Imbolg 2026

Last Monday (2nd February) I celebrated Imbolg (more commonly known as Imbolc). I normally celebrate on the 2nd but some people celebrate on 1st Feb (or from sundown on the 1st to sundown on the 2nd). And others may hold their celebrations on 31st January.

I usually make pancakes for this sabbat. They are a good fit for Imbolg. This year I made oatmeal pancakes (American style) again, using this recipe from Don't Waste the Crumbs: https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/oatmeal-pancakes/

I really had trouble getting the mix to come together this year! It was similar last year but I did get a couple more solid pancakes then. I was happiest with the pancakes the first year I made them (2021) and on Imbolg 2022.

They tasted quite nice though, except I put too much cinnamon in the mix! I used little pots of instant oatmeal like other years rather than buying a bag of porridge oats and plain flour instead of oat flour. Maybe they'd hold better with oat flour but I don't have a mixer or blender, so it would be difficult to make.

I had them with butter and golden syrup. Here's a pic:

Doesn't look very neat but never mind! lol.

Spring-Summer Update (2025)

We've just over halfway through the year, so it's time for my 2nd quarterly update (spring-summer) of 2025! You can see my winter-spring update here: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2025/04/winter-spring-update-2025-easter-baking.html

 

Easter was later this year (Easter Sunday was 20th April). I made a Birdies Perch Malteser slice with Cadbury's mini eggs on top and also got a couple of chocolate eggs, lol. I didn't have a big meal this year due to personal circumstances.  

At the beginning of May I celebrated Beltane. You can see my post about it here: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2025/05/beltane-2025.html  

In mid-May I went to the park. As I mentioned in my May Gratitude List on on my self-help/spiritual blog Falling Petals (I post monthly gratitude lists there), I was feeling down and wanted to do something to feel better. After I read an email from Diana of The Chic Life about making a Joy List and doing what brings you joy, I decided I'd like to go to the park around sunset. I also went to Burger King and got a double bacon cheeseburger, latte and a Coke.

I shared a picture in my Gratitude List post but here are a couple more photos: 

View from by Hove Park.

Beltane 2025

Last Thursday (1st May) it was Beltane. (Some people celebrate from sundown on 30th April to sundown on 1st May.) As I mentioned in my Spring Salads + Happy Beltane! post, I normally make salads for this sabbat. 

One of my favourites in recent years is kachumbari (Kenyan/East African tomato and onion salad) and I made that again this Beltane. The recipe is from Precious Core: https://www.preciouscore.com/kachumbari/ 

I had it for my lunch, with some chicken fillets, tortilla chips and guacamole. (Some years I make my own guacamole but lately I've been buying it, lol.) I also had some leftover smashed potato salad that I'd made for my tea (dinner) the night before.

Here's a pic:

Spring Salads + Happy Beltane!

Last spring and summer I wrote two posts featuring salads to make for the seasonal festivals of Beltane and Litha/the Summer Solstice (plus summer in general). You can see them here: 

Salads for Beltane + Extra Ideas!: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2024/04/salads-for-beltane-extra-ideas.html 

Salads for Litha + Extra Ideas!: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2024/06/salads-for-litha-extra-ideas.html

 

While I'm no longer writing more in-depth posts with ideas for celebrating the sabbats, I am occasionally doing new posts with ideas if I feel inspired to. I enjoyed writing the Beltane and Litha posts last year (which also included some ideas for celebrating), so I thought this year I would share some more salads to make during mid-late spring.

