It’s mid-January which means I have been enjoying a couple weeks of quiet time at home like I do every year between the hustle and bustle of Christmas and the crazy Spring sports schedule. Though I love being busy and keeping my kid’s active with sports and activities, I really crave this time each year to reflect, relax and plan. I thought it would be fun to share the things I am loving right now and I’d love to hear what you have been enjoying, too!
1) Maps, globes and all things travel related. Especially this globe I got at Target recently! It looks super fancy but it was only $15! Having been looking online for one I know that’s a great bargain.
2) Adequate toy storage. We caved and bought some Ikea Trofast storage units. Everything else we’ve tried over the past few years hasn’t worked.
3) The simpleness of our home when the Christmas decorations came down. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE Christmas and all things red, green and sparkly and enjoy having all the holiday decor out, but there is something peaceful about the day it all comes down. Things are just simple and there isn’t a ton of little things cluttering up every inch of space available.
4) My Erin Condren dry erase to-do list. I love my Erin Condren Life Planner but I always felt like I needed to keep a separate to do list, especially for work. I love this dry erase list that clips in to my planner so I can scribble things down as they come up without ruining my beautiful, organized planner. I keep a (clean) q-tip around to erase the things I’ve done so I can add more to my never ending to-do list.
5) Mint.com. This financial website is used by many for budgeting and tracking money. I primarily use it so I can check all of my accounts in one place, with one login. I feel like it’s made me more conscious of how I spend my money and gone are the days of wondering where my paycheck went. Now I can see my money, set financial goals for myself, and keep on top of how my retirement account is doing. If I had to pick one thing that has helped me the most in regards to working on my financial goals over the past six months or so, it has been this site.
6) My Samsung Edge smartphone. I had a Note 2 for a couple of years and for Christmas was supposed to get the Note 4 (which was good because I ended up dropping my phone off the table a couple days before Christmas, shattering the screen, so I actually needed a new one). Sinisa went out to the store and got me a new phone but instead of the Note he came home with the Edge. To be honest, I didn’t really like it much at first because it was hard to hold and it wasn’t what I had my heart set on but I got a case for it and I’ve actually grown to like it.
7) Erasable pens. I remember how I used to have “erasable” pens in junior high that didn’t really erase and smudged a ton. Someone in a Facebook group recommended Pilot Frixion Erasable pens and oh my gosh. Love them! They are nothing like the erasable pens we had years ago.
8) Entertainment from the 90’s. The boys and I enjoy ending our day on the couch cuddling while we watch an episode of Full House. I’ve also watched a couple of 90’s classics when my little sister was staying over during her winter break. It’s so fun to rewatch things I haven’t seen in years and laugh about the fashions that were popular when I was a pre-teen. I also introduced her to New Kids on the Block and I think she was mortified that anyone ever listened to them and copied their dance moves ;)
9) Wool socks. I think wool socks (or ski socks) are pretty much the best things in the world during the winter. If you don’t have a pair you should get some. Your feet will thank me!
10) Trivia Crack. This smartphone app is addicting but it’s nice to take a break from hard projects and play a couple rounds of this.
What are you loving this month? Any apps, products or websites I should try out?