20 Ways to beat the winter blues... and a bonus!

Winter can be a hard time for me, it seems to hit me every year about mid-January. The holidays are over, it still gets dark early, the sky is gray, the leaves are brown...

Hey! That sounds like a song! I crack myself up...

Anyway... here is a list that I made of things that I do to help when I feel blah, in a funk, a little depressed... and I hope it helps you too!

20 Ways to beat winter blues (or blahs)

1. Create something, paint, bake bread, be crafty!

2. Go for a long walk, even though it may be cold outside. If you walk a lot, change it up and walk                     someplace new.

3. Cuddle up with herbal tea (or coffee) & a good book.

4. Do a necessary chore that makes you feel better. I take everything out of my fridge and wash the shelves, taking them out and wiping them down. It's so shiny when it's done!

5. Break up your routine- shop at a new place, eat at a different restaurant, shop at a different store. 

6. Plan something to look forward to— a Spring break trip or a summer garden.

7. Listen to a new podcast.

8. Get together with a friend for a walk or coffee. 

9. Write thank you notes for Christmas if you haven’t already.

10. Paint your nails, soak your feet, style your hair a different way… pamper yourself after the busy Christmas season.

11. Try a new recipe- maybe a soup for these chilly evenings...

12. Declutter- whether it be your wardrobe, a closet, cupboard, etc.,

13. Watch a funny show that makes you laugh- like “Date Night” or “Rat Race.”

14. Celebrate a fun holiday- like Peanut Butter Day or Spouses Day.

15. Invite friends to your home to play games.

16. Complete a new or old puzzle- a perfect indoor activity!

17. Wear bright colors, or something soft & comfortable- your favorite sweater or sweatshirt, jeans, socks, etc.,

18. Remember that you are not alone. Take time to read God’s word and pray. (1 Peter 5:7)

19. Color in an adult coloring book- it can be relaxing!

20. Make an upbeat songs playlist- it’s nice to listen to while on a walk or while cleaning. 

And one bonus...

21. Add cheerful essential oils to your diffuser, such as Orange, Lemon, or grapefruit...make your house smell good!

What about you? Do you have any ideas to add?

Genesis 8:22
“As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.”

Psalm 74:17
It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter.

Hosea 6:3
Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.”

Valentine's Day 2021

 We had a LOVEly Valentine's weekend at our house! This was the one and only year that THREE of our kids would be at a youth retreat for the weekend. Valentine's Day was on Sunday this year. The kids came back home at 9:00 p.m. on Saturday night. So we made the best of it, getting to cook delicious food together and having fun.

My Valentine... 💖

Our delicious homemade dinner of cast-iron seared steak, balsamic sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts, and bread. We also had yummy wine... it was SO good!

On Saturday, we went downtown for breakfast to one of our favorite cafes. Then we walked around, had coffee and shopped a little. There is a HUGE antique store downtown that we like. It is just pure entertainment. I bought three books. We did some cleaning and hung out at home the rest of the day. 

In the evening, we decided to paint. I had some canvases that I bought on sale at Target (under $2.00 each!). I looked on Pinterest and copied mine from a painting that I found there. It was nice to use a different, creative outlet, and we were pleased with the results.

Our completed pieces together...

This one is mine...

This one is not mine...

The kids had a great time but we really enjoyed watching shows and hanging out just the two of us. It was a stay-cation of sorts! We also really loved the quiet! After the kids came home, it was a whirlwind of activity for a solid hour until they went to bed! 

Then on Sunday, we had church, of course. My hubby bought me a long-sleeve, super comfy, red dress to wear with leggings. I wore that to church, and sang on praise team that day too. It was a lovely day! After church, he made pancakes with red hearts in them.They were super cute!

Can you see the pancakes in the background?

I sure love this guy!

Heart-shaped pancakes were fun. His mom frequently made fun things like this for them on holidays. I think we may have green pancakes next month! 💚

What did you do for Valentine's Day this year? Was there anything new or different? I'd love to hear all about it!

Matthew 22:37
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’

Exodus 34:6

And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness...

Deuteronomy 30:16
For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.

New wood burning crafts!

 I am in a "Buy Nothing" Facebook group, and sometimes people post a "little ask" or "big ask," where you can ask for things you would like for free. I asked for calligraphy pens (which I got and love!) and for a wood burning kit. Wood burning is a craft that I have been interested in trying for many years. I like the look of it and just wanted to try it out. My older brother had a wood burning kit when we were younger, and he made some Christmas ornaments with it, which hung on our tree for many years.

