Hello friends, Merry Christmas 🎄 , and happy last week of the year 2022. Writing this to you last minute, right before leaving for lunch at my husband's uncle's and after getting me and the kids all dressed up. Unlike the years before, the kids woke up before us, although we all had a very late Christmas Eve at my parents' house. So, I kept convincing them, my son especially, to wait a bit more before seeing the gifts under the Christmas tree in the securely locked guest room. As per tradition, my husband needed to get the fireplace ready, I needed to play Christmas music, and for my son to put on his Santa hat and lose the gray blanket with which he was wrapping himself. See the word "needed"? It should say “wanted.” I wanted to stick to the way we did it for the past few years and couldn't let go. We know we asked too much of my almost 7-year-old excited son, because he couldn't wait anymore and had a minor meltdown due to anticipation and insufficient sleep. On the other hand, my daughter was calmly waiting, as I think it was her first Christmas knowing Santa was not real. But that's another story. So this was the outcome 😂, captured from the video I took while they got into the Christmas room: |
|
Thankfully, this year they both liked their gifts, which were Legos (some original/some not, but the difference in quality was stark, so I will always get original ones). We also got them The Calm Down boxes from KidsHandsOn, which I ordered on a sweet black Friday deal. We took our annual photo after nice playtime and lots of nagging from me. |
|
And here I am, ending this note while in the car after a delicious lunch, on the way to my husband's aunt's house as per our Eid rituals. Today I learned not to allow the kids to take any new toys on such visits because we kept worrying they would forget them somewhere. What about you? How did you spend your day? Your Christmas gift from me is a little late but on the way! Keep your eye on your inbox this week for my 2023 calendar! Also, expect a new podcast episode 🎧 . |
|
Here is your weekly dose of The Sunday Spark ⚡️ a newsletter listing 5 inspiring things I thought were worth starting your week with: |
|
1. 🎯 Goal setting starts with reviewing the past. Listen to this 5-minute episode that I recorded in 2021 to learn how to review your year. |
|
2. 🤯 Do you save articles and don't read them? Reader is the new service by Readwise. Say goodbye to Pocket and Instapaper. This is the best I have seen. It's in beta now, but if you join them now, you will lock the price when they officially release it in 2023. Use my link to get a free month now. |
|
5. 🙏 I find this prayer so fitting for today from Marianne Williamson, her book is also a wonderful spiritual companion for the year ahead: |
|
“Dear God, I surrender to You who I am, what I have, and what I do. May my life and talents be used in whatever way serves You best. I surrender to You my failures and any pain still in my heart. I surrender to You my successes and the hopes that they contain. May the light of Your love shine deep within my heart. And extend through me to bless the world. Amen.” ― Marianne Williamson |
|
This is Sunday Spark issue #108! Was it forwarded to you by a friend? Receive your own by subscribing here, and don't forget to thank your lovely friend for me! ☕ If you like my work, you can buy me a coffee and share your supportive thoughts 🎉 |
|
Would you like to receive my future blog posts in your inbox as soon as they are out? Subscribe here |
|
Some cool resources I personally use, love and recommend, with discounts just for you: - I like to start the day with my personalized Momentum Plus tab, which helps me stay focused with a powerful mantra, an inspiring image, a to-do list, countdowns to big dates, and world clocks where I keep an eye on time zones of friends and family living abroad before contacting them. Being a newsletter friend, you would get a special offer of a 10% discount when you subscribe to Momentum Plus with the promo code: bardees.
- Enjoy a free month of the Readwise app, it is the BEST way to retain the knowledge you gain through reading. Using spaced repetition, it helps you remember your highlights from kindle books/articles you read.
|
|
Note: some of the links above may be affiliate links, but always keep in mind that I don’t endorse anything I don’t use and love myself. |
|
See you next year First name / my dear friend! Third year to say this hahaha 😊 |
|
In case you missed these posts on Instagram… |
|
Happy Last Week of The Year! |
|
|
