Goodbye, 2023!

Plus: A fancy NYE recipe + a healthy meal plan to kick off the New Year)

Hi friends!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday, whether that be Christmas, Hanukkah, or another celebration. We spent a sweet time as a family this past week celebrating Christmas and Evie’s birthday, which is the day after Christmas. My brother and sister and her husband and kids are all in town visiting, and my parents already live here, so we’ve had lots of family time. It’s been really lovely, and - if I’m honest - I’m tired!!

Glennon Doyle said on her “We Can Do Hard Things” podcast that Christmas isn’t necessarily the most wonderful time of the year, but it’s definitely “The Most” time of year. I totally agree! Everything is heightened: the highs and the lows. So many presents, so many activities, so much food, so many messes, so much togetherness…it’s all a lot. I’m a 2 on the Enneagram, which means that at Christmas I go all out: baking cookies with the kids and delivering them to friends, ordering and sending out Christmas cards, handling most of the gift-buying and wrapping for our family and extended family (though, this year my angel of a friend Kathryn came over and helped me WRAP PRESENTS!! What a gift!), planning and cooking and hosting Christmas dinner, and then gearing up for Evie’s birthday the next day, with more gifts and birthday cards and homemade cupcakes and fun activities. I love it all *and* it sort of feels like a sprint/marathon - by December 27th, I’m ready to collapse.

Every year, I tell myself I’m going to do things differently, so I don’t end up feeling so burned out, and every year I find myself in the same spot. Friends - if you have any advice, please do share!! (And I will say, my husband is wonderful and helps out in so many ways: he’s done so many dishes and helped clean a thousand messes and played with the kids while I get other stuff done.) The problem is my own expectations: I somehow think I can create a magical holiday for everyone (while neglecting all self-care) AND remain relaxed and present. Clearly, this combo does not work. Ha!

Anyway, just sneaking away this morning to write this newsletter has been relaxing for me. So thanks for reading :) And please do share if you can relate to any of this. At least I’ll know I’m not alone.

Reflections for a New Year

It’s hard to believe we are closing out 2023 in just a couple of days. I like to spend time at the end of one year and beginning of the next journaling and reflecting. Here are a few questions/journal prompts for all of us. I’ll share some of my answers next week in my newsletter and I’ll think of a way we can all share - I’d love to hear from you, too.

How was 2023 for you?

What did you learn?

What are you most proud of?

Did you do anything that scared you?

What brought you joy this year?

What was hard?

What do you want to release as you head into 2024?

What do you want more of in 2024?

What is a daily practice you want to commit to in 2024?

What is something you really want to do in 2024 - even if it feels scary?

Thanks to all of you for subscribing to Yellow Table Weekly - this is one of my proudest accomplishments of 2023, coming back to my weekly newsletter :)

Lots of love, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

xo

Anna

A Fancy New Year’s Eve Recipe

Maybe you’re going to a party New Year’s Eve. Or maybe, like me, you’d rather stay in a cook a nice meal for a few friends. If you fall into the latter category and want to make something fancy, that you can pair with some nice bubbly - look no further.

I made this recipe - Seared Scallops with Saffron Beurre Blanc – for a Seafood 101 cooking class this fall, and it was DIVINE. So pretty, so easy, and so decadent. Scallops are pricy, but they are quite filling, you don’t need to eat many. I would pair this with black rice or lemon risotto and some sautéed haricots verts.