JANUARY LOVES

Good morning friends!  It’s an exciting day!!  Today, we’re shooting the photos for the fitness eBook that will launch this month!  These are the photos that will correspond to the weekly workouts so that you’ll know exactly how to do each move if you aren’t familiar with the name of the exercise.  It’ll actually be a major workout for me because I’ll be demonstrating everything, but we have a special guest coming for the ‘Partner Workout’.  Any guesses who it is?!  You can follow me (and find out!) on Stories.

Also, if you haven’t yet subscribed to my blog, you can subscribe here to get a special discount code when the eBook goes live!

JANUARY LOVES

Welcome to the first LOVES ♥ of 2019! If you’re new to Loves, it’s where I share things I’m loving each month, with the aim to highlight fabulous things I swear by, some things I might want to try, great deals, and under $50 finds! All perfectly appropriate for the flavor of each month!  I love sourcing goodies and putting these collages together for you!

january loves honey we're home

2019 Planner • Favorite Pens • Swig Tumbler • Choker • Fave Pocket Tee

Wedge Sneakers • Chevron Sweater •  Ripped Levi Jeans • Tory Burch Tote

♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥

Chevron Sweater

I’m getting ready for my first Amazon post of the year and this darling chevron sweater made it to the top of my Loves list for January!  The colors are gorgeous together and it looks very ‘Madewell’ but is only $23!  I’m wearing a stretchy spaghetti strap camisole underneath so no skin shows through the little dots.

Chevron Sweater

This photo also contains two more of this months Loves- the Ripped Levi Jeans and Wedge Sneakers.

Ripped Levi Jeans (on sale here)

I’ve actually been eyeing the jeans for months and finally pulled the trigger and they’ve quickly become a go-to.  The higher rise is comfortable without the waist gaping and the big knee holes are cute and casual.  I cut about 3 inches off the length with sharp scissors and threw them in the wash.  I sized up in these, but I think my normal size would have worked.  They fit well fresh out of the dryer, but stretch a tad with wear.

Wedge Sneakers

I get so much wear out of my Caslon wedge sneakers (that unfortunately sold out before many of you could get your size), that I wanted to test out another pair for you.  I’m happy to report that these sneakers are just as good, if not better.  They are perforated on top and ultra comfortable on your feet.  The side zipper makes them easy to get on and off and the wedge isn’t too high.  I’m partial to the grey that will go with everything, but they come in lots of colors.  I bought my true sneaker size so I could wear thin socks with them.

Choker

Over the summer, Jordan accidentally broke my beloved Gorjana Tanner Bar necklace and I haven’t replaced it.  I decided to go with a choker style necklace that would be short enough to peek out of my crew neck sweaters and also discreet enough to keep on during workouts.  Some reviewers said the necklace was too short, so you might want to measure your neck before ordering! 😉

White sweater and necklace

White Sweater

Tory Burch Tote

Oh my goodness, how cute is this tote?!  I feel like every January I’m itching for a little bit of sunshine in my life and this tote will transition perfectly into Spring! These totes are always well-made and perfect for holding all.the.things or doubling as a diaper/gym bag. I especially love the splash of yellow on the back!

Tory Burch Tote

Tory Burch Tote back

Fave Pocket Tee

If you already have this tee, I’m sure it’s on your Love list too!  It’s basically the perfect tee for wearing alone or layering, with a flattering cut and v-neck.  I have it in several colors, but I’m seeing lots of new hues like this pale blue. It fits TTS, I wear XS.

Madewell Pocket Tee

2019 Planner

I’ve gotten asked a lot about what planner and calendars I use and let me start with this one I use for blogging.  I plan blog content here keep it right on my desk at all times.  I mainly use the monthly view and pencil in what posts I’m doing that month as well as if I have any calls, meetings, or collaborations.  My old eyes like the big size and lots of room to write!  The pages are a nice weight and the months are tabbed.

I used to get the Sugar Paper for Target planners, but they discontinued them.  This one is the closest replacement I’ve found and a great price!

