December Update
The billowing of flakes across the sky on a winter storm offer such unbridled serenity. That delicate click sound you have to be especially quiet to hear as the snow hits the ground and freezes to her friends. The white. The magic. The purity of an untouched blanket of snowflakes is breathtaking.
The stillness feels like an invitation to be calmed and held. And wear pajamas! And go nowhere quickly, if at all.
These boys I get to live with make it next to impossible to linger long on a snowy morning. Their noses to the frozen windowpanes begging me to take them out for a romp. I’m winded within seconds of trudging through the deep drifts. They prance, burrow and roll for hours as if there was nothing to it.
I tried to capture a great shot of the three of us for this love letter to you. . . this is what I got. Happiness. Joy. Play. Love in motion.
This month began about as hectic as any I can remember. Without a break in sight beyond 2024, I started to feel a little twitchy! Are you with me?
Yet, i didn’t react or cringe or fight. Wellll, maybe a little here and there, but I didn’t overreact, overthink or attack. And sure makes me feel mighty proud that possibly, after all these years, I finally (or temporarily finally) get that the roadblocks of chaos go away far faster when I don’t egg them on. . .
And then. As if by magic, I found myself with a lightened schedule, giving me more time to write and have time to be with friends to celebrate the end of year festivities.
Gosh I look forward to these last few days of the year to dream myself into all the good that awaits us all.
May you be experiencing the same. And if per chance you are not, maybe ease up on the fight and see what happens. . . let me know how you go, will you? I would so love that! xoxo
Gravity
Momentum grows, and builds, with DIRECTION.
Gravity offers the energy of grounded deliberateness. Yes. Do life deliberately. Momentum doesn’t do well with scattered randomness. Momentum isn’t floaty. It loves weight. It loves power. It loves knowing it matters. Don’t we all?
It’s perfect time of year read through these 11 words… xoxo
Excerpt from Quantum Countdown: Factoring in Momentum by Adrea L Peters
My Favorite Thing: PAJAMAS
Comfort. And. Joy!
It’s the time of year when I wear my PJs a lot more than any other time… Thought I might share a few of my very favorites with YOU!
Sleep shorts are a go to for me! I run hot. Nighties are terrific but sometimes I want a pant-like fit:). And sleep shorts are what I love! I usually get the matching top… but lots of time I sleep in a tank.
When it comes to hanging out and writing and/or cooking and working from home, what do I chose? Petite Plume every single time! I buy mine from a local shop, Malabar, because I love Julie and I love shopping local:). Highly, highly recommend this brand. She also carries Needham Lane which I adore and am wearing as I write this to you! (pink seersucker, of course!)
Yes, silk nighties are my absolute favorite. I hadn’t bought one in a long time, then did because i was inspired to whilst watching one of my favorite Christmas movies, Christmas Survival, where the female lead, Gemma Whelan, wears a silk nightie with a shearling coat and wellies nearly the entire film. I mean… Too good! Had to and I am all the better for it!
For the Festive Foodie
Here’s what’s cooking around here for the holidays!
On Christmas Eve, I’ll be enjoying a Broc+Scallion+Gouda flatbread. As always, I modified a recipe! The topping is easy peasy. Chop up broccoli and scallions, toss in a large bowl. Finely shred or dice some Gouda. I use vegan Gouda because it’s one of the only vegan cheese that I find okay/not horrible.
Toss the Gouda in with the broc+scalls and add olive oil, syrupy balsamic, salt and pepper, or Everything Bagel topping mix. I also add garlic, fresh or powdered, whatever is handy.
