While February is nearing its end, I’ve got a bit of catching up to do. I believe reflection is a great way to remember to be grateful for the things in your life. Helps keep things in perspective, ya know? So today I’ll be recapping the first month of the year and all the good and bad it brought with it.
I was not sad to bid 2024 adieu. It wasn’t my best year, and we experienced lots of sadness in the final quarter. However, 2025 brought a fresh start as each new year does. I wasn’t getting my hopes up for fantastic changes or anything, but I was ready to leave the past in the past and move forward.
A Fresh Start
There’s nothing like putting away holiday decor, restyling your coffee table, fluffing your pillows, and lighting a candle to get you in the right headspace for the new year. I like to leave my Christmas decorations up until after the new year, but I do like it to be put away before I head back to school.
I think there’s real power in this process. First, you have to clean after putting away Christmas decor- hello tree needles and glitter. Second, it allows you to take stock of what you have, what you love, what you could part with, and what you need to add to the mix.
In our living room, I swapped a tray for coffee table books as a base to hold flowers, a candle, and a picture frame. Instantly fresh. I also got a new rug because Jack had an unfortunate chocolate eating incident that killed the previous rug, but thankfully didn’t kill Jack. It all feels fresh yet familiar and just as cozy as it was with the twinkle lights of the tree.
Normans Take Neville
One good thing about living in a town full of Normans is that you get to be friends with them and do things together. Paul’s cousin got some Auburn basketball tickets for a Christmas gift, and we got to go with. I don’t know if you follow college basketball, but as I write this post, Auburn is the number one team in the country, so scoring tickets is often impossible. Sharing these experiences with these people is so special. It is not lost on me how blessed I am to have them in my life. Can’t wait for our next outing!
Boo to the Flu
I should have known. I. Should. Have. Known. Since 2021, I’ve been getting sick in January. That year brought covid. The next years brought strep and sinus infections, and this year brought the flu. I ran fever and missed school on a Friday, tested positive for the flu, and it snowed that weekend.
Yes, I Said It Snowed
And not just a light dusting of snow. I’m talking cancel-school-for-the-rest-of-the-week snow. It was a true winter wonderland that lifted my flu spirits right to the blustery heights. I was terrifically excited, as I always am, to see the snow and to see all the pictures and videos of us southerners exploring and playing in an element that comes around once every 5-8 years. I did mostly stay inside since I was running fever, but I kept going to the door to watch it come down and stepped outside a few times to feel it on my face. Such a magical week.
Good Eats
When you have the flu you don’t really care too much for eating. The appetite just isn’t there, except my mama brought over some homemade chicken noodle soup, and I don’t know why, but every time I’m sick and eat homemade chicken noodle soup, I start to feel better.
However, once the appetite did come back, I took a cue from another Norman and made myself a ham and swiss breakfast croissant. I toasted an open croissant with ham on one side and cheese on the other in the toaster oven, closed it up, drizzled it with honey, and sprinkled with everything but the bagel seasoning. Wow, wow, wow- What a delicious breakfast!
When I was really feeling better, I was craving a snack. I found this recipe for an elevated popcorn couch snack and have been adapting it to fit my snack time needs for about a year now. It is the ultimate girls’ night staple now and pairs beautifully with a crisp white wine.
The Rediscovery of Pinterest
I somehow rediscovered Pinterest outside of my school life this January. I am back to being obsessed. I remember when Paul and I were first married and I would scroll Pinterest for hours on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon while he was working at the golf course. I’ve been searching outfit ideas to give me inspiration to style what I have in new ways and to keep me from buying things I don’t need. It has been so much fun, and I even recreated an outfit one night for book club.
In My Lazy Reading Era
I don’t always read on my Kindle, but when I do, I don’t want to tap the screen to turn the page so often, especially in the winter when my hands are cold and they want to be under the blanket. Enter my new page turning clicker. I got this as a gift from my brother and sister-in-law for Christmas along with one of the Kindle holders, that I haven’t fully figured out, so I can’t recommend just yet. But I can 100% with full authority recommend this clicker. The only issue I have with it is that it doesn’t work with my current case. It’s too bulky for the sensor to work and turn the pages. Small price to pay in my opinion. If you’re a Kindle reader, you need this.
7 Books
I blame the snow days as the reason I was able to knock out seven books in one month. I set the bar high for the rest of the year. I am hoping to have a full recap of all the January books coming to the blog soon. I like to review them more in depth here, but in the meantime check out my Instagram for my short(ish)-form thoughts on each of these books. My favorite read was Ina Garten’s memoir, Be Ready When the Luck Happens, and my least favorite was Atonement by Ian McEwan.
Your Turn
See, reflection is good. I encourage you to do the same for yourself. Look back at your pics in your phone. That’s always the place I go to first to reflect on what happened. If it meant something to me, I usually documented it. Take this to a journal or just pray a prayer of thanksgiving for the goodness that the first month of the year brought you. It’s not too late for any of that.
Now, tell me one thing from your January in the comments. I know you had some wins and probably some losses. Chances are you were sick too. Share with me below.
‘Til next time.
This year, January brought a record number of freezes to our Florida home and the biggest electric bill we’ve ever had. It seemed all kinds of sickness was going around and we both got really bad colds that took forever to shake. However, we did a planned overnight trip to St. Augustine, our happy place. They go all out on decorating for Christmas called Nights of Lights and it’s usually really crowded during this time. So…. we waited till January when the city was kind enough to extend the celebration. No crowds! Our favorite restaurant, O’Steens, has the best shrimp in the world so we ate there twice and after dark drove all over the city, and over the Bridge of Lions several times, soaking up the beautiful lights that are literally everywhere. So, we, too had the good and the bad; thankful the bad is behind us. xoxo
Oh definitely glad y’all have the bad behind you. St. Augustine sounds wonderful! I don’t think I’ve ever been. If I have, I don’t remember it, and it seems like a place I’d remember!