Cheers to the New Year: 2026

Cheers to 2026. May your year begin with a fresh start, and may it come with new adventures, good health, abundant joy, satisfaction and success, more good times than bad, and many memorable moments. 

Warm Hearts & Fresh Starts: A Top 10 List To Wrap Up One Year & Lean Into the Next

A lot of people have an extended break or take extra time off while visiting family over the holidays. That week sandwiched between Christmas and New Years might leave you finding yourself reflective with a bit of extra down time during the holiday. If that's the case, here's a Top 10 list ideas to help you wrap up your year. May it help you ring in the new by finding a merry mix of innovation, nature, sustainability, and creativity to get you living in the moment and making some extra holiday memories as you lean into the new year ahead.

1. Tech-Boosted Wildlife Bingo Walk

Hit the trail with apps like Seek by iNaturalist or Merlin Bird ID or Google Lens and then make a game of winter wildlife spotting. Hot cocoa or movie choice for the Bingo winner!!

2. Unplugged Board Game Bash

Declare one night a phone-free zone. Dust off your Scrabble board, grab the Chutes & Ladders or Candyland, deal out the UNO cards, go for a Yahtzee, or find a new found favorite (maybe one that was recently unwrapped during the holidays), or invent your own!

3. Schedule Your Eco-Resolution Reminders

Program recurring “green prompts” into your own or your family's shared digital calendar (whether that's Google Calendar, Outlook, Apple, or more)—for monthly nature walks, tech-free afternoons, or local volunteering.

4. ABC Outdoor Scavenger Hunt

Enjoy the fresh air while getting a little exercise, hunting out alphabetical finds as you go. Maybe a snow Angel, Boots, Chimney, Dogs and/or Decorations, Evergreen....

5. Gratitude Graffiti

Cover your fridge, a hallway, or one window in sticky notes with little things that brought you joy this year: holiday memories, summer vacations, fun times with friends, popcorn and movie night, beautiful moonlit nights, roasting marshmallows with family or friends.... OR, turn it digital by creating a photo collage or movie of video clips of these sentiments along with photographic proof of the good memories and grateful moments of the year.

6. Green Garland Challenge
Make a winter garland from foraged pinecones, popcorn, leaves, or scraps, then hang it outside for birds to enjoy. The Audobon Society has some great ideas on just how to make some sweet treats for your backyard on their website.

7. Digital Declutter Dash

Grab your phone, iPad, or computer & set our timer for 15 minutes. Ready, set, go: who can clear the most emails or delete the most blurry holiday photos in 15 minutes. Celebrate by putting on some good music and moving, grooving, and doing a happy dance & getting your moves on!

8. Silent Star-lit Night
Take a moment to be in the moment. Bundle up to take a nighttime walk. Spot constellations, listen for the sounds of silence or the city under the streetlights, reflect and reminisce together or go solo. No need for devices, just take in the awe of the night.

9. Curate Kindness
Use your own brainstorming (and bring in your favorite AI platform if you need to) to generate personalized ideas for small acts of kindness you can sprinkle on friends, families, neighbors, and co-workers. Then put them into action, like a secret agent kindness mission. It's a great gift that keeps giving.

10. Digital Dream Board for 2026
Build a solo or shared vision board on Padlet or Canva that collects inspiring eco-quotes, dream destinations, nature wishes, family-personal-or-sustainability goals for the year ahead.

Whatever you do (from this list or from your own imagination), I hope the roll from 2025 to 2026 fills you with both reflection of the past and a ready spirit for what's ahead. 

Image created at Canva.com.

Top 10 TED Talks from 2024

The age-old traditions in the days between Christmas and New Year's include both looking forward and looking backwards. Making New Year's resolutions for the year ahead. Doing a year-in-review for the year that just passed. In thinking along the lines of both of these this week, it's no surprise when I saw this graphic on the TED Facebook page for the most popular TED Talks of 2024. 

