One of the things I love about NaBloPoMo is all the ideas I get from other bloggers. I mean, I read blogs year-round but there’s a wealth of blog posts this month! A few of my recent favorites…
Elisabeth just posted about her Year of Rest Notebook. She plans to record the ways in which she’s making 2024 the Year of Rest, and I love the idea. Every year I start off great with a theme, and halfway through the year I can’t even remember what it was. Having a notebook specifically dedicated to my yearly theme (haven’t picked one for 2024 yet!) would help me stay focused.
And speaking of yearly themes, SHU shared her word for 2024 and I love it so much. It fits in with my own ideas this month of really paying attention and getting the most from each day. I’m going to have to find something similar for my own 2024 word.
And finally, Sarah posted about the incredible holiday bedding sale at Macy’s. Well, you knew I’d be all over that! I scooted right over there and ordered sheets for my daughter’s bed (she already has a Christmas-y blanket) and a comforter set for our bed. I didn’t check with my husband first- I’ll let it be a surprise.
Don’t worry- I already have an entire holiday bedding set for my son’s room. I wouldn’t let him be left out! And speaking of my son…
This is a shorter post because my son comes home tomorrow! I haven’t seen him since early August and I miss him so much! I’ve spent the evening getting his room ready because, well… you might remember from the big closet cleanout post that storage space is limited in our house, and his room seems to have accumulated quite a bit of stuff over the past few months. I had to do a little work to transform it back into his bedroom again (as opposed to my home gym/gigantic storage closet.) Don’t even ask where all that stuff went… let’s just say my closet isn’t quite as clean as it was on Wednesday (sigh.)
Do you pick a theme or word for the year? Have you picked one for 2024 yet?
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28 Responses
I tried to have a word/theme for the year but I never remember to follow up so I gave up.
our next year is uncertain so I’ll just go with the flow, continuing cultivating mindfulness and gratitude.
That sounds like a great theme right there!
Oh that holiday bedding. I love it!!
And I agree, inspiration from other blogger is the BEST thing!!
I have not picked a word for 2024 yet (probably will think about it in early January… haha).
Ha, I’m hoping to have a work picked out in December… we’ll see.
This year is the second year I have a theme of the year.
My theme this year was “jävlaranamma” aka GRIT (although they are not exactly the same they are very similar in meaning). I had big plans with running and music and whatnot, until my stress fracture and all the misery happened. But, I can see how I’ve managed to stay with my theme even if most of my goals went down the drain. For next year I’ll probably pick something soft, like “embrace” or “enjoy” or something else that has to do with just going with the flow and enjoying life as it is. I’ll write a post about it in the beginning of January.
I’m following some Australian (and one Canadian) bloggers who run a link-up where you can share about your word/concept of the year and even if I haven’t posted much there this year, it’s still a way to keep focused and think of your theme throughout the year.
Well- I would say it takes grit to get through when times get hard, and that’s what you did. If everything was easy and we just sailed through life with one success after another, we wouldn’t need any grit, right? So it was the perfect word for you this year.
Getting inspired by other. bloggers and spinning off own ideas is so fun. Specially during NaBloPo. It often is just that I cant find the time to write it all and think deeply or getting the photos. And it is so dark here by 4pm already.
I will most definitely pick a word for 2024. It is the first year the contender was in my head in august already. I will do an evaluation with my inner self before finally decided. That won’t happen before Christmas is over though.
Ooh, really- you’ve been thinking about a word since August? I can’t wait to hear what it is!
I love the holiday bedding! It is so fun and festive. I can’t quite get myself to pull the trigger on it though because I hate to have to store another thing in the boys’ closets. And my husband would not be a fan even at a low cost (he is an Uber minimalist). But I love seeing it in other’s homes!
I haven’t picked a word of the year for 2024 and I didn’t pick one for 2023. I am kind of at a loss for what I should focus on. To be quite honest so much of my life doesn’t feel in my control between work being so very busy and the young kid years leaving a lot out of our control. I sound like a total Debbie downer, I know… I know I should focus on what is in my control but it feels like such a small slice of the pie of life. Maybe acceptance should be my word for 2024.
