In December 2025, I started sharing highlights from the year across a few categories. I said I’d be back with quarterly updates in 2026, so here I am!
Activities
Part-Time Work
My career break has been a funny thing. It was technically only about 3 weeks in September 2025 when I wasn’t working at all! But with that said, I worked VERY little from September – December, a little more in January – February… and now I’m settling into a more consistent part-time schedule for the foreseeable future. Here’s what that evolution has looked like:
- I did some freelance website work in late September – early December, which only took about 13 hours total.
- Hans and I were part-time employees at the Waterville Valley Nordic Center, which took up a total of 6 Saturdays/Sundays/holidays between November – February.
- Since the first week of January, I have been doing some part-time work for a local nonprofit called Granite State Ambassadors. I worked just about 7-8 hours/week for the first two months, then about 13-14 hours/week in March.
As of April 1, I am now working about 20 hours/week as Granite State Ambassadors’ Operations Manager. This exact arrangement may last for several months, a year, or even for the long-term – I really can’t say. But it currently feels like the perfect way to do interesting work, bring in a little money, and maintain a lot of the freedom and flexibility that I gained when I left full-time employment 7 months ago.
Skiing
Because I worked part-time for Waterville Valley this winter, I got a free season pass for the downhill mountain in addition to cross-country ski trail access. And because Waterville also participates in the Indy Pass, I was able to pick up an Indy Employee Pass for just $25! This, plus living close to Concord’s Beaver Meadow Golf Course (which grooms cross-country trails), gave me a wide variety of places to ski.
It was a pretty consistently snowy winter in New Hampshire and Vermont, which meant that I didn’t encounter too much ice – a big win for me. As someone who just learned to downhill ski a few years ago, I really appreciate when the conditions are not working against me.
Crafts & Games
My sister-in-law started hosting monthly craft/game nights in January. Several people we went to high school with are still (or back) in the area, and I live close enough to easily make the trip over. It has been fun!
First we made vision boards. The next time, we drew each other’s names from a bowl and painted the person we drew. The third time, we played some games including Code Names, Play Nine, and Splendor.
Paint Night (left + bottom right)
The painting of me (on the left) is so amusing. The freckles gave it away, but otherwise I was a bit confused. Turns out the money is a nod to Frequently Frugal! And the brown rectangle is some wall art that I was sitting in front of that night 😆
I painted my sister-in-law (bottom left). It doesn’t look like her at all, but I got the house color about right and added my niece peeking out the window, which actually came out pretty cute.
Vision Board (top right)
The themes on my vision board mostly involve time outside (kayaking, camping, golfing, gardening), physical activity (strength training, biking), and leisure (reading, lying down, wine). Here’s hoping for a fun year!
Kitchen Plans
I understand why AI is controversial, but I use it now and then – sorry! Lately, it has been helpful in planning some aesthetic changes to our kitchen. When we moved in, the kitchen had red floors, yellow walls and countertops, and orangey wooden cabinets. I over-corrected so now the colors are not very interesting.
I really like this dark plum color. Should we use it for all of the cabinets or just the lower ones? We are leaning toward going two-tone again (plum lowers with lighter uppers) to avoid making the room feel too dark.
Food/Drinks
Crispy Rice Salad
If you’re already making rice bowls, try them with crispy rice for some extra textural interest. I’ve been doing this a lot this winter – inspired by videos like this one and this one.
Cottage Cheese
I tried cottage cheese a few times in adulthood but always hated it – until recently. My niece is obsessed with cottage cheese, which inspired me to give it another try. Turns out my mistake was trying to eat it on its own. I’ve now been mixing it into Annie’s mac & cheese, spreading it on toast with jam or hot honey, and using it in recipes in place of ricotta. I still don’t really want a spoonful of straight cottage cheese, but otherwise you can consider me won over.
Media
TV Shows
- Mad Men: Hans and I finished the series and thought it was a satisfying conclusion. I liked that the characters continued to struggle with their flaws right up to the end. It felt like a good mix of happy, tragic, and bittersweet endings.
- The Traitors: This is a silly show (it’s basically Mafia or Werewolf, if you’re familiar with those party games) and sometimes it drags once the initial novelty of a new season wears off – but not this time! The Traitors US season 4 was compelling right to the end.
- Survivor: This is going to be on my list every time and that’s just the way it is. Watching Season 50 has been a lot of fun so far – and extra special because it’s the first returning-player season in 6 years. In anticipation, Hans and I also re-watched seasons 45 (because it’s great and I love Emily) and 46 (to try to appreciate Q more – it kind of worked but I still don’t totally get the hype).
Podcasts
- Good Life Project: “Every week, we share inspirational, intimate and disarmingly-unfiltered conversations about living a fully-engaged, fiercely-connected and purpose-drenched life.”
- All the Hacks: “This is your shortcut to upgrading your life, money and travel—all while spending less and saving more. Get tactical moves and deep dives into designing a life you’re excited about.”
- The Dr. Shannon Show: “Join Shannon Ritchey, Doctor of Physical Therapy, fitness trainer, and founder of Evlo Fitness, each Thursday and occasional Fridays for science-based tools to improve your health.”
- RHAP: “Rob Has a Podcast is the most comprehensive reality TV recap podcast on the internet. Since 2010, Rob Has a Podcast has delivered weekly recaps, exit interviews, player analysis, and strategy breakdowns for Survivor, The Traitors, Big Brother, The Amazing Race and every major reality competition.”
Books
- Escape! by Stephen Fishbach: If you like reality TV, morally gray characters, and/or feeling uneasy, this one is for you! I enjoyed it.
- Cue the Sun!: The Invention of Reality TV: MORE reality TV! I haven’t finished this one yet, but it is a fascinating exploration of the genre’s origins, controversies, and rise to prominence. One section focuses on a 1970s docuseries called An American Family, which I had never heard of and found particularly interesting.
Items
Anker Soundcore Space Q45 Noise Cancelling Headphones
Wireless, noise-cancelling headphones are my go-to when I’m cooking/cleaning, working in a noisy setting, flying, etc. I had an older model (the Soundcore Life Q20) for about 5 years – they were great, but a bit bulky and the padding eventually started to peel. I upgraded to this newer model in blue – so far, so good!
REVLON One-Step Dryer & Volumizer
I recently realized that this hair tool works well for creating some waves or loose curls if you twist it – like in this video (or this one).
DIY Winter Decorations
We cut down a real pine tree for the first time in a few years, and I dried orange slices to use as ornaments. I also made clementine pomanders (not pictured) and filled a vase with dried pine cones. Everything I did was simple, but it was nice to bring a little bit of nature inside through the winter months.
So that’s it for Q1 of 2026 – see you in July for an overview of Q2!
