Books I've read in 2015: January

I'm going to try something a little different with my reading updates. About once a month I'll post a little update about what I've read this year. I'll keep the running tally on my big list as well.

Here are the books I finished in January 2015:

 

 The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson

Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life by Bryan Lee O'Malley

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World by Bryan Lee O'Malley

 

 Scott Pilgrim and the Infinite Sadness by Bryan Lee O'Malley

 

 Scott Pilgrim Gets It Together by Bryan Lee O'Malley

 

 Scott Pilgrim vs. The Universe by Bryan Lee O'Malley

 

 Watchmen* by Alan Moore

Insta-Life

Philadelphia

A photo posted by Christa (@thenchsaid) on Jan 30, 2015 at 11:33am PST

I can't believe I found good coffee on the east coast!

A photo posted by Christa (@thenchsaid) on Jan 30, 2015 at 1:09pm PST

It's really super cold out today

A photo posted by Christa (@thenchsaid) on Jan 31, 2015 at 12:23pm PST

So much spicy food!

A photo posted by Christa (@thenchsaid) on Jan 31, 2015 at 6:12pm PST

#beard

A photo posted by Christa (@thenchsaid) on Feb 4, 2015 at 2:55pm PST

The pond is frozen

A photo posted by Christa (@thenchsaid) on Feb 5, 2015 at 7:44pm PST

Sunrise courtesy of @amtrak

A photo posted by Christa (@thenchsaid) on Feb 6, 2015 at 6:25am PST

My List of Happiness

As part of my month of loving myself, I'm making it a habit to do things that make me happy.

Some people may feel that they spend all their energy on others, leaving little time for their own happiness. Others might be operating on autopilot, doing the same thing over and over again without ever feeling satisfied. In both situations, "good enough" is as good as it gets. We get by. We're fine.

I'm not accepting "fine" for myself this month. February is all about love and gifts, as the greeting cards chocolate companies remind us.

But instead of mindlessly indulging in cheap chocolate while grading, I'm mindfully doing things that make me happy.

So what does this mean?

For me this means identifying the things I can do that I know will leave me with a lasting sense of happiness, as opposed to quick-fix instant gratification. It's buying new underwear and burning candles (in both the literal and metaphorical sense). It's taking action and paying attention.


These things are:

1. Reading
2. Journaling/writing
3. Taking photos
4. Creating/crafting
5. Walking outside
6. Baking
7. Listening to podcasts
8. Soaking my feet
9. Drinking good coffee/wine
10. Laughing with Jesse

The trick is to do these things mindfully, with my full attention. That means putting down my phone, shutting off the computer, and devoting my attention to the task at hand. It also means thinking about my actions and being grateful for them. 

My hope is that if I do at least one of these things a day, I can develop a positive habit that will have a lasting effect.


What's on your list of happiness?

Linkspiration

TeeJay talks about doing laundry in college, among other things.

One of my favorite books was recently adapted by PBS. I almost wish we had a TV.

There are so many things to learn on Crash Course now! I'm happy to financially support them.

I made these cookies on my snow day last week. I omitted the chocolate chips and they were fantastic.

This book recommendation guide was spot-on for me. Unfortunately, that meant that I've already read several of them.

It's like Free Willy meets Mallrats.

My apartment is not conducive to a fireplace, but maybe I can achieve the same effect with this candle?

I love to learn the little, overlooked stories in history, especially when it's this eye-opening.

20 things learned in your 20's.

How to make it a great day.

5 Tips for Downsizing Your Wardrobe

Several of my friends and acquaintances have commented on this project. Their comments usually fall into one of two categories:

"I'm inspired by you!" 

or

"I could not do that!"

So for those of you who are ready to try this and aren't sure where to start, and to those who don't think that a smaller wardrobe is possible, here are a few tips and tricks to get started.

• Turn your hangers backward. This is a really common trick for figuring out what you where and what you don't. Go into your closet and reverse all the hangers so that the open side is facing out. When you use an item of clothing and return it, put the hanger back facing the right way. After a few months or even a year, take a look at what clothes are still on backwards hangers. Do you really need them if you haven't worn them in over a year?

• Alternatively, tie a ribbon onto your closet bar. Emma at A Beautiful Mess shared this idea recently, and it's very similar to the one above. The appeal is that it eliminates the inconvenience of having backwards hangers. Instead, you use the ribbon to divide your closet. One side is for everything that hasn't been worn yet and the other side is for things that you have worn. Once you wear something, move it to the "worn" side.

• Pick out ten items of clothing and create a week's worth of outfits from them. You likely have a lot of versatile items in your wardrobe right now. How many of them can be mixed and matched? After a week you'll have an appreciation for how many outfits can come out of just a few items.

• Take the laundry challenge. How long can you really go before you need to do laundry? See if you can actually wear and re-wear everything in your closet before you need to do laundry. Is there a skirt lurking in the back that you've forgotten about? Are there clothes you genuinely don't want to wear? (Note: you may need to wash you undergarments. I find them to be the limiting factor in my laundry cycle.)

• Store your out-of-season clothes. Some of you may already be doing this. Tuck away your tank tops and shorts for the next few months. Work with what you have. You'll feel lighter once you clear out some space in your dresser and create momentum for a smaller wardrobe. In the spring, only unpack the items you love and are excited about. If you really need it, you can unpack it later. Whatever doesn't make an appearance can be passed on to a new owner.

I hope this helps you get started. Let me know in the comments if you try any of these tips. How did they work out for you? Do you have any tricks I missed?

Challenge #2: Loving Myself

Each month this year I am challenging myself in a new way. Read more about this here.

This month I'm switching gears. For February I will be focusing on my word of the year as my challenge.

For one month, I will treat myself with love. This will look like:

• Stopping negative thoughts when they arise and replacing them with positive ones.
• Loving my body through yoga and walks.
• Pampering my skin with DIY spa treatments.
• Focusing on things that make me happy.
• Reading about love.

I thought this would appropriate for the Valentines/Galentines Day season.

How are you loving yourself this month?