#62: Mid-January REPORT
Pulse check on the first month of the year
Dear Friends,
I thoroughly enjoyed a marathon of travel through the holidays seeing friends and family I love dearly, but have been very happy to be reunited with real life. I'm finally getting my apartment organized after packing, unpacking, and repacking my suitcase a few times. School started last week and I’m VERY excited about this semester. I like my professors a lot and think my classes are going to be engaging and interesting. We got some rain yesterday that helped melt many of the residual snow piles, but we’re expecting more snow today. Winter decided to show up in full force this year. I’m at the point of the season where my hands are perpetually dry as a husk no matter how much hand cream I use and I get electroshock every time I touch a light switch. nevertheless, good things are happening. Here’s a little report of the last few weeks.
READING
I have been on a book buying ban for the last year because I was buying too many books and wasn’t keeping up with reading them, but some friends gave me a gift card to one of our local indie bookstores for my birthday so I went to get something. I admit that I often choose books based on how pretty or interesting their covers are. I impulsively purchased Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors. I’ve read 12 pages and think I like it so far? It might be too early to tell, but it’s a book about sisters and that will always be interesting to me.
EATING
Sumo oranges!! The very best oranges in the whole world. They are easy to peel, juicy, slightly tart but sweet, perfection. Their season is fleeting and they are a little expensive, but worth every penny. I usually get them at Trader Joe’s, but was delighted to discover them at Costco on Friday. I stocked up.
I’ve also been eating the strawberry version of the mini hold the cone ice cream cones from Trader Joes. I hadn’t seem the strawberry flavor before so I bought a box to try. They were so good I finished the box in 4 days and had to go back and stock up on a few more boxes. A perfect little sweet treat after dinner.
PLAYING
I’ve been playing catch-up on some of my household chores. I finally got around to cleaning out my fridge yesterday and getting rid of things I forgot I had in there, like a half eaten tub of Too Good yogurt. It’s terrible. Don’t buy it. Not even a smoothie full of bananas and other potent fruit couldn’t mask the aftertaste.
Obviously, I’ve also been playing Bad Bunny’s new album DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS on repeat. A work of art.
OBSESSED
A few things. First, my new 2025 planner. I should know by now that I always hate any planner that isn’t from Moleskine. Last year I bought a really cute planner from a little shop in Philly, but it just didn’t do what I needed it to do. I also stopped using the planner part way through the year when I stopped having things to plan. This year, I went back to my trusty Moleskine planner and all feels right in the world again. I LOVE writing in it. I use my planner as part life organizer and part journal. I spent part of last night frantically writing down all the restaurant, music, book, product, art, jewelry, anything you can think of, recommendations I had bookmarked on TikTok before we all lost access.
Second, my trampoline. I bought a small 48” trampoline for my apartment in November and have been loving it. I got it with the goal of helping build up my ankle muscles and work on stabilization. I think it’s working! My balance has improved SO much and it feels stronger. Frustratingly, it’s still not 100% and I’m beginning to accept that it probably won’t ever go back to how it was, but bouncing on the trampoline has been quite fun.
Third, my bonnet. I bought a pattern and some yarn to knit a bonnet last year and started it, but never finished. One of my friends very kindly finished it for me and my ears have never been warmer.
RECOMMEND
Honestly, very few of us actually NEEEEED anything, but if you happen to be at the bottom of your lotion bottle and are in the market for a new one I can’t say enough good things about the Eucerin Advanced Repair lotion. It’s perfect. I’ve never been brand loyal to a body lotion before, but this one is that good. I don’t know that I need any others.
TREAT
I’ve been wanting to subscribe to a magazine for a while, but had decision paralysis. There are so many options. I finally decided on Cherry Bombe, a indie culinary magazine that is published quarterly. I am excited to get a treat in my mailbox every few months.
I’ve also been craving Rice Krispy treats and my mom has a great recipe for a salted brown butter version (from Smitten Kitchen) that I am going to make this week. I won a 3lb tub of Maldon flakey sea salt in a white elephant, this is a perfect use for it.
As always, have a slice for me 🍕 and enjoy this undeniably danceable song from Bad Bunny’s new album.