Planner

Favorite Pens 

Speaking of writing, I’m a bit picky when it comes to the pens I like to write with.  In general, I like the black sharpies with ultra fine tip, but my absolute faves are the Staedtler 0.5 pigment liners.  They fit perfectly in my hand and write super smooth with the perfect tip.  I also love these erasable colored pens!  And they do erase completely!

Swig Tumbler

At our Favorite Things party, my friends turned me onto these Swig tumblers. Especially this time of year when I’m trying to get my water intake up, these insulated tumblers keep your water cold or your drinks hot. They  even make ones specifically designed to hold your wine!  I love how they look on my desk!

♥  JANUARY LIFESTYLE LOVE  ♥

This year, I’ll be adding a new “Lifestyle Love” to each Loves post.  Of course, it’s fun to find new treasures, but I’m more and more mindful of the other parts of my life that I’m appreciating each month.

For January, I’m loving getting back to my routine of waking up early! It wasn’t easy to pick up this habit again after the holidays, but once I got into the groove, it’s one of the things I started looking most forward to.

I love it when the house is quiet and peaceful and I have some time to myself. I’ll light a candle and meditate or pray or write and I find this time critical to my well-being and self growth.  I’m also more creative and focused in the morning, so I want to make the most of that energy.

My “workday” is limited, so I have to make the most of my productive hours or else I’d be staying up late to finish posts and that’s not how I want to spend my time.  Waking up at 5 AM helps me get lots accomplished before the kids wake up around seven and lets me end my work by the time school lets out.  I also find that by the evening I’m pooped, so all I want to do is chill and hang with the kids before bedtime- the perfect way to end the day!

And now I’m curious, what time do you wake up most days? 

I hope you enjoy this little twist on my monthly Loves!

Have a great day friends! And don’t forget to join me on Stories!

 

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Meet Megan

Hi! I’m Megan, mom to a thoughtful teenager and spunky young girl. We call Houston home and recently moved into our dream home. I traded my lawyer hat to become a full-time blogger in 2010. I love sharing my passion for affordable fashion, home decor, organization, & fitness to help inspire you to take care of you!

11 Comments

  1. 5/5:30
    I’ve always been up before my kids. I need time to myself and time in the Word before the crazy starts. My most productive time of the day is 5:30-1.

    PS. I JUST dreamed that I won a contest and got to spend a day with you. You (and your husband) were so gracious and kind even when I spilled an entire chicken salad in the front seat of your car ?

  2. I’ve been wanting a pair of wedge sneakers but am going to have to wait till I find a pair on sale! Good to have a recommendation!

  3. Really looking forward to your fitness eBook!!!
    I am also kind of picky when it comes to pens and I wanted to share my favorites in case you want to try them out. They are the Pilot G-2, they come in different colors and points. I like that colors are very vivid and they don’t transfer to the back of the page and I find them very comfortable to use.

  4. I’ve never been a morning person (still working on it!) but now I LOVE waking up early to get my workouts in. I wake up at 4:30 3x a week which is hard but so worth it to get that workout in and not worry about it for the rest of my day! I got in the habit about 3 years ago and now I workout so much more since I can’t come up with excuses during the day to not go to the gym when I get home 🙂

  5. I usually wake up between 7 and 8 a.m. but this is because i usually go to sleep at midnight. I need my 8 hours most nights. Love the items.

  6. I wake up at 5/5:30 and have been since your post about “how to wake up early” – it’s life changing! So thank you! 🙂 I crave the alone time to meditate, pray, read and check emails while I slowly get going with a giant cup of coffee.

  7. Fun list of loves – now I’m lusting over those wedge sneakers! I love the addition of the lifestyle love. I’m still struggling to get back into my normal wake up routine of 5:30/6 after the holidays. My kids are older so they don’t have to get up for school until about 6:45. And while I’m normally an early bird, their practices and events go so much later now that my bedtime is much later than it naturally would be. I’ve found that all these things have shifted over the years and I do best if I just go with the flow, while still making sure I get enough sleep.

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