6 slow living ways to enjoy this quieter month
Simple ways to breathe calm into your January
We’ve been a little quiet on here recently after taking a longer than anticipated festive break. Whilst enjoying free time with friends and family away from our little floating home, with no YouTube video to edit or content to plan, I found myself having itchy feet. It’s different having time off away from your home, without your own bits to play around with, isn’t it?! Longing for a jigsaw and my sewing machine… it prompted an idea for this substack post.
This isn’t a nudge to get active and change your life right now. If you read Jack’s post earlier this week on his ultimate anti-January pie, you’ll know we’re not into the new year, new you rhetoric. Instead, quite the opposite. New year, old you… that’s more realistic isn’t it… It’s mid winter here, the evenings are still long, days are meant for hibernating. Here’s a few ideas for how to enjoy the rest of this naturally slow season.
Learn to identify trees
How To Read a Tree is next on my to read list…once I get through the four books I currently have on the go. Being able to name any tree on a walk not only makes you look and feel at one with nature every time you head out, but it’s so helpful for foraging, particularly with mushrooms. Flicking through this book by Tristan Gooley in Jaffé & Neale in Chipping Norton made me realise just how much you can understand about any area by simply looking at the trees. An easy hobby to start indoors, and practice on every walk… And a free one. I’m a sucker for a book but you can equally grow your knowledge for free online.
If you’re interested in this, then
is writing about winter trees all this month so give the below a read!
Make Do and Mend
There are so many creative ways to patch up loved clothing to keep it going a little longer. I've worn my navy Lucy and Yaks for 6, maybe 7 years now and their ever growing hole is in need of some love to keep them going a little longer. I'm keen to try out visible mending to extend their life - a handy skill to learn!
is currently doing a series of posts on mending clothes - here’s a really good guide for getting started with darning:
Flower Pressing
There was a point last year when all the Insta algorithm showed me was pressed flower prints… and I've become so sure this is the hobby for me. That, and pottery, but I think the latter is a little extravagant for now. Spring is of course a better time to try this as flowers are pretty scarce at this time of year, but there's plenty of foliage around to get started with. My ambition is to decorate our floating home with homemade prints of each season’s beauties. This guide is my inspiration.
A map based walk
I love where we live as there are a handful of circular routes from the boat to vary up the daily dog walk - but sometimes a good yomp up an unknown hill is in order. The kind with a flask in one hand, map in the other, where your eyes are fixed on the path ahead, saving the view for the top. If for any reason you can’t get out this month, there are a number of YouTube channels Jack and I watch of ramblers which you can live vicariously through - Athena Mellor and her Ramble Family channel, Liam Brown, and GeoWizard walking to Cornwall with just £10 in his pocket.
Journaling
For the past few years, when I catch a quiet moment to myself, I find myself reaching for my familiar notebook and pen. Whether it’s one line, or a miniature novel, jotting down thoughts on life in the moment is a beautiful way to capture time. Flicking back through the pages reminds me of a past me, with the etched ink carrying more detail than my memory alone. A hobby I would recommend to anyone!
Making Bread
There’s nothing quite like turning four simple ingredients into a homemade loaf and cutting into it whilst it’s still a little warm. The smell that lingers should be enough to persuade anyone to become a baker. It’s also one of those things that sounds a lot harder than it really is. Our go-to book for all things bread is by Ken Forkish
I'd love to know what you're turning your hand to this month. If you've got something to add to the list - let me know!
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Thanks for the shout-out!!
I love the other ideas too - you've reminded me that I have some clothes to mend, and flower pressing is something I've never thought about but that I would probably really enjoy!
Brewing supplies off Amazon for me, Marie is stocking up on canning items. Honestly, we're just sucking air together. She has refused surgery so we're enjoying each breath. She still paints, but the tumor has overgrown her other talents.
Love y'all, be safe, warm, healthy.