Looking at the list of subjects, it's no surprise these are the top TED Talks: the economy & financial future of Generation Z, AI, Israeli-Palestinian relations, climate change, life beyond our planet, US politics & journalism in an election year, and women in the world of work. All of these topics have made headlines this past year, and all most certainly fall into the 3 tenets of TED: "Technology, Entertainment, and Design," 

If you are looking for some ways to direct your 2024 reflection and broaden your horizon, this list may be just the place to start.

Image from https://www.facebook.com/TED/posts/pfbid0P6rGtxFUAC3RJmst2Fi72mRm2reZm1Fb6bNd866A9SDPFvvaoTbCEsMgxkbQKigBl

Happy New Year 2025

Let these sentiments be your daily guide and inspiration to the year ahead....

May...

Every sunrise bathe the world in warmth and promise.

Each day ahead be a blank canvas for you to decorate with your unique creativity and aspirations.

Your heart inspire your actions toward endless growth and possibilities.

You be awash with the spirit of renewal, the soaring of hope, and the energy of curiosity.

Make every moment count for time is precious.

Seize the endless potential that 2025 has to offer!

Happy New Year!

Image created using canva.com and https://wordart.com/create

Goals for the New Year

With the turn of the calendar, as I mentioned in the last post, 'tis the season for goals and resolutions. 

Among my logistical travels, it gave me extra time for social medial scrolling travel, and I landed on these 4 images and infographics...all of which speak to living the year with new, green goals. Maybe there'll be a few ideas here to visually inspire you to start your year off right. 

Images from the following resources, in order:
1. https://www.instagram.com/p/C1iWkYKgafy/?igsh=MzY1NDJmNzMyNQ%3D%3D
2. https://www.facebook.com/SweatpantsAndCoffee/posts/pfbid021fcacxvSxCjrq7tfCquQoFfNzA5BXf9FodZeyoLHgQrShsiwk12t4b3SDE32ad5ql 
3 & 4. https://www.instagram.com/p/C1kI3KKgW8G/?igsh=MzY1NDJmNzMyNQ%3D%3D Additionally, they make these visual lists monthly
5. https://www.instagram.com/p/C1mhtbYMlEx/?igsh=MzY1NDJmNzMyNQ%3D%3D

Happy New Year 2024

A new year is is ahead. 2024. 52 weeks of new are right here with the flip of the calendar page. 

Using ChatGPT, I created this ABC list of environmental well-wishes for your year ahead. May it serve as an inspirational checklist of 26 ways you can green your routine and your 2024.

Afforestation adventures await! Plant some trees or visit some new forests to check out their flourishing biodiversity.

Breathe deeply and take in the bliss of crisp, clean air by "getting out there."

Cultivate sustainable habits and conscious choices for a greener and cleaner future. Start by looking at your home products.

Dive into the depths of eco-conscious decisions. Say no to plastics when you have a pollution-free choice instead.

Embrace renewable energy by opening windows or curtains to bring the sun and wind power in.

Foster a love for our feathered friends. Visit a bird sanctuary or do a little backyard bird watching.

Grow a garden of green: make your backyard bloom with blossoms or a become a bounty to veggies to feed your family. 

Harness some humans-nature harmony: take time out in nature to find fellowship with flora and fauna.

Illuminate your home with energy-efficient lightbulbs to save money and energy.

Join hands with environmental advocates for Mother Earth.

Kindle the flames of environmental education to spread eco-awareness to keep knowledge going and growing.

Let love for our Earth be a guiding star, leading us toward sustainable practices and eco-friendly living.

Marvel at the beauty of marine life, less impacted by mankind, though not immune from pollution.

Nourish your body with organic food to maximize your own health and wellness.

Optimize waste management in your own home: turn trash into treasures when you recycle, upcycle, reuse, and refuse what you no longer need.

Plant the care of conservation by supporting endangered species and restoring ecosystems.

Quietly observe the delicate balance of nature, appreciating the beauty of the separate seasons.

Reduce your own transportation impact: while you might not be ready to buy a lower emission electric vehicle, can you carpool, walk, ride your bike, or take public transportation to get from point A to B?

