Let's Catch Up: January Recap
Do you make New Year’s resolutions? I don’t really set “resolutions” but I do reflect on things that I need to work on in my life. I’m sgetting better at posting blogs more often and this year I’m pushing myself even more in this area. I’ve been brainstorming some new blog ideas for the year and I thought a monthly recap blog would be a fun way to show things on here that give a more in-depth peek inside my real life days, especially for those of you that don’t follow me on instagram. So, here we go! Interestingly enough, January went by quicker than I anticipated and I can’t believe I’m already writing this post.
LIFE UPDATES
Broken arm Millie and the three of us enjoying the snow
Millie broke her arm just before Christmas, so this month she had a hard cast put on (was super brave about it!) and 2 weeks later the cast was removed and she has a removable brace. The brace is getting almost no use but her arm is healing quickly and none of it has slowed her down.
I anticipated the Lunar New Year holiday week feeling extra long since Korean schools were closed but a major snowstorm came through early in the week and then London was off of school for 2 extra days and Brandon had work from home days as well. Honestly, it was a nice calm break and the snow was gorgeous! These kinds of snowstorms make me miss Alaska so much.
Also, for any parents out there struggling with young kids - 4, almost 5, is definitely the age where it’s getting easier. I used to DREAD school holidays because it throws my schedule completely off and kids need extra extra extra attention those days, but I’ve noticed the last few months that those days off are getting easier. Finally!
THINGS I LOVED THIS MONTH
Subway sandwiches. I’m embarrassed to tell you how many times I ate the Elite Chicken Bacon Ranch sandwich.. or made a copycat at home. It’s so good and if you haven’t tried it, you definitely should. It’s hard to find these type of sandwich places in Korea so Subway hits the spot.
Back in November I tossed the rug in London’s room and I’ve been on the hunt for a new one for her room. I wanted something that would tie her gray upholstered bed together with brown wood furniture and I finally found one. I LOVE the color way (sage/tan), the print and the fact that an 8x10 would ship to my APO box! It’s soft, thin, rubber backed and since it’s so thin, it’s also very lightweight. It weighs less than the previous rug so that’s a benefit for us when we ship our household goods next time.
This Clarins Cryo-Flash Face Mask has been on repeat this month. I purchased it in December on our cruise. I was really looking for the v-lift facial mask, but the cruise didn’t carry it so I opted for the cryo-flash instead. I’ve been using it a couple of time a week since we got back and I can say the results are immediate. No more feeling my jawline fall towards my forehead during downward dog! It’s pretty pricy at $80 but I feel like the price is worth it.
At the beginning of the month I purged and rearranged so much in our apartment. This included going through all of our amenity kits from our airplane travels and discovered that I had never unpacked our Qatar amenity kits. Their kits are full of Diptyque products and I’ve been wearing the Eau de Sens perfume everyday this month. I love this smell. It’s expensive so if you know of a copycat perfume, let me know in the comments!
My favorite book this month was: The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V.E. Schwab. I read so many good books this month but this was the first one of the year. I rushed through it and finished it in a day and a half. It sucked me in from the beginning, I laughed, I cried, I enjoyed the journey and it made me want to seek out more of her books. I also have an instagram highlights reel of books I read in 2024 and now 2025 if you want any recommendations! I don’t do in-depth reviews but I will let you know if I liked it, didn’t like it, or loved it.
JANUARY BUMMERS
Thrifting this month was a bummer overall. I did manage to snag a faux mink coat that I love, but that’s pretty much it. The biggest thrifting bummer? I showed up to my favorite resale shop to find that it actually no longer existed. The entire building is gone. It was like an alternate universe and I’m still not over it.
I saw someone recommend the series, A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab, on instagram. He said that he gave every book in the series 5 stars so I immediately downloaded the first book. All three are available to read for free if you have Kindle Unlimited and I really liked the last V.E. Schwab book I read so I had high hopes but ultimately I was disappointed. The first book was just okay, in my opinion, but I didn’t like it enough to continue the series. If you’ve read the series, what did you think? Should I continue with book 2?
That’s a wrap for January!
Let me know if you like these types of posts and what else you’d love to see in the comments! Hope your 2025 and January are off to a great start!
