It’s that weird time between Christmas and New Years, where many of us are still on a sugar high and don’t know what day it is. I’m loving it, though, probably because I have another long weekend off from work coming up!
I hope you enjoyed the holidays as much as we have, which is funny to say considering we haven’t done much of anything. But that’s kind of my favorite, so I’m going to call it a win.
We were able to do a socially distanced and small family hangout a couple weeks ago, and hope to see more family this weekend. It’s been a very different holiday season, not seeing people as much as we’d like. But we’ve been making it work and doing our best to stay healthy.
On Christmas day, we had a gourmet breakfast that included cinnamon rolls (I may or may not be having one right now as second breakfast) and mimosas (sadly no mimosa right now). Oh, and the night before involved a viewing of Christmas Vacation with rumchata in moose mugs (anyone else find eggnog gross?).
It was an enjoyable, cozy couple days. Now we’re looking onward to the new year! So far we have big plans to have a virtual game night with our siblings and go to bed at 12:01am (okay, that might just be me).
This will be my last post for 2020, so I wish you a happy new year filled with all good things! Keep reading for some of my latest favorites, and I will see you in the new year!
December Favorites
Organized DVDs – I’m all about the organization these days, and I’ve been looking for ways to optimize the storage systems in our house. Our DVDs take up prime real estate in one of our cabinets, so I decided to transfer all of them into thin plastic sleeves. At first I was worried about doing this in case we wanted to sell any movies later, but then I realized… all of these DVDs are easy to replace and aren’t really worth that much. So I’m quite pleased with myself for this new way of keeping the house organized by reducing bulky packaging. Once these go in a basket I have yet to buy, it’s going to open up soooo much more space.
Used Bookstores – I don’t need shiny new books (though who doesn’t love that?). Plus, part of me enjoys the thought of old books having a past and their own story (aside from the story inside). We went to a local used bookstore a few weeks ago, and seeing all the discounted books still in pretty good shape? Ya, count me in.
Shea Moisture Hair Cream – I was turned onto this by a friend after she posted about them being a B-corp (AKA, the type of business you want to support because they support people and the environment). I bought this online but then found it at Target! I don’t like using drying curl products, because a nourishing cream seems way more worth it and can do double duty (by hydrating hair and also creating more curl definition). So consider me a believer in Shea Moisture products!
Yellow Sticky Traps – I love my plants and the fact they aren’t all dying anymore. But houseplant pests are my nemesis, especially fungus gnats (even when I’m careful to not overwater). Since these can seem inevitable at a certain point, I finally caved and bought some yellow sticky traps on Amazon (here), and so far they seem to be doing the trick! The adults get stuck and die, so they can’t lay as many eggs in my plants.
Judy Blue Eyes by Crosby, Stills & Nash – I’ve been really loving Crosby, Stills & Nash (and Young) lately. This is one of the songs that I’ve played regularly.
Paper Source – You know you’re old when you realize you love a card store. We lived near a Paper Source in Chicago, and I’ve missed their collection of funny and unique cards (Target can only go so far). I ended up ordering some cards recently (another sign of being a boring adult), and I have no regrets.
Books List – If you read my Top 5 Favorite Books I Read in 2020, you know that I’m way too excited about all the books I read over the past year. Some I absolutely loved, some I could have passed on. Regardless, it’s been very rewarding to see just how many I made it through in these past 12 months. This picture is a small sample of the variety I chose.
Trying New Produce – One of my 2020 goals was to try a new produce item every month. Well that worked for a couple months, but then the pandemic was declared and I didn’t want to spend the extra time wandering the produce aisles (not to mention I wasn’t the one getting our groceries on several occasions). But I really loved the idea of this little challenge, so I plan to carry it into the new year (and try harder). This pic includes leeks (which I’ve never had before). I also bought tomatillos and shallots for the first time. If you have any suggestions for less-common produce I should try, let me know!
What are a few things you’ve discovered recently and loved?
What were some highlights from your year?
Turnips! ๐ or you could “retry”? starfruit. The only time I ever had it was at the Lee’s as a kid.
Bahaha turnips! That’s a great idea. And at first I read that as “when I was a Lee kid,” and I loved the wording haha. I’ve definitely bought a starfruit before so Matt could try it. It’s been several years, though!