A woman in my area gave me a wood burning kit, which was barely used. I just had to go and pick it up! I went to Hobby Lobby and bought some birch and bamboo wood pieces. I grabbed a chunk of wood from our wood pile and tried out the wood burner. It is a little like etching, but I liked it! After researching on Pinterest and trying it out, I was ready for my first project... a dishwasher magnet!

I had seen this design on Pinterest and decided to imitate it. It is not perfect, but I like how it turned out. I figured out that making lines are way easier than making corners or curves. I tried different tips on the wood burner, and made a few minor mistakes... oh well!

I decided that my next project would be these little signs for my kids' bedroom doors. My oldest daughter said that she wanted one too, so her roommates' friends would know which room was hers! It was a fun and simple craft where I traced the pencil outline with the burner tool.

Here you can see my tool and some completed projects. Since it was close to Valentine's Day, I made this little "Be Mine" ornament for our home. It was another Pinterest imitation. I painted the hearts red with acrylic paint. I have been enjoying this new craft a lot, and still have a lot to learn. I appreciate the generosity of strangers! 

Have you been learning any new crafts this winter? I love having something new and different to try out! I'd love to hear about your crafting or hobbies too!

Genesis 22: 1-18 Abraham Tested

Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”
“Here I am,” he replied.

2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”

3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”

6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”

“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.

“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

8 Abraham answered, “God himself will providethe lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.

9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”  “Here I am,” he replied.

12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”

13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

15 The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time 16 and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the skyand as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”

Herbal tea

We love herbal tea in our house. It is a mainstay during the winter, especially. I am a huge peppermint fan, and drank peppermint tea every morning for many years (before I started drinking coffee, after I had babies!). I still love a good, hot cup of herbal tea. Since we live in Colorado, we love to support Celestial Seasonings, which has its home in Boulder. 

One of our favorite field trips that we took was when we visited Celestial Seasonings while visiting family in Denver. They have tours of their facility during certain hours, for ages 5 and up (The first time we visited, we couldn't take the tour because Rebekah was too young.) I found the whole process to be quite fascinating, to how there was a man that tasted the teas, to how they were stamped, boxes made and folded, and even sealed in cellophane. My husband enjoyed the tour too, because he worked for a calendar production company for several years, and enjoyed seeing the production process. 

One of the highlights of the tour for me was the mint room. The mint room is separate from the other teas in the facility, because it is so strong and potent, that if they didn't separate it, everything would taste a little bit like mint. They allowed us to go into the enclosed mint room if we wanted to, and I loved it! It smelled so amazing in that room!  They also had a gift shop, which had lots of teas for tasting, and teas for sale, as well as t-shirts, coasters, tea cups, tea sets and much more. We did buy a magnet which says, "I survived the mint room." It is a fun memory for me. One of my very favorite essential oils has always been peppermint, and it is strong and potent too, but I love it!

So we like buying different types and kinds of teas. It seems every one of us has a different favorite or taste preference. Bethany loves peach tea, (I didn't see the C.S. tea at our local grocery store, so I bought Bigelow, which is unusual for me.) and she also loves Watermelon Lime, which is not my favorite. Rebekah likes a Throat Coat tea, which is a different brand. Joshua likes Bengal Spice, and my Dad does too. 

My favorite is called Candy Cane Lane, and it is a seasonal green tea. Last year, for Christmas my husband bought me 6 boxes as part of my Christmas gift, and I enjoyed them all year long. I didn't see many Candy Cane Lane boxes this past Christmas, but when I do, I always pick up a box or two.

I remember my grandparents drinking tea, especially my Dad's father. He liked to drink black tea, and he would pour the tea from the cup into his saucer, let it cool, and then he drank the tea out of his saucer. He did it that way every time that I could remember. I remember drinking tea sometimes as a child, and mostly drinking Constant Comment tea.

We do have other teas on the shelf in our kitchen,  including several Sleepytime teas, and Tension Tamer, as well as Morning Thunder, which is a nice substitute for coffee. Mallory likes to have Sleepytime tea before bed, since she has a hard time sleeping some nights.

Now when we have sore throats in the house, and we run low on tea, I may need to buy 6 boxes like in the picture above, to tide us over through the end of the winter, I hope!

Do you like to drink tea? What is your favorite flavor?

Verses about herbs and spices...

Genesis 37:25
As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, balm and myrrh, and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt.