Sow seeds of environmental stewardship, cultivating a sense of responsibility and care for our home planet.

Turn the tide on pollution, so that our rivers and oceans run free of marine debris.

Unleash your own creativity and celebrate the creativity of architects and artists who masterfully weave sustainable design and environmental awareness to their work.

Value, protect, and celebrate the variety that makes up the rich tapestry of species of life on Earth.

Walk gently on the Earth, leaving behind footprints of kindness and care.

'Xperience the joy of eco-friendly exploration. Go out and adventure into the great outdoors. We protect what we love.

Yearn for a world where green spaces thrive, especially in urban worlds where green spaces provide an escape. 

Zero in on sustainable solutions. May zero-waste lifestyles and circular economies become the norm.


Disclaimer: AI was my friend with both the ABC list and the art of this post. I used ChatGPT and the following prompt on December 17, 2023 to build the inspiration for this post. My prompt that I used to create this post: "You are a creative and genius wordsmith who loves to craft creative text. Create an inspired ABC list of environmental well wishes for the new year ahead: 2024."  I then tweaked the verbiage a bit to make it a more streamlined post. Art created using the Magic Media tools of Canva.com using this prompt (then I added the embellishments of the year and graphics): "Happy New Year picture, realistic, pixar style people of all ages and races there, including white, asian, hispanic, and black people celebrating the new year with a happy new years signs around the room, in a party setting."

One Word: Mosaic

For the past several years I've opted for "One Word" to center my year. Some years it works out better than others to make it all 365 days, but I find it a lovely way to reflect at the start of the year to center my intentions. I also find it a bit more open, active, and "user friendly" than resolutions or "goals," which often become as restrictive as diets. It slants the year on a positive note and gives me greater momentum.

This year, my word is "mosaic." It's a word that has been swimming in my head for awhile. I find comfort in the whole point of a mosaic: the beauty is from the brokenness of the pieces of many sizes and shapes that make the art. I feel that is what we are. It is where we all shine, and we all--as humans--are both beautiful and broken and uniquely "us."

Additionally, these 3 quotes below [and the one in my art] are the ones that speak loudest to me of the 10 listed on Mosaico's March 15, 2020 blog. (Not to mention, there is some gorgeous art there). May you find your favorite quote there too.

“We are mosaics. Pieces of light, love, history, stars… Glued together with magic and music and words.” 

― Anita Krizzan

“Music is, for me, like a beautiful mosaic which God has put together. He takes all the pieces in his hand, throws them into the world, and we have to recreate the picture from the pieces.” 

– Jean Sibelius

“Marriage is a mosaic you build with your spouse. Millions of tiny moments that create your love story.” 

– Jennifer E. Smith

Words I've focused on in the past... as they may be of inspiration to you while you land on your "one word:"

• Buoyancy (2022)
• Heal (2021)
• Vitality (2020)
• The acronym WIN (2019)
• 8/-ate (2018)
• Notice (2017)
• Up (2016)
• Make (2015)
• Change (2014)

Just one word from https://blog.tcea.org/one-word/; Mosaic mage created at Canva.com

Happy New Year 2023

"New Years" is more than just a new calendar being hung on the wall or a flip of the page from one month to another. Whether you buy into the idea of resolutions or not, it is the chance for a new start. School years can be like that for teachers and students. New jobs can serve that purpose too--though they do not fall on the annual timetable like a calendar or school year.

The changing of the guard of a new calendar and a new year has the hint of hope of all that lies ahead. Things that have yet to happen are somewhere in front of you, destined to be. New innovation, inventions, ideas, and inspirations lie ahead. A new year, full of new opportunities and experiences, are the biggest promise of possibilities we have. 

What will your new year have in store for you? 

Only time will tell....and of course it will be what you make it!

Happy 2023!

