“Are you going to like country living?” I got that question a lot when we first moved a few miles outside of town. My only experience up until then had been small-town living. (But I seriously wondered how different living a short four minute drive from the nearest store would actually feel after having grown up in the middle of a town with a population count of 1,750 persons that was 20 minutes from a store.)

The answer? I love it. I mean, there’s been some learning accompanied with this country life. It took us a little bit to realize that no, there wasn’t anything wrong with our wood furnace — the problem was the noob girl who was manning the thing all day (gotta get a deep bed of hot coals, Louissa.), but I’m figuring things out and this month, we’ve mostly heated our home with wood (bravo, Louissa!). And honestly, not being in town makes winter more tolerable.

(That said, I’m also eagerly looking forward days and nights that perhaps look a little bit more like this:)

Everyone talks of the ways to “survive” these white but dark, and cold days — and it’s basically the same list over and over again, but it’s because they really do seem to help! So, here’s your reminder:

:: Make some of those hearty & comforting foods that satisfy not only the belly, but warm you on the inside. Yes, there is nothing like stews and soups and crusty loaves of bread on a January night, right? We’re also all about living life in moderation over here. Yeah, I make a giant salad a few times a week for our lunches, but I also bake. Looking for the best brownies? Try these. I brought the sugar down to 1 cup, and we topped them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Total yum. I mean, can a Friday night get any better?

:: Pick up a book. I’ve realized that I tend to go through books a lot faster between January-March than any other time of year. I recently finished Gilead, a wonderful novel, and I’m halfway through Hillbilly Elegy and John MacArthur’s 12 Extraordinary Women of the Bible. Take advantage of these slow months and crack open a book or two!

:: What’s the saying? “If you can’t beat them, join them”? You can kind of apply that to the winter months. Our bodies really do thrive when we give them fresh air and some time in the sun. So get outside. I dream of someday picking up a winter hobby like cross-country skiing, but for now, I  sled down the little hill in our backyard and make snowmen.