Friday, January 2, 2015

New beginnings.


There's something really refreshing about the beginning of a new year, isn't there? Even though January 1st is really just the continuation of this thing we call life, if feels like so much more. As if the slate has been wiped clean, as if anything and everything is possible, like being born again in a world where we can be or do anything. And whether it's just a mental trick we play on ourselves or not, I intend to ride this wave of the new and the now for as long as it hangs around. 

In past posts I've mentioned that I don't make New Year's resolutions, but I do have some things that I'd like to work on in 2015, and here are a few of them:

1. Become a pie making master: This Sunday will mark the beginning of what I'd like to affectionately call "The Pie Project." Making pies has always seemed so very daunting to me, mainly because the process of making the dough has always seemed so strict. As someone who relishes in making everything that I can from scratch, this has weighed on me. However on Thanksgiving I finally took the time to really research the process, thanks to several pie making blog posts from smitten kitchen. I was amazed with the results, but I know I can do better with practice. I plan to add a few more simple tools to our kitchen tool box, like a bench scraper and shaker, to help with the process. There are so many different washes to experiment with, methods to try, ingredients to swap in and out, and hopefully all will end up delicious, if not at least edible to accompany a cup of hot coffee.

2.  Get back on my mat: I've been neglecting my yoga mat the last year or so, and my joints are not happy about it. I'm not going to sit here and blame it on becoming a mom and "woe is me I'm so busy and tired now", because that's not actually the case. Home practice has always been something that is difficult for me, and I sorely miss the warmth and community of a supportive Bikram studio, like what I had all those years in Philadelphia. I always feel so much better once I start, I just need to get into a good routine again. 

3. Yoga for Smaug: I'd like to begin to expose Oswin to yoga as well, and it only seems natural since she inadvertently does yoga poses all the time. Pigeon, downward dog, babies seriously are born as natural little yoginis, and I'd hate for her to lose that. If anyone has any resources on introducing an almost 15 month old to yoga, I'd love if you wouldn't mind sharing.  

4. Get knitting/crocheting: This is one of those goals that comes up every year and I never get to. But I really want to learn how so I can make lovely little warm and fuzzy things for our family and friends.

5. Clean out my closets: Clear out your closets, clear out your mind. I've done a really good job this year of beginning to filter out the extraneous stuff, but my closet is still a bit of a mysterious wonderland. I want to surround ourselves with only the objects we love, the objects that hold sentimental meaning, the objects that bring us back to certain places or times in our lives. I want to clear out the rest of the extraneous goods to surround ourselves with the beauty that is our lives, and nothing else. This is a continual project, and I plan on 2015 being the year that I make some major progress on this general life goal. Make your life beautiful, whatever that means for you, your family, and your home.

How about you? What are you going to write on that newly cleaned slate?

Wishing you and yours a beautiful, happy, and healthy 2015!

A la prochaine friends...

Honey

No comments:

Post a Comment