May the Season Delight Your Heart

December is such a flurry. Holiday parties. Shopping for people you care for. Decorating your home with lights or other adornments tied to your traditions. Attending seasonal shows, holiday plays, or musical events. Readying for Winter Breaks from school, including final projects and exam season for many high school and college students. Baking cookies and preparing for feasts. Gathering with friends and friends. Traveling from one celebration to another. 

It is a busy and full month, regardless of the holiday and traditions you celebrate.

Whether you are ending your holiday traditions or just getting geared up, may this time bring you peace, love, hope, joy, gratitude, rich memories, and time with the people you care for.

Images created by www.canva.com.

Happy New Years 2022

When the clock strikes midnight, separating December 31 to January 1, it traditionally has brought on great times of reflection for me. I have a history of long mysteries as my parents often stayed at a wonderful old world German flair hotel with friends of the family over New Years. It was not only beautiful in its regular decor, but down right magical at Christmastime. My brother and I and our friends' children who were there with us had run of the hotel as our playground. We were safe and secure and it was a trusted spot where you couldn't get lost--yet it was ripe with its many hidden corners that were perfect for cozying in and finding time to reflect in these wonderful nooks and crannies. My journal and I would curl up together and I'd often think back on the year that had passed and the year that was ahead.

Thinking back to the past of not just this year, but the last couple, the past few years have been full with so many things we never thought would or could ever happen. In my modern time lifetime of technology and advanced medicine, a global pandemic was not on my radar of things I thought I'd ever experience. Nor did I think they'd be a two-year experience. 2020 was radically altered from the arrival of Covid-19. I remember being flabbergasted at one point when I heard Dr. Fauci or an epidemiologist on the news state mid-2020 that this could go to 2021. And now we enter 2022. 

I will admit, given the last few, I feel tentative as I toe dip into this new year. Who knows what's ahead given the craziness of all that we've endured. I feel the heavy weight of trepidation!

However, the more times you go around the sun, the more wisdom you gain with that experience. I'm certainly old enough to know that you never know what the future holds, but you also can't sit and stew about it. Here on the cusp of 2022, we haven't a clue what's ahead. Insert global issues, politics, innovation, economics, society, and more--there most certainly is no certainty! 

But, we are at the cusp of the year, what we can control is in our hands. What's in store for you, and what are you willing to do to get yourself where you want to be?

Every year, I do an exercise of determining one word for the year. We had to do this at the start of the school year this year as well. Given that, I'm going to stick with that one. My word: Buoyancy. Keeping myself up, keeping others up and supporting them. Gaining my strength in the peace, serenity, and calm in the same way I feel when buoyant on the water. 

May you land on your word this year as you reflect over where you have been and where you are going... and may your 2022 be rewarding in so many ways. Cheers to the new year!

Images from Canva.com.

2021 A Year In Review, Environmentally Speaking

'Tis the season, this week between December 25th and January 1st, where all sorts of lists start coming out. The bests and the worsts. The top movies-books-music of the year. The most memorable events of the year to make history. I'm sure there's more.

Along those lines, and knowing that the last couple have been some hard ones, I thought it might be interesting to compile some of those lists here that look at the year from an environmental perspective.

• Nature Conservancy's A Year in Review: 2021 in Five Trends

• Greenpeace's 10 Inspiring Environmental Victories of 2021

• Yale Climate Connections' 2021 Was a Remarkable Year for Earth’s Climate

• Ecowatch's 5 Good Things That Happened for the Planet in 2021

Image created at canva.com.

One Word 2021

One of my traditional first posts of the new year for the last several years has always focused "One Word" of the year. I will admit, I'm a bit mixed about it. Just like New Year's resolutions, I always start strong and it flitters and fizzles somewhere by mid year.

