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We did it! So long, 2020! + What’s in store for Q1

January 1, 2021 by jessica Leave a Comment

image credit: Betty Subrizi

2020. Was. A. Year.

I know we can’t let out a sigh of relief just yet, but turning the calendar to 2021 feels like we’ve hit a major milestone in leaving behind the worst of year of our generation. (Fingers crossed.) And, yet, there was some good that came out of our collective “gap year.” We learned to slow down. We grew green onions on our windowsills. We lovingly raised sourdough starters. We relished the simplicity of walks. We watched so much TV (and still raise an eyebrow when Carole Baskin comes up). We cherished family and friends, and cared for them by social distancing. We supported the restaurant industry by ordering contactless pickup and delivery. We stayed home to ease the burden on healthcare workers. We masked because we cared for more than just ourselves. We pushed the reset button on our lives and identified our priorities.

It was a tough year, but in some respects, a year we needed.

I was thinking back to a year ago when blogs and Instagram accounts were littered with ambitious to-do lists, grandiose travel plans, and annual one-word mantras. No one knew what 2020 had in store for us and how it would force us to adapt to change and live more intentionally. While I’m thrilled to finally have 2020 behind us, I hope to bring some of that flexibility and thoughtfulness to the new year. In 2021, I’m approaching annual planning a bit differently this time around and taking it one quarter at a time. (I was dangerously close to a Fast and the Furious reference there.)

Here are my goals for the first quarter of the new year:

  • Office makeover! Working from home isn’t my favorite and it doesn’t help that I have a terribly uninspired room that I’m working in — one that still has an unpacked box from when we moved in. That’ll be changing shortly and I’ll be sure to share some before photos (maybe after I move that box…) and the direction I’m going in soon!
  • Lose 5.5 pounds. I have a goal of losing 21 pounds in 2021. I might document this; I might not. I struggle with my weight and even just putting a number and time frame of my hopeful weight loss is a bit daunting. I’m excited, though!
  • Paint the bathroom ceiling. As you may recall, I gave the bathroom a mini refresh last fall. I swapped out the old florescent light fixture in favor of a smaller, schoolhouse-inspired one and I was left with a pockmarked ceiling that was only partially painted. I need to get around to finishing that.
  • Paint the guest room. I painted the guest room grey when we moved in without adequately testing paint swatches. It turns out, the grey I picked looks lilac most of the day. I hate it and I really need to do something about it.
  • Contractor quotes. I’d like to do some contractor research and narrow it down to three to give us quotes on a full bathroom remodel as well as quotes on redoing our original-porch-turned-sunroom. I have no idea what this will cost and I’d like to get a better idea of what we’re saving for.
  • Get in the habit of doing the dishes every night. I tend to let them sit for a day. I know.
  • Read three books. For those who are voracious readers, I realize reading three book isn’t an impressive goal for the first three months of the year. I used to read a lot (one of my majors is in English literature!), but haven’t prioritized it lately. I’d like to start reading a bit before bed each night and rediscover my love of the written word.

What’s on deck for you in 2021? Are you looking at the year as a whole or breaking it down into smaller chunks?

–
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Filed Under: Lifestyle Tagged With: new year's resolutions

Hello!


Jessica Hamm
Hello there! I'm a first-time homeowner updating a 1920s house in Madison, Wisconsin. I have a penchant for travel and a love of costume jewelry.

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Our guest room wasn’t a design priority until la Our guest room wasn’t a design priority until late last year when we finally bought a bed, mattress, and a set of sheets. We used some of our own extra bedding (tucking in the generous overhang of our king blankets under the queen-sized mattress) and old bedside lamps from our bedroom: functional, but not quite the charming space I’d envisioned.
 
That started to change when I purchased the Popcorn Grid Coverlet from Schoolhouse — an item I’d been eyeing for years — plus some graphic floral pillows. Then came a bright blue round cushion and the sweetest Teig lamp, both generously gifted by Schoolhouse, and the room finally started to come together. You can shop my picks here: https://liketk.it/5f322

#Ad #SchoolhousePartner #SchoolhouseSpringStyle #SchoolhouseLiving #InteriorInspo #SlowDecorating #GuestRoom
Growing up in northern Wisconsin, lilacs always hi Growing up in northern Wisconsin, lilacs always hit peak bloom right around my birthday on May 30. My mom would fill a large crystal vase with fresh-cut stems, and their scent would waft through the house. 

Now that I live a few hours south and lilac season wraps up earlier, the blooms actually mark the start of my birthday month.

#Lilacs #LilacSeason #SpringFlowers #InBloom #BirthdayMonth #MayBirthday
Snapshots from the past week: • Spent quality t Snapshots from the past week:

• Spent quality time with my favorite cat

• Biked for Pacificos, chips and quac, and tacos at @bandit.tacos 

• Loved how the rain collected on the Lady’s Mantle I planted last year

• Dipped my toes (quite literally) into this year’s mesh shoe trend

• Snapped a lot of Lily content

• Drove home with a new lilac in the passenger seat
Finishing our guest room has been a focus of ours Finishing our guest room has been a focus of ours this year, and the cute Teig Lamp from Schoolhouse is such a charming addition to the space. It’s named for the German word for “dough,” which is perfect for its soft, petite shape.

Find this and the other Schoolhouse items we’re using in the space here: https://www.shopltk.com/explore/bedknobsandbaubles/posts/e01ae8c9-38af-11f0-b5c2-0242ac11000b

(The lamp and circle pillow were gifted. I purchased the other items.)

 #schoolhousespringstyle #schoolhousepartner #ad
Stripes, windowpane, floral, and a single polka do Stripes, windowpane, floral, and a single polka dot of bright blue to punctuate our guest room bedding. 

#guestroom #bedding #schoolhouseliving #schoolhouse #landsend #homedesign
I’m challenging myself to get through a backlog I’m challenging myself to get through a backlog of travel photos before we book our next trip. First up, photos of the gothic York Minster. I’m not religious in the slightest but I can’t resist stunning architecture and the opportunity to climb hundreds of cathedral stairs for a city view. This one only had a single rest stop about halfway up the flight of 275 steps for a closeup view of the flying buttresses — and a waiver you had to sign before your ascent to promise you’re healthy enough to make it.
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