Hi, I’m Elaine! I’m lucky enough to call the lush green countryside of Ireland my home, where I live with my wonderful husband and our adorable cats. When I’m not out enjoying the beauty of nature, you’ll most likely find me tucked away with a good book or working on my latest journal creation. Reading and journaling are my absolute passions, and I can easily spend hours getting lost in stories or crafting something special. Whether I’m immersed in a great book or bringing new ideas to life in my journals, these simple pleasures are what make my days truly joyful.
Because there’s no better time to fall head-first into a magical world.
✨ Why Friends of Fantasy Day Is a Big Deal
Hello, my friends! If you love fantasy books, independent bookstores, or discovering your next favourite audiobook, you’re going to want to mark your calendar for this one.
Friends of Fantasy Day is a celebration of the fantasy genre — and this year, Libro.fm is marking the occasion with a fantastic fantasy audiobook sale. Think epic worlds, powerful magic, unforgettable characters… for a steal.
👉 Friends of Fantasy Day takes place on January 31, so now is the perfect time to browse, wishlist, and treat yourself.
🧙♀️ What Is Friends of Fantasy Day?
Friends of Fantasy Day was created by Rachel Randolph as a way for independent bookstores to encourage readers of all ages to explore the fantasy genre — from epic high fantasy to dark fairy tales and everything in between.
It’s all about:
Supporting indie bookshops
Celebrating fantasy in all its forms
Encouraging readers to try something magical and new
Of course, you can always pop into your local bookstore for a new fantasy read — and you absolutely should. But if you’re in the mood for an audiobook, I can’t recommend Libro.fm enough.
Here’s why I love them:
🎧 Audiobook subscriptions like Audible — but better
🏪 Supports independent bookstores
📍 You get to choose which local bookshop your purchases support
📱 Works on all the usual devices and apps
So when you’re listening to an epic fantasy adventure, you’re also doing some real-world good. Win-win.
affiliate link
With so many of us looking for ways to divest from Amazon, @librofm is making it easier than ever. The Audible alternative shares profits with indie bookshops, and their brand new annual plan comes with plenty of perks!
When you become an annual member, you receive 12 credits upfront, 30% off additional purchases (including sale), and access to member-only sales. And, for a limited time, new annual plan members will receive a 13th audiobook credit free!
*this post is not sponsored but contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting the blog 🩷
📚 NEW: Libro.fm Annual Plan (With a Free Bonus Credit!)
What would you make if the algorithm didn’t exist?
❤️🩹TL;DR
After years of letting hustle culture drain the joy from my YouTube channel, I’m returning to vlogging on my own terms. My new cosy living vlog series focuses on gentle, joyful moments instead of trending topics and analytics. I’ve been experimenting with filming formats and finally found what works and I’m loving the authentic connections it’s creating. Watch the series here
I have that DSLR over 10 years now. That’s pretty good for a digital camera!
Hello, my friends!
This summer marks 10 years of blogging. Ten years! Isn’t that both insane and amazing? I’m genuinely shocked it’s been that long—it really doesn’t feel like it. I’ll dive deeper into that milestone when my actual anniversary rolls around, but today I want to talk about something that’s been brewing: my return to vlogging, and why it feels different this time.
When Hustle Culture Hijacked My Creative Joy
I started BookTube around 2018, not long after launching my blog. But being honest, I’ve been pretty unfaithful to it.
In a previous post, I opened up about how hustle culture sunk its claws into me, and it completely destroyed my relationship with YouTube. What started as a fun creative outlet became an exhausting checklist of “shoulds”:
I should post consistently
I should follow trending topics
I should review buzzy books
I should optimize for the algorithm
It completely sucked out the joy and creativity. Replaced by pressure, comparison, and that nagging voice telling me I wasn’t doing enough.
I still wrestle with these thoughts, but I’m fighting back—and slowly winning.
My New Approach: Vlogging for Joy, Not Metrics
So here’s what’s changed: I’m back to vlogging purely for the joy of it.
I’m actively ignoring:
❌ Analytics dashboards
❌ Trending topics
❌ Algorithm optimization tactics
❌ The “buzzing books” everyone’s talking about
Instead, I’m focusing on what feels fun.
Let me tell you—ignoring those analytics is feckin difficult. YouTube desperately wants you to see them, constantly dangling numbers in your face to get you creating more content for their machine. But I’m trying my best, and that’s all I can do.
Frosty. The best vlogging assistant.
“I’m seeking out the moments that bring joy—be they big or small. I especially love the small moments because you can build them up.”
Introducing: My Cosy Living Vlog Series
In December, I launched a new vlog series centered around cosy living—those little moments that feel like a gentle exhale.
What “Cosy Living” Means to Me
Now, I’m not saying I’m living in constant serenity. Trust me, I’m still a bag of anxiety and doubts. But I’m intentionally filling my life with more moments that quiet that nagging voice in my head and let me just be.
Cosy living is about seeking out moments of joy—big or small—and savouring them. And those small moments? They’re my favourite because you can stack them, build on them, create a life textured with tiny pockets of loveliness.
Pure cosiness 💝
Finding My Filming Format (Through Trial and Error)
I’ve uploaded three cosy vlogs so far, and each one has been an experiment in finding what feels comfortable.
Vlog #1: Single Day Format
What I did: Filmed an entire single day How it felt: Exhausting Lesson learned: Too intense, too much pressure to film
Vlog #2: Multi-Day Compilation
What I did: Filmed clips over several days How it felt: Confusing and disjointed Lesson learned: Lost narrative thread
Vlog #3: The 2pm-to-2pm Sweet Spot ✨
What I did: Filmed from 2pm one day to 2pm the next How it felt: It clicked! The result: My favourite vlog so far—comfortable energy, authentic vibe, though I ended up with tons of footage and a longer video
Key takeaway: The 2pm-to-2pm timeframe works really well for my energy levels and lifestyle, but I need to be more selective with what I film next time.
Why This Feels Different: Connection Over Views
Watch the Series
This is honestly the most I’ve enjoyed making videos in years. And when people interact with these vlogs, the connection feels different—deeper, somehow.
It’s like viewers are seeing me, not just the thing I’m talking about. Which, yes, feels vulnerable but connection is what I’m craving. Not views, not subscriber counts, not watch time percentages.
A New Creative Outlet That Feels Right
I’m genuinely excited about this series as a creative hobby. Vlogging allows me to express myself in a different, more personal way than junk journaling or scrapbooking.
I feel way less pressure to make things look pretty and aesthetic. These vlogs aren’t meant to be perfect—they’re an expression of joy and gratitude, not another pretty thing to put on a shelf.
Join Me on This Journey
If this resonates with you—if you’re also trying to untangle yourself from hustle culture and find more joy in the everyday—I’d love for you to join me.
Subscribe to my YouTube channelfor more cosy living vlogs, and let’s chat about intention, joy, and those gentle exhale moments we all need more of.
Thanks for being here and for joining me on this journey, my friends. Here’s to creating for joy, not metrics.
When did reading – the thing we do for pleasure – become another item on our productivity checklist?