Last year's word of "Vitality" seems rather ironic in a 365 day retrospect on all the mysteries that I didn't know then about 2020 but certainly know now. "Vitaliy" was a hard bargain sometimes in the age of Covid, remote & hybrid Learning, civil unrest, and a very contentious election. Much of 2020 for me was mind numbing, which is quite the opposite of vitality. But thats said, I did have 243 days of exercising, mainly on my real or my stationary bike. This rounds out to 4-5 times a week. This is by far a first for me to have a continued year long maintenance of an exercise program. Some pounds were dropped--not as many as I would have liked, and it offered some good escape & bingewatching time during a harsh year. Schitt's Creek, Downtown Abbey, the entire West Wing series, Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist, Hollywood, and Virgin River were some of my favorites. (Sorry, no Tiger King for this kid!!)

So clearly this one-word business isn't an exact science with me, but it does offer the glimmer of hope and direction.

It reminds me of memories of curling up with my journal as a kid and writing lists of resolutions and plans for the year ahead. I appreciate that midwinter reflection after all the gifts are unwrapped, time to sit and think about what is really important, and the ability to ponder ways I need to shift going forward. It's at least a good exercise for me in January.

In thinking about the year ahead, one can't do so without thinking on everything we endured. I saw a meme of 2020 that had January and February calendars at the top, a whole mix and mingle of the in between months, and then December. 2020 in so many ways feels like this exact jumble--one perhaps of about 700 days long. I alluded to some of the highlights of the year in my last post.

However, in thinking about words for the year ahead, in relation to the year prior, "Heal" keeps coming to mind. I think we all have walked away from 2020 a bit broken. I think we all may have a collective case of PTSD. Watching shows, I feel like people are too close. I can shut my eyes and hear the air scrubbers in my school. Masks are part of our fashionwear. Hand washing & sanitizing feels a little obsessive compulsive. It's going to take a long time to feel "normal" again.

Teachers and healthcare workers are tired from the demands of the pandemic. Mental health is more of a concern than ever before. Entire sports seasons and prom events and college & high school rites of passage like prom and graduation have disappeared. We have an Innaguration ahead in a few weeks with the entire country more angry than ever. Stress is high on all levels, and many of us feel beaten down in our own homes due to sacrifices to families, jobs, economy, and more. As a planet, we are literally trying to heal pandemic populations through newly released and administered vaccinations.

2020 was such a hard year for so many.

I ran across this poem by Christine Evangelou from "Beating Hearts & Butterflies" and was struck. May we all be these stronger people in 2021, better now than before. Richer due to surviving hard experiences. Healed.  

One Day

One day, you will heal

One day, you will be grateful for the deepest cuts of pain

One day, you will glance at yourself

And see a stronger person through your reflection

One day, you will kiss away your hurt… gently, and with grace 

Until then, use it all to propel you forward

Like a white-hot pyre through your star-spangled eyes

A fire to regenerate every shadowy cell

And open your heart to every experience

Knowing that one day

You will search your heart

And understand that love is the only thing to ever hold onto

*This was written and scheduled to post on January 6 well before the events in Washington, DC on January 6, 2021. Certainly, glued to my television watching events unfold as people overtook one of our most sacred governmental buildings, it certainly reiterates my choice and our collective need to "heal." 

Calendar meme from https://i.pinimg.com/originals/ba/42/63/ba4263676eeb071f5872d38be58e8a3d.jpg, One word image for 2020 & 2021 created at Canva.com

Ringing In, Bringing In 2021

2020.

For many, this year has become synonymous with a 4-letter word. 

This week between Christmas and New Years is always the week where we hash over all of the wins and losses, the highs and lows of the year.

We started the year with Australian wildfires of enormous environmental impact. Also in January, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down from the royal family and Kobe Bryant died in a tragic car accident. For many of us, that seems like it was eons ago.

Covid has been a defining factor of the year, as the United States saw its growth in February, its ultimate cause for national shutdown in March, and its horrific impact over the summer and growth again this fall. Meanwhile, in the middle of a very contention election season (which led to a controversial new presidency), we also had major racial injustice and strife following the death of George Floyd. On top of all of that, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg passed away mid-September causing a quick replacement of that seat right before the election with Amy Coney Barrett. All the while, more wildfires raged in western United States as did more cases of Covid, which we as a country just could not kick.

