✨let's talk thru: JANUARY

january is full of magic to me and I don't care who doesn't think a new month new year doesn't mean anything

in my intro post HERE I talk about what I’m thinking for this whole shebang (what a weird word). so read that first and let’s dig into January.

READ

Here is what I read this month. As a reminder I will NOT be holding back here. I don’t usually share all my rereads, spicy reads or religious reads (lol what a combo) on the gram.

LEDGER:
🔘 read on my nook
🎧 audiobook
📚 reread

The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
rating: loved it
synopsis

This one is so so good and sad. It also had an art subplot and I love art. I’m glad I read it before her newest comes out soon!

🔘Icebreaker by Hannah Grace
rating: it was fine
synopsis

I do not recommend this one UNLESS you wake up at 3am, can’t fall back asleep, and need something to distract your brain. It was dumb but good enough to read at 3am when you don’t want to think about how little sleep you just got.

🎧The Cloisters by Katy Hays
rating: it was fine
synopsis

Read this one because of BAD ON PAPER and I had an ALC from Libro.fm (hi, ily). It was a good puzzle companion, but I didn’t really care about it a ton.

📚The Cheat Sheet by Sarah Adams
rating: reread aka I really liked it
synopsis

Tell Me Everything by Erika Krouse
rating: loved it but 🤬 at the system
synopsis

DOWN WITH THE SYSTEM. But for real this one is so good but content warnings are vast. If you like true crime and if you like personal memoir- go pick this one up. Recommended by Jamie B. Golden.

How the Bible Actually Works by Peter Enns
rating: loved it
synopsis

This is the kind of Bible I am talking about. Mixed with deep knowledge and love for theology AND humor and sarcasm and realism- this is my go to author now for all things modern religion.

The Air You Breathe by Frances De Pontes Peebles
rating: liked it
synopsis

I am having a hard time rating this one. Some moments I had to know what happened and others I felt like I was missing part of the story. I loved the musical and cultural elements. I feel like I learned about Brazilian culture and dynamics from this story.

In the Name of Jesus by Henri Nouwen
rating: really liked it

Henri forever.

REALIZE

My phrase for this season has been, “even if.”
Even if this workout doesn’t make me “skinny” would I still do it?
Even if this cheeseburger makes me feel like sh!t, should I still eat it?
Even if this Bible story isn’t historically true, do I still learn something?
Even if someone thinks I am cringe, do I still want to do it?
Even if no one reads this newsletter, do I still like writing it?
Even if someone thinks x about me, do I even care?

This phrase has allowed me enter into scenarios with freedom rather than shame. It’s given me permission to say yes or no to things quickly instead of spending way too much time thinking through all the different scenarios. I find myself whispering it to myself in moments of foreshadowed disillusion into the rollercoaster of my thoughts. It provides a moment of peace, a deep breath with direction onto what is next.

ORGANIZE

Y’all I freaking love organizing. Like a lot. Hence why it gets its own category. I find myself wandering around our 700 sq ft apt thinking, “what could be better” at least once a week.

So my “what could be better” this month was toilet paper which you will see down below and HATS. My baseball caps and beanie have been hanging by thumbtacks for literal years. Worked fine…except when I had to you know move anything by it. Then they would be knocked down. So I bought this from Amazon and have never thought about my hats falling again and I love that for me.

Note: it is just the thing that goes on the hanger. The first time I ordered this I threw away the box not knowing this small doodad was inside. Whoops.

BUY

We could also name this section, “practical materialism” because that’s what I have determined about myself. I like things. I like things a lot. I grew up in a home that loved a good trip to Kohl’s or Target. Shopping was bonding and we liked to bond a lot apparently. But now in my adulthood, I don’t want things for things sake. I want my things to have a purpose.

This month’s purposeful purchases:

Toilet paper holder:
BEFORE YOU JUDGE ME. The one in our apt doesn’t make sense. You would have to contort to your left every time to get TP. No thanks. So for years we had a freestanding holder. Y’all the amount of times I knocked that thing down at 2am…
So I bought this one. It fits perfectly on this odd space we have and it makes me happy every time I use it.

Sleep headphones:
Game freaking changer. I am a human that needs noise to sleep. Not just white noise. Distracting noise (either west wing or sleep with me podcast). So instead of losing my airpods throughout the night, I bought this headband headphone and I love it so.

