We're Ready for a New Year's Refresh

It’s officially time to press the reset button and begin anew. It’s natural to feel excited for the opportunity to refresh, especially after all the frenzy of the festive season. It’s a chance to slow down, simplify, and reflect on what has been working in our lives and what we’d like to change—a moment that makes us look forward to 2024 and all the new possibilities before us. 

New beginnings bring anticipation and wonder and we’re here to inspire you in your aspirations for what lies ahead. Thinking about what we would really like to do—learn something new, get organized, travel, adjust the way we schedule our time, reconnect with friends—gives us a fresh plate to fill with what we choose and is a wonderful occasion for gratitude and joy.

At plj when we consider our goals and wishes for 2024, we’d like to focus on growth and keeping a balanced perspective. Here’s some of our intentions for the coming year:

• Maintaining a healthy mind/body balance—Filling our bodies with nutritious whole foods, drinking plenty of water, getting exercise and leading an active lifestyle are always a priority when starting a new year.
• Journaling—Writing ideas and thoughts down is such a powerful mindfulness practice and an effective way to process things that happen to us in our day-to-day lives.
• Spending time outside—Regardless of the season, spending even a short amount of time connecting with nature has powerful benefits for both our physical and mental well-being. Especially if the holiday rush has seen us spending most of our time on indoor projects, now is the perfect moment to reset and make a fresh-air promise to ourselves.
• Learning—Continually learning and feeding our mind is as important as staying physically active at any age, and a great way to find new inspiration, too. Every time a new year begins, we like to make a mental fitness intention for the coming twelve months—whether it’s to use an app to brush up on or learn another language; to read a certain number of books or join a book club; or to take a class, listen to an interesting podcast or expand our digital skills.   
• Positivity—Paying attention to how we start our day does amazing things for setting the tone of the entire day. We like to look to nature for inspiration, sip warm water with lemon, and take a few minutes to start our day with a calm and collected feeling—through things like meditation, listening to music, and setting a diffuser with essential oils.
• Purpose and intent—Everyone needs to feel purposeful in their unique and important role as an individual. Setting intentions and purpose each day helps us to value ourselves and feel more fulfillment in our daily lives. 
• Be a good listener—Learning to pause in conversation with others or even in our own thoughts allows us the opportunity to understand and react better in stressful situations. Taking a moment to reflect and process before reacting to statements or situations is such a powerful life strategy.  
• Bring out the best in others—Encouraging each other to be kind and appreciating differences and opinions of those around us is vital to creating a supportive community. This reset and renewal of intentions is the perfect moment to surround ourselves with people we love and to hold them close.
• Make time for connection—New Year’s resolutions often revolve around self-improvement and do little to help us increase our opportunities for connection and conversation. We know how important connection is for our overall health and well-being—let’s prioritize it!  
• Practice saying no—Good boundaries with the people around us can help reduce the barriers that separate us. When we are able to say no to what is unnecessary or even harmful, we can also more fully say yes to what brings us joy. Saying no more often is a great way to ensure we have the energy and focus to achieve our intentions for the coming year. 
• Practice stillness—We can’t do everything well all at once, and being patient with ourselves helps us maintain balance and leave room for growth. Small shifts can make all the difference in our lives as we strive to be kinder to ourselves, surround ourselves with kind people, and prioritize spending time with the ones we love. 

Let January be the occasion to reprioritize wellness in your daily routines. Prepare nutritious meals and snacks, stay hydrated, and add a New Year’s boost to your fitness routine. This may be a great moment to try a new exercise class, participate in a new recreational sport/activity, or to schedule a few sessions with a trainer. Giving renewed attention to your sleep schedule can really add an energy boost—we often underestimate how waking up refreshed in the morning can lead to a more productive and joyful day!

We have found that once something becomes a priority, it’s easier to make it part of our routine, to the point where it becomes automatic. That’s how habits work, and it’s time to pick up some good ones in 2024!

The Power of Positivity

 Be inspired to make some sort of mindfulness practice part of your new year. Incorporating mindful moments into your already busy day may seem like an overwhelming task. However, what it really means is taking the time to be in the present moment. Give yourself permission to notice how you feel without judging yourself. Allow yourself to appreciate your surroundings and enjoy the little moments of joy that occur each day. Setting aside a few moments every day for some form of meditation is key to recentering your mind-body balance. There are many guided meditation apps available if this practice is new to you! Journaling also helps to organize your thoughts. Remember, it’s ok to be still—in fact, we are prioritizing this as part of our new year intentions. Give yourself a chance to relax and enjoy some well deserved time with yourself by taking a walk or reading a book. Get cozy for your moments of mindfulness—browse our wellness collection and indulge in our unbelievably soft berber fleece loungewear, skincare essentials, and earthy scented winter candles to set the mood for yourself.

When we look at life through the lens of positivity, we’re able to see beyond the daily bumps in the road and open our minds and hearts to the many possibilities in front of us. This gets at the essence of our mission at plj: we founded this brand with the idea that joy comes in many forms, and the more we do to welcome joy into our own hearts the more we are able to share it with all those special people in our lives. As the year begins, think about how you can mindfully appreciate joyful moments in your life, focus on gratitude, and surround yourself with people you love. How can you be a better friend, first to yourself and then to those around you? With your mindset open to positivity, you’ll find success not only this year but for many years to come.

