January Bucket List
January can be such a blah month for many of us, not just because the weather is yucky, but because we are coming off the excitement of the holidays and everything just seems so gray and dreary. This year I decided to be proactive in how I approach “winter” (or at least Mississippi’s version of winter) by doing a bucket list for the month so I have fun things to look forward to throughout the cold days of January. I also thought that was such a great idea that I might as well try to do it every month.
Here’s how January went…
Find a New Devotional
What better way to start off a new year than with a new quiet time plan? Last year I read through the Bible with each day containing a passage from the Old Testament, New Testament, a Psalm and a passage from Proverbs. This year I decided to take advantage of the resources within my Bible. I’ve had this Bible for nearly a decade but I’ve never used the reading plans located within. Conveniently, these resources include devotionals written specifically for women by women for each day and so far, I am really enjoying my readings and reflections which is a new addition to my quiet time this year. I’m so excited to see what all the Lord has instore to teach me this year.
Blue Mani
Every month I will have a themed manicure to attempt because that seemed like a fun little addition and a great way to get me out of using the same polish every week. (Please note that I do not get my nails done but do them myself so heaven help me.) These attempts will be amateur and mediocre at best but I try to always have my nails somewhat done because my natural nails are pretty wrecked.
Let me start out this month by saying that blue nails are pretty far outside of my comfort zone and my fashion sense. I hated these nails but I justified this color because it matched this skirt I wore one Sunday. Truthfully, this polish looks like something I would’ve ordered out of the Delia’s catalog in 1997 which could be why I’m so averse to it now. Those were not good fashion times for anyone.
This is the only picture I got of the nails and I did it intentionally far away so you couldn’t see how poorly I painted them. I’m shaky on my best day and when I paint with my non-dominant hand it looks like I’m being attacked by a rabid badger in the process!
Get New Winter Candles
I am so weird about scents because that is the main trigger for my migraines. Seriously, I have walked in someone’s house and had to leave within minutes because of a candle so when I find scents that work I tend to stock up. In my years of scent testing I have learned that I CANNOT do anything with the words relax, sand, calm, floral, mist, rain or beach. I also can’t do candles that typically come in blue, pink, purple, yellow or any pastel. For me the safest bet is always going to be food and holiday smells. Knowing this I stock up during the holidays on a variety of scents from Bath and Body Works because I know come July my only option will be Apple Cinnamon or Vanilla.
My favorites from BBW include Tis the Season, Sweater Weather, Winter and Leaves.
Side note: I obviously struggle finding perfume that doesn’t make me sick so I try to stick to the deeper and sweeter scents but strangely enough most men’s scents don’t bother me at all. In fact, the air freshener currently in my car smells like a good looking man which is the exact description an older lady in the store gave me as she stuck the candle under my nose. She wasn’t wrong!
National Bubble Bath Day (January 8th)
Is there anything more fun and relaxing than a bubble bath? I love snuggling down in the foam and sitting in silence while the stress of the day floats away. Unfortunately, in the hustle and bustle of the real world bubble baths are often impractical because who has time to float around aimlessly on a weeknight? I’m glad that National Bubble Bath Day exists if only to make me stop for five seconds and breathe!
Real talk though...Adult bubbles suck! Like, I get they smell nice and supposedly are great for the skin but they just don’t create the volume necessary without using half a bottle. I should’ve gone with Mr. Bubble. He never disappoints!
Watch “Gone with the Wind”
If you read my post about favorite movies then you know “Gone with the Wind” ranks right at the top if not the number one spot. That post is actually what led to this initial idea. Some of my friends saw my list and mentioned they had never seen the movie so when I saw that Flashback Cinema was showing “Gone with the Wind” in theaters this month, I knew I had to get a group together! (FYI, Flashback Cinema is the BEST!) However, we realized that we are in fact too old to start a four hour movie after 5 pm. TOO OLD! So, I watched the movie myself and we have plans to have a girls’ movie night very soon!
