Welcome! My name is Kara. You can learn more about me and why I write this blog here.

Here is the week I hope to have:

1.1.23 – 1.7.23

• 1st – Happy New Year!
• 6th – Sherlock’s birthday, Epiphany, Wolf Moon

First things first …

• What on my list is essential?
• Do I need help?
• Where can I compromise?

To Do / Enjoy / Remember:

• Extended family Christmas celebration
• Make paper snowflakes and stars
• Change calendars
• Turn alarms back on for school, clubs, and sports practice
• This is a Pay Day week:
  • Budget x Paycheck
  • ATM – cash envelope stuffing
  • Begin Christmas 2023 savings
  • Begin January low / no spend $
• All good things must end:
  • Take down Christmas decorations
  • Store holiday decorations
  • Set up box for decor “stragglers”
  • Stocking repairs
  • Downsize decor as putting away
  • Put away Christmas mugs & cups
• Holiday debrief: write down everything I want to remember for next year
• Have my youngest child set up a “Christmas cookie chart” on the whiteboard so we can vote for our favorites to remember for 2023
• Update Susan Branch Christmas Memories journal (Amazon affiliate link)
• After Christmas pantry and fridge check: make plans to use up seasonal items and brainstorm a list of low budget meals.
• Organize holiday photos
• Declutter and clean my desk
• Review Financial Plan for 2023
• Launder living room throws and throw pillow covers 
• Toss out old cosmetics, note what needs replacing
• Toss out any expired medicines, note what needs replacing. Winter illness has depleted our stash of tissues, vapobath, and vaporub, too.
• Replenish the first aid kits – house, purse, and car
• Clean washing machine filter (4x/year)
• Replace toilet brushes
• Wipe down leather shoes, handbags w/ soft cloth (consider purchasing cotton dust bags)
• Clean garbage disposal
• Dust all the bookshelves
• Change the letter-board
• Update Roku screensaver – I use family photos and rotate them frequently
• Research what I need to do for the garden projects my kids want to do in 2023

I plan to put up my feet and knit along to …

• 7th – Frasier Door Jam episode 10:11 original air date
• Any holiday movies we adore that we haven’t gotten to in the past few weeks

My current influences:

• Martha Stewart’s monthly calendars from her magazine (no longer in print).
• Alison May’s Brocante Home website and online community as well as her seasonal home books.
• Frasier. Yes, the television show from the 1990s. From time to time I share images from my Frasier Book, a pandemic project I started in 2020. Feel free to make fun of me, it is absolutely ridiculous. (If you think that’s silly, wait until you hear about Frasier February.)

Let’s be kinder than necessary. (But with firm boundaries, okay babies? With firm boundaries.) Be brave. Be kind. Keep going.