Happy New Year, friends! Here we are, standing at the doorway of January, taking our first tentative steps into 2025. If I may offer one little piece of advice for this moment: let’s take it slow. Like, watch-the-sunrise-through-the-window-with-your-hands-wrapped-around-a-warm-mug slow.
January, in all its quiet and stillness, is asking us to rest, despite all this talk of New Year, New Us. I think January invites us to take a breath before the sprint of the year really begins. Our friend Karlee has aptly named this Gentle January, and I’m leaning all the way in. That’s why this month on the blog is all about The Magic of Small Joys.
So, what are these small joys? They’re the little things that anchor us to the moment and remind us of the beauty and bounty in our everyday lives. It’s the satisfying crackle of a loaf of bread as it cools on the counter. It’s how to steam rises from two bowls of carrot soup as they sit on the kitchen table in front of the window. It’s a small-batch recipe that doesn’t feel like a chore but a gift—to yourself or someone you love.
The January mindset has me reflecting on my home here in Texas. It’s been just over a year since I bought the Bakehouse Texas, and I’ve tackled some of the big, loud projects—you know, the ones that involve lots of dust and contractor coffee cups scattered around. Now, it’s time for the quiet work: nesting. This first quarter of the year, I’m focused on settling in, creating a space where Will and I can feel rooted and home. Most specifically, I need to make room for Will in the closet. Pray for us.
One of the coziest spaces I ever created was my tiny apartment in New Orleans’ Irish Channel neighborhood. It was 800 square feet of pure home—a haven I built during a messy, uncertain time of my life (it’s hard to make the right friends in New Orleans). Somehow, that space managed to hold me together. I dug up a picture of a corner of that space, above. It’s funny how those lessons stick with you. The energy we put into a space really comes round tenfold. Now, as I nest here in Texas, I’m channeling that same energy: finding small joys in creating a big home.
You’ll see this reflected in the recipes I share with you this month. We’re focusing on those little joys: a cup of rich hot cocoa for a slow afternoon, cozy slices of warm cinnamon swirl bread, and a catalogue of birthday cakes to look forward to making. I’ll also share small ways to bring joy into your kitchen and home, whether it’s a fresh jar of homemade granola or opening the window just a crack to let in the crisp morning air as the aroma of banana bread wafts through the kitchen.
Let’s ease into this year together, savoring the stillness of winter and finding comfort in the simple, beautiful act of baking for ourselves and maybe even leaving the dishes in the sink overnight. There’s magic in the small joys—I hope you’ll join me in uncovering them for ourselves, slowly – we’re taking it all very easy.
Do you have a word you’re focusing on to start the year? If so, please please share it in the comments below. I think, as on the nose as it might be, I choose JOY.
Here’s to a gentle start, cozy mornings, and plenty of small moments that make a big impact.
48 Responses
Listen… too often I do not LISTEN to my inner voice ~ which 99 out of 100 x is always correct… but reading thru these comments brings up my 1st thought as 2025 loomed ahead… WHY NOT pick a word for each month?? (AGAIN… I did not LISTEN to my inner voice!) However, it’s only Jan 12th… I can still pivot!
TY for this post today.
I love this so very much! I don’t have a word of the year, but I’ll begin thinking now. Enjoy your nesting and pursuing JOY.
My word this year is wonder. It’s easy to get bogged down in the dullness of doomscrolling or the *argh* of the news cycle. I need reminders to look around and marvel a little bit.
FLOURISH / NOURISH , our words of the year!
I chose a face-down share word at my church yesterday and my word is Explore. After 3 years of mourning a major loss, I’m ready to explore whatever that means.
My word would be CALM. I need to be calm, I need my environment to be calm
Appreciate. Remember to appreciate all the joys my husband and I have had during the 39 years of our marriage. I appreciate him, our combined families, and our various cats. My life in general is appreciated. Gentle January is perfect.
My word this year is MOVE!
I am looking to move into my own space (although a lot needs to get done before that can happen!) and also being more intentional and consistent about moving my body on a daily basis. Sending you all love.
TUNE – I want to fine tune my health and be more in tune with others relationship wise.
Do you see what you have done here? Yes, yes…you are always mindful of All Of Us. You bring us out of and into Ourselves. With seeming ease, and so much so much Grace. You’re the Momma, the Glue, the Joy, You bring us all Together, as is Your Wish. Well done, SisterFire, well done. MY word for 2025 is Forgiveness, For specific others, certainly,…but for Myself mostly. For Myself Mostly. Damn, If I type it enough will it get easier to do?? :) Thank you, Mrs. Will. You’ve been an inspiration to me for many years, and I’m old enough to be your Grandma *hug*
Happy New Year :) my word is Kindness
My word for 2025 is ENOUGHNESS
My word for the year is RESTORATION – last year was such an intense year. Intense with new life (our first kid was born at the start of the year), intense with loss (my brother passed away suddenly during the summer). I hope to throw out my to-do lists more often this year, feel the wind on my face, spark more play in my day-to-day, broaden my community, tell and show the people who I love that I love them fiercely. Oh, and sleep!
