January Recap + Favorite Things

Winter is in full swing around here, and I’m not sure how those of you who live in the northern states are surviving. We had about a week of really cold weather here in Texas and I thought I was going to physically turn into an ice cube. I’m cold to my bones and I cannot get warm. Truly, spring cannot get here fast enough.

Aside from the cold, it feels really nice to be back into a normal rhythm. I love the fall months and all of the chaos and excitement they bring, but it always feels good to slow down and settle into things a little bit when January rolls around. This month we played a ton of games, ate lots of soup, and spent many a night piled up on the sofa watching Marvel movies or Beast Games (what a wild show!).

This month, Jackson turned 11 and I can barely process that information. This past year with him was one of my favorites – he’s really settled in to who he is as a person and it’s been so fun to watch. He and I have so much in common (we’re both deeply introverted, highly anxious, we love to read, and are complete homebodies) and I feel like this is an age where we can really chat and laugh and have fun together on a totally new level. He has a super sarcastic sense of humor (and is finally learning how to use it without crossing a line, haha), and he loves to play games and read books with me (this series is what we’re currently reading and we both love it). He’s growing up so fast but he still loves to snuggle up on the couch and he still wants both me and Corey to tuck him into bed each night.

I love that every year of parenting is an entirely new adventure, and I can truly say that year 10 was one of the best yet. We’ll be off to middle school (!!!) later this year and we’re already all bracing ourselves for what’s to come. But, for now, I’m planning to soak up every last minute of this last semester of elementary school for him.

A few other highlights from January include:

• A snow day that brought maybe a 1/2″ of snow but a TON of excitement.
• Installing our new outdoor kitchen (stay tuned for more on that soon!)
• I got a new tattoo this weekend!
• Endless rounds of Uno, Skip-Bo, and Play Nine with the kids.

Let’s get into my favorite things from the month.

My Favorite Things in January

1. These gorgeous bow earrings. Bows are everywhere right now and I fell in love with these cute little earrings. I’ve been wearing them constantly and I get compliments every single time!
2. The prettiest checkered throw blanket. I got this blanket for Christmas and everyone in my house is obsessed with it. It is so comfy, it’s beautiful, and (most importantly) it’s warm.
3. Take 5! We’ve been playing this game nonstop in our house, and everyone that we’ve introduced to really loves it as well! It’s a ton of fun and super easy to learn (which is my favorite combo for a game).
4. This cozy sweater. I’m in love with this sweater. I originally ordered it in tan but decided I wanted to go for more color so I grabbed this gorgeous green instead. But, now I’m kind of thinking I might just need it in every color!
5. This salicylic acid serum. I was having a pretty bad breakout earlier this month and I decided to give this serum a shot. My super sensitive skin generally likes products from The Ordinary and this is easily my new favorite product. It cleared everything up almost overnight, and my skin has been so happy since I started using it.
6. These Plantar Fasciitis shoe inserts. I’ve been having a bit of a Plantar Fasciitis flare-up this month, and these shoes have been a game-changer. I only ordered one set but I think I’m going to need to grab some for basically every pair of shoes I own. They’re so comfortable!
7. My new puzzle board. We’ve been doing puzzles constantly this month, and this thing is my new favorite way to do it. It makes it so easy to make sure we don’t lose any pieces, and I can actually clear off the dining room table if we need it!
8. This sweatshirt/sweatpants combo. I resisted the matching set trend for a while but I think it’s safe to say I’m really getting into it. I got this set mid-month and I’ve already worn it so many times. I’ve worn the set together, I’ve worn the pants alone, and I’ve worn the sweater alone. It’s so versatile!
9. These fake shirt collars! My friends on Instagram were obsessed with these the first time I wore one. I love the look of a button-up shirt under a sweater, but I don’t find it comfortable – this is the perfect hack!
10. The new Empryean novel. You know this had to be on the list. This month, I re-listened to the first two books and am currently reading this new release. Cannot say enough good things about this entire series.
11. My new sneakers. With my foot pain this month, I got a ton of recommendations for Hokas. However, I don’t love the look of those shoes (the color combos are not for me!), and they’re SO pricey. I found these similar shoes for about 1/4 of the cost and decided to give them a shot. I LOVE them – so incredibly comfortable and they’re actually cute, too!
12. This cute striped cardigan. And finally, I was looking for a link to a cardigan I already own and stumbled on this guy and immediately hit order. It arrived on Friday and I fell in love immediately. It’s so soft and comfortable, and I love the fit.

And with that, my friends, we’ve almost done it. Only a few days left in January! I don’t know about you, but I always find this to be one of the longest months of the year, so I’m eager for February to arrive. We can do it!