The Almanac

Part seasonal journal, part cottage newspaper and part quiet companion, The Almanac gathers stories, reflections and practical inspiration for slow living, simple pleasures and a deeper connection with nature. A place to explore old ways, changing seasons and the small rituals that make everyday life feel more meaningful.

Explore The Almanac

30 Things to Do Instead of Scrolling

What can we do instead of scrolling? Thirty small alternatives for the moments when the thumb keeps moving after curiosity has gone — including, sometimes, nothing at all.

LIFE BEYOND THE SCREEN

Julie Ann

Oct 309 min read

Woman mailing a letter at a red mailbox in a snowy pine forest, with falling snow and a calm, muted winter scene.

Why We Still Love Getting Snail Mail

A handwritten envelope carries more than words. It has travelled from another person's ordinary life into ours — and sometimes remains with us for years.

OLD WAYS & SIMPLE PLEASURES

Julie Ann

Oct 308 min read

How to Reconnect With Nature When You Live an Ordinary Life

Nature connection does not require wilderness. Sometimes it begins by returning to one ordinary place often enough to know it.

NATURE & SEASONAL LIVING

Julie Ann

Oct 308 min read

I Am Tired of Scrolling: What Are We Actually Looking For?

What are we actually looking for when we reach for a phone without knowing why? A literary reflection on scrolling, empty moments and the ordinary world beneath the noise.

LIFE BEYOND THE SCREEN

Julie Ann

Oct 308 min read

Why Adults Still Need to Be Told Stories

Somewhere between childhood and adulthood, being told a story becomes something we are expected to outgrow. Perhaps we never needed to.

STORIES FOR GROWN-UPS

Julie Ann

Oct 308 min read

watercolour image of a woman chopping wood outside her cottage in the forest

What Is Slow Living? A Gentler Way to Think About Everyday Life

Slow living is not a particular aesthetic or a life reserved for the countryside. It is a gentler way of paying attention to the ordinary life already happening around us.

SLOW LIVING

Julie Ann

Oct 309 min read

Simple Pleasures That Make an Ordinary Day Feel Richer Woman reading at a wooden table beside a stone fireplace in a cozy plant-filled room with books, candles, and warm firelight.

25 Simple Pleasures That Make an Ordinary Day Feel Richer

From handwritten letters and familiar walks to the pleasure of a good story, discover 25 simple pleasures that bring richness, warmth and meaning to ordinary days.

SLOW LIVING

Julie Ann

Oct 309 min read

The Heartwarming Journey of Hatching Chicks and Raising Roosters

A heartwarming true story of hatching chicks at home and raising roosters with love. Discover the beauty of simple living and reconnecting with nature through one family’s gentle journey.

NATURE & SEASONAL LIVING

Julie Ann

May 20, 20254 min read