I love your post – we are anticipating a lot of snow tomorrow and I have prepped to a gentle day. lots of easy, warm foods and a lot of yarn to knit ? my word for 2025 is nourish and I hope to manifest it in all areas… what I eat and drink and how I spend my time. more art and music, less mindless hustle. happy new year to all!!
This year my focus will be Nourish. Time to feed my soul and so I can focus on flourishing in the latter half of 2025.
I have a swirl of words surrounding my thoughts – Trust, Surrender, Hope – and I believe they are all centered in Faith. So my word is Faith.
My word for 2025 is FLOURISH, and noticing already in order to flourish I must lean into the seasons. Winter is slow and restful for sure! Thank you for sharing, always a favorite read of mine ??????
My word for 2025 is EMBRACE..feeling the gentle January and slow days are a comfort.Just celebrated our 39th wedding anniversary and it feels humbling that these two souls that started out so incredibly young(19/21) made it:) I’m embracing the wrinkles I’ve accumulated and also the love that surrounds me daily…
My word for 2025 is EASE. Finding ease through difficult moments, going with the stream and not against it. Cheers!
Joie de vivre
Patience is my word for 2025. I am not where I want to be geographically or in my life. I am my mother’s only caretaker and I need patience and grace for both of us.
My word is EXPLORE. I’m slightly scared by it, which is maybe a good sign? I’m pretty good about setting boundaries for myself, so I don’t think it will be another excuse to keep pushing, except in the smallest, most “Oh, that’s interesting,” type of way.
My words are pause and consider. As in, pause and consider: what is behind the pull to buy something; whether I really want to spend my time and energy on certain people or tasks; how to curate joy and hope rather than complaint and despair.
Nesting seems to be a good fit for Gentle January.
My word is “SOFT” – because 2024 was REALLY hard, and at the same time I found so much space and softness in it that I want to keep this year.
I have two words I’m concentrating on this year. The first is Resilience and the second is Acceptance. My adult daughter, my best friend passed away suddenly a year and a half ago. Getting through each day is a battle testing my resilience but I somehow make it (sometimes it’s pretty sloppy but I do it.) Acceptance is learning to live with the grief for the rest of my life, not being afraid of it. It is testament to how much I loved her and always will.
Kindness.
Kind to others and kind to myself.
I’m all about a slow start. Using cold, snowy days as an excuse to stay home and slowly make progress on creative projects (and the laundry).
As I enter 2025 with trepidation on what might come this year, my word is COURAGE. Reading your post though, I’m inspired by the word JOY as well, and think I need to have two words for balance to get me through any tough times 2025 brings (and the next 4 years!).
My words are space and grace. Happy 2025 Joy! Love your posts and your recipes.
My word for 2025 is Be Still. I am carrying over a few uncertainties into the new year but I do it with the assurance that everything will work out in good time and in perfect harmony. Anytime I drift towards anxiety I want to anchor myself to this assurance with the words Be Still.
Consistency is my word for 2025.
Self.
I have let myself and my self care fall away and I need to find and cultivate the new person that is emerging.
Fantastic & a really welcome post?. My word of the year is CALM. However, because I don’t do well with choosing just one word, I also want to focus on PLAY. I don’t do either very well, ?.
So many good word choices from commenters but formme and my place in life right now, my word would be patience…with myself, with what might lie ahead, with life in general. I want to find the space to just relax and relish small moments, small victories, small steps.
Speakimg of small, I would love to see more small batch recipes here. I find baking so relaximg but often find I have to cut recipes in half so I do not have way too much product. Sometimes I just want enough for one or two people/servings.
HAppy New Year, Joy. Nesting is the best part of settling in once major construction is past.
I love this post! I wrote about HOPE for the new year on my blog. But, joy, embrace, care and all of the words posted in the comments are great words for January and this year. Taking it slow, looking for the joys, the hopes in our daily lives, caring about ourselves and others, embracing the moment and the ones we love — these are such great things to focus on.
Best of luck with your nesting and homemaking. Good luck with the closet space. I know that problem, especially with old houses.
Here’s to all the joy in 2025!
Hear hear, Joy! I love all of this so much!
My word is contentment. I don’t love the place we live right now, it’s more my husband’s than mine. But there is absolutely nothing wrong with it and I plan to lean into contentment and look for the many, many blessings in my life instead. Happy 2025 to all!
I think 2025’s word is “settle”. I need more moments of quiet, stillness; less doing and more “being”. Settling means being ready to rest and it’s been MANY years since I felt safe enough to do so. 2025 will be about learning rest again, and the knowledge that rest is recovery is progress.
Love the part about “nesting.”
My love and I moved in together in September and it’s just never felt “settled.” I feel like it’s still my place and he’s visiting… and I want us to both feel comfortable and like we belong in the space – together.
And Gentle January is truly a goal ?