happy Things from the week!
- Do you still have holiday treats in the house?
- What do you do with all your pictures? Albums? Photobooks? Digital storage only?
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My photos live in Google photos and my phone memory. I try to go through and delete stuff when I have some downtime ( like waiting in doctor’s offices). However, nothing is organized well. It took me 5 years to remember to delete all the pictures of homework from the early days of covid.
Believe it or not, pre-digital photography, I had photo albums and an album for each kid with a monthly picture. I was so organized! I take too many pictures now ( mostly of cats) and rarely remember to print. Your photo book is such a great way to get those memories out where you can see them!
Happy thing- my semester started, and it’s a small but interesting class. I helped a colleague with her class- made me feel so good to find some resources she wanted.
We haven’t had much snow, though today school is canceled due to bitter temps and high winds. ( too many kids walk to school , they don’t often have the right outerwear to stand this kind of chill- wind chill at -25°F [-31°C] at the warmest part of thr day!). However, it’s a happy thing because we’ve had the flu go round in my house, and all my kids could use a day of rest.
Holiday treats barely make it past Dec 26th in my house. There might be one bag of Hershey kisses hiding in the basement- I bought them on clearance after the holiday for lunch box treats.
You are so brave to go down that steep hill- glad you found some fun on yet another snowy day!
Can you have too many pictures of your cats (don’t tell Suzanne you said that!)???
It is SO nice when there is a forced rest when you know everyone needs it. I’ve been relieved for snow days many times.
This is inspiring me to make a photo album! I haven’t printed off photos in such a long time.
For me, the new year always starts in September. I find January-February a lot more rough than November-December, which at least has Christmas (not Thanksgiving as I am British and forget it exists lol). In January, it’s just cold and I’m back at work. I went to New York City in January a couple of years ago for a friend’s birthday and, while it was freezing, it was really good to go away in such a miserable month! There was a lot of snow here a couple of weeks ago and I went sledding by myself, but it was still a lot of fun! I also went for a sunrise walk and swim another morning. It was freezing but definitely worth it.
This week has been kind of quiet but I had a lovely evening last Friday where I met up with a friend and then went to my book group. I also made it to the gym for strength training and a yoga class. I’m trying to lift weights twice a week so I’m aiming to go later today! Maybe I’ll also go to the 5K park run tomorrow morning (although it’s cold and I’m not much of a morning person so I’m not holding my breath!).
I’m stuck on the fact you went SWIMMING. You really are Scandinavian!
I mostly despise January and February. I kind of forget how much I dislike this time of year. September really does feel like more of a fresh start for me, too, since the kids are heading back to school, and it is my favourite time (weather wise) of the year. I need to lean into that and feel less pressure to have New Year energy.
Some years I do feel the fresh start of January… not this year! Maybe when the spring temperatures arrive and there is more sunshine, the motivation will come then. Spring WILL come, Elisabeth!!
Happy things:
-I got to visit a friend and her adorable 7m old. I don’t miss that age, but it is very fun to be around for a few hours!
-the kids have been taking turns helping me with dishes after supper (not their choice, haha) and to make it more fun, I let them pick what music to have on while we wash and dry. Last night it turned into a spontaneous dance party with the soundtrack from Sing 2
There are probably more happy things but that’s all I can think of right now.
I made a photo book to give to my kids for Christmas, and yes it took so much time to make. And it was nowhere nearly as long as yours. Ideally I would go through pictures on a regular basis but I don’t. Oh well!
It has been cold and bleak here lately and that makes such a difference in how long January (and February) feel. Usually by mid-March there are days where it isn’t freezing outside, but I don’t really exhale until May when I can reliably put away my winter coat.
I think adding music to any chore makes it instantly more palatable!
I think photobooks make such great gifts! They’ll cherish it forever, I’m sure.
The main happy things this week:
People here are getting over the weird little virus we caught while in Florida.
My second son had his first job interview and got a job offer the next day! He will be working as a CNA at a long term care facility. Eventually he wants to go into geriatric nursing, so this will be good experience for him. And I have an interview lined up at a different facility next week. Yikes.
Ugh. The bugs seem to be everywhere this year 🙁
That is AMAZING news re. your son! All the best with your interview – how exciting (and nerve-wracking, I’m sure).
