Hello everyone!

We made it to the end of January. I don’t know about you, but this has been a long month. I am ready for the fresh start of a new month. We are still getting over all the snow and cold temperatures from the weekend. Here’s a current look outside.

As always, I am recapping January. I’m sharing what I have been up to, what’s new, what I’m loving and what I’m looking forward to in the new month.

Let’s take it back to the start of the month.

What I've Been Up To:

I kicked off the month and the new year by enjoying a New Year’s Eve spread and welcoming 2026!

My fiance was visiting before school and we took advantage of the winter weather and went sled riding and enjoyed hot cocoa and Christmas movies.

Even with the cold weather, I have been doing my best to run indoors at my gym.

The month of January included taking part in the Simplicity Challenge by Simplified.

The biggest challenge was paper products and wrapping paper and bags

Winter made its return this month too!

We kept things fun with a homemade pizza night!

And even enjoyed a burst of sunshine. It may have been freezing but the sun made a huge difference.

A look at all our snow!!!

What I'm Wearing:

I wore a lot of fun and festive clothing around the holidays. Here’s a look at some of the fun outfits I have been wearing.

What I'm Reading:

I had a really good reading month. It was a mix of audio and physical books.

The Academy- I finished The Academy by Elin Hilderbrand to kick off the new year. It’s written by both Hilderbrand and her daughter. It’s all about the drama that happens at a boarding school between teachers and students. This was such a good read and great book during holiday break.

The Housemaid- I listened to The Housemaid by Frieda McFadden. It was such a good thriller and mystery about a woman who comes to work for a wealthy family. There’s suspense and deception. It really has you questioning who’s telling the truth. I also like how it was told from two different perspectives. I also plan to watch the movie after reading it.

Living the Simply Luxurious Life- This is the third book by Shannon Ables, Living the Simply Luxurious Life. I love her podcast and her books. Her message is all about finding small ways to add luxury to your life. I read a little bit every day and it was such a good way to start and end my day.

Buckeye- Buckeye by Patrick Ryan was a book that I kept hearing about from so many book clubs, so I really wanted to give it a try. It was a good book, but it was long and very in-depth. It was a slow at the beginning and at certain points through the book took a while to get to big plot points, but I’m glad I read it after hearing so much about it.

Still Life- Louise Penny’s Still Life is a bit of a murder mystery about an old woman who gets murdered in a small town and all her neighbors and friends are automatically suspects. I thought this book was okay, but not great. I think a lot of that had to do with the fact I listened to it as an audiobook and there was a lot of characters to keep track of. I think I would have liked this book better if I actually read it.

How to Read a Book- Monica Wood’s How to Read a Book kept popping up on suggested reads. The cover and title sounded interesting to me, so I decided to try it out. Once I started, I couldn’t put it down. The plot and concept was new to me and I loved it! The characters were complex and meaty and the themes of forgiveness, and second chances really stood out to me. I’m so glad I judged a book by its cover and read it.

Heart the Lover- I had heard about Lily King’s Heart the Lover and it sounded interesting. What I wasn’t expecting was how deep and beautiful it was. It’s a short book, but has so much depth. It’s all about a girl who meets two boys in college and falls for both of them in different ways. Years later, she reconnects with them and the past comes to the present. It’s all about first loves, second chances, and how certain decisions can change the course of one’s life. My only complaint was that it was too short. I wanted more!

Tell Me Everything- Tell Me Everything was my first book from Elizabeth Strout. I was worried it would be too slow for me to listen to as an audiobook, but the story really moved along. I loved how all the storylines connected and all the different plots. You can read it on its own or along some of Strout’s books. I really loved the writing and plan on reading more of Strout’s books.

What I'm Watching:

A lot of my favorite shows were back from a winter hiatus. I also enjoyed the new movie, People We Meet on Vacation.

I started the month with Emily in Paris.

I got caught up on Man on the Inside.

Both The Pitt and Grey’s Anatomy were back.

I got back into watching The Masked Singer

What I’m Cooking and Baking:

The theme of this month was soup, we had lots of chilly days, so this was a must!

Chicken Pot Pie Soup- I enjoyed soup season by making Mix and Match Mama’s Chicken Pot Pie Soup. It was a warm meal for such a chilly season.

Pepperoni Pizza Soup- Another soup by Mix and Match Mama. This was such a rich and thick soup, it was so hearty and flavorful. You can use any meat, I opted for chicken and it was delicious!

Chicken Cajun Chili- This was a hit and what made it even better was that you can make it in the crock pot. Mix and Match Mama’s recipes are always a hit!

Overnight Oats- I made Emily Ley’s Overnight Oats as part of my meal prep and it has been a hit. The recipe is super easy to put together and you can really make it your own. Plus, it’s packed with protein!

Slow Cooker Wedding Soup- I love a hearty soup in the winter, especially one that you just have to prep and leave it. Mix and Match Mama’s Italian Wedding Soup was calling my name and it was a huge hit. Easy, flavorful and hearty! All three wins for me!