📚 TL;DR
After an introspective 2025, I’m done with hustle culture in my reading life. My goals: read just 24 books (my lowest ever), complete Bookopoly for fun, read more Irish authors (especially Sally Rooney and Catherine Ryan Howard), ignore the hype, create healthier boundaries with online book culture, and finally annotate Pride and Prejudice. Bottom line: no more grinding. Just plain old living and loving books again.
Why I’m Done Chasing Reading Goals
Hello, my friends! Happy 2026! I am absolutely buzzing for this year – I have such a good feeling about it.
I had a very introspective 2025. I put serious work into my mental health through journaling and made many discoveries about myself, which will be reflected in this year’s goals.
2026 is all about enjoyment and giving myself space to just be. Not every moment has to be productive – and they shouldn’t be! Reading and other hobbies don’t have to be about grinding to reach targets or to be the best YOU you can be. They do this naturally anyway. We don’t need to force it!
So, on that note, my first goal for 2026 is to read less!
My 2026 Reading Goals
📖 Lower Reading Goal: 24 Books
Reading is my favourite hobby, but it’s not my only hobby, and I don’t want the guilt of that reading goal number hanging over me when I don’t feel like reading.
I know audiobooks are always an option. I could easily listen while I’m colouring or scrapbooking, but to be honest, I prefer listening to the sounds around me. I like the gentle sounds of my house – the clocks ticking, the floors creaking, the cats stretching and playing. It’s so soothing to just be in the moment and not try to fill the silence.
Plus, I’m a firm believer that we need variety in our lives and multiple ways to reduce stress. Different activities give us different perspectives and help us grow creatively. You might be surprised how one hobby can affect your thinking about something completely unrelated.
I’m not saying I won’t listen to audiobooks or that I’m going to stop myself reading – just that I’m not going to chase a quantity of books. You might be wondering why I don’t scrap the reading goal altogether and that’s because I don’t like all or nothing thinking. There’s room for nuance and enjoyable targets.
🎲 Complete Bookopoly (For Fun!)
Now, I realise I just said I wasn’t going to chase a number of books, but I do want to complete a reading challenge this year.
I made Bookopoly a few years ago (templates are free here on my blog) and mostly finished it in 2023, but this year I actually want to play it. My plan is to do one circuit of the board, so pretty low stakes.
I’m going to play the digital version I made with my Book Tracker Spreadsheetthat you can get [here] if you want. It has the new and improved version of the tracker with Bookopoly added to make everything nice and cohesive.
☘️ Read More Irish Books
I had this goal in my head for 2025 as well, but of my 37 books read, only 6 were by Irish authors. That is way too low!
Top of my list are Sally Rooney (because everyone seems to be mad about her) and Catherine Ryan Howard (because I want to read more thrillers).
This goal kind of leads into my next one, which is…
🚫 Ignore the Hype
The majority of books I’ve read have been by American authors—specifically white lady American authors. The romance genre seems to be saturated by them, and since that’s what I read most, they’re who I’ve read.
Their books get hyped so freaking much on social media it’s insane, and they do not always deserve the hype. With some of these books, it feels like it’s just marketing.
Whatever is going on with the hype train, I am almost always disappointed. And when I say ignore the hype, I mean ignoring books that people gush over in general. I recently picked up a book because several people were gushing over it on Discord, and then it turned out to be so terribly written I suspected these people were plants trying some sort of guerrilla marketing.
So yeah, I’m going to be more careful with the books I pick now.
🛡️ Creating Boundaries
On the subject of ignoring online chatter, one thing I really need in 2026 is boundaries.
Thanks to the great and powerful algorithm, I am bombarded with opinions all the time. I know the algorithm learns from my behavior, but geez, could it chill out a bit?
I have so much depressing news and opinions flying at me all the time I feel like I need to police myself and everyone else constantly! Which isn’t realistic for day-to-day life. I can’t attack my dentist for his opinions on a situation in a country we don’t live in. I do not want to debate my uncle for his beliefs despite how offensive I find them.
I want to make my world smaller, more intimate – at least online. I can’t fight everyone else’s battles, and I can’t carry the weight of them in my head. It stresses me the feck out!
✍️ Annotate Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
And finally, my last goal is a fun one!
I have a cheap edition of Pride and Prejudice that I bought specifically for annotating, but I’ve only gotten as far as tabbing it. I have a little annotation kit I put together especially for this project, but I’ve barely used it.
It’s been sitting in my hobby basket, watching me tackle other projects all the time. I have a collection of ephemera to add to the book as well (similar to what I did with my edition of Emma) but I want to do so much more with Pride and Prejudice because I love it so much.
Just Plain Old Living
So, those are my goals for 2026. To be honest, all I really want is to enjoy what I read.
This is just a list of things I’d like to achieve, but if it’s December 10th and I’ve only read 16 books, you’re not going to see me sprinting toward my reading goal with short books and novellas. Whatever will be, will be. That’s the vibe I’m taking into 2026.
No more grinding, no more hustle, no more aesthetics!
It might sound like I’m embracing slow living or something, but nope. Just plain old living.
Over to You
Thank you so much for joining me today! I hope you have a wonderful start to the year and wish you all the luck with your goals, whatever they may be.
Are you scaling back your reading goals this year, or going full steam ahead? What books are on your radar? Drop a comment below—I’d especially love to hear your Irish author recommendations!
When Your Favourite Magazine’s Persona Isn’t Real: My Complicated Relationship with Daphne’s Diary
TL;DR
Daphne’s Diary is a beautiful craft and lifestyle magazine, but its fictional mascot persona makes me uncomfortable in our AI-saturated world. While brand personas like Betty Crocker have existed for decades, the rise of AI-generated content has changed how I feel about fake people being presented as real. I still love the magazine’s authentic content—I’m just choosing to skip the fictional narrative bits.
The Magic That First Drew Me In
I’ve always been captivated by Daphne’s Diary magazine. The aesthetic is beautiful—those gorgeous craft projects, the pretty pastel papers, the thoughtfully curated articles about artists and beautiful destinations. Everything about it speaks to my creative heart.
It didn’t take long to realise that Daphne isn’t a real person—she’s an invented persona for the magazine. And honestly? I understood the strategy. They’re targeting a specific audience: creative people seeking community and connection, folks who want to feel like they’re on a creative journey with someone, not just consuming content alone.
For years, this didn’t bother me at all.
When AI Changed Everything
But something shifted recently.
With the rise of AI chatbots and fake personas flooding every corner of the internet—pretending to be everything from children to therapists, all in the name of corporate profit—I’ve become disillusioned with the idea of Daphne.
Now when I come across her diary entries talking about her pets, her husband, and her children’s antics, I feel unsettled. None of these people exist. None of these moments happened.
“Why doesn’t this person exist when a real person could fill this role?”
Real Creators Are Everywhere—So Why the Facade?
Here’s what really gets me: there are countless amazing creators on YouTube (and other platforms) producing content exactly like what’s in Daphne’s Diary. They share craft tutorials, lifestyle content, printables, and products through their online shops—just like Daphne does.
But they’re real people. With real lives, real stories, real creative journeys.
So why is Daphne fake? Her style isn’t unique. Her stories aren’t groundbreaking. Why wasn’t an actual person hired for this role?
I suppose most lifestyle magazines don’t typically feature a single person at the forefront. It’s the only lifestyle publication I regularly read, so I don’t have much comparison.
