Happy Wednesday! It’s the first Wednesday of the month and I am linking up with Jennifer to share five things I am currently doing. Each month we share five different things and I think it’s a fun way to think about what’s going on.

I am loving…
All the time we had as a family over winter break. We didn’t make any plans and it was great. We played games and laughed a bunch.




I am also loving the two days I got all to myself over break. Jeff, Jack, and Luke played golf with my dad one day and Jeff’s dad the next. It was amazing! I know I just said how much I loved our family time, but I also loved having some time to myself. I got a terrible manicure and pedicure (still better than nothing), walked with a friend, grocery shopped, went out to lunch by myself, and had an eye doctor appointment.
Jeff got a cold plunge pool about a month ago. I hadn’t gotten in until Monday. I decided to start the new year with a freezing dunk. I only made it about two minutes, but I did love how I felt afterwards. Which takes me to the next prompt, I am looking forward to dunking a few days a week. I’ll let you know how it goes!


I am looking forward to…
Being back in a routine. I could not drag myself out of bed yesterday morning to workout, but I know I feel better when I do. Hopefully by the time you read this I have worked out in our basement and am getting ready for the day.
I am resolving…
I haven’t quite figured out my January goals or any New Year’s resolutions, but I did set some relaxation goals for myself over winter break. It might sound a little silly, but I am TERRIBLE at sitting down and relaxing until I go to bed. My three goals were:
1-Watch part of the Today show each day while sitting down: I missed January 1st, but did it every other day.
2-Watch an entire movie: I did it! I watched Barbie and LOVED it!
3-Read during the day every day: I missed January 1st, but did it every other day.
Even though I missed January 1st, I am calling these goals a success! I relaxed more and felt truly rested and restored as I went back to work yesterday.
I did pick a word of the year for 2024. I wasn’t going to but this one just popped in my head and felt perfect!


I was playing around on Canva and loved both of these color combos.
I am going to focus on experiences for me, for Jeff, for the boys and soak in what I’m doing. This will help my effort to bring less stuff into my house and spend less on fast fashion or things that we won’t keep around for a while.
I am staying cozy by…
wearing my slippers as soon as I walk in the door! I have a few pairs of slippers that I love – Ugg slippers and Patricia Green bow slippers that are no longer available.
Even though I put all of Christmas away, I keep the candles in our windows until the time change. It lights up the dark nights and makes everything a little cozier.

I love to snuggle up with a throw blanket and read. So, I keep throw blankets everywhere. They are in baskets in the family room, on the back of both chairs in the library, and folded at the end of every bed. We love the Nordstrom throw and this super soft one.
We are supposed to have some snow on Saturday night into Sunday. When there is a chance of snow, I like to plan a meal that simmers on the stove or cooks in my slow cooker. I have chili planned for Sunday and I can’t wait.
I am cooking…
Everything! As things got busier in December, meal planning and cooking went by the wayside. I ate more lunches out and we had more fridge grab dinners. I have a real meal plan this week for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! My breakfast is a Built bar, lunch is leftovers from the dinner before, and dinners are going to be tasty! I’m making pork tenderloin, turkey burgers, baked ziti, tacos, and chili.
Thanks to Jennifer for hosting and getting me thinking about this month. I hope you had a wonderful start to your new year! Have a great day full of sunshine and books!

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Love your word for the year- it is a great one and the best gift you could give anyone 🙂
Thanks for linking up today! Girl. I don’t know if I could do a cold plunge! Are there benefits to it, health wise, or does it just make you feel tingly all over and alive? I’m so curious! I love those candles twinkling in your windows and how they make the room feel so warm and cozy. I do the same with twinkle lights in a lot of the rooms in our home!
Hayden takes ice baths the night before a race, so Travis for him a cold plunge too! Your candlelit family room is definitely cozy.
Love your holiday lights headbands! I’m sorry you had a bad mani/pedi, it’s supposed to be such a relaxing time. I haven’t ventured into Canva yet, I use Photoshop Elements for my digitals but hear more and more about Canva. I have the Bliss Plush blanket as well but had a terrible time when I washed it, I had to use the de-piller FOREVER to get the bits off. What is a Built bar? Happy New Year!
Love your holiday lights headbands! I’m sorry you had a bad mani/pedi, it’s supposed to be such a relaxing time. I need to explore Canva, I read a lot about it. I have the Bliss Plush blanket but had a terrible time when I washed it. It took FOREVER with the de-piller to get the bits off. What is a Built bar? Happy New Year!
I love your candlelit windows! I always say I’m going to leave out some lighted things to enjoy in winter but then I end up packing them away when I have all the boxes pulled out already.
Okay, I need to see what a Cold Plunge pool is. However, most of the winter, I could probably roll in the snow in our backyard and have the same effect! Hahaha! I’m sorry your manicure and pedicure were terrible — it’s frustrating to have self-care not go well. It kind of defeats the purpose 🙁 And I love your candles in your windows. We all need a little extra light, especially in January.