Working on things that really matter to me — with thought and care — is one of my most favorite things, and I’m grateful every day for another chance to live a more abundant life than I did the day before. Let’s see what February has in store!
P.S. You miiiiight be able to tell how excited I am about my 2020 goals by how much progress I made last month :)
P.P.S. Are you reading this and thinking, how is this girl so jazzed up about her goals?! I want that for you, too! Thinking it’s “too late” to pick a few things to work on this year is pretty much the silliest idea ever. As long as you’re still alive, it’s not too late! If you want to start but don’t know where to start, I think the undated PowerSheets might be perfect for you.
On my calendar this month: — John and June are going to a Love Bug dance at our church! She has talked about it every day since we mentioned it: “Daddy and I are going! Just Daddy and I! We are going to dance!” Break my heart. — Making valentines with June (here’s last year’s!) — A Valentine’s tea with friends at the Carolina Inn. Thinking I will wear this shirt which I already own and some sort of skirt. — My birthday! It falls on a Friday, so I’m taking the day off and June and I are going to have a fun girl day :)
What I’m loving right now: — A new ethical clothing shop opened near me and on my first visit I picked up a pair of gold and mother of pearl heart earrings by 31 Bits. I can’t find them on either site, but I’ll try to share a photo soon! V. cute! — Two other recent purchases: this dress (especially excited to wear it for Easter and our April Florida family vacation!) and this sweatshirt. Sizing is weird: I ordered a medium in the sweatshirt so it would be oversized, and I ordered an XS tall in the dress to make sure it was long enough. It was the right call for both! (I have never ordered anything in tall before, ha!) — If your high school econ class left something to be desired, this podcast episode is for you: a bunch of different economists answering the question “what’s the most useful idea in economics?”
What I read in January: — Long Bright River: A thriller with heart. The writing was beautiful and it kept me up too late many nights. Extra-fun because the author is my literary agent brother-in-law’s client! — The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: I’ve got thoughts. This was really good and really practical, and I plan to work through it all more in an upcoming blog post. — Ashlords: Our good friend’s newest novel! If you love YA fantasy, pick it up!
Revisiting my January goals: Commission a gate for our front porch(Yes! Will be built in about two weeks!) Open the Advent calendar box(Yes! And now I’m even more scared, ha!) Brainstorm needed zones for the loft(Yes! More progress than I expected here — we installed a storage system, culled a few items, and moved furniture around.) Clean out my existing recipe binder(Yes! Also had a meal planning lunch with a friend and brainstormed many more possible action steps for the rest of the year!) Cull 2019 iPhone photos(DONEEEEEEEEEEE!) Brainstorm “forest school” location possibilities near us(If you’re local, here are some good suggestions.) Buy a stationary bike??(Yes! And I’ve ridden almost every night so far. More to come here!) Do something fun with two of my focal friends(Yes! A downtown shopping date, a Bachelor hang, and a weekday lunch :)) Conduct an initial search for a downstairs desk(Decided to repurpose a piece we already had and it’s in place and organized! Currently debating paint options.) Write our sweet girl a note on her fourth birthday Order our 2019 photos from Social Print Studio
February goals: — Clean out favorite recipes Pinterest board and print all winners — Outfit sand/gravel table and get it ready for play — Assemble friend dossiers and brainstorm ideas for get-togethers — Organize the craft table in the loft — Brainstorm a family mission statement on our date night — Decide on 2020 camping dates/locations — Go on our monthly forest school/family hike — Decide on MS race and register — Paint downstairs desk — Plan major details (date, location, guest list) for meal planning potluck — Decide on my quarterly date with June
As a reminder, many of the goals above are drawn from my 2020 goals!
I would love to hear: are you working on any goals this year? This month? What’s something you’re working toward that has you really excited? Share below, if you’d like!
Yesterday marked the 15th anniversary of John’s and my first date. 15 years!! I am the luckiest.
The most memorable thing about that first date is not what we did, or what we said, or where we went, but how close it came to not happening at all. I was a nervous and awkward senior on the cusp of college, and it seemed a whole heck of a lot scarier to say yes and a whole heck of a lot safer to say no to his invitation.
