My Word for 2023

Last year was a very successful year for my chosen word, wonder. I had a literal constant reminder stuck to me every single day of the year: my daughter. As she explored the world, I chose to wonder in it as well and it helped me to slow down and appreciate the little joys in life.

This next year, with a new addition on the way and many changes coming to our family, I wanted to choose something that would help as our foundation as our family is growing.

Build

“build

1) construct (something) by putting parts or material together.

2)make stronger or more intense.
”

This year, as we form a foundation, I want to continue being intentional about building our family in ways that uplift ourselves and those we encounter.

Building up others with my actions and words.
Building good habits that will last a lifetime.
Building a positive family environment.

…and more!

It’s the work of a lifetime, but something I want to focus on this year.

Here are some other words I have chosen in previous years:

2022: Wonder
2021: Create
2020: Growth
2019: Bold
2018: Liberation

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Did you choose a word for 2023? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!

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My Word for 2022

Two thousand and twenty-two.

When I was young, that year sounded far off, and somehow anything that far away had to mean there were flying cars as a standard. My car still does not fly, yet here we are.

2021 was a surprising year that entailed much. I quit my teaching job, read a few books, found out we were expecting (I didn’t think my word of last year, create, would manifest in that way!), traveled to five countries, gave birth, and all the while learned much about myself.

I’m really interested to know what this next year holds. I never know, and I’m always surprised, yet every year, I never fail to wonder. And what, pray tell, is this year’s chosen word?

Wonder

“wonder

1) a feeling of surprise mingled with admiration, caused by something beautiful, unexpected, unfamiliar, or inexplicable.
”

While growing a tiny human, while everything was new and strange, I never really stopped to wonder. I was too distracted by the lists of things I should or shouldn’t eat, do, or think (yes, think, because someone tried to convince me that any passing negative thoughts were somehow going to ruin my unborn child.).

This year, I want to reclaim that and wonder at the world. I want to see it in a new light - and I think with Baby Z, it will be especially fun to see things in her eyes - everything really is new to her! I want to stop and acknowledge and wonder at the beauty that is the life gifted to me.

Here are some song lyrics to a favorite song:

May we never lose our wonder
May we never lose our wonder
Wide-eyed and mystified
May we be just like a child
Staring at the beauty of our King

'Cause You are beautiful in all Your ways…

“Wonder” Bethel Music

Here is to a year of wonder!

And in case you’re interested, here are some other words I have chosen in previous years:

2021: Create
2020: Growth
2019: Bold
2018: Liberation

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Did you choose a word for 2022? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!

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My Word for 2021

Here we are once again at the beginning of a brand new year and to the annual “word of the year” post. If you have been reading along over the years, you know that I choose a focus word at the start of every year. While I usually end up making the decision in transport at an airport or on an airplane, circumstances would have it that I’m actually at home while reflecting this year.

I am certain that my sentiments for last year may sound a lot like some of your sentiments when it comes to disappointment and loss. Upon reflection, while I cannot say this last year was the best I’ve ever had, it also was not the worst. Even though I personally lived through a lot of disappointment and loss both due to and unrelated to the pandemic I survived, that was just it - I was surviving. I was not able to do anything that I loved doing!

This thought led me to the word I chose for this next year.

Create

“create

1) bring (something) into existence.

2) cause (something) to happen as a result of one’s actions.
”

Last year, with the craziness of trying to cope during the Pandemic, creating was put on the far back back back burner, if that back burner even exists. The moments I actually took time to create - something I love doing- were the moments that brought the most joy.

This year, I am going to be taking more time to slow down and create! Not just for myself, but for others. I want to create joy in others’ lives. I want to be creative in the way I do that. Creating that goes beyond my next crochet or Cricut project, or the next product I put in my online store. I have a lot of plans for this upcoming year that I will slowly be revealing to everyone as time goes on, but trust me, a lot of creativity will be going into these projects.

I am definitely going to put this word up on my office wall as a not-so-subtle reminder to do so.

Here is to a year of creating!

And in case you’re interested, here are some other words I have chosen in previous years:

2018: Liberation
2019: Bold
2020: Growth

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Did you choose a word for 2021? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!

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How to Rock and Enjoy Your Staycation

The pandemic has messed up a lot of travel plans across the world, and we have also been directly affected by that. With such a short window in the summer when both of us are free before I need to report back to school, there really was no way to go away for the vacation we had intended. 

I was still determined to have a fantastic summer. The problem was that we needed to have the feeling of actually getting away. Being cooped up in our home for months was difficult especially for J, since I’m a happy homebody. We realize these are totally first world problems, but with everything going on in the last few months, we had really been looking forward to getting away.

Staycation-ing was the only way for us to do things this summer, but it has been pretty good so far. I had a few questions about how we are accomplishing this, so I thought a short blog post on the topic could be fun!

