365 Simple Pleasures. Susannah Seton
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and the orris root and sprinkle in the bottom of the container. Place candles inside, cover, and store in a cool spot for 4 to 6 weeks.
JANUARY 22
TRACTOR TRACKS
After the first big blizzard of winter ends and the snow is clean and white, go outside and make tractor tracks. Walk with your feet pointing out at a 45-degree angle. First put your left foot down, then your right foot so that the heel is against the middle of your left foot, and then it’s left, right, left till it looks just like a John Deere has passed through on the way to the barn. Don’t forget to do both wheels, if you really want to impress your mom. To impress your kids, you may need to add a snow angel between the tracks. Just lie on your back and wave your arms back and forth in the snow. Get up carefully without stepping on your imprint. Admire your handiwork.
JANUARY 23
SNOW ICE CREAM
This is a wonderful nineteenth-century treat that you can replicate if you live in snowy climes.
1 cup heavy cream
¼ cup superfine sugar
2 teaspoons lemon extract or two tablespoons rosewater
8 to 10 cups fresh, clean snow
Mix the cream, sugar, and lemon extract or rosewater. Add the snow, beating with a whisk, using only enough snow to make a stiff ice cream. Serve immediately. Makes 8 servings.
JANUARY 24
OATMEAL MASKS
Masks are used to deep clean and condition the skin and should always be applied after you have thoroughly washed your face. Be sure to avoid your eyes. After applying, lie down for fifteen minutes, covering your eyes with water-moistened eye pads. The kind of mask you choose depends on your skin type. This one works for all types—and it’s so easy to make.
½ cup water
¼ cup oatmeal
Bring water to a boil, add oats, and cook over medium heat about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool until warm but not hot. Apply to clean skin and leave on for 15 minutes. Rinse with warm water, then cool.
JANUARY 25
BASKET OF LOVE
Do you want to surprise your paramour some evening? Make a love basket. Simply find a heart-shaped basket, spray-paint it red (sand it slightly first so the paint will stick better), add a pretty ribbon to the handle, and fill it with your beloved’s favorite things: chocolate-covered cherries, sexy underwear—whatever he or she fancies. Then place it on your love’s pillow to be discovered.
JANUARY 26
PERSONALIZED FURNITURE
You can create customized furniture that you and your kids will love. Find an old chest of drawers, a wooden trunk, or other wooden furniture at a garage sale. Paint it white or another solid color. Then dip baby’s (older kids can do this themselves) hands and feet in water-based latex pastel paints and gently stamp them on the top and sides of the dresser. You’ll have a permanent reminder of their childhood that you—and they—will treasure always.
JANUARY 27
THE PLEASURES OF A GOOD BOOK
Read out loud to family members. When our kids are young, most of us do this naturally. But when children learn to read for themselves, we often give up this bonding activity. But we don’t have to. No matter how old your child is, you can find something that you will both enjoy. Try it with your mate—I know a couple who read Lord of the Rings to each other and said that reading it together was much more fun than reading it on their own. Some people prefer reading and others being read to; find the combination that works for you.
JANUARY 28
EYE PADS
These are great for those of us who use our eyes a lot—and who doesn’t? Lie down for a quarter of an hour with these covering your eyes and presto—you’ll feel rejuvenated in no time.
2 10-by-10-inch pieces of muslin
4 ounces dried chamomile flowers
With a pencil and ruler, mark off 2-inch squares on both pieces of fabric, with 3/8-inch seam allowances around each square. You should have 32 squares. Place one of the pieces of muslin down and put 1 teaspoon chamomile in the center of each square. Cover with the other piece of fabric and pin. Sew along the guidelines you have made for yourself. Cut apart. Makes 16. To use, place 2 in a small bowl and pour 1 tablespoon of boiling water over pads. Cover and let sit until lukewarm. Squeeze gently and apply to dosed eyelids for 15 minutes.
JANUARY 29
CLEAN UP
In doing the Simple Pleasures series, I was struck by how many people wrote to tell me that some of their greatest pleasures were tidying, organizing, or cleaning some part of their homes. People mentioned straightening the tools in the garage, cleaning their desks before starting a new project, organizing the sock drawer once a year and throwing out all the single socks, and tackling the kitchen utensil drawer. What do you love to tidy or straighten up in your life? Give yourself a clean-up lift today.
JANUARY 30
FEAST OF WORDS
My idea of a good time these days is to stay in bed as long as possible in the morning reading a good book. Between working and parenting, I can never get enough of it. Sometimes I even wake up in the middle of the night and read for a couple hours just to get my fix. For my birthday, my husband entertained our daughter all day so that I could stay in bed with a thick thriller. What fun!
JANUARY 31
MEANINGFUL WALLPAPER
I read of a wonderful idea in 365 Days of Creative Play by Sheila Ellison and Judith Gray. Just ask your child to draw pictures of the meaningful things in his or her life, like their hopes and dreams, beliefs, and loved ones. Then make a border at the top of your child’s room with the pictures. It’s a great way for a kid to decorate his or her own bedroom—and what a delight for you to look at.
FEBRUARY 1
HEARTFELT VALENTINE’S DAY
This year, rather than buying a card, why not make your loved ones personalized Valentine’s Day cards? All you and/or your kids really need is imagination. To get started, consider the following:
Look through a book of poetry to find just the right verse.
Be brave and try expressing your thoughts directly.
Take an 8½-by-11-inch piece of construction paper and fold in half. Keeping a ¼-inch margin at top and bottom of fold and between each design, cut little half-hearts and other designs in the fold. Open up and voilà! A homemade lace border.
Decorate with lace doilies, glitter, dried flowers, and bits of ribbon.
FEBRUARY 2
LATE-NIGHT LOVE NOTES
Last Valentine’s Day I started a new tradition with my husband. I gave him a little journal that was only to be used for writing love notes to each other. We keep it in the bedside table drawer, and whenever we feel compelled we make an entry then hide it under