🪴 Our Little Friday Letter (11th July 2025)
A weekly catch-up from Our Little House in the Country
🌞 A Warm Welcome
Hello friends,
I hope this finds you well — and that you’re enjoying the summer so far, in whatever way feels right for you.
It’s been a bit of a busy week here at Our Little House in the Country, and I’m so glad to have you here for our little Friday catch-up. There’s something grounding about pausing together at the end of the week — even just for a moment.
🏡 From Our Little House
Life here at Our Little House in the Country has felt a little full this week, in the way it often does after a long trip away.
We returned from France just over a week ago and have been slowly settling back into everyday rhythms — unpacking bags, catching up on laundry, and trying to put some order on the overgrown garden (which resembled a bit of a jungle when we arrived home!).
The weather has been a shock to the system too — from 34°C sunshine in the Loire Valley to a cool 17°C here at home. We’ve been layering up again and dodging the showers as we tackle a few home projects, including painting the front of the house.
The kids are happily back into their summer hobbies, my husband is back at work, and I’ve been working away behind the scenes on something exciting — my new digital shop. More on that shortly…
📸 A Postcard from France
Our time in France was such a gift — weeks of blue skies, warm mornings, lazy afternoons by the pool, and long walks through sunflower fields and château gardens.
We stayed in the beautiful Loire Valley and really leaned into the slow days — reading, playing cards, enjoying local food and wine, and simply being together as a family.
It’s always hard to leave behind those golden, sun-drenched days… but there’s a quiet comfort in coming home too.
If you’d like to see a few moments from our trip, I shared some highlights over on Instagram — you’re very welcome to pop over and have a look.
→ Visit Our Little House in the Country on Instagram
✍️ On the Blog This Week
Real Life Goals for the Rest of 2025
Goal setting for a more intentional life — without the pressure or overwhelm.
This week on the blog, I shared something a little personal: a gentle list of the goals I’m carrying with me through the second half of the year. Nothing rigid or shiny — just real-life intentions that feel grounding, hopeful, and achievable in the midst of family life, work, and everything else.
It’s not about hustle or productivity — but rather asking: What do I want more of? What matters most right now?
Some of these goals have been quietly living in my heart for years — like finally launching my own little creative business, something I’ve dreamt about for a long time. Others are simpler: making more time to read, finding joy in everyday routines, or giving myself the space to write more freely again.
Here’s a little excerpt from the post:
“I wanted to write down some goals for the rest of this year — not big, performative ones, but small, real ones. Grounded, lived-in goals. Goals that leave space for a bit of grace. They’re not all glamorous, but they are honest. And they reflect the life I’m actually living, not the one I wish I were living.”
If you’ve been craving a slower, more compassionate approach to goal setting — especially midyear — I’d love to share this one with you:
→ Read the full post here
🌸 This Week on Instagram
This week I shared a little re-introduction carousel: “Hi, I’m Ciara” — a simple post to say hello, share a bit about myself, and invite others to connect. It’s always lovely to press pause and remember why we’re here, what we’re creating, and who we’re doing it alongside.
Instagram is where you’ll find me most days — sharing everyday moments from our life here in the country, along with gentle encouragement for living a slower, more intentional life.
It’s also where I chat, catch up, share little updates, and connect with this lovely community.
🧺 Theme of the Week: A Season of Real Moments
Not every summer has to be magical. Sometimes it’s restful. Sometimes it’s busy. Sometimes it’s just a little messy — full of late laundry, garden weeds, and moments where you’re not quite sure what day it is.
This week, I’ve been thinking about the blog post I wrote earlier this summer — “Maybe This Summer Isn’t Meant to Be Magical” — and how deeply it seemed to resonate. I think so many of us needed that reminder: that what we see online are highlight reels, not real life.
No one lives in the highlights. Life — real life — is made up of a thousand different things.
Your summer doesn’t need to look like anyone else’s. It can be a season of deep rest. A season of adventure. A season of healing. Or a bit of all three. It’s allowed to be whatever you need it to be.
So this week, I’ve been paying attention to the little real moments that make life feel full — even if they’re quiet or fleeting.
Here are a few from my own week:
• Catching my breath with a cup of tea
• A good chat with the kids on a car journey
• Watching the light move across the kitchen tiles
• Seeing progress on a long-held dream
• A sunset that made me pause, even just for a moment
→ Read the full blog post here
📬 What You’ve Been Loving
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been so touched by the messages, emails, and DMs that have landed in my inbox — many of you sharing how much you’ve enjoyed the Joyful June prompts and the Mindful May moments.
