After a beautiful clear blue sky here in the south of Ireland the first light frost has arrived covering the early morning grass with a white haze. They say there's no such thing as bad weather only bad clothes so I get dressed up and love to walk out down the quiet country road and then along the rocky sea shore, I'm still seeing so many flowers still offering their cheery colour as well as my grandmother's favourite holly with bright red berries. Winter is a time to slow down and to live slowly awaiting the birth of the new year. 

Words & Images by Eileen @goldricknaturalliving

Here are a few things that I enjoy in this winter season: 

- Opening the curtains to see the early morning star. 

- Sitting wrapped up outside with my tea watching the birds eat from the hanging feeder. 

- Packing up orders and gifts for customers and sending them off on their way. 

- Walking past the neighbour's fairy lights 

- Baking mince pies and oat biscuits while listening to Christmas carols 

- Watching the colours of the sunset after a clear winter's day. Watching the light and shadows of a candle 

Try making your own Christmas decorations this year: 

-Make a Christmas wreath using thin willow branches for the ring and decorated with some moss and evergreen with hessian bows 

- Hang up holly with berries over the pictures - Make stars from twigs and string 

- Make a garland using thread, popcorn and walnuts (in the new year you can feed it to the birds) 

- Collect pine cones and evergreen small branches for a display 

- Make bows using strips of Hessian (burlap) from old potato sacks for use on the garland and Christmas tree 

- If you want a Christmas tree use a small one in a pot , keep it well watered when in the house, after Christmas it can stay the year outside and you can use it the next year or you can just plant it out. 

We are so delighted to stock the beautiful Goldrick Living here at Marshes & Flint here our some of our gift ideas for this Christmas.