January 2025 // A List

1. January, January, January—what a month! You started off fast and furious, and I was happy to see you arrive. 

2. I spent the month celebrating my birthday and realized that I liked how my birthday was in the first few days of January. It was nice to do all the traditional things I do on my birthday. I loved celebrating with John and the boys. Every week, I did a little something to celebrate my birthday. I redeemed many rewards and used the rewards at the end of the workweek as a treat for myself. I even went to see a movie with John for my birthday. I definitely indulged a lot this month.

3. Some good things this month: My birthday (as stated above), Banana Pudding Cake from Nothing Bundt Cakes, and Red Velvet Ice Cream Cake from Cold Stone Creamery. Snow days (We actually got snow! My heart was full of joy.). Days off (and delayed start times) from work and school due to weather. Books by Claire Keegan (I highly recommend So Late in the Day). Receiving happy mail. Treats from Crumbl Cookies. Preparing for Valentine's Day. Reading my favorite newsletters. Reflecting on my word for the year.

4. Despite all the good things this month, my heart repeatedly broke for so many people. It seems like every time the news pops up on my phone, something catastrophic has happened. Too many tragedies have taken place this month: the attack in Louisiana at the start of the new year, the wildfires in California, the Potomac River mid-air collision, the Philadelphia plane crash, and all things politics. This month has been an absolute dumpster fire for so many people.

5. To comfort myself this month, I did my usual self-care routines while seeking different things to try. I tried a new recipe (a lemon pepper shrimp recipe that was delicious), went for a walk, watched Ali Wong's latest comedy special, and admired my gorgeous, colorful roses gifted to me by John.

6. As this month ends, my hope is that February will be a lot gentler. May February be a month of healing. A month of enjoying the little things. A month of reflecting. A month of exploring, playing, and learning. A month of coming back to ourselves.

7. Goodbye January. Thank you for all the lessons. Hello February. I welcome you with an open heart and open arms. Here's to being cautiously optimistic.

Photo by Angelina Jollivet on Unsplash

Target Finds

Happy Wednesday! It's time for another Target Finds! As usual, I've found some great things at Target over the past few weeks, many of which are seasonal. One item reminds me of spring (and I can't wait for its arrival). Several are definitely Valentine's Day-themed, which I'm unusually excited about. 

Women's Valentine's Crewneck Pullover Sweater (Taupe Hearts)

Valentine's Day is coming up soon, and I wanted to buy something to wear during February or maybe on Valentine's Day. When I saw this sweater, I knew I had to buy it. I love the simple look and think this sweater will be perfect even when it's not February.  It is so cute and feels so soft. I love the oversized fit, and it's perfect with leggings. 

Blogilates Starter Fit Kit

I've wanted to start a new exercise routine and try yoga or pilates, so I bought this starter kit. It came with everything I needed, and it's honestly a great starter kit. The yoga mat is really cute. I also bought the Blogilates Booty Resistance Bands, and they work really well. 

Reese's Mini Red Velvet Peanut Butter Cups

This was an impulse buy. As soon as I saw Red Velvet on the package, I immediately put a bag in my cart.  And yes, these taste amazing. 10/10 highly recommend.

Lavender Lemonade Whipped Dairy Topping

You may or may not know that I have to try every Favorite Day whipped cream flavor, and I was surprised when I saw this lavender lemonade flavor. I'll admit I was a little hesitant about this flavor. When I think of whipped cream, I immediately think of hot chocolate. I thought this flavor would not go well with hot chocolate, so I decided to try it with some strawberries. I was pleasantly surprised by the taste. It was actually pretty good and paired well with the strawberries. The lavender and lemonade flavors were subtle, but I could taste more of the lemonade than the lavender (if that makes sense). 

What are some of your favorite Target Finds?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

10 Things That Made Me Happy This Week

Happy Sunday! Today, I'm linking up with Charlotte, Lindsay, and Beth for their weekly happy and grateful list link-up.

1. It was a wild week. Due to the weather, we got an extra day off school and work on Tuesday. Then, due to the cold temperature, we had a delayed start on Wednesday. I was super grateful for the extra day off and delayed start, but this week oddly felt like the longest, shortest week ever.

2. My One Little Word kit and supplies finally arrived. I can't wait to start using everything and get started on the prompts.

3. I have already started Valentine's Day shopping. I bought gifts for Raphael's teachers. I also bought gifts for John and the boys. 

4. A song on repeat: Desert Rose by Lolo Zouaï

5. I tried this lemon pepper shrimp recipe, which turned out great. I love that it was simple and quick to make. 

6. Amber McBride announced she has a new book, The Leaving Room, that will be published this year. I'm so excited! And how gorgeous is that cover! 

