Our Little Friday Letter | 22nd May 2026 - Our Little House in the Country

Hi friends,

I hope you’ve all been well since our last little letter.

Oh my goodness, I don’t know what the weather has been like where you are, but here it has been absolutely dreadful. Cold as in needing-to-light-the-fire-in-the-evenings cold. Wet. Windy. Miserable. Honestly, I don’t think I’ve worn proper summer clothes once yet. It’s been jeans, fleeces, hoodies and rain jackets for weeks now, which feels completely bonkers for this stage of May.

Hopefully things are finally supposed to improve over the next few days because I genuinely cannot believe we’re almost at the end of the month and it still doesn’t feel remotely summery yet.

And somehow, this month has felt both endless and incredibly fast all at once. I think part of that is because it’s been such a strange transitional few weeks here. As you know, I’ve been back doing a little bit of subbing again and I’ve actually really enjoyed it. It’s been good for me in lots of ways, and I’ve found it interesting trying to rebalance work, home life, family life, creativity and all the moving parts again.

At the same time though, we are deep in end-of-school-year chaos over here.

Exams.
Shortened timetables.
Graduations.
Award ceremonies.
School trips.
Changing schedules.
Teenagers who seem simultaneously exhausted, very busy and very ready for summer already.

I think everyone is just at that point now where we’re all quietly thinking:“How is it not summer holidays yet?”

As soon as the kids finish school, we’re heading off on our annual family trip to France and to say I’m looking forward to it feels like an understatement.

I really need the break this year.

If you’ve been here for a while, you’ll know our France trips are not glamorous or extravagant in any way. They’re actually incredibly simple. We travel overnight by ferry with the car and the dog, stay in a little cabin on a campsite in the Loire Valley, spend most of our days outside, and somehow every year it becomes exactly what we need.

This year we’re actually returning to the exact same place we stayed last summer because we loved it so much.

And what’s interesting is that even now, with teenagers, they still love this type of holiday just as much as we do.

They’re not asking for luxury hotels or packed itineraries or constant entertainment.They’re looking forward to lazy mornings, swimming, books, walks, good food, late evenings, pool days and simply having nowhere much to be.

And honestly? I think that’s what I’m craving too.

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about what I want this summer to feel like.Not in a bucket-list kind of way.
Not in a “best summer ever” kind of way.
Not in a productivity or self-improvement kind of way either.Just emotionally.What do I actually want more of?

When I really sat with that question, the answers felt surprisingly simple. I want slower mornings.I want more time outside. I want evenings that feel calm. I want more reading, more fresh air, more movement, more family time, more ordinary moments that don’t need to be documented to matter. I want the house to feel peaceful. I want us all to exhale a little. I want long conversations and slower dinners and days that don’t feel rushed from beginning to end. I want summer to feel spacious instead of overfilled.

The funny thing is, when I imagine the summer I really want, it’s not made up of huge dramatic moments at all.

It’s actually made up of very ordinary things. Coffee outside in the morning. Music playing while dinner cooks. Walks in the evening. Reading on the patio. Sitting outside until it gets dark. Fresh strawberries. Wet towels drying in the sunshine. Everyone wandering in and out of the house all day. Nobody constantly watching the clock.

Maybe because we’ve had such a busy year, I think I’m craving that slower rhythm more than ever. While this school year has actually been incredibly successful in so many ways, I also know that underneath it all I’ve been carrying a low level of tension for months without fully realising it. I think sometimes as parents we stay in “high alert” mode for so long that we stop noticing it while we’re in it. And then suddenly, as the end of the school year approaches, you feel your whole nervous system quietly asking for rest.

That’s definitely where I’m at now.I don’t need this summer to be perfect.I don’t need every day to be magical.I don’t need elaborate plans or packed schedules or endless productivity.

In fact, I think what I want less of this summer is just as important as what I want more of.

Less rushing. Less pressure. Less overstimulation. Less overcommitting. Less guilt for resting.Less trying to optimise every moment. Less feeling like I should constantly be doing more.

Because lately I’ve realised that some of the loveliest moments in life happen when nobody is trying quite so hard.

And maybe that’s what I’m hoping this summer will be for us all.Not perfect.
Not extraordinary every second.
Not endlessly productive. Just calm.
Connected.
Simple.
Joyful in ordinary ways.

To be honest, after such a full and busy season of life, I think that sounds more than enough.

Until next time,

Ciara 🤍

P.S. 🤍If you’re also slowly slipping into summer mode lately, here are a few recent seasonal reads from the blog you might enjoy with a cup of tea this weekend:

10 Things to Do on a Quiet Summer Afternoon (When You Don’t Feel Like Being Busy)

25 Simple Summer Moments to Make Everyday Life Feel Like a Holiday

Maybe This Summer Isn’t Meant to Be Magical

I’d genuinely love to hear from you — 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 InstagramComments 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.insert text.

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