ET Sparkles

It’s never too early to start talking about goals for the New Year — especially since it’s only seventeen days away. I love celebrating the New Year because to me it symbolizes a fresh start. My husband and I always like to sit down and discuss goals for ourselves for the year and I love doing this because it allows us to focus on the things we want to accomplish, and it also helps us to hold each other accountable. Then, at the end of each year, we like to sit down again and discuss how we think our goals went. Did we accomplish what we set out to accomplish? What can we continue to work on next year? It’s fun and it’s a great way to create a visual for the new year. So, in addition to talking with my husband, I figured I’d share my goals here with you. What are my goals for 2023? I’m so glad you asked! Let’s get into it. Goal #1: Read 50 books. In January of 2022, I decided I would read 30 books. It was a fun challenge, especially since I just started getting back into reading towar...

When the three wise men brought gifts for the baby Jesus, I honestly don’t think they had a clue as to what traditions they started for Christmas nowadays. I use this reference lightly, as I’m not hugely religious, however, it provides a good analogy to the simplicity of what Christmas once was — a time to spend with loved ones. I like to believe that the gifts were merely a token, a fraction of what these wise men could give to the son of God. But, I digress.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I love to shop! (Especially for myself…) But shopping for others, now that is hard work. People can be so particular and you certainly don’t want to offend anyone with a well-intentioned gift. What was once a simple token of affection is now almost a sport. I play into it every year simply because I love the holidays. And whether the wise men had envisioned our modern traditions is besides the point. We do it because we love our family members and want to show them so through the gifts we buy them. I...