Also, Beltane is coming up this week, it's on Thursday 1st May, or Wednesday 30th April, depending on when you celebrate (it traditionally goes from sundown to sundown). So I've included a few links with some more info and inspiration. :)

 

Spring Salads 

 

First up, here are some salads for spring:  

Smokey deli style chicken salad: https://www.ahealthysliceoflife.com/smoky-deli-style-chicken-salad/ 

Grilled chicken chopped kale salad with honey dill vinaigrette: https://simplytaralynn.com/2022/07/12/grilled-chicken-chopped-kale-salad-honey-dill-vinaigrette/

Chicken salad: https://simplytaralynn.com/2025/03/04/the-easiest-chicken-salad-recipe-i-eat-every-day/ 

Mediterranean tuna salad: https://natalie-mason.com/mediterranean-tuna-salad/

Italian chopped salad: https://www.preciouscore.com/italian-chopped-salad/ 

Easy edamame salad: https://plantbasedonabudget.com/easy-edamame-salad/ 

Black bean and brown rice salad: https://www.pbfingers.com/black-bean-and-brown-rice-salad/

If you're vegetarian but still want something similar to chicken salad, Brittany from A Healthy Slice of Life (who has a recipe for smokey deli style chicken salad; linked above) also a classic chickpea "chicken" salad recipe, as an alternative: https://www.ahealthysliceoflife.com/classic-chickpea-chicken-salad/

Winter-Spring Update (2025) + Easter Baking

We've just passed the first quarter of the year, so it's time for my first update of 2025! Also, since Easter is coming up next weekend, I've added a section with some Easter recipes (scroll down for that). :)

Winter-Spring Update (2025)

For the past few years I've written quarterly updates (from "season to season"). I started out writing monthly updates in 2019 and then "two monthly" (two months at a time) ones in 2020, but found that quarterly was better for me. So I'm going to carry that on in 2025. :)

You can see my autumn-winter 2024 update here if you like: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2025/01/new-year-gingerbread-cookies-autumn.html

I didn't do much during January really. I had a bit of a stressful start to the year, due to personal circumstances. 

At the beginning of February I celebrated Imbolg. You can see my post about it here: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2025/02/imbolg-2025.html

Also during February, I went to Popeyes and got some food. Similarly to Slim Chickens, I'd had milkshakes from there before but not a meal. I tried Slim Chickens' food for the first time in December. I like them both, but like Popeyes' chicken a bit more and  prefer Slim Chickens' milkshakes! 

At the beginning of March I celebrated my birthday. I got a few presents and had a red velvet cake from Marks & Spencer (a small one because they didn't have the bigger one I usually get) and some food at home. I also got takeaway from Nando's. 

In mid-late March it was Ostara/Ostara aka the Spring Equinox. You can read my post about my celebration here: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2025/03/oestara-2025.html

Later in March I met up with my dance friends at a pub in Hangleton (Hove). It was nice to see them.

While I'm not currently going on regular park walks , I went to the park a few times during February and March. I had planned to go to Hove Park for Oestara but ended up going to a nearer one instead, because it was quite a busy day. However, I went to Hove a couple of weeks later, around sunset. I also went to Burger King and got a double bacon cheeseburger, a mocha latte and a Coke, then went and sat in the park for a bit.

Here are a couple of photos:

View from by Hove Park.

Oestara 2025

Last Thursday (20th March) it was Oestara, (more commonly known as Ostara), aka the Spring Equinox. My main celebration for this sabbat is baking and this year I made carrot cake bars with vanilla cream cheese frosting. The recipe is from Simply Taralynn: https://simplytaralynn.com/2025/02/12/carrot-cake-bars-with-vanilla-cream-cheese-frosting/

They were quite nice. Here's a pic:

Taken before I cut them into bars!

 

Imbolg 2025

Last Sunday (2nd February) it was Imbolg, more commonly known as Imbolc. I celebrate it on the 2nd, but some people celebrate on 1st Feb, or from sundown on the 1st to sundown on the 2nd. And others may do it on 31st January. I normally make pancakes, which as I've said before, are a good fit for this sabbat. This year I made oatmeal pancakes again, using this recipe from Don't Waste the Crumbs: https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/oatmeal-pancakes/

Pancake Day is later this year (because Easter is later), it's not till 4th March. Last year it was 13th February. I normally make English pancakes (similar to crepes) for that, but the DWTC oatmeal pancakes recipe would be good too. (See the bottom of the post for a few links with inspiration for that day.)

