Mind
Digital Detox: Social media for most of us, has become an essential part of life. We watch our friend’s kids grow up on the ‘gram, we learn about current events and take in our news during the morning scroll, and our dreams take tidbits from media we’ve absorbed throughout the day, knowingly or not. To create a healthier relationship with social media, spend 15 minutes in January going through the list of accounts you follow and unfollow those that no longer serve you. High on our list of unfollows are accounts that feed unrealistic expectations of perfection and sell dissatisfaction with ourselves to make us more susceptible to feeling inadequate. Put your phone to bed an hour before you snuggle in for a deeper rest and more high quality sleep.
Read Body Talk: How to Embrace Your Body and Start Living Your Best Life $25:
This is one of the most important books we can stock for this time of year when media messages will have us believing our highest reason for being is to diet and shed pounds. Outwit the pervasive body issues society leads us to by consciously questioning them with this illustrated guide meets workbook by Katie Sturino.
Gift yourself new Granny Panties:
True surrender and relaxation is slipping into a pair of good old fashioned granny panties with a gorgeous print that’s anything but old fashion! We are very into these Uprooted Underwear by Thief and Bandit ($47). They are made of a breathable blend of cotton and bamboo and died with non-toxic inks that are good to your body and the earth. Delicate elastic folds over the edges to make these the most comfortable undergarment you will own. Choose between sunny ‘marigold’ or a more muted ‘dusk’ print.
Get a Library Card: Replace your daily social media doom scroll with new reads from your local library. You can get digital books or audio books and never have to hassle with late fees or keeping track of books that aren’t yours. The urge is natural to purge following the excess of the holidays so while you declutter the Tupperware cabinet or ransack your closet to make room for new gifts, get into an audiobook that will transport you to a more exciting storyline.
Gratitude Jar: The sweet little moments that make up our one precious lives are sometimes gone before we can savor them. To take stock of your many blessings and bank them for a sad day, get yourself a Gratitude Jar and commit to adding one scrap of paper with a few words to capture one simple joy a day. If you can, get your family and friends to add to it too. When the sad day comes, as it inevitably will, a few fond memories will ignite an important spark of joy.
A Fresh Planner:
Pick up a new Thread Spun planner to stay organized and on top of the months to come. Or treat it like a low-stakes memory book to chronicle events after they take place. It’s more tangible than using a digital calendar because you can tape in mementoes like concert stubs (do those still exist?), handwritten notes from loved ones or pretty leaves you may find along your way. We love this Yearless Planner by Ferme a Papier ($32) that’s 100% recycled paper and eco friendly. Covers come in abstract body parts or cactus with metallic foil. You can add all the important dates in the year ahead to look forward to. We also love this lay flat Weekly Planner ($25) made by The Completist, a family-run music book maker in the U.K. It comes with an adorable matching bookmark. Nothing like a new planner to feel ready for what’s to come!
Body
Yin Yoga: We are the last ones in your life who will suggest joining a gym as part of a New Year’s Happy Habits blog post! You’re perfect just the way you are. But a little movement can go a long way to well-being. Yin yoga is basically an enhanced nap with amazing benefits for your ligaments and connective tissue. You can find great, free videos online or if you’re feeling safe attending in-person classes, Yin is probably offered at your local yoga studio.
Poses are simple, often aided with many comfortable props like blankets and bolsters and your nervous system will reward you immensely with deeper sleep and better circulation. Yin yoga is an excellent gateway to access mindfulness, especially if meditation alone is hard to prioritize in the new year.
Salt Scrub ($20):
Among the Flowers is one of our favorite apothecary labels we stock because it’s California made in small batches. Their Pink Salt Scrub is a restorative blend created specifically for your face. Keep it in the shower to apply to damp, warm skin and massage in circular motions. Adopt the facial scrub ritual to clear dead cells and add moisture to your body’s most sensitive skin with coconut oil, rice bran oil and pink clay.
Golden Hour Hydrosol ($20):
Keep this refreshing hydrosol close to get the maximum benefit of toning and hydration for your skin throughout the day whether you’re in climate a controlled office or out in dry weather. It’s brewed with fresh flowers that are hand harvested at night to capture the most potent essence. Breathe in hand-harvested Moroccan Neroli and rose, Bulgarian Rose, and Turkish rose each time you refresh.
