🌻 Our Little Friday Letter (Friday, August 15, 2025)

A weekly catch-up from Our Little House in the Country

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💌 A Warm Welcome

Hi everyone,

How are you? Welcome back to this week’s little Friday letter from Our Little House in the Country. I hope you’ve had a good week since we last spoke. I’m actually writing this one a little earlier than usual because, when you’re reading this, we’ll be away for a few days visiting my parents in the West of Ireland — a final little end-of-summer getaway before school returns. Fingers crossed I’ve remembered to include everything I wanted to say!

The weather’s been lovely here this week and it’s been so nice to soak up these last days of summer. We’re doing our best not to rush ahead — just trying to enjoy what’s right in front of us, even if I’ll admit I’m struggling a little with that this year.

This week’s newsletter is all about finding calm in the chaos — something I wrote about in more detail on the blog — and I hope it brings a little peace and encouragement your way, no matter what your week has looked like.

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🏡 From Our Little House

It’s been a lovely week here. The weather has been kind, and we’ve had some beautiful early morning walks — one of which included me, both kids, the dog, and the pony wandering the country lanes. I shared a little reel about it over on Instagram — it was one of those golden, feel-good walks I know we’ll remember.

Back at home, I’ve been cutting hedges and taming the garden before the season shifts. Let’s just say my arms are feeling it! I’ve also been working away on a few upcoming blog posts — and continuing to prep for my little candle collection launch, which is (hopefully!) about a month away. I’ve now officially registered my business name and sorted insurance, so we’re slowly getting there! More updates on that soon.

And of course, last Saturday my daughter and I had our annual day out at the Dublin Horse Show — something we’ve done together for years. She also spent a few days there independently with her yard friends (a big milestone for her!) and has written a brilliant blog post all about her week at the RDS — more on that below.

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✍️ On the Blog This Week

It’s been a cozy and creative week on the blog. Here’s what’s new:

🍲 Slow Cooker Beef & Vegetable Cottage Pie
By popular request (after the slow cooker ham and chicken fajitas posts), I’ve shared another warming comfort recipe: a simple, hearty slow cooker cottage pie. It’s a little more autumnal than what I usually make in August, but it was perfect for a busy week — and absolutely delicious.
→ Get the recipe here

📝 Creating Calm in the Chaos: Bringing Wonder Back to the Everyday
This is the heart of the week’s newsletter — a reflective piece on how to create calm and carve out small moments of wonder, even in the most chaotic seasons of life. It includes 10 grounded tips to keep things ticking over and 10 ideas for bringing a little joy and awe into your everyday.
→ Read the full post here

🐴 Equestrian Life: A Week at the RDS Dublin Horse Show
This week also sees the return of the Equestrian Life blog series! My daughter has written a fantastic behind-the-scenes post all about her week at the Dublin Horse Show — from competitions and shopping tips to transport and planning your own visit. It’s her first time attending independently with friends, and she shares a really lovely perspective.
→ Read her post here

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🔮 What’s Coming Up on the Blog

There’s lots more seasonal content in the works as we gently move toward autumn. Here’s what’s coming:

🍂 Five Intentions I’m Carrying into Autumn — small but powerful shifts for a healthier body, mind, and soul
📅 Slow September Calendar — 30 gentle prompts for mind, body, soul, and connection
🥘 More Slow Cooker Recipes — including slow cooker chilli and bolognese
🍁 Cozy Autumn Meal Ideas, Decor, and Rituals — to ease into the season

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🧘‍♀️ Theme of the Week: Creating Calm in the Chaos

I’ve been thinking a lot this week about the chaos of everyday life — and how we try to find calm within it, rather than waiting for it to pass.

The truth is, modern life is rarely quiet. Most of us are balancing a million things — work, home, family, meals, admin, emotional load, and so much more. Even the summer, with its slower pace and longer days, carries its own kind of intensity — especially as we near the back-to-school season. There’s this strange blend of trying to soak up the last golden weeks and gear up for whatever’s next.

