With a new season comes a new Things I’m Loving post! There’s no better time to do it than a weekend that I’m stuck at home because of this crazy blizzard that came through the east coast, right?! Gotta love impromptu photo shoots in the snow. 🙂 The snow is still going strong here as I write this (Saturday night) with crazy, gusting winds… nights like this are usually when I struggle not to go online shopping, but today, it’s easier, cause I can just tell YOU GUYS what to go buy instead! 😉 Much better for my wallet, not so good for yours… haha!
This month, I’m featuring some cozy clothes that are perfect for the winter, a couple accessories, my current favorite snack and adult beverage, my current skin care obsession, my favorite workout at the moment, and a new book I am SO excited about! It might get a little photo heavy, as I had a lot of trouble picking my favorites, so bear with me!!
As always, I love to hear your current favorite things, too, so be sure to share in the comments below what you’re loving lately! Without further ado, Things I’m Loving: January Edition!
1. Evy’s Tree Soshie Poncho – I posted about my first Evy’s Tree purchase back in October, and I now have 7 pieces (and 1 more on the way). Evy’s Tree has definitely become such an obsession of mine – such beautiful, one of a kind pieces, and they have such a wonderful business philosophy! The Soshie poncho is perfect for lounging around the house, and it easily doubles as a coat when it isn’t too chilly out! Today, I put it over my thick sweater during the blizzard when I needed to run to my car (and immediately was covered in snow up my legs – my boots are definitely not high enough for the amount of snow we got!), and it was plenty warm enough, even with the crazy wind! Layers fit so well under it, and it definitely looks good on any body shape! And hurry, they currently have it on sale (the lowest price it’s been yet — only $49!). All of their outerwear is currently on sale, so go check it out! I ordered the Lia Overcoat as well, for a thicker coat with a similar draped style; it just hasn’t arrived yet! If you like it, I’d jump on it immediately, as it definitely won’t last at that price! AND if you want an extra 10% off of your order, click through this link to get even more savings!!
I also had to take this snowstorm as an opportunity to finally take Morty into the snow, since we actually have a bit of a yard he can run around in safely in Maryland! In Buffalo, all we had was a parking lot, so I never felt comfortable taking him outside.
With all the wind, he absolutely hated it – he was terrified. He howled and howled until I took him back in! We still squeezed in a few photos, though. Check out my Instagram for more!! I’m going to try again when it’s no longer blizzard-ing. I’m determined to make him a snow loving Maine Coon!
2. Nature’s Bakery Fig Bars – These fig bars are my absolute favorite snack to take to work to keep me going between the time I have breakfast and when I can finally sneak away for a moment to heat up my food for lunch! In our busy pharmacy, they’ve been such a lifesaver. I love that they’re made with ingredients I can actually pronounce, are non-GMO, and they have loads of different flavors so I never get bored! My current favorite is blueberry, with raspberry coming in a close second. They also have gluten free bars if you’re gluten intolerant!
3. Shaun T’s Focus T25 – This is one of my absolute favorite workouts that I just keep coming back to. We started a new work schedule in January, so I wanted to incorporate a real workout schedule to go along with it to make sure I make regular exercise a habit in my new routine. Of course I had to choose T25 – 25 minutes with my favorite trainer, Shaun T – you can’t go wrong! I’m almost onto the beta cycle for this round, and I love it just as much as I did every other time I’ve done it. If you choose to purchase it, I recommend also getting the Gamma cycle and the bonus workout, Core Speed, as they definitely have my favorite workouts out of the entire program and definitely the hardest of them! Once you’ve advanced past the regular base program, those extras are so key! So so worth it. And no, I’m not a Beachbody coach trying to sell these to you, I just love them!
4. TOMS Leather Full Grain Brogues – I had two pairs of oxfords made by Steve Madden that I wore for all my rotations during my last year of pharmacy school that have finally bit the dust, but I love love love that style for wearing to work. When I found these on sale from TOMS, I immediately bought them. It looks like they’re sold out now on their site, but I linked to them on Amazon! I bought them in both tan and black. 🙂
5. Crabbie’s Hard Ginger Beer – This hard ginger beer is currently my favorite drink to have after a long day at work or on the weekends. It has the perfect ginger zing that I love in a good spicy ginger beer. It’s also amazing with a squeeze of lime juice – I think of it as a lazy moscow mule. 😉 They also have them in different fruit flavors – the raspberry is also one of my favorites!!