The Magazine Mascot Precedent
My husband pointed out that White Dwarf magazine features a persona—a creature from the Warhammer universe—as their “white dwarf” mascot. So maybe this isn’t unusual in niche magazine publishing. My previous magazine experience (cooking publications, music magazines, Cosmopolitan) never included this kind of brand personification, so it’s unfamiliar territory for me.
The Stock Photo Incident That Broke My Trust
What triggered this reflection was a piece in the recent Christmas edition of Daphne’s Diary about the “hardworking ladies of Christmas.”
The feature included photos of women in uniforms or with other obvious job markers, along with their names and quotes about working during the Christmas season. The problem? These photos were so obviously stock images it felt ridiculous.
Surely it would be easy—and more meaningful—to actually interview real women about their Christmas work experiences. It would create authentic human connection and give voice to real people’s stories.
Maybe I’m judging too harshly. Perhaps the photos weren’t real, but the quotes were. Maybe the women they interviewed wanted their identities protected. Maybe their actual photos didn’t meet Daphne’s aesthetic standards, so they opted for stock images instead.
But it raises the question: Why are there so many fake people in this magazine?
And Now: AI-Generated Artwork That Looks… Bad
Here’s where things get worse. I just noticed that the same Christmas edition includes a page of Christmas gift tags—and they’re very obviously generated by AI.
Let me be clear: I use generative AI myself. I create clipart and assets with AI tools for my own projects. I have zero problem with AI-generated content when it’s done well. AI is a tool, and like any tool, it can produce beautiful results when used thoughtfully.
But what I’m not okay with is a business expecting paying customers to accept artwork that looks this poorly executed. This isn’t about the technology—it’s about the effort (or lack thereof).
Several of these Christmas tag images don’t even make sense—they’re just a mesh of wintery colours with possibly a Santa-shaped blob. Some of them are fine, sure, but the ones that aren’t make the magazine seem like it has minimal quality control or, worse, that they simply don’t care about what they’re publishing or whether their readers deserve better.
This is a magazine known for its beautiful aesthetic. They feature real artists in their pages. They showcase gorgeous photography and carefully curated design. So why are they publishing AI-generated gift tags that look like they were created with a free generator, zero refinement, and absolutely no quality review?
It feels lazy. It feels like they thought, “AI is fast and cheap (sometimes free), our readers probably won’t notice or care.” But we do notice. And we do care.
When I use AI to create clipart, I refine it, I regenerate until it’s right. I make sure it actually looks good and makes visual sense and if it doesn’t, I thrash it. I also only use it to create clipart and assets. Never a finished piece. That’s the bare minimum when you’re asking people to use something you’ve created—especially when they’ve paid for it.
This isn’t about AI versus human artists. That’s a whole other and very valid argument. It’s about standards. If you’re going to use AI-generated content in a premium craft magazine, at least make sure it meets the quality bar you’ve set everywhere else. The disconnect between the beautiful, thoughtful content and these rushed AI images is jarring and honestly feels disrespectful to readers who expect better.
What’s Real vs. What’s Fabricated
To be fair, much of Daphne’s Diary content appears to be authentic:
The artist profiles feature real people
The recipes are genuine
The craft projects are real and replicable
The travel destinations actually exist
The artwork is mostly from real artists (as far as I can tell)
The magazine isn’t bad by any means. It’s real at its core. But the cracks are showing. Between the fictional personas, stock photo “interviews,” and now low-quality AI-generated printables, I’m seeing a pattern of choosing convenient shortcuts over authentic quality.
I just feel uncomfortable with fake people being presented as real, especially with the introduction in our world of artificial personas like Tilly Norwood.
Brand Personas in the Age of AI
Creating a brand persona isn’t new—think Betty Crocker, Mr. Muscle, or countless other mascot marketing examples. But we’re living in a time when companies can use technology to make fictional people seem incredibly real and relatable, all to monetize our desire for human connection.
I don’t want to see photos and videos of Daphne, Rob, Anne, Barney, Mr. Bear, and Aunty Cat pop up on my screen knowing none of them exist. They didn’t do any of the things or say any of the words attributed to them in their anecdotes.
“The real issue? The magazine isn’t transparent about these characters being narrative devices.”
This lack of transparency feels particularly problematic in our current landscape, where distinguishing real from artificial is increasingly difficult.
My Fear: The Loss of Human Connection and Quality Standards
Here’s my deeper concern: I’m afraid of losing real human connection in a world where it’s increasingly easy to create and profit from fake personas.
It’s not fun if we’re all interacting with robots designed solely to funnel our money to their human owners. The authentic relationships that make life meaningful can’t be replicated by fabricated personalities, no matter how charming.
But there’s another issue emerging: the acceptance of low-quality AI content as “good enough.” When a magazine known for its beautiful aesthetic starts including menial AI-generated images that don’t even make visual sense, it signals something troubling.
Are we lowering our standards because AI makes it easy to fill pages? Are publishers banking on readers not noticing—or not caring—that they’ve skipped the refinement process entirely?
I care. If I’m paying for a premium craft magazine, I expect premium content throughout. Not a mix of gorgeous real artwork and half-baked AI outputs thrown in because they were quick, cheap, and “good enough.” It’s not that they used AI—it’s that they clearly didn’t care enough to make sure what they used was actually good. That lack of care for their readers is what stings.
So… Am I Overthinking This?
Am I being nihilistic over a cosy, fun magazine? Probably a little.
I still genuinely love Daphne’s Diary. It remains the only craft and lifestyle magazine that truly suits my interests. At its heart, I’m fine with a magazine having a persona that tells a story—that’s part of the charm.
I’m just not sure why those “working ladies” needed to be fake too. And why are we getting AI-generated gift tags that look unfinished? In this era when creating and profiting from fictional personas and low-effort AI content has never been easier, I’d like to keep real people real and quality standards high.
My Solution: Love the Magazine, Skip the Mascot (and the AI Tags)
Moving forward, I’ll continue enjoying Daphne’s Diary—I’ll just be ignoring Daphne herself and those AI-generated pages. I’ll appreciate the authentic content: the real artists, the tested recipes, the genuine travel recommendations, and the beautiful craft projects.
But the fictional diary entries? The obviously fake interviews? The rushed AI artwork? I’ll be skipping those from now on.
What Do You Think?
Have you noticed similar fictional personas in your magazines? Do AI and fake online personas change how you feel about traditional brand mascots? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
You Can Monetize Your Hobbies Without Destroying Them—Here’s How
“You should sell that!” If you’ve heard this phrase even once, you know the trap I’m about to describe. After years of letting hustle culture drain every ounce of joy from my creative hobbies, I finally learned the boundaries I wish I’d followed from day one. Here’s what I’ve learned: you can enjoy your hobbies without monetizing them—they don’t need validation. But you can monetize them too—just don’t let it destroy them.
Sadly, it took me years to figure this out. Let me save you the burnout.
