Woohoo! It’s the first Friday of the month, and that means it’s time to meet up with Coco and Deborah for the Ultimate Coffee Date! If we were having coffee together, I would tell you…
I’m still drinking out of my holiday mugs, and no one can stop me! The tree is down, and the rest of the house is being slowly de-Christmased. But I’m clinging to my mugs until the bitter end (which is, by the way, when school starts again. After that it’s just depressing to have Christmas things around.)
As always, it’s hard to see the holidays end. Everything seems so blah and ordinary! But, we do have a couple things to look forward to. First, we are getting a COLD FRONT (Florida-style, that is.)
40s is SUPER COLD for us! I have to find my gloves! Not only that…
I’ve been ahem, gently complaining lately about feeling overworked and under appreciated. But don’t worry- I have a break coming up! Next week we go to Tampa for All-State, where my daughter is playing in the band.
This is the third year we’ve done this as a family, and I really love it. It’s the perfect combination of some together time, but also everyone doing their own thing. And guess who doesn’t have to make dinner for four nights? ME.
We expect it to be even colder in Tampa than it is here. Will we need winter coats? I don’t think I own one.
Lastly, yesterday I mentioned that I came up with my word for 2025. I had two somewhat different ideas for the year- one, that I want to immerse myself more deeply in some of the things I’m doing. But I also want to push myself to try new things, instead of sitting comfortably on my couch in my pajamas, reading with a cat on my lap all the time. Hmm, is there a word that could mean both “immerse” and “expand?”
There is!!! My word for 2025 is… “ENGAGE.” As in, to participate or be involved, AND/OR, to be absorbed and engrossed in something. A deeper dive into “engage” coming up soon!
Are you still in holiday mode, or is it over?
Do you have a word for 2025?
36 Responses
I’m glad you are going to have a holiday, it sounds like you need it. I look forward to hearing how you’re going to engage with ENGAGE this year. I have not picked a new word for this year, I want to continue with renewal. We are still on holiday. School holidays finish at the end of January here, but I don’t have any school-age children so it doesn’t really affect me. I will probably stay with my parents until H goes back mid-January. Her work (school photography company) shuts down for a month over Christmas.
You can’t really go wrong sticking with “renewal.” Our kids are just finishing a two week break- they go back on Tuesday. Since I have a daughter in high school this does affect me very much!
Yay for the Tampa trip! Also yay for no cooking for four nights! Woo hoo!!!
I’ve decided that the holiday season goes through this weekend, and will officially end when school starts on Monday. I’d just like to request that my neighbors keep their outdoor decorations up as long as possible so that we can continue to have the cheer on our nightly dog walks.
I think TECHNICALLY Christmas goes till Epiphany, which happens to be Monday the 6th! So you’re right on schedule.
Have so much fun at the All-State Band event! Sounds like a fun family getaway. Overworked and under-appreciated is how I’m feeling as well. That’s why it’s all changing on Monday. Ha! I too am using my holiday mugs but the tree will come down this weekend. Onward!
Ooh- I hope things really do change for you on Monday. Next week school starts again so things will be changing… not necessarily for the better (back to those early wakeups, sigh.) The rest of my Christmas stuff will come down this weekend.
Our tree is still up — probably until Sunday. It still looks pretty. 😉 (It’s an artificial tree, so it will always look the same!)
I felt like I had a decent break these past few days and actually have a real vacation coming up in February.
Engage is a great word, Mine is “intentional” — sort of a similar vibe.
Yes, “intentional” has a similar vibe. And- having a real tree is a great motivator to get it down. If we had an artifical one that still looked pretty, I’m sure it would still be up. Glad you got a nice break!
FOUR DAYS WITHOUT COOKING! That’s a dream! I’m so glad you’re getting a break!
The switch gets flipped from Festive Feeling to Fresh Start Feeling on January 1, so that’s where I’m at!
Oh, I like that switch. My switch usually gets flipped to “dull and drab” but maybe I need to change that!
Engage is a great word and I look forward to seeing how you put that into action. Happy new year!
Thank you Deborah! Happy New Year to you too!
I’m still not at work because I’m in Michigan and things have been insane and I’m truly looking forward to Monday because I WILL BE HOME AND THINGS WILL BE NORMAL. I have had four days without cooking or having the “what’s for dinner?” talk, so that has been amazing!
If you wait too long to send out your cards, I’ll have taken down my card ribbon and you won’t get displayed!!
HA! You were one of the people who actually did get a card because it was in your Secret Santa gift : ) but I know- at this point it’s getting stupid. I’m still sending out a few more though.
I haven’t de-Christmased the house yet, but plan to this weekend…the house does feel kinda empty afterwards, doesn’t it?
The trip to Tampa sounds like fun – Enjoy! And by the way, I’ll take your cold front – the high here today may break 30.
Engage is a great choice! I always pick a word too and plan to share it for the Tuesday link up.
Okay, I will check in with you! I always love seeing people’s words. And I know- our cold front probably seems pretty warm to a lot of people.
