2019 is gone and I have to say it was great year! Being home with my family to celebrate the beginning of a new year, a new decade, and having my extended family there for my birthday is just the best present ever and a great way to start 2020.
As every year comes, we are faced with different challenges, some positive and others, you just wish you can hit the delete button and have them disappear.
2019 brought me great life lessons. Here is what last year taught me:
Family is everything!
There is nothing I enjoy more than spending time with my family. December is the perfect month to catch up with relatives and this year we got to meet the newest members of the family. We take two weeks off to enjoy each other and our extended family, and although is exhausting co-sleeping with the kiddos for 17 days straight, we had great laughs during bedtime and snuggles that it made all worth it! This is the time of the year I savor the most.
You are never too old to try something new.
Last year I started teaching cooking lessons for kids and I never thought I would enjoy it so much! It has been so rewarding to see my students excited about their creations. The spark in their eyes when they show their parents what they made, really fills my heart. I am so happy I decided to create classes for kiddos my daughter’s that are technically “too young” to attend cooking classes around the valley.
Don’t be afraid of getting out of your comfort zone.
I had been in my job for 7 years and an opportunity for a new job came knocking at my door. I was too afraid to get out of my comfort zone that my first response was no. I then realized if I had said no previous challenges, I wouldn’t have met my husband, or backpacked my way through Europe at 21 years old. So, I knew I had to say yes to this new challenge. Two months into my position, I am so happy I took the leap!
Time with your kids is gold!
My kids have never said “remember that time when you bought me that toy?” Their most precious memories are from time we have spent together, laughing and being silly, going to a museum, reading books, being together!
Unplugging is liberating.
I have been very mindful about not being on my phone when I am with my kids, especially when we are reading before bed. It was not easy in the beginning. I am a multitasker, almost to a fault, and I want to send emails, write up the menu for my next cooking class, etc. while I am with them. When we were on vacation, I unplugged every other day and really enjoyed just being PRESENT.
Connection is essential.
I am the first to admit I feel connected to people through social media. That being said, this is not true. Looking at someone’s daily posts and liking or commenting is not the same as calling your friends and family or meeting them for a cup of coffee to catch up on life. This year I am being more cognizant of REALLY being connected with the people I love.
In 2020 I am really looking forward to living a more unplugged life, and tuning into a more meaningful life by creating special memories with my loved ones. I will embrace getting out of my comfort zone and try new activities. We only live once, so let’s make the best of it!
Happy 2020! I still want to get Riley to one of your cooking classes. They look incredible!