Holiday time is almost here – huzzah! We’re so ready to chill out, potter here and there, cook, swim and generally laze about, taking in the season. Maybe we’ll also have time and headspace for a few simple gentle holiday projects – perhaps you will, too?

We’ve gotcha covered. Below are 15 of our fave low-stress, feel-good projects to tinker on during the holidays – in the kitchen, in the garden and out and about.

Setting personal goals as we head into the new year…

This time of year can be good for a bit of reflection – and maybe even a time to create some personal goals.

At this point in the year, before we get to the juicy stuff of new skills and habits, we want you to pause and think. What gets your heart racing? What sort of actions, if taken, will lead to real and lasting change in your life? How can you provide for your needs, while enhancing your community and the environment around you?

When you clearly articulate your goals, you create a powerful tool to help you make decisions about your life. Goals help us keep focus, and keep us accountable.

And it’s been shown that when people commit to goals, especially by writing them down, they are far more likely to achieve them.

And we have a handy worksheet to help you do just that.

Holiday projects… in the garden

Alrighty, on to some more hands-on projects.

We’re heading towards mid-summer here, and we can’t wait for lazy, warm afternoons in the garden, and for stone fruit and berries to ripen. If you’re heading into mid-winter where you are, this list is packed with projects that you can do also.

• Starting Seedlings in Seed Trays, Biointensive Style
• DIY Trellis Ideas for Beans + Peas
• Growing Mushrooms: Getting Started with No-Waste Buckets, Logs & Gardens
• Start a worm farm – a beginners guide (video)
• How to: Prune Fruit Trees: in Summer or Winter

Holiday projects… in the kitchen

Cooking, pickling, brewing, dehydrating and preserving are top holiday activities. Check out these ideas for how to make the most of summer or winter garden gluts. Delish!

• 14 Easy + Delicious Holiday Recipes
• 4 Ferments to Make This Summer
• How To: Dry Summer Medicinal Herbs
• Easy Kitchen Staples: Wholefood Vegetable Dips
• Bake Easy Summer (or Winter) Holiday Bread

Holiday projects… out and about

Whether it’s peering into rock pools, looking up at enormous tree canopies, or wandering your local laneways, there are so many simple and fun things to outside over the holidays. Here are a few of our faves:

• Download The Milkwood Kids Seaweed Guide + head to the coast.
• Create your own Honesty or Free Food Stand and read all about the #FoodIsFree movement too.
• Learn Your Local Waterways
• Make an Upside Down Camp Fire
• Make a Nature Drawer: to help kids explore their world

All the best for these holidays. We’ll see y’all in the new year with a big bunch of new ideas and inspirations.