TL;DR
Started with joyful hobbies: blogging, BookTube, junk journaling
Opened an Etsy shop after all the “you should sell this!” comments
Hustle culture consumed everything—every post, photo, and video became a sales pitch
Lost all joy, went silent on platforms, stopped creating entirely
Hit breaking point, closed shop for a month, and rebranded
Now I have clear boundaries that let me create AND earn without burnout
Key lesson: You can monetize hobbies—just don’t let monetization become your why
Practical boundaries: no checking stats, create when inspired, “so what?” to content pressure
How It Started: When Creating Was Still Fun
I started blogging about 10 years ago when blogs were in their heyday. I chatted about food, all the paper flowers I was making for our wedding, and then I started to lean more into books. I eventually started a Bookstagram and a BookTube and was having so much fun creating and exploring.
It was a creatively vibrant world full of people who were passionate about the same things as me. It was fun and felt full of possibilities.
Then Everything Changed
And with those possibilities came influencers and content creators. The online world started to change. Everything was SEO, followers, views, algorithm, yadda yadda yadda. Hustle culture took over.
I’m a big fan of hobbies. I think they’re great for your mind. Blogging was a hobby that led to BookTube, which led to junk journaling, which led me to creating an Etsy shop. When I start something new, the first thing I do is learn about it. I look up tutorials, I read blogs, I follow creators who talk about it.
But that was where everything went wrong for me.
The “You Should Sell This” Trap
I started my Etsy shop because I really enjoyed making digital downloads to use in my journals. It wasn’t exactly that I wanted to share them with people—it was more that people always tell me I should sell the things I make.
At our wedding, when people saw all of the paper flowers I made, the first thing they said was “you should sell these!”
And I’m sure you’ve heard this yourself if you’re a crafter. If you knit socks or crochet bags, it’s likely been suggested to you that you set up a stall at a craft fair or an Etsy shop.
The Dream That Becomes a Nightmare
And it sounds so lovely, doesn’t it? I mean, why not sell your crafts? They’re lovely and they’re so much fun to make! Wouldn’t it be amazing if this was your job? You could:
Work from home on your own schedule
Only make the things you want to make
Work part-time until you’re able to call this your full-time job
Doesn’t it just sound lovely?
So that’s the trap I fell into. The dream of running my Etsy shop full-time, spending my days creatively, making pretty journaling supplies and engaging with other journaling enthusiasts. It sounds so pleasant and easy. So why not give it a shot?
When Everything Became Content (And Nothing Was Fun)
Well, I did give it a shot. I have an Etsy shop that sells digital downloads of junk journal and planner kits. Creating the kits was fun, but to run a shop you can’t just create, pop it on the site, and carry on your merry way.
The Hustle Culture Reality
You have to do the keyword research, the SEO stuff, have listing titles that make sense but are also stuffed with search terms. You have to hustle.
When I started my shop, I got so caught up in hustle culture I honestly did not have a clue what I was doing. Everything became about my shop:
If I wanted to write a blog post, I had to make sure it was relevant to what I’m selling so I could plug my shop
If I wanted to post on Instagram, I had to make sure something from my shop was somewhere in the photo
If I wanted to make a YouTube video, I might as well make it a Journal with Me using my products
I was spending my time looking up search terms and keywords and making content based on anything relevant to my products. Everything had to be productive and on-brand.
“And it sucked the joy out of everything. My hobbies were no longer my hobbies. The things I used to do for fun and my mental health became side hustles. I couldn’t even read a book without thinking about how it could become content.”
The Breaking Point: When I Went Silent
My hobbies no longer served the purpose of what a hobby is supposed to. The things I used to do for fun and my mental health became side hustles.
My Etsy shop was profitable back in my hustle culture days before my brain got completely fried and I had to stop everything. In fact, I got so caught up in the idea that everything had to lead to my Etsy shop that I stopped creating altogether.
I went silent on all platforms for quite a while.
It just wasn’t fun anymore.
The Rebrand: Separating My Shop from My Identity
This past summer, I made the decision to close my Etsy shop for a month and rebrand it completely. I didn’t want to fully close because I truly do enjoy creating the kits and running a shop. I rebranded it because I needed to separate it from my identity.
It isn’t a part of me—it’s just something I like to do, and it’s just one thing that I like to do. Closing it and changing the name is part of me trying to find the joy in my hobbies again.
The Truth About Hobbies and Money
Hobbies do not need to be monetized. There is joy in them just as they are. Even in unfinished projects, because the process—the work we do to create—is what’s really important.
I fully believe the value of having a hobby like crafting or blogging lies in the creating more than the completed piece. But I also do sell items on Etsy. I make money from advertising and affiliates on my blog. None of these things make much money, but they are monetized.
Living with the Paradox
I’m trying now to separate everything, but it’s really hard because I love my Etsy shop. It’s difficult for me to reconcile my belief that hobbies don’t need to be monetized when I’m monetizing myself!
It almost feels like I’m telling people not to try—not to reach for their dreams—because I’m trying to limit my competition! I’m not! I guess it’s kind of like an author or an artist wanting to earn money for their work. I’m not saying I’m that creative or talented, but is it wrong to want to earn a living this way?
“I’m not anti-monetization. I’m anti-letting monetization hijack your why.”
What Changed: The Boundaries That Saved My Creativity
When I first started all of this, I got bombarded by hustle culture while trying to learn. Maybe I should have just learned by doing, but I looked for help and I got content trees, growth hacks, algorithm strategies that just sucked the creativity out of me.
I still want to create content, but I don’t want to grind. I want to make things I enjoy for the joy of making them—not for the end result or for a reward.
But this doesn’t mean I’m turning off my affiliates or closing my Etsy shop (these things only make about €20 a month, to be honest), and this is where I still struggle with myself. It feels disingenuous to create for the joy of creating and write about it online and have my content monetized. But I’m learning the balance between them.
I’m not actually charging you for access to anything here. Anything I earn is just a bonus. Like a tip. And if you decide you want to create a similar project to me, well, the kit is in my Etsy shop to buy or available for free on my Ko-fi. The emphasis is still on the joy of creating.
My Boundaries Now
Here’s what actually works for me:
1. I do not check stats or analytics. This is harder than it sounds because all of these websites push your stats in your face. It’s hard not to glance at them, but I make sure not to click on the stats or analytics tabs.
2. I create what I feel like when I feel like it because that was the entire reason I started any of this!
3. I’ve learned to reply “so what?” to content pressure. I do still get the little nagging voice in my head telling me I don’t have a post for this week, but I’ve learned to reply “so what?” and just carry on with my life.
These boundaries let me keep earning passively while creating primarily for joy. That’s the difference—joy first, income second instead of the other way around.
Where I Am Now: Creating Simply and Joyfully
I don’t know if I have this all figured out. This isn’t my career. I’m making only a small amount of money from this, but I’ve come a long way from where I started.
I’m no longer being pulled by the content train.
Right now, I’m creating for the joy of creating. It may be messy, it may be pointless, it may interest no one other than me—but it will be real and it will just be. Simply and joyfully.
Where Are You in Your Creative Journey?
I wish I had some profound advice to give you about leaving hustle culture behind, but I have none. I didn’t even realise I was being influenced by it until the stress got too much.
I’m learning to find joy in how I spend my time again. I hope that’s something you already have, and if not, I hope you can find your way to it. We all deserve our little moments of joy.
Share your story in the comments—I’d love to hear where you are and what boundaries have (or haven’t) worked for you.
