January / New Year

Januarys are just so rejuvenating, especially after an altogether surreal year for major world events (boy, was it a weird one). All that aside, it was a good year for our little family. It wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, with the stresses of Patricio's work, and being sleep deprived 365 days of the year - like every other parent - and our car being written off a month before Christmas after an accident. But altogether leaving behind a good year where we experienced lots of firsts with a walking, semi-talking toddler, and feeling like we've started off the new year ready to face new challenges.

In the last year there was significant shift in our mentality about our lifestyle and home, wanting to simplify and change our relationship with all the "stuff" in our lives. The concept of minimalism became important to me just before R was born, because I didn't want possessions, and clutter, and disorder to get in the way of focusing on each other (and thankfully Patricio felt the same!). And so this year we want to move forward with simplifying. A key goal is to buy less, and when we do buy to buy used as much as possible or support small, ethical brands. Another goal is to produce less waste. We went plastic-free for the month of August last year, and it was such an incredible learning experience, that I'd like to see how much we can adapt waste-free to our lives. This month we traded in disposable wipes for reusable cloth ones, and started making our own wipe spray (though fingers crossed we won't be needing that much longer - more on that in the next paragraph!).

We're welcoming the new year with toilet learning right out of the gate. That's how we want to tackle this new year - get all the annoying crap (ha) out of the way first. We introduced the potty a few months ago just to get her familiar with the idea, would use it semi-regularly, and this year we said good-bye to diapers except during sleep. The whole experience has been surprisingly enjoyable (not always, but mostly) - kind of exciting, actually - aside from it inconveniently coinciding with winter (I have been experiencing some fierce cabin fever). So most of this month has been spent indoors, which normally I feel quite guilty about, but it will all be worth it in spring when we can explore sans diapers. She's more or less there already, with the odd mishap here and there as she gets used to this big change. Giving her the opportunity to be more independent, to learn new skills, is so rewarding for all of us, and I know that mastering this will give her the confidence to master even more.

Another significant change coming into the new year was introducing a bed into the nursery, and saying good-bye to the crib mid-December. It was such an effortless transition that I wish we had done it even sooner, making stretches of sleep longer and bedtimes run smoother. I think it's made all the difference that we can just lay there beside her before she falls asleep. Within the last week, R started singing along during the songs and lullabies I've sung to her since she was a newborn - her little hands dancing above us as I lie beside her and recite each line Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, her voice blurting out "I luh loo" (I love you) as we sing You Are My Sunshine. And then, finally drifting off against my shoulder, one little hand draped over me. I am so in love with this age, just like every other age before it.

I have a few personal goals to tend to throughout the year, mostly focusing on cultivating new skills and expressing myself creatively. I'm always happiest when I'm creating, in any medium really, and I'm looking to expand more into textiles. Sewing, knitting, weaving, dyeing fabric. Maybe I'll take a carpentry class, since I'm always dreaming and scheming to build things. We'll see where it all takes me!

Altogether a great start to our year, with a lot to look forward to.










Brimmed Bonnet: Tortoise and the Hare Clothing
Nature Tray: Fawn & Forest
Linen jumpsuit: Red Creek Kids