Do More of What Makes You Happy in February

So how was your January? And the New Year's Resolutions? In our busy, hectic lives it can be so easy to give up on things you want to do due to the sheer overload of your daily tasks. Sometimes it feels as if spending time on yourself is a luxury and that there are so many other things that are more important.  

Last week I posted a picture quote on the Thrive Yoga Facebook page which, guessing by the number of 'likes' it got, really resonated with people. It was a reminder to "take time to do what makes your soul happy".  

Do you have something you really like to do? It doesn't need to be grand or be a fantastically exciting hobby. It could be as simple as sitting in a favourite spot reading a book, or going for a walk with your dog. Maybe you haven't quite found your "thing" yet. Keep exploring new avenues until you do. It may take you a while to find the thing that makes your soul sing but keep looking, and enjoy the journey. 

Each one of us is unique, so what makes you happy may be different from what makes someone else happy. For me, it's gardening - feeling connected to the earth, being creative and making my world a little bit more beautiful, and yoga - enjoying the feeling of each pose every time I do it, and quietening my busy mind.  

If you often feel that you shouldn't be spending time doing the things you love to do, think about it this way: when you take the time to do what makes the soul happy you feel more fulfilled, and when you are happy, those around you will pick up on it, and life will flow a little more smoothly for everyone.

So if your New Year's Resolutions have slipped a little, set a new intention now at the beginning of February to make time to do more of the things that make you happy.  

This week I am making... Roasted Vegetables

Here's a super-easy recipe for a very healthy meal of roasted vegetables. You can make a big batch of this and keep in the fridge for a few days to have with rice, salad, jacket potato or in a warm ciabatta sandwich. 

You will need:
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion
2 peppers (red, orange or yellow)
1 butternut squash
2 courgettes
1 aubergine
A few mushrooms
3-4 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
half a teaspoon of dried mixed herbs
salt and pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees, gas mark 4. Dice the onions. Chop the rest of the vegetables into large chunks. If the mushrooms are small then leave them whole and if they are big ones just cut them in half as they will shrink. Put all the vegetables into a roasting tin with the olive oil, herbs and seasoning and stir until all the vegetables are well coated. Put into the oven and roast for 20/25 minutes or until all the vegetables are almost cooked through. If there is a lot of liquid in the pan drain some out before adding the balsamic vinegar. Stir everything again and put back into the oven for another 10 minutes or so until the vegetables are tender. They taste good hot or cold.

This week I am visiting... Somerset House, London WC2R 1LA

Somerset House is one of London's major arts and cultural centres and always has an interesting calendar of events. On the north side of Waterloo bridge overlooking the River Thames, this grand building is used to host art exhibitions, film festivals, music and fashion events.

Some of the events are free (currently there is a Derek Jarman exhibition which is free to enter) and some of them charge an admission fee (I visited the Isabella Blow: Fashion Galore! exhibition which cost £12.50). Somerset House is also the home of the Courtauld Gallery which houses a fine collection of Impressionist and post-Impressionist paintings.

You can spend a few hours at Somerset House enjoying the beautiful surroundings both inside and outside the building. Free guided tours are available at various times during the day which offer an insight into the building's history and point out architectural and decorative features which you might miss if you are wandering round on your own. In better weather, you can sit out on the large terrace which offers stunning views over the river.  In the winter the central courtyard turns into an ice rink and in the summer the fabulous fountains which intermittently spout jets of water encourage children and adults alike to play. If you are hungry there are no less than 5 cafes to choose from, and it has an interesting bookshop which is worth a browse.

There is lots on offer at Somerset House - it's definitely worth a visit. Take a look at the website here www.somersethouse.org.uk. As an added bonus, you can stand on Waterloo Bridge and enjoy what is arguably the best view in London. Whichever way you look there's a reminder of the richness of our fascinating capital city.

The view from Waterloo Bridge looking west...

...and east

This week I am growing... Forget-Me-Nots

Not really growing, more like digging them up from all the places I don't want them and replanting them in the places I do want them!

Forget-Me-Nots are so lovely in the spring. They have evergreen foliage and bright blue flowers that go really well with tulips.

You need to be sure that you really want them in your garden though, because they do self-seed themselves vigorously. However, I'd rather spend a little bit of time pulling them out of the garden than be without their plentiful and pretty flowers.

My Forget-Me-Nots have multiplied enormously and needed a good thin out. So, with my intention to do gardening little and often in 2014 firmly set, I gave myself a time limit of 20 minutes to do some tidying up.

before...

I dug up the thick, congested clumps and gently teased them apart. Often, what looks like one big clump is in fact many smaller plants all stuck together. They won't flourish as well if they are competing with their neighbours for light, air and water, so it is for the health of the plant as well as the aesthetics that this tidy up is necessary.

The healthiest, strongest looking plantlets, (i.e. good short bushy growth rather than spindly and leggy) got replanted back into the clear border (just dig a little hole, pop the plants in, and push the soil back around them firmly) or potted up into plastic flowerpots to be given away. The spindly, weedy clumps were thrown into the garden waste bin. I do hate throwing plants away but these are so prolific I don't mind being ruthless in this instance.

The result of this very pleasant 20 minutes of gardening (in the sun!) is a much tidier border with healthy Forget-Me-Nots and a great sense of satisfaction. In April and May this border will be a carpet of blue flowers peppered with bright yellow wallflowers - I can't wait!

...after

If you would like some Forget-Me-Nots to brighten up your own garden in spring I currently have plenty to give away - just let me know via the email address on the contact page.