7. I found a new-to-me artist, Raj Kaur, and have enjoyed reading her newsletter, Art as Work on Substack.

8. A much-needed reminder.

9. New books. I received a couple of arcs and am excited to read them. I hope to share more reviews on the blog this year.

10. A low-key Sunday. I barely had anything to do today, and it was glorious. No errands, my laundry baskets are empty, and I caught up on some shows. I also read a book and played some New York Times games. 

What made you happy this week?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

The Awakening

The world feels quiet in winter, but this burst of creativity is bringing me life. For years now, I've noticed my creativity seems blocked during November and December. Perhaps this is because winter is my least favorite season; it gets dark early and is too cold. However, just as I noticed that my creativity is blocked during late fall and the early days of winter, I have noticed that my creativity comes back with a vengeance in January. Perhaps it's a little birthday present from the universe sent just for me. 

I used to hate that my birthday was in January. Yes, I am a winter baby, and I often thought how strange it was that this was the season I was born. It was the season I disliked. However, as I've gotten older, I've come to look forward to January. 

I love that my birthday happens to be in the first month of the year. It's the beginning of a new chapter, which may be why my creativity reawakens. I look at January as a celebration, a promise, a fresh start, a blessing, and a gift. I now honor the month of January. I saw a video about two months ago that has stuck with me. The man said, "It's a privilege to be alive. It's a privilege to make things." Truer words were never spoken.

Most people may be excited about a new year or a fresh start. Some also believe you shouldn't wait for January to begin anew, and I agree. Don't hold back whenever inspiration hits. Don't feel you must wait until a new year to start something new. This year, I just want to create and play without fear or expectation of perfection. It seems like it's a new era. 

This burst of creativity is a mixed bag of art. From cooking to painting to writing, I find comfort in creating using these art forms or mediums I gravitate to. I also crave trying new things. I've tried a few new recipes, tried some new techniques, and signed up for some classes. I find inspiration from the creative communities I've joined. 

This burst of creativity is bringing me life. It's gotten me out of winter's slumber, and I have finally awakened. For that, I am grateful. I cannot wait to see what I create in this new year. I can't wait to see how far I go.

This post is part of a blog hop with Exhale — an online community of women pursuing creativity alongside motherhood, led by the writing team behind Coffee + Crumbs. Click here to view the next post in the series "Alive."

Photo by Natasha on Unsplash

Just Five Things

1. Sparkle everything. Lately, I've been gravitating towards all things sparkly and glittery. I mentioned before that I'm currently loving Runamok Sparkle Maple Syrup. I also bought a Sparkle/glitter giant scarf and a colorful hairpin from one of my favorite local boutiques, The Gifting Tree and Blue Bird Lane Boutique. I've been wearing my giant scarf with almost every outfit, and it looks amazing with everything I've worn so far. On my wishlist: Glitter Converse High Tops (preferably black glitter).

2. I recently learned about penguin highways after I saw a random video on social media of a penguin patiently waiting for two scientists to step aside for him or her. I thought the video was cute, and of course, I went straight to the comments and saw several people mention penguin highways. Then, I went to do some research and went down a rabbit hole. As they say, "The more you know...".

3. I am in my floral era. I have been enjoying flowers and putting a bouquet at my favorite window in my dining room. John bought me two bouquets of colorful roses and put them in a gorgeous vase my mami gave me. 

4. I recently finished reading Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan and have mixed feelings about it. The story follows Bill Furlong, a coal merchant, who becomes suspicious of the training school for girls run by the Roman Catholic Church. He also discovers a secret regarding his past. I usually don't read historical fiction, and I was pleasantly surprised to find out towards the end that this was indeed historical fiction. I was saddened to learn about the history of the Magdalene Laundries and researched after reading the book. I enjoyed reading it, but there were moments when I had to stop reading it due to the main protagonist's POV. Overall, this was a quick read that packs a punch. I have some questions after reading the book, which made me think Small Things Like These would have been a great novel.

5. We're well into winter, but the hints and signs of spring are here. So many of my favorite stores already have spring and other seasonal-related items on display. Target has a bunch of spring decor in its home decor aisles. My favorite bakeries have seasonal treats available, and I'm seeing so many spring designs popping up for other products I usually use. I've got my eye on this adorable travel mug by Swig Life. It's perfect for spring. Nothing Bundt Cakes has a new pop-up flavor, Banana Pudding Cake, that is so good and reminds me of spring. 

What have you been into lately?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

10 Things That Made Me Happy This Week

Happy Saturday! Today, I'm linking up with Charlotte, Lindsay, and Beth for their weekly happy and grateful list link-up.

