Hello everyone!! It’s a new year, with lots of adventures and experiences around the corner for us! However, I read something today that said to not forget about the old you, and to celebrate that you as well – you have survived terrible days, hard things, heartbreak, and that you is a fighter and not to leave that you behind. So while we look ahead and make changes let’s not leave that part of us behind.

And speaking of changes, Billy and I do so much planning in January! I get out my planner and make lists and set dates; I plan ahead using the Exploring Nature with Children curriculum, and the Kids Moon Club for different things we might want to do as a family. I also reserved a vacation home in Holland, MI for March for Wyatt’s birthday, and we are looking ahead and planning for that. Our pie project in November didn’t go too far, so we are going to get back to that a little bit as well, just baking in general. We have some different fun things in store for the month as well that we are looking forward to.

A big change for me this year – I have been a vegetarian for twenty some years, and I have decided I am going to eat meat occasionally this winter. I don’t think I am going to crazy overboard and eat meat constantly, but I do want to incorporate it more into my diet. I have really low iron and Vitamin D and as it is winter, I am hoping that adding in eating meat will help. I do want to try to eat meat that I know is humanely raised, and minus all the antibiotics if possible though, so I am placing an order with a local farm later today. We will see how this goes!

I am also really excited about another project we are working on this month – my home office! This room has basically been ignored for the last five years and it needs some love and a new purpose. We are going to do the works, repaint, redesign its function and style, and really make that room work for us. We live in a small home, like we could probably be on a tiny home living show, but honestly, we kind of like living small. We are outdoors a lot, and as we examine our life and lifestyle, we are making changes that make the house more functional for us. Last year at this time we flip-flopped our dining room and living and seriously, it was the best move ever. Our living room, which we call the den, is a small space, the smallest in the house, but we downsized our furniture, hung our tv on the wall, pared away what we didn’t need, and it works perfectly for us. Our old living room is a dining room/play room that we call the family room, and it is a great space now too. We oddly can fit more people in our house now than we could before! Sometimes you just need to be creative and rethink a spot. So – that is what we are doing with my office. It is going to be an office with a spot for a day bed or guest area, in case my mom needs to ever stay the night, or we just need the extra bed. I am really excited about this change; I just need to decide on the paint color!

So, we have some things in the works this month! I am also very much looking forward to down time at home too, now that the holidays are over. Curling up on the couch, with a tea and a book sounds like heaven. So good in fact, I think I will go do that right now!