Our Little Friday Letter - Friday, 30th January 2026

💌 A Warm Welcome

Happy Friday, and welcome back to Our Little Friday Letter.

It’s so lovely to be here again with you as January begins to draw to a close. Thank you so much for the warm response to our first Friday letter of 2026 — I really was delighted to read your replies, messages, and kind words, and it made settling into this new fortnightly rhythm feel even more special.

If you’re new here, a very warm welcome. I’m so glad you’ve found your way to this little corner. These letters are simply a gentle pause at the end of the week — a place to reflect, share a little of life from our little house in the country, and ease into the days ahead with a bit more intention and kindness.

However your January has been unfolding, I hope you can take a few quiet minutes now to sit back, breathe, and read along.

🏡 From Our Little House in the Country

It’s been two weeks since our last letter, and to be quite honest, things have been fairly quiet here — in a very January sort of way.

I turned 47 recently and marked it in the nicest, simplest way: good food, a few glasses of wine, and time spent with family and friends. Nothing fancy, nothing rushed — just one of those celebrations that feels exactly right.

Aside from that, January has been doing what January does best. It’s been dark, dreary, wet, and at times a little relentless. We’re not wishing the month away exactly, but I have to admit it feels good to realise we’re already at the end of it. Christmas feels like a long time ago now, yet the weeks have still somehow crept by slowly.

There is a little brightness on the horizon, though. It’s a long weekend here in Ireland for St Brigid’s Day, and I’m really looking forward to a cosy three-day break. We’ve a horse show on Sunday, and aside from that, I’m hoping for plenty of fresh air, some good walks, quiet reading by the fire, and perhaps a glass or two of red wine in the evenings.

Nothing extraordinary — just the simple things that make these long winter days feel warmer and more manageable.

🤍 The Theme of the Fortnight: Kindness

As we move out of January and into a new month, I’ve been thinking a lot about kindness — not as a grand gesture or a lofty ideal, but as something small, everyday, and deeply human.

Late winter can be a heavy time. Energy is often low, patience can wear thin, and it’s easy to feel a little frayed around the edges. And it’s often in these moments that kindness matters most — not just towards others, but towards ourselves as well.

I think we sometimes underestimate the power of the little things: a gentler word, a moment of understanding, a pause instead of a push. Kindness doesn’t have to be big or performative. It can be as simple as resting when you need to, reaching out to someone you’ve been thinking about, or giving yourself permission to move more slowly.

For February, I’ve created a Kindness calendar built around these small, doable moments — gentle prompts that invite kindness towards ourselves, our loved ones, and the wider world, without pressure or expectation. They’re not tasks to complete or boxes to tick, just quiet invitations you can take or leave depending on the day.

As you step into the coming fortnight, my hope is that kindness can act as a soft anchor — something to return to when things feel a little heavy. Often, the smallest acts have the greatest impact, and they have a way of lifting us too, not just the people we offer them to.

✍️ On the Blog Lately

If you’ve missed a post or two over the past couple of weeks, here’s a gentle round-up of what’s been unfolding on the blog lately. Everything continues to centre around winter, slowness, nourishment, kindness, and finding steadier rhythms for this time of year.

Wintering Well: Nourishing Mind, Body & Soul
A gentle invitation to slow down and care for yourself during the heart of winter. This post explores simple, soulful ways to winter well — from warming food and gentle movement to mindful rest and cosy home rituals that support both body and spirit.

Slow Living Lessons from the Winter Garden
A reflective piece inspired by the quiet wisdom of the winter garden. This post looks at lessons in patience, rhythm, trust, rest, and renewal, and how observing nature’s slower pace can gently guide how we live our days indoors too.

St Brigid’s Day & Imbolc: Welcoming the First Signs of Spring
A short seasonal reflection on St Brigid’s Day and Imbolc, and how this turning point in the year can be marked simply and intentionally. It explores gentle ways to notice the first hints of spring while still honouring winter’s quieter energy.

The Wisdom of Seasonal Slowness
A reflective guide to embracing the natural rhythm of the season rather than resisting it. This post explores how slowing down can be an act of quiet strength, offering a calmer, kinder way to move through winter and begin the year with intention.

Finding Joy in the Grey Days
Grey skies and short days don’t have to mean gloom. This reflective post explores cosy rituals, gentle mindset shifts, and small everyday joys that can help bring warmth and brightness to even the dullest winter days.

The Art of Staying In
A celebration of staying at home during the winter months. From creativity and comfort to connection and quiet moments, this post invites you to rediscover the joy and wonder found in a cosy, inward-facing season.

10 Gentle Ways to Reset Your Energy After Winter
If winter has left you feeling a little low on energy, this post shares gentle, realistic ideas to help you reset slowly and naturally as spring begins to approach — without pressure or drastic changes.

A Gentle Spring Reading List for Seasonal, Intentional Living. It’s a carefully curated collection of books I return to again and again in spring — centred around slow living, seasonal rhythms, nature connection, home, and thoughtful everyday life. If you’re craving a gentler pace, a little inspiration, or simply a good book to ease you into the new season, you’ll find plenty to explore here.

