The First Week of 2025

Happy New Year! 🎉 The start of 2025 has been a mix of tradition, excitement, and a bit of chaos. New Year’s Eve was unremarkable but comforting in its simplicity. I stuck to my usual traditions—cleaning the house on New Years Eve to start fresh and taking an early morning walk with Twix 🐾 on New Year’s Day. It’s one of my favorite ways to reflect on the past year and set intentions for the year ahead. That walk is always special. Everyone is sleeping, no cars, no activity and yet, there is excitement in the air.

We don’t eat black-eyed peas in Sweden, so that tradition is one I skip. Instead, I focused on easing into the year.

Work on the ambulance started back up on Friday, and it was busy from the get-go. I had a 24-hour shift that was nonstop driving. I haven’t checked how many miles we covered, but it felt endless. By the time I got home, I was completely exhausted. Most of Saturday went to relaxing and recharging, which was much needed.

Despite the busy week, I had some exciting wins for Harlequin Tea! I received my first two orders of the year—what a fantastic way to kick things off. 🫖 I delivered the first order on Thursday and the second on Saturday, and I’m thrilled to see the momentum growing already.

Another big update: Harlequin Tea now has a new shelf at Ship & Print in Wills Point! 🎉 I’ve almost doubled my space there, which means more blends are available for you to enjoy. Next week, I’m planning to stock up on sachets, so it’s the perfect time to swing by and check it out. I’m so grateful for all the support that’s made this possible!

Meanwhile, Whisked Away Bakehouse hosted a drive this weekend featuring a free cup of Harlequin Tea with every order. If you’re reading this early enough, you might still have a chance to grab one!

Now, let’s talk about the one thing I’m not thrilled about: the weather. 🥶 Next week is supposed to be SUPER cold, with temperatures dropping into the teens—and maybe even snow! As someone who’s very cold-sensitive, this is not my idea of Texas living. I thought I left the icy winters behind in Sweden, but apparently not! I’ll be bundling up in layers and counting the days until it warms up again.

We’ve ordered more hay for the horses, which is supposed to arrive today. Fingers crossed it does—if not, I’ll have some big challenges to deal with on top of the freezing weather.

Next Thursday marks the first E! Terrell show of the year, a Carole King tribute. I’m really looking forward to it! I hope the cold weather passes so people feel like venturing out and enjoying the performance.

On a more frustrating note, scammers struck this week. On Friday, someone posted in multiple Facebook groups about a fake Wills Point market happening on the same day as our official market, February 15th. 🚨 My inbox blew up with questions, and I had to quickly write a press release clarifying that we are NOT affiliated with this person. It was clearly a scam—the post didn’t include a location, and they even misspelled “Wills Point.”

A reminder to everyone: be cautious and double-check information! Scammers are out there. On the bright side, I’ve obtained an Itinerary Permit from the City of Wills Point for our February market, and I’ve also secured event insurance since the market has grown much bigger than I originally anticipated. It’s going to be an amazing event, and I’m so grateful for all the support that’s helped it flourish!

The first week of 2025 has been a mix of highs and lows, but it’s left me feeling motivated and excited for what’s ahead. From growing Harlequin Tea to planning events, there’s so much to look forward to this year.

Stay warm, stay safe, and watch out for scammers, friends. Here’s to a fantastic year ahead!