Two monthly goals posts in a row – not usually what you can expect around here! Between all the beginning-of-year EFM fun and a post I meant to share last week in honor of our twentieth (!!) dativersary that ended up needing a bit more polish, here we are. (You’ll get the relationship post next week.) Until then, here is what’s on tap for the tiny-but-mighty month of February.

On my calendar:
— The third annual Articles Club weekend away, a.k.a. Camp Clurb! I missed last year’s trip unexpectedly to be at my grandmother’s memorial service and so am especially happy to get to hang with the best gals around at the end of the month.
— Another book swap! Could there be a more perfect bright spot in the doldrums of winter? I’m hosting with a dear friend again and we’ve chosen a “book lovers” theme due to our proximity to Valentine’s Day (with teatime food since we’re partying in the afternoon).
— My birthday! It’s on a Friday this year, one of my days off each week. Last year it also fell on a day off, and I think I’m now spoiled forever: it was a true delight to spend the hours the kids were at school in a way that was simple, but designed to be uniquely pleasing to me. Promising myself I’ll make an equally good plan this year.

What I’m loving right now:
— Y’all know I’m on a Defined Dish kick. Her chicken piccata meatballs are my newest favorite – so good! I usually serve them with fettucine and sautéed green beans.
— We just bought Annie one of these okay-to-wake clocks in prep for moving her from her crib to her bed. It’s the third one in our family — the older two are quite fond of theirs.
— Speaking of Annie, this is her absolute favorite picture book right now. (It’s been a favorite of all of our kids at one time or another.) We’ve read it nightly for the past few weeks, picking out one kid to follow each time. Her favorites are the girls from India and Japan :)

As a reminder, you can find allll the things I’ve loved over the last few years neatly organized right here!

What you’re loving right now:

This is where I highlight a few items here that have been popular in the last month with fellow readers, based on my analytics. Here’s hoping this will help you find something you’ll love!

— My Christmas card photo album. I actually just ordered a few more and am going to add a set of cards to one for each of my children!
— The manners flip book we often use to supplement Team Thomas Tuesdays.
— Our foyer shoe cabinet! It really is the prettiest shade of green.
— My favorite simple v-neck white tee (closely tied with my beloved summer linen shift dress from the same brand)
— This medium hair clip I slipped into my own stocking :) I like the look, but am still figuring out the best way to get all my hair caught up.

Last month on The Connected Family:
— My tech-related goals for 2025 | 6 things I’m working toward this year
— Nancy didn’t share about her new baby until she was born. Here’s why. | An interview about pregnancy, pivoting, and transparency with a dear friend
— The 2025 TCF Annual Screen Report | It’s been a year!
— The email I sent to fellow third grade parents | Building low-screen community, one scary-but-exciting email at a time
— 50+ screen-free winter activities for kids | When it’s dark and cold, consult the winter boredom list

What I read in January:
— Best Family Ever | This is a middle grade book June pressed into my hand after finishing it herself. I’m delighted she loved it and appreciated the the closet-knit family at the center. As an adult I found it a bit too saccharine :)
— The Evening and the Morning | In addition to my official personal book club picks, I also committed to re-reading a portion of the Kingsbridge series this year, starting with this one (the prequel), which I last read in 2022. It held up – I may even have enjoyed it more this time around.
— Well Lived | This is Sally Clarkson’s newest book. While I enjoyed it, it is quite different from my favorite of her books, The Lifegiving Home. With full-color pictures, pull quotes, and scripture on most pages, it reads more like a devotional than a how-to book. Still, I finished it feeling very endeared to her.

My reading list for 2025! I’m 1 / 24 so far.

Revisiting my January goals:
Inquire with a designer friend for our bathroom project (Inquired and she is not available to help. I’ve emailed a second gal and am waiting to hear back!)
Print 2024 Instagram photos
Set up our 2025 budget
Make a loose plan for this year’s read alouds (V. v. excited for all of them)
Confirm a reunion date (Also v. excited for this.)
Make a scripture ring for our table with the verses we’ve memorized so far (Bought this one and am now writing out the verses we’ve memorized so far.)
Prep for the book swap (Door hangers are in my possession!)
Print photos for our Christmas album
Send an email to friends in my county encouraging them to email their school board reps about the potential phone ban (Did not get to this – moving to February!)

I also planned to run every weekend (check!!), practice the piano several times a week (I averaged twice a week), clean out my phone screenshots daily (check!), and keep up with our Hebrews reading plan (off the rails).

February goals:
— Finalize the itinerary for our reunion and run it by a friend to get feedback
— Record June’s birthday interview
— Choose a PCP and call about making an appointment
— Sit down with John and spend 1-2 hours going over what I have so far for the TCF audio course and getting his feedback
— Choose and begin a new Bible reading plan
— Make classroom valentines with the kids
— Put our scripture ring into action at the table
— Prep to speak at a school on behalf of TCF – my first time!
— Send that phone ban friend email (If any of you are also in Wake County and want in on it, just raise your hand in the comments! I can nab your email from the backend, you don’t have to post it publicly :))

As a reminder, many of these are drawn from my 2025 PowerSheets goals!

Let’s talk birthdays! I’d love to hear: if you had about six hours during the day on a weekday and you had no work or childcare responsibilities, how would you spend it? What would you do? Would friends be invited along? I can’t wait to hear!

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