Simple Pleasures sparking joy in February
Noticing and appreciating the simple pleasures in life became one of the first ways I started living a more intentional life. I want to remember the shifting seasons in my life and choose to note down the small moments each month which spark joy. I’ve noticed every year there are a few constants, there are the shifts to notice in the natural world creating a seasonal rhythm and a general theme of the month. However things do change and capturing these details feels a special way to mark moments in the seasons of life. The way I’m spending my time shifts each season and every year looks and feels a little different. Capturing the simple pleasures in the month is something I adore doing, I start by looking over the photos I’ve taken in the month, look at my seasonal notes and gather the simple pleasures and joys I want to share. Many more personal joys and moments are captured in my journals and my memory keeping which I keep just for me and my family.
By appreciating the simple moments in every day I continue to grow my connection to the seasons in nature and cultivate more gratitude for the small moments. One persons simple pleasures may be different to next, shaped by the different phases of our lives, our passions and interests and the environment we live in.
Intentionally noticing, getting curious about simple pleasures, and knowing what has brought us the most joy can help us create a reminder to do more of what tops us up.
I’ve curated a few of my favourite simple pleasures I noticed during February in the list below and have shared some more details to bring them to life.
Simple pleasures sparking joy in February
Rainy days with cosy hobbies
The endless rainy grey days this February became an almost permanent feature of the month. I decided to embrace it and continue to enjoy cosy winter hobbies. I picked up a knitting project which had been on my knitting needles for quite sometime, and I had forgotten about. I made a pair of very cosy fingerless mittens. It felt like the ultimate moment of self-care and something I intentionally chose to spend time on. I love wearing them and it reminded me how good it feels when I knit. It’s been about 6 years since I knitted so this felt like a huge win for me. I created a creative project list in January and knitting socks was on the list. I feel now that I may feel less daunted to make a start on this project.
Oher cosy hobbies have included continuing with more crochet blocks for a blanket I have been trying to finish for many many years. The rhythmic, ease-filled crochet time was welcomes as it can be picked up and put down when I wanted to and it felt great completing 5 crochet blocks this month. At times I did it listening to music and other times podcasts which was a route back to habit stacking two things I love but struggle to fit in.
Hellebores, crocus and daffodils in bloom
We’ve had hellebores in our garden for many years and I love it when they flower at this time of year. The light plum coloured flowers are such a welcomed view in our tiny garden and deserve the space they have. The crocus and daffodils I planted last autumn are growing and some of the crocus and daffodils are in bloom. Daffodils planted many years ago still return and are in the views of the garden from a few small windows we have which look out onto the garden. The bulbs are all growing and flowering at different times, which I love and shows how you can plant bulbs across a garden and in containers at the same time and due to their microclimate all grow at different times and rates. I’m looking forward to the season of these flowers extending into March and appreciating them. Snowdrops bloomed in our garden in a few small clusters and I loved spotting them gently bringing a bright white and green to areas I’d forgetten they were there.
Feelings of joy as sunshine and blue skies return
It’s been a wet and grey month however we’ve had a fleeting few hours of sunshine and blue sky a few times in the month. Today has been one of those days and I feel so much better when the sunshine is present, it brings me so much energy to get things sorted and also good conditions to get out into our garden. Remembering that feeling of sunshine on your face has brought so much joy and I’ve closed my eyes and faced the sun, soaking up the sunlight for as long as I can.
Tiny leaves quietly forming on leaves
Look and you might miss them, however there are buds forming everywhere I look at the moment. Walking in the park many trees are still bare, but in the distance I noticed the two magnolia trees holding buds of flowers ready to bloom, other trees have the smallest of leaves starting to form. As the temperatures increase and the daylight increases the trees are waking from their slumber and I feel giddy seeing them. On the school run we walk past a few street trees and small trees in the front of the small urban gardens, seeing the small leaves everyday reminds me we are moving into spring and life is returning. I feel really hope seeing the leaves, even on the rainy days, the bright buds are gently growing and waiting to fully burst into leaf.
Gentle return of more hours of sunlight
Waking up over the past week I’ve noticed lighter mornings at 6:30am and the light is still with us until about 6pm. Despite the lights going on during the dark afternoons the light is returning and it is very much welcomed. There’s a real joy in experiencing the lighter evenings and I feel relief that we get to enjoy our home in a little more daylight each day.
Windy half-term beach walks
We headed to Cornwall for the February half-term, something we haven’t done before. Walking around towns in Cornwall at this time of year is such a pleasure as it is so much quieter than the summer. Walking on the beaches and a few short coastal path walks were filled with joy, our daughter and Juno our dog had fun dodging the muddy puddles of pathways and loved racing across empty beaches. There was plenty of rain during the week but time on the beach was timed perfectly with a gap in the rain. Being by the sea is one of my favourite things and something I miss in the city. The crash of the waves, the salty sea air and the experience of being on a beach, spotting patterns in the sand and feeling free is one of my most treasured experiences. I tend to get my camera out a lot, taking photos of features and the landscape. Walking on the windy beaches this February, togged up with scarves, glove, hats and hoods up to keep warm is a special memory from this month. Hot chocolate drunk from our enamel cups, whilst sitting on a rock watching the big waves crashing nearby was exactly what we all needed.
Dreaming about our garden and planting seeds
I’ve been spending time this month dreaming about our garden. As a garden and planting designer I have lots of work to do in our garden, I’ve been helping others with their gardens over the past year so time thinking about our space gets fitted in when I can. Many years ago I created the design of our garden, just out of instinct and what we wanted. It’s not how I’d do things now but we are working with what we have. We have plenty of lovely mature plants creating structure and will fill in the gaps where I can this year. There are lots of things to update and sort out and over the next few years, I’ll be making the changes as we have the budget available to sort things out. My sketchbook and garden records have been out, reminding me of the changes we’ve made in the garden over the past 11 years and seeing what worked well. I’ve searched through my seed stash this past week and have found the seeds I’ll be planting in March. I’ve been outside when it hasn’t been raining standing in our space, making plans and creating new ideas for our space. I always over plant the amount of seeds I need so I’ve been planning how much to plant this year to avoid wastage. I’m looking forward to the month ahead and hoping for more time in our garden.
Feeling called to emerge
As the light returns, the garden begins to bloom and the sunny days feel slightly warmer I’m feeling called to emerge. In my day to day and in my work-life it feels like momentum is growing slightly and I’m having more energy during the day. Emerging during February as been tentative at times and I would say my creativity has been emerging more this month, rather than being completely visible. I’ve lots of projects behind the scenes growing, needing creative thought and practically thought through. Work I’ve been looking forward to starting with a planting design and some associate coaching work is starting to grow momentum and get booked in. I love this work and it has arrived as I’m ready to emerge.
