WISHING YOU A HAPPY NEW YEAR - PLUS A JANUARY RESET
A L T E R M E H O M E A N E C D O T E S
welcome to the first blog of 2025 - and wishing you all a very happy new year!
January in my opinion is not a month of doom and gloom, nor is it a month to reinvent yourself or start a fresh; but a time to ‘reset’ yourself for the year ahead. Take advantage of the dark early mornings, the slower days and the colder evenings as soon enough this cosy season will be over, and I for one I will miss it.
Christmas magic is over but I encourage you to seek the magic in January, at this time of the year life is still in hibernation and so should you be too! I never put pressure on being a new me in the new year, but I do like to ‘reset’ myself and my life so that I feel refreshed and rested which in my opinion is the best way to ensure a successful and happy year ahead.
I have had a long think about the ways in which I reset over the years and have pulled together five of my top tips below - hopefully these may help you to reset too!
RESETTING YOUR HOME
January is a great time to think about the space in which you live, what items bring you joy, which items are used day in day out and in turn, which items are no longer serving a purpose in your home?
I love to set myself a little January challenge, tackle a drawer / cupboard or small space every day, for example tonight I am going to go through my linen cupboard, organise the towels, blankets and cushion covers in to 3 piles;
Keep
Recycle / Repurpose
Donate
The keep pile will help me to identify if there are any gaps - do we need new facecloths or bath towels?
The recycle and repurpose will clear space for either new items, or give the items I am keeping more room and then the donate pile will do a similar job! I donate my items to tailsofhartwell as they collect used bedding and towels for a local dog shelter which is a lovely way to give new homes to these items which are not necessarily able to go to charity shops.
I will be using my lovely linen sacks to organise and store smaller items so that everything is easy to find whilst looking beautiful.
This cupboard is also where I store cushion covers, over Christmas I swapped over to some of our Christmas printed linen cushions so now will be the time to store those covers and switch to something a little more apt. for spring!
The covers stored in here also include outdoor cushion covers which I will move to the front of the cupboard ready for warmer days out in the garden.
By taking the time to go into each room, and then each drawer or area every day and tackle one or two, by the end of the month you should be feeling a sense of real achievement that your home is in order, de cluttered and ready for Spring!
2. WHOLESOME COOKING
I have never been one for a new year health kick, I think because (in my opinion) I eat a fairly healthy balanced diet all year around, however that being said, I do make sure to try out some new and wholesome recipes to make and look forward to at the end of the colder darker days. Here are a few ideas and recipes that I love to make as well as eating seasonally.
See our blog post on left over cooking here
As well as our favourite Daylesford bone broth recipe here
PLUS a little more on eating for the seasons here
3. EMBRACE THE COSY SEASON
There are some really simple ways to add warmth and make a home feel snug and cosy, from new curtains and blinds, to hot water bottles and draft excluders.
A cosy home starts with curtains.
With lots of lovely fabrics to choose from and the option to add thermal, interlined or black out lining our made to order Curtains and blinds are the seasons must have! Not only do they (as above) keep the elements at bay but they also play a crucial role in dressing your windows and elevating your home. Learn more about out curtains and blinds here. Alternatively email; info@alterme.co.uk for more information.
A comforting entrance.
Then there is the hallway, a cold place - often with little natural light or fabric textures - why not opt for a door curtain? Or perhaps a pretty bright draft excluder - both ways of keeping heat in and cold out, but also both offer a layer of pattern, colour and texture so that this area of your home will instantly feel more welcoming and warm!
A place to rest and reset for the perfect nights sleep
Our bedrooms should feel cosy, inviting and above all peaceful. Add extra warmth with our range of beautiful hot water bottle covers (we are big fans of the mighty hot water bottle - cuddle up in the cold with one, aches and pains be gone with one - in our opinion no home should be with out one!) all of which match our cushions and find joy snuggled up in bed reading and relaxing.
We love choosing fresh crisp new bed linen at the start of the year and adding light airy scents (our favourite is a lavender candle and room spray) to build a bed worthy of a hotel, add some of our super plump cushions and perhaps a bolster for a luxury feel and your sleep haven awaits!
4. GET ORGANISED
There really is no need for ‘new year new me’ but whilst we are right at the start of 2025 now is the perfect time to RESET and RE ORGANISE or just get organised. (famous last words)
We are big fans of lists here (unfortunately ours never seem to end) but pinning notes, making a to do list, maybe even sitting and planning a few activities or trips to look forward to are not only a great way to beat the January blues but to us feel very cathartic. Writing things down helps clear the mind and let you focus on what is important and will also free up time for you to indulge in a new hobby, or activity as well as some time to enjoy this month, and the months ahead to the full.
Visualising tasks and writing them with pen and ink is still our preferred method which is why we created our linen pin board, which we like to mix images with tasks to break up the mundane feel these sometimes have.. click below to shop - available in all of our fabrics.
5. GET DRESSED UP AND GO OUT in the fresh January air
Our timeless dresses are your best friend, especially at this time of year. If comfort is key and you love a good pair of pyjamas then our dresses are for you! Made from the softest and warmest brushed cotton and designed to flatter your shape whilst being super comfortable they truly are a cold weather hero! Whether you’re meeting a friend for a coffee or heading to the local pub for a Sunday roast this elegant dress will have you looking and feeling your best with minimal effort required! We also make matching hair bows to perfectly finish off your outfit!
Our dresses are made to order and can take 2-3 weeks to arrive.
