Happy New Year and looking ahead to 2018

by Aimee

Happy New Year, friends.

I’ve hesitated to write the first post of the year for the very silly reason that I’ve felt pressured to come up with something inspiring. Remarkable! Fresh! The truth is, however, that I’m not feeling hugely inspired these days.

In the past I’ve ushered in the new year with all sorts of challenges and goals – all of which were absolutely sincere, don’t get me wrong. There was a reminder in January 2017 to do small things with great love and I committed to more gatherings around my table. 2016 was the year I invited you to take the Pulse Pledge, and in 2015 I shared 11 healthy family food habits to embrace.

The year before that we talked about 18 healthful snacks, better for you, better for your wallet. I’ve also covered the best foods to stock in your pantry and brought in new lunchbox ideas with 9 Cures for the Midday Blues. Yes, January is a popular month for setting new goals and pumping ourselves up to eat more nourishing, homemade foods. It makes perfect sense – as long as it is genuine.

This time around, I’m popping in to simply greet you all with a Happy New Year and wish you the very best for the year ahead. The truth is, 2017 has left me feeling a little bit tired. It was the year to DO stuff. We took a huge leap in our personal life, acting on a dream, to which you all responded to so warmly. We are slowly moving toward that goal, one hurdle at a time, but it hasn’t been simple.

I launched a new cookbook and toured Canada coast-to-coast, a two-month process which was exhilarating, but also exhausting. The release of a book is much like the fourth trimester of pregnancy – you’re so proud of the new arrival and thrilled to show it off, but there are also the sleepless nights, and moments of vulnerability which leave you feeling emotionally battered.

A hundred other things unfolded over the last twelve months as well, and everything has left me wanting to curl up in a ski cabin and hibernate for a few months.

I’ve been contemplating the idea of what it means to rest – not in a lazy, Netflix-binge way, but more of a mental state. It’s counterintuitive to what society expects (and rewards) but I think there is much to be gained from slowing down and not measuring self-worth by productivity.

This January I’ll be exploring this theme a bit more. As so many people around me (or so it seems) are setting personal goals for the new year, I’m interested in discovering what I can learn about myself when I’m not highly productive. Perhaps ‘Rest’ will be my word for 2018, although that hardly seems possible when we’re planning an out-of-province move with three kids. Ouf.

Maybe rest for me will signify more of a mindset, a productivity fast, where personal success means more time with family – and a little self care. I’m looking for more hygge moments and ways to celebrate the little things in life. If we don’t take time to create those moments – and slow down enough to appreciate them – life just ends up slinging us from one thing to the next.

For the immediate future, I’ve got my eye set on a little ski cabin tucked away on a mountain in Northern British Columbia. We’re heading there for a few weeks later this month. After that, we’ll just have to wait and see how the rest of the year unfolds. Oddly enough, I have a peace about it all.

Welcome to 2018, friends! Thanks for being here.

Do you have a goal or a word for the new year? Perhaps a resolution or two?

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