Bits of Goodness

A new series co-sponsored by Kindly Feelings and Spite

I love a good refresh, a renewal, a blank page. And though I prefer springtime for shedding old skins and taking up new projects, the new calendar year marks a conspicuous opportunity for intentional shifts. (And yet friends, as Sofia Serrano aka Penélope Cruz reminds us, “every passing minute is another chance to turn it all around.”)

So often though, we’re sold a bypass to that feeling of novelty, of reinvention, in the form of consumption: new clothes, workout gear, home decor, Botox, weekly planners, protein shakes, meal prep containers, storage solutions, or treating ourselves to whatever we really wanted for Christmas.

I’ve been mentally flinging around an idea for a series of posts about my favorite physical possessions and the start of this year this unfathomable era felt like the right time. I’ll call it Bits of Goodness. Goodness in two senses:

1. kindly feeling, kindness; generosity. Synonym : humanity

2. excellence of quality: goodness of workmanship. Synonyms: value, worth

I’ll share the things that give me a sense of humanity, possessions that bring a kindly feeling (love that) when I gaze at or hold them and that hold value, worth because of the memories they invoke, the stories behind them or the people who made them.

What this will be: a way to me to document my life now, a photographic journal of what I treasure, a showcase of well-loved, meaningful things, and a chance to subvert the idea of Target run as therapy, shopping as freedom, the newest stuff as ultimate status symbol. I hope it to be a place for you to receive encouragement to reflect on the tangible things that bring you life and why. And to wonder: what is left when the newness wears off, what retains its glow and what loses its luster?

What it won’t be: a list of affiliate links, encouragement to get more stuff like mine, a guide on how to only own things that spark joy. I know this concept was born from a place of privilege, that having money to spend on unnecessary things is a very fortunate place to speak from and I don’t take that lightly. Choosing to spend and consume less is coupled with the intention of reinvesting in my community (near and far), not just a flex on my clean minimalist vibes (which I don’t exude) or a boost for my retirement savings.

Also, since I could not possibly say it better, I’ll take a page from Melanie at A Small Life: a big part of this series and its ultimate goal of inspiring appreciation for what we already have and encouraging intentional, restrained spending in the 2025 is fueled by spite (post quoted below). Bits of Goodness, because “I don’t like what is happening in our world and I don’t want to participate in making rich men richer. I don’t want to participate in making the world a dirtier, more dangerous place to live for myself or future generations.”

Women have amazing purchasing power. Women are estimated to control 75% of discretionary spending by 2028.

Women make the decision in the purchases of 94% of home furnishings, 92% of vacations, 91% of homes, 60% of automobiles & 51% of consumer electronics.

My spending power may be one of the most impactful powers that I have.

At dinner last night we shared our “more” and “less” intentions for 2025. Son: more bike races, less running races. Daughter: more art, less sneaking (*gulp*). Me: more community, less being swayed by others’ demands (let’s be real, mostly my kids’ demands, but also capitalism’s, consumerism’s, corporations’!). A lofty hope is that this could become a communal series, with friends posting their bits of goodness in the comments or even starting their own series. I may even make videos sometimes to showcase especially beautiful bits. For now I’m just excited to put the idea out into the void. More to come.