With the turning of the calendar page from January to February, it’s time to bundle together the best products, places, media and everything in between from the last month. Here are 9 things I found myself loving in January…
Pajamas ranked pretty high on my Christmas list this year because I take my comfies seriously. Lucky for me my mom delivered! She gifted me with a gorgeous pair of pajama pants from the company Sudara. I’ve mentioned Sudara’s punjammies in a blog post before but basically they’re pajamas created by women in India who wish to remain free from sex-slavery. The idea was sparked by International Princess Project as a way to offer an alternative occupation to the women physically, emotionally and economically enslaved in the brothels in India’s red light districts. They are exceptionally comfy and I would be happy to wear them 24-7.
This one is another Christmas gift from my mom. While I still believe that with an immersion blender and a half gallon mason jar I’ll never need a blender, I was sick of passing up recipes which definitely called for a food processor. I find that a lot of really simple healthy recipes especially call for a few pulses in one of these kitchen gadgets. Since receiving my own I’ve made smoothie bowls, sauces, hummus, and soup. Best part? Chucking all the parts in the dishwasher for easy clean up. Oh, and the delicious food!
3. Herkimer diamond necklace
And keeping with the Christmas theme, my sister gave me this gorgeous herkimer diamond necklace. A friend of hers makes lovely and unique jewelry pieces and I’m so thrilled to give this particular piece a loving home. It’s a great every day necklace and looks cute with t-shirts and dresses alike.
Sometimes I forget how much I love historical fiction but I love when I read something that makes me remember! This book is about a young Irish girl whose parents pass away on her journey across the Atlantic to America. A plantation owner takes her on as an indentured servant as payment for her crossing. Thus begins her life in the American South where she works side by side with the slaves who are also working in the “big home.” Set in the decades before the Civil War, the story tackles themes of class and race, but ultimately leaves you with a sense that feelings of family can transcend both. I would highly recommend this book.
5. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Leading up to seeing this film, Chet and I re-watched the original Star Wars movies so I was really looking forward to keeping the story going. While I wouldn’t say I’m a huge Star Wars fan, I really liked this movie. Rey and Finn were super likable, BB8 was adorable, and Kylo Ren was perfectly troubled and scary. Not to mention all those original cast-members! Overall, a super fun trip to the movie theater. I’m sure you’ve already seen it but just in case–go check it out while it’s still on the big screen.
Alba Botanica is one of my favorite brands of skincare. This scrub, which I use once a week, is a fantastic exfoliator. The gentle buffing granules leave my skin feeling smooth and glow-y. It is also free from parabens, phthalates, and synthetic fragrances. Always a good thing when slathering something onto your skin!
I’ve been having a blast playing around with this free photo editing website this past month. While they have a premium option, which costs $4.99/mo, there’s still tons of opportunity to create neat images totally for free! I had way too much fun creating (way too many) Save the Date options. (I think I’ll write a blog post later in February to show you how I did these, if you’d like.) Adobe can get pricey so it’s nice to find an affordable alternative.
Hi, I’m a Yoga with Adriene fangirl, nice to meet ya! In all seriousness, this 30 day series of yoga videos is perfection. Each class is between 20-40 minutes. Not only do they provide a fantastic, sometimes butt-kicking flow but the focus on breath and mind was a refreshing change for an “exercise challenge.” The sessions centered around a daily mantra which I found really helpful to focus on, not just for the length of the practice, but throughout the rest of the day. I will definitely return to this yoga camp in the future! And I will carry the daily mantra practice with me through the rest of 2016.
Do you ever find a new-to-you blogger and then start binge reading all their backlog of posts? This was totally me this month with Erin Boyle’s blog, Reading My Tea Leaves. With a focus on simple, sustainable living, this blog is beautifully written and accompanied by pitch perfect photography. She recently published a book which, if it’s anything like the blog, I’d love to get my hands on soon.
Finding delight. 