MONTH AHEAD // JANUARY ’23

A SMALL TASTE OF WHAT'S COMING UP THIS MONTH

EDITOR’S NOTE //

It has been a hot minute since I wrote one of these Month Ahead posts (I think the last one was actually for March of last year, to be exact. Yikes!). But no time like the present, and the start of a fresh new year, to bring this series back to life. These posts are always some of my favorite to write as I love the idea of a little check-in with y’all at the start of every month. But last year kind of got away from me after March and well, these posts along with it. So, let’s catch up, shall we?

With the start of the new year, I’ve been taking some time to pause and reflect. Several years ago I came to the realization, and accepted the fact, that I don’t operate like many other people when it comes to the new year. Maybe a slightly unpopular opinion but I’m not a resolutions girly and haven’t been for a while (wrote more about that a few years ago in this post where I also share what I do instead of resolutions). While I love the idea of a clean slate and a fresh start, the truth is, after the holidays, which is such a busy and hectic season, the last thing I’m ready to do is get busy tackling new goals. I need a break, a pause, some rest and time to reflect. So for me, that’s what January is about. Easing in, taking it slow, keeping the calendar and commitments minimal. Not rushing into a new year, and new goals, and all these ideas that everything has to be figured out by January 1st or it’s not going to happen. The reality is that it doesn’t matter when you set goals or plans. A goal will happen whether you plan it in January or June. I call it intuitive goal setting, and I’ll chat more about that in a separate post later.

But for me, for now, as I’ve been pausing and reflecting, the biggest realization I’ve come to is that last year was just one of those years. You know the kind, the ones that are more down than up, the ones where you’re just trying to stay afloat rather than learning and growing, the ones where you’re surviving, not thriving. Starting in March, with an unexpected issue out of our control that set us back mentally and financially (everything we had saved to go on a special trip for our 10 year anniversary and to buy a home needed to be used) through family issues, health issues and Bomba having to have emergency surgery to ending the year with our home being broken into (and occupied by the homeless person who broke in), it just seemed like there was always something happening. The moment we recovered from one blow, and thought we would get back on track, another one would hit. But the more blows that happened, the harder it got to stay positive and towards the end of December I realized we had somehow been spiraling down into a place that was the farthest place from where I wanted to be- a deep, dark hole of negativity. I had barely worked out since September (so not like me). Takeout food was becoming way too frequent of an occurence (so not us). Date nights were forgotten, our 10 year anniversary trip was thrown together mere days before it happened, we haven’t taken a proper vacation in far too long, morning routines and my gratitude journaling practice were thrown out the window. Every ounce of creativity seemed to have left my body. In fact, I was just checking my Instagram and realized I almost didn’t even post in December. Forget about the fact that I posted almost nothing holiday-related. And it felt like the one thing that had been helping us stay safe and sane through everything, our home, our little happy place, was shattered due to the break-in. Home is gone, replaced simply by a house that holds our things, a place where we sleep and cook, but also a place gives me constant nightmares and PTSD. Not to mention our new neighbors who like to do nothing more than party constantly. Yay. (And before you ask, yes, yes we are looking for a new place to move.Fingers crossed we find something soon before I totally go insane! ha).

The truth is, last year was about surviving. There was no thriving. Look, I get it. I’m no stranger to difficulties and challenges. They are a part of life. It can always be worse, and it can always be better. You have to do the best you can with what you’ve got where you are. And in the down years, what you’ve got is an opportunity to learn and to grow and get stronger.

But after the recent reality check where I suddenly realized just far how we had spiraled down and just how tired we truly are, I knew something needed to change. I couldn’t do another year of just surviving without at least a little thriving thrown into the mix. Life is just too short for it to be otherwise. So, while everyone else is focused on a word for the year, I’m taking on a whole damn motto. Thrive, not just survive.

I then proceeded to get food poisoning. On the first weekend of 2023. Followed shortly after by one of the worst panic attacks/nervous breakdowns I’ve ever had. Thriving I tell ya, absolutely thriving. Ha!

But onwards and upwards as they say. Here’s to more thriving, less just surviving, for all of us, this coming year!

xx

P.S. Here are a few posts that you might find helpful heading into this new year- Little Joys, Staying Sane During Stressful Times, How to Find the Beauty in Life, How to Romanticize Your Life and 28 Ways to Help Handle Stress + Anxiety.

MONTH AHEAD // JANUARY ‘23

HAPPENINGS //

WHAT I’M PINNING //

Cozy simple moments, cable knit sweaters, comforting foods and cabin escapes in my JANUARY INSPO BOARD

WHAT I’M COOKING //

All the warm, nourishing and cozy things like soups, pasta, slow roasted salmon, curries and more

WHAT I’M LISTENING TO //

This to relax, this for chill vibes, this for background noise while working, and this for falling asleep.

WHAT I’M READING //

Look, I’m all for a good self help book, especially at the beginning of a new year, but also sometimes you just need to stop reading 536475906 ways to do something and just get out there and do the damn thing. Which is where I’m finding myself. So, instead of leaning on the crutch of a new self help book (I am re-reading a favorite, The Big Leap), telling myself I need to read “just one more” and then I’ll finally have the secret to accomplish my goals, I’m mostly skipping the self help books, focusing on just doing my goals and saving most of my reading purely for fiction as a means of enjoyment, relaxation, escape and winding down at the end of the day. My current fiction book of choice? Bread & Butter. It’s been a bit of a slow start but I’m committed, if only for the sake of the title purely because it’s two of my favorite foods.

WHAT I’M WATCHING //

Ok, don’t judge, but we binged the latest season of Emily in Paris, and are now starting to do the same thing with the new season of Ginny & Georgia. I know, I know. I like stupid shows to escape the crazy world. But we also watched A Very British Scandal, with Claire Foy. It’s currently available on Prime and, while it’s only three episodes, it’s very well done.

WHAT I'M WORKING ON //

As I mentioned above, right now is all about resting, relaxing and refocusing on some habits for the new year before slowly easing into goal setting and planning. Although I have worked on setting some fun personal goals, things like learning how to make a new pasta shape and taking a pottery class. Maybe I’ll share my fun goal list in another post for inspo for anyone in need of some goal ideas…

WHERE I’M HEADED //

We’re still in the early stages of planning travels for the year ahead, so at the moment, no where, but a few spots that are top of mind include Paso Robles, Los Olivos, Lake Arrowhead, Tahoe, Cambria, Ojai, a skiing trip, Mexico City, Kuai, London and Japan.