Even if you don’t live in a place where it gets cold enough to snow, it’s good to consider winterizing your self care routines. Customize your am and pm skin care routines for the darker, colder and drier season. And create morning and evening routines that honor the shortest and darkest days of the year.

2023 is the Year of the Writer. Soft Wood element years inspire us to articulate and express, record and share our thoughts in writing. You don’t have to publish a book or a blog to be a writer. You can just keep a journal or write letters to yourself or the people you love.

Winter Solstice is the first day of Winter. It’s also the shortest day of the year. The moment when the sun is at its lowest elevation in the sky, symbolizes the death and rebirth of the sun. It’s a day to celebrate the return the light and look forward to brighter days ahead.

There are absolutely ways to create a challenge for yourself and still honor yourself as a woman. Building trust with yourself is not just about commitment and consistency. You can’t have a relationship with yourself based on trust if you ignore your intuitive wisdom or your body’s changing needs. Our higher self and body send us messages about what we need to have the most vibrant health and personal wellbeing. It’s our responsibility to listen to and honor ourselves.

Shopping for cheap, factory made decor has become a seasonal tradition. Women with FOMO and disposable incomes, who feel compelled to chase the trends and keep up with their favorite influencers, make an outing of it every holiday season. They go to the drive thru for their super sweet seasonal drink and sip on it while browsing all the stores and buying all the stuff they think they need, to have a picture perfect Instagrammable Christmas.

Select a few holiday classics to re-read, curate a shelf of Christmasy stories and start a new series that features wintery scenes. Visit your local bookstore to purchase an illustrated or collector’s edition of a favorite series or author. Thrift some new-to-you books or find vintage, special edition or nicer copies of a well-loved book to add to your bookshelf. Download audiobooks, set in the North or the winter season, read by your favorite narrators or voice actors.

When I began writing HER Rituals this past fall, my intention was to help YOU create practices that honor your needs and serve your highest wellbeing. It’s not another to do list, annual resolutions or trendy challenge. A hundred pages in, I knew that this was a book, not a digital download. It’s a collection of all the knowledge I’ve learned and wisdom I’ve gained through the years. And there is no better time that this year to begin to share it with you!