I used little pots of instant oatmeal again and plain flour instead of oat flour. I had a bit of trouble getting the mix to come together this time, but never mind! lol. They still tasted quite nice. I had them with butter and lemon. I just remembered that I normally eat them with golden syrup, but I forgot this year. Here's a pic: 

 

Spring-Summer Update (2024) + Happy Lammas!

I planned to write this post last weekend but had internet problems. So I'm doing it this weekend instead. :) 

We're now more than halfway through the year, so it's time for my 2nd quarterly update of 2024! I write them in April, July, October and January (covering the previous 3 months), so technically they're not all in the same year, but never mind! lol. Anyway, here is my spring-summer update. :) 

You can see my winter-spring (2024) update here: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2024/04/winter-spring-update-2024.html

 

I wasn't really up to a lot during April, apart from a Happy Café (Action for Happiness) meetup and walking in the park.

At the end of the month I went to Lancing Beach as part of my Beltane celebrations and then had my main celebration on 1st May. You can read my post about it here: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2024/05/beltane-2024.html

 

Here are a couple of pictures I took during April and May:  

Churchill Square, Brighton- April.

Beltane 2024

The other week it was Beltane (Wednesday 1st May). I normally make salads for this sabbat and this year, as mentioned in my Salads for Beltane post, I made one of my favourites, kachumbari (Kenyan tomato and onion salad). The recipe I like to use is from Precious Core: https://www.preciouscore.com/kachumbari/

I had it for my lunch with some shop bought food, chicken drumsticks, tortilla chips, guacamole and bread rolls. Here's a pic: 

 

Salads for Beltane + Extra Ideas!

It's almost Beltane! This year it's Wednesday 1st May, or Tuesday 30th April (tomorrow), depending on when you celebrate. (Many people consider it to be from sundown on 30th April to sundown on 1st May.) In the past I've written posts with ideas for celebrating the sabbats. While I stopped doing that last year (since I felt I'd covered them all and didn't want to repeat myself), I thought it would be nice to write something when I felt inspired to, so today I'm sharing some salads for Beltane (plus some extra ideas). :)  

 

Here are my most recent Beltane posts:

Winter-Spring Update + Beltane Round-up (2021, scroll down for the round-up): https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2021/04/winter-spring-update-beltane-round-up.html

Happy Beltane! (2022): https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2022/04/happy-beltane.html

I also included a Beltane section at the end of last year's winter-spring update (at the bottom after P.S.):

Winter-Spring Update (2023) + Happy Beltane!: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2023/04/winter-spring-update-2023-happy-beltane.html

 

Note: If you're in the Southern Hemisphere, Samhain is coming! Check out my last few Samhain Celebration posts here:

Samhain/Hallowe'en Round-up (my round-up post from 2021): https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2021/10/samhainhalloween-round-up.html

Happy Samhain/Hallowe'en! (2022)): https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2022/10/happy-samhainhalloween.html

Summer-Autumn Update (2023) + Happy Samhain/Hallowe'en! (section at the bottom): https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2023/10/summer-autumn-update-2023-happy-samhain.html  

My main celebration for the sabbats is having/making food and drink. For Beltane I usually have some kind of salad, since it's a spring festival, moving towards summer. Salads are a lighter food that lots of us feel more like eating in the warmer months. (If you're not into salad though, you can find alternative ideas for food and celebrating in general in my past posts, and also in the Extra Ideas section at the bottom of the post!). 

I normally have my salad with some other foods like chicken, crisps (chips), dips etc., I also like to have some kind of sparkling drink, like elderflower or lemonade.