When you look at all of this and think of it in terms of a movie plot, it'd all be way too much for one film. It wouldn't be believable. It wouldn't feel realistic. And yet, it has all been our reality.

For many, they were ready to wash their hands of 2020 months ago. 

The start of a new year always holds so much hope and promise. Many of us are a little gun-shy this year, saying silent prayers of "Please dear Lord, don't let it get worse. There are no more shoes to drop! We can't take any more."

In thinking over the passage of the year, I scrolled back to my New Year's 2019 GTG post. I hoped for a year of innovation and excitement. Innovation certainly was necessary as we all moved in and out of remote or hybrid learning; as we quarantined during pandemic and had to creatively stay in touch with loved ones; and as scientists developed Covid vaccines and medical personnel started to administer them.. I've said before, innovation will be the answer to all of our environmental issues. Health and education too, so we've seen. And far more excitement than we ever wanted. Yes, be careful what you ask for.

So 2021, we greet you. You are here. May you be kind to as and help us turn that corner on Covid. We are all collectively crossing our fingers, and hoping for the best. 

Images created by me on Canva.com

Starting The Year Off Right

As I wrote in my previous "Happy New Year 2020" post, the rotation around both the sun and the calendar bring about a lovely level of reflection. The start of something new. Resolutions, goals, or "One Word" focuses for the year ahead are frequent and often plentiful among the masses as people... as they go forward with the good and toss the rest from the year before.

I spent my New Years Day doing all my favorite activities:

~ brunching with a a couple of dear co-workers while basking in the fact that we were still on winter break;

~ delighting in the sunshiny 47°F weather and soaking in some Vitamin D & Vitamin N in the glory of my own backyard;

~ napping & reading on the couch by the Christmas tree;

~ doing a little writing & reflecting over here at GTG.

I hope your New Years Day was equally rewarding.

As an aside... my "One Word" for this year: Vitality.

Why? It brings to mind "health & wellness," which is something my body is craving with achy knees and slowing metabolism. But more than that, it also brings about "energy," "liveliness," and "robustness." Who wouldn't want to have those items daily? I also see it as a springboard to ask myself if activities or behaviors bring that. Is mindlessly scrolling through Facebook, playing copious games of Words With Friends, or reading Apple News ad nauseam going to bring me all of that? In five minute blocks, they may help me decompress. But more than that (and who amongst us hasn't gotten sucked down the rabbit hole of our own tech)--probably not. Same for the comfort food and binge-watching TV. Seems like a positive word filled with 20/20 focus and clarity for me to wrap my year around.

May you find a word that helps you focus your 20/20 vision on helping you be the best you can be!

"Vitality" photo created at Canva.com; the other one from my camera & my backyard.

Happy New Year 2020

Calendars, just like years, are cyclical. Given that, it's easy to take note each year as you circle back 'round to the benchmarks of birthdays and anniversaries.

New Years Eve and/or Day is one such benchmark... highlighted with festivities, fireworks, fun, family, & friends. The ball drops. The clock hits the stroke of midnight. Some people toast with fizzy drinks or celebrate with kisses, while others opt for a more subdued and introverted approach. No matter what, it brings about reflection over the prior year as well as anticipation and even expectation over the year ahead.

It's a nice juxtaposition with the year ahead: 2020. Seeing with 20/20 vision is seeing with great accuracy. 20/20 is an American investigative journalism news show that's been on air since 1978.  I like the synonymous thought of using the year 2020 to see with greater clarity. To fully investigate what's around you and where you want to go. To go forward with open eyes, embracing the gifts around you, and making the most of every day you have. To focus on what's important. To have the vision to determine where you will be a year from now based on this year ahead.

May your 2020 bring you all of this. Cheers to your year ahead and for the new decade ahead!

2020 created by me at Canva.com; The Neil Gaiman quotes were found at https://www.canva.com/learn/inspirational-quotes-for-the-new-year/, and the Michael Hyatt quote is from https://michaelhyatt.com/photos/dont-fear-failure-fear-exact-place-next-year-today/

New Year, New Reads

What was on your Christmas/Holiday Wish List?

