Why I don't set new year's resolutions! Research has shown that people quit their resolutions for the year by the second Friday of January, Friday the 13th this year! It’s even being called Quitter’s Day. I don’t really commit to mine until February as I find my energy is low in January and prefer to hibernate a bit longer until Spring. But in case you are bursting with January enthusiasm here are some of the top ways to maintain, achieve and reach your 2023 new year’s resolution goals & dreams.
Read moreMy 2022 reflections and into a new year
Perhaps it’s this sense of comfort and openness or the wide expanse of countryside and the wild, rugged coastline of Co. Clare that has given me the headspace to finally sit and pen a few words about 2022, my reflections on the year that was. I feel like I did nothing! My reflections on the year that was in 2022 and the magnitude of buying my first home. My battles with not feeling enough and the ups and downs of self-employment, the pain of loss and heart break. I share my highlights and look ahead to goal setting for 2023 and how I believe January is not a time for new year's resolutions.
Read more'Twas the night before Christmas...
'Twas the night before Christmas and all through my little white house, not a creature is stirring, not even a mouse. The room is lit only by firelight. Beside the Christmas Tree, I sink deeper into the softness of my armchair, my body relaxes and my mind begins to play a reel like an old picture house, of Christmas eves gone by… A memoir blog post about some of the Christmas Eves in my life and how they have changed over the decades.
Read moreMy Favourite Winter Books, Poems & Podcasts
Image credit: Manon
Reading is such a wintertime activity, and adapting to that energy is what seasonal living is all about! Rather than fight it, flow with it and get cozy! To help you pass the languid days over the festive holiday season, I’ve gathered my favourite Winter books, poems, reflections and podcasts to share with you. Perfect books for Christmas, a gift or to treat yourself as a little act of self-care this Winter. I hope they help you feel very hygge!
Read moreRest is NOT optional
Rest is NOT optional. Its not meant for sliding it around the to-do list like a chess board, strategically trying to outwit our own body, pushing and attempting to outsmart it like some kind of game. We all know how sick stress and constant busyness makes us. And yet we plough on, as though busy is a badge of honour.
Read moreStuck or Still? Reflections from icy winter days
With subzero temperatures creating an icy wonderland all around us here in December, I've been stuck at home for the last 2 days here on the hill. Stuck, that's the word that popped into my head today. Being stuck at home can feel frustrating, an inconvenience even or can we perhaps reframe it?....Am I stuck or can I embrace being still? A blog about slow & seasonal living.
Read moreLove & Gluhwein
The smell of cinnamon, star anise and cloves cast spells in the air as passersby clutched steaming mugs of mulled wine or gluhwein in their mittened hands. It was hot, spiced and potent! It was a magical time of hope, love and gluhwein. And though I could never recreate the same magic that sparkled around us in Salzberg, I recreated gluhwein many times since. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.
Read moreEco-Friendly Irish Christmas Gift Guide (2022)
Eco-friendly Irish Christmas Gift Guide
It’s Christmas and so naturally most of us will go and buy gifts for others, it’s a lovely thing, it’s admirable. But perhaps this year I invite you to do so with a little more care and thought for our planet and its finite resources. So here are my suggestions for some plastic-free, eco-friendly, sustainable Christmas gifts this year, all from Ireland.
Read moreMy Homemade Lemsip Recipe
My homemade Lemsip recipe, the perfect natural cold and flu remedy. To help boost your immune system and stay healthy this winter.
Read moreMy thoughts on Black Friday and where they led me to....
My thoughts on Black Friday and where they led me to…
I also understand that this year perhaps more than ever we are all feeling the pinch. We are being more cautious about how we spend and what on - that's good! We should be more intentional about how we spend our money, money is energy and the process of giving that to another is the transfer of energy, you are right to think it through. This blog is all about black friday, its impact on small businesses and the pressure it places on consumers.