The holiday treats are gone, BUT I made another batch of chocolate peanut clusters – with mixed nuts this time – as a treat for the impending ice storm this weekend. Today I’m making bread, so at the very least we can make sandwiches. Praying desperately for sleet instead of freezing rain, and the power staying on.
A comical happy thing: after initial *freak outs* about the straw bales moving in, the chickens have decided the straw bale wall/windbreak on the N/NE side of their coop is a new toy, LOL! They’re systematically pulling out individual strands of straw like they’re the best treasures ever… I told them to please wait until after the winter storm to demolish the wall, haha
All the best with the coming weather. It sounds like it is going to be a pretty horrible storm, so homemade bread and TREATS sound very well timed.
Congrats on getting the photo book finished, I’m sure that’s a weight off your shoulders. I’d love your instapot mashed potatoes recipe if you don’t mind sharing. We are bracing for lots of snow on Sunday night and even though I love it, it also makes me nervous. Fall is where it’s at for sure!
Ha, my InstantPot recipe wasn’t actually a real recipe; I looked at this recipe for guidance (https://www.loveandlemons.com/instant-pot-mashed-potatoes/#wprm-recipe-container-60599), but I think I only cooked it on high pressure for 8, not 12 minutes, but I wasn’t make up many potatoes (5 total, I think?)? I drained most of the water off (kept just a bit), added a splash of cream, a little chunk of butter, and salt (no pepper because I have a kid who hates pepper, so I just added it to mine after). And that was it! I didn’t add garlic or anything else. They truly were the simplest mashed potatoes ever, but they seemed extra creamy (this was the first time I’d made potatoes in the IP).
This has been one of the worst winters in the last 7 years or so. SO MUCH snow and below freezing temps since early November. I can’t wait until Spring.
I freeze half the Christmas cookies I make, so I still have plenty in the freezer. Yesterday, I got out the ginger cookies, so that was a treat last night with my bedtime latte. I will do a photo book of our family vacation last year and then print out maybe 50 or so photos from the entire year that I love and will put them into a photo album. When I decorate for different seasons, I pull out matching ones from the albums to put in frames around the house.
You have a latte at bedtime?? Is it decaf? I would be awake every second of the night if I had a latte just before bed. Though I’d gladly take the ginger cookie 🙂 They’re my favourite.
That’s such a fun seasonal decorating hack! Love the idea!
Yes, I only drink decaf any time of day!
Wise!!!!
There has been a lot of snow this winter! Looking at another potential snow storm Sunday and Monday here and it might be too cold for the kids to full enjoy it. Sigh. They’ve been having a lot of fun sledding this year but it’s not nearly as fun to go sledding when it’s -10 C and windy…
Happy things:
– The plumber is finally here to fix the slow draining tub. Less happy is that it’s not gonna be a simple fix and holes are currently being cut in the basement ceiling…
– we are 99% done the giant basement declutter and reorg and it finally looks so much better and is functional! It was in the stage of “I’ve spent SO MUCH TIME and it still looks terrible!!!” for a long time, which was mighty depressing. It feels great to finally actually see how much work we’ve done.
– Homeschooling has been going really well since we restarted after Christmas. I switched up what we were doing for reading at it seems to have really helped. We also seem to have finally gotten to a better understanding of that doing what you’re asked in school makes it go much faster and better and then you have the rest of the day.
Snow and mild temps are quite lovely. It’s the cold and ice that make me want to pack up and move south!
Ugh. We have a plumbing issue and it’s going to be expensive and not fun and we’re ignoring it for now and just using a different bathroom but that is NOT a good long-term solution 😉
Congrats on the decluttering. It often looks WORSE which can be so demoralizing. I’m glad you’re through to the happy other side where all your hard work shows.
I am with you- I’m also a non-winter person. I think you’re doing well though. The “winter people” seem to enjoy outdoor activities in the snow, and you do get out there.
Happy Things: I’m off of work today and bumming around Miami while my daughter spends the day playing in a band at UM! It’s nice to do something different. Then, it’s the weekend and there are two football games on Sunday! My calf is feeling perfectly normal so I’m planning a long trail run on Sunday morning. Huh, I guess life is pretty good.
