Simple Pleasures to Welcome the Spring Season

While there may be 10 more days until the official start of the spring season, for us here in Raleigh spring is already in the air as the trees are starting to flower and the temperatures are steadily staying in the 70’s. Already I am feeling giddy as those warmer days greet me and I know that there are so many simple pleasures to experience to welcome the spring season too. Spring is a time of renewal and time to go outside and enjoy the weather while it’s mild and to also visit all the different trees and flowers blooming. And while we start to move into this beautiful season of warmth and colors, let us also enjoy some simple pleasures to welcome the spring season.

• Have a spring picnic

After being cozied up at home during the cold winter months it is such a pleasure to pack up a beautiful picnic to enjoy on a warm day. Find a park that you love and either make some sandwiches or bake a quiche or tart and enjoy spreading out a blanket and having a meal surrounded by nature.

• Visit the farmer’s market

Farmer’s Markets will start to open and will bring with it the spring produce and all those little extras such as fresh baked breads and pastries, flowers, homemade soaps and so much more.  Dress in your most casual elegant outfit, grab a hat and a French straw bag and enjoy perusing the many products of the farmer’s markets this season.

• Read outside

If you love to read a cozy book, especially seasonal books, then spring is the perfect time to read outside among nature.  I especially love reading in a park away surrounded by only the sounds of nature as well as taking a coffee and a light snack to enjoy.  Take advantage of sitting in the sun while the weather is nice before the hot days of summer settle in.

• Visit a garden or arboretum

While visiting a garden or arboretum is something to look forward to every season, there’s something special about visiting in the spring when all of the trees are flowering and the flowers are blooming.  It’s like visiting a friend after a long absence. You get to be surrounded by so many beautifully curated landscapes and to really savor the colors and beauty of the different flowers. It’s such a simple pleasure for welcoming the spring season.

• Enjoy some spring themed publications

While it may seem easier to pick up the phone and look through spring related content such as on Pinterest, why not instead pick up a few spring editions of your favorite publications? Make a cup of hot tea in a pretty floral mug, put on some background jazz and enjoy a few of your favorite magazines one afternoon.  Some of my favorites are My French Country Home, English Home, Victoria, Tea Time and Flower magazine.

• purchase a new seasonal Cup or two

I love seasonal cups to use for coffee and tea when I’m at home, and spring is a wonderful time to pick a cup or two to enjoy during the warmer months ahead.  There are so many good ones to choose from and this year and I even picked up this floral mug and this goose mug from Anthropologie. It’s a simple pleasure that is low-cost, but yields so much joy in the moment.

• bring home colorful bouquets of flowers

While I love flowers of all colors, I find that in spring I start to bring more colorful and bright options to welcome the new season.  Flowers such as tulip, iris’s, peonies, hydrangeas and ranunculus are some of my favorites for spring and as always, Trader Joe’s has a beautiful selection for a great price, so that is primarily where I get my flowers each week.

• take a walk and listen to a few spring themed podcast episodes

Walking is such a good way to the move the body and now that the weather is warming up we can grab our headphones and get out to get some fresh air.  When I go for a walk I like to listen to podcasts and having some spring themed episodes is a great way to enjoy the welcome of the new season.  Some great episodes you can check out are Spring Clean Your Mind from The School of Self Image, 10 Ideas for Reveling in the Spring Season from The Simple Sophisticate, and Spring Reflection from Tranquility Du Jour.

Let us welcome spring by indulging in these simple pleasures and slowing down to savor the season ahead and to also appreciate its gentle elegance as nature begins to wake up for another year of beauty and warmer days ahead.