On my birthday, I wrote about my spirit age, or subjective age, of 36 – the age I’ve consistently felt on the inside since my late teens. Dancing around the edge of those musings was something else I’ve been sitting with, though it didn’t make it into the essay proper: the idea that I don’t change. This is less of a settled fact I believe about myself and more an idea I’m holding up to the light, twisting and turning to see how it looks from different angles. Does it square when held up against other things I know to be true about myself?
The answer: yes and no. Yes, I think I am an unusually consistent person, and have been for a long time. I value stability and loyalty and wisdom. I married my high school sweetheart. I have worked for the same company my whole adult life (albeit with twists and turns along the way). I made a major geographical move after college but have stayed put ever since. My faith has remained true. This blog you’re reading has been around for 14 years.
But also: I used to fear and loathe speaking in front of a crowd, and now I volunteer for it. We worship in a new community. I am hugely more comfortable with small talk, and now rather likely to extend forward invitations in friendship. I compost and use washable cotton rounds and somehow learned to use my Instant Pot. I camp and hike. I read things I disagree with daily, and sometimes they change my mind.
Let’s consider this a little home tour preview, shall we? :)
Change and novelty do not always come naturally to me, but I see their value. And so, in my 36th year, I am – very loosely, very casually – embarking on a “new 36” experiment. (“New 52” has much more of a ring to it, but 52 felt a bit overwhelming :)) The plan is to seek out the new that feels like it would add something to my life. I’m thinking of it more as a “to done” list than a “to do” list, with more room for serendipity than some of my other projects.
That being said, I do have a few ideas – some of which I’ve already checked off or that are in process…
Take tennis lessons Place an order on ThredUp Pray on my knees first thing in the morning Volunteer with Habitat for Humanity Donate blood (I come from a family of prodigious blood donors and have grand aspirations but have always been near the weight limit and somewhat prone to fainting…) Find a perfume I love Replace my beloved hat with a new look Camp for the weekend with my best big girl Chaperone a field trip Take a day trip via train to Greensboro Bike the whole American Tobacco Trail
What would be on your list? What new thing would you like to do or try? This experiment was inspired in part by my friend Shay, who shared about her “new 52” project in her 38th year. Some things she’s tried so far: throwing pottery, a new discipleship friendship, visiting a new country (!), a hot yoga class, a personal training session, a new marriage devotional, and attending a hockey game.
I also floated my idea to the Articles Club gals and they had ideas of their own. New things my pals want to try: install a Little Free Library, learn to use power tools, donate a kidney (!), play pickle ball with friends, and plant herbs.
So: what would be on your list? Or what new thing, big or small, have you tried in the last year? I’d love to hear!
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.
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! :)
For those of you who are tired of reading about goals after four posts in a row, my apologies :) Hopefully there’s something in this post to love, even if goals aren’t your favorite EFM content! And if you are a fellow goal setter, hopefully this post (or at least the timing of it) is encouragement that there’s always time to dig into what matters. I still have two full weeks to make progress on my January goals, and that feels really good. Here we go!
A few housekeeping reminders here at the beginning of the year: if you’d like to get an email every time there’s a new EFM post, you can sign up for that here. If you’re ever searching for something I’ve mentioned loving in a past goals post, you can find it here. And if you’re looking for my Amazon shop (favorite books, games, kid stuff, etc.), you can find that here!