Make a Snowman Pizza, Have Breakfast for Dinner, Do a Jigsaw Puzzle
Wow! I’m all for killing two birds with one stone and these all seemed like a great way to enjoy a day to myself. Now, originally I had planned on making a cute little pizza in the shape of a snowman but then I realized that to make said pizza required ingredients that would then be in my fridge forever because delicious pizza ingredients are not healthy pizza ingredients. So this is my attempt to make a snowman pizza. No, Bagel Bites aren’t healthy but they are delicious and only unhealthy for a short period of time because it only has two servings per container.
To fill in the time between dinner and lunch I decided to do this cute puzzle which is perfect for this month because, like “Gone with the Wind”, “The Wizard of Oz” was the other big hit of 1939. However, this became a huge mistake when I realized that ONE: I no longer enjoy doing puzzles to the degree I did when I was younger. TWO: 1000 pieces is A LOT of pieces. THREE: I can’t see things the way I used to so this was like hunting for a needle in a haystack. My idea of a quick little puzzle turned into a hostage situation!
Would you like to see a picture of my beautiful finished puzzle? I don’t have one! I was so aggravated and tired by the time I was done that I put it straight back in the box without thought so here’s a picture of the box...
Organize Your Cabinets
The new year seems like a great time to go through your cabinets and try to organize everything in the hopes of having a less chaotic year...not sure it works but why not give it a whirl? While you’re at it, why not clean out the fridge?
Bake Snowflake Cookies
I love baking but I rarely do it because I don’t really have anyone to share with and I don’t need to eat two dozen cookies on my own which I will 100% do because I have the self-control of an unsupervised toddler. I decided to do a little experiment by trying to make a healthy version of what my grandmother called “cake box” cookies which is basically any cake mix, an egg and oil. I decided to replace the regular cake mix with sugar free and the oil with applesauce. I figured I could then decorate them like snowflakes.
While they tasted fine, I forgot how fluffy applesauce makes cookies. It definitely was closer to a flat muffin than a cookie which made decorating nearly impossible. I didn’t even take pictures because they looked like such a mess. I may try another flavor of sugar free cake mix in the future. They were yummy and filled that sweet tooth craving without totally wrecking my week.
Wear Your Find Your Fit Shirt
We purchased these shirts for our workout class about two years ago and I’ve never worn it because it didn’t fit and was slightly see-through. I did a post recently about my health and fitness journey that explained a little more about why this moment definitely qualifies as stepping outside of my comfort zone and though I won’t be wearing this regularly I love the message it represents of finding where you fit and shining there!
National Hot Cocoa Day (January 31), Make Yummy Soup, Spend the Day Reading a Book, Get a Self-Help Book
This is my type of day! Snuggled down with hot cocoa, soup and a good book. A self-help book is such a January thing to do but this book was a surprise self-help book. I asked for “Every Tool’s a Hammer” for Christmas because I love Adam Savage. I fell in love with his quirky nature and antics nearly two decades ago when he co-hosted “Mythbusters” and I still enjoy watching his builds on his YouTube channel, “Tested”.
I knew this book was part memoir, part creative inspiration and part informational manual but what I didn’t realize is how much practical life advice Adam would provide within the pages. I’m also surprised by how much Adam and I have in common, after all, I’ve never strapped a JATO rocket to the back of a Chevy.
In reality, however, Adam’s creative methods, leadership style and personality hangups flow in a similar pattern to mine. Like Adam, I’m a huge list maker, I have difficulty delegating tasks to others, I don’t like to give up control and I use poor drawing skills as a way of explaining the ideas floating in my brain to others. It was really nice to hear how someone else confronts these issues and the lessons he has learned along the way. I also love the way he weaves his history and stories into the overall narrative of his book. It’s very conversational in tone and structure which I enjoyed as well. Add this to a list of glues needed in every workshop and where to purchase the best circular saws and it makes for a great January read.
Overall, this month and these “challenges” have been pretty great. I really enjoyed having something to look forward to as the weeks went along and I think it will be fun to keep this up for the next twelve months. Below, I’m including the bucket list for February in case you are looking for something to do this month.