January - hear me out.
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| When I'm ready to embrace and celebrate my laundry, I'll let you know. |
So. I had this lovely post planned about how I love January for all of its new-ness and freshness and post-holiday clean-ness. There were going to be similes about white carpets of fresh fallen snow and taking whatever first steps you want in them. And I was going to tell you, in all earnestness, that I love January like I love Mondays (which I do!) for that sense of starting over and being able to fill your new week or year with whatever you want to.
But then I caught the kids cold with accompanying cough of death, and have so far spent January effectively trying to expel my lungs from my body while not really sleeping much either because either I feel like I'm slowly drowning, or one of two children wants something in the night. Our house has dramatically exploded/imploded all over itself with things from our trip that still need to be put away, and new Christmas presents that need to find homes. And I just can't seem to keep up with dishes, laundry, those horrible salt stains that people's wet shoes leave on the floor, anything.
To put a whiny story short: so far, I haven't really loved January all that much.
January 2013 has been all about coughs and colds and various ailments and trying to get caught up on chores, and boxing up Christmas and being stuck in the house and just the general everyday blahness of life. After months of the holiday season, January just seems so utterly celebration-less and boring.
So I'm thinking, why not celebrate that? Why not make January a month to completely and wholeheartedly embrace the everyday? Let's love the return of good TV (Downton Abbey, yes?), 20 minute dinners, comfy pants and flopping onto the couch at the end of the day. And while we're there, let's find some ways to make the everyday a little bit more special. I'm thinking candlelit dinners for the whole family on a Tuesday, adding fresh flowers to the grocery shopping list and generally anything that makes the ordinary a little extraordinary (in other words, not phrases like that, but you know what I mean). What makes January so special is precisely it's complete and utter void of any kid of specialness. There's nothing to celebrate except the total lack of celebration.
I'm liking this idea, and will be coming back to it throughout the month. In the meantime I'd love to hear how you feel about January. Are you all into its clean-slatey-goodness, or do you feel like it's a complete letdown after the holidays? Or do you somehow manage to not really care one way or another? Spill.
I keep trying to invent food traditions, and part of me wants to make January spicy food month (because it's cold...). I haven't actually had any spicy food this month, but hopefully I'll manage a curry or two somewhere in there.
ReplyDeleteMmm.... curries! I hope you'll share whatever recipes you use if you do make some.
DeleteI feel it is like every other month. Just another day. But I am also looking forward to birthdays, Valentine's day, and a 5 day weekend in February and then spring break and our anniversary in march so I have things to plan and think about.
ReplyDeleteFebruary is a busy month for us too! How did you swing a 5 day weekend?
DeleteYAY DOWNTON ABBEY! I'm so excited! I hope your household starts to feel better ASAP. :-D
ReplyDeleteThank you! We are getting there :)
DeleteWhen I lived in the snow belt of Ohio, January was the month during which I was most likely to commit depression-induced homicide. Since I live in the South now, January has a less drastic effect, but I absolutely love your idea of celebrating "everyday-ness". May your lungs stay where they are supposed to be and your nights be filled with sleep!
ReplyDeleteI've only ever been to Ohio in late fall/winter, and while it is beautiful, I could definitely see how it could get you down. Living in the South sounds like a much better idea... except then I would weigh 500 lbs. from all the pie I would have to eat.
DeleteThe way I look at it, one month of winter is a wash. I never know which one, but there's always a few weeks that kick my butt. If it happens in January, well, at least it's over! ;) You're way of looking at it is probably healthier than mine haha
ReplyDeleteWinter is just always a few weeks too long, isn't it?
DeleteI like January because there isn't much going on. It's just a nice break from the holiday madness. I also like January because a lot of my tv shows are back from a long break.
ReplyDeleteIt really is nice to get a break from the holidays, isn't it? We always seem to go for a week of salads and fish and all things light when we get back to normal again.
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