I haven't posted one of these for a while. After lockdown, I wasn't sure how many lovely things there were to celebrate each month, or how welcome this content would be at this time, especially as so much of it I connected to nature. But after doing some soul searching, maybe this is exactly the sort of thing we need at the moment. Maybe some pure nature shaped escapism can provide a much needed respite from virus doom. So here I am, with a slightly different version of my monthly newsletter; things to make, do and celebrate in this month of May. Because it is a very sweet month. 

Spring is entering her adolescence as the trees fill up with leaves and the first flowering bulbs and flowers finish for the year, making way for the May and June flowering shrubs and trees. It’s a joy - an actual cheesy joy- to take a moment and just take it all in; the blossom and bluebells and bird song. *sigh* . I think this Spring more than any other I have been pathetically grateful for the seasonal shift and markers that herald this season of promise.

After cancelling many plans and postponing others, and a fair amount of time spent in grief, I got busy pivoting what I could to purely online content. This has meant that I have been incredibly busy the last few weeks, delivering my Fresh Nest Challenge and E-Course, and developing an online course for small businesses to help them with their styling. I'm lucky that Dave has been around to pick up the childcare slack here (grateful) but we're both feeling exhausted! It's knackering whichever way things land eh? We're grateful for all we have, but bloody exhausted. I have been thinking a lot about how important sleep is during the pandemic. how much our bodies and mind need the sweet restorative relief of sleep. So- here's wishing you as much rest as you can muster. Well rested people will be the ones leading the revolution, as my friend Sas Petherick says.

10 wonderful things to make, do and celebrate in May, from your home:

1. Take your morning brew outside. I like doing this all year round on fine days, but in Spring there is so much going on! I either just stand in the garden for a few minutes with my eyes closed, or sit on the back step. No phone, just listening and watching to the world waking up around me. It’s a lovely, mindful simple way to start the day.

2. Visit a virtual bluebell woods. The wonderful National Trust have created some virtual Bluebell wood tours. See them here

3. Sow Flowers. If you have any outdoor space at all, or even space to attach some window boxes, sow some flowers. We have been really busy in the garden this year. Lots of seeds can be sown direct in May.

4. Spring Clean. Spring light illuminates our spaces in a way they haven’t been for months, and I don’t know about you but my house is in needs of a bit of a deep clean! Decluttering is 

5. Make your own surface sprays and washing powders. See my DIY Natural Cleaning Recipes here.

6. Join my free Fresh Nest Challenge - a 7 day challenge to declutter and style your home.

7. Do some home styling. Learn how to style any flat surface in your home, and put up a gallery wall. Both are quite useful lockdown projects!

8. Dive into the incredible online workshops and performances that have been announced during lockdown. The BBC have announced a huge list here. More amazing things listed here from Culture Whisper. and we are getting tons of ideas for children via the EarlyArts E-Bulletin too. 

9. Do some soul searching. Spring is a really lovely time to make or review goals. How are you doing on the things you wanted to do in January? My Life Book e-course is all about planning and dreaming is closed now but I have some guidance here on planning in a time of crisis

10. Get up early to hear the dawn chorus. In case you haven't already clocked the rising sound of the bird song, the dawn chorus is majestic at this time of year. Just open your windows to enjoy it wherever you are

I hope you're keeping ok,ish.

Love, Hannah