5 Simple Projects I’m Starting In My New Home

I am so enchanted by my new cottage. I have always embraced a more simplified but elegant way of living. Simple cottage living takes a little bit of effort to align your surroundings to your ideals. Making things from scratch is a key part of that lifestyle I crave so badly. Here are some simple projects I plan to start to really connect with this land and home.

1. Starting Perennials from Seed: My dream garden list is really quite extensive. I just fall in love with almost every plant I see. This can be a ridiculously expensive hobby. The expense of going to the garden center really doesn’t fit in with the simple life I am looking to grow into. In an effort to reduce the impact not only on my wallet but on the environment I look forward to ramping up my seed starting game. I have collected a multitude of containers for reuse and have been monitoring my electricity use to be mindful of those times of the year I will require more demand to offset the cost.
2. A Real, Functional Office Space: Since starting the blog I have noticed I am totally unorganized. All these years I thought that I did well by keeping lists, using calendars, and had a strange feeling of comfort when writing on a whiteboard. The reality? I never finish those lists I make. I have papers all over the place and my filing system is nothing more than an old hamper basket that happens to fit my file folders in no discernible order. My dream is to not only have a beautiful workspace but one I can finally lean into my inner administrative assistant. I am hopeful that building a custom desk will not only hone my woodworking skills that are almost non-existent but also give me a place for everything I could possibly need to be productive from home.
3. Sourdough Starter: At my last place I had been nursing a healthy starter for a little over a year. I made countless loaves of beautiful bread. You can see some of those labors of love on my homepage slider. When I decided to move on, I didn’t know where I was going or if I would be able to care for it. In an almost heartbreaking decision, I dumped almost a half-gallon of starter onto the top of the compost pile. At least I was feeding the gardens I helped to create. In my new home, I am feeling like there are some sourdough gods that are cursing me. My house tends to run a little cool even in the summer. I was trying to give my new starter some extra love and warmth by keeping it in my oven with the light on. You know where this is going, right? Yep… I turned on the oven to cook some frozen French fries. Not only did I kill my starter but I actually ate those frozen French fries.
4. Meditation and Yoga practice: I love yoga. I don’t love meditation. The idea of quieting my mind and staying present always seems to increase my anxiety. I do believe that when I am more strict with my yoga practice, meditation comes more easily. In these strange times slowing down my mind is nearly impossible. Even in my tiny little cottage, there are many places to roll out a mat and dig in. My heart will thank me later, for sure.
5. A Walking Trail: The last time I owned a home it was a condo. It was in the middle of a small New England city with barely enough grass to mow. Now I own almost 12 acres of land! The flat part around the house is about a 1/2 acre and the rest are outback. It is a hell of a climb but that hill is calling to me. It is showing me there should be a meandering trail leading to the top where the sun shines through at sunset. Some spots are so thick with foliage it feels as if it is getting dark at noon but other spots are flooded with light making the fern fields glow green. I can’t even count the species of trees or identify all of the mushrooms. It will take years to really know this land but I am up for the challenge.

I will try and be better about posting more often. It was a hell of a month.

Love M