1. Banana Pudding Cake from Nothing Bundt Cakes. I'm not a big banana pudding fan, but oh my goodness! This was surprisingly good. The cake has Nilla Wafers on the bottom of the cake, and it's topped with a single wafer. 

2. Colorful roses. John bought me some really pretty, colorful roses, and I smile every time I look at them. They remind me so much of spring, and it's a nice reminder that spring will be here in just two months.

3. Brittany's intentional guidance for 2025

4. These words are incredibly relatable. 

5. Red Velvet Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. This was an impulse buy, and I do not regret it at all. 

6. A song on repeat: Overcome by Skott

7. Empty laundry baskets. The never-ending laundry is done for now. It brings such joy to see the laundry baskets empty.

8. Shipping notifications and happy mail. Let's be honest...I think everyone is happy to get packages instead of bills. 

9. Ali Wong's new comedy special, Single Lady. This was absolutely hilarious.

10. It's finally the weekend, and it's a long weekend. I'm so glad it's a three-day weekend. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for some more snow next week. I'd love to make another snowman and watch the snow fall.

What made you happy this week?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

January 2025 Goals

Happy Monday! Happy New Year! I can't believe we're almost halfway through January! This month has been a whirlwind; as you can see, I am late sharing my monthly goals. 

December was such a busy and hectic month. We went to our city's annual Christmas tree lighting and some Christmas markets. We celebrated Gabriel's birthday. It was so much fun going to Urban Air to celebrate a little early, and of course, on the day of his birthday, we gave him an ice cream cake and gifts, and he got to choose what he wanted to do for dinner. I still can't believe I now have two teenagers! It's such an honor to see my boys grow. We went to see Santa and got some pictures taken. I finished Christmas shopping a little early, which was one of my goals. We celebrated Christmas at Mami's. It was nice to spend time with my family. I read so many good books in December. Overall, we had a good December. 

There was only really one low point in December. We spent the last few days of December and the first few days of January recovering from being sick. I had to see the doctor on New Year's Eve because I was sick. However, we still watched the ball drop on New Year's Eve. Thankfully, we all started to feel better that same week and just in time for my birthday. 

So now, we are in January, a new month. With that comes new goals, a new word of the year (I'm still working on sharing that), and settling back into a routine. Now that I've mentioned goals, let's quickly recap my December goals and check out my new goals for January. 

Recap of December Goals

• Read 6 books: I read 23 books in December. I was on an Oliver Jeffers kick and read many of his books with Raphael. I also read a few e-arcs I received from NetGalley. My three favorite reads of December: Second Down Scrooge by Lisa Suzanne, Dear Love by Grant Gosch, and Washing my Mother's Body: A Ceremony for Grief by Joy Harjo.

• Try 1 new recipe: I can't even remember if I tried a new recipe, so I will assume I didn't. 

• Work in my sketchbook/art journal: Yikes! This did not happen. Honestly, I just didn't make time for it, and I was feeling stuck. I bought several new art supplies, but when it came time to use them, I didn't know where to begin. 

• Participate in Exhale's December blog hop: I did participate in the blog hop. You can check out my piece here.

• Work on the latest Here e-course series sessions, December Pause: I did work on December Pause, and I actually completed every prompt. I just have to add some ephemera or just leave it as is. It was so much fun working on the prompts. I can't wait for the next class.

January Goals

• Read 5 books

• Read 1 book that I received from NetGalley

• Participate in Exhale's January blog hop

• Work on my One Little Word

• Try 1 new recipe

• Make time to play with my scrapbook/memory-keeping supplies

What are your goals for January? How did you do in December?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Photo by Anastasiia Rozumna on Unsplash

10 Things That Made Me Happy This Week

Happy Saturday! Today, I'm linking up with Charlotte, Lindsay, and Beth for their weekly happy and grateful list link-up. It's been a couple of weeks since my last Happy List, but I finally had some time to share one. I'll be sharing some things that have made me happy and/or grateful over the past few weeks.

1. It's finally January, and it's a new year! 2024 had its good days and bad days. I learned a lot last year and am curious to see how this year goes.

2. After being sick for over a week, we finally feel much better. Thankfully, I started feeling better just in time for my birthday. I'm so grateful for modern medicine.

3. I celebrated my 34th birthday! I had a low-key birthday, and it was glorious. John and I went on a day date to the movies and saw The Damned. I really enjoyed the movie, but I thought the ending was a little abrupt. John and the boys bought me a Cake Batter Confetti Ice Cream Cake from Cold Stone Creamery and some gifts. 

