I’ve been seeing a funny meme floating around about January just being a “practice month” for 2020 but honestly, I kind of crushed it last month. Not to brag but….
I have been hyper-focused on growing the blog and the gram and have really found a schedule and a routine that supports that. I read and watched some pretty great stuff and have made some truly delicious things.
All in all, I’m excited for this upcoming month (hello Galentine’s Day brunch!) and to continue feeling so on top of my sh*t. It’s a good feeling.
I wanted to share everything I loved in January with you! Here were my favorite things:
BOOKS
Verity by Colleen Hoover
I read this book in two days at the very beginning of the month and wow, it rocked my sh*t.
If you’re into INSANE thrillers with tons of twists and some pretty dark stuff but also a touch of romance and a pretty decent sex scene, this is the book for you!
It’s about a woman who is contracted to finish a famous book series for an author who is pretty much a vegetable due to a tragic car accident. She goes to her home and stays with her family so she can go through her office and find the notes she needs to finish the book series. But then she finds a truly disturbing manuscript for an autobiography that reveals a ton of secrets that are absolutely terrifying!
Sounds so cheesy but it’s so good you guys.
This book is interesting because there are parts that legitimately terrified me but the concept is so simple. It’s not a horror story at all, there are no ghosts or demons or anything gross. There isn’t some big scary man trying to murder everyone. And yet the author has the ability to create so much suspense that you literally have to take put the book down for a second to take a breath. I kept gasping!
It was very shocking and so intense and you won’t be able to put it down until you’ve read it all.
Get it here!
FASHION
Zara cropped crewneck
I’m sad to say one of my fashion favorites isn’t even mine! My cousin left this great black cropped crewneck (only $18 and comes in a ton of colors!) at my house over NYE and once I put it on I truly had no intention of ever giving it back.
It’s incredibly comfy with a great boxy fit and the cropped element makes it a little cuter than your average pullover. I love it with leggings or jeans and would wear it everyday if I could.
But she asked me to mail it to her in New York (eye roll) so I will have to say goodbye sadly. I will most likely wear it another 1-3 times before I do though!
Here are some similar options you and I will have to deal with:
Brown croc bag
I ordered this bag during the Christmas season when I was shopping for gifts online and I love it. I’ve been wanting a brown day bag I could just throw a ton of sh*it in and this is perfect for that!
I love the bucket(ish) shape and the croc pattern is so chic! Plus it comes with this great pouch inside that is perfect for all of the little things that typically roll around in my purse (tide to go pen, chapstick, nail glue, 27 lipsticks).
Get it here!
BEAUTY
Origins Out of Trouble 10 Minute Mask
This is a holy grail favorite 100%. Origins has been my favorite skincare brand for years and one of the reasons is this miracle worker of a face mask.
After doing a lot of indulging during the holidays my skin was not happy with me. I’ve just now stopped breaking out so much and I know it’s mostly due to my consistent use of this mask. It’s meant to soothe and heal breakouts, get rid of excess oils sitting on the skin and help clear pores.
Every time I wear this any blemishes that were budding will come to the surface so I can get rid of those suckers (I know you’re not really supposed to pop but I use a warm towel and am very gentle. I have to) and my skin is always left feeling so clean. And a lot of times some blemishes I had seen before are literally gone.
I will use this as a spot treatment or will put a thin layer all over my face (this is the mask you need to use if you ever forget to take your makeup off the night before) once a week. Highly recommend!
Get it here!
FOOD
Bucatini With Anchovy Pasta
Alison Roman is a god damned genius.
I got this recipe from her fabulous cookbook Dining In which I am slowly working my way through and will probably reference here often. I will talk more about this delicious recipe during this month’s Recipe Recap but just know that it is salty and briny and tomatoey and divine.
Get Dining In here!
Creamy Zucchini & Sausage Pasta
This is from another great cookbook I’ve been obsessed with called Back Pocket Pasta by Colu Henry and if you’re looking for a unique and insanely delicious pasta dish to wow your friends with, this is the one.
Creamy and cheesy with so many delicious fresh flavors, it was truly a delight to eat. Plus the way it has you handle the zucchini keeps it from getting mushy and awful. You must make this!
I go into more detail in my most recent Recipe Recap post, which you can find here.
Get Back Pocket Pasta here!
TV
The Circle
This is a dumb reality competition created by Netflix that I loved and watched within a week which is saying a lot for me because I am a very slow tv show watcher.
Pretty much 8 people live in this building in their own individual apartments and aren’t able to see each other or speak to each other. The only way they communicate it through “the circle”, a social media platform. They can choose to be themselves or catfish the other contestants and at the end of the game whoever is voted as the most popular player wins and gets $100,000.
It was a super fun and easy watch (I did a lot of other things while it was on) show that actually made me laugh out loud. If you need something light check this out!
Schitt’s Creek
This is actually a show I started watching with my roommate at the end of last year but I love it so much I had to list it here as it continues to be a favorite.
If you loved Arrested Development you will love this show. Created by Eugene and Dan Levy, it’s about an insanely wealthy family who loses everything except for this small town in the middle of nowhere that they own, called Schitt’s Creek.
They move into the Motel there and try to rebuild their lives. It sounds kind of dark and sad but it’s a hysterical comedy with great writing. Just a bunch of richies trying to make it in the sticks pretty much. It has super dry humor so if you’re into that, you will love it.
Watch it on Netflix!
Any great TV or book recommendations? Tell me in the comments below!
Xo,
She
