Christmas Vacation | January 5, 2024

Happy first Friday of the year! I know it's early to ask, but how is 2024 shaping up for you so far? How about them resolutions? 

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Our routines are back in place and somehow, it feels very good. Ying and yang, I guess. Christmas break was wonderful; a little relaxing but mostly very fun chaos. We went full Griswold with a houseful of family including a Rottweiler for almost a week, but the real feature was a one year old who is a walking, babbling, very cute example of how far we've leveled up from the baby proofing years. It happened so incrementally that I didn't even realize how unproofed my house is until the cabinet doors started opening up. I scampered around looking for a baby gate that I know for a fact I don't have anymore, and while I worried about her climbing the stairs, she was in the kitchen, taking a bath in my dogs water bowl. How quickly I take for granted how much the load has lightened with my own baby. I truly forgot what it's like to have cabinet doors locked and furniture strategically placed to cover electrical sockets. Or the bouncing and cajoling and the sshh shh shushes you have to do to coax a baby to fall asleep. 

It's self serving to make a wobbly baby about myself, but it was a reminder that I am no longer a baby mother. I've shed that layer of motherhood and recognizing that felt like very apropos timing. New year, new me and whatnot. 

Anyway! There was lots of going out and eating very good food. We danced and went out for karaoke. We ventured into the big city for a fancy dinner. We ordered drinks and played pinball. I started a new book. We played a hundred rounds of Heads Up and I laughed until my abs hurt. I took George for a walk most days, and my favorite part: I took sooooo many naps. Like, sometimes more than one nap in a day. Now there's a treat. 

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And now we're into the new year and I'm feeling V motivated. Perhaps it was the glutinous living for a week, but I woke up ready to get my life back on track. All I wanted to do was wash the sheets and eat kale and take a long walk. I've written about this before, but one is only good because of the other, you know? 

This year, I'm trying to be honest with myself about crazy goals. I'm usually pretty realistic, which makes meeting my goals easy, I guess. I know what I can do and so I set my limits there. This year, I have a few wild goals that are frankly ridiculous, but I have to make them to meet them. I also like a good more/less list, so here's what's on my mind:

More

going out and doing stuff on the weekends

being generous

writing

walking 

water, I guess. 

Less

scrolling

caring about what someone might think about me

junkfood + booze

wallowing in self pity

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Shopping Break:

I'm sort of shopped out, which is not at all like me, but there are two sales that caught my attention:

Anthropologie: Every time I scroll, I think this is my house's personality. At least, I would like it to be. Anyway, sale stuff is an additional 50% off, making some of the more absurd items affordable. This tic-tac-toe game is ridiculous, but also beautiful and I've had it in my favorites for a while. 

Ruggable: I cosign on these washable rugs all day long. I have spent so much money on rugs that my family just destroys, and while nothing is perfect, the fact that I can toss these babies in the washer is a real star quality. It's not an amazing sale, but it will skim quite a bit off your total. I'm considering swapping in this dark, moody rug in my livingroom and the honest-to-God only hold-up is I don't want to move all the furniture to get it in place. 

I did place a big, not sexy order for a restock of my go-to products: this glowy sunbum sunscreen that I wear every single day. This “botox in a bottle” combo from The Ordinary (argireline solution + matrixyl). And lastly, this Kristen Ess thickening spray that is a bargain and really works. 

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Stay a little longer?

Musings on Dry January from 2023. 

Last year's more/less list. And other resolutions. 

Things to look forward to - I wrote this in September, but as we're deep into cozy season, it's largely still apropos. 

Happy weekending!