My Goals for 2026

Are you the type of person who makes resolutions?

Personally, I prefer goals to resolutions. Resolutions come with this unspoken expectation that you're changing yourself, whereas goals speak more to bettering yourself in some way. I think that's an important distinction.

I always start the year by looking back at what I accomplished the year before. I set a lot of goals for 2025, and I feel like I was mostly successful. I got my gifted teaching endorsement and started a new hobby (although to be fair, I wasn't very consistent with this one). I did a lot of simplifying at home, especially in terms of my closet, and we cooked and ate at home a lot more. On the flip side, I wasn't able to travel to NYC, and my intention to write thank you notes totally slipped my mind. So overall, not a bad year in terms of accomplishments.

This year, I really only have three goals in mind. Each of these are personal, long-term goals that were inspired by things I learned or did over the last 12 months. Take a look!

1. More Bookish Content

This is probably my biggest goal for the year, mostly because it's not a cut-and-dry, linear type of goal. It's more of an overall focus I'd like to work on. Last year, my big focus for the blog was to be less scheduled and more intentional with my posts. I feel like I accomplished that, and this year I'm ready to capitalize on the results of that more focused intentionality. When I was doing all of my year-in-review posts for 2025, I realized just how much more engagement I've been getting on reading-related content in the last 12 months or so.

So here's what you can expect. I am still doing my One Woman Book Club as well as the full-length reviews for each monthly pick that I started last year. You can also expect to keep seeing my seasonal reading lists (maybe with some more niche reading lists thrown in every now and then), and I intend to keep posting regularly updated TBR lists every few months.

I would like to get back to sharing more timely what-I'm-reading-now posts. It's been awhile since I've done those types of posts, but I feel like there's definitely space for more content like that. I also think that it would be beneficial for me to start sharing the books that I did not finish, which is not something that I usually do but something I feel like y'all might enjoy.

Outside of the blog, I am going to work on posting bookish content more regularly on my social media channels. I haven't quite figured out how that's going to look yet, so bear with me. If you're a part of the Booktok and/or Bookstagram communities, give me a follow!

2. Record More Videos

This was a goal of mine back in 2024. In my reflection at the beginning of 2025, I stated that I felt like I did okay with that goal and that I wanted to keep working on it, but I didn't actually set it as a goal for last year. I feel like I started off the year pretty strong with videos but didn't keep it going all year.

Here's the thing. I genuinely hate recording videos, especially of myself. There's a reason my college major was print journalism instead of broadcast! I've always been more of a still photography person. There's just something to be said about capturing that perfect moment in time. But when it comes to staying relevant with social media, video content is kind of a necessity, and I feel like I've fallen behind in that area.

On a more personal note, I also want more videos of my family. When I was doing my year-in-review reel for 2025, I realized how much I enjoyed reliving each of those moments, even the small ones. In fact, especially the small ones.

3. Start & Maintain a Creative Hobby (or two)

This was one of my goals for 2025. At the beginning of the year, I ordered a beginner's embroidery kit. I was really excited about it, and I started off strong. But then life happened, and I put it all to the side to focus on other things. Then I just didn't pick it back up until the end of the year. So, as a continuation of last year's goal to start a creative hobby, I want to keep learning how to embroider.

I've also been really interested in puzzles lately. I don't actually have a good means of getting started on this right now. I don't currently have a good place to build the puzzles, and I can't just leave them sitting out in the open because we have a cat who would steal all the loose pieces. It is something I would love to be able to start, though, so if you have an affordable puzzle table/board that you love, please share!

What are your goals or resolutions for 2026?

December Favorites: 10 Things I Loved + Your Favorites Too!

It's the final favorite things roundup post of 2025! For those of you who are new around here, welcome. This is a post that I do every month looking back on the things that brought me joy or made my life better in some way. I also started this year to look at the things that you guys liked the most, as well, whether that's from total number of clicks and engagement to number of buys. It's been really interesting to see each month what resonates with y'all. Sometimes it's truly surprising!

December was a whirlwind of a month. After Thanksgiving Break, we had two and a half weeks of school before the extended Christmas Break. We had quite a bit of testing going on at my school, which meant altered schedules and lower-stakes assignments. I teamed up with the reading teacher to do our second annual ugly Christmas sweater contest and then had students design presentations for Santa to get them off the naughty list.

