Welcome, 2013!

Hi friends! How was your holiday break? I feel rested and pumped for the new year - I have hopes it will be our family's best yet.

I've been thinking a lot about resolutions lately. Normally I'm all about making elaborate lists. Unfailingly, the long lists are forgotten pretty quickly (you know how that goes). So this year I only have one broad and easy-to-remember resolution: to live a less busy life. I want to drill down on the important things rather than getting distracted with opportunities, slow down, find more beauty in the creation process and find more ways to laugh with and show love to my family. I want to blog better and smarter, and focus on what works for me here on LGN. Busy is now a four-letter word to me!

I'm working on editing photos of our living room to share tomorrow, but for now here are some snippets from our Christmas and New Years. We stayed in New York this year and my sister Heather and Michael's brother and his wife all left to go to Arizona for the week, so it was just us for Christmas day. We missed the party a little bit I think, but there's something peaceful about going solo as a family for the holidays.

This year I finally gave in to the reality that I have an allergy to real Christmas trees. I decided that if we had to have a fake tree, that it would be mega-fake! So we went with white. I loved the white, and found I was really only missing the smell of a fresh tree. We burned lots of this candle to replicate some of the piney scent and now I think I'll be burning it all winter. It's down right intoxicating!

The girls and I went a little tape-happy with the gift packages this year! Neon and gold duct tape is awesome. 

We celebrated Evelyn's birthday on Christmas Eve and told her all about how she was our special little angel, born under the tree three years ago.

For New Years we trekked up to Westchester to celebrate with good friends. My darling friend Jenna had a kid's craft table set up for making party hats.

We stayed up far too late that night. :)

Then, what better outing than Times Square on New Years morning? (worst idea ever). Evie absolutely could not contain herself when she saw the so-called Hello Kitty. Aren't these the most frightening costumes you've ever seen? Triple yikes.

Here's to a healthy, happy and slowed-down year! And as always, thanks for all the love and support that you show me here. I have the best job in the world. :) See you tomorrow. xo

PS Follow me on Facebook here and on twitter and Instagram at @jennykomenda.