2 Kings 4:39
One of them went out into the fields to gather herbs and found a wild vine and picked as many of its gourds as his garment could hold. When he returned, he cut them up into the pot of stew, though no one knew what they were.

Luke 11:42
“Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.

Ski day 2019

Last weekend, we ventured up to the local ski area for the day. Our homeschool group has a deal that gives discounted lift ticket/ rentals/ lesson in a packaged deal, it was still about half price! We've never taken advantage of it before, and thought we'd try it out! It was Mallory's first time skiing, and Joshua's first time snowboarding in about EIGHT years! Caleb has skied a bunch, with a friend from church. He took a lesson (more advanced level) and learned something new in his group of "little kids." 😄

They both did very well in their lessons in the morning, while Joshua did a few runs alone and with friends. Bethany decided not to try skiing yet, maybe she will try next year. I'm not a skier, so we hung out in the lodge reading books, eating snacks and chatting with friends. It was a nice day! When we got tired of sitting, we'd walk around the lodge and outside. Bethany played in the snow in her snowsuit a few times. It was fun to watch Mallory get the hang of things. They have a "Magic Carpet" on the bunny hill for lessons, which is like a moving walkway. It was an easy way to get up the hill!

 Hanging out while others get rentals...

 Getting ready to go...

 Let's go, Mom!

 Daddy was taking a break with Bethany when Caleb skied right by us!

 In the afternoon, they were ready to take a run all together!

 Getting on the lift...

Mallory and her girl friends from co-op taking a lunch break...

It was a nice and sunny day, although it was windy, a COLD wind! Caleb said the snow was like a crusty donut, it crunched when you first went down into it. That night, it snowed more after we left and the next day was a great powder day for skiing!

What about you? Have you enjoyed skiing or sledding this year? I'd love to hear about it!


Job 38:22
“Have you entered the storehouses of the snow or seen the storehouses of the hail...?"

Psalm 51:7
Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Proverbs 31:21
When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

Isaiah 1:18
“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.

Ways to fight the January blahs...

Been wanting to post this for several days... hope it is still useful now, since January is almost over!

Last week, I had a case of the January blahs. The doldrums. The feeling of something has to change. The weather was bad every day-- icy and snowy. My husband had taken our mini-van to work each day since his VW bug is not too good in the snow. I felt a little trapped. I guess I could have taken my daughter's car out, but the roads were still bad.

I asked my friends on Facebook for ideas to beat the January blahs. Here are some of their ideas, and a few of my own added in...

-Start a new puzzle, preferably with cheery colors!

HERE IS A PUZZLE WE MADE...

-Buy a new nail polish color and paint your nails.
-Start a new craft, sewing project or cross stitch project (or finish an old one.)

-Read, read and read some more!
-Go out to coffee with a friend.
-Use a full spectrum light for more sunlight-type light, in case of Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, which comes with the changing of the seasons, and less sunlight. I have a light like this, and it does help sometimes.
-Exercise--ideas were walking (walking the dog, but we don't have one!), yoga, skiing and cross-country skiing.
-Buy flowers on clearance at the grocery store. Let the sunshine in!

-Clean and declutter! Do spring cleaning early!
-Nerf wars with the kids!
-Wear bright colors and get outside!
-Wear silly socks (which I usually do.)
-Look through art books, like Van Gogh or Vermeer.
-Look at cookbooks and try new recipes.
-Play lots of games since you are indoors so much. We do this a lot!
-Wear an essential oil that is uplifting. (lemon, orange, tangerine, grapefruit-- any citrus oil or a blend!)
-Start planning your garden. Try something new like loofah sponges or peanuts!
-Go to the pool.
-Watch funny movies!
-Be thankful for that snow that is good for our state!
-Remember that January gives us a great appreciation for other months!
-Listen to upbeat music-- lately my favorite has been FFH!
-Update my blog more!

I hope these help someone, as they helped me with my blahs. If you are really depressed, or having suicidal thoughts, please see a Doctor soon. That is more serious than just a case of blahs, especially if it last more than a few days!


Psalm 31:24
Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.

Psalm 37:4
Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

John 16:33
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Snow much fun!

Recently, my family had a very relaxing few days at a friends' cabin. We enjoyed the time away from home to relax, since we had not really travelled for Christmas. We played lots of pool games, made a puzzle, read books, watched movies, ate well, took baths in the big tub, went to the local hot springs pool, and went sledding on a great sledding hill! We took our homeschool work with us, and did homeschool there in the mornings. Here are several photos from our time away...