We started the month by going to a local Christmas festival. This is one that we've been going to every December for several years now. It's probably the biggest holiday festival in our area, and we always have a good time. Sadly, we had a lot of rain at the start of the month, and our favorite local Christmas event got canceled without being rescheduled.

Alexis had her Christmas concert, which was part of her school's annual family night. In addition to the musical performance, there were different holiday-themed activities and snacks.

Then of course there was Christmas Break. For the first time since I started teaching, this break actually felt like a break. We truly did not do very much at all (the weather canceled lots of our plans), so it's been a restful couple of weeks, which I absolutely needed.

Alright, let's take a look at my favorites from the month plus your favorite things that I shared.

My Favorites

Tea & Alchemy -- If you haven't already seen it, this book claimed the number two spot on my best books of 2025 list. that rarely happens with a book that I read so late in the year! That alone should tell you just how good I thought this one was.

Family & Other Calamities -- This one made me laugh despite the deeper topic. I also appreciated that it didn't shy away from some of the often overlooked issues with sexism and racism that still plague journalism today, and I really loved how the bad guy got served his just desserts -- it was brilliant and hilarious.

I KINDA LIKE THAT by LAUNDRY DAY -- This song has been stuck in my head, playing on a loop for days! I guess it's fitting that the album it's on is called Earworm. It's a fun song that gives me lots of nostalgia for my old favorites.

S.O.S. by Post Sex Nachos -- This is another song that gets stuck in my head. It also gives me nostalgia for the good ol' days of music.

COVERGIRL Clean Eye Color Sticks -- Back in May, I featured the e.l.f. No Budge Shadow Stick in my monthly favorites. Well, when it came time to buy a new one, I couldn't find the color that I like and had to back up and punt. I found these eyeshadow sticks by COVERGIRL as a replacement, and dang if I don't like them better. For one thing, they go on a lot easier than the e.l.f. ones; they're very smooth and creamy. With the e.l.f. ones, I almost felt like I was stabbing myself in the eye from how hard I had to press down to get the color to transfer. There are also way more color options available for these, at least in my local stores. Price-wise, these are a little bit higher than the e.l.f. shadow sticks, but they're still less than $10 apiece, so still affordable. I'm using the gold dusk and mystic maroon shades.

Fair Isle Sweater + Floral Skirt Outfits -- This is an outfit combination I discovered and fell in love with in December. Truly, I don't know why I never thought to combine the two before now because it just works! Click on each individual picture above to see full outfit details for each.

Striped Fair Isle Sweater -- Speaking of fair isle sweaters, this purple striped one from Walmart has been a favorite for me. It's my most-worn sweater so far this winter. It is really good quality, so soft, and it blends so nicely with most of what's already in my closet. Unfortunately, this exact color is no longer available online. There is a black version, though, that is still available in some sizes. I also found some similar styles that have the same vibe here and here.

Crochet Sweater Outfit - This was one of the last outfits I wore in December, but it is one of my favorites for sure. It was comfortable and colorful and felt very authentically me.

Wide Leg Jeans from Old Navy -- Have I mentioned on here before how glad I am that wide-leg jeans are back in style? I got these in two different washes during Black Friday sales, and I cannot stop wearing them! Especially the medium wash. I wear size 6 in Old Navy jeans, and these fit perfectly.

Rotel Pasta Recipe -- I don't have a picture of this pasta, but it was probably my favorite recipe that we tried in December. It was super easy to make, not too spicy, and also had just enough leftovers for Alexis and me to take some the next day and I was able to take some for my mom and another coworker. We'll definitely be making this one again!

Your Favorites

Sketchers Hotshot Varsity Crew Sneakers -- These were my back-to-school shoes. I needed a new pair of sneakers, but I really didn't want something neutral. I've been sharing them off and on since August, so it surprises me that they've taken the top spot for December. I bought mine at our local Skechers store, but I can't find them on their website. However, they are still available here, here, and here.

Wide Woven Belts -- These belts were probably my most practical buy of 2025. They were at the top of my best purchases for the year. I seriously wear mine all the time.

Plaid Peplum Tie Front Blouse -- This is such a pretty blouse, right? I bought it to have something short-sleeved for Christmas just in case winter decided to take a holiday. It also comes in a pretty blue.

Hobo Bag -- This is another one of my best purchases of 2025. This bag is a great size and good quality. It comes in a bunch of colors. I have the orange-brown.

