When we looked around this house for the first time, we just loved how much natural light it had. Fast forward four years and it’s still one of my favourite things about our house. We’ve repainted most of the rooms with pale colours to make the most of the light and during the summer months the house is such a lovely airy place to be. It’s made even better by the very long days we get here in the North East of Scotland. During the peak of summer, it doesn’t really get properly dark at all.
Scottish Winters
Of course, the opposite is true during the winter when it feels like the sun is barely up before it starts getting dark again. As much as I personally love the cosiness of sitting with a blanket and good book on the sofa, sipping hot chocolate with a scented candle burning, it can be hard to get motivated during the dark winters and the lack of light definitely affects Mik’s mood.
Now that another Scottish winter is looming, I’m trying to make as much of the natural light as possible. I’ve noticed that Dylan sleeps so much better when he’s had plenty of natural light during the day and Mik is much happier on long sunny days as well. It’s amazing how much light can affect your mood!
Follow The Natural Light
We’ve moved Dylan’s outside toys into the conservatory so he can be sheltered from the wind but also benefit from the natural light. We are lucky enough to have a fairly big south facing conservatory which is perfect for him to play in during spring and autumn. I’m planning to do lots of activities in there over the coming months. Painting and colouring, picnic lunches and finally trying some of the sensory activities I’m forever pinning onto my Pinterest boards.
Home Improvements
Most of our rooms have south facing windows and my dream is to make the windows even bigger so that the light in the house is maximised. I’m not sure how realistic it is, and we’ll have to save up, but I’d love to get some replacement sash windows as I think they look beautiful and can make the inside feel almost like the outside when they are wide open. My Dad has sash windows on the front of his cottage and I’ve always loved the look and feel of them. I also have visions of a little balcony off our bedroom which I imagine sitting on for a peaceful morning coffee, looking out into the woods which our house backs onto. Who knows, maybe in 20 years!
Getting Ready for Winter
When the days start to shorten, there are a few things I look forward to which make me not mind the lack of light quite so much. I tend not to light many candles during the summer so I invariably end up saving one that I was given for the previous Christmas or birthday to light when the nights start drawing in. There’s nothing like lighting a wonderful scented candle to get you in the mood for winter and it almost counts as light right? Not natural light but definitely cosy light! It’s also the perfect time to sit on the sofa with a good book and hot chocolate.
I like to make the Christmas cake around the start of October. This always gets me excited for Christmas which is my absolute favourite time of year. I always start craving heavy meals when the seasons start to shift and the first roast dinner of the winter is always a treat. I just love pottering around the house while there is a chicken roasting away in the oven making my stomach rumble.