Eye to Wonder

This is the first year I’m trying to set seasonal goals. Since I have kids, I’m using the quintile system from Best Laid Plans , which lines up with the school yearl calendar. It’s been a helpful way to prioritize what matters and plan ahead. Yearly Goal Progress: *100 strength training workouts. 29/100. Ahead of schedule! *Experiment with the Read Harder Challenge. I've read one book from the challenge, but I'm abandoning this goal since it doesn't feel fun anymore. *Post 52 times or more on my blog. 15/52. On track! *Make a playlist of favorite new songs released this year. I created the playlist, but don't have too much on it. Hoping to find some new music I love soon! *Complete monthly planning and reflection pages in my planner. I've been very consistent with this, and I love it. Marriage: *Find a babysitter. Check! The kids really like our new babysitter, and that has been great. *Go on 12 dates this year. 4/12. It's been fun to try new restaurants ...

Earlier I wrote about my word of the year, and how I haven’t set annual goals in a long time. This year, I decided to try it out again and see how I liked it. I tried to focus on goals that related to habits or things I was already doing that I wanted to maintain or deepen this year. Other goals are more focused on things I want to try or experiment with. A lot of them tie back in with my word of the year, place : connecting to the place I am in (home, neighborhood, and environment), putting everything in its place, and having my important relationships in a good place. Personal: *100 strength training workouts. I’ve been averaging 3 strength workouts a week in the last few months of 2025, and I want to continue this habit. 100 seems like a manageable goal that accounts for weeks traveling, sick, etc. but still demands a regular routine. *Experiment with the Read Harder Challenge. I used to love doing Book Riot’s Read Harder Challenge. It has many different prompts for the year,...

I’m generally a person who enjoys the energy a new year brings. I find it helpful that the new year prompts me to reflect on life as it is now and any changes I hope to make. However, since having my younger daughter, I haven’t set annual goals or a word of the year. I did use a planner and would sometimes set monthly goals and overviews, but a year seemed like such a long time to imagine with two little kids, and I got out of the habit. As 2025 came to a close, I found myself listening to many of the year-in-review episodes and feeling inspired. I always love the Happier podcast’s end of year episodes, and the Girl Next Door reflection episode is often one of my favorites of the year. Then I read the first few chapters of Best Laid Plans , and felt inspired to delve into annual planning since it hasn’t been part of my routine the last few years. So, this year I decided to pick a word of the year and set goals. My word of the year this year is place . I have a couple of associations...

I can’t believe this is the last day of NaBloPoMo. I’ve gained so much from reading lots of new blogs, writing every day, and getting inspired by all of your thoughts and ideas. It’s been fun to reflect more on our day-to-day life and keep a record of what’s happening. Thanks so much to San for hosting! Looking back at the month, I met many of my intentions and some things worked out differently then I planned. *My biggest hope-to for the month was having a nice family trip to Philly, which we did! We really focused a lot on hanging out with family rather than doing a bunch of big outings, and it ended up being really nice. *I’m hoping to reschedule the camping trip to Agua Caliente--it still seems like a really cool destination and a lot of fun. That said, having a little extra room in the calendar ended up being a good thing, and I am glad the kids were sick at home instead of Thanksgiving week with Joel’s family. *I stuck with my goal of strength training 3x weekly (except whil...

I recently read Daria’s post on 5 Things That Help My Mental Health and particularly resonated with what she wrote about laying off her phone and how she hates it and also loves aspects of it.I know that this is a common feeling and it’s something I think about a lot. In the past, I have found myself drawn to different tech solutions to this problem like the Brick that blocks apps or the Light phone which doesn’t have access to an internet browser and instead only has basic apps like podcasts, music, a camera, and maps. In the end though, there are things that are convenient about having an iPhone, and it seems silly to buy a new phone or thing when mine still works. The thing I dislike about my phone is that it’s easy during a tough parenting moment or when I feel bored to pick up the phone and skim the NYT webpage, a blog, or substack. None of these things are bad on their own, but I don’t like that I’m pulling myself away from my own life and my kids. It definitely doesn’t make a...