I think you just picked your word! And, yes- I love how I just posted about my limited storage in this house and then I went and ordered bedding which will have to be stored 11 months out of the year. You can see why I have this problem.
Enjoy your time with your son, Jenny! I know you’ll have a fabulous time. This was so fun to read. I haven’t got a theme or a word, but that’s no surprise – I haven’t really done that before. I would probably forget it by February!
Yes, I usually forget my word pretty quickly! That’s why I like Elisabeth’s idea of having a special notebook to track it.
My jaw dropped when I read SHU’s post. How brilliant is that??? And why can I never think of words of the year? BTW I just started listening to the BLP podcast and I really like it.
I sometimes joke that “I don’t just read blogs I take notes” but of course you know it’s not a joke. NaBloPo is truly “Christmas in November”.
Yay for your son coming home!!! I am still in denial that it’s almost Thanksgiving, but it just hit me that the semester will be over soon. I blinked and my stepson is 1/8 of the way done with college already.
Yes, I goes fast. My son is over halfway through and I feel like I just dropped him off at his freshman year dorm YESTERDAY.
And, SHU’s post is so, so good. I kind of want to copy her word, but I won’t- I”ll have to come up with something along those lines though.
The holiday bedding sounds so fun! But then… it’s another thing to store, lol! (Thinking back to your closet post… ). I LOVE that cute set though. So festive!
I hope you enjoy every minute of having your son home! That sounds so exciting! Cherish it all.
I know, I’m laughing at myself a little. Gee, I wonder why I have trouble fitting everything in my closet???
I DON”T usually pick a theme, but this year it is Shmita or Rest. I’m so excited.
Festive bedding is amazing. I don’t have any festive bedding and this is tempting, but I also don’t have Macy’s, so I’ll have to get left out of this fun event. I guess I should start looking for these sorts of things when I go thrifting?
And all the jazz hands and trumpet sounds for your son coming home. I’m just so happy for you, Jenny <3
Thank you Elisabeth! And yes… start looking for fun holiday bedding in the thrift shops. Even just sheets of pillowcases are fun.
These FALALA bedclothes are so cute. I don’t think I could get it together enough to have seasonal bedding, but I am admiring yours and Sarah’s from afar.
I picked a word of the year two years in a row, and then no word presented itself to me last year, so I didn’t do one. Like some other commenters, I kind of forget about the word after a few months anyway. I have no idea what my word would be for the coming year, but I will muse on it for awhile and see if anything rises to the top.
Yes, I’m really great at picking words and bad at remembering them. Maybe this year will be the year I pick a word and really stick with it!
So, here’s the difference between the two of us. I’d never buy holiday bedding because then I’d have to find a place to store it for eleven months of the year! Not worth it! My linen closet is not that organized.
I don’t usually have a word of the year. I love reading about other people’s, though, and how they implement the idea through the months.
Ha ha… I just go ahead and buy these things and figure I’ll find someplace to stuff it in once the holidays are over.
Ha Ha. I always pick a word… and who knows what it is.
I better look it up.
That’s funny Darlene. See, this is why we need special notebooks to help us keep track of these things!
I looked it up and I already picked my word for next year. See you inspire me.
I love the idea of picking a word and can’t wait to hear what you come up with! I don’t normally pick one, but I think this year (2024) I will embrace the word “change.” I think it is easy enough to incorporate into life, but am not sure that I will follow up with it publicly…we shall see! I am very regimented and if I pick a word I will have to set a schedule and then I will feel obligated to follow up… so I may just keep that private (I mean aside from posting it in this comment of course!)
I’m behind in my reading, but happy to carve out a few minutes this morning to get caught up. I only have 1 baby to watch today. Hooray for an easy day.
I do not choose a word or a theme for my year. If I did, I think I’d choose balance. I think that should always be my goal, but not willing to commit to it completely. How’s that for sounding un-balanced?
Tank comes home Tuesday and Mini comes home this afternoon. I’m so excited. Enjoy time with your son. Where does he go to school?
I don’t usually do a word/theme of the year, but I am feeling the word “connection” for 2024. I feel like I have not been great at keeping up with friends/making plans and it’s making me feel crummy. I want to do a better job at staying connected!