The Bottom Line
You don’t need validation for your hobbies. You don’t need to monetize them. You don’t need to turn every beautiful thing you make into a business. You don’t even need to complete your projects!
But if you do want to earn from your creativity, you can—just set boundaries first.
This week, create one thing with zero thought about posting, selling, or optimizing it. Make it messy. Make it just for you. Remember what it feels like to create for the pure joy of it.
Winter isn’t just about hot chocolate and blankets—it’s about embracing the perfect season for both heartwarming Christmas romances AND deliciously dark gothic tales. Here’s my winter reading list (plus the cozy hobbies I’m pairing with each mood).
Mood: Very mood reader—may read none or all plus 20 more! Vibe Check: Festive → Fantasy → Full Gothic Bonus: Winter journaling, cozy gaming (Winter Burrow, Bandle Tale), and attempting knitting again!
Why Winter Is the Superior Cozy Season
Hello, my friends!
I don’t know about you, but I am pretty excited about winter! To be fair, winter is generally pretty mild in Ireland—it’s rare that we’ll get snowed in, but the occasional frosty day is nice. I love how winter takes the coziness of autumn and just amplifies it. Extra cozy blankets, extra snuggles with my cats, extra long nights for cozy reading, extra mugs of hot chocolate overflowing with cream and marshmallows! Just extra!
My Cozy Winter Plans Beyond Books
With all this extra coziness, I’ve been thinking about all the cozy hobbies I want to enjoy this season. Books, of course, but also:
Gaming: So many unplayed games in my Steam library calling out to me! I’m dying to dive into Winter Burrow, which released near the end of autumn. The art style alone makes me want to play it—it looks cozy but also with a touch of heaviness that pairs well with the winter season.
Journaling: I have a few projects on the go, including a course from PaperWrld and my new winter reading journal (you’ll see all about that soon!)
Knitting: I’m thinking of trying my hand at knitting again. I didn’t get very far into that hobby last time, and I’d like to try again. Since I’ve been thinking about knitting, I’m leaning toward adventuring in Bandle Tale at the moment—it looks supremely cozy and wholesome, perfect for getting lost in on a cold winter evening.
“I love how winter takes the coziness of autumn and just amplifies it. Extra cozy blankets, extra long nights for cozy reading, extra everything!”
My Winter Reading Strategy
Now, onto the books! I’ve picked out some festive books (but I’ll likely only read one or two) and some gothic-leaning romances and horror. For me, winter just screams gothic, so I want to embrace that. By the time February comes around, I’ll likely start thinking about spring books, so this is a TBR for the next two months or so.
Affiliate Disclosure: I’ve included affiliate links to Libro.fm, an online audiobook store that allows you to support your local bookshop. I absolutely love this service since it allows me to support my local bookshop, which doesn’t offer audiobooks otherwise. They have a subscription similar to Audible’s without contributing to billionaires’ trips to space. If you purchase through one of these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!
What it’s about: For readers craving a cozy, enemies-to-lovers holiday romance built on forced proximity and opposites-attract sparks. Perfect if you enjoy snappy banter, moderate pacing, small-town warmth, and steamy chemistry wrapped in festive feels without heavy angst.
Why I want to read it: I wasn’t sure if I wanted to read this one, but it’s Christmassy, and it was part of the Libro.fm Festive Sale, so I got a copy for just €3! I really like the idea of listening to a cozy Christmas romance while colouring or playing more Fields of Mistria (my current gaming obsession).
What it’s about: For readers craving cozy, small-town romance centered on enemies-to-lovers sparks thawing under holiday lights. Perfect if you like moderate pacing, witty banter, warm found-family vibes, and emotional payoff without heavy angst, plus baking aromas, festive snow, and a guaranteed happily-ever-after.
Why I want to read it: This is the Dream Harbour book I planned on reading for the season. I’m skipping a book, but I’m fine with that. I plan on reading this in print wrapped up in blankets on the couch.
What it’s about: A light-hearted, hopeful romance that explores the yearning to be seen beyond one’s haunted past. Perfect for readers who enjoy a medium-paced, character-driven story with a festive, paranormal vibe, gentle world-building, and a warm, witty tone.
Why I want to read it: I love the idea of a cozy Christmas romance ghost story. Let’s go!
What it’s about: For readers who crave sweeping romantic fantasy centered on the healing power of love against inner coldness—themes of vulnerability, thawing, and emotional surrender. Ideal if you enjoy medium-paced, emotionally charged stories with lush prose, elemental magic, and intense romantic tension.
Why I want to read it: This is almost an oldie at this stage, but I’ve seen it recommended as where Romantasy really kicked off, and that it’s a bit bonkers. Something to switch off to and just enjoy.
What it’s about: A fast-paced, dark-academia romance that blends witty, mysterious humor with a moody, character-driven exploration of secret-keeping and the thrill of a high-stakes con.
Why I want to read it: I didn’t know anything about this audiobook! It just popped up on my Libro.fm page, and I was like, “What? A new Ali Hazelwood book I knew nothing about?!” I bought it straight away. It sounds like more fantasy fun.
What it’s about: A dark-academia romance that explores the pull of forbidden desire amid hidden societies. Ideal for readers who enjoy a medium-paced, moody atmosphere with sensual tension, atmospheric world-building, and a blend of mystery and emotional intensity.
Why I want to read it: I’m a little unsure if RuNyx’s writing is for me after Gothikana, but I liked the style of that book, so I want to try this one now. It has dark academia vibes which is perfect for winter.
What it’s about: For readers drawn to a dark, gothic romance where forbidden desire collides with an ominous, magical wilderness. Ideal if you favor a medium-paced, character-driven tale with moody atmosphere, sensual tension, and a brooding, mythic aesthetic.
Why I want to read it: This book is giving the gothic fairytale vibes that I really want to sink into. It’s described as plot-heavy and atmospheric, which is what I want in winter.
Manacled by SenLinYu
What it’s about: For readers drawn to dark romantic fantasy centered on bodily autonomy stripped and weaponized—themes of coercion, memory, and the ethics of survival. Ideal if you crave emotionally intense, mid-paced storytelling with lyrical brutality, psychological depth, and morally gray intimacy.
Why I want to read it: I’m a bit late to the show, especially with Alchemised tearing up the shelves, but I really want to read the fanfic first. I have it waiting on my e-reader for a very long time now. It’s just the length that’s putting me off—I guess I could think of it as three books… A long book is perfect for this time of year, though.
What it’s about: A haunting, slow-burn horror that explores the dread of confronting buried family secrets. Perfect for readers who relish moody, atmospheric tension, subtle supernatural hints, and a measured pace that lets the psychological terror linger.
Why I want to read it: I was a big fan of Armstrong’s urban fantasy books, and when I saw she was doing horror now, I was really excited to see what she’d do with the genre. So far, I’ve really enjoyed her horror, especially I’ll Be Waiting. And how amazing are the covers for her horrors?!
🎮 Which winter reading mood are you?
Looking Beyond Reading
So those are the books I would like to read this season. I’m very much a mood reader, so I may not read any of them, and then I could read them all and 20 more! I could really go any way.