Moon Dust Pillow Mist ($26):
Another favorite product by Among the Flowers that is cosmic, earthy and otherworldly to send you to dreamland with a few sprays on your pillow. Inhale the calming blend of chamomile, sage, frankincense and lavender as you wind down every evening.
Hymn to Hair Oil ($34):
It’s hard to keep High Sun Low Moon products on our shelves because they have a strong following of faithful believers. This Hymn to Hair Oil is one of the reasons why. It creates a protective layer around the strand to reduce breakage and minimize sun damage making it perfect for ocean lovers. It just takes one pump to calm frizz and protect your hair till the next wash. It’s made of 100% organic ingredients including Kukui nut infused with calendula and rose, Vitamin E, neroli, cedarwood, frankincense and rose.
Plant Wise Mud Mask ($28):
Another product by High Sun Low Moon that slaps. It’s simply crafted of just six ingredients that aid to regenerate skin cells and promote elasticity and hydration. It also soothes inflamed or irritated skin, including sunburns. We love mixing this blend with a little honey for extra care or yogurt for added moisture. Get this mud mask on your weekly rotation!
Oil and Stone Blends Set ($36):
While you can’t bring your bathtub with you everywhere, you can actually bring these essential oil rollers with you to provide a little calm or reset on the go. This set contains three 5 oz mini roll-on blends to help you Rise, Flow and Chill. Each blend is made of pure essential oils with a roll-on applicator so that you can target your pulse points on the inner wrist and throat to smell each time you inhale. Choose Rise (made up of spearmint, clove, wintergreen, basil, petit grain, coriander, orange, sage and pink grapefruit) Flow (made up of peppermint, rose, lime, juniper berry, fennel, black pepper, and palo aanto or Chill (made up on lavender, vetiver, lemongrass, patchouli, ylang ylang, bergamot and mandarin. Each blend contains a special gem stone to embody its essence.
Treat your feet:
We are big bath advocates at Thread Spun but if it’s hard fitting a nightly bath into your routine, start with a mini foot bath ritual. Fill a basin with warm water and add a dash of Natural Bath Salts by women-owned company Sounds ($32). We stock Banya (a combo of Hinoki and Texas Cedarwood), Mystic (notes of lavender and vetiver) and Chime (scents of Yuzu, grapefruit, black pepper and Petitgrain). Before you drain, scrub your feet with the Epsom salts to keep them baby soft and relieve any pain and tension. You’ll wake up with a little extra pep in your step and your house will smell like a fancy spa.
Home
Help your Houseplants:
All year long your houseplants are working hard removing airborne toxins from your space. Reward them by dusting off their leaves to better collect sunlight and keep them thriving with Instant Plant Food ($8). This fertilizer blend is odorless and made up of naturally-occurring minerals with live fermentation. Your home will be a little greener and a little cleaner with this simple habit.
Get Gardening:
Even a little dose of nature goes a long way to nurture the human spirit. We stock a variety of organic seeds by The Plant Good Seed Co. to get you started. If you’re a first time gardener, start with a little herb garden that will do well in pots and can withstand a little neglect once they’re going. Try Oregano or Genovese Basil ($5) on the windowsill and witness the wonder of little sprouts coming to life.
Cleanse your space:
Refresh the energy in your space by burning herbs as your reset for the new year. This sweet little Elbow Smudge Pot by Incausa ($12) is the perfect vessel to burn some Loose Incense by Poppy California ($12). Choose your preferred blend: Desert Sage and Piñon, Cedar and Copal, Cedar and Myrrh or Sage and Palo Santo. Add a piece of charcoal and light!
Cozy up into a little creative renewal with this incredible debut, Creative Spaces by lifestyle brand Pocketo ($35).
Explore the homes of 23 artistic entrepreneurs who bring art into their everyday decor. See how a tiny closet houses a colorful desk of infinite inspiration and find a million ways to re-envision your space with places to create and rejuvenate. We love revisiting the pages of this book often to see a new detail to appreciate every time.
Terre Candle ($32):
Keep a candle burning once the sun goes down to keep the cozy glow alive. We love Roen’s Terre blend that captures the California essence with earthy oak moss, musk and sandalwood. You’ll detect clean citrus, sage and lavender. Enjoy winding down in the warm, clean light of a conscious candle.
Thank you for navigating to the Thread Spun blog to gather some happy habits and new self care tips for the new year. We'd love to hear what is bringing you contentment in the quest towards self care and happiness. And lastly, if nobody’s told you for a while: treat yourself.