The January Edit
a summary of all 784 days of January
If you’re a new reader, the Monthly Edit is a brain dump of everything I consumed (or consumed me) during the month. This newsletter is filled with recommendations that I hope will add value to your life.
January is meant to be a slow month but it’s been anything but. I’ve hit the ground running this year with countless new projects at work and attended the first of a monthly leadership program out of town. School started back and we eased into old routines with a new teacher. We had a rare inch of snow in South Carolina followed by a second snow day with a few inches and I’ve enjoyed every minute of the winter weather.
This month I finished Dune: Prophecy and started XO, Kitty. After my daughter finished building her Glinda & Elphaba's Dormitory LEGO kit (a Christmas gift), we bought Wicked to watch as a family. I am not a huge fan of musicals and while I expected to be wowed by this one, it still wasn’t my cup of tea. I understand the cult following and mass appeal but at 3 hours, I wasn’t able to watch the whole thing in one sitting, let alone expect my 6-year-old to! If you’re a Peacock subscriber, The Wild Robot is now streaming and I can’t recommend it enough! I think it was my favorite family movie we watched last year. My husband has been watching Season 2 of Severance on Apple TV+ and we watched Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice together. I must confess that I am not a good movie-watcher. It takes a lot to really capture and hold my attention.
I read so much in January and it feels good to start the year off on a strong foot. I’m still reeling over so many of these books in my head.
What I Read in January 2025
January was the longest month ever but that also meant there was a ton of time for reading. I finished 11 books + read Manacled, a Dramione fanfic, by SenLinYu. I’ve talked about this particular fanfic in a few Weekly Reports but it will be traditionally published this year and I’m looking forward to comparing and contrasting the original story with
During the end of the year Libro.fm sale, I purchased 10 children’s audiobooks for just $15 and followed Janssen’s tutorial for how to make your own Yoto cards. It took a lot more time than I anticipated but it was worth the effort for the savings.
This month didn’t bring a ton of new music to my ears. I listened to the Justice DJ set on NYE and have been playing the new Bad Bunny album on repeat.
My daughter is really into Tom Kha Gai (Thai coconut chicken soup) so my MIL made it for us at home this month with Larb (Thai ground meat salad). It’s a fresh but filling meal that was both comforting and nourishing when my kids started the New Year with head colds.
Speaking of soup, this sausage tortellini soup was also a hit. I think the leftovers tasted even better on the second day.
One of my goals has been establishing a meal prep routine. For the last week of January, I cheated a little and used some of the Costco sous-vide beef sirloin, with roasted potatoes, green beans, and TOOM. For snacks, I packed good culture cottage cheese topped with Trader Joe’s Aglio e Olio seasoning and served with celery sticks.
My kids went to EdVenture, the largest children's museum in the Southeast, and learned about fire safety. They came home with a fire safety plan to implement in our own home. I remember this being such a big deal when I was in elementary school and I’m glad various organizations continue this type of community outreach.
Lego Club started back up at our local library branch this month and we went to the first meeting. Their schedule conflicts with Girl Scouts so it was an extra fun way to start off January, especially after a very Lego-filled Christmas! My kids got a Lego table for Christmas along with a couple of new Lego sets each. I can’t preach the benefits of building with Legos enough. In my house, I see them as a great tool for self-regulation, creative expression, storytelling, deep focus and concentration, building fine motor skills, and fostering teamwork.
It snowed on the second Friday of the month so my kids got a day off of school to play. I was driving home from my conference through sleet and wintery mix so I missed seeing the big fluffy snowflakes. Still, my last-minute $18 puffer coat purchase was put to good use as we played together outside in the afternoon. We had a second set of snow days during the third full week of the month thanks to Winter Storm Enzo and we built a snowman and went sledding! I decided to go ahead and order ski bibs, jackets, and gloves in the next size up to keep in the back of the closet in case we get a cold snap again next year. Fingers crossed!
It was a great month for our local Girl Scouts troop. Our local School Resource Officer Lieutenant taught a First Aid Class and my daughter earned her safety pin. They made a little first aid kit to keep in their backpack or take along in their camp rucksacks. The troop also took a field trip to a local nature park and discovery center where the girls learned all about owls and got to dissect pellets! We’re also in the middle of Girl Scout Cookie season. My daughter quickly exceeded her goal but is working towards various cookie patches. She’s learning a lot about setting goals, marketing her cookie business, and making connections in the community. I’m proud of her for coming up with a sales pitch and being so willing to ask people in person to support her troop.
I unexpectedly won a pair of tickets to see Vitamin String Quartet from a local contest so my husband and I had an impromptu date night. I’m considering it an early Valentine’s Day date since we don’t usually celebrate.
We went to so many birthday parties this month. My kids also really enjoyed a day at the trampoline park, climbing gym, and play cafe. I’m proud of us for getting out of the house so much and embracing our community. It made the dead of winter much more enjoyable than my usual tendency to hibernate in January.
With so much time in and out of school since Christmas, it has been difficult settling into a routine. Maintaining a consistent bedtime routine is important to me, especially when it comes to reading aloud. My first grader is making great progress in learning to read and I want to keep up that momentum. This month she picked out a big stack of picture books and we’ve already made our way through her selections and two more Baby-Sitters Club graphic novels (rereads). If you’re struggling, I hope this gives you hope that you will eventually round a corner too.
A few things I saved on Substack this month:
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I stilll need to watch Wicked, I do love musicals but I hate that films are over 3 hours now lol