Hello from the Arctic Circle! ♥

Hello Lovely Friends and Happy February! ♥

I am so happy it's February because it means January is over and we are one month closer to spring! I have always loved winter my entire life, but to be completely honest with you, this winter has slowly been killing me.  It's so cold!!!!  It warmed up to a balmy 33 degrees today and I actually felt relief in the air.  We've been lingering in the teens for days. That's how cold it's been.  Now I know why snowbirds exist.  Why freeze to death when you can go to Florida in the winter?!

 Sadly, that's not me yet, but maybe someday.

Anyway, enough of my complaining! 

(that's a lie and I apologize in advance...this post is full of complaining :) 

I pinned this cute picture sometime in December and have been saving it to post in February.  I thought it was so cozy and cute and cheery and just we need right now in the dead of winter.  

Not only does February mean we are getting closer to spring (even though that dang groundhog saw his shadow :(  it also means Valentines Day is coming ...which means chocolate and hearts and a bunch of other things I love. 

 I'll try to focus on that during this thankfully short month (there I go again!). ♥

 

If you've been wondering where I've been, the answer is.... right here.  

Buried in snow ♥

We had a big storm last week that left us 20 inches deep.  The weather man said it's the biggest snow fall we've had in the Boston area in 4 years.  

I believe it and I kind of forgot what it was like.  

The worst part wasn't the storm, it's after that because it's been so cold that everything is frozen.  What you see here is rock solid.  

Today has been the first day we've seen sun and it's glorious ♥

The snow is starting to melt because every once in a while I hear big clumps sliding off the roof.  

I haven't seen a squirrel or bunny in days. They are smart and staying warm. In the early mornings I do hear the birds chirping.  I image they are also complaining about the cold and how they can't wait for spring. 

So that's pretty much all of January!  Just me under the frozen tundra! Drinking coffee, reading my book under a blanket, and trying to stay warm.  I'm a bit anxious with all the snow because this is also the first year of my life where I've had a teenage son who drives in it.  He's not the least bit concerned, which concerns me!  Moms, how did you do it?  If I have to say "drive slowly" one more time....Lord have mercy! 

However....there was a bight spot!  Last weekend we celebrated Rob's birthday which was really nice.  We went for a cozy breakfast at one of our favorite places with my in-laws.  We love going out to breakfast and for some reason it's extra nice in the winter. Anyway, it was yummy.  We ended up having dinner in (his request!). I made cheeseburgers and we ended the evening with a heart shaped chocolate cake. Of course, the best part ♥

So far February is off to a good start.  My Dad had two doctors' appointments this week. Both went extremely well, so I'm grateful for that. Yay 2026!  

We've had the house cleaned and is all ready for paint.  We're just waiting on our painter's availability, which hopefully will be soon.  I can't wait to get that done and over with.  Patience, I tell myself.  Patience. 

If you are reading this from a warm climate just know I am so jealous of you! If you are frozen like I am, we'll get though this!  Spring is coming!  Let's plan our gardens and summer vacations now.  It's always nice to have something to look forward to ♥

Stay cozy my friends!  Be back soon! xo 

Happy New Year! ♥

Hello my lovely friends and happy new year!!! ♥

Thank you for bearing with me as I quietly enjoy these early days of January.  I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and are doing the same!  Even though Christmas was less than a month ago, doesn't it seem ages ago?! Not a trace of it remains around here : )  

We had such a nice holiday this year.  So much better than last year.  My Dad was healthy and in good spirits.  We all went to a beautiful Christmas eve mass and then to my brother in laws for dinner and games. On Christmas day we were home.  I cooked a roast beef dinner and apple pie for dessert.  We watched A Christmas Story (a few times!) and I was in my slippers all day! Our last few Christmases were plagued with people being sick or even in the hospital.  I was so relived and grateful not to have had that experience this year. Gratitude was what I felt the entire day. 

 That weekend I cleaned and put almost everything away.  I really do enjoy that process because the house feels so much more open once all the Christmas decor is packed away.  I can breathe again. It's like a whole new house! LOL  

New years eve was quiet, but I like it that way.  And now we are almost 2 weeks into the new year already!  I've had a bit of a cold but thankfully nothing too terrible.  Just a sniffle and an annoying tickle in my throat that won't go away, but if that's the worst thing than I'm ok with it.  Nothing a little hot tea with honey can't solve.  

The weather here has been cold so we've been hunkered down, staying inside watching movies and I've been doing a lot of reading.  This is why I love January.  There is no guilt spending the day on the couch reading a book because what else is there to do?!  At least that's what I tell myself, anyway!  

Like most of us my mind has been racing with a list of things to do in the new year.  Oh, I have so many ideas.  Most of the time, none of them leave the couch!  However, one thing that I'm very excited for is that we decided to paint our kitchen and living room!!!  This is something that's been needed for a very long time.  We were thinking of doing it in the spring, but with all the dust and soot from our woodburning stove building up, we decided not to order any more wood for the season and instead, clean and paint!  I'm so happyyyyyy!  There is nothing like a fresh coat of paint to brighten up a room.  Honestly, between you, me, and the lamp post, I didn't think this was on our "priority list" for a long time so I want to hurry up and get it done before all parties involved change their minds! LOL

We spent last Saturday morning a Lowes picking out colors and getting samples.  The final verdict is going to be a sage green with white trim. I'm thinking of doing yellow accents (think lemons).  The cabinets are oak, and I think those colors will feel warm and inviting. The kitchen is still very 90's but I do love it and don't want to change it too much.  I'm hoping by Valentines Day (which is not that far away!) all this will be done.  As you know, I hate to disrupt my boring routine with any kind of chaos (even good chaos) so hoping this process is quick and painless. 

Fingers crossed! ♥

At with that I enter 2026.  I'm not putting any pressure on myself these days.  Who knows what this year will bring.  I just say my prayers we all stay healthy, safe, happy, and of course, cozy!!!

Have a wonderful day, friends! ♥

I'm grateful to be entering another year of us sharing our lives together on this little online space! 

XO