Here’s to a happy, healthy 2018. We can’t wait to see what’s in store. However, as we trudge the second week of January, we have to admit it’s not our favourite month of the year. Festive cheer and New Year celebrations have faded into a distant memory and we’re left staring down the barrel of our well-intentioned resolutions.
Here at Cupsmith we miss the Christmas excitement, but the chaos has also been left behind so this year we’ve decided to try to view January in a new light (a lovely crisp, grey one!). Maybe we can even find some reasons to love it. Perhaps, instead of viewing it as a dull time, it’s actually less pressured. It’s not an anti-climax, but time to think, light candles on dark afternoons, reflect and take care. Less social engagements mean more time to relax. We’re looking forward to enjoying a fresh winter walk and coming home to read a book without feeling guilty about that festive to-do list.
January is also a great time to think ahead. At this time of year nature seems quite dormant and yet now is the time to plant rhubarb and roses for a colourful, delicious summer. And now, at the heart of winter, we will get to see more wildlife come into our gardens in search of food. We’ll definitely be helping the birds and squirrels out with some suet balls, seeds and nuts.
The promise of snow is bad news for the birds but for little ones - and the child in all of us - it’s a hopeful weather time. Snowmen, snowball fights and the excitement of a ‘school snow day’ are all gleefully anticipated. We get regular sky reports from the Cupsmith little ones, particularly on those days when the sky is a never ending stretch of white itself which, we are told, is a good sign of possible snow. Keep your fingers crossed their dreams are fulfilled this January. We are overdue a substantial flurry here in the south east.
All this got us thinking, naturally, about also taking time to enjoy a tea or coffee (or hot chocolate!). A quiet time with your favourite (I’m enjoying a warming cup of our Cupsmith Masala Chai as I type this) can become almost ritualistic. Even just waiting for the kettle can be an opportunity for a mindful moment, time to think and clear the head. Or read a few pages in a beautiful book. Or, most importantly, decide how many biscuits to have on the side. Maybe your ritual isn’t about quietness. We have a friend who has a tea ritual with her children - milky tea and a biscuit for the littles, once or twice a week after school. Apparently it’s especially useful after a bicker-inducing school run (we’ve all been there). Everyone sits for 20 minutes to enjoy their hot drinks and catch up before things get busy, or rather noisy, again. 
Whatever you do this January, enjoy it!
Cupsmith
xx
