January is not historically one of my favorite months (though my uneasiness about it pales in comparison to my skepticism of February), but in my ongoing journey to like winter more (or at least dread it less), January has become…okay.
Things I Loved in January This Year
Quince
One of my new year’s intentions was to really look at my consumption of clothing; I’m not really a clothes person, per se, and certainly not a style person (I have an aspirational Pinterest board called “I will have a style someday”), but in my relentless pursuit of not having to think about my clothes because they’re making me uncomfortable, I have more clothes than I’m comfortable owning. Partially because of this book, I’m much more conscious about how these choices have a negative environmental impact.
So this year, I made some rules:
Buy at least 80% of my clothes secondhand (thrift stores, ThredUp, Poshmark, etc.)
Ensure that any new items have a specific purpose AND come from a company that is attempting to at least mitigate their environmental impact.
I discovered that I had literally NO long pajama bottoms that aren’t fleece, and during the cold snap a few weeks ago, my usual shorts-and-t-shirt sleeping ensemble weren’t cutting it. I found several different options on Quince’s website, and my favorite were these joggers, which are very comfortable and feel like they can transition between seasons well.
Small Plates
I’ve always liked tapas and cheese plates and anything that allows me to try as many different things as possible but without feeling too big a sense of loss if I don’t like something. My appetite has been all kinds of wacky the last six months or so, so I’ve been finding committing to any Dinner option more challenging than usual. We went to Uchi for our anniversary, and I was surprised at the fun of ordering a series of small things, one at a time, at a pace that I could sustain.
Morning Puppy Time
Normally, if the beagle has slept through the night, I have let her sleep and tried to avoid waking her. Lately, though, I’ve been waking her up gently and on purpose, giving her breakfast, and getting in some morning cuddle time. It’s been a nice, gentle way to start the day and also makes me feel slightly less guilty about how much of my time is occupied with other things than her.
What did you love in January this year? How’s your year starting off?
Looking forward to teaching my first February class next weekend. I’d love if you joined me!