Mine was heavy hit with books. And boy oh boy, did I get some good ones:

As a homeroom teacher, my classroom library was one to rival the school library. "Treat books lovingly" has always been one of my messages. No folding back the covers or bending down the corners. Treat them as your friends!

I also always had the Harry Potter books in my class library. Gotta love Scholastic book points! But given I'm more of a fiction or non-fiction versus fantasy reader, I never read them. Nor did I see the movies: "It's not my genre," I always used to say.

But that was until this year, when my Middle School son started reading the series. Simultaneously, we made plans to go to Orlando's Universal Studios over Spring Break to Diagon Alley, Hogwart's Express, and all that's Harry Potter. With our plans to go, I did what I do: I started researching:

• We started a week long binge-fest of watching 6 of the 8 movies.
• This led us to a friendly family competition: who would finish Book #7 first. 
• I started reading book #7 first.... then we went to Universal.
• Then I started the series from the beginning and read all 7, while simultaneously watching the last 2 movies upon our return from Florida.

I. Was. Sucked. In!! And surprised. And stunned by some 20 year surprises that I'd never learned the spoiler. (My kids chastised me, saying, "Mom, where have you been...we knew that! Everyone knows that" How, I asked? You haven't seen the movies. "Mom! The Internet!" But of course! Given that, the philosophy and back stories fascinate me, and the illustrated trio of the first three books are just down right amazing. I'm starting my reread again!

From my techie side, I've got another trio of books. This set though is to help neutralize tech time (for both myself, my family, and my elementary school students), helping us all to balance out screentime in a positive way. I'm eager to dive into those 3 books: "The Tech-Wise Family: Everyday Steps for Putting Technology in Its Proper Place" by Andy Crouch, The Art of Screen Time: "How Your Family Can Balance Digital Media and Real" by Anya Kamenetz, and "Screenwise: Helping Kids Thrive (and Survive) in Their Digital World" by Deborah Heitner.

All this leads me to my next set of books: More and more, I think the way to offset the over-techification of America is to got back to nature and environmental education. Upon reading Richard Louv's "Last Child in the Woods" as part of our school summer read, my school has created book groups with this and 3 other books in order to create a positive change internally within the school. I opted into a group centered around this book since I feel this and the "teching of America" are two sides of the same coin. Nature will help us neutralize the FOMO associated with technology, yet technology and innovation will help solve some of the environmental issues our world is facing. Given that I'm eager to read The Nature Fix and Love Earth Now: The Power of Doing One Thing Every Day.

And then there's Michelle Obama's book, which I did finish reading over break already. Always interesting to put yourself in someone else's shoes, to take a peak into the White House and see what it would be like learning yourself into being a member of the first family. It's always good to embrace hope and optimism too.

Clearly, I'm going to be busy for a while! But what's better than curling up with a good book? 

What's on your reading list for the 2019?

Photo from my camera of my reading stack!

One Word 2019

For the last several years, I've embraced "One Word" as an approach to the New Years and resolutions.

One word to focus on for my year.

Some years, it's more tried and true than others. Some of my words in the past:

8/-ate (2018)
Notice (2017)
Up (2016)
Make (2015)
Change (2014)

So it's 2019. Where do I want to go from here?

My word this year: WIN.

But, because I can't just go with one word and leave it at that, "WIN" has extra meaning as it's an acronym.  WIN:

• What is Necessary?
• When, If Not Now?
• When In Nature...
• What Do I Need?
• What's Important Now?

My hope is that if I'm at a thought crossroad here in 2019, I'll check in with myself. Do I need to lay down my phone/tech? Do I need to stop and reach out to my kids? Do I need to head outside? Do I need to take a break, read a book, do something different? My "WIN" questions should be able to step up and answer what needs to be answered!

What's your "One Word" this year?

Image from http://jongordon.com/books/one-word/;

 and My "Win" image created on Pic EDU and shared here!

