Oh hey friends.
Since the last time we wintered together, I was diagnosed with ADHD — Inattentive Type. Everything in my life now makes sense, including the habit that I used to refer to as being a “serial hobbyist.” The hyperactivity of my mind had me jumping from one dopamine fix to the next and moving on when things weren’t fun anymore. Hobbies were about the rush of learning something and acquiring things and eradicating boredom and I’ve never fully committed to one. However, my hobbyist activities has made me quite the aficionado of them and a big proponent of finding things to do with your hands and your mind and your body.
Having a hobby keeps your mind occupied and the happy hormones circulating, especially when it’s cold outside and we can’t go and do like we can when it’s warm. I think we often think of hobbies as something that’s a luxury only afforded to those whose lives aren’t busy, but I don’t think that’s true. I think it’s important to do something that you enjoy, just for the sake of enjoying it. It’s good for your mind and what’s good for your mind is good for your soul.
Being a serial hobbyist has taught me that you don’t have to commit or be excellent at anything for it to be fun. You can jump from one hobby to the next and be terrible at it, and still enjoy it. Don’t think of your hobbies as something to master. Just have fun with them.
The best, low risk, low cost way to do this is to browse the shelves of thrift stores (the place where hobbies are abandoned every day) and check out your town’s Buy Nothing facebook group. The groups are all over the world (something they go by different names) and it’s just a group where people in your neighborhood give things away or ask for things that they’re looking for. You’re not allowed to ask for payment and you’re not allowed to offer to pay. We’ve received skis, yarn, puzzles, costumes, things for our house, an entire playground, and all kinds of things for the kids. I don’t buy anything without checking our buy nothing group first!
I’d love to hear what hobbies are occupying your hands and minds this winter. Tell us in the comments below so we can give each other ideas!
In this wintering volume :
Something to do
Something to drink
Something to remember
Winter outfits that sleigh
Wintering where you are
Something to do -
This week, we’re going on another thrift adventure and this time- it’s to find a hobby. Or - to find some supplies for a hobby you already have. I grabbed this list from midliferambler for you to browse through if you’re not sure where to start with a new things to do. Let me know what you decide to try and what you find at the thrift store!
Something to drink -
Orange hot chocolate via The Almond Eater
Ingredients :
¼ cup dark chocolate approx. 2 oz., chopped
1 cup almond milk or milk of choice
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 tablespoon cane sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
2-3 orange peel rinds
Instructions :
+ Melt dark chocolate and almond milk together in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to avoid burning it.
+ Once melted, reduce to low heat and add remaining ingredients.
+ Simmer ingredients on low for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it's warmed to your liking.
+ Remove from heat and add toppings (whipped cream, chopped chocolate, etc.). Enjoy!
Something to remember -
I have a really serious question that no one seems to have the answer to, but where have all the POGS gone? I was obsessed with these as a kid and I can still smell the rubber on my prized pink and metal slammer. POGs were our Roblox. That was the game you played with all your friends after school, sometimes during school if the recess vibes were right. I had cases and cases of them. One case was just for my collection of slammers and then one day, the pogs were just … gone? Everyone just decided that we didn’t want to play with them anymore. Or maybe all of our parents realized that we were actually gambling. Ha! They left as quickly as they came and if I hadn’t been so obsessed with them, I might have forgotten they were ever a thing.
I had the hardest time finding any photos or pogs in action so please, if you have evidence of your pog stage, tag me on insta! I need to see. For science.
This news feature made me laugh. It was so, so serious. You had to be there, I guess.
Winter outfits that sleigh
I haven’t started taking pictures of my winter outfits yet, but I wanted to show you who is helping learn how to dress in my late thirties. In the last two years, I’ve learned a lot about dressing to my body type. It’s helped me find clothes that are actually flattering on me and has honestly made getting dressed a lot easier. I only buy clothes and colors that I know will look good on me. I am 5’2, have an inverted triangle body shape, and have some major ab separation from my twin pregnancy and c-section. That means I have wide shoulders, a short torso, tiny legs, and a belly. Finding clothes is hard. I hate it most of the time, but figuring out what works for me has been a game changer. That said — the clothes that look good on me might not look good on you, so this section of wintering is about getting inspiration and finding what works for you!
There are a few accounts I follow to learn how to dress myself, but I absolutely love Karin Emily. Her style is simple and classy and full of basics that are easy to pull together. I have a pinterest board full of outfit inspo from her. I find some of the pieces she shares on poshmark (like the jacket in the second photos!) so I get the look and the vibe without spending a ton of money on something that might not work for me.
Anyway - here’s some winter outfits that sleigh from Karin.
Winter where you are :
This section of wintering is reader submitted. Thank you for sharing how you winter!
Don't you love how a piece of art can evoke emotion? A few years ago I discovered the artist Loré Pemberton, and it's my dream to have my home feel like one of her illustrations. Winter here in southern Oregon can be long, but when I romanticize my life a bit more during the winter, it's easier to get through.
We live in a classic 1940's cape cod style home, nestled into the base of the cascade mountains, directly across from the largest lake in Oregon. Out front we have a captivating view of the lake, while our backyard is a steep slope filled with various conifer trees, Oregon grape, mountain mahogany (hubs is obsessed with this for firewood), and all sorts of wildlife. We love watching the deer as they forage in our backyard. With how our house is situated on the hill, the sunlight is sparse during the winter months. Olaf would love the permafrost around here. We have many beautiful old wooden windows, and I'll be found chasing the sunlight we do get throughout the day.
In our living room is an inviting wood stove insert my husband installed early fall 2022, and he works hard to keep us well stocked on different types of wood. It's arguably the best investment we've made toward wintering well. During the winter you'll quite often find us in the living room around the fire, our three girls playing, listening/dancing to music, watching some of our favorite shows or classic movies. There's nothing quite like the glow of the fire.... until you add in a Christmas tree. Then it's the perfect recipe for evenings snoozing on the couch. The brightest room in our home is our kitchen, but it also happens to be the coldest. During the winter we enjoy spending time making nourishing foods and doing plenty of baking- mostly sourdough.
Winter wasn't always difficult, but it shifted 6 years ago December 14th when my sweet mother in-law went to be with Jesus. Naturally, this season brings heaviness. My father in-law planted a tree in her honor that we decorate each year, and this tradition is a light on a dark day. Wrestling with grief, we've learned that although God doesn't always remove us from life's difficulties, He is ever so present with us in the midst. We still find this to be true when we experience the intermingling of grief with joy.
Though winter may be long and dark, we endeavor to lean into the season and admire the beauty that it does offer- to romanticize our home, our family, our life. In the words of my sweet mother in law (from a journal we found after she passed) "And may we remember, when it's dark in December, Your mercies are new every day."
Follow Sarah along on instagram - @sarah.ekstrom
That’s it for this wintering volume! And in case you didn’t know, paid subscribers get extra wintering content and few other perks! You can upgrade your subscription here. :
I think I am going to jump on the Carlos Whitaker bandwagon and learn ASL as my hobby for the next couple of months!😊
I LOVED POGS. But, I'm pretty sure my school banned them QUICK. Just like they banned flip flops. It was a sad year.