For us, we’re still technically in holiday mode. But I can already feel the quiet drumbeat of September approaching — the school bags, the shift in light, the to-do lists. It can feel overwhelming, especially if you’ve had a season of slower rhythms, fewer demands, or a break from rigid routines.

So this week, I wrote a blog post all about how we can bring a little more calm into that chaos — not by radically overhauling our lives, but by weaving in small, manageable practices that help things tick over, and gentle little moments that spark joy and wonder in the everyday.

For me, it always starts with the practical.
The boring but essential things. Like having a bit of a rhythm to the day, clearing the surfaces, doing a quick evening reset, or choosing three things I’ll get done the next day. I love to have a planner. I love to make lists. But I’ve also learned not to overpack my days — to leave room for pockets of nothing. Little pockets of freedom where something lovely can bloom — whether it’s rest, creativity, spontaneity, or just time to breathe.

Because once the essentials are ticking over, then we can layer in the wonder.

The soft lamp light instead of overheads.
The playlist that makes you feel like yourself again or sparks good memories.
The cosy throw tossed over the arm of the couch inviting you to cosy up.
A candle lit in the kitchen just because it’s 5pm.
A midweek walk followed by cards around the table.

It’s easy to think that a joyful or meaningful life needs to be grand or perfectly styled. But so often, it’s the smallest things that carry the biggest weight. The tiniest rituals that make a house feel like a home. The unremarkable moments that make a day feel anchored.

And so, if life feels a little chaotic for you right now — whether you’re in a season of transition, uncertainty, or simply busyness — I hope this is your reminder that peace and joy aren’t found in perfection or productivity.

They’re found in the pauses.

In the way you put on the kettle and exhale.
In the way you sit by the window, just for five minutes.
In the way you decide to see the ordinary again — and notice that it’s actually quite beautiful.

If you’d like some gentle prompts or ideas to support you, this week’s blog post includes ten practical tips for creating calm and ten simple ways to bring wonder back into your everyday.

But even if you don’t read the post, I hope this is enough. Just a little nudge to slow down, take stock, and trust that you’re allowed to live at your own pace — even when the world says otherwise.

You don’t have to do it all.

You just have to be here.

→ Read the full post here

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🌸This Week on Instagram

It’s been a quieter week over on Instagram — not because I meant for it to be, but simply because this time of year pulls us into different rhythms, away from schedules and screens.

• I shared a reflective post about “Creating Calm in the Chaos”, hoping to inspire a gentle reset in the midst of busy days.
• I posted a reel of dinner prep for the slow cooker beef & vegetable cottage pie — perfect if you respond better to visuals than recipes.
• There’s also a sunny walk reel of me, the kids, the dog, and the pony making our way up the country lanes — August light, hawthorn berries, and mid-summer warmth all in one clip.
• I reopened a little Slow August calendar prompt about stepping outside without any noise — just you and the senses. I needed that reminder almost as much as anyone.
• And behind-the-scenes, I’ve been learning that I don’t always have to show up online for what feels real or meaningful to be happening. Some weeks, the quiet is the most important.

Thank you, by the way, for your beautiful, kind messages over there — your DMs, likes, and thoughtful comments always mean more than you probably realise. If Instagram is where you pop in most days, you’ll find me there — I’ll always try to respond, even if I’m being quiet.

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From the Archives:

As we lean into the theme of creating calm in the chaos, I wanted to resurface a post from a little earlier in the year — one that offers kind, realistic encouragement when life feels overwhelming:

“Slow Living for Busy People: 5 Gentle Ways to Embrace a Calmer Life”
In this practical post, I share gentle strategies tailored for busy households — small, intentional shifts that bring more clarity, ease, and presence into daily routines, without demanding a complete lifestyle overhaul. Whether it’s embracing pauses between tasks, setting simple boundaries, or cultivating mindful habits, this post is full of grounded ideas you can start using right away.

It’s the perfect little companion read if the world feels noisy right now—or if you’re just craving a moment of clarity and calm.

