Everything is changing and I couldn’t be more happy about it.
As 2015 was ending, and we’d decided that we were going to be transitioning to a one-income family (for now, anyway), it was obvious that some things were going to get moved around. This time last year I had a pretty good handle on what the coming year would bring. A wedding, sure, but for the most part everything would stay about the same. This year… I can’t even begin to picture it. Everything’s getting moved around and I know I could stress about it or I can just roll with it and who among us has ever benefited from freakin’ the heck out? No, not one.

So how’s the working from home gig going? It’s been a couple of weeks and we’re settling in pretty well I think! I’ve started scheduling out my days and that has helped a lot. It makes it easier to recognize the time that I’m spending on the blog or working on class work or working on house work. Rather than just a list of to-do’s that I hope that I get done at some point.
I did take on a part time job at The McPherson Family Life Center answering phones one night a week. It’s a low-pressure situation and a great reason to get out of the house, which is exactly what I was looking for. And the MFLC is an organization that is a wonderful contribution to our community and has even been crucial to me in my journey towards mental health. I’m excited to get to be a (small) part of something so important in our area.

A few weeks ago I was talking to my brother-in-law, who is a voracious reader, and I told him that I think I only read one book all the way through in 2015. He looked at me gape-mouthed and didn’t believe it. And I sincerely had to think about it and I still think it’s true. I tried to start a lot of books last year but I was so stressed out. Work was hard for me. I was battling migraines almost daily, and I was planning a wedding for 5 months last year. So, yeah, it seems reasonable that I only read one book. It was California by Edan Lepucki, by the way. It was very good. So good that I could only finish one book last year and that was the one that I chose. But my appetite for literature has come back in a big way. Currently sitting on my shelf, dying to be read: Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes, Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert and The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins (yeah, I know I’m v late to the party on that one, please see previous list of excuses).

We recently learned that in the next 6 weeks, it’s looking like Ryan and I are going to be moving. I’m not going to talk too much about it right now but I’m excited to share photos and little glimpses of our new home in the next few months. I think you’re going to love it. We are really thrilled. Except now we have to actually start packing/ organizing/ purging.

But today the change that I’m making is that I’m finally taking down the Christmas tree. I know, I know. It’s January 18! I was feeling a little shameful for how long it’s taken to get our decorations down but then the other night we were driving through the neighborhood and there are people with legit Christmas displays still going strong. And I don’t feel so bad. Also, my little brother, Andrew, is coming over to visit this afternoon! That’s exciting.

So let’s take down that tree.

I always have a struggle figuring out how to take down the Christmas decorations in an organized manner. But this year I got these red and green tubs from Dollar General (70% off after Christmas clearance) for $.70 each! The ornaments fit perfectly.

Do you have any holiday organization tips that I can borrow?

XOXO, Lib

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