If you're not going to use a ConBee 2, then I would suggest the Mijia Multimode Gateway instead of the Aqara hub. It can join both Xiaomi Mijia and Aqara devices. With the Aqara hub, you can only join Aqara devices.
Another option (although you may struggle without repeaters), is the CC2531. It's just $5 and comes pre-flashed.
I've tried pushing them all overboard, they somehow keep swimming back....
I could be persuaded. How hard is it to add the ConBee to HA and manage (add) devices? My main motivation to use the Xiaomi hub was so I wouldn't have to change (and possibly break) anything in my HA setup.
Maybe I should also add to my 2022 list: rework my HA setup and add an SSD. I'm a bit intimidated by HA, but I gather that using the SD card for the OS is not the best idea for long term reliability.
I use a Conbee 2, but have it linked to HE using deConz. Some people have no issues at all, and most of the time neither do I, it is just when I restart I can have issues with it wanting to do a firmware update. Hence my preference to reorganise my setup to move InfluxDB and Grafana off that rpi and have only additional hardware paired to that rpi.
I have also set each of my rpis up with ssd's. My original one I tried to migrate from the SD card to an SSD. I don't think I technically achieved complete removal of the SD card, but I think it is only required during system boot. If you have capacity and the time, setting up a new install might be a cleaner option, but it doesn't have to be done that way.
I’m using the ZHA integration. It’s been a while, but if I recall correctly, I just plugged in the ConBee 2, added the ZHA integration and pointed to the USB port address. In the video I linked to, Dr Zzs shows how to do it at about the 1 minute mark.
It was easier than adding the Xiaomi Multimode Gateway, which also wasn’t difficult at all.
I run home assistant core on an old Mac, so some things are a little different than setup on haas.io, which should be easier in every case.
My current goals for '22 are new device research, systems simplification and rules refactoring, data collection/analysis and probably most importantly WAF/FAF and CAF (Customer Acceptance Factor).
Also will continue to replace some older mostly ZW+ devices that have limited capabilities relative to the newer stuff. The dream is not to keep swapping things out but to establish a baseline of acceptable devices and HA functionality - a setup that can last for years with minimal changes and flexible enough to incorporate newer stuff if required.
Its hard to find the time with a newborn but I plan to get into more DIY devices such as pressure sensing mats and car presence sensors.
I'd like to get into room presence detection but am probably over my head on that one.
As a parent of two young children, I recommend not having them. Kids suck. Send the kid back for a refund, then start buying more devices on amazon.... I'd return mine, but they're past the return date so I have to keep them.... I may try ebay next
VERY OFF TOPIC
There's certainly humps to get over, and then more humps after that. But the road tends to even out with time. Of course there was a time, when there was time, for a reciprocal (but unwritten) agreement where the parents became "the children of the children's care". That deal ain't as common anymore except in a few culturally rich and traditional communities. Blame it on us Boomers I guess.
BACK ON TOPIC
As far as 2022 HA devices go - I intend to get to the bottom of some bewildering battery burnout and become less burgeoning in buying; focusing on reliable quality over sometimes less reliable quantity in my solutions.
Addendum- Just saw this goal and like the way it sounds.... it almost applies to the kids discussion above as well 
So does this mean we should be building a smart home to look after us in our old age....?
Not me.... Euthanize me, mix my ashes with ground powdered glass and throw me into the faces of my enemies...
That is so true.... While I intended as a tongue-in-cheek remark, like most of my remarks, you do read about HA solutions having quite profound impacts on the quality of people's lives who need some level of care
As someone who recently (a couple of years now) became disabled. What started out as a fun hobby, really has a positive effect on my day to day life. Sometimes just walking into the next room or reaching for a light switch can be difficult. Having the ability to just ask Google to turn stuff on or off becomes so much more important.
Little things...
Amazing the things we can do now. Things that most people take for granted until you can't easily do them on your own. Especially when one day you can and the next you can't! Believe me, it's frustrating.
Technology just keeps getting better, can't wait to see what's next!
I did skip over a good point you made @PunchCardPgmr, and something I need to work on as well. I have a tendency to start setting something up and leaving it in an incomplete or flawed state. So I definitely want to refine what I have setup more than expanding too much more at this stage.
I have done a lot of that because I was in a hurry to get things going in the new house. I have to re address these things. At the same time I keep getting shite to expand with 
Thanks to some inspiration from this thread, I contributed to the development of Home Assistant Device Bridge! Others had already done the hard work of developing and testing the code necessary to add thermostat devices (@gabriel_kpk @aaiyar), but I was able to submit the pull request (first-time github user here!), add a device state to the driver code, AND submit a pull request for the configuration app so that the thermostats are displayed in the app's discovery drop-down. I'm standing on the shoulders of giants, to be sure, but I've already checked off "learning me some groovy," and it's still 2021! Thanks to @SmartHomePrimer @tomw and @ymerj for helping me along! The HE platform is amazing because the COMMUNITY IS AMAZING! w00t!
P.S. And because of this work, I can rework my HA setup and skip the MQTT broker altogether!
To be clear, the hard work was all @gabriel_kpk and you. I’m just benefiting from both of your work!
I stumbled upon that thread today on accident. I've been forced to start a new instance of HA just so I can boomerang some functionality back to HE. As a result, I went searching for something that can put the devices into HE once I get them into HA. This seemed to be the best/most relevant approach I could find. I will start following in your footsteps over the next few days.
Everything is pretty much automated at this point I have 1 bedroom fan I want to replace. I need to buy a small UPS for the hub thats all I can think of beyond dashboards.
Download the Hubitat app
