Welcome to week 10 of The Winter Project!
(What is The Winter Project?)

Welcome to February!

Our theme for The Winter Project for this month is: Winter play

Are you familiar with the concept of “flow”? Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a psychology professor and expert on the psychology of happiness and creativity, has written much on the subject and defines "flow" as being fulling immersed in a pleasurable activity with energized focus (hear him talk about it here). In this state you are enjoying what you are doing and thinking of nothing else- you may even be unaware of time passing or what is happening around you. Spending time in play can help to balance feelings of being overwhelmed or too busy in other areas of life.

Challenge for week 10: Brainstorm a list of your favorite leisure activities, ways to play, or things that give you energy. Try to spend time doing at least one of those things this week. Notice how you feel during and after- did you lose track of time? Are you a bit more happy or content?

Winter play ideas:

• Snow play: skiing, snowboarding, sledding, snowshoeing, hiking, etc.
• Hands-on projects: knitting or crocheting, sewing, making handmade lotions or soaps (ideas and recipes here), planting a succulent arrangement, painting, sewing seeds indoors for your spring garden, more ideas here.
• Gather: Get together with friends and family for dinner, brunch, drinks- whatever invites good conversation, laughter, and joy. Bonus points for getting together to ski, sled, or play and then relaxing near a bonfire or fire bowl with hot chocolate (or other drinks) and s’mores!
• Music: Practice or learn to play an instrument. 
• Photography: Go on a photo safari. Consider practicing a new skill like capturing bokeh or using natural light instead of flash. 
• Learn a new skill or practice your favorites: Take a ski or snowboard lesson, take a class (ballet or other dance, cooking, music, barre, martial arts, etc.), join a masters swim group, etc. 

As I write this my dining room table is covered in Legos. COVERED. My oldest son turned eight on Thursday and it has been a week of cake and presents and celebrations. Wonderful, yes; but tiring too. I have been so thankful to retreat to our cozy nest at the end of each day.

How is your nest coming along?

Welcome to week 9 of The Winter Project!
(What is The Winter Project?)

Surviving the cold with warmth and comfort: Nurturing bedtime ritual

Challenge for week 9: I mentioned before that having a simple ritual to close your day can be very comforting. After sipping a hot drink or watching your favorite show under a soft blanket, consider how you prepare your body for sleep. Whether you have a full bedtime regimen or you simply crawl into bed at the end of the day, think about treating yourself to one simple nurturing step to ease you into sleep mode. Again, you want to choose something simple that you can look forward to (and not dread as an extra step) at the end of the day.

A few of my favorites: 

• A warm bath with essential oils or a bath bomb (I really enjoy the products from Lush!)
• Good, natural facial products like these: EARTH  TU FACE (I adore their face wash and it is made less than 100 miles from my home!), Annmarie Gianni Skin Care (the coconut honey face mask is lovely!), MyChelle Dermaceuticals (I like the Unscented Revitalizing Night Cream and their eye cream), or Eminence Organics (all of their products are wonderful! I have used and enjoyed the Linden Calendula Treatment Cream, Herbal Eye Make-Up Remover, Antioxidant Mineral Foundation, and Rosehip Whip moisturizer.)
• Massage homemade body butter into dry feet and hands. I use this recipe, which is as simple as making buttercream frosting! I love knowing what is in this cream. A very large percentage of what you apply to your skin is absorbed into your body. If you wouldn’t eat it, don’t put it on your skin!
• Gentle bedtime yoga (affiliate link)

Recently I received a wonderful surprise in the mail...

The Mohawk Valley Trading Company sent me an assortment of their products to review!

Here are the things that I had the opportunity to try:

Soaps: Lavender Goats Milk Soap and Olive Oil Castile Soap

My skin is very dry in the winter but these handmade soaps are really gentle- I loved them!

From their website:

"The ingredients used in our handmade soaps are all-natural and we do not use synthetic or artificial fragrances, dyes, detergents, or preservatives. Our soap is made from goat’s milk and botanical sources such as vegetables, fruits, herbs, and nuts. There is no need for extra chemicals and dyes; the honey, coffee, herbs, spices and natural essential oils give our soap its fragrance and color. The 100% natural plant-based essential oils used in our handmade soaps are pure botanical oils that have been distilled or pressed from fresh herbs, spices, leaves, flower petals, citrus peels, and other naturally fragrant botanical materials. Rather than using animal fat (tallow) our soaps are made with high quality goats milk, shea butter and natural plant oils including, organic hemp seed oil, olive oil, coconut oil, palm oil, castor bean oil, and avocado oil. The use of synthetic-free and petroleum-free natural ingredients provides the unique qualities of our handmade soap."

Beeswax: A beeswax candle and beeswax bars.

