April 2025 goals
At the beginning of this year, I declared 2025 “the year of dating.” I clarified that this goal wasn’t about more or more elaborate dates; it was about renewing the spirit of new love. If I had a sense that a correction might be necessary at the beginning of this year, it became clear it was necessary as the months unfolded, as little failings between us two were exacerbated by forces outside our control: the weight of stock market swings (and accompanying stress at work for John) as well as a trio of losses close to home. Slowly, and then all at once, this culminated in a tearful meltdown one night and then a long, honest chat about what we each were missing in our marriage right now.
The things we wanted are small and inconsequential on their own — a hug every day, more nightly walks, an emptied and filled dishwasher on days I’m off work, a little thank you if I get the kids through baths while John’s napping. Indifference in attending to them, though — which in our case, to put it bluntly, comes down to valuing the self over the partner — can start a downward spiral.
Really listening to and respecting what matters to each other was hard. Acting on it, surprisingly, has been mostly a joy. Tiny acts of marital sacrifice have been re-ennobled for both of us.
Will we need another reset at some point in the future? Of course. Such is the privilege of a long marriage. We are not, alas, our glory-selves yet :)
On my calendar:
— Our spring break trip to Hilton Head Island. You all have been so gracious to tell me over the years how much you love a Thomas family trip recap (me, too!), so expect one later this month.
— A few tune-up swim lessons for the big kids. What once felt overwhelming – our neighborhood swim team – has become a treasured part of our year. It’s also a sport where we see an inner drive to improve in our kids (not the case in all pursuits!), and we want to honor that.
— Planting things! I got a bunch of cosmos and zinnia seeds from the hardware store and am planning to just sow them willy-nilly in our back bed after the last frost and see what pops up.
What I’m loving right now:
— I’m not sure I’ll have time to write a blog post about this year’s Easter baskets, but I did want to share some of the goodies I’ve collected! As always, it’s a mix of new, consignment, and hand-me-down finds. I’ve linked everything I can here — especially fond of the Anne of Green Gables devotional for June, the Butterbeer goldfish, and the best swim goggles.
— I was influenced by my sister-in-law to switch out the hand towels in all of our bathrooms for these fluffy white waffle ones from Target. They’re great!
— I’m a few months late in sharing this, but it truly blew me away — a pitch-perfect mashup of dozens of musical guests from the first 50 years of SNL. A very fun six-minute listen.
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!
— This modern school years memory book. I looked at a bunch before settling on these for the kids and I really love them!
— A summer essential.
— The tiny weighted vest you’ve seen everyone wearing (if your neighborhood is anything like mine!).
— Our new non-plastic cutting board…
— …and our non-plastic dishwasher pods!
Last month on The Connected Family:
— 5 digital-to-embodied swaps to consider | What do we outsource to digital ease, and what do we keep for ourself?
— On cooking dinner for my family | Doing small things with great love (and what does this have to do with tech?)
— 5 digital solutions I embrace | Tiny places where technology has led to flourishing
— How I’m thinking about rites of passage | My scratch pad on what to do, when to do it, and who to include
What I read in February:
— Delicious! | Am I becoming curmudgeonly in my old age? It took me awhile to warm up to this novel that everyone else seemed to love. It did win me over in the end, but the writing just felt a little simple and the characters, flat, after the dazzling humility of Gilead.
My reading list for 2025! I’m 2 / 24 so far.
Revisiting my March goals:Complete Easter basket shopping with the kidsOrganize Annie’s closetTrack down final RSVPs and contact information for the reunion and confirm locationsFinish planning and enjoy HHI tripStrength train 2x/week
Practice piano 2x/week (Averaged about once a week, which is more than last month!)
Figure out a plan for bathroom (No final decision yet due to some rescheduled meetings, but I have reached out to several more contractors.)Disassemble Annie’s crib and rearrange her room a bit
Choose a PCP and call about making an appointment
Complete two more watercolor postcards (One done!)
April goals:
— Film Annie in April
— Take Rosalie’s watercolor landscape class
— Complete two more watercolor postcards
— Record the first TCF audio AMA with John
— Review the TCF course outline with John
— Finalize and print itineraries for our reunion weekend
— Choose a new Psalm and begin memorizing it as a family (any suggestions?)
As a reminder, many of these are drawn from my 2025 PowerSheets goals!
Thank you so much for being here, friends! Feel free to respond to anything I’ve written or anything else that’s on your mind. xo
Affiliate links are used in this post!
I felt the same about Delicious! and The Paris Novel, Reichl’s other fiction book that came out last year. For me, her memoirs are so well-written that her fiction feels flimsy (and almost juvenile) by comparison!