December 1

December might be my favorite month of the year—mostly because of Christmas and Winter Break. Yes, it can be stressful: shopping for presents, planning parties, decorating. But it’s also a joy to have time off work, to spend extra time with family, and to do one of my favorite end-of-year rituals: buying a journal for the new year.

Each year, for as long as I can remember, I’ve bought a journal at the end of December and used it for the year ahead. Last year I bought a blank hardcover cookbook. The cover said “Recipes,” but inside it was just lined paper—perfect for journaling.

Buying a journal is a simple but fun way to close out the year and get excited about the next one. And here’s a bonus tip: go back and read the first page of your old journal to see what kind of mood you were in at the start of the year.

What end-of-year rituals do you have?