(Some of them were shared in the kindergarten week post here.)

 Caleb and Bethany tubing down the hill together...

 Daddy tries a thinner plastic sled...

 Off they go! (Bethany and Daddy)

 Bethany and Daddy made it down the hill to Mallory, while Caleb watched...

 The fog was setting in, and the moon was hiding in it, while rising...

 Making our snowman...

 Daddy adjusting the pine cone for the nose...

 Our family around Olaf-ina, or Frostina? (It's a girl!)

 Our pretty 550 piece puzzle, painting by Thomas Kincade...

Mallory got a "Flat Stanley" in her Happy meal on the way down to the cabin, and she wanted a picture of him outside before we left. Brr, I think he was cold! ;- D

Have you gotten away from home for a time of refreshing? Where do you travel? I'd love to hear about it!

This verse is on a beautiful wall-hanging in the cabin, so fitting...
Psalm 121:1
I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from?

Luke 5:15-17
Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

Luke 6:11-13
But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were furious and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus.
 One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.  When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles:

Kindergarten- Snow week

We had another cool week in homeschool kindergarten last week, as we talked about snow! We also discussed winter, winter animals, snowmen, snow forts, how snow forms, what we wear in the snow, and more! Part of the week, we went to our friends' cabin in the mountains. It was great to be there, since it snowed, and we were able to go sledding in the hills!

On Sunday night, my kindergartener was bored, so she asked to "do school". I gave her some writing to do, and pulled out some books to look at-- here she is in her pajamas! : - D

 The gorgeous view from the cabin's windows!

 At the sledding hill, hiking up to sled a shorter part with Daddy...

 She sledded with Daddy on the tube...

 Making snow angels...

 and a snowman!

 We were cozy and warm in our snow gear, and had lots of fun working together to make Olaf-ina? Frost-ina? :- D

 At home again, matching buttons to the # of buttons on the snowman cards...

 Sequencing cards (found online) to go with the book, The Snowy Day.

 We made a paper plate snowman too!

 Playing with "snow dough" (see recipe below)

We also made "Snow dough", a recipe that I found online several years ago. Here is the recipe:

1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1 Tbsp oil
1 cup water
2 tsp cream of tartar (Alum works too)
2-3 tsp dry white tempera paint (Optional- I omitted this)
glitter

Mix everything in a pan (except glitter). Cook over low heat stirring constantly until the dough thickens and pulls away from the pan. Remove from pan, allow to cool. Knead until smooth. Store in plastic container.

It was another cool week, and I love being able to "cabin-school" and "van-school" when we need to! It was so relaxing!


This was our verse of the week...
Isaiah 1:18
“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.

Psalm 51:7
Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Matthew 28:3
His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.

Revelation 1:14
The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire.

Pinterest craft projects!

January is the perfect month for crafting! The weather is cold outside, so I am not gardening, or walking too much... and Hobby Lobby is one of my favorite places, any time of year! I've been there twice this month, and once to Jo-Ann's! :- D I hope you enjoy "seeing" my crafts, as much as I do creating them... or at least somewhat! :- D

I made this knit infinity scarf from this tutorial here. This was inspired by a scarf that my mom made me for Christmas. I like the purple, and Rebekah got one too!

 I found a flannel infinity scarf tutorial here. It is so soft and cozy, I feel like I'm under a flannel blanket all day! And it is versatile, because it has red, blue, yellow and green in it!

I really love snowmen. I have a shelf- full of snowmen decorations. I was looking around on Pinterest for some "winter" crafts, and I found the pin for this snowman wreath here. I found the wired ribbon for sale at Hobby Lobby for $2! I love finds like that! It makes me smile when I see this on my front door!

 I found this pin here. This snowman on burlap was a three-part project. First, I painted the word snow and the snowman (even using sparkly paint on top if the white!), including the face and hat. Then I found a stick in my yard and hot-glued it on. After having it hanging around for a week, I decided to add some red ribbon for a scarf and on the hat. I love it!

Painted...

...with the stick arm...

...with the scarf and hat ribbon... it's not perfect but I love it! Fun to have more snowmen decorations around the house after all of the Christmas stuff is taken down!

Now I am working on a snowman cross-stitch, another project found on Pinterest. But it will take me a few weeks! Nice to have my hands busy, and I haven't cross-stitched for a while!

Have you been crafting? I'd love to see and hear about what you've been making too!


Job 37:6
He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’ and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’

Proverbs 31:21
When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

Matthew 28:2-4
There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.