While books are what I look forward to most for my winter plans, I’m also pretty excited about:
Working in my new winter reading journal (you’ll see all about that soon)
Colouring with a cozy movie on in the background
Losing myself in a cozy world on the Steam Deck (or the new Steam machine if we get it!)
Let’s Connect: Your Winter Plans
What are your winter plans? I’d love to hear what books or games you’re planning for winter (or summer, depending on where you are).
Tell me in the comments:
Will you be reading any festive books?
What cozy hobbies are you embracing this season?
Are you team cozy Christmas or team dark gothic for winter reading?
What cozy games are you playing? (I need more recommendations!)
Let’s inspire each other to make this the coziest winter yet!
Stay Connected
If you’re looking for more cozy winter content, don’t forget to:
What happens when you finally embrace your cozy hobbies and let reading take a backseat? You discover that quality beats quantity every time—and that seasonal reading wrap-ups might just be the perfect antidote to burnout.
Hello, my friends!
Oh my gosh, I love autumn, and as sad as I am to see it go, I’m looking forward to my wintery reading. During autumn, I really embraced my cozy hobbies like colouring and cozy gaming on the Steam Deck, wrapped up in a blanket. I also finally worked out my printable planner—a passion project that’s been in development for several months now. I’m so happy I got it to click in time for autumn!
Reading The Pumpkin Spice Cafe with the best reading buddy
A little sneak peek: I also worked out my winter reading journal this season, which I’m really excited about! On the note of reading journals, I can’t believe it’s time to say goodbye to my junk journal reading journal that I’ve been using for the last two years. It’s a chonker at this stage, but it’s such a treasure to me now. I’m so happy to have tried a reading journal in this style—it felt very creative and freeing. I’ll be wrapping up autumn in my reading journal over on my YouTube channel if you’d like to check that out, but for now, let’s chat about the books I read.
A Shift in Reading Habits (And Why That’s Okay)
Since I’ve started embracing my other hobbies more, I don’t read as much as I used to. I actually stopped doing wrap-ups altogether for a while because I just didn’t see the point. Seasonal ones work much better for me. I’m thinking of making them media wrap-ups—books, games, movies, and TV shows—or maybe hobby wrap-ups where I talk about the creative projects I’ve been working on too. Let me know if that interests you!
“Since embracing my other hobbies more, I don’t read as much as I used to—and seasonal wrap-ups work much better for me.”
Affiliate Disclosure: I’ve included affiliate links for Libro.fm, an online audiobook store that allows you to support your local bookshop. I think it’s an amazing service that rivals Audible in all the ways I want. If you decide to join Libro.fm or make a purchase using one of the links I’ve provided, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!
This is a short story released as part of a Halloween collection with several other authors. It was cute and spicy in classic Ali Hazelwood style. We follow a vampire and a vampire hunter on a game of cat and mouse through the centuries, but it turns out the game they were playing wasn’t quite as deadly as our vampire thought.
A paranormal romance with contemporary and ABO vibes. I didn’t enjoy this so much… It reminded me very, very strongly of two fanfictions Ali Hazelwood wrote as Ever-So-Reylo back in the day. Like, this book really felt like this author just combined and rewrote those fanfics.
Fabulous! I absolutely loved this cozy witchy story of family, found family, and adversity. One of the things I truly loved was how the story managed to be cozy yet meaningful—happy but with real consequences from the antagonist’s actions.
Obsessed with the witchy stickers on my ereader 🧙♀️
If you like Dixon’s blue barbarians, you’ll likely enjoy this short story from the same Halloween collection as the Ali Hazelwood story. Here, we’re on a short adventure in space, and there may be some triggering situations in this one, but it’s still pretty mild and with an HEA, of course. I found it to be fine—nothing amazing, but I was happy to read it.
The epitome of autumnal reading! I’ve been meaning to read this since its release and finally got around to it this year. It hit all the cozy autumn vibes and all the spicy notes I wanted from this book. It was just yummy without being too sweet or too spicy—a nice balance. I would prefer a book with a bit more depth, but it’s perfect for what it is: a cozy, low-stakes autumnal read. I very much enjoyed it.
“The epitome of autumnal reading—it hit all the cozy autumn vibes and all the spicy notes I wanted.”
Loved it! Mate and the first book, Bride, are like the old school paranormal romances that don’t really get released anymore. I think Hazelwood is only getting away with it because she’s so popular, and I think the publishers are marketing these books as romantasy, but they are not. They are paranormal romance! They’ve got Kresley Cole influence all over them, and I freaking love it! With Ali Hazelwood’s writing, it’s easy to see that she’s a fan of the romance genre, and this series really gets that across.
This was the Goobers Who Read pick for November. Goobers Who Read is a book club on Discord hosted in part by Jashii Corrin. Jashii creates great planning content on YouTube, which is how I discovered the book club. It’s difficult to find an online book club that’s active, welcoming, and fun, but this book club has been achieving that so far.
Tourist Season is a dark romance about serial killers with elements of comedy. If you enjoyed the show Dexter and maybe thought it was missing a bit of romance, then this is for you. I enjoyed the book for the most part but it got a bit tiresome.
After my success with The Pumpkin Spice Café, I decided to read the next book in the series since it still has autumnal vibes. Sadly, I didn’t enjoy this one as much. She upped the spice, which is totally fine, but I did get a bit bored after a while. I found myself rushing through the last three chapters just to get it finished. Having said that, I do plan on continuing the series with The Christmas Tree Farm in December.
Let’s Connect: Books, Games, and All Things Cozy
So that’s what I read this autumn! Have you read any of these? I’d love to hear your thoughts or any recommendations you might have in the comments below.
And speaking of cozy hobbies—do you play cozy games? I’ve been obsessed with Fields of Mistria lately. It has all the farming sim elements I love but prettier, with great character interactions (I love the D&D game at the inn on Fridays) and just enough quests to keep me going without feeling like I have to grind (hello, Stardew Valley).
What I’m curious about:
Are you team seasonal wrap-ups or monthly wrap-ups?
Would you be interested in media or hobby wrap-ups where I share more than just books?
What cozy games are you playing right now?
Drop your answers in the comments—I read every single one and love connecting with fellow cozy content enthusiasts!
Until next time, Elaine
Ready for more seasonal reading recommendations? Subscribe to my newsletter for themed book lists, cozy hobby inspiration, and behind-the-scenes updates on my printable planners and reading journals. Plus, check out my YouTube channel where I share my reading journal process and seasonal wrap-ups in video form!
Festive Audiobooks as Low as $2—While Supporting Your Local Bookshop!
TL;DR: Libro.fm’s festive audiobook sale runs until November 20 with titles as low as $2. Support local bookshops instead of billionaires, get two bonus audiobooks free as a new member, and snag cozy reads or thrilling mysteries before time runs out. I’m grabbing Dead of Winter for winter thrills—what’s on your list?
Ever wish you could support your local indie bookshop while listening to audiobooks? Well, you absolutely can, and there’s a massive sale happening right now.
Hello, my friends! If you’re not familiar with Libro.fm, it’s an audiobook shop similar to Audible—but here’s the best part: you’re not handing money over to a billionaire. With Libro.fm, you can actually support your local bookshop. I even found my local bookshop on there, and I live in the back arse of nowhere in Ireland!
