Juliana Moves

As you may know, throughout December Patrick and I completed our own Christmas advent calendar full of coffee-themed activities to do both at home and out in the world. I drafted the ideas for activities throughout the fall and then put it on a cute Canva calendar template.

I wrote about it a few times, but my greatest reflection of the experience was how much more I enjoyed my coffee each day and how present the unique activities forced me to be. In our house, coffee is a non-negotiable daily activity. It’s how we start our mornings. Patrick comments nearly every night, “I can’t wait for coffee in the morning.” And we have an entire corner of our living room dedicated to our coffee contraptions. The advent calendar took a mundane, daily (but of course very enjoyable task!) and made it special.

I couldn’t help but wonder what it would look and feel like to incorporate this type of intentional activity into my life throughout the rest of the year. I don’t think I’d commit to an entire month each time. After all, I don’t want it to feel like a chore! But I do think a week, or even a few days, of special activity and intention at a time could feel really beautiful.

I called them Wonder Weeks in my head. 🙂

It would go something like this… Every once in a while, I’d pick a few days and plan out some special, slightly themed activities to schedule. The activities don’t have to be – and shouldn’t be – obtrusive, nor do they all have to be related, but I would try to theme them to whatever time of year or season I was in. I’m hoping it would function as a way to slow me down, enjoy the present, and not rush things. Why not find a little more magic on a random Wednesday in February, right?

Here is a very rough list of ideas for the next few months/seasons!

February (Valentines! Hearts! Pink!)

• Make Ina Garten’s brownie pudding
• Watch a rom com
• Write a love note to a friend, family member, or significant other
• Wear a pink outfit
• Enjoy strawberries cut into a heart shape

March (Spring! Green! Daylight!)

• Go to an Irish restaurant
• Do some candle magic
• Visit the National Arboretum
• Pick an area to spring clean
• Make lavender lemonade

April (Flowers! Patrick’s birthday! Earth Day!)

• Visit the pond at Bird Knob
• Make a bright floral bouquet
• Pack a picnic and walk to Fort Ward for dinner
• Make colorful bag/keychain charms
• Bike commute to anywhere! Work, dinner, the grocery store!

I’ve got to say, even typing out some ideas makes me excited! Do you have any fun activities to share? I’ll report back if I make any of these happen!

Love,

JN