My month in highlights…
The seven months of January are almost at an end, and looking back at my highlights it’s been a good few weeks – although it feels like I’ve lived an entire life in that time! It’s been neverending, hasn’t it?!
After a hectic time over Christmas, Jordan and I just wanted to keep our heads down, stay in and look after ourselves this month and we totally nailed it. Lots of cosy dinners and nights in, which is exactly what January is for if you ask me.
This year I wanted to do some monthly roundups to go alongside my monthly goals posts, so I’ve been saving photos (mostly from my Instagram Stories) and I’ve put them all together for a bit of a rundown of the month…
A Month Of Living WelL…
I really felt like this month I just needed some time to detox and test myself. We decided to Dry January because we’d had so many nights out in December that by New Year’s Eve we were absolutely sick of drinking! Plus we’d never really set ourselves a goal like that before, and we decided to chuck sugar and takeaways while we were at it.
I really thought I’d have some intense cravings but it was totally fine, there was never a point where I thought I’d cave in and have a glass of wine or some chocolate (we still have SO MUCH left over after Christmas), and I fully knew I’d manage it. We have a nice dinner planned for Saturday night to celebrate and I’m so excited for a margarita.
Jordan’s sister bought us a selection of alcohol-free drinks which we usually saved for Friday nights. We would treat these like our regular Friday eve drinks, putting them in to a nice glass with a garnish and sipping them while we watched Friday night TV. I actually didn’t notice a difference so I think I’ll stick to these alco-frees!
A Few Events…
Although we had planned to stay in for the entire month, we did have a few events in the diary which broke up the month a little. We were invited to see The Lion King which is on at the Edinburgh Playhouse – The Lion King is my favourite film, I remember watching it over and over as a kid. The musical absolutely did not disappoint, I really can’t believe it’s taken me this long to see it! It’s exceptional, I cried the whole way through.
We also had one of my close friends 30th birthday celebrations, which involved brunch and then a surprise dinner later – I managed to not only skip alcohol but also miss out on dessert twice. Sometimes it’s good to test your willpower, because believe me when I say I wouldn’t usually go without!
This week we went to see Bombay Bicycle Club, a band I’ve loved for so long! They were so fun to see live, all their songs make me want to dance! Plus the support band The Big Moon were awesome too.
A few new outfits…
I wanted to fill my wardrobe with cosy dresses and jumpers this month. I haven’t bought new clothes in forever but I recently discovered Warehouse and I’ve made a few orders. I’ve never really shopped here before but I have to say, it’s quickly become my favourite place to shop.
I love their selection of midi dresses and their love of leopard print is also appreciated.
Progress With The New Flat…
After months of chipping away at the renovation in our new flat (details here if you missed it!), we’re finally starting to make some progress with it.
I haven’t wanted to rush this flat, I didn’t want it to be stressful or a money-trap, and I wanted to learn a lot for future projects too. I’d love to renovate a tenement again so I’ve been keeping notes and really researching as I go, so I really hope the finished result is worth it all.
The hardest part has definitely been finding tradesmen, which seems like a common problem for my fellow Glaswegian homeowners! It’s a minefield out there, and when you find a good guy or a great team, you really want to hold them close.
I’ve got pages upon pages of renovation notes and checklists, budgets and plans and even a detail month-by-month breakdown of the work over the next few months. January has been all about getting the place painted and sorting the panelling and radiators. Next month we should have some heat and some better ideas of the colours and wallpapers, and then March will see the floors being put down. We’ll get there eventually!
What I’ve Watched & Read…
January is a time for snuggling down and getting through your book pile, which is clearly what happened with me as I got through three books this month. I expected to read more but then I picked up Our Women On The Ground by Zahra Hankir and I knew from the first few pages that it was something I wanted to take my time with. The book features essays from Arab women reporting from the Middle East, helping us to understand the dedication these heroic women have gone to give us the full picture.
The stories were incredible, I was in complete awe throughout! I found that I did have to research the Middle East a fair bit as I went, to understand the timelines, the wars and some of the groups involved, but after a while I focused more on the stories rather than the background information and I found I enjoyed it more.
You can see the other books I’ve made my way through over on my Goodreads account.
We also started watching Deadwater Fell, the latest drama with David Tennant, who I loooove. The final episode is tonight and we are counting down the minutes, I can’t wait to find out what goes down. I love a gripping crime drama like this, it’s a bit dark but perfect for January!
My TopBeauty Products…
Oskia Renaissance Scrub*; Just the thing for winter skin! If you’re feeling a bit scaly, this is for you!
Omorovicza Glam Glow*; I needed some colour this month so out came the fake tan! This gradual tanner is a must have, it gives such a natural glow.
Bobbi Brown Extra Illuminating Balm*; My favourite product to slick on before my base to perk up my complexion!
It Cosmetics CC Cream*; The Holy Grail! Everyone should own this.
Other Highlights…
I didn’t hate this month, I think January can be seriously depressing after the buzz of Christmas and it’s also very quiet for work which isn’t ideal if you’re a freelancer, but I think it’s a good time to practice a bit of self-care, make plans for the rest of the year and have some downtime.
We booked holidays (New York, Morocco & Greece), ditched booze and ate well, I went to the gym 4-5 times every week and I didn’t put any pressure on myself when it came to uploading to Instagram or my blog. I just nailed the basics and if I managed to do anything else on top of that, it was an achievement!
I had lots of lovely baths, I cleared up my skin finally (more on that here!), I saw my friends and spent time with Jordie too. But I’m also glad to see the back of it.
How was your January? Any books or TV you watched that you would recommend? Send ’em my way – we still have a lot more winter to get through!
