I'm so happy to be writing the first of many newsletters from my new home of County Wexford, Ireland. What a journey it has been to get here! If you've been a part of The Cosy Cottage for a while, thank you so much for your patience and support over the past several months. If you're brand new, thank you for joining this sweet little community. I'm so glad you're here! I've got a lot to share with you in this issue. So, make yourself a warm beverage and settle in for some happy updates, pretty photos, and a good ol' chat. βΊοΈ
Stories for New Beginnings
It's officially Spring in the Northern Hemisphere. This time of year always makes me want to read books with themes related to the vernal season: fresh starts, new beginnings, and growth. I've selected reading recommendations that explore similar themes, and I hope they inspire your TBR list.
One of my top reads of last year was Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution by Cat Bohannon. It's a nonfiction that delves into the origins of our species, and it's fascinating! I have to give a special shout out to my Wife (who is an Archaeologist and avid reader) for recommending this book to me. I was captivated from the start and learned so much. If you like audiobooks, I highly suggest reading this one in that format.
The Dragon Heart Legacy series by Nora Roberts topped my favourite books of 2025. I may have been late to the party when it comes to reading Roberts, but thanks to my Bestie, Jamie, she pointed me towards this amazing trilogy. I loved every minute of reading The Awakening, The Becoming, and The Choice. As my family and I prepared for our move to Ireland last year, these stories with their setting partly on the Emerald Isle had me ridiculously excited! I resonated deeply with many of the characters and loved the theme of found family explored in each book. If you enjoy portal fantasies, this series is gorgeously written.
The final book that I'll recommend for this issue is If I Could Choose a Best Day: Poems of Possibility selected by Irene Latham and Charles Waters with illustrations by Olivia Sua. This is a picture book that I think is perfect for every reader. I stumbled upon this collection of poetry at the library earlier this year, and it filled my heart with such warmth. It's a short book that you can dip in and out of at your leisure, and it features the writings of thirty-one poets.
The Lovely & Cosy
Book Club
For April, we're reading Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell. Even though we're halfway through the month, you can still join us. There are dedicated chapter rooms, so no need to worry about accidental spoilers. You can read at your preferred pace and participate in our book club discussions by joining us on the Fable app*. Come share your bookish thoughts with fellow bookworms. It's completely free!
One of my biggest priorities this year is to grow my writing portfolio in a variety of ways. Firstly by expanding my blog and newsletter. Secondly by submitting some of my shorter fiction pieces in competitions. (I've discovered that Ireland has lots of writing and poetry competitions!) And thirdly by finishing my first novel, which I'm calling Project Inkberry. In case you missed it, I made a video last year to mark the start of Draft 1. You can watch it by clicking the image or link below.
As for my love of visual storytelling, I'm delighted to share that I'll be continuing my most popular YouTube Shorts series. The next episode of Let's Visit the Library will be available on my channel next month. I was granted special permission to film and feature the Wexford Town branch, and I'm currently in the editing stage of the video. I couldn't be more thrilled to have this creative collaboration with my local library! Before the next episode premieres, be sure to watch (or re-watch) all previous videos by clicking the image or link below.
As I wrote in my last newsletter (back in November), I planned to take a Winter holiday break. Well, I ended up extending that break. My initial impulse at this decision was to make this face π³ and feel guilty for taking such a long time away from work. In truth, this "break" was merely a slowing down of my content creation and posting schedule. Behind the scenes, I was in full-blown preparation for our family's move, which was incredibly time consuming. And yet, I thought I'd be fully moved and settled in Ireland all within the span of a month. What was I thinking?!
There were so many times throughout the Winter months that I'd catch myself thinking what I "should" be accomplishing. Truthfully though, I needed December, January, February, March, and half of April to rest. I don't know if there's a name for the stage after burnout, but that's where I was residing for a while. Healing from burnout, I'm learning, is a slow process. It cannot be rushed. There are no shortcuts. In fact, the previous shortcuts may have led to feeling burned out.
One of my focuses this year is steady pacing. Just as the Earth rests every Winter before being reborn in Spring, I too have needed my own creative hibernation before waking refreshed. If any of these reflections ring true for you as well, I encourage you to set your pace at Nature's speed. Slow and steady.
Let's Talk Food π
Since arriving in January, I've been eating (devouring, really) lots of potatoes. I've always loved this humble root vegetable. In fact my go-to comfort food is mashed potatoes. As you might imagine, my standards for yummy potato dishes are pretty high. When I tell you that Ireland has the BEST potatoes I've ever tasted...I'm drooling just thinking about them. Irish potatoes really do taste better, and there are more varieties than I ever realised.
My Wife and I have also said many times to one another just how fresh and flavourful everything tastes here. We primarily cook at home, but we do enjoy the occasional meal or treat when we're out and about. As vegans, we were curious what plant-based eats would be available to us here. Most places serving food (that we've visited so far) have items on their menu that are plant-based, or they can modify a dish to make it vegan without skimping on ingredients. Staff also seem to be knowledgeable and conscientious of people's different dietary needs, and it's truly such a nice feeling. Colour me impressed!
An easy dinner of ready-made vegan mince rolls, proper chips (fries), and garden peas.
Chocolate covered cinnamon roll from It's a Trap, a fully plant-based cafe in Dublin.
My birthday dinner of homemade "Gardener's Pie" and lemon olive oil cake with raspberries.
Exciting Plans Ahead
Even though I've had a slower start to my content creation this year, I'm bursting with ideas and inspiration! Another aspect of our move that I greatly underestimated was how long it would take me to transfer my business from the USA to Ireland. I thought I'd have everything done in a matter of weeks. Silly of me! π€ I really do forget that I'm a creative team of one with only 24 hours in a day, and I lack the ability to pause time.
I'm so grateful to be living in such a beautiful corner of our planet and to be starting this new chapter of Erin Janda Creative. You can fully expect to hear a lot more about my life in Ireland along with writerly and bookish updates. Thank you for being a part of this community and for supporting my dreams. It truly means the world to me!
If you enjoyed this issue, please help me grow The Cosy Cottage by sharing with your friends, family, or neighbours. They can subscribe here and join the fun! As always, if you have any requests or suggestions for topics you'd like me to cover in a future blog or newsletter, simply reply to this email.
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I'm a writer, content creator, and visual storyteller. I love books, tea, and cosy cottage life. Subscribe to my newsletter and get monthly updates delivered directly to your inbox.
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