04 Feb Ways I Am Helping to Beat the Winter Blues

I am sharing suggestions today for beating those Winter blues.

Let’s face it, those of you that have Seasonal Affective Disorder, or are just not fond of the Winter months, find that January is a long month!

So I am happier February is here!

I chose, however, to make it a time where I could do more reading and get started on the mountain of books my mom gave me when we visited.

Books

The Last Checkmate-

Want to read- The Three Sisters

“From Heather Morris, the New York Times bestselling author of the multi-million copy bestseller The Tattooist of Auschwitz and Cilka’s Journey: a story of family, courage, and resilience, inspired by a true story.” ( Amazon)

Started- The Silent Patient

“The Silent Patient is a shocking psychological thriller of a woman’s act of violence against her husband – and of the therapist obsessed with uncovering her motive.”  ( amazon)

Watching

Based off a book by writer, Harlan Coban, Netflix show, “Stay Close” grabs your interest in this detective and mystery show. Stars Cush Jumbo, an English actress I really like, that was on The Good Fight, and is frequently seen on English tv.

If you enjoy Harlen Coban, there are a few others to check out on Netflix,”Safe” (although Michael C Hall’s English accent bugs me!) and ” The Stranger.”

And speaking of Michael C Hall, we watched the last season of Dexter, which was very good! Fans of Dexter will be pleased to know that there is more to the story after the unfortunate lumberjack ending!

I am going to watch Nightmare Alley, directed by Giarmo Del Toro, with quite a large cast. It is on HBO and is a remake of a 1947 classic film.

Wearing

When there isn’t ice or snow on the ground, (we get it maybe every 5 yrs!), I have been wearing my white jeans. I think I am secretly paying homage to Spring and wishing it was here! No, really white jeans are great for year-round and really brighten up a look. and your mood Here are some of my favorite pairs-

White jeans

Valentine’s Day outfits–

Get into the Valentine’s Day spirit. Even if you don’t go anywhere, it is always fun to dress for the Holiday.

Create  a casual look with pieces I curated from Old Navy and LOFT. Loft is having a 75% off sale, and 50% off some items with code SPREE.

If you missed any of my Valentine’s day outfit posts, click below

Wearing Traditional Red for Valentine’s Day

A Casual Romantic Look for Valentine’s Day

Doing-

Organizing around the house. I’m sharing these XOXO pantry organizers as I found they are made very well and keep food fresh.

Ordering some new deck furniture and plants for a new look in the Spring. We are visiting At Home store today to look for such things.

The furniture we bought was on Wayfair and I am excited to make a bit of an outdoor oasis for us.

Adding a few new pieces of decor to the house. This darling farmhouse style centerpiece is on my kitchen table, to freshen it up for Spring. I also loved this “Home” wooden sign on Etsy.

Mangia, Mangia. We do enjoy trying new places to us when out to eat. But we have some tried but true staples and Basilico Restaurant, in Concord, NC, is one of those! Mama Italiana is a wonderful host and the atmosphere and music is very inviting. “Paulie” an older gentleman, would weave in and out of the tables with his accordion. We enjoyed, “That’s Amore”. and other songs by Frank Sinatra and Louis Prima. My two favorite dishes are Eggplant Rollatini and Chicken Marsala! Their food is delicioso!

Making homemade soups.

Here is the recipe for “Winter Soup”, one of our favorites. from Better Homes and Gardens

I bought my hubby this Cookbook : Lydia’s Celebrate Like an Italian  and we made the Mushroom Risotto recipe.

The recipes look Molto Bene! Delicioso!

Working out– My endurance is improving, and I do a fair amount of incline work each day on the treadmill. I also lift weights right after I run. There seems to be a divide based upon your fitness needs to whether you do cardio first or weights first if you do them the same day.

If your goal is endurance, then the cardio first-weight second should benefit. If you are looking to increase muscular strength, then do weights first. Since I am also looking to build more muscle, I alternate each day, and take 2 days off a week for muscle repair and rest. It helps elevate my mood and beat some of the Winter doldrums.

We all know exercise helps release endorphins that make you feel better. Take advantage, a bit is better than none.

How do you handle the Winter Months? What are some things you have enjoyed recently?

Have a great weekend,

Jess xx