Starting 2024 GENTLY!

Sure I'd love to sprint fresh out of the gate of 2024, but honestly we caught nasty colds from my family while visiting for Christmas. We Started out the year easy breezy.

I did roast a whole Chicken for New Year's eve. We wanted to do something special that was chill and easy. I basically made "Engagement Chicken" but added a plate of Roasted Veggies to make it a Sunday roast. My British Hubs is very into that tradition loved by our over the pond cousins. I even made the gravy with champagne.

Here's a little youtube video if you want to see it. SHOW ME THAT CHICKEN

Then I took the bones of said chicken and made Chicken noodle soup the next day for our sickipoo selves. SHOW ME THE CHICKEN SOUP

Like so many people 2023 was a particularly tough year. . . No really. I got through 2 full house moves out of state, business hurting, thyroid cancer and surgery, my father passing and a really bad car wreck (drunk driver hit us running a red light). I'm grateful to be alive. It was a very close call.

Now we're back in New Mexico, and I'm truly taking some time and space to figure out what I feel, what I need and want. . . There are so many things I want to do and I'm feeling a ton of pressure. I'm fighting back 'I'm not doing enough' syndrome by taking short gentle walks, hot epsom salt baths, and getting tons of sleep. I'm using my humidifier, making stickers for my planner on my silhouette machine.

I am slooooowly cutting out images for a new vision board, and sloooowly cleaning the house. slooooowly. Calling about getting our dishwasher fixed. The best thing has been going to youtube and pinterest and seeing what images are inspiring. Taking time and space to see what is inspiring me now. I'm giving myself some grace and space instead of trying to force myself to figure it all out immediately.

Mercury has just gone direct and has a hazy grace period anyway. The new moon isn't till the 11th so it's ok to start gently and dreamily and focus on physical and mental health. Clarity will come. Ambition will return at the right time. . . put things into your goals, dreams, ideas etc as they come. I'm making slow lazy lists, but they grow day by day.

A little at a time with a lot of patience will get you there. If anything 2023 showed me that pushing and forcing your way forward with ambition doesn't always pan out and sometimes it's ok to just be and to take your time. Risks don't always pan out, but they do help us clarify who we are and what we value. Here's to an easier, and much more satisfying year. Cheers!

Here are some of my favorite cozy products I'm currently loving this January. . .

Scuttling about in cozy slippers!

The best cut sweatpants! I've been absolutely living in them! I ought to get a second pair!

The softest blanket ever. Large enough to be a whole other layer on a king sized bed. Sherlock our beagle is a big fan of this blanket. He is always rolling around on it!

My very warm and inexpensive coat it's water resistant and wonderful for skiing etc. so far it's mostly being used to stay warm on short jaunts and dog walks near the mountains.