For the flatbread, i modified Paul Hollywood’s Wrap recipe, which I couldn’t find online to link… so shhh… I also half the recipe so that’s what I’ll give you here:
125g bread flour (I think you can use gluten-free flour here)
125g multi-grain flour (again you go for 250g of GF or Cauliflower Flour)
5g salt
15g sugar
5g yeast (fast action is great)
15g unsalted butter room temp
160ml cool water
Veg Oil, Butter or Canola
Put both flours in a large bowl, stir, then add salt and sugar to one side and yeast to the other. Plop butter in. Then pour 1/2 the water and begin stirring with your fingers. Add a bit more water. And combine. The dough should all connect but not be smooth when you drop it to a flour-dusted counter. If it’s wet and sticky, add a bit more flour. I add my flour, if I need to, onto the counter because I don’t want to dry my dough before I knead it and truly know. It should become a smooth ball of dough after a few minutes of kneading.
Coat a bowl with olive oil, plunk in your dough ball and cover with plastic or a tea towel. Rise takes 1-3 hours. Should double, minimally. My house is freaking cold so no dough rises without help here! My friend, Jen, taught me to preheat the oven at a low temp (190 F) then turn it off when you stick the dough in for the prove. (tea towel, not plastic to cover, please, if you do this.)
Once risen, pour onto floured counter, knead the air out. Divide into 50-60g balls, then rolling pin them flat! Do them all because they cook fast!
Grab a pan and heat some oil until it smokes. If you want to be uber healthy, no oil:). Lay in a flatbread and let it sizzle for 30-80 seconds per side. And viola! You have flatbreads or wraps for your eating pleasure!
Add on the Broc mix and cook in the oven at 425-450F for 8-10 minutes. You can put anything on these breads! The key is to chop up the toppings first and if you add greens, dress them in a vinaigrette or oil & vinegar. xoxo
For Christmas dinner, I’m staying vegan this year and going Italian with this lovely bolognese recipe from the New York Times. For an easy meaty version, I recommend the Modern Proper and whilst you are at the MP, check out their one pot list! So many good recipes!
And for New Year’s Eve brunch, I’m going hog wild with Croque Madame, Arugula + Chive salad!
New Year R i t u a l s
I love love looovveee the start to a new year. It’s this moment to let go of that junk that happened, to celebrate all the good shizzle that happened and to wipe the slate clean to step in fully again. Is there anything better?
To, I don’t know, how myself to all that, I’ve gathered rituals to celebrate the coming of the new year. I love a ritual. Like my morning cup of coffee, which feels highly ceremonious. Walking in the woods with the boys. Starting the work day. Early Monday morning house cleaning. Weekend writing sessions. A meal.
And so, a month or so before the New Year, I get out a new notebook and my felt tips and begin planning for the year ahead. Yes, I really do.
My ritual is based a ritual called Planning Day. created by my friend Jamie Ridler. I let my planning linger through out the month. I answer the questions Jamie poses in her ritual and I add a few more. I pick focus areas for the year ahead and a word or two to set the tone of the year to. It’s incredibly gratifying, which is why I share this ritual with you. If nothing else, maybe ask yourself, what, above anything else, do I want in 2022?
I also do something to uplevel myself. That may be starting yoga (2011), or signing up for a retreat (too many years to list) or buying a book to study (The Universal One 2008). This year is a year of Abundance Activations with my dear, dear, dear love, Miche(lle) Lowbridge. This is THE BEST programme ever! I’m absolutely besotted with it. (and it’s a bargain! TYMiche!)
And I get a new set of sneakers! This reminds me of the joy and reward of moving my body! This year I got On’s Cloudstratus and I LOVE THEM! My lovebug soulmate, KF, and I had such a fun time hunting down our favorites! She went for these!
And on New Year’s Eve morning, I put on those sneaks and hike a mountain. Okay, I hike a mountain everyday, but on this particular day, I do it with extra purpose and celebration for all the good that has been and all that is on the way!
Oh! And I always get a Louise Hay daily inspiration tear off calendar!
I thank you for being part of this love letter. For encouraging me to write, to share and to create. I means the absolute world to me that you are here.
May you find yourself in love with YOU as 2022 begins (and ends:))
