lights, blooms and staying cozy

Hello friends, and happy 2024! This first week of January has rushed by in a blur. But a good blur. Lots of friend time and some fun activities. Oh, and I'm happy to report that the plantar fasciitis that I had in my left foot right after Christmas (I mentioned it in my last post) only lasted a couple of days. I did a bunch of stretching exercises I found online, lots of massage and ice, and that all seemed to work. I've also learned I can't go shoeless in the house anymore like I used to - I need cushioning. I hate wearing shoes in the house ~ I've always been a barefoot girl. Getting older does some fun things to your body. 😉

Back to the new year: Our tradition on the first day of a new year is to take a hike in the nearby State Park.

We basically have the entire park to ourselves because it's closed on New Year's day. We park on a nearby side street and walk in through the side entrance. Talk about peaceful! We feel like we're the only people on earth. Just us, nature all around us, and the occasional bird chirping.

Here in northeast Illinois, we never know what kind of weather we're going to have on January 1st. A few years ago when we were about a mile into the park, we got pelted by an ice storm. Other years, we've had light snow on the ground.

This year, we got lucky with mild temps and no snow. We hiked about four miles. (And for the next two days, my shins were killing me!)

Here inside Comfy House, Christmas decor started coming down on December 26th. Those of you who've been with me for a long time, know this is my norm. I feel that Christmas is over and I get tired of the clutter. I enjoy starting over with a fresh, clean look for the new year. But because January and February are such gloomy months here, I like leaving up little lights and candles to add some warmth and coziness to the house.

I left some green bottle brush trees on the mantle too, and brought out a couple of snowmen.

I even left up little snowflake lights in the bathroom. Why not warm up that dark space, too?

I needed a new essential oil diffuser and decided on a glass and wood one. Glad I did because I love the way it looks. It seems to diffuse stronger than my previous plastic diffusers, too. You can change the color of the lights on this one, which lends a pretty glow in a room on an otherwise dreary day. A little PSA: please research which essential oils are OK to diffuse if you have pets. Some can be toxic to them!

Interesting how my plants that bloom are all all doing so right now: the shamrock plant (Oxalis)...

African violet...

and Christmas cactus. Maybe somehow they know that we need some color and cheer on these gray winter days.

We're expecting our first winter storm tonight into tomorrow evening, with 5-8" of wet, heavy snow and up to 40 mph winds. Then another winter storm bringing much of the same on Friday. After that, frigid air will move in and we'll be below zero (F) at night. THIS is the kind of weather I loathe. 

Clementine has the right idea with her heated cat bed. I have one, too. Not a cat bed, hee hee, a heated bed. We have an electric mattress pad which I turn on high an hour before we get in bed. Feels so good to slide into a warm bed on these cold nights. I then turn the heat off, but the bed stays warm long enough just to drift off into blissful sleep.

Maybe with all this snow and frigid air coming our way, it'll give me an excuse to stay home and get some organizing projects done, as well as working in my art journal again. Perhaps have more of a Sacred Day as my blogging friend, Jennifer talks about ~ something we all need.

💓

natural ways to keep your home healthy

At first I was going to talk about how to keep your home healthy this winter, but then realized not only is winter almost over (whew!), but it doesn't matter what season it is ~ a healthy home is important year-round. 

One way to keep your home healthy is to diffuse essential oils. Just make sure you're buying pure, quality oils - not fragrance oils. Some recommended brands are NOW, doTERRA, Young Living, Edens Garden, Rocky Mountain Oils, and Mountain Rose Herbs. (Disclaimer: Consult with your veterinarian before diffusing essential oils in any household with pets.)

To purify the air with antiseptic and antibacterial properties, make your own combination of Thieves Oil using clove, lemon, cinnamon, eucalyptus, and rosemary oils. You can find a variation of recipes here, as well as the history of Thieves Oil. You can also use these recipes as a disinfectant spray or a massage oil.

This is my box of essential oils, so far. I'm building my collection! I love this wooden box ~ it holds my 1 oz bottles perfectly and is very sturdy. It also comes with labels for the tops of the bottles, which is very helpful. This isn't a sponsored post; it's just something I love and thought I'd share. You can find this box and labels here. 

 I have a diffuser in the spare room where I'm often on my laptop or doing yoga. I know this diffuser isn't particularly pretty, but I got it for free (in exchange for a honest online review) a couple of years ago, so I can't complain. ;-) 

Wiping down all the surfaces in your house that get dirty and where germs collect ~ countertops, sinks, faucet handles, refrigerator handle and doorknobs ~ is an important task to do every day to keep your home (and yourself) healthy. Please do not use disinfectant wipes such as Clorox or Lysol. They are simply loaded with chemicals which are not only bad for your own health, but the environment. See the list of ingredients from The Environmental Working Group and more information on the ingredients and dangers of these wipes at Women's Voices. 

It's best (and easy!) to make your own natural disinfecting spray using essential oils, or to buy a brand with the most natural ingredients, such as Dr. Bronner's, Aussan Natural, Eco-Me, or Better Life. One of my go-to homemade disinfecting sprays takes less than two minutes to make. You can use this cleaner on kitchen counters, stove, appliances, floors, mirrors, and in the bathroom. At first, I was skeptical about using this cleaner on mirrors, but I can attest to the fact that it cleans better than Windex ~ which is another cleaner that's full of chemicals. Just make sure you don't use this cleaner on granite or marble as these surfaces are porous and can be damaged with vinegar:

LEMON DISINFECTING SPRAY
1 cup purified or distilled water
1 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup witch hazel
20 drops essential lemon oil

Instructions: Using a funnel, pour all ingredients into a spray bottle. Shake before using.

More easy disinfecting spray recipes:

Live Simply

Don't Mess with Mama

One Essential Community

Dr. Axe

Of course, one of the most important things you can do in order to keep your home healthy in the first place, is to wash your hands with plain soap and water frequently, especially after being out in public or around sick people. Skip the antibacterial soap as they contain harmful ingredients and help create drug-resistant mutant germs. Click here - ABC News for just one of the many news or medical articles out there on this subject.

If you have other ways you help keep your home naturally healthy, please share with us!