Happy 2023! How did you usher in the new year? It was a rainy and foggy one here and we stayed home, had friends come over, smoked brisket, made a fire, and played music games while we watched the football playoffs. We couldn’t cheer Michigan on hard enough to claim a victory, but Georgia somehow pulled it off, aligning the missed field goal that secured the “w” perfectly in sync with the ball drop. We had two TVs set up and to watch them simultaneously occur was incredible.

I swear that adrenaline rush of a game is the only thing they kept us up to midnight; I’m so happy for my Georgia bulldogs! We let the kids stay up for the first time to usher in the new year with us and we all did a cheers at midnight- sparkling apple juice for the kids and a glass of prosecco for the adults. Please enjoy mine and Hailey’s “we won!/happy new year!” faces.

A late night meant we started off day one of 2023 a little sleepy. The kids and I rewatched the entire Georgia game with a lot calmer nerves, then we got up and going. I put a pork butt on to slow cook, then David and I went for an interval run (jog a mile, run 1 minute, walk 1 minute, run 2 minutes, walk 2 minutes, run 3 minutes, walk 3 minutes, then back down the ladder). 4.08 miles in 56 minutes; fastest mile was 9:58 and slowest (walking with Finley) mile was 20:04. It was a fun challenge and I liked tracking it on my Apple Watch that I plugged back in for the first time in months.

The girls played some basketball, I did a sauna bag session, then I cooked the collards and black eyed peas and cut up the tomatoes. It’s our traditional new year day feast to bring money, luck, and love in the new year. It was delicious.

Originally I planned to start back to school this week, but decided we needed a buffer week. It’s been nonstop chaos (fun, but chaotic) from the kick off to Christmas to getting the house de-Christmasfied, to hosting New Years.

I need a week to get my feet back under me. I also haven’t had any time to reflect on the new year. I’m not sure if I’m making specific goals or not, but I’d like to reflect on this past year and set some intentions for 2023. It has the potential to be a really exciting year for us, but after making the same announcement in 2020, then 2020 going how it went, I feel like I’ve learned to hold off on making big proclamations and instead, share as things unfold.

The plan for the week:

• Start getting the kids back to normal bedtime and wake ups. In bed by 8:30; up by 8:00.
• Use the “my day” charts (free on the resource page) to give the kids an expectation of what their days look like, along with their responsibilities. They’ll have chores and some light learning to ease back in (math, Mystery Science, Kiwi Crate boxes, etc). I printed them and laminated them yesterday.
• Peruse the Chemistry Gather Round Unit we’ll begin next week to gather supplies and lesson plan.
• Get through the laundry and have the house fully put back together and clean.
• Make a meal plan and implement.
• Workout every day.
• Spend time reflecting on 2022- highlights, what went well, what didn’t work. Spend time planning for 2023- habits, priorities, plans.

That’s it! Simple, but by the time Friday roles around I hope to be experiencing a clearer and more focused mind. I’ve already checked off the meal plan; here’s what we’re having this week! A new year health goal for David is to focus on getting enough protein, even if it means eating lunch, which historically he hasn’t been able to do at work. But now it’s a priority (yay!) and I’ll be curious to see how it effects our grocery bill (I plan to continue tracking after your positive feedback).

• Sunday: pulled pork, collard greens, black eyed peas, tomatoes
• Monday: slow cooker meatballs over spaghetti and zoodles (or palmini)
• Tuesday: brown sugar glazed salmon, green beans, and rice
• Wednesday: hamburgers with roasted potatoes and broccoli (Hailey’s choice because she gets braces of Thursday!)
• Thursday: chicken noodle soup (easy to slurp for sore teeth and making a double batch to bring to a friend)
• Friday: Shepherd’s pie (another soft meal and one of Hailey’s favorites)
• lunches: chicken tortilla soup, leftovers, sandwiches
• breakfast: potato and veggie hash, fruit, eggs

Do you do a reflection/intention setting session for the new year? Do you follow a certain protocol if you do? Are you still getting your feet back under you, too? Or are you ready to take on 2023?