December & January Favorites

What a whirlwind these past two months have been!

Here we are, starting February of 2022. What the heck.

I feel like it was Thanksgiving and I blinked…and now here we are. I say this every time, but I really am trying to slow down and savor these days. Sometimes, with little kids, the days are long and hard and by the time I get them into bed at night, I only have enough energy to trudge to my own bed and face plant.

But I know these days are fleeting. Finn is going to be 3 (!!!!) in a month, and Kieran is well on his way to being 7 1/2. I can’t deal. My babies are not really babies so much anymore, and while I love watching them turn into these very real little people, I do miss those days of snuggly babies.

I know I sound like a broken record. I can’t help it. I marvel every time another month has passed us by…”where did the time go?”

Anyway.

We had a fun couple of months. December started off with taking Kieran to his first ever 76ers game. This kid is OBSESSED with all sports, particularly basketball and baseball, and he follows the Sixers very closely. If they play at night and he goes to bed before the game is over, the first thing he does is jump out of bed in the morning and run downstairs to check the outcomes of the game. And then he proudly reports the score to anyone who will listen. It’s adorable. I love his passion for it.

We had an AMAZING time at the game, and he was so in awe of the experience. Makes my heart so happy!

We also went full into holiday decorating mode the weekend after Thanksgiving. The kids were PUMPED to decorate the trees this year. It was definitely the most involved they have been in the decorating thus far. Kieran would hook the ornaments, hand them to Finn, and they would find the perfect spot on the tree together. He is the sweetest big brother. And Finn worships him.

We had a big family Christmas this year, with lots of out-of-town family coming in to visit. Some of whom we hadn’t seen in over two years because of the pandemic. Kieran and Finn got to hang out their cousin, Noah, for the first time in over two years (they met him when he was a newborn right before the world shut down), and we all soaked up the special family moments.

We spent lots of time in our Christmas jammies, sipping on hot cocoa, and snuggling under big blankets on the couch, trying to cram in all the holiday movies before the big day. It was glorious.

After the holidays, it was quiet. Which I love. I am an introvert to a T. I loooove having family around, and I would never trade it, but it also exhausts me to be socially “on” all the time. I needed a full week to decompress. And it was so nice to have the house put back together and the somewhat quiet back (I have two kids, so you know it’s never really quiet here, hah).

January is my least favorite month of the year. It’s so dull and cold, and well, depressing. While I love the whole “fresh start” mentality each new year, it can be a struggle to get into it. The kids went back to school and I picked up work again. We got back into our rhythm. Kieran plays basketball, and he made a travel baseball team, and the practices have already started up each weekend. We’re keeping busy!

Finn is still the sweetest little thing ever. He loves his big brother, music of all kinds (you should see him shape his little hips), and continues to seek out snuggles and hugs and back rubs. He’s just the best little guy. I can’t believe he’s going to be 3 next month.

On that note, I’ll wrap up this ramble because I have some AWESOME new discoveries to tell you all about. Things I have just been LOVING these past couple months!

1. The first thing is this Akua Ultrasonic Jewelry Cleaner. I asked for this for Christmas because my wedding rings are always dirty, and I don’t have the time to run out and get them cleaned. This thing is awesome. I put water, a drop of white vinegar or mild dish soap, and then add my rings. It’s amazing what you see soak off of the jewelry.
2. Next up are these amazingly cute and comfy sneakers from Saint + Sofia. I saw these online and had to have them. I am constantly looking for stylish yet comfy shoes to run errands in or to wear to kids’ sports games and such. These fit the bill. They are so comfy and cushy – they have a large sole – and the leopard pattern is so cute. I get compliments every time I wear them. I can run in them after the kids but still feel like I have cute shoes on.
3. One of my favorite discoveries this past month has been these sweatshirts from Athleta. They are insanely soft and comfy and come in the best colors. I think I have 4 of them? They are a tad oversized so I sized down, and it’s still plenty roomy with flattering flow and long enough to cover my butt, which means I can wear them with leggings. HIGHLY recommend. Coziest ever!
4. I have a couple new cookbooks to tell you about! Alex from The Defined Dish released her newest cookbook last month, and let me tell you, every single thing looks mouthwateringly delicious! My sister got it for me for Christmas (she knows how much I love Alex), and we paged through it and were drooling. I am going to cook out of it for the first time this week. I also just got Mandi’s new cookbook The Tex Mex Table, and again, every single recipe is mouthwatering. I rank Tex Mex food up there with some of the best, and I love how she simplifies things without making everything a total calorie bomb. Balance is hard to achieve these days with food, and I love her approach. I love supporting other women in the food space – and these two absolutely kill it. At the very least, follow their blogs and social media accounts. The content is top notch!
5. My friend, Lillie, has been raving about Baker & Olive vinegars for forever now, and I finally took her up on her recommendation, and I have to say, I am a HUGE fan. I ordered the white balsamic in Sicilian lemon, grapefruit, and peach to try, and they are all absolutely delicious. They’re light, a touch sweet, and have so much darn flavor. I use them primarily on salads. I’ll drizzle a little vinegar and a touch of EVOO and have a super light but incredibly flavorful dressing. The lemon is currently my favorite, but I could see the peach getting used A LOT in the warmer months!
6. I have been sipping on this Kettle & Bone bone broth every day for almost a month now. I love all their chicken broth varieties, but the turmeric and ginger flavor is my fave. I enjoy sipping on broth in general in the colder months, but lately, it has tasted extra comforting. It’s not too salty, has wonderful flavor, and gives me a dose of collagen and protein in a very easy, low-calorie drink. I just warm it up in a large coffee mug and sip on it. So, so good. My hair is growing like crazy, and my nails are definitely stronger since I started drinking this daily. I order it in bulk on Amazon, Thrive market, or from my local store.
7. I am weirdly a salad-in-the-winter person. I know a lot of people opt for hot meals during the colder months, but I’m almost always in the mood for a salad. Particularly a chopped salad, where everything is really small. The dressing just coats everything better, and you get a bit of each ingredient in every bite. This salad chopper bowl has been a game changer. It’s easy to use and clean, and it gets the salad to just the right consistency! I love it.
8. I talked about this on my Instagram stories recently, but I am OBSESSED with the Lemon Berry flavor of this kombucha. Like, OB-SESSED. I drink 1/2 a kombucha every day, and this one if my absolute favorite at the moment. It literally tastes like berry lemonade. Oh my goodness, it’s so good. I can only get it at one store about 30 minutes away from my house. But it’s worth it!
9. One ofmy goals for 2022 is to read more. Just like everyone else, right? I read the most amazing book, per my sister’s recommendation, and I was blown away. The Song of Achilles is one that I couldn’t put down. It broke my heart. It was SO beautifully written and… gosh, I just loved it. I have always LOVED Greek mythology, and to read it again has been really special. I just started the author’s other book, Circe, and I love it so far. I also read People We Meet On Vacation, and while I enjoyed it, it didn’t quite live up to the hype for me. Still good, though!

And that about wraps it up! We’ve been busy with regular life stuff, and like I always say, I’m trying to soak up every second!

Xoxo!

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