it's a new month again. and i'm thinking that a fresh start with clear priorities probably isn't the worst way to start it off.so i'll try out making a blog post in the beginning of each month - listing my hopes and inspirations. to sort out my own mind. and to have a reason to take a look at where i'm at and where i want to go. sounds like a decent plan, right ?hopes- i'm moving this month. from the countryside to a quiet area of the city. my hope is that this will bring a sense of calmness through comfort. a large kitchen. high ceilings. more hot water than anyone could ever need. no car necessary.- i'm hoping that april will be kind on us weather-wise. tons of sunlight. cool but comfortable air by the sea. long walks in the city. light late into the evenings. a sense of spring.- after the dark and incredibly busy months of winter, i want to work out on a regular basis again. i want to feel strong, to have a good posture. and i want to be outdoors more. i'm thinking pilates for posture and for strength to handle being in front of the laptop all day. and i'm thinking long walks and hikes in my new area. i'm also dying to try out new ways of working out. i'm open to suggestions.- i'm hoping to finish a big project i've been working on this winter in a way i can be happy with. it's looking good, final stretch. and i want to finish strong.- i'm learning new ways in which to focus better. how to direct my life into easier, less overwhelming days. it's difficult, and i hope to continue getting better at this. by prioritising, by focussing more intently on less, by planning to do fewer things, by reducing noise. i want to be able to do my job wholeheartedly for a while, without distractions.- my skin got a shock this winter. it had forgotten how cold and dry sweden gets. so it got so unhappy, worse than it have felt in years. luckily i just received not one - but two - packages of beautiful organic vegan skin care products. from gaia creams and from live by being, and my face is already beginning to return to its normal happy self.inspirations- i'm a reader. and having a few good books in line waiting to get read is one of the best feelings. i got the 3 books you see in the picture this week, just waiting for my attention:vaken vila - swedish for wakeful rest. about being able to rest while awake. couldn't hurt right ?syra själv - swedish for fermenting by yourself. guides and recipes on fermenting foods at home. i love everything fermented, so can't wait to learn some new tricks.friendly bread - english for... well... friendly bread. a cookbook on gluten-free baking. it's always inspiring learning new innovative ways of using ingredients.i'm also reading interesting novel wild swans about three generations of women in china, as well as a book about japanese culture as seen by an immigrant called a geek in japan, and some crime novel (can't remember the title) i'm using to get bored and fall asleep to when my head's too wired to relax.- right now i'm incredibly inspired by minimalism as lifestyle. i've always seen myself as a minimalist, but for some reason i used to see it as more of an aesthetic than a philosophy. i'm seeing more and more aspects of my life through the minimalist set of eyes, and it's a wonderfully relaxing and holistic experience. everyday now i find new ways in which to simplify and reduce. and every new decision i make based on simplifying feels right. like it's my natural state of being. like something just clicks and falls into the right place.- i love talking to inspiring people, and now i'm more actively searching out such people than before. one of my favourite things is to talk to passionate people about what they love doing, even if it has nothing to do with my interests. it gives me new perspective, input, line of thought. and more than anything, passion is contagious - so it gives me inspired energy. i hope i'm able to give some of that energy back. or at least to pay it forward.- one of the strongest inspirations in my life at the moment is fresh food. is that weird ? to get inspired by fresh veggies ? they're just on my mind. making me craving fresh, simple food. like my home brewed kombucha, like beautiful kale salads, like smoothies and raw desserts. i don't crave heavy dinners and fine wines at the moment. i just crave the food that makes my body feel this great. we really are creatures of habit - wanting what we're used to. isn't that both great and daunting at once. but making good habits is such an interesting concept to me, and i can't wait to write more about what i find through my experiments.i hope this encourages you to take a few minutes to find your own hopes and inspirations for april.and feel free to share.it's going to be a beautiful month, i can feel it.love // jenny