We’re tidying up around here. And I don’t just mean the house.
Twenty-seventeen has ushered in a clutter-free mentality. I find myself with a strong desire for the orderly and well-kept, especially being fresh off the holiday season as we are. Christmas + the end of the year tends to constitute an overall sloppiness, in the diet and the budget and in sleep patterns and cleaning routines.
And that’s why it’s no surprise that we often find ourselves more than ready to press the reset button come January. I know that’s certainly the case for me. This month we’re all about “tidy” in the Hudson household, but not just in the traditional sense.
This year (and this month, in particular), I hope to be more intentional about what I put not just in my house, but also in my mind and my body. I’ve started the year with a 30-day fast from social media, and even though I’m only a couple of weeks in, I’ve already found myself being more intentional with my free time and more focused on myself (rather than what everyone else’s weekend looks like). I also have the goal of reading 25 books this year (two a month, plus one extra). Currently on my nightstand are The Magnolia Story and In Defense of Food, and I’m working on my list for the coming months!
On the eating front, husband and I are more committed than ever to considering the food we put in our bodies. It was around this time last year that Ty landed a part-time job at an organic produce farm in the area, and while we’ve always been a fairly health-conscious couple, this made us extremely aware of how often we eat things without knowing where they come from or how they got on our plates or in our grocery stores. This past summer we were part of a CSA share for the first time, and getting our produce box quickly became one of our favorite parts of the week. Receiving local, organically-grown greens and vegetables on the regular definitely created within us a desire to someday be able to grow our own food (something that seems like a luxury right now, considering we’ve been in downtown apartments and suburban townhomes for the past six years).
Yet another aspect of life we’re attempting to “tidy” a bit is our bank account. Because we’re not big spenders to begin with, we don’t expect this little experiment to result in hundreds upon hundreds of dollars saved. Nevertheless, we have embarked on what has been deemed “No Spend January.” Other than absolute essentials (groceries, rent, utility bills, gas for vehicles, etc.), we have agreed to not spend any money. For us, this mostly means cutting out our Starbucks and Chipotle runs, occasional trips to the movie theater, and our monthly dates in the city (I think that one hurts the most!). It actually hasn’t been that hard at all so far, and I have a feeling the spirit behind this experiment may actually continue into the coming months.
Overall, our hope for 2017 is that it is more about purging than splurging, more about simplicity than striving to keep up with everyone else. Per usual, we’re taking inventory of our lives, hanging on to what matters most and letting go of the less important things. We definitely have that renewed sense of intentionality that the New Year tends to always bring. The real trick is seeing just how long we can make it last.
Here’s to you, t w e n t y – s e v e n t e e n!
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