This new year will not begin with grand resolutions but instead small improvements to make life more pleasurable.
Reading others’ new year’s resolutions can be inspiring, however; they are often redundant. Lose weight, eat better, be present, avoid negativity, etc. Those are all worthy goals, but they are large and difficult to focus on for an entire year.
The resolutions below caught my attention as they are more targeted.
Focus on a passion, not the way you look
Go a whole day without checking your email.
Clear out the clutter.
Reduce your waste.
Stop multitasking.
(Some studies find multitasking can lead to memory problems. It reduces the brains’ grey matter and hurts productivity and efficiency. It can increase stress, anxiety, and depression.)
Don’t buy things you don’t need.
Start a new hobby.
Travel somewhere without posting about it on social media.
Bring a plant into your home.
Send handwritten letters.
Spot Clean as You Go
January 17th is supposedly the day that one no longer remembers what they vowed to change just 16 days prior. That sounds about right. In the past, mine were quickly forgotten and not thought about until the end of year when it came time to make new ones. So this year there will not be grand resolutions. Instead there will be small gestures that will hopefully enhance my daily life and that of those close to me.
A table designed by Frida Kahlo for her visiting friend Leon Trotsky. (Photo: mexicanfoodporn.tumblr.com)
Elote is a requested dish in our home. (Photo:fksh.com.au)
Casa V resolutions.
One is to take more enjoyment setting the dinner table. Frida Kahlo took pleasure in this activity. My husband loves to come home to a nice dinner so as a gift to him I am going to put a little more joy into this nightly routine. My cupboards are full of colorful glassware and patterned plates. What a shame not to use each and every one in endless creative ways.
This seat cushion I have been working on (and off) for too long. It is much further along than pictured above but also requires a good chunk of hours until it will be completed.
Which leads to my second resolution to make more time for creative thought as well as pursuits. Taking time to look around whether in books, museums, sites around town, nature, etc. always expands creativity. Scheduling in time for this is a necessity. Otherwise the hours slip away easily turning into weeks or months. Time needs to be set aside for hands on activities as well. Several needlepoint and sewing projects are wanting to be completed.
A friend gave me this cookbook which focuses on Oaxaca and specialties of each area.
A full work schedule often leads to a cooking rut. I hope to read some of my Diana Kennedy cookbooks this year about techniques and specific regions of Mexican cooking. Making tortillas is top of the list.
Hopefully your new year is off to a good start and you still remember your resolutions.
Casa V Interiors will give your new year a beautiful start.