Life Happenings in January

Years ago, I used to randomly do a blog post that was called "Happy Hour Chat" with all the random things that I wanted to share. I got away from that but wanted to do something similar again. From what I'm reading to what projects or mini projects are going on... grab a drink (alcoholic or not.. I'm having coffee right now) and let's chat.

I went into a flea market while we were on a swim trip last weekend and saw an old carpenter's belt. It reminded me of how my mom decorated with my late grandfather's carpenter belt.

Isn't that cute? She has such a green thumb, too. I'm always jealous of how her plants look.

I didn't get anything at the flea market but it was fun to browse and be inspired.

January Books in Review

Btw, I'm not doing a big book post this year... I'll try to do these monthly review posts and that's where the book reviews will live.

Honestly, it's been a good month for books. I've been an advocate for having a book on me in the car for many years now and with Greyson back in school in-person... it's really coming in handy. If you have a kiddo and do carline pickup then you know that situation is no joke. It's about 40 minutes in the PARKED car each afternoon, which I could complain about but it's 40 minutes of reading time for me.

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Books I Read This Month:

• The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile (4 Stars): I’ve had a bunch of friends talk about the Enneagram for years now. Back in 2018 (maybe?), I took an online test and found that I’m a 3. I did some light reading on what a three is but that was that. As I was reading this, I was slowly thinking about the people that I’m close to and what I perceive their enneagram number to be. It’s pretty enlightening when you understand groups of people react certain ways in certain situations because of their personality. Anyways, I'd recommend this for sure for ANYONE. I think there's something to learn in it for all of us.
• Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult (5 Stars): This was our 4ReadingWomen bookclub pick this month and I loved it. I felt this book deeply. I loved the main character and really loved reading about her experience as she gets pushed into a new life that she finds hard to adapt to, and then she flourishes in it. The pandemic portrayed in the book was spot-on and, honestly, therapeutic to read about in fiction. I couldn’t put this book down. *Warning: The book definitely follows life as it happened in NYC during March of 2020-present. I personally didn't feel like it was triggering or too much, but just FYI in case you might not be in a place to read a fiction book that does center around the pandemic.
• The Dream Hunter by Laura Kinsale (3 Stars): This was a historical romance which is the genre of book that I always go back to when I'm just looking for something enjoyable. The setting for this one was the Arabian Desert, which is unusual for historical romances, but is definitely an aspect of the book that I enjoyed. Overall, it was ok. I'm not mad I spent time reading it but, it was just ok.
• Magic Hour by Kristin Hannah (4 Stars): Not one of my favorites from Kristin Hannah, but still good. I enjoyed the unique storyline between the two main characters but the romance addition could definitely use some work (it felt very predictable).
• Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy by Emmanuel Acho (4 Stars): Read this with my 12 year old and some of it contained cultural references that were definitely aimed at a slightly older kiddo (not inappropriate but things that had to be explained because he’s too young to remember or even be around for). That being said, it was still a really good read and gave us lots to talk about.
• Eldest (The Inheritance Cycle #2) by Christopher Paolini (4 Stars): This is part of a series in which you would need to read the previous book before starting this one. I continued reading this with my 12 year old and he’s obsessed with this series. As an adult, I definitely enjoyed it too. I don’t often read fantasy so getting into the world of magical dragons, elves and other made-up creatures was fun. For me, I’m going to pass on continuing to read the rest of the series but my 12 year old has already dove in and is loving all of them. Great series for middle schoolers (warning: there is violence but I think it’s appropriate for the age). 

I'm currently reading The Lowland and am really enjoying it! This month, if you want to join our bookclub chat, we are reading Persuasion by Jane Austin. I've never read anything by Jane Austin, so I'm excited to dive into this one.

Have you read any of those? Or any of Jane Austin's books in general?

Buying Intentionally with Home Decor - January Recap

One item went on the list for this month and that was some kitchen shelving units I bought to help make our kitchen more functional. I got all three units installed and they are really working great!

Here's the two pullout drawers that I installed above the pantry.

The other pull out is for a large corner cabinet. This particular pull out is by Rev A Shelf and is really pricey but it works for a space that isn't the easiest to access.

If you missed it, read about my #20in2022 intentional purchasing goal. I've already purchased a few things for February but haven't used them in a project yet so stay tuned for those.

Personal Reflections in January

I tried to find a rhythm to my days with Greyson going back to school in person (the first time he's been back in two years). It's been a bit weird but also good. Some days, I seem to have way more time and then other days, hardly no time between carline pickup/drop off. But I do have way more mental energy. Homeschooling was a good fit for us in a lot of ways but not for creative energy on my part... I struggled with finding time or energy for that.

I'm still working on the curly girl hair method. Google that if you have no idea and then go down the rabbit hole. I haven't been purchasing much for that but I did buy a satin hair protector for sleeping. I tried it twice and it annoyed me but I'm going to keep trying it. It's supposed to cut down on frizz.

Here's the full look of it. =)

Other Random Musings

I've posted some outfits on liketoknowit if you like that type of thing. I haven't had a chance to update my shop my closet page but I'll work on that soon.

Looking forward to working on some projects later this month. Our weekends slow down with swim meets, so we should be able to make some major progress on a few things. I'm the happiest when we can make tiny bits of progress consistently.

p.s. Recent Projects you may have missed: Wooden Handrail with Brass End Caps and How to Cut Your Own Picture Mats!