Post Christmas Reset
It’s hit me a little earlier this year, but I’ll admit that I’m really ready to get back into a routine. I think Thanksgiving was so late this year that the holiday season seemed relentless…no breaks to catch my breath. As I said in yesterday’s post, we have one more party tonight and tomorrow will hopefully be a day to rest a little! I normally love to be in bed by 9:30 but lately it’s been way past that when I finally get in the bed so I have a little catching up to do!
I’m really looking forward to cooking a delicious dinner, sitting down in front of the fire, lighting a candle (love anything from Jo Malone) and pouring over some of my beautiful new coffee table books, getting my closet organized, finally taking a long soak in my new bathtub with my Oak Essentials products, and shopping some of the great sales that are going on right now! And…my sweet pups are needing a good long walk! It seems a reset is in order!
L’Agence black blazer and black waxed jeans, Loeffler Randall bag (similar here), VAHAN Jewelry
We are considering getting a Hatch Restore 3 Sunrise Alarm Clock/Sound Machine. I know that many people sleep with a sound machine, but we never have. Lately, someone (not to mention any names) has been snoring loudly and keeping me up so I’m thinking a sound machine might be a good idea! Does anyone use this and have you found it helpful? I have to do something because I need my sleep!
With all of the late (and sometimes sleepless) nights, I’ve been waking up with puffy eyes and I absolutely love these depuffing under eye masks from Grace & Stella! They work to reduce puffiness and the appearance of dark circles, especially when kept cold. I can really see a difference in only about 20 minutes!
Speaking of dog walks, I’m in desperate need of some new walking shoes and I’ve ordered these from Nike! Hopefully, I’ll be using them daily unless it’s raining…I just can’t bring myself to walk in the rain, especially when it’s cold outside! Another thing dog related I’ve been loving is this BravoWalk No Pull Dog Training Collar. It’s activated based on leash tension and help trains your dog not to pull. Amos is such a big boy (80 pounds) and I don’t have time to walk Archie separately so this leash has been a game changer for me. It’s just enough of a reminder to get his attention and slow him down. Now…how to get Archie to stop wrapping the leash around my legs? They are both still wearing their Christmas collars, but I’ve ordered fresh new ones for the new year! Walking them is an adventure, but the best workout!
I may be getting a little ahead of myself with all of this planning because New Year’s Eve is upon us and we’ve decided to go out and celebrate this year! We usually stay home and watch the ball drop! I’ve purchased so many cute holiday outfits this year that it seems a shame not to wear one of them! I found these fabulous and festive shoes that are so well priced and they’ll dress up any outfit from a fancy dress to a pair of jeans! I’m loving these Veronica Beard skinny flares that I purchased while in New York, but I also want to find a pair of modified barrel jeans that feel more every day, and thinking these might work!
I’m not quite sure when I’ll take down the tree, but I’ll probably start to work on it the middle of this coming week. Since we purchased an artificial tree from Balsam Hill this year, I’m going to have a storage issue to figure out! I may have to haul it to our storage unit! However, I’m so glad we bought it…it was very easy to put up (I did it myself) and it’s been lit 24/7 since before Thanksgiving! I’ve absolutely loved it! If you’re thinking of purchasing a tree from Balsam Hill, now is the time because they are up to 60% off! This pencil tree is in my cart!
I have really let my skincare go for a little while…between the renovations we completed in the fall and the holiday season, I haven’t even had a HydraFacial. So…I’ve scheduled a laser appointment for a major treatment in January. I’m having a Halo Laser treatment on my face, neck and chest…I’ll have a little downtime (5 days), which I’m not mad about! Not leaving the house for a little while actually sounds kind of nice! Anyway, I’m hoping to get rid of some dark spots, even out my skin tone and look “freshened” after I heal. I was supposed to do this in November but put it off because I didn’t have time! I’ve really decided that in 2026, I’m going to take better care of myself…more exercise, less potato chips (with the exception of these), better sleep and a consistent skincare routine (I love all the products from Revision)!
And…one of the most exciting things - I have an appointment with a web designer on January 13! I desperately need to redo some things about my website and I finally found someone to help me! I realize how hard it is to search things and it’s just not user friendly so I’m planning a big revamp. I’ll be changing the whole look of the blog and I can’t wait to get started…everything from a new logo to new colors and most definitely an easier blog to navigate! I’m starting the year off with big changes!
More and more each day, I realize how short life is and the older I get, the more determined I am to live with intention. In a blog post last week, I wrote about how this past year was a year of growing and learning for me. The big lesson from 2025 was that I have to be completely authentic because it’s the only way to feel satisfied and happy with what I’m doing. When I’m following my passions, I want to get up and work and really live each moment…when I’m not, it feels like a chore! So this philosophy will include everything… from brand partnerships (I’m loving my partnership with VAHAN Jewelry) to recipes to Amazon finds. If I don’t love it completely, you won’t see it on this blog! I hope you’ll all stick around for the new things coming in 2026!
***I am also committed to writing two posts a week on my Substack, so please follow me over there! It’s such a fun space and completely different from my blog!
Thanks so much for reading today!
~XOXO Suzanne