Charleston and I like to joke that we really love winter. . . at least, the part of winter that comes before Christmas. Unfortunately, the remaining 86 days are kind of a slog. Even winters like the one we’ve been having, where the weather is generally mild and our calendar is dotted with plenty of extra things to look forward to, can get a little rocky. Which is why I’ve come to love the mid-winter tradition of pushing back against the February doldrums by noticing and sharing the things that are saving my life during this season. It was Anne Bogel who first introduced me to this practice, and I’ve continued to follow her lead through many winter seasons. At times when it’s starting to feel as though the world has lost its mind, these small celebratory rituals tether me to gratitude and divert my attention from crises and chaos to things that are good and beautiful and true.
This winter’s list tends towards the superficial—not because things like Jesus and my amazing family and a safe home aren’t the true heavy hitters in my life-preservation kit, but because the small things really do make a difference and deserve their time in the spotlight. (They’re also more fun to share!)
A renewed love of reading.
At the end of 2025, I was starting to think that my reading was irreparably broken. Books weren’t drawing me in like they once had, and I wasn’t sure if it was the books themselves that were the problem, or if my disinterest was a result of my own distraction (probably a combination of the two). But in the last month, I read SEVERAL books that were 4.5- or 5 stars, and it wasn’t just because the books themselves were objectively good; my reading experiences were also stellar. I am honestly relieved that my passion for reading has returned, and I’m glad that I stuck out those rough months so that I could be reunited with the lifelong hobby of my heart. Bonus lifesaver: the second Kindle I purchased late last year when I thought mine was lost. The old Kindle reappeared a few days later (thanks to a good Samaritan at the YMCA), but I kept both and it’s been so nice to have one for home and one that I keep in my purse for on the go. The backup is especially convenient in the times when I’ve let my Kindle battery get to low.
Morning walks with the kids.
At 6:45 every school day, the kids and I rally in our play room for “morning assembly” (prayer time, pledges to the Bible and the US flag, recitation of the Apostle’s Creed), and by 6:55 our assembly is complete and we are headed out the door for our morning walk. The walks happen in spite of the cold (though we keep them on the shorter end if the temps dip below freezing), and they have become an absolutely essential part of our days. We walk for thirty minutes or longer, and it’s a time to practice our memory work but also to move our bodies and simply be together. The walks jumpstart our brains, give us some much-needed activity and early-morning Vitamin D, and set the tone for the rest of our school time. My only regret is that we didn’t begin this morning habit until this school year!
Memory work.
I’m a longtime fan of Scripture memory and memorization in general, but joining Classical Conversations this year has really solidified my enthusiasm for this practice for the kids AND myself! CC has us memorizing all sorts of fun and important facts, but our family agrees that memorizing our math facts (specifically skip counting through the 15s as well as the squares and the cubes) and the History timeline are the funnest things to memorize and also the most useful. It’s incredible to see the kids connecting their memory work to other parts of their schooling and everyday lives, and I feel like all this memorization has made my own mind sharper and more attuned to various details that come up in my day—both during our school time, and outside of it. And this memory work isn’t just beneficial, it’s also really fun and provides my brain with a safe and healthy place to land when I start to spiral into destructive thought patterns. I can specifically vouch for skip-counting the 13s as an excellent distraction when enduring excruciating dental work. 😉
Our new world map.
My parents, knowing that we spend time memorizing our geography each morning, gifted us a large wall map for Christmas, and the kids and I all agree that it was the BEST present! It fills our wall beautifully, and the detailed map is perfect for identifying and memorizing the location of the countries, capitols, regions, bodies of water, and mountain ranges that we are studying. I’ve always had a thing for maps, and one that is decorative and utilitarian AND appreciated by every member of our family—chef’s kiss! And as you can see in the pic below, we decided to keep our old (less detailed) map too because the kids are sentimental and couldn’t bear to see it go. I didn’t argue, there’s no such thing as too many maps!
A dab of perfume.
I haven’t regularly worn a scent since before Charleston was born, but I’ve always wanted to be one of those women with a trademark scent and decided that at 41, it’s probably time to get on that checklist item. I had no idea where to begin, though, so I passed the assignment on to Luke as a suggested anniversary gift. He came through with this Henry Rose perfume sampler. I dab a little on my wrists and neck each morning, and catching whiffs of the scent throughout the day makes me SO HAPPY. I haven’t settled on a favorite yet and for now am enjoying the variety, though I would still like to find my signature perfume; it remains to be seen whether my final selection will come from this set or if I decide to try a few more perfumes before honing in a favorite, but wherever I land, I am definitely happy to have finally earned my Nice-Smelling-Lady badge.
Cozy candles.
Sadly, our home does not have a fireplace, so I make do in the best way I can: I crank up the space heater, turn on the artificial fireplace on our TV, and light a candle in our main living area. I usually add $10 store-brand jar candles to my grocery order, but Luke (who was on a roll with the scent gifts this anniversary) upped our household candle game with two candles from Quince and another candle that has an actual crackling wick (which is just so cool!). I can vouch for the amazing scent and cozy factor of each of these candles that are pulling their weight in helping keep the seasonal affective disorder at bay.
An easy bedding refresh.
Our old comforter was looking tired, and at ten years old it was due for retirement. I loved the colors and style of our old bedding (yellow and grey), but wanted something a little less fluffy and decided to replace the comforter with this lightweight quilt in the prettiest butter yellow with grey and mustard stripes. (Yellow is my favorite color, and I have splashes of it throughout my house because I find it comforting to be surrounded by the joyful hue.) The new bedspread doesn’t change the fact that our mattress is still on the floor (a cosleeping necessity that I’m still working to embrace), but it was an inexpensive and easy change that has brought a great deal of happiness into my home.
A great mascara.
Since mascara is the only makeup I wear daily, I am always on the hunt for the PERFECT one, and I think I’ve found it. This mascara adds volume and length, goes on easily, doesn’t flake or smudge, and comes off easily with a makeup wipe at the end of the day. In other words, it’s everything I ask of a mascara and more. It may seem silly to list mascara as something that is “saving my life,” but there’s something so comforting about having a product that does its job well—even when that job is nothing more or less than making me feel put together each day.
A new game plan for my daily Bible reading.
For the last several years, I began each morning with dedicated time in God’s Word. Nico threw a curve in that plan: he sleeps with us, and since he wakes up the minute I try to sneak out of bed, it became impossible to get up for time with God before the kids were awake. Last fall, I finally gave up trying to make morning Devotionals happen and moved my Bible reading time to the evenings once everyone else is in bed and my Quiet Time can actually be quiet. I love this new nightly ritual, and am really enjoying my current reading plan—a slow read through the New Testament following this guide. I still wanted to make time in Scripture a part of my mornings, though, so I am listening to The Bible in a Year with Father Mike (for the third time!) while I get ready in the mornings; this way I’m still listening to the whole Bible this year, even though I’m focusing on the New Testament for my primary Bible reading in 2026. (Luke is following on with podcast, too, which makes for good discussion.) The mix of long-listening in the morning and deep-dive reading at night is proving to add all the balance I desire while also bringing the Word into the bookends of my day.
How are you hanging in there this winter? Whether it’s been your best winter in years, or you’re just hanging on for dear life, I hope you have a celebration-worthy list of items that are keeping you afloat in this season. I’d love to hear about them!