There is something magical about the smell of beeswax products! From the Mohawk Valley website, their candles are "hand poured, hand dipped and made with 100% cotton wicks and 100% pure, all natural, unbleached, yellow beeswax produced by our bees in the USA."

I have been making my own body butter (which I love!) and I plan to try a new recipe that uses the beeswax bars soon.

Honey and syrup: Raw Autumn Wildflower Honey, Raw Summer Wildflower Honey, and Maple Syrup

The two honeys are different from one another. The summer honey has a milder flavor but both are wonderfully flavorful and delicious- a world apart from the plain store-bought variety.

About the raw honeys:

"The Mohawk Valley Trading Company offers the highest quality raw honey we can produce; it has not been heated, filtered, blended or processed. All of the pollen, enzymes, propolis, vitamins, amino acids, antioxidants, minerals and aromatics are in the same condition as they were in the hive."

I love this honey in my current favorite breakfast: a smoothie made with frozen mixed berries, 1/2 banana, 1 cup organic yogurt, flax meal, a handful of greens, water, and a dash of vanilla stevia.

I think it would also be wonderful on toast or breakfast bread, added to oatmeal, on ice cream, in tea (or another hot beverage), in baked goods, or in anything that needs a little extra sweetness.

The maple syrup has a great deep maple vanilla flavor.

I used the syrup and the autumn honey together to make granola.

So good.

Next up for the syrup: pancake Saturday! Can't wait.

A huge THANK YOU to the people at the Mohawk Valley Trading Company for the chance to try these lovely products. I have honestly enjoyed (and am still enjoying) each and every one of them!

You can find these and more wonderful things on the Mohawk Valley Trading Company website (here).

**I received free products for the purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated in any other way and all opinions are my own.

I don’t know how it is possible, but we have almost reached the end of 2013! I hope that you were able to spend some time with one or more of your favorite people last week. We had a lovely holiday at home, laying low but enjoying beautiful (spring-like!) weather here in Northern California.

Welcome to week 5 of The Winter Project!
(What is The Winter Project?)

Finding joy in the holidays: Movement

The new year is quietly sneaking up on me this year. In just a couple of days it will be 2014 and, as always, I can not resist the allure of this fresh start. For many people this is a time to refocus on fitness or other health goals and I’d like to share something that I’ve learned about myself in that area.

Winter mornings feel dark and cold and lonely outside of my bed. Climbing out of my cozy nest and into my workout clothes before the sun comes up never really feels like a good idea at the time. I drag myself to the bathroom to brush my teeth. I reluctantly change out of my soft pajamas and into a few layers of running clothes. I strap on my Garmin and tie up my shoes. I clip the leash on my dog and brace myself to feel the grinding cold as I open the front door and head out into the world.

Then, everything changes.

I press the “start” button on my Garmin and on my music. I slowly start to run saying, “let’s go!” to my dog. I shuffle, she sniffs. By the time I cross the street to head to my favorite bike trail, I’ve been running for about 20 seconds. When I get to the other side of that street, the leaves are still crunchy and the sun is beginning to rise and turn the sky pink. I am already happy that I’m there.

On the way out I sometimes see animals- deer, turkeys, rabbits. Despite the risk of looking like a crazy person to my early morning trailmates, I sometimes greet them out loud.

Good morning turkeys!

Favorite tree

Photo via Asics

• Are you moving enough? 
• On the other extreme, are you getting enough recovery time between workouts? 
• Are you bored with your routine? 
• Do you have a routine?
• How do you feel when you wake up in the morning? How do you want to feel?
• What are your health and fitness goals? What worries you about this?

How have you nurtured your basic needs over the last week? Are you finding ways to get the sleep and care you need? It can be extremely difficult to keep up good habits this time of year. Do your best to eliminate what is working against you (lack of sleep, junk food) and add in things that will help you build joy (exercise, nourishing foods).

Keep up the great work- all of the good you do adds up!

Welcome to week 3 of The Winter Project!
(What is The Winter Project?)

Finding joy in the holidays: Leisure time

In spite of the modern conveniences that are designed to make us more productive, we have less and less time to simply relax these days. All of our things need to be maintained, cleaned, insured, stored, checked, updated, etc. The more “conveniences” we have, the less we have of what we really need- time.

With all of the extras on our to-do lists this time of year, it is easy to start feeling anxiety about having only fragments of time to do anything at all. When you finally do get a moment or two to yourself, you may find that you have forgotten how to relax or that you spend all of your downtime trying to decide what you want to do! Having an idea in mind that sounds deliciously restful can help you to make the most of your time.

Challenge for the week: Make a list of your favorite ways to spend downtime. They can be big or small- the point is to find ideas that give you energy just thinking about them. Looking forward to your favorite things can help you make the most of leisure time. Try to find a little time each day this week to rest, recharge, and reflect. It doesn’t need to take hours- even a few minutes can help press the reset button. Since happiness is cumulative, even little bits of time to exhale and take a break can do wonders for keeping the peace in your mind.

