Bringing plants into your home, during the winter months, is like taking a breath of fresh air…

This is our kitchen table in The Train House…there is always room for nature on it, even as I’m doing artwork!! This is a variegated leaf hardy house plant, it takes a good watering every couple of weeks or when the soil is dry and it will grow like crazy!!! On a snowy day in Virginia, it was so cozy to sit at the kitchen table, working on my paint-by-number Monet painting and having a calming lush green plant nearby…

If I want, I can move the plants to any surface in my home, to make room for seasonal plants like this basket of mixed spring bulbs…

A pot of grape hyacinth, a yellow tulip and a cyclamen plant, which can be a house plant or can be planted outside in the spring and summer…all bought at the grocery store and just plunked in a basket…and there you have a seasonal centerpiece for a few weeks!!

I always like to have plants, sometimes herbs, on my kitchen windowsill, to look at while doing dishes, the steam from hot water will help keep the plants healthy…only in this case, these plants are…

Fake!! Some fake plants, look real and some don’t, these are good, from Ikea!! I wanted greenery around The Train House, but we’re not there to water…

So when I saw these fake plants at Ikea, I thought they looked really good for fake plants and so I bought a bunch of them!!! These are on the windowsill in our pantry…every pantry needs a little greenery!!

This plant sits on a big wooden tray on top our ottoman in our family room. Again, it’s fake, but it’s nice to have some green in a spot that doesn’t get much light!!

Now we are in The Yellow House, our suburban Boston home, there are lots of house plants in this house, I will show you some… In the family room, this plant is one of many that I received when my mom passed, almost a year and half ago.

It’s a mixture of different leaf plants that have grown well together…

This spider plant is usually on our porch during the mild weather, but now it’s found a place in our guest bedroom during the winter and it has thrived beautifully. It even has tiny white flowers and lots of baby spiders that are so easy to cut and put into a pot to make a new plant!!

This vase of fresh flowers in our living room, a valentine gift from Victor!!

As you can see, I’ve made progress on my Monet painting and again I’m sharing my space with a calming big green leafy pot of plants!!

This beautiful rectangle pot of assorted greens has grown so lush since it was given to me by my cousin Janet. She gave it to me after her daughter passed away and she received more plants than she could care for, I was honored to have nurtured it into this magnificent centerpiece in remembrance of her beloved Susan.

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Here is some helpful information regarding house plants, I copied from the internet…

“Houseplants are good for your health — and not just for their visual beauty. Why? They essentially do the opposite of what we do when we breathe: release oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide. This not only freshens up the air, but also eliminates harmful toxins. Extensive research by NASA has revealed that houseplants can remove up to 87 per cent of air toxin in 24 hours. Studies have also proven that indoor plants improve concentration and productivity (by up to 15 percent!), reduce stress levels and boost your mood — making them perfect for not just your home but your work space, too.

At work, place plants, especially those with broad leaves, on your desk; they will help regulate humidity and increase levels of positivity — seeing greenery and nature help us feel more relaxed and calm, which in turn benefits your every day mood. Indoor plants serve a practical and aesthetic purpose, and will enhance your life.”

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I don’t go out that often, but when I do, of course I have to have an outfit…

Yes, even for sledding!!

I wanted to be warm, so I started with a down filled ski jacket from Lululemon. Under the jacket I wore a red yoga jacket, it’s a flexible warm layer. Then I wanted to tell you about these fleece lined jeggings that I bought at a leggings kiosk at a mall. The fleece is more like fur and they are the most comfortable and warmest pants that I own. The closest thing I could find to them are these from Walmart! And a pair of water proof boots is a must for sledding, especially if it is somewhat slushy, like it was on this day. These boots I’ve had for about 8 years and I love them, not only are they waterproof but they are coldproof and easy to walk long distances, they are Merrell’s and they don’t make them anymore, but these are the closest I could find to them! Next the hat, I bought this after the holidays for myself, it’s thermal lined and very comfortable and seems to be the latest style with its fur pompom, but unforuntatly it is unavailable, but some like it in different colors are here! A colorful scarf and warm gloves finishes off the outfit, I was toasty warm and felt I could bend and be flexible without a problem from my clothes…of course it helps to practice yoga, if you’re going sledding with your grandchildren😉

Gina and I sledding down the hill in their front yard, Tom, my son-in-law going down on his back and Aaden walking up the hill to Raffa…Aaden was a little upset that the snow was melting, both my grandsons love being outside, even during the cold weather!!

Sitting by the fire pit after several runs of sledding down the hill…Tom makes the best fires, inside and outside, usually we are sipping hot chocolate, but today it was wine…so much fun!!!

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THOUGHTS TO PONDER

This bouquet is made more beautiful by different color flowers and so it is, our country is made more beautiful by different color people…let’s embrace change, it’s hard, but we can do it together…

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