But I did say yes (thank you, Lord!). I was musing over this yesterday, and it reminded me of something I had drafted a few months ago and never posted. (It was inspired by this essay.) As you’ll see by the first decision below, it seemed appropriate to share this week.
We each make thousands of decisions a day, but in the end, we can trace just a few back to whether we wake up smiling most days or not. Here are nine of mine, starting with the most important one.
1. I said yes to a first date. Of course, I said yes to him again several years later, but this first “yes” was the one that really mattered, the one that was in doubt – the second was a forgone conclusion. I like to think that scared, shy 17-year-old had some inkling of the happiness ahead, and boy was she right. Either that, or she just had a very wise friend giving her counsel. (Thank you, Anna!!!)
2. I didn’t work after hours. When I began my first job out of college, my boss was a workaholic with not a shred of work/life balance. As the new girl eager to prove herself, it would have been easy to fall into the same pattern. But my boss never actually told me to work after hours, and it was not my natural inclination to do so – and so I didn’t. (Guys, we all know I probably would have keeled over from the stress if I had, anyway.)
Though I will occasionally flex my hours now and again, especially now that I’m a parent, it’s always my decision, made thoughtfully, and not because I have something to prove or nothing else to occupy my time. Setting the boundaries of work and life neatly and firmly from the start has kept both vibrant over the long-haul.
The best part: by the grace of God, that workaholic boss is the one and only – one of the most amazing transformations I’ve ever had the privilege to witness.
3. I joined a Lent study at church. Shortly after we moved to North Carolina, we began attending our church, and it was an immediate turning point of feeling “at home” in a place that felt cold and alien. But when I think about my faith walk, possibly the most important decision in my adult life of faith was joining a Bible study. It was a classic John and Emily set-up — two 22-year-olds and a handful of middle-aged women — but it was the first time I saw up close what it looked like to live out your faith, carefully consider what your faith was asking of you, apply your faith to everyday life, pray out loud, and lay on hands for blessing and healing. It also introduced us to Adam Hamilton, who as I’m sure you know has had a profound effect on the way I live out my faith.
4. I paid off my student loans fast and furious. I graduated with about $20,000 in undergraduate loan debt, and though I was making $36,000 when I graduated (and John was looking for a job!), we paid off my loans in four years. Clearing that debt relatively early developed a muscle we’re still using today and paved the way for our future financial freedom — and with it, more independence, more security, and more options in almost every facet of our life (which later made a huge difference when we had kiddos!).
5. We adopted our cats (before we were ready). The plan was to start looking once John found a job, but then one day a few months into life in NC (and many months before he was hired), we took a spin through an adoption event and fell in love. I count the fact that we walked into Petsmart that day as one of the luckiest strokes of my life, and I will always be so grateful that Jack and Oliver were ours. They were the cure for our homesickness; they made us look forward to returning from trips when nothing else did, and they made us feel like a family before we were one.
6. Much of what I love is cheap or free. It was true when it was a necessity, and it’s true now when it’s less so. Reading, walking a beautiful neighborhood, hiking, playing cards and board games, writing, ice cream and hot dogs, dinner at home with friends, outdoor movies, outdoor concerts… I don’t find it hard or expensive to have fun, and so I find that there is fun around every corner.
7. I stepped out boldly in friendship. As a lifelong introvert, I grew up with a core group of friends that I diligently maintained but didn’t expand. Then I moved hundreds of miles away, and desperate times called for desperate measures. Each of my treasured adult friendships required a bold act of putting myself out there, and though it was intensely scary each time, each has paid priceless dividends in memories and love.
8. We live by a budget. I know, I know – is there an answer less surprising or more boring?! Our budget helps us spend money on what we value, not what anyone else values, and it has essentially erased all fear around money from our life. We make a plan at the beginning of the year, and then we follow it (adjusting along the way as necessary!), and we are SO much happier for it.
9. We decided to have children. It seems like it was a forgone conclusion, and maybe it always was — but thankfully, I wrote this post to remember the many (many, many, many) discussions we had on the topic in our pre-baby life. Our children add more joy and wonder and delight and meaning to our days than we ever could have imagined before they arrived, and I am so glad they are ours.
