HAPPY NEW YEAR!

As the sound of Auld Lang Syne fades and we start settling into 2017, we have to shimmy through January. January is the month universally acknowledged to be the worst in the year. It is cold, Christmas is over, you have eaten too much and you have written a list of resolutions you don’t really want to keep… With this in mind we are dedicating our first blog post of the year to the best parts of January.

Friends believe in you, even when you don’t believe in yourself

Weather

We are going to start with the weather. Making January weather positive needs more spin than a political campaign…but we have one trick up our sleeve, and it is on trend… Hygge! The awful January weather is a great excuse to ‘practise’ Hygge.

For those who don’t know; Hygge is a Danish word that has no direct translation into English, most people explain it as ‘cosiness’, the way to feel relaxed and comfortable during the cold, winter nights.It is why some people believe Denmark is one of the happiest countries on Earth; so it is a good thing to start, if you haven’t already.

A good book in front of an open fire, a good bottle of wine in front of a group of friends. Whatever way you most enjoy Hygge, embrace it this January.

‘I like to hear a storm at night. It is so cosy to snuggle down among the blankets and feel that it cant get at you’ L.M.Montgomery.

Candle made in the UK, in a fair-trade lantern.

Fresh Starts

Clean slates. January is a great month for a fresh start. For us, the cleansing of home, body and soul starts with the packing up of Christmas decorations. As the memories of Christmas’ past get packed away, spring cleaning begins and the house starts feeling bigger and fresher.

It is a great time to clean and rearrange the home, looking forward to new trends in 2017.

Nature

Nature is one of the keywords for 2017. Think bringing the outside in. Think greens, blues, neutrals and florals. Think coasts and forests. This trend will help bring a freshness and positivity while we wait for the flowers to come in the garden.

Wood board. Hand made by Rosie in the UK.

January is a great time to start or restart looking after yourself. This includes what you eat, how you exercise, how you think and how you look after your body. We aren’t going to go into detail about these things here. But we will in future posts.

The nature theme continues with skincare in 2017, with pro-biotic and superfood skincare set to increase in popularity. And essential oils will continue to be an important part of well-being and beauty. The oils in our organic Focus bath and shower gel are expertly blended to uplift and motivate, something that is especially important in January.

Focus Gift Set

Even though Christmas and New Year are over. there are other days you can celebrate in January. We are starting to think there are far too many National Days, but ‘National Bubblebath Day’ sounds too good to ignore! What a fantastic way to finish the day on the 8th January. And if that doesn’t appeal why not see in the year of the Rooster. The Chinese New Year begins on the 28th. We are thinking friends, family, candles and special fried rice.

If none of this makes you feel any happier about January, think about the days getting longer. Spring is coming!

And remember to ‘ act as if what you do makes a difference, it does’ -William James.

Happy New Year!
La Juniper Team
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