⏰ This Sale Won’t Last Forever
Libro.fm is running an incredible sale on festive audiobooks until November 20—that’s less than a week away! With some titles as low as $2, now is the perfect time to stock up on cozy winter listens or give the gift of audiobooks this Christmas.
They also have a subscription service similar to Audible’s, and if you’re a new member, you get two bonus audiobooks free. No brainer, right?
When you choose Libro.fm, a portion of your purchase goes directly to your chosen bookshop. That’s money staying in your community, not lining a billionaire’s pockets.
I’m supporting my local book shop, Hubb 16. Photo from Hubb 16 Instagram
Why Audiobooks Are Brilliant
I freaking love audiobooks! I know a lot of people use them for their commute—I watched a vlog on YouTube recently where a group of friends listened to a mystery while on a road trip—but I love listening to audiobooks while I engage in my other hobbies.
The Perfect Companion for Everything
They’re wonderful while I’m playing cozy games like my latest obsession, Fields of Mistria. (That game is a must if you enjoyed Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Stardew Valley, or Coral Island and love a pastel colour scheme.) And I love listening to them while colouring or working in my journals. It feels very meta when I’m working in my reading journal while listening to an audiobook!
“It feels very meta when I’m working in my reading journal while listening to an audiobook!”
The Hidden Benefits
But there are many other benefits to audiobooks, like:
Giving your eyes a rest from screens and books
Improving your listening skills and concentration
Better time management—multitask like a pro
Accessibility for those with visual impairments or reading difficulties
Make It a Gift
With Christmas quickly approaching, now is the time to discover this amazing hobby for yourself—or it would make a wonderful gift! The current festive sale has incredible offerings, whether you want cute and cozy or dark and mysterious.
My Top Picks from the Festive Sale
This list contains affiliate marketing links for Libro.fm. If you make a purchase, I may earn a modest commission. This does not affect my opinions, and I am not sponsored by Libro.fm.
Oh, the cute coziness of this book! It’s set on a Christmas tree farm with a friends-to-lovers romance and almost reaches Gilmore Girls vibes—but our next book surpasses them.
Peter Rabbit is just the sweetest. I can’t imagine anything better than listening to this while colouring by the fireside (sadly, I have no fireplace, so maybe one of those YouTube videos).
Perfect for: Family listening or nostalgic comfort Listening time: ~2 hours
Gives festive Knives Out vibes but is much cozier. I listened to this last December while on holiday in Gran Canaria. It was perfect for keeping my head in the season while soaking up the sun.
Perfect for: Mystery fans who want festive without too dark Listening time: ~10 hours
One of the OG Christmas tales when Christmas tales were ghost stories. We need more Christmas ghost stories, I think.
Perfect for: Those who like their holidays with a side of spooky Listening time: ~3 hours
Don’t Miss This Sale!
Remember, this sale ends November 20—that’s less than a week away! Don’t forget to check out the full sale here. Libro.fm is a wonderful service, and it feels so good to support my local bookshop which doesn’t offer audiobooks otherwise.
What’s on Your Reading List for Winter?
I’d love to hear what festive audiobooks you’re planning to dive into! Are you team cozy romance or team thrilling mystery?
Drop a comment below and tell me:
What’s the first audiobook on your winter TBR?
Do you listen while doing hobbies like me, or during your commute?
Have you tried Libro.fm yet?
What I’m Listening to Next
I’m grabbing Dead of Winter by Keri Beevis for some winter thrills—nothing like a chilling mystery to match the season! Next week, I’ll be sharing my favorite audiobook and hobby pairings so you can create the perfect cozy atmosphere for your winter listening. Trust me, you don’t want to miss it!
I’m thrilled to introduce the newest addition to my free reading tracker collection: the 2026 Reading Tracker with Bookopoly Challenge! This special edition combines all the features you love from my New & Improved tracker with an exciting board game twist that makes reading even more fun and engaging.
If you’ve been looking for a creative way to gamify your reading goals or add some playful motivation to your 2026 reading journey, this is the tracker for you.
What Is Bookopoly?
Bookopoly is a reading challenge board game that transforms your annual reading into an interactive adventure. Inspired by classic board games, it adds an element of fun and friendly competition (even if you’re just competing with yourself!) to your reading habits.
Instead of simply tracking what you read, you’ll progress around a virtual game board by completing themed reading prompts. It’s perfect for readers who love variety, enjoy challenges, or sometimes need that extra push to pick up a book outside their comfort zone.
Comprehensive book tracking (titles, authors, dates, ratings)
Detailed reading statistics and analytics
Book covers gallery
Story type, tropes, and themes tracking
Reading goal tracker
Multiple reading challenge spaces
Exclusive Bookopoly Add-Ons:
Digital Game Board: A beautifully designed virtual board to visualize your progress
Reading Prompts: Themed challenges for each space on the board (e.g., “Read a book with a blue cover,” “Read a debut author,” “Read a book over 500 pages”)
How to Play Instructions: Clear, easy-to-follow rules so you can start playing immediately
Challenge Tracker: Dedicated space to log which books you’ve read for each prompt
Progress Tracking: Mark off completed spaces as you move around the board
How Does Bookopoly Work?
Playing Bookopoly is simple and flexible—you set the rules that work for your reading style.
Basic Gameplay:
Start at Go. Begin your adventure at the GO space – there’s no prompt here.
Roll a dice. Move your marker forward the number of spaces shown on the dice.
Complete the prompt. Wherever you land, complete the reading prompt for that space. Prompts are open to your interpretation.
Keep going! Once you finish the prompt, roll again and continue your journey. You can circle the board as many times as you like to finish all of the prompts. Or simpy check off the ones that spark your interest.
Flexible Options:
Play in order or jump to any prompt that inspires you
Set a timeline (complete the board in 3 months, 6 months, or all year)
Play solo or challenge friends to see who finishes first
Repeat prompts if you want to read multiple books for one category
Skip prompts that don’t appeal to you—it’s your game!
The beauty of Bookopoly is that it adapts to your reading preferences and pace. There’s no pressure, just pure reading fun.
Why You’ll Love the Bookopoly Challenge
Breaks You Out of Reading Ruts Those themed prompts encourage you to explore new genres, authors, and formats you might not normally choose. It’s the perfect antidote to reading slumps.
Makes Reading More Engaging Turning your reading into a game adds an extra layer of enjoyment. There’s something satisfying about checking off spaces and watching your progress around the board.
Creates Natural Variety Instead of reading the same types of books all year, Bookopoly naturally diversifies your reading diet with built-in variety through the prompts.
Perfect for Social Reading Share your progress with friends, book clubs, or online reading communities. Compare which books you chose for each prompt and discover new recommendations.
Works Alongside Other Challenges Already committed to other reading challenges? Bookopoly complements them perfectly. Many prompts can overlap with other challenge requirements.
Who Is This Tracker For?
This special edition is perfect if you:
Love reading challenges and want something fresh for 2026
Enjoy gamification and visual progress tracking
Want motivation to read outside your usual genres
Appreciate comprehensive tracking with a fun twist
Are part of a book club looking for a group challenge
Need help breaking out of a reading slump
Like having structure but want flexibility too
How to Get Your Free Bookopoly Tracker
The 2026 Reading Tracker with Bookopoly Challenge is completely free to download and use.
