Happy New Year! Don’t you love this time of the year? Everything is fresh and full of opportunity! Today, on the the podcast, I share some practical ways to start your new year well. We’ll talk about everything from choosing a word for the year to meal prep to savoring life.

I couldn’t think of any better way to kick off the podcast in 2019 than by inviting the woman who inspired my 2018 “word of the year” to be my guest! Monica Wilkinson is a blogger, mom, and author of the book Slow Lane. We’ll hear all about what has inspired her to slow down instead of squeeze more into every second.

In this episode, we talk about what it means to live a slow life, why Monica takes yearly retreats, how to slow down even when you have a full life, how the practice of a Slow Day has shaped Monica's mothering, and what it looks like to live out the word "slow" even as your kids get older and life gets fuller.

At the end of the show, I share more on how choosing a word for the year has shaped my life and I give you some practical steps I've taken to walk out my Word of the Year successfully. Here's to a great 2019 for all of us!

Want to kick off the new year well? Join us for the Eat at Home Challenge starting January 7, 2019. I'll be emailing you an inexpensive crockpot recipe every day for a week that you can make in just 15 minutes or less. I'll be making these recipes on live video and will send you the recipe video each day + more tips and tricks to save money and get dinner on the table every night in just minutes! Sign up for the Eat at Home Challenge here.

In This Episode:

[01:01] - Getting dinner ready in the morning is such a time, life, and money-saver! I talk about the Eat at Home Challenge I'm hosting beginning January 7 and tell you how you can join me in it! I'd love to have you participate!

[02:55] - Need some encouragement to prioritize rest in the new year? My book pick of the week is The Rest of God by Mark Buchanan.

[06:35] - Monica Wilkinson, author of Slow Lane, is this week’s guest! She talks about what inspired her to slow down and why she takes a yearly retreat to re-evaluate her priorities and life.

[10:48] - Monica unpacks what “the heart of slow” looks like for her, and how she has walked that out when her kids were little and as they have gotten older.

[14:33] - Wish you could slow down but feel like there's just no way you can in the season of life you're in? Monica offers some practical tips and suggestions for you!

[20:50] - I’ve gotten a lot of questions about how to choose a word of the year, so I share some thoughts on why I choose a word, how I choose a word, how I live it out practically, and how it has changed my life so profoundly.

[29:00] - I’m really excited about my word for 2019 and I’ll share it in an upcoming episode! For now, share your word with me at [email protected].

Links and Resources:

• Twigby (this episode’s amazing sponsor!)
• Eat at Home Challenge
• The Rest of God by Mark Buchanan
• Slow Lane by Monica Wilkinson (you can get the ebook here)
• Monica Wilkinson
• The Homespun Heart (Monica’s blog)
• FlyLady
• Peace Like a River by Leif Enger
• The First Songs of Christmas by Nancy Demoss Wolgemuth
• OxiClean Laundry Stain Remover Spray
• CrystalPaine.com
• MoneySavingMom.com
• YourBloggingMentor.com
• My Instagram account (I’d love for you to follow me there! I usually hop on at least a few times per day and share behind-the-scenes photos and videos, my grocery store hauls, funny stories, or just anything I’m pondering or would like your advice or feedback on!)
• Have feedback on the show or suggestions for future episodes or topics? Send me an email: [email protected]
• How to Listen to The Crystal Paine Show

 

Sponsor Spotlight

Today’s episode is sponsored by Twigby — a company dedicated to providing fantastic phone service at great prices. As I mentioned in the podcast, if you are looking for a great deal on a phone for your teen (or yourself!), I’d highly recommend checking out what Twigby has to offer.

Unlike traditional cell phone companies, they give you the ability to create your own custom, prepaid plan — without a contract or an unnecessary activation fee.

You don’t have to mess with going to a store and picking out a phone plan. You just go to their site, pick your phone plan and either switch your current phone over or get a new phone, and they get it all set up for you.

My favorite part about their service (in addition to their great prices!) is that they offer plan flexibility with the ability to change plans or phones at any time for free. You’re not locked into an expensive contract that has activation and termination fees.

They also offer Free Overage Protection, so you can rest easy in knowing that you will never be charged for overages without your go-ahead! You have complete control.

Special offer! Want to save 25% off your first 6 months of Twigby? Click here.

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Our Sponsors:
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