4. A song that's been on repeat: Lost Time by Tiwa Savage. *Random note: I absolutely love finding new-to-me songs at stores. I heard Lost Time at H&M and had to look up the song. Another favorite store that plays great music is Target.

5. I'm currently on a Claire Keegan kick. I recently finished reading So Late in the Day: Stories of Women and Men. This was such a great short story collection. There were three short stories, and each one was fantastic. However, the short story Antarctica was my absolute favorite. Now, I'm reading Keegan's novella, Foster. I'll have to share my reviews on these books soon.

6. One of the perks of having a birthday in January is to use my birthday rewards from my favorite stores and restaurants. I combine them with gift cards I received over the holidays and my birthday, so I save a lot. I use at least one reward at the end of each week in January for a little pick-me-up. 

7. I bought a pair of cargo pants in khaki green from H&M and absolutely love them. They are just a tiny bit long, but they are so comfy. 

8. I'm behind on sharing a few posts (I haven't shared my monthly goals or my word of the year), but I don't feel as stressed as I usually would. I'm giving myself grace since this new year started a little differently than expected. I'm just now feeling 100% better after being sick, and then I had to readjust to getting back into my regular routine after having time off from work for two weeks.

9. School and work were canceled due to inclement weather. And I'm so happy to say that it has indeed snowed! The absolute joy I felt when I looked out the window this morning and saw all the snow was unreal. I'm so excited to have a long weekend. I plan to read and catch up on some blog posts.

10. I woke up today. "It is a privilege to be alive." 

What made you happy this week?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

December 2024 // A List

1. Oh, December. What a month you were. As usual, you were full of events. Some planned, some unplanned. December, you were a gift. I was glad to see you come, but I am also happy to see you go. 

2. I spent the month of December going through bouts of reflection on the past year. Sometimes, we can get stuck thinking of only the bad days, and for me, reflecting on both the good and the bad was such a good thing. After much reflection, I realized that 2024 was a good year overall. A decent year. Sure, politics is insane and scary right now, but at least there are so many positive things happening outside of that. Yes, I'm still figuring out things in my professional life, but I'm much closer to what I want and have clearer goals. 

3. December was the month of lights. There's just something about holiday lights and decor that makes my heart so happy. We went to our city's Christmas tree lighting, and as usual, I was in awe of the massive tree with its thousands of lights. Speaking of lights, I absolutely loved my new dining room centerpiece. It brought me so much joy when I would turn on the tiny lights in my tiny home decorations. 

4. Gabriel turned 13! I have another teenager now! We had a blast celebrating his birthday. We went to Urban Air for a pre-birthday celebration and then celebrated the day of his birthday with cakes, balloons, and Gabriel's choice for dinner. 

5. Holiday shopping was so much fun this year. My favorite gift I gave was some pictures I printed for Mami. I ordered the prints from Persnickety Prints and got some nice picture frames from Michaels. She loved the photos.

6. We spent Christmas Eve at Mami's house. It was nice catching up with my siblings. I also got to cuddle and spoil my baby niece. I absolutely love the newborn stage. My heart was so full. 

7. Christmas Day was a low-key day. The boys woke John and me up so we could open gifts. I made breakfast, and we all wore our pajamas all day long. Side note: Unfortunately, John and I got sick. Michael had been sick a few weeks before, and Raphael got sick right before our holiday break started. Thankfully, we are all recovering, and it looks like we just had a nasty cold.

8. 2024 was a big year of change. My sons are getting older and becoming more independent. I'm in a new stage of motherhood, and I'm adjusting to it. 

9. We explored new places, and I fell in love with Savannah, Georgia, and Tybee Island. Oh, Savannah is an artist and historian's dream. 

10. I read so many good books in December and realized that I accomplished my yearly reading goal for 2024. I aimed to read 200 books in 2024, and I read 211 books. To be fair, I read many short stories and novellas.

11. I tried many more new recipes than in previous years. I'm also happy I prioritized self-care and healthy lifestyle habits/choices this year. I'm satisfied with my progress in limiting my soda intake. I can already feel the difference, and it's a great feeling.

12. I've taken a few steps in my professional life, and although it's a little scary, I'm proud. I can't wait to see what happens next in 2025. I'm hopeful.

13. I'm looking forward to celebrating my birthday in a couple of days, and I'm also looking forward to 2025. 

14. So long, December. You were a great month. So long, 2024. You were a year full of adventure, lessons, and gifts—a year of good and bad days. 

15. Hello, 2025. I welcome you with open arms. May this new year be even better, even kinder, and full of unexpected but welcomed surprises.