10 wonderful things to make, do and celebrate in February

February by Emilie Maguin

Welcome, February! Wow, what a month January was! It has felt, as it always does, verrrry long. In this coming month, Spring really gathers force. The mornings and evenings are getting ever lighter, crocuses and snowdrops are sprouting amindst the snow and ice and some trees are starting to bud hopefully. Spring is just round the corner now. 

​I started my year in community and it has felt very good. I have absolutely loved hosting my first e-course and being present for my students in the Facebook group community. I also hosted an absolutely gorgeous January Day retreat- gathering, making, talking and sharing in my home with a group of incredible people was such a brilliant way to start the year. It was an honour to host both of those things, online and in real life, and I am so looking forward to doing more in 2019.

Tickets to my Spring day retreat are now available, and i'd love to see some of you there. A day of nourishment, in every way, in my home on Saturday March 23rd. A spring floral wreath, a group mentoring session with Ray Dodd, sessions on making space in our minds, decluttering and amplifying the joy in our homes and epic food and cake too. There are payment plan spaces and a pay what you can space too. Any questions, please just hit reply. All the details here.

February holds some wonderful celebrations to tide us over until the spring solstice next month. Here are 10 of my most favourite things to do this month.
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1) Galentines Day!

Galentines- a day to celebrate female friendship-is on the 13th February. I love celebrating Galentines and feel more excited about than actual valentines day now! 

2) Book something to look forward too. 

The UK is in a cold snap and it could last a while. Despite Spring being close now, I know February can be a cheerless month for some. If that's you- book something you can look forward too. My Spring day Retreat would be just the thing (of course i'd say that!) or book a day trip, a weekend away, a house swap, a dinner party with friends. 

3) Go spring flower hunting.

Hellebores, Tulips, Daffodils, Snowdrops and crocuses will start appearing this month;. Wrap up warm and go hunting for them growing in the ground. Or -equally as cheering- spot them in the shops and market stalls. This month, you can also force Magnolia in your home, something I accidentally discovered last year. Simply put some branches in water in your home. So simple and so beautiful. 

4) Do some planning for the year

Similarly to previous years, we are still going through our January Book process and will be finishing it off this month. the e-course is now closed but I have a free download here. If you haven't had time to think about goals yet, February could be a nice month to give it a go. 

5) Health check your relationship.

If you're not completely over Valentines Day, then could it be chance to health check your relationship? Sounds sexy eh?! But seriously it can lead to some important, liberating, and even sexy conversations, honest! My January Book is a very good tool for this if you want some prompts (link in number 4 above).

6) Date yourself for valentines.

Book a solid chunk of time in your diary for you and you alone to do something date-ish. Take time to nourish yourself, and re-discover what you love. A mornings reading? A gig? Afternoon tea for 1? A film? 

7) Support a homeless charity 

The number of people sleeping outside due to homelessness has soared in recent years and in the cold snap we're having, they are vulnerable. Donate to a homeless charity like Shelter or Crisis who are working to support them.

8) Light the candles 

We just passed Imbolc and candlemas; we are now just after at the half way point between Winter and Spring. Auden has become obsessed with candles so we are lighting them even more than usual and they give such a lovely glow to our days. 

9) Sow sweet-peas

I am hoping to grow more flowers this year and I want to start sowing some seeds this month. Sweet-peas can be started in February as well as plenty of other flower seeds too. What a lovely, hopeful thing to do in a very cold month! 

10) Listen to comforting music

I have added lots more music to my Deep Winter Spotify playlist. This is on shuffle all the time at home and is the perfect soundtrack to a winter hibernation at home.

Eating/reading/wearing

Eating

This winter Dave has reignited his love for bread baking so we have been eating pizza and bread and all the delcicious carbs. He's still experimenting so I don't have a recipe to share but MAN I am happy with this development in out house! I am making lots of Golden Milk, which I do each winter. You can find my recipe in my ebook A Soulful gathering, here as well as tons of tips for styling and hosting a gathering with soul. 

Reading

On Instagram there is an evolving conversation about inclusion and privilege in the online spaces I hang out in which is long over due, and I wanted to use this space to talk about it. See this article by Huma from Our Story Time if you're not sure what I'm speaking of, and I also encourage you to find and follow Rabya and Rida on Instagram, and watch some of their 'Multifaceted' story highlights too. I'm so grateful for their wisdom and generosity in sharing. This change is very much needed and it is also distinctly uncomfortable at times too because it's up to people like me- white, able-bodied, cis, heterosexual, woman to find ways to lift and amplify people who do not share my advantages. If you too feel uncomfortable about these conversations then I'd urge you to sit with it a bit, as I have done, and be willing to get it wrong, learn and try again. I'm thinking a lot about this in my online space and in my work. ​In my quest to continue to learn, I have pre ordered this book.

Wearing

I am proudly wearing the same small wardrobe of clothes I've worn for the last few winters (and even longer in some cases!)  I'm not calling it 'capsule' because that would suggest a level of curation I have not achieved yet (I'll get there!). I recently donated some clothes that I still don't fit into after having Auden nearly two years ago and it felt sooo good to release them. I'm done with that pressure. So now I am existing in a small but loved wardrobe of comfortable clothes and thinking carefully about which things I'm going to buy next. Having just a handful of tops, jumpers and dresses has felt really freeing and a really amazing lesson in how little you actually need. 

February love to you all. 

Hannah

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