Invigorate Your Senses 

If you don’t already use a diffuser to add a bit of aromatherapy to your home, especially during the winter months, you’ll soon be hooked. If it’s calm you want, add a few drops of lavender essential oil. For an invigorating lift, try citrus oil and a few drops of eucalyptus. Eucalyptus essential oil also works like a charm if you are experiencing any cold symptoms. We’ve sourced a variety of fragrant citrus, lavender, and eucalyptus essential oils for our simple roll-on perfumes, body oils, and bath salts. Shop our wellness collection. 

Reset Your Environment

The start of a new year is the ideal time to declutter your closets, pantry, and other indoor spaces. Once you pack away your holiday decor, take time to organize your home. Give yourself a fresh start and contribute to a worthy cause by donating clothes, coats, and any gently used items that have been taking up space in your closet. Restocking your pantry with nutritious items is also a step in the right direction toward your healthy lifestyle goals. This is the time we love to brighten our spaces with fresh crisp linens, softly textured throw blankets and new tableware to usher in a sense of casual, calm elegance. Editing and reorganizing does wonders for bringing a new energy to your living space, supporting you in your wellness and mindfulness intentions for the new year.

Warm up from the Inside

We all know that herbal “tea” isn’t really tea, so we like to call it by the French term, infusion—which evokes the soothing effects of sipping a warm cup filled with the healing benefits of the plant world. Besides the warming hydration and the noted health benefits of ingredients like ginger, turmeric, and lemon for digestion, inflammation, and overall wellness, the ritual of drinking non-caffeinated infusions encourages us to slow down, calming our over-stimulated nervous systems. 

Epicure: Let’s Refresh and Brighten Our Menus

 January is the ideal month to turn a new leaf and balance our menus with plenty of healthy vegetables and bright citrus notes. Lots of fresh fruits and vegetables are part of our winter meal planning—we just can’t get enough of leeks, carrots, kale, ginger, lemons, oranges, grapefruit, and pineapple this month.

Our morning glory muffins are a handy, nutritious on the go breakfast for the whole family as we go back to work and school after the holidays. Jump-start the day with a warm glass of lemon water as a simple hydrating tonic. A green juice with ginger, lemon, and kale is also a great way to reset and re-boost our immunity after the holidays. A warming turmeric latte or a bright ginger tea is a perfect, non-caffeinated afternoon treat.

For winter weeknights, soups and stews are both nourishing and comforting, but we like to create balance by keeping them light and fresh, with extra emphasis on vegetables and fresh herbs. Flavorful and packed with nutritious ingredients, soup can serve as a dinner staple during the winter months. Take a break from elaborate meal planning and keep things simple this month with our classic chicken, roasted vegetable minestrone, coconut curry butternut squash, lentil, and spinach soup recipes. 

Planning a special weekend gathering? Whatever the occasion, we’ve got you covered with plenty of inspiration, from Belgian waffles with cinnamon whipped cream to our roasted chicken with root vegetables, our sumptuous tomato and burrata pasta, or a fresh and zesty stir-fry. Sunday brunch has become one of our favorite traditions, especially during the winter season. Either gathering at home or meeting up at a fun brunch spot is a great way to catch up with friends and family, relax, and make the weekend feel special. See this month’s epicure for plenty of inspiration for planning a brunch. 

We love to share in your creativity and success—tag us in your next recipe post and we’ll share with the plj community!

Citrus Juice

Coconut Date Smoothie

Banana Pineapple Smoothie

Morning Glory Muffins

Nut Butter Energy Balls

Simply Sweet Scones

Eggs Benedict

Belgian Waffles

Coconut Lime Chicken and Cabbage Salad

Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

Roasted Minestrone

Carrot Ginger Soup

Classic Chicken Soup

Stir Fry with Ginger, Shrimp and Snap Peas

Roasted Chicken with Root Vegetables

Roasted Tomato and Burrata Pasta

Ginger Tea

Turmeric Latte

Grapefruit Bellini

Winter Design Notes

At partager la joie, the winter months are all about letting life bloom at its own pace by keeping things simple, clean, and streamlined. Following a busy festive season, we like our space to feel airy, light, and bright. Keep your design palette for table settings and flower arrangements simple. Winter bulbs and branches accented by sprigs of greens can go a long way toward creating a winter tablescape or  an arrangement in your home. Mix in assorted votives and lanterns to reflect the natural elements of the season. Use simple blooming green branches like eucalyptus, olive, or lemon leaf in your vases.  Monochromatic flower arrangements, such as orchids or tulips, are beautiful when styled in your living spaces. 

Fill your home with clean, warm scents—a fresh bunch of eucalyptus in your shower, lavender bath salts, lightly scented candles with warm and luxurious fragrance. Textured, soft throws in your living spaces will keep the mood light and bright. Try our Sunday Morning Candle to set the tone of slow living and keep cozy and relaxed in our super-soft berber loungewear. Shop plj. 

At partager la joie, our intention for the New Year is to inspire and encourage each other with a sense of hope and positivity in our new beginnings! January is an opportunity for a healthy reset, to start afresh and rekindle joy in our daily lives as we edit our lifestyles, take stock of our possibilities, renew what strengthens us, and cultivate kindness. We want to keep learning, make more time for connection and conversation, and continue to evolve…

And so we’re taking a moment to reflect on our heartfelt mission at plj— to inspire you to cultivate beautiful spaces and occasions to share the joy everyday. It seems like a small intention, but over time has come to resonate within a wide, vibrant and kind community. As the year begins we want to express our profound gratitude to you for sharing this journey with us. Together, let’s make 2024 our most meaningful and joy-filled year yet.

Happy New Year!

xo, Kristin