New Year ~ Self care and Comfort

 

~ Comfort and Joy ~

We need and crave comfort in these troubled times...

Joy may seem impossible.

Despair might creep in if we give it a wide berth.

I'm not suggesting that you bury your head in the sand...

just seek a balance.

~ It is not selfish to practise self care ~

Creating and embracing JOY in our daily round is important for our well being.

Soothing slow and mindful habits can and need to be cultivated.

With that in mind I am

starting off the New Year with some comforting rituals...

little things that make a difference in my days.

lighting candles

taking tea 

reading inspirational books

wearing soft fabrics that feel like a warm hug

trying out a new shade of lipstick

browsing in a used bookshop 

exploring the neighbourhood ~ slowly walking around

discovering a different park or new garden

visiting an art gallery

shopping for groceries in a different store

tidying up a messy cupboard or drawer

making a new recipe

baking some yummy cookies

(the opportunities are vast!)

I created a cozy corner in my "hobby" room.

Re-reading Simple Abundance and Romancing The Ordinary

by

Sarah Ban Breathnach

Mornings are started with a few pages of each of these lovely books...

they definitely help set a thoughtful and positive tone to my day.

There have been some "new" things too...

besides purging stuff and donating to the charity shops I've browsed a few...

I discovered these Geoc leather boots at a local WIN thrift shop...

What a great pair of boots!

Happy to have found them as they were on my list for at least 2 years.

New palette of matte powder eye shadows...

Marcelle, a Canadian company, make some lovely products.

My former Marcelle palette was a mess...

several of the powders had been all used up

so there was not much point trying to eke out any product.

It was time to buy a replacement :-))

KUR nail veil...

Using these nail enhancers for over 2 years have improved my nails.

My cuticles are in much better shape and my nails are much stronger.

Have you tried the KUR line of nail illuminators?

It's raining cats and dogs here this morning...

will be a day to be indoors

perfect for making a big batch of soup or baking something yummy.

Carbs call to me on these rainy days...

I've been very good at avoiding them as they tend to be my dieting downfall.

The scale is hovering in and around the 15 pounds lost mark...

I'll need to up my activity level or lower my intake.

Slow progress, but it's reduced my hip pain substantially, so I feel very grateful.

How are you starting 2026?

Making any resolutions?

Travel Plans?

Hope you are feeling ready to embrace positive change.

 Perhaps making self care one of your comforting rituals.

~ Take Care ~

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Week of wild weather...

Beeswax candles glowing...

adding ambiance on a frigid cold day.

Very snowy here these past few days...

not a lot of accumulation in The Humble Bungalow Garden.

Other areas of Victoria have a LOT more!

Schools were closed, traffic was snarled, buses got stuck.

Mr HB and I stayed home.

I read books, played word games on the computer, 

knit a few rows on The Sophie Scarf,

decluttered and cooked.

Chester seems unfazed by the snow.

He is an indoor cat so he isn't really affected by the weather.

He has been taking advantage of having Mr. HB home...he's snoozing on his lap!

Chester asleep on the cat blanket.

I make soup for many of our lunches.

This spice was in a French Country Home subscription box.

It is made by Compagnie Francaise...

peppers, turmeric, oregano, thyme, curcumin, paprika, sage, basil, tamarind, onion, cinnamon.

The Christmas Cactus is still in bloom!

I bought this orange cactus recently...I love the bright shade of orange.

Here I am just before my Aqua Fit class....

no make up, just lipstick.

My decades old Burberry scarf, Columbia Puffer coat and a hand knit gift hat.

The Sally Hansen Insta Dri nail polish matches one of the stripes!!

Post swim relaxation.

Reading an interesting book by Lesley Crewe called Amazing Grace.

I have not read her books before but I am really enjoying this one.

What are you reading?

The weekly sourdough boule baking is still very much part of my routine.

I keep the sourdough starter active stored in the fridge.

