Emily's Edit: January Edition
I spent January buried in spreadsheets (and it changed everything)
January felt heavy in a very specific way. Not the kind of heaviness that drags you down (well, every time I looked up from my computer and at the news, there was also a lot of that), but the kind that comes from responsibility, focus, and carrying a lot quietly.
We rang in the new year at the lake after Christmas, with a couple of Brady’s buddies along for the ride. There was no snow in GA in early January, but it was cold and relaxing. It was exactly what we needed before the month asked for everything else.
After we got home, Bryan and I left for Aruba for a work trip for him. I was genuinely excited to go, but getting everything prepared (house / kids / schedule wise but also uh… spray tan… bc the Caribbean in January…) was a lot. Once I landed, though, I was all in. It was so much fun and sunny and such a reset to step outside winter and routine for a few days. Aruba hadn’t been on my watch list, but if you’re making a trip, I highly recommend. The airport was great. The infrastructure of the city was really good. And the people were wonderful.
Beyond that, most of January was work. Deep, serious, spreadsheet-level work. I’ve been living inside our finances, both for Simplified and for our family, trying to get clearer, steadier, and more intentional. I do this every January and I always forget how unbelievably time consuming it is. BUT WORTH IT. Because of all that, I’m currently at the lake alone, in the snow (!!), surrounded by spreadsheets… because focus felt worth escaping for. I’ve been under my to-do list for a long time, and this weekend is about climbing out from underneath it.
January was not a “finish every book” month, but it was a curious one.
Woman Down by Colleen Hoover was wildly spicy. Like… be warned. Truly.
My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh was strange, unsettling, and half the time I didn’t know what was happening (which I think was the point).
This Is Marketing by Seth Godin on audio, very much in my business brain this month.
Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy was beautiful and grounded and absolutely worth your time.
I also downloaded (but haven’t started yet): Dear Debbie by Freida McFadden, My Husband’s Wife by Alice Feeney, and The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff.
There’s one more book I started that I cannot talk about yet, but I’ll be sharing something exciting about it on Tuesday. Stay tuned. 📕🤫
Honestly? Not much. Doing a deep financial audit has a way of making you not want to do much of that.
One thing I did buy was sourdough baking supplies. : ) I was the holdout amongst my friends when it comes to sourdough baking. But Brady’s taken an interest so our friend Dusty gave us the full rundown. (Brady has a new baking hobby and it’s my favorite thing ever). Watching him be proud of something he made with his hands (and putting his phone down to do it) has been one of the quiet highlights of the month. (Looking back at my receipts, I also bough this for me and C and this for the kiddos for Valentine’s Day; have you tried either?)
I also picked up a couple of pieces for Aruba, and I bought myself a beautiful handbag (above) for my 43rd birthday. 😍
I’m not a big shoe person. I don’t buy designer clothes. But a good neutral bag? That’s my thing. I don’t love buying handbags online or at home without context. I want every bag I own to have a story. I think of them as something I’ll leave Caroline someday, each one tied to a place, a season, a memory. When she carries one, she’ll know its story.
A lot of rinse-and-repeat from The Simplified Cookbook. A lot of “stupid easy.” A lot of to-go meals. January was not a culinary masterpiece, and that’s okay. I don’t think I’ve ever been this busy at work, and feeding everyone adequately was enough.
Tyler and Caroline turned eleven and I’m still not over it. They’re so big. So grown. We had two (2!!) birthday parties at ** tHe sKaTiNg RinK ** and while they were SO MUCH FUN, I’m pretty sure Dreamland Skate Center in Pensacola, Florida hasn’t changed their neon design carpet since 1983. I digress.
January was snow at the lake. Spreadsheets on the table. A quiet kind of January that asked a lot but gave back clarity. I saved our business and our family so. much. money. Six figures + on the business. Five figures for the fam. Negotiations. Phone calls. Moving partners. Moving carriers. All worth it in the long run!
The kids are deep in their routines, and the rhythm of school and basketball (and soon lacrosse? This is new for us) and homework has settled into something steady. Walter, as always, is the calmest member of the household.
Around the office… this has been one of the most focused work seasons I can remember in a long time. The financial deep-dive has touched every part of the business, and while it’s not glamorous, it’s necessary and game-changing. More on that here, here, and at the link below.
Personally and professionally, I’ve started having a bit of an identity crisis with Instagram (and according to my DMs, I’m not the only one). More on that later, but I’m trying to figure out how I fit on that platform anymore and how it actually serves me. How can I use it to best connect with people and do my job well? Add value, not noise. I don’t have answers yet, but I’m noodling on the questions.
All that to say, January was about clarity, not creativity. Work, not play. Getting steady again. Some seasons need that. I’m looking forward to another snowy few days here, emerging from my spreadsheet-hole, and getting back to the work I love most!
Is there anything better than finding ways to save?! Would love a post about how you did and what ways we can save money too! Have a great weekend at the lake!
As a Minnesotan, this month has been one of the most stressful, heartbreaking, and yet hopeful months. We are exhausted, but will not stop loving and trying to protect our neighbors. It is incredible how people have stepped up to buy groceries, cover rent, make sure kids get to and from school safely, and use their voices to advocate on behalf of our community. I will say, despite the pitfalls of social media, it has been critical for spreading the truth of all that has happened and is still happening here and for organizing aid for those in need.