Inspired by one of my favorite blogs Brocante Home (who was in turn inspired by a feature in Harper’s Bazaar written by Diana Vreeland), Why Don’t You is a new weekly feature here on Creative Cynchronicity. It’s a bit of an extension of Cyn’s Month with a week’s worth of suggestions for adding a little something special to your life.
Pick and choose what sparks your interest and fits into your schedule. Or use these as inspiration for coming up with your own ideas.
So, why don’t you…
Treat your winter worn hands to a little pampering.
Basic routine: Use an exfoliating cream. Rinse off. Coat with hand cream. My personal favorites for hand care products are Hand Therapy from Crabtree & Evelyn or Satin Hands from Mary Kay.
Deluxe routine: Start by soaking your hands in warm water for a few minutes. Next, you want to use an exfoliating lotion. Rinse. Apply a good thick hand cream, some Vaseline, or coconut oil – the hand protectant from the Satin Hands line is a really great choice here. Wrap your hands in some plastic wrap or pop them down into plastic bags. Cover with warm towels. Once cooled off, unwrap your hands and pat off the excess with the towel. Apply a hand lotion or cream.
Fill a basket with cozy items for snuggling up on a chilly day.
I keep a basket next to my bed and another one in the living room filled with warm cozy wraps, throws, thick socks, and fuzzy slippers. The moment I start feeling chilly, I’m able to get cozy and warm in no time.
Start some sort of savings plan.
When I was little, I remember my mom having a “Christmas Club” membership at the local bank. This gave her the chance to put a little bit of money away week by week and when November rolled around, she had cash available for holiday shopping. You might want to start a savings plan for a vacation, new appliance, or fun splurge. Create your own or use one of the many savings challenges out there on the Internet, such as this $2 a day savings plan or this plan for saving $1000 in a year.
Begin putting together a jigsaw puzzle.
This can be a really fun family project. Get a large puzzle and find a spot to assemble it where it won’t be disturbed. You and your family can work on it bit by bit until it’s completed!
Read a cozy winter themed book.
I love to read The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder at this time of year. It’s a great one to read, a little bit at a time, aloud to your family every evening. If you’re looking for something for the grownup Little House fan, try Caroline: Little House Revisited by Sarah Miller.
Give back to your community.
Do some volunteer work. You could help out at the food bank, visit seniors at a nursing home, walk dogs or snuggle cats at the animal shelter, cuddle babies in the hospital, or head out with a local group to deliver food and care packages to people living on the street.
Remember people’s names.
Try to find some system for remembering the names of people you meet. It’s amazing how much of a lift you can give someone simply by knowing their name. If you have a memory like me though, it’s not always easy. I work at it. I repeat their name back to them – “Nice to meet you, Sarah”. And I try to find that unique little something about them that I can connect with the name to make it easier to remember. Want more tips? >>> Memory Hacks for Remembering People’s Names
So, how will you enhance your week?
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