I have made plenty of mistakes in my life, but I’m grateful I got these things right. I’m curious: what are some of the decisions in your life that have led to happiness? I’d love to hear, if you’d like to share!
After staying in two different homes over the holidays (and doing a little cooking in each), I came home to our kitchen with a new appreciation for some of our everyday tools (and a few items to add to our wish list that I loved using as a visitor!). Since we cook at home at least six dinners a week, I thought it might be fun to share some of our most-loved and most-used kitchen work horses. Whether you’re adding items to your wedding registry, building up your own mealtime arsenal, or looking for an idea for the next time your mother-in-law asks you for a gift idea, I hope this is helpful!
I’ve already waxed poetic about our Le Creuset dutch ovens (and the funny story of how we bought our first one), but they easily deserve the first spot on this list. We have a round 5 1/2 quart (my favorite) and a shallow round 3 1/2 quart. We use the biggie for making soups, stews, pastas, braised meats, risotto, orzo, and much more. I probably cook with it 5/7 nights a week. It goes from stovetop to oven to table beautifully, and is so easy to clean. Pick a color you love, because you’ll have it forever :)
Speaking of easy-to-clean: one of my favorite Shark Tank discoveries is the Scrub Daddy. His smile accurately expresses how easy he makes dishwashing!
We registered for a Calphalon cookware set and use many of the pieces daily (particularly the small and medium sauce pans and the stock pot). These are also easy to clean, which I love, but my favorite feature might be the glass tops, which makes it easy to see what’s bubbling at a glance! Our set is very similar to this one except ours are silver, not black.
More registry big dogs: our KitchenAid mixer (ours is black) and our food processor. The food processor got daily use in our seasons of making purees, but even now it earns its spot for making salsa, tikka paste, and just generally chopping stuff.
We don’t have a huge collection of one-off tools, but there are two that I’d recommend: an immersion blender and a griddler. We use the immersion blender for soups often (plus the mini chopper it comes with is really useful, too!). The griddler is great for grilled cheese, pancakes, and quesadillas in a pinch. The plates go in the dishwasher, which, if you can’t already tell, is an important attribute in our home.
I don’t have a ton to say about knives except that you should have them and keep them sharp :) I would recommend specializing with a great bread knife, and we love these little paring knives, too. This is the best peeler.
Now for a few things that I have no brand loyalty to, but would recommend saving a spot for in your kitchen: a blender, crockpot, simple wooden spoons, a citrus reamer, a big (for pasta) and little (for berries) strainer, a set of nesting mixing bowls (ours are very similar to this), mini silicone spatulas, several plastic cutting boards, and a slim plastic slotted spoon (I don’t love the bulky ones).
Finally, two things I’d like to add to our mix: a compost bin (this one is in my cart) and a lovelier dish rack.
TL;DR: I really, really love our Le Creuset.
I’d love to hear: what’s your number one kitchen item? Everyone’s cooking patterns and favorite recipes are so different, and I’m curious to hear!
Ready for a little movie break on your Thursday? Shep to the rescue with his first starring role: Sheptember, Volume One! (Though personally, I think big sister might steal the show at 1:45.)
This installment is particularly sweet to me, because I love the way it fixes this moment in time with our boy. Photos and videos have a way of doing that, don’t they? They add to and shape our memories. I appreciate that, because some of the things that so frustrate and fatigue us in the moment just don’t really need to be remembered.
While June has a 365-days-of-California-sun temperament — something of a unicorn child (a comparison she would be delighted by, no doubt), Shep’s temperament is more, well, normal — most of the time he’s lovely, and sometimes he’s really, really grumpy. We intentionally left those grumpy moments on the cutting room floor (including one memorable clip where Shep is screaming his head off, and you can hear John in the background saying “this one’s not going to make the movie,” HA!).
His sweetness, his fun-loving spirit, his impishness, his curiosity, and — of course — his love for his big sister all come across so strongly here. Enjoy this little glimpse into life with our favorite baby boy at one year!