It means the world to know that these gentle reminders — to pause, to breathe, to rest, to reset — are resonating with so many of you. Of course, the truth is… I need these reminders just as much as anyone.
Writing about slow and intentional living isn’t about having it all figured out — it’s about returning, again and again, to what matters most. And your kind words and encouragement remind me why I keep creating and sharing from this little corner of the internet.
Thank you, truly, for being here.
🛒 In the Shop
The digital shop at Our Little House in the Country is now open — and slowly filling with printables designed to bring a little more calm, intention, and joy to your everyday life.
This week’s feature:
🗓️ The August Slow Living Printable Calendar — a gentle guide with daily seasonal prompts to help you savour the simple moments all month long.
Free Printable of the Week:
📝 Intentional Goal Setting Worksheet — created to pair with this week’s blog post and help you reflect gently on what matters most to you for the rest of 2025.
✨ Browse the full shop here
🛍 Or if you prefer Etsy, I’m over there too: ourlittlehousedesign.etsy.com
Coming soon:
The shop will continue to grow each week with:
• Monthly printable prompt calendars
• Seasonal slow living bundles
• A full 2026 printable calendar
• Beautiful journaling pages and reflective prompts
• Gentle, thoughtful gift tags
• Free printables and low-cost digital downloads for all ages
I’ll also continue to include free printables within blog posts — and you’ll always find those available to download in the shop too. No pressure to buy, ever — but if you do choose to support the shop, please know it means the world to me. 💛
📚 Things I’ve Loved Reading from Around the Web This Week
Each week, I come across a few little corners of the internet that make me pause — whether it’s a thoughtful blog post, a cosy Instagram feed, or a gentle reminder I didn’t know I needed.
Here are a few lovely reads and spaces I wanted to share:
• What Katie Said – A beautifully honest blog about motherhood, home life, and slow family rhythms.
• Otherwise Kate – Her writing is thoughtful, tender, and quietly wise. A little creative light in the noise.
• Coze Bakes – Cosy bakes, gentle living, and gluten-free goodness — Soraya’s feed always makes me smile, so here’s a link to her instagram too!
• Becoming Minimalist’s Inspiring Simplicity. Weekend Reads – A curated list of meaningful posts from around the web. I was so honoured to be included recently — but I’d recommend it either way.
🗂 From the Archives
This week, I’m bringing back a blog post that felt like a gentle exhale when I wrote it — and still feels just as needed now.
Normalising Normal: Real Homes, Real Lives, Real Joy
In a world that celebrates constant improvement and curated perfection, this post is a soft call back to what really matters — homes that are lived in, lives that are layered, and joy that comes not from aesthetics but from authenticity.
“Real joy, I’m learning, isn’t always found in the milestone moments or the magical days — but in the ordinary rhythm of normal life. In soft socks on a quiet morning. In mismatched mugs. In the sound of laughter around the dinner table. In the space between the shoulds and the musts — where life simply unfolds as it is.”
✏️ Share Your Ideas
Is there something you’d love to see in future newsletters, blog posts, or printables?
Feel free to leave a comment, message me on Instagram, or use the contact form here.
🌿 Follow Along
Here’s where you can find me throughout the week:
💌 Until Next Time
Wishing you a weekend filled with small joys — a quiet moment with your thoughts, a stretch of sunlight through the window, a walk that clears your mind, or a conversation that makes you smile.
And if it’s been a full or messy week, I hope you find a little pocket of stillness just for you.
With warmth, from our little house to yours,
Ciara x
Our Little House in the Country
Hi, I’m Ciara — writer, homemaker, and the heart behind Our Little House in the Country. I share slow, seasonal living from our cozy corner of the Irish countryside, where life is a little messy, a little magical, and deeply real. Whether it’s a teen-friendly recipe, a lived-in home moment, or a reminder to let go of perfection, this space is about embracing the everyday and finding joy in what’s already here. Come in, kick off your shoes, and stay a while — the kettle’s always on.
You May Also Like
🍂 Our Little Friday Letter (Friday, 5th September, 2025)
❄ Our Little Friday Letter (Friday, 7th November, 2025)