Saturday, January 15, 2022

A New Year and the First Snow

Happy New Year! Just a few days into January we got the first snow of the season, and of the year. It was just a few inches, but it was enough to close schools for 2.5 days. Then, it snowed again just a few days later. Yep, another snow day! "Snow days" are no longer a real thing now that I work from home. It doesn't matter if the schools are closed and the kids are home, we don't have to commute so we can just proceed as usual! Right?? Luckily many of my coworkers are in the same situation and understanding, but it's been one thing after another for two years and we all really just need a break.



The girls really enjoyed the snow, as kids do, and rolled all around the yard, fell down, and came back with frozen faces. A couple days later when the sun came out, our neighbors invited us over to enjoy their epic sledding hill, and it turned out to be a really normal and relieving visit without worry of work, school, or viruses.




This one was outside by 7:30am.


Like most of you, I've been thinking about the new year. I haven't set specific resolutions or goals for awhile now (e.g., exercise 4 times per week, or finish a certain number of projects) because doing that is a setup for failure. Plus, who knows what type of person you'll be in 11 months? I prefer to do a mental reset, reflect on what is working and not working, and evaluate what I what I want my life to look like. This isn't always within our control, of course, but there's no reason not to do what you can.

In 2022 I want to:
  • Pay attention to the stores I am purchasing from: Particularly in the last two years, it's been so easy to order things from Amazon and have them show up quickly. In general I am pretty thoughtful about what I buy, but I want to be more so. When I do need to buy something, I want to give my money to companies with morals, or small businesses when possible.
  • Support artists: I have followed artists on social media for while now, but I recently deleted my art Instagram account. I tracked down the websites and newsletters of artists I love, and I want to support them financially this year instead of just clicking "like." As an aspiring minimalist, this doesn't always mean buying things, but subscribing through Patreon or signing up for paid newsletters or courses.
  • Waste less food: We usually have a lot of leftovers which linger and eventually get thrown away. We also have produce that goes bad before we can use it. I want to reduce the amount of food that is getting thrown away, which for me means planning more and keeping an eye on the fridge. I am not the primary food shopper or cook in the family (yay!) but this has led to me not really paying attention to what food needs to get eaten before it goes bad. 
  • Read what I like: Rather than going after a certain number, I want to concentrate on reading what I like. I want to stop reading a book I'm not enjoying without guilt. This also means that I am going to seek out books I know I'll enjoy rather than just pulling whatever looks interesting off the library shelf. 
All right; let's see how this goes!

13 comments:

  1. Oooh, those are good goals! I am trying to be more mindful of my purchases as well. I should really take on your reading goal as well, I have a tendency to push through even if I hate a book, and then that's kind of wasted time, right?

    We always have lots of snow but we never have snow days! I remember maybe one from my entire life.

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    1. My siblings in Minnesota and Montana never have snow days either - but here in Maryland we are just not equipped for the snow! It was fabulous to have days off as a kid, but as a parent, not so much.

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  2. Love these sorts of posts. I try to balance having things to keep me motivated with the fact that I'm just...absolutely tuckered out. Between COVID and life and all the wear and tear of the last few years of work/parenting/COVID, I just feel like I want to hibernate for a while.

    We just got a HUGE dump of snow over the weekend. Our schools are set to reopen for the first time tomorrow, but we'll see what happens with the roads/weather. The kids have been home exactly a month now and we're all starting to go a little stir crazy, but they do love the snow!

    http://elisabeth-frost.com

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    1. I fully support hibernating! The winter is a great time to do that, too. Glad to hear that your kids are going back to school, that is a huge relief.

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  3. Those are great goals. I lost access to my Amazon account about 10 years ago for reasons that I can no longer remember. I decided at the time that it was a message to not buy anything from there anymore. I am lucky to have some great independently shops locally and anything I cannot buy from them I try to buy from small businesses. It is not always easy though is it.

    Your photos are stunning, there is something really special about the light on a snowy day isn't there, especially at sunrise and set.

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    1. Wow, that is impressive! I don't order a ton from Amazon, but I don't think I can disconnect entirely. I love the light on the snow, you're right. I hate being cold, but the coziness of snow is always welcome.

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  4. I need snow! I need to sled, and roll around, and come inside with a frozen face! It all looks beautiful... of course, it's easy to say that from this distance, where we have none of the hassles and obstacles that come with real weather!

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    1. When it first falls, snow is great. But that it just gets gross, grey, and slushy. The grass is always greener on the other side, isn't it! I'd love to be warm all year round.

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  5. Your snowy pictures are beautiful and a sledding hill sounds like fun. I can see your girls really enjoyed the experience.
    Have a good week x

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    1. Thank you! There is nothing like the joy of a kid playing in the snow.

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  6. What gorgeous pictures! I'm glad you were able to decompress and just enjoy the sledding.

    I love your mental reset. I can't wait to follow along in 2022 :)

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    1. Thanks! I stole my husband's nice camera for these ones. I've been enjoying your blog as well, so thanks for stopping by.

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  7. Where I purchase items from and food waste are two really big things I am focusing on this year too! Also *what* items I buy is going to be a focus too. I would love to buy less disposable things or items that require a lot of plastic-y refills.

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