There are still some straggling candy canes around our house, and also I keep making more batches of “Christmas crack” because it’s so easy and my husband keeps requesting it. I don’t put the red and green sprinkles on though. We have to start calling it something else (Valentine’s crack?)
I do get out there, but my soul is crying about it – haha.
Enjoy Miami!!! And football! And a long run!!! And a new mug???? I wonder if you found one today?
There will be a time after this! I think it can be important to look at patterns of happy things. I do a small journal every night where I write one good thing that happened that day. Some days it’s a stretch! But I have noticed how often getting together with friends makes this list, which helps kick me into making plans.
That is such great advice! Yes, there WILL be a time after this.
It is helpful to know what are activities/people/things that tend to automatically make the happy list. Sometimes it doesn’t take much effort to schedule in one of those happy events and it can have a disproportionate impact on mood and life satisfaction!
I am working on a 2025 photo album for my parents (thanks to your inspiration). I needed them to send me some photos, which they’ve been busily doing this week. I sense that they enjoy going through their photos and they like the idea of contributing to the project. So it’s a win-win!
Thanks for the idea, Elisabeth and have a relaxing weekend!
Go you! I’m so glad I inspired this project and I am excited for them to receive it! What a lovely gift <3
Gold Star to you for finishing the photo book. I love making them, too but am really behind and need to go back a couple of years to catch up. I usually make a photo calendar each year with pictures of the kids for us and the grandparents and it brings me a lot of joy looking back at the year and what fun adventures and mile stones there were. Other then that I have my pictures online these days.
I make calendars for the grandparents and it is always their favourite gift of each Christmas!!!
The snow pictures are so visually pleasing! It is a huge hassle to deal with, especially when solo parenting. But it does give off the coziest, more gorgeous winter vibes. We are in the midst of a horrific cold stretch in Minnesota. The feels like temp is -30F. We are approaching the point where the celsius and fahrenheit temp is the same, which I believe is at -40 and wow is that a miserable milestone to achieve. Sigh.
Happy things! Well, it was awful to get the kids out the door to go to the library last night and prior to that I have an epic battle with Paul over practicing piano… but once we were at the library, the boys played really well and we came home with a giant bag of books. It was unpleasant to go to the library, even though we were barely outdoors, and it was unpleasant to return our 30+ books in the outdoor book drop but I am stubborn about returning books the way the library prefers we return them. I could have given to the librarian but I am just so stubborn. I definitely sent the kids inside while I was returning the books, though! After I was done returning books, I realized there was a woman behind me. I hope she did not stand there for long!
Cold like that has NO redeemable qualities. I just hate the cold. It permeates my bones (literally) and I just live cold and am so miserable. Thankfully, it’s not nearly that cold here right now, but I’m feeling very over winter (as I do every year)… but there is still a lot of winter to go!
Hooray for a fresh stack of books!
The difference between you and me is that the peanut brittle would never have made it into my freezer. I rediscovered my love of pralines in New Orleans and I’m strictly rationing myself to one a day from the box of 6 that I brought home.
The snow is pretty, and although I’m not looking forward to the extreme cold, my FIG basket runneth over…Hubs and I will have fun snuggling with the dog, we don’t have to be anywhere and he can WFH if it’s not safe to drive, I’ve planned (and shopped for!) some yummy meals, so it’s going to be fine.
Your plans sound so cozy! Love it. I wish you were here cooking for me, just sayin’
(Also, tonight is the night we watch Rebecca and you will be here in spirit <3)
I AM a winter person, but woof. Having a dog and dangerously cold temps? NOT THE BEST COMBO if I am being honest.
I cannot imagine doing winter with FIVE children!!!! And a dog! AND THAT YOU GO RUNNING IN IT. This just confirms you are Super Woman 🙂
I wish I could delegate the photo album task to someone. I love seeing it done but the process of starting is so daunting!
So much snow!!!!! Lizzy will be happy to be there, she has never seen snow!
Happy thing for Friday: I made a new cake and a new sourdough this morning. both turned out to be great. I agree, cooking takes so much energy! yet, when we see the final product, we are so happy with it.
I wonder if one of your girls would like to prepare a photobook? I’m pretty sure A does it for SHU!
I know snow can be so annoying if you’re dealing with it on a day-to-day basis but these photos are so wonderfully wintery, Elisabeth, and I wish I was there to play in the snow 🙂
Way to go on the photo book. I know how much work that is!
