Cozy Scenes from Winter Holiday

This winter break has been action packed, and yet, dare I say a little slow? However, nearing the end gives me a little bit of a panic. The preparation of going back to work is mostly mental. It has been not so much a relaxing break, but one filled with movement, and I am looking forward to the slow days of winter to come. I never used to like winter as a kid; it meant cold, short days, and bleakness. But now I have grown to like the coziness, the sleepiness, and the sense of rest it should entail.

And even though I have been busy and don’t truly feel recharged, these pictures look deceivingly cozy! They create an illusion of holidays that are characterized by slow, restful days! Instead, there has been a lot going on. We traveled to two cities, Philadelphia (for a little morning flea marketing) and Pittsburgh (to visit S’s family). A lot of progress was made on the kitchen, including our floor installation and some painting. We made a trip to Longwood Gardens and saw the intricate light displays and rare plants in the conservatory. We spent a magic Christmas Day with my family and ended the day with a big feast of my dad’s family specialty, sauerbraten and gless. Mom made homemade spaghetti, my sister made a turkey…it was a lot of food! I’ve also been working on calligraphy, as usual. Winter weddings are so romantic! I am already gearing up for a busy spring, which tends to be my craziest time of year!

For the first time this year we did a real family Pollyana and I had my sister. Shopping for her was fun; I was on top of it this year and ordered her gift on Black Friday! But S sort of waited til the last minute…we were desperately shopping in the mall the weekend before Christmas to find that most of our favorite stores have closed! I haven’t been to a mall (besides King of Prussia) in like 10 years, so we were a bit suprised! It’s funny how we don’t go to malls anymore. Despite all of the madness we found good gifts, and our exchange was really lovely. S and I got a new Sonos speaker from my mom and dad which I love! I also got a gravity blanket (weighs a whopping 28 lbs!) which is perfect for cozy nights in bed!

Tonight is NYE and I have to admit it is my LEAST favorite holiday ever…because work resumes! And break is over! How can it be…?! I feel as though I’ve only slept in once or twice! But overall I am looking forward to a new year, grateful for all of the progress with our house and very happy to be close by my family. Being home feels so good. And as for resolutions, I won’t be doing them for 2019, because I think I am still a work in progress! It’s gonna take me more than a year to attain any type of resolution! It’s more of a best practices thing…eating well and exercising regularly, indulging in some nice self-care routines, and I’ll be setting goals, which I normally do. I hope to do this while practicing balance, patience, resilience, and grace. <3