CHEER – Winter parties & new year tonics. The weather of play. Treacle tart. Warm places for cold days. How to find everyday pauses. Beautiful bento & feelgood ramen. Good podcasts. Nice lamps & Brooklyn style. Why we love a department store. Wildlife in winter.

Starting the year full of cheery optimism is a fineway to begin and worth celebrating with a party or two, or even just by taking a contented afternoon nap. Making plans – for holidays, for your garden and your home – is a January tradition, but there are more everyday rituals you can weave into your life, too. There’s no need for abstinence, instead see the new year as a time to be open to new ideas (and resolve to drop everything for some outdoor fun should it snow).