Less is More in 2019

It's time to share my theme for the year and how I'm using it to guide me in my second year of keeping a bullet journal.

* image

Last year, without knowing what to expect, I committed to keeping a bullet journal... and honestly? I'm forever changed.

I used to keep ten thousand different lists and often felt horrible when I wound up adding more than I crossed off. Over the past 12 months, keeping my bullet journal has:

• increased my productivity
• improved my ability to prioritize
• helped me focus on the absolutely necessary
• helped me plan within reason

With that said, though, maintaining a bullet journal did have some drawbacks. I got too caught up in trying to make each spread look Instagram-worth. I started focusing on the wrong things... and then I started feeling overwhelmed. The number of items I had to migrate from week to week frustrated me, and I almost gave up on the system altogether.

Thank goodness, I snapped out of it.

I accepted that the elaborate spreads weren't working and stopped creating them. I needed something cleaner and less complicated. I needed spreads that I could replicate without investing too much time. Simply put -- I needed to do less.

So, this year, I'm taking a different approach to my bullet journal. Keeping my theme for the year -- Less is More -- in mind, I'm going to concentrate more on creating a minimalist look.

I've only carried some of the more involved spreads from my 2018 journal over to this year's journal. The only real forms of embellishment I've used thus far are accents of color here and there. And, boy, does it help not having to dig through moving boxes to find my small collection of washi tape to complete the look!

I've been able to create weekly spreads for the entire month of January all at once. Having that much room to plan ahead helps me stay realistic in terms of what I can accomplish within any given day. So far, I haven't had to worry about putting too much on my plate. Now I can see when I need to take it easy and when I can afford to load my to-do list.

Being this organized and aware has done wonders for my mood in these early weeks of 2019. I hope I'm able to continue in this manner as the year progresses...

*crosses fingers*

Keep reading to see how I designed my trackers and to see which products I'm using this time around!

What's for Dinner: January 13 - January 19

Looking for dinner inspiration? Here's what I've planned for dinner at our house this week!

* image

You know those things you know you shouldn't do but wind up doing anyway? I've found myself doing one of those things when I can't sleep... I've been scrolling through and reading long threads of comments on social media.

Now, I'm not talking about the comments on the items that I post. I do my best to respond to everyone who takes the time to share something with me. I'm talking about the comments on items posted by people with way more followers than me. The comments that make me question everything I'm doing and how I'm doing it.

To give you an example... Since I'm a food blogger, I try and stay up to date with certain accounts. In reading the comments on those accounts, I've made an interesting observation... There are A LOT of people out there who don't want to read anything extra. They don't want to read any narrative leading into a recipe. They don't want the backstory on the person sharing a recipe. They just want the recipe... Period.

Now that I know this information... that there's a contingent of people out there who feel this way... I'm torn. Do I continue to tell my stories in my own way or do I stop worrying about sharing personal stories? Would it be better to keep things short and sweet?

I just don't know... What do you guys think?

While I continue weighing the pros and cons of such a move, why don't I share what's on deck for dinner at our house this week?

What's for Dinner: January 6 - January 12

Looking for dinner inspiration? Here's what I've planned for dinner at our house this week!

* image

I've been toying with the idea of sharing our menu plans on the blog again. The move to Connecticut and then into our new house forced us into thinking in temporary terms. Now that we're settling in and developing a new routine, I like the idea of sharing our plans... Especially since so many of you have told me how much they help you in planning your own meals.

While I doubt I'll be returning to monthly plans any time soon, I'm going to try and share our weekly plans as often as I can. The kids are finally starting at their new daycare tomorrow. Of course, I still have to fill out their registration paperwork... so I'm going to jump right in, okay?

Without further ado, here's what's on deck for dinner at our house this week.

Dark Chocolate-Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies

This recipe for Dark Chocolate-Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies is a variation of this recipe, which originally appeared on Taste As You Go in May 2012. If you love the combination of chocolate and peanut butter, then you're going to want to make these cookies!

Happy New Year, everyone!

2018 ended in a bit of a whirlwind. After house-hunting for five months, we finally closed on our new house on December 11th. Two days later, we moved into it... and two days after that, we decorated the house for the holidays as best we could. I wanted the house to feel festive as we prepared to celebrate our first Christmas in our new home. We still have quite a bit of unpacking to do, but the house is finally starting to feel like ours.

As thrilled as I was to have the move behind us, I also endured some heartbreaking moments in December. My grandmother passed away right before Christmas, and we said our final farewells to her on the 28th. And, as if I weren't emotional enough... the anniversary of my mother's passing came on the heels of my grandmother's funeral.

Needless to say, I'm ready for 2019.

But I'm not going to kick things off by sharing a healthy recipe or a post about my resolutions as you might expect. Instead, I'm going to ignore the fact that the holiday baking season is over and I'm going to share a decadent cookie recipe.