The recipe I use I found online at Alexandra Bakes.

Cooking, baking, cleaning all these things happen here in The Humble Bungalow.

I accomplish a lot everyday but I intersperse the jobs with rest and tea.

I've been wearing these pink gloves to wash the dishes.

They are help my manicure last longer!

What is the weather like where you live?

We aren't used to snow so any amount can mess with the commutes of workers.

It makes getting around much more difficult...especially when the buses are stuck!

Tomorrow the forecast is for warmer temperatures and rain.

I think the snow will melt quite quickly and we will all resume our normal activities.

I plan to get out for some groceries and perhaps peruse a thrift shop or two.

Have you found any treasures recently in the shops?

I go into shops with an open mind and look at all the stock...

if I go in with a certain item in mind I find that I feel stress.

You never know what is waiting in the thrift and charity shops!

~ Happy Thrifting ~ 

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

I am calling in sick....

 

Love these simple white blooms with the yellow stamens.

A garden filled with all white flowers is stunning and elegant.

Do you have a colour theme in your garden?

Ours is a riot of colour.

My foray into black and white photography continues...

The Royal Oak Pharmasave is an amazing place to shop

they have some great buyers and a wide variety of gift items, clothing and travel accessories.

While perusing the aisles I spied this new cuticle lotion.

I tried the sample tube and walked around the store buying the items on my list.

When I was finished I went back to the display and grabbed a tube.

Made in Vancouver BC

Emollient, rich and it absorbs right into the skin.

using only a pea size amount I think this will be a hand and cuticle 

"game changer."

Am suffering with a nasty kidney infection that stems from those UTI's.

I ended up going to the ER as the pain in my back was so intense I could not sleep a wink.

The doctor decided that I should have a CT scan 

which showed the kidney infection

there is also a kidney stone floating inside the kidney.

First off I had never had a CT scan 

so when the nurse wheeled me off to the imaging unit

I was actually gobsmacked!

It was a huge white space age looking Seimens machine.

I am on some new antibiotics and hope that they kick the bacterial infection.

I'll be back to more tests after I finish the 10 days of pills.

The ER was a CRAZY BUSY place...

the staff was amazing.

The doctor and nurse who were helping me were so professional and calm.

The nurse Sarah was young, very sweet and had a bubbly personality.

The Dr had excellent bedside manner and was very attentive.

It felt to me that they were working under extremely challenging chaotic and stressful circumstances...

yet they both remained calm and treated me like I was the only patient in their care.

I have dropped off a small gift bag for each of them.

Tea, chocolate, and some triple milled French soaps with a card of thanks for each.

I still have a fever, am tired and so I am not doing too much as I recuperate.

Tea and reading every afternoon and perhaps a nap.

Alliums in an antique jug.

I am reading this series at top speed!

When I woke up early this morning I made a pot of coffee and got stuck in...

there are a few chapters left to read but will save them for tomorrow.

Isn't it fun when you find a series that you love to read and the author is still adding more books to the series?

Everyone seems to rave about this Thursday Murder Club Series.

My husband laughs out loud when he read the books!

~ Pink snow ~

Constance Spry 

a fragrant David Austin climbing rose in the Humble Bungalow Garden.

We can see people stop as they walk by and look up...

many remark about the fragrance and other swoon over the blooms.

All the roses are doing their best to knock our socks off right now.

I am barefoot and in awe of their extreme beauty.

Roses ARE my FAVOURITE FLOWER :-))

Perhaps you love them too?

I'm going to keep this post short and sweet.

Make a cup of peppermint tea...

wash and moisturize my face 

put my nightie on and lay down

wrap myself in a cozy blanket 

and watch some TV.

Hope that you are all well...

 MY personal PSA 

(heads up)

intense pain is a signal to take action

when it comes to your urinary system don't wait

ACT!

I think I waited too long and things went sideways.

I'll be slowly on the mend 

which sounds like it could be for many weeks.

Take Care

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~