A Rose in Bloom

Showing posts with label cozy. Show all posts

10 Tips for a Cozy Weekend

Sunday, November 15, 2015

As the November chills begin to run rampant, I want nothing more than a good book, a nice pot of hot tea, and lots and lots of blankets. Ok, maybe a puppy or two can complete that picture. Oh, and some roasted cauliflower soup. Um... I guess I need a lot of things to be cozy, but to me that is the very essence of a cozy home. This year, I'll be spending more and more time indoors as the drizzle turns to snow, so I've really been thinking up lot of ways to make our home wonderfully cozy. That way, we'll be incredibly happy to have nowhere to go. Here are my favorite tips for a cozy weekend.

Keeping Warm without the Heat

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Update: This post originally ran 11/12/13, but I am exhausted and fighting a cold, so I thought it would be nice to run this oldie but goodie.

Now that winter is around the corner, we all know chilly days are up ahead if they aren't already here for some people. If you're like me, you're really, really trying to save money. Last winter was particularly long, so we got accustomed to getting creative on how to keep warm without heat. Here are some tips I learned. Fortunately, some of them go hand in hand with having a cozy home for winter!

Firstly, always wear socks and hats. Heat escapes out of your outer extremities. Just wearing socks and hats keeps heat insulated in your body. Plus, it just looks warm.
Change your bedding to flannel sheets. Reason is obvious. They are cheap at Target.
Speaking of sleeping, if you have pets, let them sleep with you. Once we allowed both dogs to sleep on the bed, the extra body heat from them kept us really toasty.
Drink lots of hot tea. Tea is inexpensive, and herbal teas can be pretty healthy for you. Other hot drinks can include cider and coffee, but tea is typically calorie free and can be caffeine free.
Let food simmer on the stove or use the oven! Not only do you have a hot dinner every night (which also keeps you warm!), but cooking produces a small amount of heat throughout the apartment. In fact, cooking your own meals in general will warm up your home. Need a recipe idea? Visit my cooking blog for lots of cozy recipes.
Dress in layers. Yeah, wear thermal underwear or fleece pajama bottoms around the home. It really helps.
When showering, don't use the fan. Let the humidity leak out into the home and provide extra warmth.
And I am assuming you know to weather strip the place. Or, if you are really lazy, rolled up towels in the window sills help a ton!
Exercise! Or just clean house! Sitting in front of the TV doesn't make your blood pump.
Let in the light. During the day, keep all curtains and blinds open to let in sunlight. At night, close them again to trap the heat. If it really gets cold, try pinning a thick blanket above your window if you don't have curtains

Good luck and keep warm. Nothing like wearing warm socks, a hat, and hoodie to bed in December. :)

P.S. Changes are coming... things will be wonky for a few days. I may be ill, but I can still fool around with name changes and such, ha!

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Vanilla Lattes

Thursday, September 11, 2014

There is something so sacred about morning coffee. It's not just the caffeine either. There is that special warmth the seeps into your bones. The scent of new life each day. However, as much as I love my cup of Jo each morning, I do enjoy changing it up a little. That is where this recipe comes in handy. It's not just a traditional latte, the hint of vanilla and the tiny amount of sweetness leaking through can be perfect for that morning you need an extra boost to transform your morning. Please note that you can certainly use standard brewed coffee and still get a delicious drink. I prefer to brew espresso in my Bialetti, but regular coffee is still sensational.

Ingredients

2 shots espresso
steamed milk
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Firstly, brew your espresso and heat your milk over a low flame, whisking frequently until hot and frothy. How much to use depends on your tastes, but I used roughly 1 cup. Then add a tablespoon (or what you like) of sugar to your mug.

Then pour the coffee into the mug.

Then add a spoonful of vanilla and stir well until the sugar is dissolved.

Now it is time to pour the delicious, hot milk into your cup. Don't be stingy!

Next up, serve with a healthy breakfast. My favorite recently has been strawberries and cottage cheese. Heavenly.

tl;dr: Brew some espresso, heat some milk, dump some sugar and vanilla extract into that mug and mix it all together for an extra kickstart to Monday.

How to Embrace Winter

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

January always seems like such an icky month. The cold sets into our bones and we feel brittle to the earth. The days are short and grey and there are no holidays to break up the seemingly sorrowful depths. Instead, it seems as if all life forms have come to dull hum in the wind. We all long for spring birds and summer daisies. But here is the catch: it is not then, it is now. I know in many years past January and even February seemed like wasted months, spent longing for the ice to melt and the leaves to return to the trees, but not this year.

This winter I challenge you to make the most of it. Embrace the cold winds and the chill of the night and get cozy. Use this as a time to drink lots of teas, herbal if you are avoiding caffeine, to snuggle with the ones you love, and to socialize with those important to you. Just because there are no holidays does not mean you can't have a winter party! Have a potluck or make a huge pot of hot soup, and just enjoy each other's company. Have a contest outside to see who can breathe the most "smoke" into the crisp afternoon. If you have snow, engage in a snowball fight.

Once you learn to enjoy these dreary months, you may even find yourself missing them when the buds return to the bushes. :) As always, these photos came from Pinterest, unless otherwise noted, and I do not own them in any way.

This photo came from Love and the Wild Deviant Art. Please visit the site for more inspiration.

Chunky Knit Sweaters to Warm Your Soul

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

It's chilly! Seriously, the high for Saturday is like, 30. This is the type of weather that makes me want to run around the apartment in an oversized knit sweater with thigh high socks, no pants, and a cup of hot tea. All photos are courtesy of Pinterest. I do not know the original owners, and they certainly are not mine.