Once again, the time has flown by and it is almost three months since I posted here. Partly it’s because I’m writing so frequently on Substack, and partly it’s that the holidays took more time than I anticipated, no matter how much I tried to have a slower season. But I’ve been planning posts for you here as well and now that we’re into a new year, it was time to write and catch up with you.

I enjoyed a slow start to January, and needed about ten days after Christmas to catch up on sleep and calm myself down after weeks of activity and lots of stimulation. Do any of you feel this way after winter holidays?

Yet I also have this excitement about a new year beginning, even though I know we really can start something new or start over any time of year. I love to write down goals and plan out how to make them happen. And I like the discipline of a routine after a few weeks in limbo during late November and December. Below is a list of what I’ve been doing or thinking about, and what I’m planning in the next few months.

Re-committing to a Routine: This year, I plan to meditate and practice yoga every morning. And to work out and/or walk every day as well. I feel the need to be as strong, grounded, and healthy as I can be for whatever this year brings. And journaling every day is also one of my commitments.

Journals and Planners: Starting new journals and planners is such a joy each January. I’ve got several going for different reasons or needs. I recently shared a post about journaling on Substack, which you can read here (and do subscribe!).

1. The Cycles Journal is to track my cycle, physical and emotional symptoms, moods, wellness routines, etc. This is my fourth year using this journal and I wish I’d had it in my twenties and thirties. I gifted one to my daughter and another to my niece in hopes that they’ll connect more deeply with themselves and their cycles this year.
2. Molly Remer’s Prayerbooks on Lulu are what I use to write down spiritual things specifically such as prayers and poems, thoughts and questions.
3. Woodspell Apothecary’s Planner is beautiful, spiral-bound, and connects me to the land, the moon and herbal medicine. It’s my third year using this planner and I love it more than ever.
4. The Bullet Journal is where I write daily lists, goals for the month and year, and record other things such as favorites lists.
5. We’Moon Planner is feminist datebook with artwork and there are poems and short pieces throughout that are read from during Molly Remer’s monthly circles.
6. Leonie Dawson’s 2025 My Brilliant Year Workbook: Biz Edition is a good way to reflect on what worked and what didn’t in my business last year and how I want to do things differently this year.
7. The Life Organizer by Jennifer Louden isn’t a journal, rather she offers weekly questions that are very helpful for women, especially busy mid-life women, to discover what they really need and how to make themselves a priority in the middle of it all.

Journaling & Gentle Movement Course: I’m offering an online course called Nourishing Your Roots: discover what is healing and restorative for you this winter. It starts January 14 and goes through February 3rd. I hear so many people say they’re stressed, tired, sick, unmotivated, and don’t seem to have clarity about their lives and goals. Journaling is one way to get focused and clear on what you really need and want in order to heal and have a more nourishing life. And movement helps us connect with our bodies, supports our immune systems, and lifts our mood. If you’re a paid member of either my Patreon or Substack, this course is free to you. Or you can sign up on my website, here.

A few of the books I’m reading this month (because there are always more):

1. This is Happiness by Niall Williams. I read Time of the Child just as Christmas was arriving and had to go back and read This is Happiness. So Irish, so full of characters that have a lot of life in them, such good stories.
2. The Art of Possibility by Benjamin Zander and Rosamund Stone Zander. I’m reading this one for my Substack’s Book Club. You can subscribe here.
3. Anne’s House of Dreams by L.M. Montgomery–I started reading through the series again in the late Autumn for comfort and to escape the harshness of the world scene.
4. Wild Mercy: Living the Fierce and Tender Wisdom of the Women Mystics by Mirabai Starr. I am in love with her Prayer to the Shekinah in the beginning of the book.
5. When God Was a Woman by Merlin Stone–all about the history of the suppression and destruction of the goddess religions worldwide. For someone who grew up in Christianity, there is a lot I never knew about the damage connected to even the roots of our faith. It is a lot to take in, but I’m glad to know what history tells us.
6. Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman. Yes, I still am finishing this one.
7. American Detox: The Myth of Wellness and How We Can Truly Heal by Kerri Kelly. This one caught my eye and I purchased it on Kindle when it was on sale. So far, it’s worth reading.
8. And I hope to start The Scent of Water by Elizabeth Goudge. This is one of the books I received as a gift for Christmas and one of my friend Laurie’s favorite novels. I’ve been meaning to read it for years! Let’s see how I do with all of these this month.

What I’m learning:

1. How to watercolor with Liz Steel’s Foundations Course.
2. How to use the Digital Pressure Canner my son gave me for Christmas.
3. How to format a book for self-publishing to Kindle or Lulu.

Projects I’m working on:

1. I want to make a few new scrunchies. One of my favorites broke the other day and I looked at it and thought, “How hard can this be?”
2. I’m putting together a few new sets for my shop: a Winter Skin Care Box, an Imbolc/Brigid’s Day Box, and a Valentine’s Day Box.
3. I’m brainstorming new courses to teach for Late Winter & Spring which may include yoga, Ayurveda, herbs, aromatherapy, journaling, and/or meditation.

What about you? What journals, planners or workbooks are you using this year? What are you learning or what projects are you working on? What are you reading this month? Please do share!