The new year is here and I started it off with a grand total of zero resolutions and goals. That isn’t normal for me, and I am perfectly okay with this. Of course, I’m planning and working on projects, and I do have book releases with hoped-for publication dates. However, I’m not putting any pressure on myself to accomplish much of anything.

This year, I decided to change up my planner and also start a bullet journal. The planner is a nice, neutral minimalist 7×9 Essential Daily Planner with plenty of space for my Erin Condren stickers. It has a hybrid layout for the weeks – half of the column is hourly and half has free-form lines. Of all the non-Erin Condren planners I have bought, it is easily my favorite and I might be changing to it year after year.

The bullet journal is meant to complement it, because it is where I am tracking projects, events, and keeping an actual diary/journal a few days a week. I used an A5 refillable leather journal notebook that I somehow scored for only 99 cents in 2021, and then promptly set aside because I didn’t know what I would do with it. Now, I’ve set it up to also be a minimalist way to track projects, progress, start and completion dates, and thoughts. I created sections by folding washi tape over the long edges of each page and I’m very pleased with the effect.

I thought I would post little monthly summaries here, as well, so here’s how January is going so far.

Reading

I am currently reading House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas. I’m about halfway through and I’m not sure how I feel about it. I think I like it. To be honest, I already know the plot and the twists, as well as those in the sequel. I am an ACOTAR fan. That series gave me a monstrous book hangover. I think I’m hoping for this series to hit just as hard.

Cross-stitching

I am working on “Peace Was Never an Option” by Twilight Sewn, and should have it completed by the end of the month. The only thing holding me back is that I ran out of DMC 818 while stitching the boy’s legs. However, I ordered some from 123Stitch and it should arrive soon.

Gaming

I am currently DMing a D&D 5e campaign, but the controversy around the OGL and D&D Beyond is so not cool. Alternative RPG systems are looking really attractive, because why give Hasbro any money after all of that? Regardless, the campaign itself is going okay. I think. Sometimes, it’s hard to tell. If you’re a DM, you know how that goes.

Also playing Pokemon: Scarlet and having a great time with it! The first, and only other, Pokemon game I played was Black, and I didn’t care for it. The entire plot of early games was to go from gym to gym, trying to beat the leaders. It was annoyingly repetitive. With Arceus and other recent games, the world of Pokemon has really opened up and I think that’s fantastic.

Watching

My daughter and I adored Wednesday, which was our holiday watch. 10/10, would watch again. Hoping for a second season! Some people didn’t care for it because it was a darker take on the Addams Family, but it hit all the right beats for me.

I’m watching Book of Boba Fett, as well. Only 3 episodes in, but I’m trying to watch it on Friday nights.

Exploring

During the first weekend of the month, our third in our triad visited and we had a wonderful dinner at Indian Bistro in Omaha, followed by ice cream and walking through the Old Market. Maybe that sounds a little funny, walking around during a freezing cold winter night with ice cream, but it was marvelous. We stopped at Vinyl Cup Records, and each of us bought an album, too.

The second Friday of the month was the office holiday party at Spezia. I’ve eaten there a couple of times before, so I was glad to go again. Their food is always delicious.

There have also been Spiral Scouts meetings and a trip to the zoo, with the start of the new year. December was really cozy with a lot of time spent at home, in front of the fireplace, and January has been the opposite: so busy, for mostly good reasons. But still, I’d really like to hibernate for at least a few more weekends before spring! 😁