January has never been a favorite month of mine. The holidays are over, it’s generally bitter cold and things seem to start slowly but get crazy busy quickly. That being said, I found myself having such a great month and figured I’d share why!

A few things I did that made the month so great:

-I largely adjusted my diet. Nothing drastic but rather small yet impactful changes. I got back to lessening my gluten intake throughout the week and I ate SO MANY MORE vegetables. I also (largely) limited my sweets to just weekends. I’ve since noticed a major change in what my body was craving and what was leaving it satisfied. Overall I’ve been feeling less bloated, I’m snacking less and I’m not craving sugar as much. I also became obsessed with my overnight oats recipe and looked forward to having this filling breakfast most mornings. I top them with a little bit of peanut butter and fruit in the morning and they are so delicious! (In case you’re curious, I mix oats, milk, chia seeds and my favorite protein powder and then pop in the fridge overnight!) And my go-to lunch? Half a roasted sweet potato, half an avocado with the Trader Joe’s Everything Bagel Salt. I was slightly surprised at how good + filling this was. Overall I’m eating much better but truth be told I still eat too much peanut butter and dairy (particularly goat cheese…I’m addicted!) But hey, work in progress, right!?

-I looked forward to Mondays every week because of my evening French classes! You guys, I can’t tell you how much fun I am having brushing off my French minor. I forgot how being in a classroom can, in fact, be really energizing! I have enjoyed setting aside time for my homework assignments and adding a bit more of the language to my week. (At the recommendation of our teacher I began listening to a few French podcasts when I had time and playing French music in the background.) I am so, so glad I signed up for the Coucou classes and am now considering taking the next level, too!

-Throughout last year my very fabulous, very fit + gorgeous godmother kept telling me about how much she loved her scale. She told me how much she loved the accurate reads on weight gained/lost each day and since my existing scale was anything but reliable, I decided to see what she loved so much about this particular scale. I’m not one who obsesses over my weight but I have to say, this scale kind of incentivized my inner competitor and helped me feel more dedicated to my new eating habits! I loved that when I ate healthy I was rewarded the next morning by a “loss”. For the past year or so I’ve been trying to lose a bit of weight and thus far this month I have managed to lose five so I’m feeling like this system has been working for me.

-I rewarded myself for having a great 2017 and meeting goals I had set out for myself. (I find this an important thing to do working for myself because there’s no external recognition for a job well done! It’s nice to reward myself here and there when I meet or exceed certain goals.)

-I drank TONS of water and felt so much better as a result. I got a giant water bottle which helped incentive my goal of having at least 64 ounces a day. I felt lighter, more energized and my skin looked better as a result, too.

-I revisited what I learned in Marie Kondo’s book and kept my place tidier. Most importantly? I put things away after using them. (By the way if you don’t use the Kon Marie method of folding your clothes yet, you are missing out! I’ve been hooked ever since I read the book!)

-I started unsubscribing to emails like crazy and it was SO REFRESHING!

-I spent a lot of time with my girlfriends. Even on the weeks when I felt like flaking on plans for feeling overwhelmed or over-scheduled, I still went and was reminded that these get togethers are always worth taking time for. Given the start of a new year, our conversations were uplifting and had sentiments about plans we wanted to make, goals we wanted to achieve and what we might change in 2018. I’m lucky to be surrounded by so many awesome women (that bring the right energy to my life!)

-I got into routines with the habits I set out to improve and it felt good to do so! (Would you guys be interested in a habits/goals check in post in a couple of months, by the way!?)

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Hope you’re also having a good month and had a good weekend! I saw I, Tonya and loved it and also devoured The Woman in the Window! If you’re looking for a great page turner I can’t recommend it enough! Also had brunch at The Osprey and the burger was DELICIOUS! Definitely a great spot to check out if you’re in New Yorker.

Sweater // Jeans // Heels // Bag

p.s. thoughts on friendships and a preppy look from last month.

[Carter Fish Photography]