OK, I’m pretty excited for this theme… throughout the year I”ll be sharing some of my favorite things! Different genres and categories to come…
I’ve shied away from doing stuff like this in the past because I thought…why do people what I have to think on this? But I realize that I have friends asking me about recommendations all the time and that I put a TON of thought and research into what we use as a family, so WHY NOT share what I’ve learned, what I’m loving, what we’ve found most useful for different areas of our life? Plus, I love the variety of topics this opens up. So get excited about some lists and stories about some delightful favorites.
And I’m starting today with my favorite things I use to start the new year!
- POWERSHEETS: – of course! If you haven’t heard of these then you must be new to my blog- hi! Because I gush about them every month as I reassess my goals and what steps I’m taking to tend to them bit by bit. This intentional goal planner has been a game changer for me and I love the changes it has helped me make. I have several sweet friends using them with me this year and hoping it makes as big an impact for them as it has for me!
- A physical planner:
One of my favorite quotes was too perfect not to go on my planner this year…
(but if you like a digital one, more power to you!): (Frugal tip- the longer you wait to purchase a planner, the more likely you will get a discount! score!)
- Bulk cooked meals: We always spend the weekend before the New Year bulk cooking freezer meals- some are things we can reheat in the microwave and others are prepared crock pot/instant pot dump meals that we thaw the night before and then slow in the slow cooker. It sets us up for the first few months when we run into a night of unexpected busyness so we aren’t tempted to go eat out. It took a while to find vegetarian meals we loved as so many crock pot meals revolve around meat, but here’s one of our tried and tested recipes.
- New Socks: There’s a reason socks as a Christmas gift became a cliche/lovable joke around the holidays- it is pretty wonderful to have new socks. Bonus points if they are especially cute or warm. Here’s a pair I got for Christmas:
- Becky Higgins Project Life App: My favorite way to document the new year. If you’ve always wanted to scrapbook but are intimidated by it or worried you are too behind- start NOW, start with this year, and commit to just 5-10 minutes a week documenting your year. I memory keeping is at all important to you, you’ll be thrilled to have the pages printed to look back on later. If apps aren’t your thing, you can also set yourself up for success with a physical project life kit. I just like that the kids can’t get into my app! (yet…)
- A new (to me) book: I just got a few of my holds in from the library, but I know many people got new books for Christmas too! If you have some reading goals for 2019, stay tuned. I have a post coming up for you about some of my favorite books from last year!
- A hot cup of tea or coffee: OK, maybe this only applies to my northern hemisphere
readers- where I live we don’t get much cold weather, so a hot cup of something caffeinated is my drink of choice for planning for the new year and taking action on my starting steps. Is it the same for you? Or are you rocking an herbal tea or hot cocoa? Or cold drinks all year long?
- A new view: We try to opt outside and go somewhere out of our usual path on New Year’s Day. Even if it isn’t brand new, we go to a place that’s not our “ordinary view” and try to get a little bit of a different view and perspective as the new year starts. It helps shake us out of our routine and it is a fun tradition I wanted to share 🙂
- Something to look forward to: What are you excited about for this upcoming year? For me it’s running my first half marathon and bringing clean water to those who don’t have it. For my son it’s starting kindergarten in the fall. I think the anticipation of the good things in the New Year are what make it so exciting. So start with meditating on the positive!
People to cheer you on! Start the new year with people who are cheering on your goals. Friends, family, an online community- find your support system and hold them close this year. One of the Team World Vision mantras comes from an African proverb and it is: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go farther, go together.” Don’t go fast and solo and burn out by February. Let’s go farther together.
Happy 2019! Let me know if I missed any of your favorite ways to get ready for the new year. I’d love to hear about things or traditions you incorporate into your January/New Year traditions.
Alphabet Resolutions 