The rain is melting the snow outside, creating that not-so-perfect groggy and lethargic mood that so easily settles in to start my day.  Will I let it invade, make its cranky bed, and grouch up my heart and home?

As the Mama, that choice is mine.

This week I read an inspiring post by one of my favorite bloggers, Modern Mrs. Darcy, titled "What is Saving My Life Right Now".  I fell in love with this whole concept.  I decided to create a similar post of my own on this dreary February day.  I can't bring myself to keep the same title because, well, (and I laugh as I write this) it just seems irreverent.  Jesus saves my life today and every day.  So while I can't say anything else is "saving my life," there are several things I am doing intentionally to enrich it right now. This time of year, it can sometimes take effort to stay motivated, happy, and, well.... sane.  Ahem.

Winter has been a tough season for me for all of my adult life.  Each fall I give myself a little pep talk about "getting through the winter" and, inevitably, I find myself pale, beat-down, gloomy, and lacking motivation as January wraps up.

BUT...
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This year I am feeling great!  This has definitely been my best winter in years and years and years.  I am happy, energized, motivated, and inspired.  I look forward to the things I do each day.  I (like to think I) encourage the people around me.  I can breathe, pause, love, rest, enjoy, and create.  I am happy.

So I started to think about what made this year different.  
First-- grace.  No matter how many things I might decide contribute to my "good" winter, I am certain that grace is the #1 player in this game.  God is good, and I am so thankful for His help this winter.  But I've also been more intentional in the ways that I "spend" my thoughts, words, time, and money this winter.  Living with this purpose has given me the best winter yet.  Here are the top three discoveries that have changed my winter:

Is there anything like curling up on the couch or relaxing in the bath with a good book in the winter?  Embracing my love for reading and refusing to feel guilty about spending my time with a book has truly enriched these long winter months.  My "to-read" list includes a mix of feel-good fiction, memoir, short stories, and historical fiction, some brand new, and some older.  I have linked them all to goodreads if you would like to check out summaries and reviews.

I've also included a gallery of some of my favorite books from this fall and winter.  Five stars!  I gleaned these titles from my local library, thriftbooks (my obsession), and the Book of the Month Club.

I am certainly not a model housekeeper in any sense.  Any. Sense. But I've discovered that a clean and pleasant space at home vastly improves my mood.  I keep my space as positive and nice-smelling as one can while working full time with a toddler, a husband changing jobs, and an unruly dachshund roaming the premises.

Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Lilac Multi-Surface Cleaner has been my favorite scent of the season.  It brings springtime into my home.  I seriously love cleaning the counters with this stuff.  I just close my eyes and pretend I have a beautiful, fragrant lilac bush outside of my kitchen window that overlooks a rose garden and bubbling brook.

My doTERRA Petal Diffuser is another one of my favorite things this time of year.  I'm not the essential oil expert that many of my blogging peers are, but my favorite oil right now is Plant Therapy's Blues Buster.  It has a citrus-y scent that picks me up no matter the weather, and plays right into my bubbling brook fantasy.  We will add a few lemon and orange trees to my rose and lilac garden, now.  It's looking pretty nice!

The final little trick that I've noticed makes my space feel more beautiful are a few low-maintenance indoor plants.  I have a crazy aloe at home in the brightest orange pot I could find.  I only have to water it once a week and it doesn't take up much space at all.  The others are in my classroom at work- 4 colorful, tropical, thirsty plants that have kept my students and me busy watering and rotating over the past months.  The freshness these small plants bring to my space is incredible.

3. Hobbies and Activities
The last change I've made this year is being more mindful of how I spend my time.  I've found a balance of fulfilling work and purposeful leisure and rest has helped me keep my emotions and thoughts in check.  When I'm at work, I work really hard and pour my heart into what I do.  I'm also taking a few graduate classes that are keeping me inspired and passionate.

When I am home, I am trying to be more present with my family.  I plan activities with Reed (like the volcano we made a few weeks back).  I've made a bigger deal out of New Year's Eve or Valentine's Day than I have in the past.  I've spent more time playing, conversing, cooking, and resting... and less time on my phone.

Lastly, (and I think this is the most difficult one), I am trying to take more time to care for myself.  I take a nap every once in a while, go shopping, or meet a friend for lunch.  One of my favorite things to do this winter has been to work on a puzzle while listening to an encouraging podcast.  Joyce Meyer's podcasts are so encouraging, and her constant emphasis on positive thinking and a renewed, strong mind are always inspirational and useful this time of year.

Another obsession: about once a week I will take a long bath with a favorite book and a paper face mask.  These little moments leave me feeling refreshed, pampered, and pretty- all difficult things to feel sometimes in the winter.

I hope you are embracing your winter just as I am.  I know this time of year can be hard.  Trust me, I know.  But there is beauty and value in each day and moment.  Sometimes all we need to do is figure out what works for us in a certain season.

