Hello February! I have to say, January of this year was so much better than January of last year. My friends and I were reminiscing about how stressed we felt with a semester's worth of class in one month and how uncertain we were about what was to come with our student teaching practicums. We are all in agreement that there were more tears than we would care to admit. Fortunately, this January was much less stressful. With a number of days off from school, there was a healthy dose of relaxation mixed with the stress of trying to re-acclimate to a routine.
This month I was able to really get to using some of my Christmas gifts, try out a few new products, and add in a few fun experiences making my monthly favorites a little bit all over the place. Here are some of the things that stood out this month.
I don't know why but I've been trying to convince myself to like oatmeal for a while. I'm not sure if it is due to the fact that it would be a warm start to chilly mornings or what. For a while I didn't like it because of the texture but after re-trying it this month I'm a big fan. My favorite is the Maple-Brown Sugar flavor. I've had Quakers and while it's good, I prefer Publix brand. The oats are bigger making the oatmeal a bit less mushy. I go to bed excited to wake up and have a bowl of oatmeal and will even eat it as a snack or dessert with a few chocolate chips in it.
I've mentioned the Five Minute Journal a few times on the blog so far this month. I ordered the book with a gift card at the beginning of this month and have made the journal a part of my daily routine. The journal is all about changing your attitude to better appreciate what's happening in your life at a given time. Given that my word of the year is gratitude, I think that this will really help me to keep my focus. I love that it takes only 5 minutes of your day and that you complete a portion of it both in the morning right when you wake up and at night right before bed.
I mentioned this briefly in a Step Into My Week post but I have recently taken on a new opportunity that I am so thrilled about! I am hoping to one day branch out of education and do something more in the realm of public relations or social media for a bit and this seems to be my first chance! I connected with Lauren, the owner of LBH PR co. on instagram which led us to a conversation about how I am interested in learning more about what PR entails. Initially we were going to talk this semester so I could get a better idea of what she does but as luck would have it this opportunity grew into something more. I am so thrilled to be working as LBH PR Co's social media manager this semester. While it's more work to take on, it is something I am truly interested in. I have so enjoyed preparing to start posting and helping the clients come February 1st! I'd adore having you follow along on Instagram at @lbhprco!
I received these earrings as a well hinted at Christmas gift from Sophia. I had seen a few pairs around and really loved the look they gave. I adore my gold hoops but sometimes want to mix it up a bit more. These tortoise hoops are the perfect size and color to wear with just about anything. J.Crew has a darker pair here, but you can find the exact pair I love here.
I know that I've been talking about how much I love Beautycounter a lot lately, so I am excited to share one of the products in particular that I've been really loving this month. The Charcoal Bar is a cleanser that "detoxifies and absorbs impurities in your skin without drying it out, resulting in a smoother, brighter complexion." I use it about every other day after washing my face with Beautycounter's Nourishing Cleanser and love the way it makes my face feel.
For Christmas I received a new Barrington Tote in the axis print. I have adored my Barrington Tote's for years and was lacking one of these bags in a less springy/summery print. This was the perfect choice as the brown and white look good with so many outfits, and I already know and love the functionality of the bag. I have been using it almost every day since getting back to Greenville and plan to continue to use it as my teacher tote until my other printed ones become more seasonably appropriate.
No Spend January
I can't honestly tell you that this was a favorite in the moment however, it was definitely a favorite for my bank account. I had the goal of completing a month without shopping for anything aside from food on my 101 in 1001 and decided to tackle it in January. I did a pretty good job sticking to it despite having full carts at a number of my favorite online stores by the end of the month. I'm hoping that having done that, I'll continue to be more particular about where I spend my money in order to keep saving a decent bit of it.
I ordered this top back in November during Anthropologie's Black Friday sale and hated it when it came in. I chose the blush color and when I received it I was so bummed that the color was so much paler in person. I looked ill when I put it on because it washed me out so much. Other than the color I loved the top but must've been too scared by the color to try again with the white or black version. Fast forward to Christmas break when a friend was wearing this top, and it looked adorable. I quickly changed my mind and decided to try this top again in white and am so glad I did. The material is similar to that of a sweatshirt making it easy to throw on and wear all day. I find myself styling it with jeans and leggings and have recently had to hold off on how frequently I wear it since it has become my go-to.
My Mom Visiting
Earlier this month, my mom came for a visit and we had so much fun. This was the first time since graduation that my mom had been back to Greenville so I had lots to show her. From seeing my classroom to our apartment without so many boxes it was so nice to have a taste of home in the place I've been calling home.
I have loved Evelyn Henson's artwork ever since my freshman year of college. Although Evelyn went to Furman, she graduated the year before I began. She and I are similar in that we love bright colors and artwork that embodies something personal. I have her Greenville map print and mug and LOVE them. So, when we got a dog over my Christmas break I knew I had to get one of her adorable custom pet mugs. I chose from one of her MANY dog illustrations and put Scout's name beneath the illustration that looks so similar to her. Despite being 8 hours away from Scout, I've loved sipping my coffee from this mug in the morning to make it seem like I'm closer to home than I am!
I chose to make this post into a video for y'all in addition to this blog post. I always receive such a positive response on videos, and I hope that your reaction to this one is no different! If you have any video requests I'd love to hear them since I would love to start adding them in a bit more often.
I chose to make this post into a video for y'all in addition to this blog post. I always receive such a positive response on videos, and I hope that your reaction to this one is no different! If you have any video requests I'd love to hear them since I would love to start adding them in a bit more often.
Let me know some of your favorites that I need to try out in February below!
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