 

Salads

Chicken Salad

In 2014 I made a chicken salad sandwich. You can see a pic here: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2014/05/beltane.html

Here is an Asian chicken salad from Julia of Lemon Stripes. I haven't made it but it looks nice: https://lemonstripes.com/recipes/asian-chicken-salad/

 

And here are a few more chicken salads that look good:

BLT chicken salad: https://natalie-mason.com/blt-chicken-salad/

Healthy chicken salad (can be eaten as a salad, wrap, or sandwich: https://www.eatyourselfskinny.com/healthy-chicken-salad

Honey mustard chicken salad with bacon and avocado: https://cafedelites.com/honey-mustard-chicken-salad/

Winter-Spring Update (2024)

For the past few years I've written quarterly updates (from "season to season"). I started out writing monthly updates in 2019 and then "two monthly" (two months at a time) ones in 2020, but found that quarterly was better for me. So I'm continuing that in 2024. :)

You can see my autumn-winter 2023 update here if you like: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2024/01/christmas-funfetti-sheet-cake-autumn.html

 

I didn't do much in January apart from my usual park walks and going to Happy Café (Action for Happiness meetups). 

In early February I celebrated Imbolg. You can read about my celebrations here: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2024/02/imbolg-2024.html 

And at the beginning of March it was my birthday. It was actually my 40th which felt a bit strange! I didn't do anything particularly special, just celebrated at home. I'd planned to go out for a meal but haven't got round to that yet, due to various circumstances. 

Also in March, I met up with my belly dance friends at a pub. We don't have classes anymore and it had been ages since I'd seen them, so that was nice. 

Then towards the end of the month it was Oestara/Ostara aka the Spring Equinox You can read my post about it here: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2024/03/oestara-2024.html

 

Easter was early this year at the end of March (Easter Sunday was the 31st). I baked a Tres Leches cake this time , as a change from the frosted white chocolate Easter cake I've made most often in the past few years. I last made a tres leches cake 9 years ago (for Easter 2015)! You can see a post about it here: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2015/04/easter-cake.html

I didn't take a picture this time but it looked pretty much the same, except I put Cadbury Mini Eggs on top (which I had planed to last time). The sponge didn't cook that well in some places which was a bit disappointing. But otherwise it was ok. I think next year I'll probably go back to the white chocolate cake, lol.

I also had a meal at home (chicken) and got a couple of chocolate eggs! 

Here are a couple of pics that I took at the park:

Buckingham Park, Shoreham- Jan.

Oestara 2024

Last Wednesday (20th March) it was Oestara (more commonly known as Ostara)/the Spring Equinox. (Or Tuesday the 19th depending on your time zone.) I normally bake for this sabbat and this year I made some carrot cake cupcakes. I used this recipe from Love Lemons: https://www.loveandlemons.com/carrot-cake-cupcakes/

They have cream cheese icing/frosting and are similar to the spicy carrot cake cupcakes I made last Oestara. You can also make a carrot cake version of these (big cake). They were quite nice. I didn't use any nutmeg because I didn't have any. I was going to use mixed spice instead but realised it was out of date! lol.

The cream cheese icing was nice and I put Cadbury Mini Eggs on top to fit the Oestara/spring theme. Here's a pic:

 

Easing into Spring

Spring is starting (or has already started depending on whether you go by the meterological or astronomical start). I've previously written a few posts about getting ready for spring, which you can see below:

Getting Ready for Spring: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2018/03/getting-ready-for-spring.html

Preparing for Spring + Spring Inspiration: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2019/03/preparing-for-spring-spring-inspiration.html

Oestara + Spring Inspiration: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2020/03/oestara-spring-inspiration.html

Winter Photos + Preparing for Spring (2021): https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2021/03/winter-photos-preparing-for-spring.html

Saying Goodbye to Winter, Moving into Spring: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2022/02/saying-goodbye-to-winter-moving-into.html

 

Note: If you're in the Southern Hemisphere, autumn is starting! You might like these posts:

Getting Ready for Autumn: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2018/09/getting-ready-for-autumn.html

Autumn Photos + Inspiration: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2018/10/autumn-photos-inspiration.html

Autumn 2020 + More Inspiration: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2020/10/autumn-2020-photos-more-inspiration.html

Saying Goodbye to Summer, Moving into Autumn: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2022/09/saying-goodbye-to-summer-moving-into.html

 

This year I thought I would share a few links with inspiration for spring. And also for  the spring festivals Oestara aka Ostara/the Spring Equinox and Easter. Oestara is on Wednesday 20th March this year, or tomorrow (Tuesday 19th March), depending on your time zone. Easter is 31st March.