Woven Mary Jane Flats -- My woven mary jane flats are my most worn shoe of 2025. Not only were they in my top best purchases of 2025, they made the monthly favorites list multiple times. My exact ones have been sold out for awhile, but this very similar style was back in your top 10  favorites for the month. Here's another similar pair in case your size is unavailable.

SoSoft Cropped Mock-Neck Cable Sweater -- These sweaters are so good, y'all. I have the white and green, both of which are mostly sold out. There are other colors available, but they're going fast!

White Converse -- I'm not going to lie; this one surprises me a lot. I've not shared white converse in awhile. I can't even remember the last time!

Let's Go Girls graphic tee -- This is another one that surprises me. I haven't shown this tee on the blog or my socials in months. In fact, I've been thinking about donating it because I really haven't worn it much lately.

Sweater Socks -- These are my favorite socks to wear in the winter, especially with boots.

Striped Fair Isle Sweater -- This is the same fair isle sweater that made my personal favorites list.

Luvamia Beach Shorts -- December seems like an odd time for shorts to make the favorites list, but here we are. These beach shorts were a big part of my wardrobe over the summer and made my best purchases of the year. I own them in blue and pink; they also come in green and yellow.

Coffee Club graphic tee -- Here's another item from my best purchases of 2025 list. I really love this t-shirt. It's one of those that I reach for when I don't know what else to wear. It's soft and comfortable and goes with so much in my closet. It's also still available in all sizes online.

2026 One Woman Book Club

Welcome to another year of my One Woman Book Club. Can you believe it's year four?

When I started this back in 2023, the goal was to dive into my seemingly endless TBR list and pick one book from there to read each month. That first year, I read all but two of the books that made the list, and four of the ten that I read made my 2023 best books list.

In 2024, I read all 12 of my monthly picks, though not all of them were within their designated month. In fact, my September pick that year took me a long time to read because it was so heavy, and I didn't read the October or November picks until December. Once again, four of the books from my book club made my end-of-the-year best books list.

Which brings us to the 2025 book club. I'm happy to report that I read all 12 picks and all but one of them within their assigned month, although that one was only one week into the next month so it barely counts (all my library holds became available at the same time, so I got behind!). For the first time this past year, I wrote full-length reviews for each book (yes, there are spoilers, but you can easily skip them). Y'all seemed to enjoy them -- seven of them were among my most popular posts for the year! I'll definitely be continuing that with this year's book club. I also, for the first time this year, did a recap post of the year's picks.

Now for the 2026 book club picks. As with previous years, all of the books included are fiction. There's significantly less magic this year and a lot more realistic and historical fiction with some mystery thrown into the mix as well. I hope you'll join me in reading our way through 2026!

Many of these books are available via Kindle Unlimited and/or have an Audible version. 

Check out the 2025 One Woman Book Club list here.

12 Months of Reading with Mommy the Journalist

January

The Restoration Garden

Author: Sara Blaydes

Julia has been hired to restore the historic gardens at Havenworth Manor. The restoration is fulfilling a promise made by 92-year-old Margaret a lifetime ago. In 1940, Margaret's half-sister Irene followed an RAF officer to London, where she disappeared from Margaret's life forever. Now, Julia is determined to uncover the truth of the mystery.

February

The Last Letter of Rachel Ellsworth

Author: Barbara O'Neal

Y'all know I love Barbara O'Neal, so it should come as no surprise that one of her titles made the list. Recently-divorced Veronica Barrington takes a position as travel companion to Mariah Ellsworth, a former Olympian hoping to trace the steps of her mother Rachel's final unfinished project. Together, the two women, along with a former war photographer, follow Rachel's letters through London, Paris, Morocco, and India.

March

Boy Swallows Universe

Author: Trent Dalton

This novel has been in my TBR for awhile, so I figure it's high time I got around to reading it. Eli Bell only has one steadfast adult in his life. Slim, a notorious felon and national record-holder for successful prison escapes, watches over Eli and his older brother, August. Meanwhile, his father is lost, his mother is in jail, and his stepdad deals heroin. Life's obstacles are just beginning for Eli, though, as he falls in love, faces off against some truly bad guys, and fights to save his mother -- all before starting high school.

April

The House at Mermaid's Cove

Author: Lindsay Jayne Ashford

Lindsay Jayne Ashford is one of my favorite historical fiction authors. It's the middle of World War II, and Alice has just washed ashore in Cornwall after surviving a ship that was torpedoed by a German U-boat. The Viscount Jack Trewella, who found her, suspects Alice is either a prisoner of war or a spy, but her secret is one he never would have guessed. Alice seizes the opportunity to reinvent herself. As she begins falling for Jack, she realizes he, too, has secrets.

