Favorite Finds: February (warm-your-soul) Edition
Brrrrrr! Baby, its cold outside!
This edition of Favorite Finds is perfect for these snowy days in February with a few things that warm your soul.
1. Build a big fire and enjoy it all day long.
A few weeks ago, I spent a day snowed in and writing, my favorite kind of day. Mike was at work and so I carried logs in all day long and kept a roaring fire going in the fireplace.
I gave this classic leather and wool log carrier to Mike for Christmas. It is made to carry logs from the garage or woodpile to the fireplace without mess or splinters. I'm here to say it works like a charm.
And what's more romantic than coming home to a bright fire at the end of a long winter day?
Happy Valentine's Day to you and your husband.
(Ahem, on sale as of this writing.)
2. Find something brave to inspire you to bravery.
I am finally getting brave enough to write about raising a child with autism in the public squares of Instagram and here. It's only been 22 years, but I'm finally ready, kind of.
This letter to autism from Katie Blackburn on her blog "Just Enough Brave" made my heart soar and break just a little bit (more).
If I ever meet Katie face-to-face, and I hope I do, I would tell her, "beautifully written, finely-crafted and well-lived".
Read this and be inspired.
dear autism by katie blackburn
3. Plan a simple meal that reminds you of your childhood.
When I was a girl and my Daddy was on a trip (which was ALOT), my Mama made breakfast for dinner. We called it "brinner".
There's nothing cozier than pancakes or waffles especially at dinnertime. Add the smell of frying bacon and you're warmed down to your soul. (Bacon tip: I finally learned to bake bacon. Just line your cookie sheet with generous foil, enough to make sides for catching splatters in your oven.)
You do not have to be gluten free to love this mix. My daughter, Ryan, has avoided stomach aches and migraines by going GF. Woot. Sometimes we all join her. Serve these will warm REAL maple syrup that touches your bacon, fresh berries or peanut butter. Woot-woot.
Bob's Red Mill Gluten free Pancake Mix
4. Give and shop and give some more.
My friend, Carolyn, started a beautifully crafted thrift shop with a curated inventory where 100% of profits go to benefit vulnerable women and children. It is located in the Queen Anne neighborhood of Seattle, but a few branded items are available online.
The design is not like any resale shop I have ever seen. I call it woodsy industrial with a touch of modern. You would call it beautiful. But better than the style, is the heart. It is a non-profit shop whose mission is to give back 100% of the profits into the lives of vulnerable women and children.
Even if you cannot visit the shop in person, you could donate your hard-earned cash or send your best upscale denim, accessories or handbags in a flat rate box, Yes, you will pay shipping, but count that as part of your giving and sleep sound knowing you are doing a good and sustainable thing for the world and a child while keeping your soul warm and toasty.
Count it as another way to build a fire.
Send your gently used items to:
2213 Queen Anne Ave. North, Seattle, WA 98109
To see more, follow on Instagram @simpleandjust or visit their website.
Simple & Just (working together for good)
Any one of these could be part of your soul keeping and winter survival kit.
Happy February friends! And share away, guilt free and with wild abandon.
In these Favorite Finds posts, I am giving you my best finds to make life simpler, richer or smoother. Sometimes those finds are products with affiliate links, but life is better for being generous over only acquiring or consuming, so look here each month for opportunities to be filled with more wisdom, mercy and soul. ;)