My list of juicy, winter downtime goodness:

• Hands-on projects like knitting or painting.
• Reading a really good book.
• Curling up in my favorite chair and watching a movie or TV show.
• Soaking in a warm bath, hot tub, or sauna.
• Yin or restorative yoga or meditation.
• Time in nature (extra credit for sparkly snow-covered places, sunrises, and full moons).
• Massages and facials.
• Taking photos of pretty things in natural light.
• Playing games with family.
• Good conversation with friends over coffee.

How are you doing with connecting with the season? Have you found any new joys?

Welcome to week 2 of The Winter Project! 
(What is The Winter Project?)

This week we are going back to basics!

Finding joy in the holidays: Nurturing your basic needs

We are all familiar with the concept of the hierarchy of needs. We must do basic arithmetic before we learn calculus; food and shelter before fancy cars and trips abroad. Consider these basic needs in your life and think about how fulfilled you feel in each of these areas.

Don’t forget, happiness is cumulative! These things work together to keep you healthy and happy.

Consider these basic health needs and areas where you might need a little more focus:

• Sleep: Did you know that sleeping is the most important thing that you can do to keep your body healthy? When you are sleeping, your body is busy strengthening your immune system, clearing the clutter in your mind, and reaping the benefits of your workouts by repairing muscle tissue. Going to bed at a decent time is an area where I struggle. I feel much better when at get a minimum of 7 hours of sleep at night. How much are you sleeping?
• Hydration: Water is necessary for every process in your body to work correctly. If you’re not drinking enough, you may experience muscle cramps, headaches, constipation, bladder infections, fatigue, dry skin, or even chapped lips! Are you drinking enough water?
• Nutrition: How "clean" (by your own definition) are you eating? Getting the nutrients that you need while avoiding consuming too much junk (processed food, added sugar, etc.) will help to keep your immune system strong and your body fit and healthy. Place extra focus on getting plenty of fruits and veggies (for glowing skin and digestive health), b vitamins for mood support, vitamin D for strong bones and cancer prevention, and probiotics for for a healthy gut. Did you know that 95% of your feel-good neurotransmitter serotonin is found in your gut or “second brain"? Keep it healthy to keep you happy!
• Exercise: Have you heard the phrase “sitting is the new smoking”? Not only is not moving unhealthy for your body, it is also unhealthy for your happiness bank. Exercising regularly keeps you fit and healthy, helps you to sleep well, keeps you regular, and improves your mood. I love to run at sunrise in a natural setting near my house. It is my favorite way to greet the day! Are you moving enough? Go for a walk, take a yoga class, find and indoor pool, lift heavy things, play tennis. Do whatever feels the most like playing and try different things to keep from getting bored! Bonus points for bundling up and getting outside in the sunshine at the same time!

1. Food: Make something delicious but healthy, with warming spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, or cayenne. Think about using fresh seasonal ingredients like cranberries, squash, root vegetables, or mandarin oranges. Try:

• Warm gingerbread with lemon sauce
• A breakfast cobbler (modify this one to include apples or cranberries and orange zest), cake (persimmon apple or tangerine), muffins, or  crockpot grains with cranberries and cardamom
• Hot chocolate with cinnamon (and maybe a dash of cayenne)
• Hot soup, pho, or chili 
• Roasted fall veggies with tempeh and farro

*More recipes here, here, here, here, here.

2. Nature: Bundle up and spend some time outside. Explore with each of your senses noticing smells, sights, sounds, feelings, and the taste of a hot drink. Go big and go skiing, snowboarding, sledding, or snowshoeing or simply take a walk around your neighborhood. Some playful things to try:

• Go for a nighttime walk (this is especially enchanting when the moon is full, though that won't be until the 17th this month). Look for Christmas lights in your neighborhood and listen to holiday music or a good audiobook on your iPod. Don’t forget to bundle up and bring a hot drink to enjoy along the way. 
• Climb to the top of something that has a view. This would preferably be a local hiking trail and not a multi-story mall, but make do with what you’ve got! This is extra special if you are able to catch a sunrise or sunset from that vantage. The “magic hour” golden light has magical powers; bring somebody that you love. Snuggling is extra credit. xoxo 
• Visit a place with water: a stream, river, or ocean. Listen and breath. Take a journal along as moving water tends to wake up thoughts and ideas!
• If it is just too blustery outside, snowing sideways and whatnot, bring some fresh seasonal flowers or pretty branches into your space. Look for something simple but cheerful. Or, creative a “nature box” to hold treasures that you’ve found in your neighborhood to examine and enjoy when you come inside- ours is full of shells, colorful leaves, mosses, rocks, sticks, etc.