January Recap

What a month! I loved all the memes saying January was 74 days long, because it almost felt like it. It really made me happy, though, that life can go slow. I’m sure I’ll look back in December and be happy that I fit so much in to 31 days.

Per usual, below I’m sharing my January recap – all the things I bought, watched, my travels, favorite Peloton rides and more!

What I Bought:

• I had to get a few items for Jackson Hole, including this hat, Sorrel boots and a new long coat (it’s not heavy, but it’s warm!)
• In case you missed it on Instagram, I did a little collaboration with Maurices, and they picked out a few new spring items for me to try on. I ended up loving and purchasing this camo sweater (which is called a poncho online). I also loved this circular hair clip. See everything below or by shopping this Instagram post.
• For my Book of the Month – I guess for February, but you order a few weeks earlier in January – I picked Anna K. It’s supposed to be for fans of Gossip Girl, and I read all of those books in high school prior to the TV show coming out. #dedicatedfan

What I Watched:

I didn’t see any movies in theaters, but I did continue watching the new seasons of Law and Order SVU, Project Runway, and Schitt’s Creek on TV. I also watched Good Boys with my roommate on Amazon Prime – such a good movie for a laugh.

What I Read:

I somehow always kick off January with a ton of reading! With cold weather and traveling, it’s the perfect time to finish a few novels (uh, 6 here). If you missed my “Best Books of 2019” post, read it here. Also, follow along with me on Goodreads here if you aren’t already!

1. I started 2020 with Cilka’s Journey, the “sequel” to The Tattooist of Auschwitz. Cilka was mentioned in the first book, but I don’t feel like it was a sequel by any means. It was a really great historical fiction read – the story of a woman who had been in Auschwitz and was transferred to a labor camp after. I gave this one 4/5 stars.
2. My second read was The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth. It was a bit lighter than the first book, but had some thrilling twists. I’ve recommended this to two friends who enjoyed Where The Crawdads Sing. It’s not similar by any means, but it’s got the same genre feel. I gave this 4/5 stars also.
3. Next I read My Friend Anna: The True Story of a Fake Heiress while on the plane home from Jackson. This is definitely going to make my top reading list this year. I continually had to remind myself that this book was non-fiction. It had a great storyline and plot – both of which are true! This was deserving of 5 stars from me.
4. I had added After The Flood to my hold list at the library and forgotten about it, so this was a nice “surprise” read. Written by a Nebraska author (ironically), this book was about flooding taking over the entire world – imagine living on boats and having to worry about hitting prior mountain tops below you. I really enjoyed the historical references and this book still has me thinking. I gave it 4/5 stars, but I’m contemplating increasing that after typing this.
5. Next I read one of my December Book of the Month picks, Long Bright River. I had put this off because it was lengthy (it’s 482 pages), but wow it was one I should have picked up earlier! This tale of two sisters, one a police officer and the other a drug addict, really gets you to understand addiction, some of the medical issues it causes, and honestly has a bit of a non-fiction vibe because of the accuracy. I gave this 5/5 stars and am passing it along to friends.
6. Lastly I read my January Book of the Month, The Sun Down Motel. OMG. I wasn’t expecting to be as into this as I was. I read it in one sitting. It’s considered a mystery, and now I want to read more from this author. 5/5 stars again.

Recipes Tried:

Umm fail here. I’ll just be honest, my Pinterest recipe game lacked in January and I did more of going out to eat. Maybe February will be better?

Favorite Peloton Classes:

January was an incredible start for my Peloton goal of 100 rides in Q1 (by March). I did my 100th ride + 23 rides. As a reminder, you can get $100 off your Peloton purchase with my code THFUJ6. My favorites this month were:

• Ally Love’s Sundays with Love 30-minute classes. All of them. I did them every Sunday or the following Monday. I heard they might discontinue this series, but I’m really hoping not!! It’s similar to her “Feel Good” rides and that’s what got me hooked on Ally’s classes.
• Cody Rigsby’s 30 minute Best of the Decade Ride from 12/27/19
• Olivia’s FTP warm up ride and then her 20 minute FTP ride. So excited she’s a Powerzone Instructor, and this was my first Powerzone experience.

Favorite Posts on MP:

2019 Top 10 Blog Posts
My 2020 Goals
90’s Bathroom Remodel Plan

Looking Forward:

I’m hosting a Galentine’s Party, spending time with my friends, and cheering on Creighton Basketball! Have a great month!