Happy New Year 2019

As the New Year is upon you, may these quotes help to shape your year!

“Innovation is taking two things that already exist 

and putting them together in a new way.” 

–Tom Freston

“What good is an idea if it remains an idea? 

Try. Experiment. Iterate. Fail. Try again. Change the world.” 

– Simon Sinek

“There’s a way to do it better—find it.” 

–Thomas Edison

“Vision is the art of seeing the invisible.” 

–Jonathan Swift

“It always seems impossible until it is done.” 

–Nelson Mandela

“This world is but a canvas to our imagination.” 

–Henry David Thoreau

“The world is a book and those who do not travel

read only one page.” 

– St. Augustine

“When the winds of change blow, 

some people build walls and others build windmills.” 

–Chinese Proverb

“If you’re not failing every now and again, 

it’s a sign you’re not doing anything very innovative.” 

–Woody Allen

Quotes from https://www.skipprichard.com/33-innovation-quotes-to-inspire-your-next-idea/

Eco New Year's Resolutions

The week between Christmas and New Years is often a week off work for many of us--or at least a few extra days off in there. It serves as a good time to make sure you get a chance to see all your family and friends, and get in all of your celebrating.

It's also a good time to reflect on your year, and make plans for the year ahead.

It might also be a good week to get a jump start on forming your New Years resolutions. Here are some great eco-resolutions to consider.

• Clean your closet and donate clothes you no longer want or wear to a donation center or homeless shelter.

• Contribute to a charity that speaks to your heart. Maybe a one time donation, or perhaps consider making a monthly commitment. Great environmental ones I love:
• charity: water
• 4Oceans
• Chesapeake Bay Foundation
• Or check out this link of "10 High Impact Environmental Charities with Integrity." 

• Read an environmental book or two.

• Watch a eco-documentary once a month.

• Up your recycling or composting game.

• Shop with your reusable bags.

• Cut down on your food waste.

• Buy less bottled water--BYO reusable water bottle or coffee mugs.

• Upgrade your diet--go flexitarian, vegetarian, or Meatless Mondays.

• Shop more sustainably--cotton products require a lot of chemicals and water!

• Buy fair trade coffee and chocolate

• Walk (or ride your bike) more and drive less. Or, consider public transportation or carpooling.

• Grow your own garden--that's as organic as it gets!

• Switch to greener cleaners for your home.

• Take a pass on the straws... or go with a non-plastic alternative.

• Go with eco-friendly and energy efficient home products.

• Become an activist--take part in local campaigns, spread the word about the growing impact of humans on climate change, take part in park or stream clean ups. Barack Obama tweeted of this a day or so ago: "find something you want to change in your community and take the first step toward changing it." Always good advice!!

For more, check out these websites, which served as my inspiration for this post.

2018 Sustainable New Year's Resolutions You Need To Make, According To The Biggest Eco Names

Eco Talk: Environmentally-Friendly New Year's Resolutions

11 Green New Year's Resolutions That Put The Planet First

10 Easy, Green New Year's Resolutions (Even If You're a Slacker)

Ten Simple Green New Year's Resolutions

8 Simple Eco New Year's Resolutions for 2018

10 Green New Years Revolutions

Image created at Canva.com.

New Year, New You!

We're a week into the New Year... how are your New Year's resolutions coming along?

Or, are you more of a "One Word"
kind of person?

Or, are you like most of us,
with the energy and stamina
on your resolutions is already dwindling?

Here are some of my favorite Shawn Stevenson Model Health Show podcasts to energize you for the new year ahead! Take an hour or two and watch or listen to one or a few!










Image from https://www.saastr.com/10-saas-new-year-resolutions-for-you/; Videos from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDWbKfOg9O0#action=share; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-s6i_MBtGY&feature=youtu.be; https://www.youtube.com/watch?; v=RTregJr4EUI&feature=youtu.be; https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=Ek4wNTuKpOY; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDWbKfOg9O0#action=share