Embrace the season by allowing nature in

January can be is a mixed bag. As you are putting away your holiday decorations, you may find yourself thinking about the last year and all good and bad that went with it. You might be looking forward to what lies ahead this year with both hope and trepidation.

Some of you really enjoy the holidays and all the things that go with it. The decorating, the baking, the parties, the music and spending time with loved ones. Others of you get overwhelmed or depressed by the pressure to have it all pulled together and would like to zoom right past to the new year. And then there is a big swath of you who are somewhere in the middle.

The good news is, there is some common ground we all share. We all crave to feel present, calm and enjoy the moments as they come. We want to feel love, peace, acceptance and joy.

Everyone loves the idyllic snowfall on Christmas Eve but hate it on December 26th until spring. But the weather just is. It’s part of nature, part of our cycle and being in tune with it means being present, acknowledging and accepting what that moment brings.

In this installment of the 5 Ways to Cozy Up Your January, the first idea is to embrace the rest of winter instead of resist it. And that means connecting what’s going on outside with the inside of your home. 

• Take a walk in the woods or simply wander your yard. Gather pinecones, mossy branches, acorns, evergreen branches, fallen leaves or anything elsethat speaks to you. Make sure to pause and enjoy the moment. Breathe the crisp air, listen to the sounds around you and appreciate the majesty of nature. Then bring those items inside and place them on your mantle, dining room table, or create an altar to honor the season (more on this later, I will write in depth on how to create one in another installment!).

• Keep up your Christmas tree a while longer. If it is a real one, just keep it well watered. Take all of the ornaments down and keep or add white lights. If you want to put other ornaments on, add paper snowflakes, popcorn garland, birds, wooden birdhouses, nests, pinecones, feathers, dried oranges or apple slices.

• Take down all the ‘red’ of the holiday and replace it with a neutral palette of whites and beiges. This represents the current landscape outside. By adding lots of texture it will keep feeling cozy instead of barren and lifeless. Think nubby knits, tweeds, chenilles and fleece throw pillows, throws or slip covers.

• Want more color? Try the cool, peaceful serenity of blues. This gives a nod to the cold temperatures outside and blues look great with beiges and browns.

• Add shiny things to reflect the light (more on light too in another installment this week, stay tuned!) Mirrors, silver teapots, trays, or vases, glass apothecary jars, glass cylinder vases to fill with your findings outside or to house floating candles.

• Force some Paperwhites or Narcissus bulbs. This is symbolic as a reminder that the growth and beauty of spring will soon be here and life is all around us even in the dark cold of winter.

• If you’ve decorated your exterior, porch or entry, take down the red ribbons on your wreath and leave it unadorned. Tuck in berries or pinecones if it doesn’t possess some already. Leave up your white or blue icicle lights and garland.

• Create a simple ‘winter scene’ at your entryway. Years ago I bought an old sled for $10 at a garage sale. I leaned it up against my false front door and put an old pair of my boots along with a hat, mittens and a scarf draped over it. Its a fun vignette to make it look as if a child had just come inside after a long afternoon of sledding to sit by the fire and warm up with some hot cocoa and cookies.

I hope some of these ideas give you a spark to create your own versions. Honoring the season by bringing in the nature around you can make you feel in tune, peaceful and present. What a wonderful way to start this brand new year! `I would love to see what you come up with! Please take pics and share them on the comments below the post!

Want to learn more tips and ideas on how to achieve this for your space, click here for my FREE ebook, 7 Ways to Add Soul to Your Home Today!

If you live in the Portland area, and want to really dig on and find out how to begin creating the home your soul is crying out for, join me Sunday, January 7th for “Reclaiming Your Space: how to redefine yourself by transforming your home” You can purchase tickets here