SEASONS - Things to do in November in Ireland

When we moved back to Ireland four years ago, I was terrified of November. At first it was a fear of the cold, but the reality was the Dark that hurt more.

I read all the books on hygge and lit candles and baked. There are some wonderful ideas from Scandinavian countries that I wanted to re-create:

• Reading a chapter of a story by candlelight each morning to the children (from Making a Home to Love by Ann Carin Macnamara).

• Having a little storage room near the front door with heated floors to store coats and boots. This way they will dry out and be warm when you need them next.

• Baking with lots of spices and flavour, such as cardamon, cinnamon and orange.

I have since discovered other things that I have found helpful with the adjustment to life in Ireland:

• cheat's logs for starting the fire,

• early supper (cleared away by 6pm preferably so that we can languish even longer by the fire),

• rooibos cacao chaí from @solaristea which is soothing at any time of the day,

• Winter Magic aromatherapy oil by @atlantic_aromatics that fills the house with cinnamon and orange,

• electric blankets and a dehumidifier from @argos as essentials,

• and porridge - with cream and brown sugar on Very Special Occasions!

Lots of people have written to me with ideas to acclimatise to the darker days, now that the clocks have turned back and the evenings are long. Getting out for a walk in any sunshine is the best advice, as is making plans to see people which give you a reason to get dressed for you and not only for work.

I’d love to hear how November takes shape for you?