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Flanders Family Freebies

FF #108: 🗒️ How to Make 2023 Your Best Year Yet

Published about 1 year ago • 2 min read

Welcome to the 108th issue of Flanders Family Freebies, a weekly themed link list of resources designed by me, Jennifer Flanders, in hopes of helping you build a strong, happy, healthy home. Thank you for giving me a place in your inbox! Was this newsletter forwarded to you by a friend? Want your own? Subscribe here.

Tyler, Texas
Wednesday, December 28, 2022

Hello Reader,

Are you as psyched as I am about the fact 2023 starts on a Sunday? It's the beginning of a brand new day, week, month, and year, all rolled into one -- the perfect time for a fresh new start!

The last twelve months flew by fast, didn't they? And before you know it, we'll be saying the same thing about the next twelve.

Want to make the most of the time in between? That's what this week's link list is all about.

Free resources for you this week:

What I'm reading this week:

I'm just a few chapters into Cal Newport's Deep Work. It's all about reducing distractions and improving focus. The first part of the book discusses why it's so important we learn how to work this way, and the second part of the book offers practical advice for doing so.

Part of the reason I haven't finished this book -- which has been in my "to read" stack for years -- already is that I struggle with distraction far more than I've been willing to admit. But not for long! I'm already beginning to implement changes to how I work based on Newport's research. Stay tuned to learn whether these adjustments move the needle in my level of productivity.

What we're watching this week:

I stayed up entirely too late last night watching The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug with the kids. They've been rewatching the whole series with friends over Christmas break.

While The Lord of the Rings movies did an amazing job following the storyline of the books, the same thing cannot be said of The Hobbit. I might've liked it better had the script writers stuck closer to the original tale.

What we're eating this week:

We're back to cooking meals at home using boxed meal kits. I've been trying out some other companies lately (I'll eventually publish a side-by-side comparison for all the services we've tried), but Hello Fresh is still my favorite in terms of variety of meals, organization of groceries, and ease of preparation. Plus, they're running a great New Year's special that slashes meal prices to make it even more economical.

Progress on last week's goals:

Check. Check. Check. I ✅ marked everything off my to-do list last week except ❌ attending our church's candlelight service on Christmas eve, but I got sick and stayed at home instead (to be close to the trash can 🤮).

Personal goals for this week:

  • take two quick trips to visit relatives
  • babysit grandkids
  • clean out my email inbox
  • write thank you notes for Christmas gifts
  • make homeschool lesson plans for next 6 weeks

Another question for you:

Are you setting any goals or making resolutions for the new year? Hit reply and tell me about it!

Flanders Family Freebies

A happily married mama of 12, I am passionate about faith & family and love sharing ideas, fun resources, and free printables to help you build a strong, healthy, happy home.

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