May

Call the Canaries Home

Author: Laura Barrow

Twenty-eight years after her twin sister, Georgia, went missing, Savannah convinces her two older sisters, Rayanne and Sue Ellen, to return home to Louisiana to retrieve the time capsule they buried. Inside the capsule they find a photo that was taken on the day Georgia disappeared. In the background of the picture is a familiar woman. Rayanne and Sue Ellen just want to move on with their lives, but Savannah is determined to find the woman and maybe a clue to the past.

June

Summer of '69

Author: Erin Hildebrand

The Levin siblings have spent every summer at their grandmother's historic Nantucket home, but in 1969, nothing is as expected. The oldest sister, Blaire, is stuck in Boston; middle sister, Kirby, is working at Martha's Vineyard while also participating in Civil Rights protests; only-son, Tiger, is deployed to Vietnam; and the youngest, 13-year-old Jessie, feels like an only child. Just like the Levin family, the nation is going through major changes.

July

Beyond the Moonlit Sea

Author: Julianne MacLean

This book has been on so many of my reading lists, so it only made sense for me to officially include it here. I am bound and determined to get this one crossed off my TBR list this summer! Olivia and Melanie are two women connected by the Bermuda Triangle. Olivia's husband, Dean, is a private pilot who's been missing ever since his plan disappeared over the Bermuda Triangle. Melanie is a particle physicist who had been studying the phenomenon up until her mother's death. A shocking discovery links the two women together and sheds new light on Olivia's husband's disappearance.

August

The Housewarming

Author: Kristin Offiler

I've been enjoying psychological suspense stories lately, which if you've been around awhile you'll know is not my norm. This one is about four estranged friends who agree to reunite on the five-year anniversary of their friend Zoe’s death. The goal is to come together again, memorialize their friend, and put the past to rest — but a true crime podcaster who originally made a name for herself off of the mystery is back, as well.

September

Lightning in a Mason Jar

Author: Catherine Mann

This was one of my Amazon First Reads from last summer. This novel by Catherine Mann has some similar parallels to The Last of the Moon Girls, which I loved, so it was really a no brainer of a choice. When Bailey Rae's adoptive aunt dies, she plans to settle the estate and move to Myrtle Beach where she plans to open a food truck using recipes from her aunt's cookbook. However, those plans are put on hold when a young mother arrives on her doorstep with a copy of the same cookbook. Embedded inside is a code promising safe harbor for desperate women on the run. Now, Bailey Rae has new plan to learn who her beloved Aunt Winnie really was.

October

A Lullaby for Witches

Author: Hester Fox

This book is straight from my bookshelf. I'm not sure how long it's been waiting for me to read it; at the very least I can tell you that it has only been featured on the blog once, so I would guess no more than a year. Augusta Podos has landed her dream job at Harlowe House, a historic New England home that's been turned into a small museum. When she discovers a reference to Margaret Harlowe, a daughter who's been all but expunged from the historical record, Augusta can't ignore the mystery. As she digs deeper into Margaret's life, a dark power awakens.

November

Keeper of Enchanted Rooms

Author: Charlie N. Holmberg

Charlie Holmberg is one of my favorite authors, although nothing has yet to eclipse The Paper Magician series. Merritt Fernsby inherits a remote estate that's sat empty for more than a century. When he moves in, the doors slam shut and lock behind him, trapping Merritt inside. Enter Hulda Larkin. She's been trained in the taming of homes like Whimbrel House while preserving their historical and magical significance. She advises Merritt to make the house his ally and determines that she'll need to move in as well. Hulda and Merritt grow closer as the investigation goes deeper, but there's an outside force threatening Whimbrel's magic.

December

The Keeper of Happy Endings

Author: Barbara Davis

Barbara Davis has become a favorite author for me. I absolutely love her writing style and have yet to read a book by her that I did not enjoy, so I am excited to dive into this dual timeline tale of love and loss that feels perfect for the end of the year. For generations, Soline's family has run an exclusive bridal salon in Paris, but World War II leaves her world and her heart in ruins, so she packs it all away. Decades later, aspiring gallery owner, Rory, leases Soline's old property and discovers all that she packed away. When Rory returns the mementos, it's clear the two were destined to meet, and Rory may hold the key to righting a four-decade wrong.

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