When I saw that Modern Mrs. Darcy was hosting a link up listing the positive, helpful things that are “saving your life” during this sometimes-gloomy season of winter, I loved the idea. I suppose you could say that I don’t hate winter as much as some people, and we have mostly had a milder winter than usual this year, so that’s been nice, but it can still be a bit of a dreary time of year. Here are some things that have really made my days a bit brighter/kept me sane/increased my happiness during the grayer and darker days of winter in Canada 🙂

1) Winter running – When I can motivate myself to get out the door, I actually really love winter running. Fall is my favourite season for running because the temperatures and scenery are absolutely perfect, but winter is nice because you don’t get too hot! Especially now that we are seeing a bit more daylight, this is something that I’ve really been trying to do at least once a week to keep me sane (and in shape :))

2) Vitamin C & D supplements – I don’t always remember to take vitamins, but I have noticed a significant improvement in my overall mood since I began taking these two vitamins daily. I think the lack of sunshine really depletes vitamin D stores in particular so this one is extremely important.

3) Our Instant Pot & other small, easy, appliances – I’ve been using the Instant Pot to make yogurt and prep meals for the week. I have a whole post coming next week about my love for small household appliances 😉

4) SOUP – When winter hits, I absolutely crave soup for lunch so I’ve been making it in large batches, freezing it in muffin tins and grabbing a few “muffin sized” portions for lunches. It really fills you up, warms you up, and can be so healthy! I’d love to share a few of my favourite recipes sometime.

5) Good books and Goodreads – Honestly, this saves my life all the time because I love to read, but winter is such a cozy season for reading and I have really been embracing that lately. Granted, I have also spent a lot of “reading time” browsing social media, which has been nice in its own way 😉

6) The cold sock treatment – this is one of my favourite methods for healing from a cold. I have no idea why it works, and I know it sounds SUPER weird, but it is way cozier than it sounds (your feet don’t actually feel very cold due to the warm layers over top of the cold sock).

7) Taking a warm magic bag to bed – I love to do this in the winter and curl up with a warm magic bag on my neck/shoulders while I read for a few minutes before falling asleep. SO cozy. This is just such a pleasant way to get into bed.

8) Bullet journaling, Project 52 weeks, and fun markers/pens – It’s fun to doodle sometimes! I have also enjoyed all of my 2017 lists and random thoughts during this season.

9) Carbonated water – this feels like a treat but has zero calories. Brian carbonates it for me with his keg system (for homemade beer) and I add lime juice to it, but I also love this stuff.

10) Board game nights – we have had a couple of board game nights so far this year and I love it. Brian got a subscription box with board games in it for Christmas, so we’re excited to try out some new ones too!

and a bonus one:

11) Sunshine!!! – It has been spectacularly sunny in Halifax this week (although still cold), and it has raised my spirits (and everyone’s!) SO much. It is glorious to feel some warm sun streaming through the windows these days.

Happy weekend, friends!! Hope there is something that is saving YOUR life right now. Feel free to share any thoughts on this 🙂