Happy new year! Typing 2021 still feels very weird. While I recognize that a new year doesn’t erase the hardships of the previous one, a fresh start always feels so satisfying.
Also satisfying? Joining Anne for her Currently linkup each month. Here’s January’s list.
Beginning: a new reading challenge. The past couple of years I’ve done the Modern Mrs. Darcy reading challenge, but this year I was in the mood for something different. I’m going to try the Book Riot Read Harder 2021 Challenge, which is a lot of books, but I think it will be fun. (If you’re thinking about doing a reading challenge this year, stay tuned, I have an upcoming post about that!)
Feeling: invigorated by the new year. I know I’ve mentioned before that New Year’s Day is one of my favorite holidays. I love a fresh calendar, a fresh planner, and a fresh start. I realize that anyone can start anything on any day, and there’s nothing official about January 1, but to me a new year feels magical and full of possibilities.
Organizing: books and technology. We got a new bookshelf/media storage shelf for our living room to help wrangle all the devices and chargers we’ve accumulated. Plus the bookshelf it replaced was getting old and rickety, and I had horrifying visions of it crashing down on the kids while they played. Hopefully now books will (still) be on display, while computers, devices, and charging cords will be neatly hidden behind closed cabinet doors.
Resolving: to commit. I don’t make actual New Year’s Resolutions, but I do choose a word of the year and set goals. My word this year is “commit,” which for me has several meanings. I’m committing to grow this space, to make improvements as a mom, and to finish the projects I start (as long as they bring value to my life). I also like the spiritual connotation: to commit myself to God; it’s a reminder that I belong to Him and there’s only so much I have control over. (As someone with control freak tendencies I need to hear this sometimes.)
Wondering: what this year will look like. That’s terribly unoriginal, but I can’t help but wonder whether Jona will stay in person for school or if they’ll have to go back to remote learning this winter. I know I’ll be working from home until April at the earliest, but I wonder if that date will change. There are so many unknowns this year.
December favorites
- book: Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Such a good one, and it made my favorites of the year list as well.
- children’s book: The Last Stop on the Reindeer Express by Maudie Powell-Tuck. I picked this one up from the library for our book advent calendar, but I think I’ll be buying a copy for next year. We loved this one!
- outfit: what I wore to ring in the new year. I decided to wear my favorite things of 2020, including a sweatshirt and wedge sneakers.
- recipe: Cinnamon Rolls. I made these for Christmas morning and they were amazing.
- purchase: new phone and a Loopy Case. As a sort of Christmas gift to ourselves this year we upgraded our phones, and I had been wanting to try a Loopy Case. I love it and I don’t think I’ll go back to a “regular” case.
- gift: Aaron gave me the manicure system from Olive & June for Christmas, and I love it! One fun goal I have for the new year is to take better care of my nails, something I’ve struggled to do in the past, but this will help me get into the nail-care habit.
What is the new year bringing for you so far? Do you have any favorites from December?
