Kick Winter up the Bum and be Happy!


This winter really has been an epic fail in terms of wintery-ness. We all look forward to crisp cold mornings, building snow-men, frosty mornings and the like. But all the UK has had this year is rain, rain and more rain broken up by a brief flurry of snow that stayed for a few days and has now melted. It's been pretty depressing mostly.


But there are so many ways in which you can get up, cheer up and buck up! We can kick this wet, horrible winter up the bum and crack on with being happy. Here is a list of the things that I love to do on those wet miserable days to cheer me up and make me feel like the rain is not getting the better of me!

1. Comfort Food!!

Thick, rich tasty sauces were made for winter. I love to spend my time cooking stews, pies, sauces and all kinds of yummy foods. I particularly like to use my slow cooker. That thing is seriously a life saver. I can chuck a whole bunch of stuff in my slow cooker, turn it on, leave it for a few hours and voila! Food! If you are stuck inside and you are being driven insane by the wind lashing against the window panes then get off the sofa and bake some cookies or a cake. The smell of baking will fill your home and create happy vibes. Trust me, it works. 
I got another book for christmas (I really like books!) called Game by Phil Vickery and Simon Boddy which is filled with Game recipes. I am a huge fan of game, I think its a fantastic natural resource that we don't take enough advantage of. I created my first meal from this book last night and I think it safely falls into the category of comfort food. This venison in a rich red wine sauce nearly didn't make it to the plate because I kept "testing" it in the saucepan!




 

 2. Embrace the Elements!

There are days when I have to force myself to go outside because the whether is absolutely gank. However, I have a 6 month old Labrador puppy who most definitely NEEDS to go out for walks or else he will destroy the house. Something I am a firm believer of though is that there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing. I have probably close to fifteen water proof coats, waterproof trousers, a lot of wellies, hats gloves and scarves etc. There is nothing stopping me from going outside, and do you know what? Once I'm outside, I genuinely enjoy every minute of it! I find myself thinking "Ellie, why were you being such a pansie?" There are so many little things that make me smile in the rain. Eg, when you see birds sheltering under bushes and leaves to try and keep dry, or Bosun chasing bubbles down the stream. In all seriousness, unless there's a hurricane going on outside, a bit of rain won't kill you.


3. Read something Atmospheric...

Ok...well you don't have to pick something scary...but I like to! When the wind is howling down the chimney and the wind is lashing against the window panes is, for me, the perfect time to read a classic horror story like Bram Stoker's Dracula or Shelley's Frankenstein. I find that I can really immerse myself into these books and soak up the atmosphere when I'm literally likely to jump out of my skin at any sudden noise!


4. Have a good sort out

So you've walked the dog, the slow cooker's on and you've read all the books in the house. Only one thing left to do...have a good sort out. When I came back home after christmas with my new goodies that Father Christmas had brought me, I spend ages trying to re-arrange cupboards and wardrobes to fit everything in. We live in quite a small stone cottage, the upstairs bedrooms have sloped ceilings so storage is quite difficult for us. The only thing for it was to have a clear out. And to be honest, once I'd started hooking stuff out from under the bed and the back of the wardrobe, I realised that there was just so much that I hadn't worn or used in ages and it was just there taking up space. I donated some to charity, chucked a few bits out, gave some bits away and I felt so much better for it. Honestly, because the house felt less cluttered, I kind of felt like my brain was less cluttered. So, all in all, a very good thing.

And now for probably the most cliched but probably the most relaxing and enjoyable...

5. Run yourself a nice hot bubble bath!

I know that so many people say this, but it really is true. It's amazing how soaking in a hot bubble bath surrounded by all those different scents can relax you and change your outlook on the day. I am constantly buying new bubble baths. My favourite one at the moment is Simple Replenishing Bath Soak . Smells gorgeous, and leaves my skin so soft it's unbelieveable! At the moment I am also loving a range of different hand-made scrubs and bath salts by a shop called Bubble Rabbit on Etsy. From this shop, I have bought the Chocolate Coffee sugar scrub and the Vanilla Tea bath salts. I wish I could convey the smell through the computer screen to you... it is truly divine.


And there we have it, my very best tips and tricks for beating those winter blues. I could list more...but we'll be here for days!

I would love to hear your tips and tricks for cracking through the winter months, leave a comment!
I will leave you with a picture of Bosun and me looking happy in the snow!





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2 comments :

  1. Good tips!!!! I agree wholeheartedly!! Just realised you are a brand new blogger so yay, am I your first commenter?? How cool!! Hi from an 11 year blogger!!

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    1. You are my first commenter! Thankyou so much and welcome! xx

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