Read moreThe Good Witch Escape
I’m learning to find solace in my own company again, to be at ease with myself once more. Ive had to learn to look forward to coming back to my quiet home on moonless, inky black nights after work, how to entertain myself when it’s dark early. Relearn how to comfort myself when I need a hug and there’s no one here to wrap up in. Alongside all the deep & meaningful stuff I’m doing for myself, I’ve also found huge comfort in something frivolous. When I need to check out mentally for a while, it’s given me great comfort during the darker nights - escapism in the form of…..The Good Witch. A blog about a season of personal wintering, self-care and escapism in the form of The Good Witch TV show!
Read moreBest Autumn / Winter Walks to see Autumn leaves in Kerry
In Co. Kerry, we have the best of both worlds – the sea and rugged coastline and expanses of beaches but also treasures like Killarney National Park. This time of year is perfect for watching the changing of the seasons’ guard as we move from Autumn to Winter. So I thought I’d share my favourite / best places for Autumn / Winter walks to watch the leaves change and fall in Co. Kerry
Read moreMy top five cozy (hygge) things to do in Autumn
Coziness is "Teolaí" as gaeilge. Isn't that just a lovely word to say - teo-leee 😍
Its more commonly known as the scandinavian concept of Hygge, the word is said to have no direct translation in English, though “cozy” comes close. Journalist Helen Russell, defines it as “taking pleasure in the presence of gentle, soothing things,” like a freshly brewed cup of coffee and wool socks. For me it's about embracing autumn and winter coziness so as to ease feeling blue about the darker days. Here are my top five cozy things to do right now that are helping me enjoy this autumn season.
Vegan Baileys Recipe
Enjoy my homemade, vegan baileys or irish cream recipe. The perfect drink for cold winter evenings or nights by the fire. Great as a Christmas cocktail too!
Read moreMy top 5 Halloween / Samhain reads
My top 5 Halloween / Samhain Book Recommendations
I'm on a total Autum vibe, trying to slow my pace of living to match the energy of this season and I'm spending lots of time in my cozy new home. Its the season for a good book by the fire, as the evenings darken so much earlier now (7.30pm last night!) so I thought I'd share my top 5 favourite samhain season reads with you.
Do you remember your first time?
Memories of my first Yoga Retreat in Ireland. Clearest in my memory, is the craic – the holding my tummy because my face hurts kind of open mouthed, body shaking laughter. The sense of adventure, of going to do this thing just for me, somewhere new, with people I didn’t know and new things I’d not yet tried.
Read moreA memorable October
Welcome to October, Deireadh Fómhair as gaeilge, which translates as ‘end of harvest’.
As the leaves continue to liberate their grasp and cascade back down to the earth, it serves as a reminder to us to release what no longer serves us too. “It is a cycle, not a descent”. It is not a descent into the darkness, but merely a normal, natural, annual cycle, part of creation. My musings on the month in question and some ideas for making a memorable October.
Read moreFrom ordinary to note-worthy, why intention matters
From the ordinary to the note-worthy - why intention matters
When we decide to do something, focus on it and set a purpose or intent behind it, it elevates the ordinary to the note-worthy. Humdrum actions into little acts of self-care or kindness and contentment.
Read moreBalance at the Autumn Equinox
Balance at the Autumn Equinox
The Autumn Equinox takes place on 23rd September 2022. Equinox means equal day, equal night. A time to find balance after the busy summer. An opportunity to stop and adjust. All our celtic festivals were a time to gather together and celebrate the season and the fruits of the earth at that time. I find it very grounding to connect to these gateways of the year, to pause and check in.
This year I’m celebrating with a gathering at my new home….
Read moreTransitioning to Autumn
For that's what the turn of the seasons is, it's not the end, nor a dramatic beginning, but simply a new page turning to tell stories of a time full of its own beauty and blessings.
In our Slow & Seasonal programme this month, I shared some reflective journaling prompts. One was similar to this.... What step(s) can you take to make a current or upcoming transition in your life feel more easeful? For one my own transitions, I went from blonde to silvery grey in a few hours…..
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