Winter can be challenging! Sunlight is scarce, the weather is disrespectfully cold (my skin is so dry), and all the greenery is turning brown. Yes, we have the holidays and beautiful decorations all over the place, but the holidays can also be hard for so many reasons. So, for anyone who struggles with this season for whatever reason, here are a few things that are a reminder of all the flowery hope that accompanies the end of winter!

There are cheerful offerings to be found at Penny Post and Red Barn Mercantile year-round. Honeybees, for example, are not in danger at Red Barn Mercantile. Their hard work and sweetness is always buzzing around the shop. Flowers that need little to no tending are also on hand in the form of calendars, books, notepads, stationery, accessories, and more.

Penny Post has a beautiful variety of floral calendars to count down these winter days. They are a lovely way to brighten a wall with very little effort. Penny Post also has sunny stationery, colorful stickers, puzzles loaded with greenery, cozy greeting cards, bright notebooks and notepads, and possibly my favorite, a bandana that celebrates the zebras that ran free for months in Maryland last year. It’s a very fun memory illustrated in the most delightful colors. Good for you, zebras.

Red Barn Mercantile, if you haven’t heard, has an abundance of ornaments, and their Farm & Garden Tree, specifically, is sure to stir up those springtime feels. Honey bees, watering cans, flowers, critters, fruits and veggies, and so much more are all waiting to be plucked. If you want something less holiday-specific, floral calendars, puzzles, paperweights, spring-smelling candles and lotions, books filled with flowers, and baskets waiting to be filled with flowers are among some of our favorite things. They are all perfect for gardeners or anyone eagerly awaiting the spring.

We hope you feel warmth this winter in all the ways you can manage, whether it be from beneath a very cozy blanket, or from the sunlight beaming in your windows, or the light beaming from your SAD lamp as you pen a note or arrange some flowers. Hang in there, find ways to make winter feel a bit brighter, and before you know it, it’ll be spring!