Easy winter projects you can tackle in a weekend
It may not always feel like it outside, but it’s officially winter. The holidays wrap up, plans slow down and suddenly many of us spend a lot more time at home.
That extra “hibernation” time can actually work in our favor. Research shows cluttered, chaotic spaces increase stress levels, while hands-on projects boost mood and create a stronger sense of control. Or, as many designers put it: When your home feels better, you usually do, too.
Instead of taking on a full renovation, consider smaller, manageable projects — the kind you can tackle in a weekend or even an afternoon. The payoff is quick and it helps break up the slower rhythm of the season:
- Wallpaper a nook or alcove. Designers Gray Benko and Chelcie Eastman encourage homeowners to think of wallpaper as a supporting layer rather than the main event.
- Create a gallery wall. Instead of blank walls or a single statement piece, layer framed art, family photos, vintage finds and meaningful mementos.
- Refresh your bedroom linens. Target, Pottery Barn and other retailers make it easy to update the basics, while sleep-focused brands like Avocado Green Mattress and Bearaby design bedding with rest and recovery in mind.
Mother, son turn cancer battle into gifts of hope
When Atlanta native Sabrina Bridwell was diagnosed with breast cancer, she found herself at a crossroads — she could allow the diagnosis to “ruin” her or transform it into something positive.
It’s a devastating reality around 316,950 women found themselves in last year, according to the American Cancer Society. Of those facing this heavy burden, over an estimated 42,000 lost their battle with breast cancer in 2025.
“Immediately I was devastated, because I’m a single mom,” she told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “My son’s father was killed in a car accident when he was a baby, and so it’s always been Jake and I.
“I just thought to myself, ‘This is not fair. He cannot lose both parents.’”
With her 15-year-old son by her side, Bridwell underwent a series of treatments, including a lumpectomy through Piedmont Physicians Surgical Breast Care Specialists of Athens. But their story didn’t end there. Inspired to make a difference, the mother-son duo started making gift bags for other newly diagnosed patients.
Filled with a note and dozens of self-care items — from bath salts to ChapStick — the bags are meant to help fellow cancer patients feel seen and supported. “You are not alone,” each note reads, carefully handwritten by Jake.
🎁 Read more about Bridwell’s inspiring gift bags and how patients have responded
Hike these 7 natural wonders of metro Atlanta
If your New Year’s resolution involves spending more time outside, it can be hard to know where to start. While writing “Hiking Metro Atlanta’s Hidden Forests” guidebook series, co-authors Jonah McDonald and Zana Pouncey noted inspiring vistas, scenic waterfalls, peaceful rivers and unique forests unrivaled for their beauty.
Now, just in time to help out AJC readers with New Year’s resolutions, McDonald and Pouncey are excited to share what we’re calling the “seven natural wonders of metro Atlanta.” These stunning places are must-sees for nature lovers and the nature-curious alike.
- Bamboo Forest: Hike almost 3 miles on the trails of the East Palisades Unit of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area to find the bamboo forest at marker EP 26.
- Hank Aaron Oak Tree: The Hank Aaron Oak stands in the heart of Connally Nature Park in East Point.
- Monadnocks: Summit Trail at Kennesaw Mountain, Walk-Up Trail at Stone Mountain and Mountaintop Trail at Arabia Mountain are the most iconic hikes at each monadnock. You’ll have to join a guided hike with a ranger to visit Panola Mountain’s summit.
🏞️ Find out how to visit four other natural wonders
How to avoid the January blues
As you get into the last days of the whirlwind holiday season, you may have begun to dread the first month of the year, with its cold weather, lack of activity and generally gray vibes.
However, giving in to January’s grayness — both literal and figurative — is not the only option. When done correctly, the first month of the year can be a time to lean into relationships, hobbies and just coming back into yourself.
In January, people tend to get serious about their goals, leaving the whimsy and togetherness of the previous months behind in exchange for discipline and rest.
Pushing away the January blues is not easy, but also not impossible. One tip: Make plans that bring you joy.
Use some of the free time you have this month to plan a gathering, big or small. If there are friends you weren’t able to see during the holiday bustle, make sure to put something on the calendar.
😊 Discover additional ways to set yourself up for the best possible month
A Better You
Simple ways to adapt to change this year
Change is inevitable. Loved ones die, jobs end and relationships dissolve. But people are also promoted, couples marry and babies are born.
What people don’t realize is that positive change can be just as challenging to navigate as negative ones. Here are some practical tips for adjusting to change, whether good or bad, to help make life a little easier.
- When a good change appears, accept it with grace. You may not believe you deserve it, or you just may not be ready for it, but the only way to move forward and get the most out of it is to embrace the positivity, however it shows up.
- When a negative change is looming, start looking for other options before it actually happens, if you can. For example, if you know your company is in trouble and you are hearing things that are making you feel insecure, don’t wait to get laid off, but start looking for another job. Even if your current position is not threatened, you will have gained valuable experience and maybe a better gig.
- Change is constant, so we usually don’t notice little or expected changes, but getting caught off guard can be discombobulating. The trick is to know that this is just one among millions of changes, good or not so good, that will happen in your life. Do what you can to just roll with it.
🔄 Learn more about how to handle change in 2026
Better sleep is as easy as ‘10-3-2-1-0′
With more than a third of all U.S. adults not getting enough sleep, it’s time to take a stand against restless nights. According to a trio of sleep experts, there’s a simple way poor snoozers can improve their slumber: the “10-3-2-1-0″ rule.
Winter has come, bringing longer nights along with it. In the United States, clocks fell back, too, making nights longer still. From vitamin D deficiencies to stumbling circadian rhythms, all these extra dark hours can cause major sleep disruptors.
In order to boost your odds of getting a good rest, “The Book of Sleep” author and psychologist Dr. Nicole Moshfegh advised prepping for bed 10 hours in advance.
The 10-3-2-1-0 sleep rule is a five step method for better sleep, with every step taking place a specific number of hours before bed. So if you go to bed around 10 p.m., you will want to begin following the method at noon:
10 hours before sleep: No more caffeine
3 hours before sleep: No more meals
2 hours before sleep: No more work
1 hour before sleep: No more screen time
0 hours (when you wake up): No snoozing the alarm
