Staying Home For the Holidays

In my last post, I wrote about how slowing down has been the theme of my winter months and I made no exception for the holiday season.

The last weeks of the year are always insanely busy at work – a heavy shopping season + end of year client budgets to spend + year end reviews = a whole lot to do in a few short weeks. I prioritized keeping my personal life and free time as stress-free and uncommitted as possible which helped me be more present in both sides of my life – personal and professional.

Miami Long Weekend // lynnepetre.com

The weekend before Christmas, Alex found ridiculously cheap flights to Miami and, with a couple of ‘use it or lose it’ PTO days left in the year, we spent a long, warm weekend in Florida, on the beach. We spent the entire time doing only what we wanted when we felt like it. So what if we took a nap on a Friday evening and woke up at 9p? We ordered fresh poke bowls to be delivered and ate dinner outside, next to the hotel pool. Throughout the weekend, we jogged along the beach trail to breakfast, read books by the beach, drank fresh OJ like it was going out of style and relished in the warm, sunny weather.

Miami Long Weekend // lynnepetre.com

And the holidays themselves? More of the same. After a chaotic year(s), taking the last 2 weeks of the year to chill out has been so luxurious and necessary. We did not travel or host friends for Christmas; it was just me and Alex and Philly (and a goofy goldendoodle pup we watched). We cooked together, spent mornings baking cinnamon rolls and poptarts, watched Christmas movies and took long walks around our neighborhood.

Workwise, I was one of the few at my office the week between Christmas and New Years which gave me a great opportunity to spend time thinking about how I want to approach the next months and year at work – something I need to prioritize more of in 2018! And with slow work weeks, Alex and I did similar goal setting for our personal and financial lives. We talk about finances regularly but it feels so good to take the time to really check in with where we are, where we want to be and how to get there.

As we close out 2017, I’m so thankful for the experiences of the past year but man, am I glad we’re through it and finally to a more settled spot in our lives. Today, I’m looking forward to a healthier, more intentional, more productive 2018. Wishing you a happy new year’s eve where ever this blog post finds you, too!

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