I love January. Cold, dark, crisp, cozy January. After thoroughly enjoying the Christmas season, I love how spacious, fresh, and tidy our little home feels after all of the decorations are put away and how we settle into the simplicity of the new year. For me, the turn of the calendar is a time of reflection - what were the joys of the past year, what were the challenges (as it was 2020, we all know there were many challenges!)? But more than that, I love to look forward to what the new year holds and I love to lean with intentionality into how we can live this new year to its fullest. There are many opinions about setting resolutions, goals, intentions - call them whatever you want - but I find that taking time to set intentions for what I want our year to hold is so very beneficial. I think it gives vision and direction to the year. It provides an opportunity to put priorities in order and to come together as a family and establish what our true values are. I think to live life well, especially with a family, it is helpful to live life intentionally. So with that, I thought I’d share a few of my intentions with you in an effort to encourage you to take time this year to be intentional - to live the life you want you and your family to live, no matter the outside circumstances. It is your life, your year. What do you want it to look like?

Intention #1: OUTSIDE, OUTSIDE, OUTSIDE

If you follow me on Instagram, you know that we love to spend time in the woods. We have a weekly homeschool group that meets in the woods where the kids run wild and free. We try to get outside everyday, but it can be challenging with errands to run, toddler naps, meal times, early sunsets, and aaallllll the snow gear that winter in Minnesota requires. That being said, the benefits of being outside are immeasurable. And I don't use that word just for emphasis, scientists have still not been able to fully measure/define the benefits that we receive from being out in the natural light. It’s phenomenal! Some of the benefits include bringing balance to our circadian rhythms thus providing better sleep, boosting our immune systems through vitamin D from the sun, strengthening our microbiome through microorganisms in the air and dirt, grounding our bodies by connecting our bare feet to the earth, increasing physical balance and confidence as we move our bodies over unpredictable surfaces such as a rocky path in the woods, the list goes on and on.

So, this year I decided to be more intentional about our time outside in two different ways. First, we’ve decided to join the 1000 Hours Outside Challenge. You can print your own hour tracker on their website and they also have a TON of resources for why spending time outdoors is so good for us, and especially good for our kids. This challenge is going to be a stretch for us as it’s is a lot more hours than what we are used to doing, but I’m so excited for how it is going to grow us, challenge us, and increase our love for being and playing outside.

The second way is that I’m committing to quick sunrise walks several mornings per week. This is something I’m doing all by myself (at least when Dan is not traveling). The benefits for being out in natural light within two hours of the sun rising are fantastic - even if it’s just for a few minutes. So, for now, I’m taking a few minutes before breakfast each day to take a quick walk around the block for some fresh air and bright morning sunlight.

If you are interested in learning more about the benefits of the sun and being outdoors, here are some podcasts and articles that have been helpful for me:

https://wellnessmama.com/56086/nature-health-benefits/
https://wellnessmama.com/91779/blue-light-improve-health/
https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/sunlight-and-vitamin-d-theyre-not-the-same-thing/
https://www.westonaprice.org/podcast/why-getting-cold-this-winter-is-a-good-idea/
https://www.1000hoursoutside.com/blog/exposure-to-morning-sunlight

Intention #2: BREAK UP WITH MY PHONE

Ok, I’m not actually going to completely break up with my phone, but I’m putting some serious limits on our relationship. Gross. The fact that we can even say we have a relationship with our phones is gross. Isn’t it?!?

First, we bought analog, battery operated alarm clocks. They haven’t arrived yet, but I’m so excited! I found these solid wood ones on Etsy that have a gentle beep and the hands of the clock do not glow in the dark, making them a great choice for sleeping without artificial light (which is very beneficial, btw). Once we have our alarm clocks, we are hoping to keep our phones out of our bedroom. This will reduce our exposure to blue light before and after sunrise, which is beneficial for proper melatonin production and good sleep, and it will also reduce our exposure to EMF’s (electro magnetic fields), which can be harmful for our bodies in many ways.

Second, I’m committing to not checking my phone before sunrise and before spending time with the Lord in the mornings. I’ve actually been doing this since August when I participated in an Instagram challenge called #wordbeforeworld hosted by Well-Watered Women Co. For 30 days I spent time reading the Bible in the mornings before looking at my phone and I’ve kept it up ever since as I found it was a FAR more fulfilling way to start my day. Now I’m taking it a step further by not allowing myself to look at it until after the sun has risen (which really only applies in the winter for me here in the frozen north), or even better, until after my morning walk. It is beneficial to receive the full spectrum of light that we get from the sun before exposing our brains and eyes to the blue lights from our screens.

Several of the links above go into more depth on the importance of full spectrum sunlight verses blue light. Here are some resources about EMF exposure:

https://www.westonaprice.org/podcast/272-the-shocking-truth-about-electricity-emfs-with-arthur-firstenberg/
https://wellnessmama.com/129645/emf-exposure/
https://wellnessmama.com/podcast/emfrf/
https://wellnessmama.com/podcast/emfs-wifi-radiation/
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/03/15/emf-home-remediation.aspx

Intention #3: Read More Books - Real, Paper-Bound Books!

We read a lot in our home. It’s hasn’t always been this way, but the past 5 years have seen exponential growth in the amount of time we spend reading and it’s one of my favorite things. Our boys LOVE books. When I bring new books home from the library, it’s like Christmas! They can’t wait to sit down and page through each one. Oak spends time almost every day listening to audio books of his favorite chapter books in his room during his quiet time. And Dan and I have both started reading so much more fiction in the past couple years and we often end our days together reading before bed. The past few years have included a lot of travel for us and so I had started reading more ebooks in an effort to simplify travel. I still think this is a great option for travel, but since 2020 tethered us to our homes, I decided to put the ebooks away and to reach for the paper-bound books instead. I think a pretty paper-bound book is so much more inviting than another screen at the end of the day (and then there’s the whole screen/blue light thing again…)

Last year I made a goal to read 8 novels. I read 7.5 and I’m technically giving myself until the middle of January to finish that last book. My goal, my rules. Once I finish that last book I’ll set my 2021 goal. I’m thinking I’ll go for another 8. I also read a lot of non-fiction and would like to set a goal of reading a non-fiction book every month of two this year. One of the things I’m most excited about reading this year is the Bible. Ha. I’ve read the Bible most days of my life since I was a teenager, but it’s been a long time since I’ve read it through in a year and this year I’m going to do just that! I think reading the Bible in it’s entirety in a year gives us an opportunity to see the love story of God as it has been woven throughout history and it helps us to see our place in that story - which is a beautiful thing to behold. This is the plan I’m using this year.

Intention #4: Foster more independence and family helpfulness

I love the mindset that raising kids is really about raising adults. How do we raise adults who are loving and kind humans and who also know how to and desire to meaningfully contribute to society?? As Oak nears the age of 5 we are working on fostering more independence in him while also helping him to see and understand his role in this family. Simply put, he’s learning how to do chores! Ha! But the deeper side of that is that we want him to learn the why behind the chores. It’s not “because I told you so.” It’s “because you used a dish and so now you clean it up because we all have a role to play in order to live well together as a family.”

Some resources that I’ve found helpful on this topic are: