Last year, my sister and her wife told me that instead of writing new year’s resolutions, they fill out a “new year’s bingo card” with a mix of goals and experiences in all different shapes, sizes, and categories — everything from “land the promotion at work” to “see an owl in real life.” I loved the mix of the whimsical with the ambitious, and I also appreciated the liberating playfulness of seeing those objectives as “bingo squares” versus tick-marks against which we measure ourselves.
A couple of the items on my bingo card this year:
+Celebrate the release of my book (pub date: April 14!) in ways big and small — a couple of events are already in the works (stay tuned; I would love to have my magpies around me!), but I also want to find ways to really clip into the shock and joy of this lifelong dream coming to fruition. Like just going to a bookstore and seeing my name on a shelf and then treating myself to champagne afterward…!
+Take first international trip with my family (to Norway!);
+Find (or found…?) a local birding group*;
+Complete the manuscript for my fictional project;
+Re-read Little Women (inspired to do this after receiving my copy of Riley Sheehy’s illustrated edition!);
+Continue my current exercise regimen (I have never felt better — a mix of Peloton with my dad and sisters and strength training every other day — and I feel like it is doable! I would love to have a regimen that finally, really sticks with me for the long haul);
+Re-do kitchen counters and backsplash (this is something Landon and I have been talking about doing for the last two years but have continued to put off in favor of other projects and interests; I am deeply hopeful we get this underway this year);
+Take a solo trip with my mom;
+Take a solo trip with my daughter;
+Go falconing.
After writing this draft list, a younger friend of mine told me she’d already filled out her bingo card for the upcoming year, too, and that her goals included “call my grandmother once a week” and “hold a baby” — ! She has her priorities down, doesn’t she?! It made me reflect on my card in a new light. What if I, too, used my bingo squares to promote presence and connectedness with the people I love? Food for thought. I have a couple of additions in mind…
Sharing a little printable grid for you to jot down (you can download HERE) your bingo card goals for the year ahead below.
Any of yours you’d like to share?
Post-Scripts.
*A friend of mine sent me the attached screenshot about birding being “the new hot girl hobby.” LOL. First, I absolutely love that friends and Magpies send me little birding photos and trivia. It charms me to no end. Second, all of us magpies can confidently say we’ve been engaging in hot girl hobbies for a long time now.
+My goal of re-reading Little Women (PS — we’re in the midst of Little Women Winter here) made me think about a fun offshoot of this exercise: writing a “book bingo card”! Could be a specific list of books or more genre-based, i.e., “hockey romance,” “memoir,” “poetry,” etc. Wouldn’t it be fun to “x” out a square each time you read a book from the card? Could be a fun project for your book club.
+Enjoyed this cocktail last night. Technically, the flavors aren’t very seasonal, but it looks festive and is damningly easy to drink. Notes on making really good cocktails at home here.
+A sip of my fiction here.
Shopping Break.
+Finally ordered a pair of these wildly popular jeans from Agolde. I just loved the look, wash, fit!
+SoldOut is quietly running an insanely good sale: 50% off their shrunken tee in black; tanks for $36 (formerly $90!)! Trust me, these are the basics you want to invest in even at full price, but these discounts make them irresistible.
+Chic, and deeply discounted, striped half-zip sweatshirt.
+Reminder that my habit tracker is still available and such a good way to kickstart new habits in the new year.
+Earlier this month, we went on a big organizational kick with our kids’ rooms. In some ways, it felt like the worst time to tackle this — we were already low on margin! — but it was also the best time to take care of it, before the influx of gifts and the rush of guests in the house! Emory’s “big girl desk” finally arrived (I’d ordered in August!) — we got her this desk with this hutch, and styled with this chair — and I also picked up this rug for her room. We got Hill this inexpensive Ikea bookshelf, which looks surprisingly nice relative to price!, and I love the way he can access all his books and toys easily now. (We used to have a much taller bookcase in his room, but it wasn’t very functional for him.) I used these 12×12 clear bins for the bottom shelf to sort all his “little toys” — two of them are for Legos, one is for cars/vehicles, and the other is for action figures. I know it’s a matter of time before they all get jumbled, but it has been so satisfying to go in there and see everything put away with its own home. Lastly, I love that he can use the top of the bookshelf to display all his built Legos. They used to clutter his play table (he has this in the brushed fog color); now he has so much more space to build, draw, etc. Lastly, I organized all of Emory’s art and craft supplies (she has so many sets of things — rainbow looms, friendship bracelets, paint, pens, stamps, etc) into these bins and organized all of her pens on her desk AND on Hill’s play table into these caddies.