28 Gentle Acts of Kindness for February – Free Calendar
For the month ahead, I’ve created a free February Kindness Calendar filled with small, doable prompts that invite kindness towards ourselves, our loved ones, and the wider world. There’s no pressure to do everything — just gentle ideas you can return to whenever you need them.
👉 You can download the calendar directly here.

If you’d like to explore more seasonal reflections, you’ll also find a growing collection of winter posts gathered together in the Winter Archive on the blog.

Download the February Kindness Calendar here 💖

☕ What I’ve Been Loving Lately

Lately, it’s been the small, everyday rituals that have been bringing me the most joy.

For my birthday, I treated myself to a couple of Nicholas Mosse Valentine’s coffee mugs — something I tend to do each year when they’re released around this time. Their little heart details feel cheerful and comforting in the middle of winter, and they’ve quickly become my go-to mugs in the mornings.

The perfect partner to them has been my birthday gift from my husband and kids: a proper, grown-up espresso machine with a coffee grinder and steamer. We’ve been having great fun with it — grinding fresh beans, making espressos, hot chocolates, and steaming milk for visitors. There’s something so satisfying about the whole process.

What I’ve really loved, though, is how it’s slowed things down. Grinding the beans, waiting for the machine to heat, brewing the coffee — it all turns making a cup of coffee into a small ritual rather than something rushed. I actually find I’m drinking less coffee now, but enjoying it far more, taking the time to savour a really good, freshly brewed cup.

It’s not a big thing, and it’s not something I usually share here — but it’s been a lovely new addition to my daily rhythm, and a reminder that sometimes the simplest pleasures make the biggest difference.

🌿 Our Little House Elsewhere

Over on Instagram, I’ve been keeping things simple and close to home — sharing small reflections on winter days, evening rituals for dark nights, and gentle reminders to slow down and be kind as we move through the season. I’ve also been chatting about the February Kindness Calendar, along with little thoughts and ramblings over a cup of tea or coffee, and I always love the conversations that unfold in the comments.

If Instagram is your thing, you’ll find me there most days, quietly checking in and sharing what’s been on my mind lately.

There’s also been a new episode of the Seasonal Notes podcast since our last letter. The most recent episode focuses on leaning into winter — embracing the slower pace, the darker days, and the quieter rhythms of the season. Season One is all about winter — wintering well, rest, rhythm, and seasonal living — and the next episode will be landing very soon. You can listen directly on Substack, on the podcast page on the blog, or via Spotify and Apple Podcasts. I’ll pop all the links below.You’ll find the podcast over on Substack, as well as on Spotify and Apple Podcasts if you prefer to listen there.

And as always, you can find everything gathered together on the blog at ourlittlehouseinthecountry.com, with seasonal posts, free printables, and the growing winter archive.

If you enjoy quiet inspiration boards, seasonal imagery, and slow living ideas, you can also follow along on Pinterest, where I save and share things that reflect the seasons as they unfold.

And of course, everything always comes back to the blog at ourlittlehouseinthecountry.com, where all posts, printables, and podcast episodes live together.

Here’s where else you can find me:

📷 Instagram
📝 Substack
📌 Pinterest
🏡 Blog

💬 Stay in Touch

If you ever feel like reaching out, please do.

I’d genuinely love to hear from you — whether it’s a thought sparked by something you’ve read here, a theme you’d like me to explore, or an idea for a future blog post, podcast episode, or printable. If there are writers, creators, books, or small joys you think I might enjoy and could be a good fit for the What I’ve Been Loving Lately section, I’m always happy to take a look.

This little letter is very much a two-way conversation. If something here resonates, if you have a thought to share, or if there’s something you’d love to see in a future newsletter, blog post, or printable, I’d really love to hear from you.

You can simply reply directly to this email, send a message via the contact form on the blog, email me at hello@ourlittlehouseinthecountry.com, or say hello over on Instagram — whatever feels easiest.

You can reach me any time by:

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

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

Thank you, as always, for being here and for taking the time to read along.

🤍 Until Next Time

Thank you, as always, for being here — for taking the time to read, to reflect, and to share this little pause at the end of the week with me. I really do love putting these letters together, and I’m so grateful for the kindness, support, and quiet presence you bring to this space.

January may not be the most exciting month, but it’s been a gentle one here, and I’m looking forward to settling further into this new rhythm of fortnightly letters — sharing snippets from our little house in the country, what’s been unfolding on the blog, and the small things that have been bringing comfort along the way.

There’s plenty more to come over the next few weeks, but until our next Friday letter, take good care of yourself, be gentle where you can, and I’ll be back in your inbox soon.

Chat soon,

Ciara x

📖 Seasonal Inspiration

If you’re drawn to the quieter, slower rhythms of the colder months, these are some of the books I return to again and again during the year. They explore themes of seasonal living, rest, reflection, hygge, and finding joy in simpler days. I’ll leave the links below if you’d like to explore any of them further.

Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my work.