6. Yes to Tomatoes Detoxifying Charcoal Cleanser – This is my new favorite face wash. I’ve been using it and the Yes to Tomatoes Daily Balancing Moisturizer for the past couple months, and my skin has been so soft and smooth. My skin tends to dry out, especially during the winter, and I haven’t had that issue at all! It’s definitely helped to clear my skin as well, though I do still get the occasional breakout (which is normal for me and stress-related). You can find these both at Target, and always keep an eye out for deals on Cartwheel!
7. Meg Cabot’s the Proposal, a Mediator Novella – Who else has read Meg Cabot’s series The Mediator?! During middle school/early high school, I was so so obsessed with this series, and Meg Cabot is coming out with a new adult sequel on February 2nd, Remembrance! The Proposal is a short novella released before the sequel to get us all extremely excited – duh. I’m beyond thrilled to be able to read new adventures with Suze and Jesse (*swoon* – Jesse was one of my major teenage fictional crushes!). If you haven’t read any of them, I highly, highly recommend them as quick reads that are perfect for plane rides or vacations!
8. Fair Trade Necklace from the Olive Branch – My hometown church has had its own gift shop for about 40 years selling fair trade pieces to support communities in need, and they recently got their own store front right in the center of my hometown. Over Christmas, all the girls went and shopped our hearts out, and this necklace was one of my purchases. They use all proceeds from the shop to purchase more items from communities in need, continuously supporting the communities with every purchase. Two of the organizations they purchase from are Serrv and Ten Thousand Villages.
I wasn’t able to find my necklace on their websites, but this is another necklace I loved (but did not buy yet) — pictured below. The necklace I did buy is the perfect piece to dress up any outfit, and it has a bit of an ancient Egyptian feel, which I love love love.
This necklace went so well with my tunic I wore that day to the store (another Evy’s Tree piece). It was just a little heavy, which is why I didn’t buy it, but I think I’ll probably grab it next time I’m in town!!
9. Sweaters from American Eagle – With the weather finally starting to feel like actual winter, I’ve been on a sweater buying spree. American Eagle is almost always my go-to place for big chunky sweaters and cardigans. Last year, I bought two thick cardigans and a couple of sweater dresses, and I’ve been wearing them almost every day to work since it got cold. I decided it was probably time for me to buy a couple more, and I got lucky that they were all on clearance after Christmas! They’re still on clearance now, if you hurry! Pictured is the AEO Cabin Jegging Sweater in Light Cashew and it also comes in grey. I also got the AEO Prescott Sweater in Light Grey and Emerald (which isn’t online). All are for great prices right now!
— Other outfit details — Burgundy skinny trouser from AE (similar to these), infinity scarf from Zulily Leto Collection last year (link for similar), boot cuffs from White Plum, boots from Target many years ago.
Also, because I couldn’t stop laughing at my ridiculous faces because of the wind while I took these photos, I had to post this not-so-pretty one of myself!
10. Downton Abbey Mug – With the last season of Downton Abbey currently airing in the US, you better believe Downton had to be included in this post!! I received this mug from my cousin, Sara, for Christmas – we both share a love of Downton Abbey and Jane Austen – and it is currently my very favorite. Gotta love a good quote from the Dowager! I especially love using this mug on the weekend mornings that I have to go to work – I feel especially witty reading out the “What is a weekend?” quote when I actually mean it seriously for that period of time. 😉
This mug is my perfect size for coffee, and it’s especially good for hot chocolate on those blustery winter days!
Didn’t I tell you there would be a ton of pictures?! Whew! Now, you tell me, which of these did you like the best from this month’s Things I’m Loving? What are your current favorite things? Any good TV shows to watch, good books to read? Share in the comments below – I always love to get new ideas!