+A sweater in the perfect pink hue.
+Absolutely love this reversible jacket. That kiwi green color sparks joy for me! But I’m currently sitting here in this fleece half-zip. One of my favorites ever. Love the cropped length, the color, the silhouette!
+For fellow women with petite features: these are the glasses for you. I absolutely love mine. I know everyone probably knows this but I had no idea how easy WP makes it for you to order online! You can input your own prescription, etc! For some reason I had it in my head I’d have to coordinate with the eye doctor to order and I was very disincentivized. Come in other fun colors (and kids’ sizes!), too! My other top rec, probably better for people without my elfishly small features, are these tortoiseshell ones, fetchingly called “the Bronte.” They’re Warby’s bestselling pair!
+Basically living in Negative whipped sets right now.
+Two knits I wish I could unsee: this bandana-print MaxMara (on sale) and this patterned v-neck polo. So fun and different. I imagine pairing either with ecru denim.
+Great last-minute stocking stuffer: these clip-on rechargeable reading lights. My kids use them every single night! More just-under-the-wire stocking stuffers here.
+Big sale happening at Ulla J. I have this white dress in my cart. I love a dramatic white dress. Eyeing this (way, way in advance) for my wedding anniversary next summer! Also love it in the skirt format. Investment, but this leather skirt is everything.
+Chic jute doormat. (We have this at our mud room entrance!)
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I am rereading Little Women right now – but doing so in the form of an audiobook. I first found and fell in love with little women at the age of about 7 by checking it out on tape from my public library (I think it was like 20 tapes and was a huge undertaking for me at the time!) and went down a rabbit hole recently to find that my library version was narrated by Barbara Caruso and that version is still available on audible!! One of my best finds of the year for sure – nothing more comforting than the same voice reading you your favorite book 25 years later. Highly recommend this audible version for all – the narrator is comfort food perfection!
LOVE!!! Will check out!
Hi,
You might want to check out the adult birding classes at Nature Forward in Bethesda (it used to be Audubon Society) https://natureforward.org/programs/adult-programs/
My mother was one of the original naturalists there and I got married at the Woodend Mansion. Its a beautiful spot with great nature programs throughout the DC area
Ooo thank you!! xx
I’d like to learn to cook parsnips, celery root, fava beans, barbagiuan. Finish the draft of my new book. Finally get our marble repaired (it’s been 6 years!). Finally go to Paris. Take the train to the olive groves in Menton. Pick up embroidery again. Make a slushy aperol spritz with the frozen mixed citrus from Picard and drink them on the terrace with my girlfriends. Host a card playing night (already scheduled for January: I plan to teach them spoons and Dutch blitz). Do “longe-côte” with a friend (the sport of wading waist-deep parallel to the shore). Memorize a poem. My youngest will begin school in the fall so it’s about to be a new era. Seeing glimpses of your slightly older kids is such a glimmer! And once my daughter is in school I hope to volunteer once a month at baby group.
Also, we’re finally weekly churchgoers! Took us until nearly the end of this year to get a routine that worked, but we’ve checked something off last year’s bingo at the final hour!
Love all of these – especially the emphasis on things to do with people you love. I love the vision of slushy spritzes on a terrace and hadn’t heard of “longe-côte” before — dreamy!
Manifesting all of this for you in 2026 —
xx
I’m inspired to actually create my own bingo squares this year, thank you! Your book is so exciting! Did I miss a link to pre-order? Also, I might be biased because of my family there, but Norway is a wonderful destination for kids! Really so much of Scandinavia is magical. I’m not sure when you’re going, but a family summer trip to the very north of Norway is what made my son a birder! My sister gave him some sort of phone app or recording of the local bird calls, which helped. And.. speaking of magical, my son’s school mascot is the falcon and as they were taking their senior picture, a falcon flew over and perched close to them!! Apparently there are falcons in Philadelphia and NYC because they love to build nests on tall buildings? Unclear, but still exciting!
Oh my gosh – the falcon landing feels momentous! I’d definitely read something into that.
Love that Norway taught your son to be a birder — very much speaking my love language!
xx