New Year, Same Me: Resolutions for 2021

Happy New Year, inauguration day, and almost the end of dry January! That’s right, I’m attempting dry January. Yes, I wanted to give up on January 6th, but here I am with only 11 days left. Do I want to toast to democracy today? Of freakin’ course. #PrayForMe #DrinkForMe

Riding off the momentary high of creating a monthly goal like dry January, I decided to create mini goals for each month of the year. I’m typically a goal setter, note that doesn’t mean that I accomplish them, but I love dreaming them up! Each year, I have a handful of resolutions, but this year I have a whole flippin’ sheet and I’m pretty psyched on it.

My daily goals are teeny tiny. I have a group text dedicated to ticking off these daily goals. It’s comprised of Katie, two friends, and myself. We’re just there to remind each other to take five minutes to crunch, squat, walk, or whatever we’ve chosen as our daily motivators. These goals are meant to be little reminders that we have bigger goals on our list and each day is an opportunity for progress.

These are the big ones. Honestly, if there are any goals on the list that I won’t accomplish, it’s probably a few of these. I’m telling myself this year will be different and I hoping by creating the daily and monthly goals as markers of success – I’ll stay focused on achieving these as well. Full disclosure – half of these were on my list last year! For some reason I do not take my health in terms of doctor visits very seriously. It could be because I’m typically a healthy person and don’t often need care or maybe it’s because I move cities every few years and never form solid relationships. Whatever the deal is, I’m determined to seek out a primary care physician that I trust and see some other specialists to make progress on this goal. Totally typing this so I can reflect on it in twelve months. Make future Sarah proud.

These are all meant to be enjoyable goals to grow in the hobbies I’m already into. I find I need goals within even the “fun” spheres of life or else I feel stagnant. Let’s just say I was a sticker chart kind of kid.

These monthly goals are a mixed bag. Some goals are meant to focus my time, others to challenge my habits, and a few to propel me into a more consistently active lifestyle. I would consider myself fit and active, but I usually just cram it all into the weekend and I’d like to force myself to find that balance during the week to work out my body as hard as I’m flexing my mind. Some of these months could probably use another goal or two, but I’ll figure that out as I move through the year. I’m particularly interested in the ‘no spend’ months – have you ever tried anything like it? Or any others? What resolutions are you working on this year? Did you find any of mine to be surprising or inspiring? Or are you shaking your head and saying ‘f resolutions!’ whichever camp you’re in, leave a comment and let me know.

Field Trip : Botanic Gardens

*This post was originally published in October of 2017. We’re republishing it today as a reminder to everyone that botanic gardens are a great space for relaxation and inspiration.*

Have you ever been to a botanic garden? If not, it’s time to find one in your neck of the woods. You may be lucky enough to have one in your city or town, or you may want to visit one the next time you’re on vacation. Trust us, this is a field trip that’s equally entertaining for both adults and kiddos.

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Read with Me: Braiding Sweetgrass

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My 2020 reading has a very obvious theme: it’s all about nature and our connection to the natural world.

Braiding Sweetgrass was the first book that I finished this year. Then I read The Overstory; more on that in another post. This morning I started Nature Underfoot. And waiting in the wings is this Rachel Carson biography. It’s a theme, alright. So if you’re looking for a book about rediscovering our connection to nature, there’s no better place to start than Braiding SweetgrassContinue reading

Happy (Valentine’s) Day

We’re heartbroken over the death of John Prine, so today we’re re-sharing one of our favorite Prine songs. We originally shared this song for Valentine’s Day 2017. This song is also included on the Valentine’s Day playlist that we put together in 2014.

In Spite of Ourselves by John Prine. xo

I hope you all have an OK day, in spite of yourselves.

Getting Outside : Kids Edition

This post was originally published as part of an ongoing series where we share ideas, big and small, for getting outside. Our first post shared a few ideas for getting outside at every energy and adventure level. Sarah followed-up with suggestions for week-day doses of outside time. We also wrote another post that suggested taking advantage of the awesome national and state park programs.

We’re republishing the post because we realize that everyone is social-isolating at home with their kids for an extended period of time. With all of those hours together, this is the perfect opportunity to create new, healthy habits. Something we’re passionate about is spending time in nature with Alex and Luc.

Have you seen the headlines?

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Honestly, this shouldn’t be that hard of a task, but in the craziness that is life getting outside with kids can be hard. Here are our tips for helping to get you and your kids out the door and into nature. Continue reading

Reading with Kids: Math Games!

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These are some of our favorite out-of-print “thinking” books.

The back of the books say: “This is not a mathematic book in its usual sense; it is a book about thinking. It is about perspective, and about abstracting to look at things in a new way.” That simple description concisely explains why I love them. These books are unlike any typical math book.

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