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🌐 Things I’ve Loved from Around the Web

Each week I like to share a handful of things that have caught my attention, inspired me, or simply brought a little moment of calm, curiosity, or creativity into my days. Here are a few favourites from this week — a podcast, and a few truly lovely Instagram accounts I think you’ll enjoy as much as I have:

🎧 Podcast: Persuadable
A fascinating three-part series from Irish journalist Donie O’Sullivan (CNN) exploring why some people are more susceptible to conspiracy theories than others. It’s thought-provoking, compassionate, and incredibly timely — featuring conversations with individuals who’ve fallen down the rabbit hole and the academics studying why this happens.
If you enjoy podcasts that make you reflect on human behaviour, psychology, and society, I’d highly recommend giving this one a listen.
🎙️ Listen to it wherever you get your podcasts – Apple, Spotify, etc

🌸 @angel_wings_and_healing_hugs (Roisin Considine)
Roisin is a Reiki master and fellow Irish mama who shares the most beautiful reminders for overwhelmed mums — little pockets of peace and reassurance through her gentle affirmations, reflections, and snippets of life with her gorgeous daughter. She also makes and shares the loveliest crochet pieces.
Her account is like a warm hug on a tough day — soft, grounded, and encouraging.
💖 Visit Roisin on Instagram

📸 @irelandfrommydoor (Danielle Loftus)
Danielle’s photography is truly something special. She manages to capture the everyday beauty of Irish life in a way that feels both personal and poetic — everything from ordinary garden corners to extraordinary landscapes. Her recent posts from the All-Ireland Fleadh in Wexford are just stunning.
Danielle has also been part of the Our Little House in the Country community since way back in 2014 — which makes it even lovelier to give her a little shoutout here today.
🌿 Visit Danielle on Instagram

🌹 @theporcelainrose (Áine Loveland)
A beautifully curated lifestyle and mindfulness account from Áine Loveland, where she shares thoughtful reflections on motherhood, slow living, and country life. Her captions often feel like reading a quiet page from a handwritten journal — grounded and honest with just the right touch of softness.
If you’re craving inspiration to slow down and reconnect with the little things, Áine’s content is a true delight.
☕ Visit Áine on Instagram

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🌿 Follow Along

If you’d like to keep in touch between letters, you’ll find me most days over on Instagram — sharing gentle reminders, snippets of everyday life, and chats over coffee in Stories.

Here’s where else you can find me:

• 📷 Instagram
• 📝 Substack
• 📌 Pinterest
• 🏡 Blog

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💬 Share Your Thoughts

If there’s something you’d love to see in a future newsletter, blog post, or printable, or if you just want to say hello — I’d truly love to hear from you.

You can reach me any time by:

• 📩 Filling out the contact form
• ✉️ Emailing me at ourlittlehouseinthecountry@gmail.com
• 💬 Sending a DM over on Instagram

Comments on the blog or Instagram are always welcome too. I read and reply to every single one.

✨ Until Next Time

And that’s it for this week’s little letter from our little house in the country.

As I’m writing this one a little earlier than usual (we’re currently away on the West Coast of Ireland, soaking up a few peaceful days with my parents in beautiful County Mayo), you’re getting a slightly earlier roundup than usual. If you’re curious about what we’re up to, I’ll no doubt share a few snippets over on Instagram throughout the weekend.

But here’s the bit that’s hard to believe — the next time I send out this newsletter, it’ll be our first day back to school. My eldest starts Transition Year (you can find a brief explanation of what that is here) that very morning, and my daughter will follow just two days later. How is summer almost behind us already?

So yes, this is officially the last newsletter of our “full summer mode.” We’ll stay with the late summer mood for another week or two, and then — come September — we’ll be easing into those slow, cozy, autumnal rhythms together.

Thank you, as always, for being here. For reading, for replying, for sharing the blog, the recipes, the printables, the posts. Your support means the world, and truly, every little word of encouragement helps me keep showing up and sharing this gentle, grounded life we’re building.

Until next Friday —
from our little house to yours,
take care and chat soon,

Ciara x

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