Really cool that John was able to take care of some stuff at the Portuguese Embassy in Helsinki (ha, that sounds so “international” because it is.) Is it easy to get dual citizenship for Indy and Belle?
I should spend more time playing in it, I think… but it’s just SO COLD right now. But it really is beautiful!
We’re mostly done the process for the kids and we should be able to finish it off in Finland which is (ironically) more convenient than doing it in Canada!
These are some nice happy things! I haven’t made a photo book in too long. My pictures are on my computer and an external hard drive with folders organized by month and year – until 2025, when I didn’t organize them at all. I don’t even want to think about it. I’m going to put them in a 2025 folder and call it good enough. I made a photo calendar for this year, which turned out pretty nice. I got it printed at Shutterfly.
Good enough is good enough! You have the photos and having just one year that isn’t organized isn’t the end of the world!
Photo calendars are such a treat!
Some of my ancestors came from Norway so maybe it’s my heritage! Haha!
I don’t make many New Year’s resolutions in January because a) I don’t feel like a new person just because a new calendar year has started and b) January is not the month (at least in the northern hemisphere) to be starting self-improvement. It’s a month for staying warm and finding joy whenever possible!
I feel all of this on a deep level! And yes, January really is for hibernating where we live and I need to lean into that and put a lot less pressure on myself. Everything takes extra effort (it’s a 15-minute process to get the car cleared and going), the roads are slippery, it’s dark early, etc. This comment inspired me to put on extra layers this morning so I’d be warmer while dealing with -25C weather (including windchill) and I have a stew cooking in the InstantPot right now!
-25?! That is COLD. I have some relatives in Canada because my mother’s aunt was a war bride and went off to Manitoba with a soldier. I think she might have regretted that decision when she was left alone most of the time in charge of a farm in freezing temperatures in the middle of nowhere! I know I would be noping out!
It is so cold right now… and tomorrow we’re set to get a giant storm. So I’m expecting at least two days off of school for the kids!
I made the peanut brittle bars this Christmas and they were a huge hit with the whole family and all of our holiday guests! They are definitely going on my regular Christmas baking list. And thanks for posting the IP mashed potato “recipe” above — I will definitely try it!
That is so wonderful that John was able to take care of the citizen card and passport while he was in Helsinki and SO WILD that you will be there before too long! What an adventure!!
We are hunkering down for the storm of the year right now, which probably doesn’t sound like much to you in the Great White North, but they are calling for 8-14 inches tomorrow. It’s bizarre because we have no snow on the ground right now (but the temp is 12F / -11C) but the grocery stores have been mobbed, the bishop already issued a dispensation lifting the obligation for Catholics to attend mass tomorrow, and my office has converted all of our Monday morning appointments to video in anticipation. I feel like often the predictions are nowhere close to what we actually end up getting, so we will see!!
Yay! I’m so glad you liked the brittle bars. They are yummy!
That’s a lot of snow!! It is currently VERY cold here, and tonight we’re getting the end of the storm. We’re supposed to get a major dumping of snow and I’m expecting the kids to be off school for one day, probably two??
Stay safe!!
I think I would also struggle with January if it were as cold and miserable as it has been where you are! Here in Florida, this is the time of year I live for. Our “winter” probably resembles your fall, ha. It’s when it’s September/October and it’s still miserably hot and humid that I sort of lose my will to live. Or at least do anything outside.
I used to get Chatbooks with pictures of my pets, but I stopped doing that when I realized I never even LOOKED at these books. I’d rather choose a few photos to frame that make photo books, I think. I love that your kids love your photo books so much – makes all that labor worth it!
When you’re all drenched in sweat and I’m loving my fall, you feel the pain I feel now. I HATE winter, but at least today it was snowing and very beautiful.
So many snow days!! The sledding looks like fun — something I’ve not done. Yet.
I’ve never made homemade risotto, but I’ve heard that you need to stir it constantly. Would you lend out Indy for that position?
Elisabeth, you inspired me to make a 2025 photo book! I started it a few weeks ago, then got super busy, but I will get back to it. SOON.
So. many. snow. days! And we just had two more this week.
I feel like photobooks are a great investment of time and money so go you!