February 2023 goals

It was a sweet start to the new year! From a delicious Articles Club retreat to a simple afternoon bike ride with my little guy, from hosting our first family for dinner to knocking three books off my 2023 list, to finally (!) posting my Highlands recap to celebrating our 18th dativersary, I am grateful.

At the end of this month, I turn 36. If you’ve been reading for a while, you know this is a special age for me. I am grateful and excited to see what this next year holds! Thank you, thank you, Lord.

My PowerSheets, weekly notepad, and furry friend – a dynamic trio.

On my calendar this month:
— An NC State gymnastics meet! For our monthly date, June and I are going to cheer on one of our local teams, snacks in tow :)
— A Duke game! Thanks to a very kind friend who allowed us to buy two of her family’s season tickets after seeing my blog post, John and I are headed to a game this month.
— Making classroom valentines! June, Shep, and I have been discussing our plans, and it looks like we’re going to use the shaving cream trick to marble some paper and then incorporate it into two different designs. Stay tuned!

What I’m loving right now:
— John graciously gifted me the Alice Walk sweater on my Christmas list and I am in loooove. It will not be the last piece of clothing I own from them! It is SO soft, beautifully made, the sage green color is gorgeous, and – best of all – it can be machine washed and dried and does NOT shrink at all. Bliss! I think this striped number is next on my list.
— On the recommendation of the Articles Club gals, I picked up a bag of Heavenly Hunks at Costco a few weeks ago. These little nuggets are gluten- and dairy-free as well as vegan, and are legitimately delicious. One after dinner is the perfect treat!
— I recently discovered Chelsea Mcshane’s paintings and wow! So beautiful. She has faith-based and kid-focused pieces and I’m currently debating several for a spot in our kitchen.

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

What I read in January:
— Mere Christianity | For me, this book is like the most comforting, warm hug. So grateful for Lewis’s elegant, generous writing.
— Becoming Mrs. Lewis | I specifically paired this book and the above because I thought it would be neat to read C.S. Lewis’s writing while reading a novel about his life. And it was! I switched back and forth between the two on alternating nights. As for the novel itself: I enjoyed it. It is a complicated story. I struggled with some of the choices Joy made (namely, leaving her boys for months and months), but also understand that she was living in a different time under difficult circumstances. I’m glad I read it.
— Book Lovers | It has been years since I read a romcom, and this one did not disappoint! The plot was a bit predictable, but I enjoyed the snappy, fun dialogue.

Starting out strong with my reading list for 2023! Here it is, if you’d like to follow along.

Revisiting my January goals:
Finish sketching out my goal plan for the rest of the year
Brainstorm potential dinner guests and choose families for February and March
Assign problem areas to months and dig into January’s assignment (Tackled my desk in January!)
Finish culling and sorting 2021 photos (No – my free days were swallowed by a friend’s project I’m helping with, but hope will spring eternal in February :))
Print our favorite Instagram photos from 2022
Prep for Valentine’s Day fun
Download the Blurb software
Finish planning and enjoy the Articles Club retreat (Yes! Recap coming soon!)

February goals:
— Finish culling and sorting 2021 photos
— Print our favorite Instagram photos from 2022
— Tackle our upstairs hall closet
— Sell or clear out the remaining items from our kitchen refresh (two light fixtures and bar stools)
— Share some thoughts here around my birthday. Been mulling on this post for awhile!

As a reminder, many of these are drawn from my 2023 goals!

Keeping things simple this month in the hopes I can knock them all out – one in particular :) In addition to the birthday post (and at the risk of spoiling the surprise), I’m also planning to share tips for hosting large groups of houseguests, an Articles Club retreat recap, all about reading the first Harry Potter with June, my top five favorite board books, our keys to a happy marriage, three family faith formation practices that have been helpful for us, and a Marvelous Money post on the cost of adding a third child. I’d love to hear which one you’re most excited about! :)

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