Closing the book on 2020 feels both refreshing and a bit solemn at the same time. It was such a heavy year in so many ways but on the flip side it brought so much perspective on life and taught me to embrace the important things more than ever. I’ll never take for granted my own health or the health of a loved one, giving a friend a hug, traveling to a foreign country or going out to a favorite restaurant. Change is inevitable and life is precious, the biggest, hardest lessons I came away 2020 with.

Our year started out with the happiest change of all, our little Lila coming into the world on January 19th, making us a family of four. I had read The First Forty Days and was determined to give myself time to soak in the sweet newborn stage and hole up at home, which I did and was ready to get out and about right when things came to a halt—oh the irony. But having a sweet baby at home when the world seemed to stop was definitely a silver lining of our year. It felt like a gift, even on the hard days, to spend more time together than we would have while Lila was so little.

As the months marched on we stuck close to home and counted our blessings for our sleepy beach town (Santa Barbara), family that we could quarantine with and jobs that could bend with the times. I bounced back and fourth between loving the extra time at home and loathing it… or being Martha Stewart in the kitchen and burning a pre-made pizza because I couldn’t stand washing another dish. At times it was peaceful while other days felt like we were in survival mode with a baby. 

Normally at the start of a new year I like to make a playful list of things I’m looking forward to.

Not so much goals, just playful wishes or dreams that I can jot down and who knows maybe even manifest for the year ahead—I’m a no pressure kind of girl when it comes to any kind of “new year resolutions.” But nevertheless it’s an uplifting practice I found most effective this year and wanted to share my list. Give it a try, what’s on your list?

Read one book… guys I can hardly find time to pee by myself these days. This would be a victory. 

Spend more time gardening. The summer heat wave completely wiped out some plants. Also I have no idea what I’m doing so learning more about the topic would be a win for the year.

Visit my mom and hug her. It’s been almost a year since I’ve seen her, the longest stretch we’ve ever gone without seeing each other. 

Learn a song on the piano with Elin. 

Rent a beach house. Falling asleep and waking up on the ocean is one of my absolute favorite things. 

Feel stronger. I’m not going to make a lofty statement about exercising but I do want to gain some strength back after being pregnant, something I haven’t done all year. 

Be more consistent on my blog. Learning the juggle of two kids during a pandemic rocked my productivity a tad here on the blog. Hoping to deliver more posts on topics you guys ask me about. 

Photograph more. 

Go to sleep earlier. I feel ten times better in the morning and easily slip into night owl mode if I don’t. 

Find joy in the kitchen.