Happy New Year’s Eve! I have totally and completely lost track of time this week – it’s currently 11:30 on Thursday night and I’m just now sitting down to write this. We had a very small (three people outside of my immediate family) belated Christmas family get together this week – it was nice to celebrate a bit of the holiday season here in Pittsburgh after spending Christmas in DC. And now I’m looking forward to a low-key New Year’s Eve at home, though I might get dressed up just for fun because I have so few chances to do it these days.

And now – this week’s favorites!
Encanto on Disney Plus
The new Disney movie, Encanto, is now available to stream on Disney Plus if you have a subscription. I highly recommend! The story is great (love a strong, female heroine) and the music is unsurprisingly amazing (written by Lin-Manuel Miranda), and it’s so beautiful, too – so many bright colors to immerse yourself in.
“New Day’s Lyric” by Amanda Gorman
Amanda Gorman shared and recited a new poem for the new year on Instagram. I just am so in awe of her and her talent! Her poem is beautiful and leaves us all with so much hope for the new year and beyond. It’s exactly the vision I want for 2022.
Sparkly Padded Headband
I have been wearing this sparkly padded headband (which I have in both gold and silver) for most of the past week. It is so festive and fun – and at $12, it’s an absolute steal!
Creamy Thai Carrot Soup
After eating a lot of takeout and rich holiday food, I am looking forward to food that’s a bit simpler and less heavy. I’ve had my eye on this Thai creamy carrot soup for a while, and think that this might be the perfect time. Perfect for cooler temperatures without being too much.
The Death of the New Year’s Resolution
I found this article really interesting! I have never been a resolution person, but have come to appreciate goal-setting in the last few years (largely because I know I am someone who needs goals and deadlines to stay motivated). I especially liked the discussion about intrinsic vs. external goals. I’ll share my 2022 goals next week, but this was a nice reminder to me that as cliche as it sounds, it really is what’s inside that counts.