I am juggling a lot and I wrote take down Christmas on my list, but I don’t know that it’ll happen. I’m trying to get Mini set for Florence. Coach is still pretty sick. I stopped sleeping on the couch and pulled out the bed part for the long haul. I’m not hating sleeping in the study. But dang – my new bed is calling to me. I wanted to get two chapters written over break and I have one basically done. It is tough to carve out time to write with all that is going on. We had another missing key mess up yesterday and that’s gonna hurt us for a few days seeing as those keys are the only set for a car in the middle of the driveway and Tank accidentally took them to Milwaukee. Ugh. I might try to reserve an embroidery machine at the library today, and take the girls along to embroider thein names on their new towels. (the older kids all have towels with their names on them, which was planned so people would know whose towel was whose. Silly me, I never factored in that my offspring would have no qualms about taking a towel that wasn’t theirs.)
I laughed at you drinking from your holiday cups and no one could stop you. Bah ha ha. Tampa sounds like the perfect getaway. Enjoy!
Oh, you’ve got a lot going on. WHY do people insist upon getting sick over Christmas??? It really messes everything up. Good luck with it all.
Very nice! We are de-Christmasing next weekend, but we usually leave things up through 1/6 or 1/7 for Epiphany. I’m ready, though.
It is cold and I have a stash of gloves at the ready. I need them to survive lol.
I hope you have the best time in Tampa. A is going to be in St. Pete in April, and that should be fun if we go.
A got me a new iced coffee cup with the outlines of flowers on it so I put away my Christmas Tree Snack Cake cup until next winter.
I can only find one of my gloves, arg. I’m sure it’s even colder up where you are!
St Pete should be nice- I really love that area. And- I did get a nice mug from my secret Santa, so that will take the sting out of putting the holiday mugs away… next week.
Engage is the perfect word for all your 2025 aspirations 😉 My tree is probably coming down this weekend. The de-Christmasing thing is always a buzzkill. I really mis all the extra color and glitz after the last box is sealed and stashed back in storage.
I know!!! Everything goes from being bright and colorful to… drab and ordinary. Sigh. I just have to do it and get it over with.
ENGAGE is a perfect word. It is present, meaningful, and active. May it bring you much fulfillment in 2025!
And I’m so glad for your half-week vacation in Tampa… ENJOY!!! <3
Thank you Maya! I’m looking forward to it (and I’m having a blogger meetup while I’m there!)
Ooh, I like the word engage! That perfectly encompasses what you are trying to do in 2025!
I am glad you are getting a bit of a cold front. I know that is novel for you all! We have one right now – highs in the single digits to teens. But no snow so it’s just cold and brown out there. It’s a real buzz kill. But hopefully we’ll get some snow in the 2nd half of January. I’d love a big dumping even though I know it would be a lot of work for Phil to handle all the snow removal on his own. The boys would be so easy to entertain if we had snow and milder weather. A girl can dream.
I haven’t taken any of Christmas down. I’m holding onto it as long as I can, knowing the tree needs to come down by 1/12. I will keep the lights on our mantle up to have a bit of a glow. But nothing compares to the glow of our tree. I love coming down to it every morning!
Oh I know. I miss our tree. So sad… i hate when Christmas is over! But, I should console myself that our weather is going to be amazing. I think I would shrivel up and die in single digits (although I did grow up with that- I think my blood is too thin now!)
Engage is a great word. Mine is “sparkle.”
Oh I LOVE SPARKLE!!! What a great attitude for the new year.
Great word. I have one too.
Okay, I’m looking forward to hearing yours!
Engage is a very good word for 2025. Now go find some fun stuff to do in Tampa!
I spent hours this week “de-Christmasing,” as you say. Everything is down and packed away except for our large nativity with lights and evergreen around it and I won’t take if down until after the Epiphany.
I don’t have a single word, but do have 10 mantras and 20 fun ideas for the year ahead. My planner gives my prompts to check in with these lists each month, but they are very low pressure so I’m feeling excited.
I have removed some Christmas decor, but the tree and mantle and all our wreaths are still up. I’m thinking those items will stay for the foreseeable future. I don’t know if I’ve ever left the tree up this long but it’s just so cheery! Usually I’m itching to get it down, but I’m not this year so why not let it stay. I think having an artificial tree really helps. It’s smaller, tucks away into a corner and there is nothing to water and no needles to drop. I would give my experience of having an artificial tree this year a 10/10!
I am still in holiday mode for a couple more days until I drive back home on Sunday and start work on Monday after 17 days off, ugh. But my apartment tree will stay up until I have more time to take it down next weekend. So I’m trying to soak it up while I can!
Cooler temps are definitely something to look forward to! Our weather for next week looks similar so I hope it happens, after we hit almost 80 here today. Hopefully it’s not too cold for you in Tampa!
ENGAGED!!! Love that word, Jenny!
Happy New Year to you.
I am sitting here with my coffee – not the holiday mug that is in the dish washer – and reading your post.
My tree is still up. I will light it today for the last time and then tomorrow I will need to take it all down. I usually try to have it done by January 6th.
I am loving your word for 2025 and look forward learning more what is speaking to you in your deep dive post.
It is such a strong word. So much possibility and you did an amazing job finding a word combining your other words. Not a small thing to do.
Engage is a WONDERFUL word! Your Tampa trip sounds super fun— I hope you love not cooking 🙂