A staycation is a great option when travel is not possible. Maybe you need to save some money, or maybe there is a pandemic and you can’t do any overseas travel. In any case, here are some ideas for your staycation that don’t involve chores. This list is not exhaustive, but I hope that it will trigger some ideas!

Staying Inside:

1. Settle down with a good book

2. Or write a book

3. Light some candles

4. Have a spa day

5. Try a new workout

6. Try a new recipe

7. Hire an in-home chef

8. Board Game night

9. Karaoke night

10. Plan a zero plan day

11. Try a new type of art

12. Do a mat workout outside - or any workout outside!

13. Have a movie marathon

14. Finish a house project, if that’s fun to you

15. Eat breakfast in bed

16. Eat breakfast outside

17. Sleep in and then take a nap

18. Create a staycation playlist

19. Bring your vacation theme home (Luau in the backyard? Mountains of laundry to climb?)

20. Take up a new hobby

21. BBQ everything

22. Rent an inflatable slide!

23. Truly unplug from work!

24. Create a blanket fort in your living room - or any room

25. Learn an instrument or practice one

Spending Time Outside:

1. Visit the closest beach. It could be the ocean, it could be the lake. Just pack your towels, some sunscreen, and spend some time by the water. 

2. Go for a hike or long walk

3. Explore a new trail

4. Go for a picnic

5. Fly a kite

6. Go canoeing or kayaking or paddleboarding

7. Do some gardening

8. Sidewalk chalk it up

9. Build a treehouse

10. Inflatable pool?

Staying Near Home:

1. Go out for ice cream after dinner and walk around

2. Explore a new neighborhood

3. Explore something new in your city

4. Use this anywhere travel guide

5. Pitch a tent in your backyard 

6. Try a new restaurant 

7. Go on a drive

8. Rent a convertible for the day

9. Find a friend with a pool and jump in

10. Check into a hotel in your city

11. Find a fun AirBNB close by

12. Explore a state or national park

13. Find day trips from your city

14. Rent bikes downtown

15. Go to a tourist attraction in your area

16. Do some museum hopping

17. Get a photoshoot done - or do one yourself

18. Set up an outdoor movie theatre

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What would you do to staycation? Let me know!

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Save Money on a Road Trip

Road trips are so much fun! Especially when they’re with the right people - or person! I cannot tell you how many miles of highway we’ve covered over the last ten years, but it is a very high number. We’ve become pretty good at road tripping, and even better at saving money while doing it. It took a little trial and error, but here are our tips so that you don’t have to go through that part. Let us know at the end what your best road trip money saving tips you have!

Set a budget

The first step in saving money for anything is setting a budget - an exact amount that you can spend, or should not spend over. When we budget for road trips, we consider how many miles we will be traveling to decide on how much to allot for gas, and how many days we will be taking. Another thing to consider is whether you will be driving your own car, or renting a car, and what the possible charges for that will be (don’t forget to look if the company limits your miles!).

Prep your own snacks for along the way 

Not only will prepping your own snacks save you money, they will save you time as well! If you’re anything like me, you’d probably like to save the money you allotted for eating to eat out once getting to your destination rather than doing it along the way. Prepping easy, and healthy snacks will keep your prices down and save you time along the way that you would have used for stopping and ordering and the like. Another plus? You can use this opportunity to pack healthy snacks that will keep your energy up!

Use gas buddy to find the best gas prices on the road

Since you have to buy gas anyway, why not do a quick 10-second check to see where you can get the best deal along your route? It’s sometimes worth it to check prices along the way! I use an app called Gas Buddy to find the best deals around me frequently, and it has definitely paid off at times.

Consider alternate lodging along the way

Rather than staying in a nice hotel along the way, consider alternate lodging. Do you know a hospitable friend in the area you could stay with? Are you a camper? Oftentimes setting up a tent along the way is inexpensive. What about AirBNB? The possibilities are pretty much endless.

Get the most out of your gas 

Before you leave, make sure your tire pressure is where it should be to get the most out of your mileage. Using cruise control also helps!

Consider Parking

Scout out the parking where you are going. I can’t tell you how many times I hadn’t even thought of that and found out parking was a crazy amount of money when I got there. Look ahead of time and see if you can find cheaper or even free parking nearby. Once, we got to our destination and the parking was OUTRAGEOUS. Some planning ahead would have saved us a headache.

Avoid getting a ticket

Avoiding traffic tickets will save you big bucks. Make sure to follow all road signs, including speed signs and traffic lights on your road trip. Be familiar with the rules of the road where you are going, as they do sometimes vary!

Calculate Tolls

Don’t forget about tolls! You may want to consider using a toll calculator to estimate how much you will be spending on tolls. Be aware that some tolls are now cashless and require some kind of tag transponder to avoid a surcharge. It might be worth it to get the system required where you will be traveling. Another option is to avoid tolls all together. You can make sure your settings in Google Maps avoid tolls to do this.

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What are some ways you save money on road trips?

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