Catch Up With Christina 1.7
bleacher seats + jello shots + a shift for 2026
CURRENTLY INTO
Watching: Lots of basketball lately. Thomas is in two leagues, so weeknights are packed with practices and weekends are full of games, but honestly, I love it.
Shopping: I bought this while sitting on the bleachers for 5 hours last weekend and I cannot wait to use it this weekend.
Eating: fire station chicken salad for meal prepped lunches all week.
Reading: My day, planned by ChatGPT. I’ve been dumping everything I need to get done into it and letting it organize my tasks into time blocks, and I’ve been shockingly productive.
Listening to: Olivia Dean radio on repeat.
Loving: My One Line A Day journal. I didn’t think I’d be into it, but it’s truly the lowest effort habit ever, and I love that it’s a 5 year journal to look back on.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
A quick round-up of all my holiday Instagram content in one place, including hosting my favorite party of the year, our epic family movie night tradition, and the New Years tradition we never skip, if you want to bookmark anything for next year or save yourself the mental load later.
All the details (and our template) for How We Plan the Year with an Annual Meeting. If you’ve ever wanted a simple system to reset, get organized, and feel more on the same page heading into a new year, this is it.
Before Instagram, we had scrapbooking, and I couldn’t be more thrilled that it’s back with the tweens. Take a peek at Caroline’s scrapbooking night (you can find all the supplies we used HERE).
My first Coffee with Christina of the year, where I shared 26 things I’m bringing into 2026.
Elevated jello shots are trending for 2026 (right alongside caviar and apparently celery), so it felt like the right time to update my Champagne Jello Shots post.
Sharing my exact process for planning family trips, from bigger vacations to smaller getaways.
My mahjong-obsessed friends absolutely loved my pool mahjong reel that took off BIG TIME.
THOUGHT DROP
I always take January to step back and think about the year ahead for my business. What’s working, what feels heavy, and what actually makes sense to carry forward.
The internet has changed so much since I started Carolina Charm 14 years ago. Back then, blogging was very real time and very personal. These days, the landscape looks different and honestly, so do I. I’m more private now that my kids are getting older, and I’m more intentional about where certain things live.
My website is still very much my home base. A lot of my focus there is behind the scenes, updating older posts, improving SEO, and making sure that content continues to reach new readers and support the business side of what I do. That part matters to me and it’s not going anywhere.
But when it comes to more personal writing, the thoughts, reflections, and behind the scenes moments, I’m choosing to lean into Substack this year. It feels like a quieter, more intentional space where I can write like a human again, without everything needing to be optimized, curated, or explained.
I’m really grateful you’re here, whether you’ve been reading since the early days or you’re newer around here. 2026 already feels like a year of clarity for me, and I’m excited to keep building things in a way that fits this season.
XO