I called the post Easing into Spring because the start of seasons are transitional times. Sometimes you might feel like going full steam ahead into the next season, and other times you might want to go slower. Often at this time of year the weather is still colder and winter lingers. 

As I mentioned in my Imbolg 2024 post, we had snow in the UK in January. Some parts of the country have had some more recently but we haven't had any more in Sussex, just a lot of rain. At the moment it's been warmer, about 14C (56F) during the day and 9C (48F) at night. There's meant to be colder weather again and more snow in some places next week though.

Imbolg 2024

It was Imbolg (more commonly known as Imbolc) the other week (Friday 2nd February). I celebrate on the 2nd but some people celebrate on 1st Feb, or from sundown on the 1st to sundown on the 2nd. Others may do it on 31st January. My usual celebration is making pancakes which are a good fit for this sabbat. This year I made oatmeal pancakes again, using this recipe from Don't Waste the Crumbs:  https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/oatmeal-pancakes/

I've made them a few times before (others years I make English pancakes, also known as crepes). As I've done other years, I didn't use oat flour, just plain flour. They were quite nice. I had them with butter and golden syrup. They would also be good for Pancake Day (see bottom of post). Here's a pic: 

TSL's 10th (Belated) Birthday + Fave Posts

At the end of July, The Seasonal Life celebrated its 10th birthday! I thought it was in August but then realised it was July, so that's why this post is late, lol. 

I wrote my first and second posts on 25th July 2013, an intro post and another one sharing my favourite things about summer. You can read them here:

 

https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2013/07/welcome-to-seasonal-life.html 

 

 https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2013/07/favourite-things-about-summer.html

 

TSL was the 3rd blog I started, the others being Star Sparkle Blog in April 2011 and Falling Petals in February 2013.  The other two are entertainment and spiritual/self-help blogs and I thought it would be good to have one about seasonal events and living.  

I started out writing about summer related things and posting recipes. In October and November 2013, I did my first post about a seasonal event (Hallowe'en drinks and then about my Hallowe'en). Then that December I did my first post about a sabbat (Yule).

As well as sharing recipes (seasonal and just ones I like), I started posting more about my sabbat celebrations. And later on, I did a series of posts sharing ideas for celebrating the sabbats. I really enjoyed that but decided to stop doing them earlier this year because I felt I had covered them all. They each have multiple posts and I didn't want to repeat myself.

I still post about my celebrations though and may do more inspiration posts in future if I feel inspired. :) I did share a few links with ideas for celebrating Beltane at the end of my winter-spring update post.

 

Spring-Summer Update (2023)

We're already more than halfway through the year, so it's time for my spring-summer update! You can see my first update of the year (winter-spring) here: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2023/04/winter-spring-update-2023-happy-beltane.html

Easter Sunday was 8th April this year. I baked the frosted white Easter chocolate cake (James Martin recipe) that I've made quite a few times. I also had a meal at home and got a couple of chocolate eggs, lol. 

At the beginning of May I celebrated Beltane. You can see my post about it here: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2023/05/beltane-2023.html

In mid-June I went to Nando's for a (very) belated birthday meal! (I wasn't able to go around my birthday in March due to various circumstances.) I had my usual chicken butterfly (plain-ish) and chips (fries). I had peri-salted chips for a change. Also some garlic bread. I normally have coleslaw but they didn't have any. And I had strawberry frozen yoghurt for pudding (dessert).

The food was nice. Here's a picture: 

Shifting into Summer

Summer is starting, so I thought I'd write about shifting into the new season! This post is in a similar style to my previous ones from last year on Saying Goodbye to Winter, Moving into Spring and Saying Goodbye to Summer, Moving into Autumn.