  So let me know... what is enriching your life right now?

Did you enjoy this post?  Check out some other thoughts in My Soul Food:

The past several days have been a pleasant but chaotic whirlwind.  At the eye of the hurricane is a big change I'd like to share with you.  After a decade of hard work on the streets, a whole lotta prayer, and no small amount of late-night conversations and sleepless nights, Jacob made the decision to resign from his position as a police sergeant for a new job in the hunting world.  It has been a bittersweet step of faith for our family, especially Jacob, of course.  He will keep working as a police officer on occasion, "auxiliary" they call it, but it is still going to be a big change for all of us.  And a big blessing, in many ways.  Oh the pages and pages I could write as we end this season and begin a new one.  Pages of reflection, contemplation, and anticipation.  God is truly good.

So our recent winter break and snow days have come at a good time.  This has allowed me to stay at home and keep the balance and harmony of home during this transition.  God always seems to work things out that way.

The early-morning phone call was a beautiful sound today.  I mean, I love my job, but I'd be lying if I said I don't want a snow day every now and then.

I'm a teacher everyday; I can't help it!  It's in my blood.  Look back in the family tree- I can prove it! Today, Reed and I attempted a homemade lava lamp.  Unfortunately, we didn't have any food coloring, but Reed thought it was cool anyway.  Water, vegetable oil, food coloring, and salt is all you need for a little at-home science lesson.

The best thing to do on a snow day is hole up and cook warm, yummy, beautiful food.  This morning, Reed and I made Eggs Benedict for the first time.  I don't know if I can really say I made it, though, because I didn't poach the egg.  I've never poached an egg before, Reed was being, well, 3... and I decided to just make the egg over easy.  Gasp! I know that's not really Eggs Benedict, but trust me. All of the mommas of threes out there will stand with me, call it Eggs Benedict, and dare you to disagree.

Oliver is ALWAYS one of my favorite things.  Snow days give me extra time to cuddle him, a win-win-win-win!  Today I listened to him snore for about an hour.  He just melts me.

This one's a no-brainer.  I love having a giant stack of books to read at all times.  My current stack has some old favorites, like Corrie Ten Boom's The Hiding Place alongside books I've always wanted to read or ones that have been recommended to me, like Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain.  Hmmmm... where shall I start?

Oh, yes.  My new Gideon Spa Foot Bath Massager!  Jacob got this foot spa as my "big" Christmas gift this year.  I am in love!  With Jacob, yes, but I meant the spa. My sister and I do a girls' spa night each weekend, and this beautiful addition makes our nights even more luxurious and fun.  On a completely unrelated note, Valentine's Day is coming up in about, oh, 37 days (give or take).  This spa bath would make a wonderful gift... just in case anyone is interested.

Spring days will be upon us before we know it, so I've resolved to enjoy every moment of this snowy winter.  These are the things I like to do to make me happy when I'm surrounded by snow, cold, and ice.  Please share some of your favorite things in the comments below!

 Being a mom is my favorite job in the world.  But it isn't at all what I thought it would be.  It is more heartbreaking and bittersweet than I ever expected, but also filled with incredulous, wonderful, side-splitting laughter.  Yesterday in my writing class, a colleague told the hilarious story of her daughter's embarrassing moment in public, and how she has said things as a mom that she never expected.  That got me thinking.  I mean, Reed is only two, but I could easily (maybe too easily) compile a list of things I never thought I would say, at least before I became a mom.  Please share in the comments some of the things you've said to your kids that you couldn't believe came out of your mouth.  It will be so fun!

1. "Get your head out of the toilet."
Ewww... I thought I'd gross you out right away.

2. "Please don't lick the dog."
You'll notice a common theme, here.

3. "You want honey mustard with your fish?"
I keep telling myself this "dip" thing is just a stage.
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4. "Don't tell Daddy about the brownies."
Or the cookies.  Or the cake.  That we made at nine AM just because.  Didn't I promise myself we weren't going to eat junk food today?

​5. "Please don't lick me."
Seriously?!

6.  "If you are good, I'll give you a sucker."
I swore I would never bribe.  That was cute.

7.  "Get out of the fish tank... and please put Nemo back."
*Trying to look mad and keep a straight face.*

8.  "I can't keep my eyes open."  (It was 7 pm)
That's just embarrassing.

9.  "I have a booger on my shirt?  Oh, that's ok.  I'll wash it out later."
Actually around 12:30 today, my friend told me my shirt was inside out.  I'd been in class for 4 hours, and I gave a short presentation in that time.  Fantastic!

10.  "Please don't lick the floor."
Yes, again.

I can't even imagine the directions in which this list will go in the coming years.  It is exciting and really terrifying!  Please share your memorable moments, too!