On my calendar this month: — The first (annual?!) Articles Club retreat! All 12 of us are going to a big house at the beach for the weekend. This trip has really highlighted the research finding that preparing for a vacation brings even more pleasure than the vacation itself: the secrets, chatter, scheming, and planning with our different committees has been such fun that I almost don’t know how the actual retreat will top it – but I trust it will. — Our 18th dativersary! Thinking we will have dinner at Jujube to celebrate. — A very low-key paint-your-own pottery outing with cousins and a handful of friends to celebrate June’s 7th birthday. She is making the goodie bags herself, inspired by this Christmas present, and there will be dirt cups :)
What I’m loving right now: — A friend saw that I put Habits of the Household on my reading list and asked if I wanted to do a mini book club: her and her husband, me and mine. What a delight! I strongly felt that his first book should be read in community, and I’m sure I’ll feel the same about this one. We’re currently figuring out a structure that will work for both families, but I’m just tickled by this prospect. — Because I find the original Airpods we own to be extremely uncomfortable, I had sworn off wireless earbuds completely. John recently convinced me to try this set and wow! They are SO comfortable, have great noise-canceling ability, and are $200 less than the Apple version. I wear them when John and I are working out in the same room, when listening to podcasts and doing chores around the house, and occasionally for work. — The Mole! I mentioned it in my Best of 2022 post, but it’s too good not to get an individual shout-out. If you enjoyed the original Anderson Cooper version, you’ll love the Netflix reboot. If you did not see the original version, you’ll love the reboot. It’s smart, fun, and provided lots of conversation fodder as the episodes counted down and we tried to figure out who done it.
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 December: — Four Thousand Weeks | I have complicated feelings about this book. On the one hand, I very much agreed with his thesis – it’s similar to what we teach at Cultivate – and dog-eared several pages to refer to later. On the other, he seemed to totally misunderstand and dismiss the Christian worldview (which I believe lines up very much with his argument) and set up an unnecessarily antagonist relationship between productivity strategies and big-picture thinking. I also felt like he was trying to be reassuring throughout the book, but he still made me feel anxious – and I’m not a particularly anxious person. Overall, there were parts I liked, but I ultimately gave it a thumbs down in my very precise thumbs-up-or-thumbs-down Notes rating system :) — The Four Winds | Kristin Hannah does it again! I was warned many times over that this book was “very depressing,” and I think that helped me come in with appropriate expectations. It is about the Great Depression, but I came away finding it a tale of love and resilience. I love how each of her novels is set in such a distinct time and place – I always come away feeling like I learned something new.
Revisiting my December goals: Prepare well for my family’s visits (Yes! This went really well. I took notes for a future post on preparing to host large groups of houseguests!) Cull and organize 2021 photos (Are you tired of this goal yet? I am.) Complete the final six ornaments for the Advent calendar (YES! And it was thoroughly enjoyed all month.) Edit Sheptember, Volume 4 Write 9 blog posts (8! Just didn’t get to the Highlands recap. Look for it on a blog near you later this month :)) Savor the Christmas season (Yes, indeed.)
January goals: — Finish sketching out my goal plan for the rest of the year (i.e. what I’m going to tackle when – page 27 in my PowerSheets!) — Brainstorm potential dinner guests and choose families for February and March (January is already locked in!) — Assign problem areas to months and dig into January’s assignment — Finish culling and sorting 2021 photos — 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!!
I’ll also be aiming for nightly Peloton stretches with John, drinking two of my 30oz water bottles a day, and dedicating two hours every week to my “secret” project. I expect these habit-based goals will stay all year!
I’d love to hear: Are you trying anything new in January? Even if you don’t set official gOaLs, I find it’s often still a fresh start for people :)
As a reminder, many of these are drawn from my 2023 goals!Affiliate links are used in this post!
Today’s post marks the fourth yearly reading list that I’ve shared here. It has been a delightful exercise in thoughtfully planning my reading, which makes a certain amount of sense given the vast number of good books in the world and the relatively few I’ll be able to read in my lifetime. Over time, though, I think I have leaned a little too heavily into curating a list that looks good and checks a lot of boxes rather than a list of books I’m chomping at the bit to read. That’s okay – I think choosing an elevated list of aspirational reads is its own worthwhile pursuit, and I may return to it. But this year (perhaps in tandem with my 2023 goals), I am craving a ready list of books I can’t wait to read, and so that’s what I’ve compiled. My main criteria, after vetting them in my usual ways, was simply: would I want to dive into this book tomorrow?