PUZZLES:
C and I are having a busy Q1 (him more than me so far) so we decided that jigsaw puzzles were the answer to being more intentional with our downtime. When sports aren’t on- he will listen to a financial podcast and I will listen to an audiobook or currently I am making my way through Rick Steves’ Art of Europe and what a delight.

Big mirror:
I am a floor girlie when I get read in the morning. I have been using a cheap $10 mirror from wal mart for a good awhile and decided thanks to a Christmas giftcard that it was time for an upgrade. And it was a great choice. The mirror has oddly healed a version of body dysmorphia and I like what I look at in the mirror now.

Five Year Journal:
First heard about this from BAD ON PAPER and look. I have always, always wanted to be someone who journaled. I hate that I have already forgotten great memories in life. This has been the perfect solution for me. I do it every morning and it takes such a short time but I feel like I get to remember my days and can’t wait to see how every year looks!

EAT&DRINK

At home:
I am about one decision away from going back to food delivery service. We did hello fresh for about two years. And I loved it until there were multiple price increases. For awhile I had an “I can do this myself” attitude. But that has waned and been replaced with, “if I have to decided again what to make this week I will scream.” Luckily Connor is v chill about all this and could literally eat the same thing every week (steak + veggie, shrimp + rice, chicken + pasta). So that’s mostly what we’ve been doing. With our current schedules, I only have to cook three nights a week. Which is great but I really like variety so I get sad when I don’t eat vibrant, varietal dinners. Working on this balance.

Out & about:
I am extremely biased, but goodness the lattes at Honest (where I work) are so damn good. I have one a day and now cannot live without.

I took my best friend Hillarie to The Chef & I because she was supposed to go to Hawaii for her 30th but her flight was cancelled due to the debacle that was southwest. The restaurant had a five course tasting battle between their executive and sous chef and it was beyond fun. We got to vote and everything. Highlights: root beer short rib & banana foster pudding.

We finally went to Barcelona for tapas and YUM. I loved everything we got there (potatoes, sardines, fried ham things and BREAD- I don’t remember the actual dishes it is fine y’all)

Crieve Hall Bagel Co is new to us and super good. Nothing can beat Proper Bagel so far for me in Nashville, but it was worth the wait and trip on a random Sunday.

WEAR

I now keep a highlight on the gram of my outfits not to be an iNflUenCer but because it sincerely helps me be thankful for what I already have. I will look back and think DAMN girl that’s cute.

Winners this season:

• Coat from marshalls always

• Oversized thrifted tee

• dark color combos

• layering

this month's faves

WATCH

Major goal this year is to actually watch things on my list. My friend from college is a big movie guy and he made me list like two years ago I am working my way through.

Currently also watching Abbot Elementary and all the Law & Orders because I can and I love them (anyone else can’t decide if they ship Liv and Elliot?! talk to me please).

LISTEN

This is the podcast section. Audiobooks go in the reading section. Just for future reference.

Here’s the thing about me and podcasts. I love them. BUT I have to start a new one from the very first episode or I feel like I’m missing out and I hate that feeling. So this is how I will divide this section: currently listening (caught up to current eps), catching up (makin’ my way through the backlist), added to the queue (will listen to in future).

Currently listening:
Bad on Paper (I only started listening when Olivia joined and will not go allllll the way back)
Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend
Over Under Achievers
The Popcast with Knox & Jamie
Sleep With Me

Catching up:
Maintenance Phase

Added to queue:
Scan Goddess (via Normal Gossip)
The Everygirl Podcast
Dream Bigger Podcast

TRAVEL

We have officially booked our flights and Airbnbs to Nice & Barcelona for May 🎉

Now let the research begin! If you are new to me or my not so slight love of spreadsheets, I make these vvvv detailed spreadsheets of the restaurant options when we travel. Because who wants to spend 4o minutes on yelp to just go to a mediocore restaurant when you’ve spend many hours on a plane- NOT ME.

sneak peek into how florence’s sheet turned out

If you have any recs let me know!

SHARE

🎤 This video of Brian Stokes Mitchell singing a song from Prince of Egypt

🥨 I might just make soft pretzels in February because of this video #notabaker

🐎 Who would like to go see beyonce with me

✍️ You should sign up for Claire’s, Hannah’s, Rachel’s, Lauren’s & Michelle’s newsletters too.

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