Note: If winter is starting where you are, you might like this post: 

Getting Ready for Winter: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2017/12/getting-ready-for-winter.html

While the shift from winter to spring is more optimistic for me, I find the one from summer to autumn a bit depressing (although autumn is a beautiful season). Going from spring to summer feels the most inspiring to me. 

Back in 2018 I wrote a post about getting ready for summer. You can read that here: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2018/06/getting-ready-for-summer_3.html 

In that post I mentioned that are two "official" starts to summer- 1st June and around 20th June, the day of the Summer Solstice (also known as Litha; see below) which varies slightly each year. Some years it feels like summer starts sooner than others.

This year spring has been quite cold, although we had some nicer, warmer weather. It's only in the past week or so that I've really felt the shift towards summer.

Beltane 2023

Last Monday (1st May) it was Beltane. My main celebration for sabbats is making food and drink, and I usually make salad for Beltane. This time I made kachumbari (a Kenyan tomato and onion salad) again. The recipe is from Precious Core: https://www.preciouscore.com/kachumbari/

I've made it several times and it's always nice. Precious' version also has avocado in. I had it for my lunch along with ciabatta bread, grilled chicken, shop bought guacamole (some years I make my own) and crisps (chips). Here's a picture: 

Winter-Spring Update (2023) + Happy Beltane!

For the past couple of years, I've written quarterly updates (from "season to season"). I found it a bit easier than the monthly and "two monthly" (every couple of months) ones that I wrote in previous years. So I'm doing the same for 2023. :)

Note: I'm later posting this than I planned because I'm currently having computer problems. I am able to still blog on my phone which I'm grateful for, but it is a bit harder to do it on here.

You can see my autumn to winter 2022 update here if you like: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2023/01/autumn-winter-update-2022.html

I went through a bit of a difficult time at the beginning of the year, due to personal issues. I didn't really do much in the first couple of months but I did go to Starbucks in Hove in late January. 

At the beginning of February, I celebrated Imbolg. You can see my post about it here: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2023/02/imbolg-2023.html

I also went to a belly dance workshop with Lianna Greene in February and to Starbucks again afterwards!

At the beginning of March, it was my birthday. I celebrated at home on the day and got some nice presents. I'd planned to go to Nando's but wasn't able to get there due to certain circumstances. I hope to go soon for a belated birthday meal though! 

Later in March it was Oestara/the Spring Equinox. You can read about my celebration in this post: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2023/03/oestara-2023.html

Easter was in early-mid April (Easter Sunday was the 9th). I'll cover it in the spring-summer update, like I have the last few years. :)

Last autumn I started going to Action for Happiness Happy Café meetups again (I used to go before the pandemic) and I carried on going this winter. I went to Creams Café in Brighton afterwards a couple of times too, since it's in the same area as the meetups.  The meetups moved to a pub over the winter.

I haven't been doing my weekly park walks due to having family car problems, but I did go to the park a few times, mainly for Imbolg and Oestara. I miss seeing the blossom trees in my favourite Hove Park (it's a bit of a hassle getting there by bus), but here's a pic of some local daffodils that I took in early April: 

Daffodils outside the Co-op, Shoreham.

 

 

 

Oestara 2023

Last Monday (20th March) it was Oestara (more commonly called Ostara) aka the Spring Equinox. As I said in my Celebrating Oestara! post, I usually bake for this sabbat (or "no-bake" sometimes!). This year I made spicy carrot cake cupcakes using this recipe from Natalie Mason: https://natalie-mason.com/spicy-carrot-cake-cupcakes/

They have a cream cheese icing. You can make a big cake or cupcakes, and I decided to go with the cupcakes. They were quite nice. I've made carrot, zucchini and apple muffins before (Don't Waste the Crumbs recipe) and they didn't come out that well, but the carrot blended in nicely with these cakes. I've also made chocolate zucchini (courgette) cupcakes several times and really like those.

I'd planned to put Cadbury Mini Eggs on the top to fit the spring theme, but they were sold out in the supermarket, so I got Smarties Mini Eggs instead. Here's a pic: