Slow Starts, Big Launches, and Brookies

January was supposed to be my recovery month. You know, after December tried to murder me with pneumonia.

Instead, January said "cute plan" and became approximately seven years long while also being wildly productive. I learned my lesson from December though - no sprinting into the year. Foundations and groundwork. Going slow on purpose. (Well, as slow as I'm capable of going, which is...not very.)

Here's how we spent the longest month in recorded history.

January was a month of "eras."

The era of skiing is in FULL FORCE around here. Both kids are doing freestyle programs, which means January was all about the park - jumps, rails, boxes, the works. Zach is living his best life. Elizabeth is in what I'm calling her "girly era" and isn't entirely sure about all this yet, but she's committed.

SHE's in her Breakfast Club era. No, not the movie (though I wish). It's this Wednesday morning skating thing that starts ungodly early - like, we're leaving the house before 6am. Elizabeth leaps out of bed on her own, gets dressed, and sprints out the door for it. Zach? Not a fan of the wake-up time, not his vibe.

So they're 1-1.

We're also deep in our cooking era. Elizabeth really wants to learn to bake, and her current obsession is brookies (that magical brownie-cookie hybrid) - god bless a young person's metabolism. 

A DELICIOUS VALENTINE: We've been using Preppy Kitchen's brookie recipe, and I'm not exaggerating when I say they're dangerous. 

Big things happened in January:

We brought on a new Chief of Staff here at Partytrick - and, I am so excited about the new addition! It really is true that you gotta put on your own oxygen mask first. Can't build a company if you're drowning in running it. More on this soon.

We also just finished a 6-week product overhaul. We completely reworked our entire CMS (content management system) - which is a HUGE lift for a content-rich tool like ours. We're LIVE and cranking now. Go check it out, and let me know what you think! 

HOW I GOT THROUGH THE LONGEST MONTH EVER: With Partytrick’s Nancy Meyer’s Hosting Vibes playlist (and, incidentally, she’s just announced she’s back with her first new film in 11 years, if you needed proof that Partytrick really does set the trends). 🙂 

Started January sick in Florida. Wings clipped, no flying because pneumonia + airplane pressure = bad idea. But even stuck on the ground, I helped my friend Caitlin throw an epic 40th birthday party - oysters, caviar, the whole ocean - and used a Partytrick template, obviously.

Pro tip: If you want to do oyster shucking at home, you MUST use Maine Oyster Company. We just published a how-to guide for oyster shucking parties, and you can get deals if you shop through us. 

And in today's episode of "Virginia Makes Life Complicated, Then Uncomplicated Again" - I'm selling my Aspen condo, but - hey - sometimes you have to complicate things before you can simplify them, right? Main Street, 2BR/1BA, short-term rental permit included (try getting one of those in 2026, I dare you). It's been a great investment, but I'm going to be spending the summer out east, and holding onto real estate I'm not using feels very "old Virginia." Also might rent or sell the main house in Basalt. Know someone who might want in? Send them my way. Both come with brookies.

FOR MY REAL ESTATE ENTHUSIASTS: Buy me! 

"Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished." 

– Lao Tzu