For When You Need A Little Refresh

Is January kind of hard for anybody else?

All the beautiful lights and decorations came down at my house two days ago, and things are looking a little bare.  

If you're anything like me, I bet you spent the holiday season planning.  And anticipating.  And sometimes having a huge adrenaline rush when you realized that those last minute Christmas presents WEREN'T ACTUALLY WRAPPED YET! 

In fact, it's possible you hustled so much during the holiday season that you're not even sure how you felt about it, because you were too busy to stop and wonder.  I've been there.

But each year, as the children grow older, I'm gaining the courage to say "no" to the holiday traditions that don't bring us joy.  And that gives us time to slow down and delight in the things we love - the candles, the lights, the carols and smells of the season.

Even the most ordinary moments seem guilded with a warm glow of firelight.  

For just a few short weeks, all those special traditions we've been anticipating for 12 months are front and center in our lives.  I find myself saying "yes, let's!" so much more often than normal, instead of "not right now," or "I'm too busy."

And then, in the blink of an eye, all the fun is over, the party guests have gone home, and you're left with piles and piles of clean-up.  And maybe a stomach ache from all those treats.

No wonder January can feel a little blue.  A little cold.  A little dreary.

But in this season of endings and new beginnings, can you feel the forward motion toward spring?  The days are lengthening, the sun is showing its bright face (sometimes), and putting away Christmas decorations and obligations gives us a fresh start, a kind of blank canvas in our homes that we can either fill or leave blissfully empty.

And after several years of quiet, I'm quite excited to give this blog a fresh start.

In the coming months, I'm excited to share with you the things that I'm learning and the things that are inspiring me.  It would be a sad thing indeed if I were the same person I was three years ago, and I think the blog needs to reflect that.  I'm looking forward to sharing more inspiration, more encouragement, and a little bit less "eat only real food or you're a pathetic schmuck"-type judginess.  

Now, what about you?

What are you looking forward to this year?  What are you struggling with?  What is getting you excited?  And what would you like to see more of here on ye ole blog?