A Few of My Favorite Things (January 2025)

Happy New Year from cold, snowy, icy West Michigan!

You might think the photo below is black and white, but that’s just how dark and dreary our weather is right now. At least we know the sun will come back again this spring… ☀️

As I look back on 2024, there were lots of small “highs” and a few “lows”, but it honestly wasn’t a monumental year for our family (other than Dave switching schools).

No new babies or pets. No big home renovations or yard projects. No new business ventures. No noteworthy changes at church or home. No tragedies, illnesses, or big setbacks. No milestones or huge achievements.

There were times during the year when the mundaneness of our everyday lives left me feeling antsy (wash, rinse, repeat x 365)… but for the most part, it was a fantastic year of simply enjoying the home and yard we already renovated, the friends we already have, the business we already built, and the glorious “everydayness” of life at home with 4 fairly independent and fun kiddos.

I had a few Galatians 6:9 moments last year when I realized how often we were “reaping the harvest” after many years of continually pouring into our home, family, church, work, and community.

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9

This is not to say we’re on auto-pilot from here on out, but I do think it’s good to notice and enjoy the fruits of our labor instead of constantly looking ahead at how much more we could and should do.

Do I have big goals and dreams for 2025?

Honestly, no.

I have a few personal and financial goals in the back of my mind (and in my planner — you know I need to write them down somewhere!), but I’m holding them loosely because they aren’t that important to me right now.

That said, Dave and I have been thinking and dreaming about how we might renovate our outbuilding into a more welcoming place for larger groups to gather, or even a place for guests to stay. We’d love to start that project this year, but we don’t have definite plans yet.

Do you have any goals or dreams for 2025? Feel free to share them in the comments below or shoot me an email!

Favorite Moment = A Free Week

Dave and the kids got 2 full weeks off of school, which probably means they go longer somewhere else, but it’s worth it to have 2 full weeks off during the holidays.

The first week was somewhat busy with Christmas parties, church services, making food, etc. But the second week was basically a “free week” for our family — no parties, no activities, no special events, nothing extra unless we wanted to do something extra.

This year, we enjoyed doing very little of anything extra from Sunday, December 29, through Saturday, January 4. It was amazing!

Yes, there were times when the kids got grumpy because they were a little bored, but for the most part, we enjoyed sleeping in, eating big breakfasts at 10:00, playing in the snow, eating leftover goodies and treats, playing with new Christmas gifts, doing puzzles, reading books, playing games, watching Christmas movies, using Christmas gift cards to go out to eat, and staying up until midnight on New Year’s Eve for the first time ever (at least for the kids).

It was a wonderful “free week” that allowed us rest and relax before launching back into our work and school routines this week.

Favorite Routine = Bedtime

There is so much talk about how important bedtime routines are for babies and children… but I argue they are essential for grownups too. 😉

Whenever I reach my “stopping point” in the evening, after the kids are in bed, after I’ve cleaned up the kitchen, and after I’ve finished everything I need/want to finish for the day, I do 3 things:

1. make my to-do list for the next day
2. take a very hot shower
3. read in bed

It’s a fairly simple routine that helps me wind down, relax, and fall asleep quickly. I’ve done this every night for as long as I can remember (way back to high school and college).

Also, it’s worth noting that I rarely start the routine at the same time each night (a routine doesn’t necessarily need to be bound to a certain time or timeframe).

There are some nights when I hop in the shower at 8:15 and read for an hour or more. Other nights, I don’t get in the shower until 11:30 and only read for 5 minutes.

When our kids were younger, I often joked that they would eventually learn to love their bedtime routines… and honestly, none of our kids resist going to bed anymore. In fact, over Christmas break, we had to incentivize them to stay up later a few nights because they wanted to go to bed — who would have thought!

My “grownup bedtime routine” is one of my favorite routines year-round, but especially on cold winter nights.

RELATED READING: Creating an Intentional Evening Routine

Past Favorite = USA Pans

I’ve sung the praises of USA Pans for many years… but since I just purchased a new USA Pan over Christmas break, I wanted to highlight them again, in case you’ve never tried them before.

These pans are the best if you’re looking for non-stick bakeware that won’t flake off into your food. They are a bit of an investment but very worth it (in my opinion, after using them for nearly a decade).

Not only are they made right here in the USA, they are also super-duper non-stick (food just slides out of them) and very heavy-duty (they are commercial quality).

These pans conduct heat well for even baking and they clean up exceptionally well (note: they aren’t supposed to go in the dishwasher).

I use a USA Pan almost every day — probably multiple per day for the last decade and continue to speak highly of them to anyone who asks (and even those who don’t ask!)

RELATED READING: How I reheat veggies that taste amazing on my USA Pan sheet pans.

Over the last several years, I’ve slowly replaced most of my non-stick bakeware with USA Pan brand bakeware and I don’t regret a single purchase.

I now own the following USA Pan items:

• 2 XL sheet pans
• 2 quarter sheet pans (they fit perfectly in our favorite toaster oven!)
• a 9″ x 13″ pan
• a 9″ x 9″ pan
• an 8″ x 8″ pan
• 2 one-pound loaf pans
• 4 mini loaf pans
• 2 round cake pans (9″)

My next purchase will likely be the bundt pan or the 12-cup muffin tins.

If you’re looking to start a USA Pan collection (or if you need to buy a fantastic wedding gift), I’d suggest this 6-piece starter set or visit the USA Pan store (that could be dangerous!)

Favorite Splurge = Carwash Membership

We purchased a new-to-us minivan last year and it’s the “newest” new-to-us vehicle we’ve ever had.

Michigan winters are hard on vehicle paint jobs with all the salt on the roads, so we decided to “splurge” on a carwash membership over the winter.

It’s SOOOOOO nice!

The carwash is just down the road so I regularly get our van washed 2-3 times each week.

If you live near a Tommy’s Car Wash, you can get your first month free when you sign up here.

RELATED READING: Practical tips for clean vehicles with kids.

Favorite Cosmetic = Coconut Oil

I’ve used coconut oil in the kitchen for many years — often in place of vegetable oil or melted butter for a variety of recipes.

I’ve also used it to make sugar scrubs for sloughing off dead skin.

More recently, due to a crazy rash I couldn’t get rid of, I switched to using coconut oil for all my lotion and moisturizers. I now keep a container of it in the bathroom and use it exactly as I would my previous body lotion and face cream.

I thought it would be too greasy, but it quickly absorbs into my skin and Dave insists I don’t smell like coconut. 😉 Also, my rash went away after a week of using exclusively coconut oil!

As an added bonus, coconut oil is CHEAP compared to most moisturizers and facial creams.

If you’re looking for a good-for-your-skin moisturizer that won’t break the bank, give coconut oil a try and let me know what you think.

RELATED READING: This article from Bend Soap explains some of the many benefits of using coconut oil (anti-fungal & antibacterial properties, antioxidant-rich, dandruff relief, and more)

Favorite Recipe = BBQ Chicken Chili

This BBQ Chicken Chili recipe is a fun twist on traditional chili… perfect for cold winter weeknights when you need a quick meal to feed lots of hungry mouths.

You can spice it up a bit by adding more “heat” (my version is fairly tame), and we love adding lots of fresh garnishes like cheese, sour cream, cilantro, green onions, etc.

TRY THE RECIPE: BBQ Chicken Chili.

That’s all for this month.

If you’re interested, you may scroll through all my Favorite Things posts HERE!