As a kid, I lived for summer and Christmas – I’m not gonna lie. As an adult and a parent, I’m falling in love with January. We’ve reveled in the holidays, enjoyed all the traditions with the kids, and have socialized our brains out. We wrap up by cleaning out the toys and sweeping the old year out with the dry Christmas tree.

Then suddenly, quasi miraculously, its January. Everyone seems to take a breath, hunker down at home, quiet dinners over parties, snuggling in front of a fire with the kids. It’s the recovery moment, when we all realize the frenetic pace of the holiday season doesn’t actually stick around for the rest of the year. The kids are excited to get back to school, and work projects grow in scope – all of those whoppers that got pushed forward are finally on deck.

The new year is like fresh snow: it’s glorious right off the bat, then rapidly becomes a slushy, catch up complication you didn’t remember was there. Still, looking at the clean slate of a new year always feels glorious.