The spreadsheet is set to view-only. Simply make a copy to use it as your own, customize it to your preferences, and start playing!
All three versions are free and designed to suit different reading styles and preferences.
Previous Years’ Trackers
Looking to track your reading for a past year? I’ve archived previous versions of my reading trackers for those catching up on their book logs or wanting to create retrospective records.
These archived trackers work the same way as the current versions—just make a copy and start tracking your past reads!
Share Your Bookopoly Journey
I’d love to see how you’re using the Bookopoly challenge! Share your progress in the comments below, tell me which prompts you’re most excited (or nervous!) about, or let me know if you’re playing with friends.
Have ideas for future prompts or features? Drop them in the comments! Your feedback helps me create even better tools for our reading community.
Support This Free Resource
Creating and maintaining these free trackers takes time and effort, but I love being able to offer them to fellow book lovers at no cost.
If you’ve found these resources valuable and want to support my work, I’d be incredibly grateful for a small donation on Ko-fi. Even the price of a coffee helps me continue developing new features and keeping these tools free for everyone.
Every contribution truly means the world to me and allows me to keep creating resources for readers like you.
Happy reading, happy playing, and thank you for being part of this community! May your 2026 be filled with amazing books and Bookopoly victories!
My Winter Plans (And Why I Created a Seasonal Planner)
Hello, my friends!
It might still be autumn, but I’ve already started thinking about my plans for winter. Autumn is my favourite season, but winter has its moments as well. All the joyful cosy moments are still there—I’m just not a fan of how cold it gets and how short the days become. Simply because our bills go up! We use so much more electricity during winter, but that’s life.
I still enjoy those cosy nights in, getting to wrap up in blankets and drink extra cups of tea. Maybe a hot chocolate or two.
One of my OG Bookstagram photos (before people starting saying OG!) This was during a time when I wasn’t confident at all in my abilities to take a decent photo and I actaully quite like it now.
Winter is a great time for resetting. The new year is just around the corner, so I start thinking about what I want that year to be like. December is for wrapping up the year, celebrating the ending with festive gatherings and delicious hearty meals. January has always felt like a bit of a lull to me—like I’m winding up for the year ahead. February is when I start to get some momentum again. Spring is on the horizon, and everything feels brighter.
Winter Projects I’m Excited About
This winter I have a few projects I’d like to get stuck into.
First up: our cats need a new, prettier space for their litter trays. We’ve been keeping them inside this tent thing in the living room, and it desperately needs some beautification. I have my eye on these cat litter cabinets on Amazon that would really suit the room and make the place so much tidier.
This is Frosty sleeping on the top of their climbing tree. Just look at those beans!!!! She has an ouch on her forehead from scratching. This was taken after we took the cone off but her fur hadn’t grown back yet. I say we took the cone off but she managed to escape it. Twice. She outright refused to let it go back on then.
My creative projects for the season will be a new design for my planner and creating my reading journal for 2026. I have a few ideas buzzing around at the moment that I need to refine.
Books, Movies & All Things Gothic
I really want to read more this winter. Winter is a great time for reading with how long the evenings are. There are so many books I want to read, but I would really love to explore more gothic literature this season.
Gothic and winter go so well together. I can just picture windy ruined castles, dark forests, and wandering ghosts already!
Those vibes, please!
This is me pre curly girl method. My hair has more coils now but I actually miss these little waves.
Gothic Books on My TBR
This list contains affiliate links for Libo.fm. If you make a purchase, I may earn a commission. Thank you for your support! With Libro.fm you can purchase audiobooks online and still support your local independent bookshop.
The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia – Libro.fm describes this book as “folk horror meets dark academia in this thrilling supernatural mystery” I mean, enough said!
Anathema by Keri Lake – Not gonna lie, the cover has me sold on this one, but it also sounds like an alluring dark fairytale that has all the vibes I want this winter.
I would also love some movies with those vibes, but I’ll likely continue rewatching Supernatural. I started rewatching it in September to celebrate the show’s 20th anniversary. It’s crazy that the show is that old! I was seriously obsessed with it in college.
I’m really enjoying rewatching it, but it’s also making me a little sad. Two of my best friends at the time were watching it with me, and sadly, we’re no longer friends. They both moved away and we drifted apart. It’s sad, but it tends to happen after college. Everyone starts their big adult lives, and the things that brought us together don’t exist anymore.
Exploring Gothic Ireland
On a lighter (maybe?) note, wanting to read gothic books makes me want to visit gothic places, and we have plenty of those in Ireland. I’m surrounded by ruined castles, ancient graveyards, and creepy forests. Well, the forests aren’t all that creepy really, but the castles are ruins and the graveyards have ancient graves.
There’s a graveyard down the road from me that’s so old and overgrown, no one knows who the graves belong to anymore.
Adrian Moran on UnsplashVery cool image but it is also giving me Homer Simpson fading into the bushes vibes…
Top of my list for visiting is Tintern Abbey in Wexford (no connection to the Wordsworth poem). There’s a beautiful abbey ruin, an old graveyard, gorgeous grounds, and forest walks. Perfect for a gothic stroll.
Keeping Track: My New Winter Planner
And with all of these plans—and I’m sure I’ll come up with more as the season progresses—I’m keeping track with my new winter planner. This is part of the Winter Wonder Collection in my Etsy shop, which has a more romantic aesthetic than gothic, but I love the blue, grey, and pink colour scheme of it. It gives me warm, happy winter vibes, which is what I want when planning. I want to be happy and excited about what’s ahead (as much as possible).
I decided to make seasonal planners in autumn because I can’t stick to an annual or monthly planner. I needed something longer than a month because I lose interest if I have to create something new that often, and shorter than a year because then I forget about it.
Working seasonally gives me a refreshing feeling every three months. I have a sense of renewal with the season and embrace the changes it brings so much more.
Creating three months together under one theme means I have something pretty and relevant, and it means I can focus on my plans instead of on decorating the planner. No shade to anyone who loves making spreads in their bullet journal every month! I just don’t have the patience for it.
The Winter Wonder Collection has a Mini-Journal Kit and an Ephemera Kit, and now a Planner Kit as well. I used the ephemera kit in the winter section of my reading journal. That’s actually the reason I made the kits. To be honest, I make all of my kits for myself first and then pop them on Etsy… I’m not very business-minded! But I just love them and love to share them with the world! Even if they never sold, I’m just happy to have created them.
I would love to create a winter memories journal with the collection this year. Part planner, part journal.
Coming Soon: Vlogs Are Back!
As well as all of that, I would really love to start vlogging again. It’s been several years, but I used to really enjoy making cosy reading vlogs. Now, I would make more of a home vlog style with reading, journaling, home life, and of course my two cats… maybe my husband too!
If you’d like to follow along, you can check out my YouTube here. It’s mostly Journal with Me videos at the moment and could really use some housekeeping. There are a few old videos up there that don’t really represent who I am anymore. This blog could probably do with a tidy too, actually!
Your Turn!
So, those are my winter plans. What are your plans for this season? Is it winter where you are? I’d love to hear from you—especially what books or movies you’re planning for the season. Drop a comment below!
Elaine Howlin 