After completing 18, 16, and 15 of 24 in the last three years, I’m aiming for 24/24 in 2023 :)
In most months I chose one fiction and one non-fiction book, but you’ll see I took a few liberties, as well. If you’d like me to join me for any of my picks, I’d love to have you!
January: Becoming Mrs. Lewis | Once I knew Mere Christianity was going to be my January pick, it was only too perfect to pluck this one from my TBR list. Mere Christianity | One of my favorite books of all time. I read it every few years.
February: Remarkably Bright Creatures | Described as a love story with a giant octopus, this novel has been universally adored by everyone whose opinions I trust. Love that it’s her debut. Deep Work | I have had a Cal Newport book on my list every year I’ve made one, and somehow I have still never read one of his books!! Will this be the year? With my new schedule I’ve been craving even more focus at work, so this seemed like the one to try.
March: Book Lovers | We have a copy that’s been circulating in Articles Club for the last few months with post-it notes added as it changes hands, and I’m up next. The Gospel Comes with a House Key | This one seemed fitting for my goals this year!
April: The Inheritance Games| This year’s list leans a little more “fun” than in years past, and so a buzzy YA mystery with “thrilling twists” seems right at home. The Odyssey | I haven’t read The Odyssey since ninth-grade English. I loved it, though hadn’t had much urge to re-read it until this first female translation came highly recommended. We’ll see – this may be one I later regret adding to the list, but right now I’m excited about it :)
May: Every Summer After | I have been warned that this one will make me sob, but we’re going with it. Camp Girls | A nod to June’s and my mother-daughter weekend, recommended by a friend who knows the author!
June: Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow | Another seemingly universally-beloved novel. I enjoyed her other well-known book and am intrigued by this one! The Life We’re Looking for | This book doesn’t seem to have gotten much love (only 154 Amazon reviews, though positive!), but I loved the other book I’ve read by Andy. Also seems fitting for this year’s goals: “a deeply reflective primer on creating meaningful connections, rebuilding abundant communities, and living in a way that engages our full humanity.”
July: Carrie Soto is Back | I have never read a Taylor Jenkins Reid book even though she’s had a number of blockbusters over the last few years. It’s time, and this tennis-themed one seems like a good place to start! Raising Emotionally Strong Boys | My love for Raising Boys & Girls runs deep. Since I didn’t grow up with brothers or many male cousins, I am always looking to learn from the wiser people around me, and David definitely qualifies.
August: The Maid | I think three separate friends described this book as, verbatim, “just a delight.” Perfect for a summer vacation read. As You Wish | We have been wanting to watch The Princess Bride (one of my favorites!) for family movie night, so I’ll time its premier with this read!
September: Marriage Portrait | I added this one in the hopes that it would have similar vibes to the Ken Follett trilogy – a distinct historical period, layered plots, intriguing characters. We shall see! Teach Your Children Well | This one’s a bit of a wildcard, but I heard the author on a podcast about family discipleship and enjoyed what she had to say.
October: Lessons in Chemistry | The definition of buzzy. I am actually not sure I’m going to love this one as much as everyone else does, but giving it a try because of effusive reviews from a few trusted sources! The Hiding Place | A classic I know very little about, but am excited to read.
November: The Flatshare | Sister and mom loved it. See: light, feel-good books for this year’s list. Habits of the Household | I adored the other book I’ve read by him. This is one I’m not sure I’ll wait to read until November!
December: At Home in Mitford | Steph reminded me that December is the perfect time to read a Mitford book. I haven’t picked one up in years (my grandmother loved them!), but it does sound like the coziest holiday read. Cozy Minimalist Home | Setting myself up for a new year of nesting in each season.
Honorable mentions I’m hoping to squeeze in, as well:Black Cake, Telling God’s Story, Start With Hello, The Measure, The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post, and The Cartographers.
I’d love to hear: Have you read any of these books? Would you like to read any alongside me in 2023? Let’s chat!
