Tanya Patrice here! We’re going “Off the Books” for month end to share a look at what I’ve been up to this month (besides reading), and we’re doing it 5 … 4 … 3 … 2 … 1 style.
5 Joys This January
- Going to the beach on New Years Day to watch the waves and just be. This was such a peaceful, gentle way to enter the year – just sitting with a cup of coffee, not thinking about one particular thing, but just letting thoughts flow through and being at ease and in the moment.
- Indoor mini golf at PuttShack (in Texas). This was my first time doing indoor golfing and it was more fun than I expected.
- Finally finishing the 1000 piece Jigsaw puzzle from Christmas. Slowly doing it with no time pressure was the absolute best.
- Finding a running buddy and running more outside more than on the treadmill. I used to be strictly treadmill only all the time!
- Gentle bamboo rafting on the Great River in Jamaica (vacation at the end of January). It was such an incredible experience to hear the sounds of nature, to do it in an unhurried way, and our guide was the best! I sense an emerging theme of slowing down this year and nature.
4 Favorite Products & Apps That I Used
- I spent the first 2 weeks of the year working from home in Florida, the 2nd 2 weeks in Texas for work, and the last week in Jamaica for vacation. I’ve been using the Transparent Clock & Weather app on my (android) phone so I know what to wear in each place, and it’s pretty cool.
- Trader Joe’s Vanilla Lip Mask is the GOAT for me. This winter has been brutal in the chapped lips department.
- I also started using Letterboxd to record and rate movies I’ve watched. SO far, I’m loving the ease of use, and that I can read reviews. What’s a good app for tv shows?!
- Last year I upgraded and got matching workout sets (tights & sports bra). Best decision ever! I keep them folded together and stacked. Beside them I keep t-shirts. When it’s time to exercise, I take just reach from the set that’s on top and grab a t-shirt. When the stack gets low, it’s time to do laundry! Most of my workout gear is from Girlfriend Collective. Wait for a sale!
3 TV Shows and Movies I Watched This Month
- American Primeval. The bloody, gritty, harsh reality of life in Utah back in the day when there was conflict between a newly minted American government, the Mormons who wanted the land in Salt Lake City for their own, and the Native American Indians who the land belonged to (or who belonged to the land). The main character Sara – she made some dumbass decisions that had me wanting to stop watching because I was so irritated! ★★★★
- Star Trek Section 31. Emperor Philippa Georgiou joins a secret division of Starfleet tasked with protecting the United Federation of Planets, and must face the sins of her past. I LOVE Star Trek – but this could have been an episode on one of the series, not a full blown movie. ★★★
- Gladiator II. This took me a while to get into, but it got really good. I probably should have re-watched the fist one as a refresher. ★★★★
2 Restaurants I Loved
- Scotchies – Ocho Rios, Jamaica. No visit to the island is complete without a trip here.
- Texas: Beef-Fish-Fowl – Richardson, TX (close to Dallas). I loved it so much I ate there almost every night for a week.
1 Thing I Removed From My Life
I found myself doom scrolling Instagram A LOT this year, and it negatively affected my mood – big time. So I deleted the app. It’s been about 2 weeks and I don’t miss it. The only social media account I still use is Facebook (and that I’m trialing not using it although I still have the app – I like groups, but also rarely post). I do subscribe to the RSS Feed of lots of blogs and Substack newsletters (free), and I always have a backlog of articles to read. Plus books.
Now on to the next month! What was a highlight from your January?!
— xoxo
