I used to do this series way back when in the early years of my blog. I've wanted to resurrect it for a while, but haven't been able to buckle down and get it done. Well, one of my goals for this year is to dedicate more time to thoughtful writing, so even though this one is a few days late (in my book), here it is. For those of you who are new and don't know what this series is all about - let me tell you. At the beginning of each new month, I write a little reflection piece on the month before. No staged photos; no fancy frills - just a leftover assortment of moments (highs and lows), events, and standout adventures. January was a whirlwind. It was long, but not long enough. I was busy in the best way on most days and struggled to keep my sanity on other days, ha. I made it to a haaaandful of events, managed to update my blog a good bit, and met a handful of new people. Overall, I think the month was a great way to kick off 2018. So, let's take a look back, shall we?
At the beginning of January, I took a trip to Earthbound Farms with the FeedFeed team. It was a 2+ hour journey (at 6AM!!) to Carmel Valley. First off, y'all know how much of an early bird I'm not, lol. I surprised myself (and some of you) by getting up at 5 and making it to a farm of all places. (City girl speaking, here!) I love the FeedFeed team, so I was extremely excited to join them for another event. I found that connecting with the earth (something, I'm really trying to do more of) and being around like-minded people, who were all passionate about their crafts (food, photography, farming, etc.) was such a nourishing way to kick off the year. It definitely helped to set the tone for what I want to cultivate more of this year.
January marked a slew of openings - food and otherwise. The Assembly, Marugame, Vive La Tarte, and the most exciting for me, Ippudo SF. Needless to say, I ate a lot this month, ha. As per usual, though, I guess. Of course, true to my interests, I also had plenty of wine. I attended a delicious Pinot Noir tasting thanks to Walt Wines, and I attended Zinfandel Festival thanks to ZinEX. If you know me, you know I love red wine. And, even though I am not too much of a beer drinker these days, I still love me a good brew. I visited Harmonic Brewing for the first time ever thanks to a little soiree thrown by the lovely folks at Kodiak Cakes. Beer flights with uniquely paired dishes all featuring Kodiak Cake mixes = hella good. I'll be doing a dedicated post on a few of these foodie and beverage escapades, but for now, you can catch most of these on my Events highlight on my Instagram to get a taste.
Of course, with all that eating comes the working out. And work out I did. Aside from my on-going love affair with the Bay Club, which you are all so sick of hearing about by now, I had a chance to get my groove on at StudioMix with G-Shock, as part of the launch of their new step tracking watch. The class, taught by the incredibly talented Jessica Rae, was an amazingly fun (and challenging!) workout. And, my new watch, compliments of G-Shock, is my favorite. Seriously, with all that I like to move, it's about time I got a step tracker.
Now, I would be remiss if I did not tell you about all the bomb beauty products and happenings from the month. At the end of last year, I collaborated with Credo Beauty, a clean beauty store located in SF. They kindly asked if I wanted to film a #GRWM (get ready with me)-style video for them, and so I did. I am by no means a beauty guru, and I also have never done such a video, but I'm all about doing something that scares me every now and then. The video finally came out at the end of last year (so this is really not a January leftover, but so close, so why not), and I realized I didn't tell you guys! So if you want to watch my first-ever attempt at doing my own makeup on video, here it is. Things I learned from this: concealer is probably a good investment and maybe doing more videos would be fun.
One beauty event that did take place this month was by DHC Skincare. They recently launched their new Olive Concentrated Cleaning Oil and I cannot wait to try it out. I have heard nothing but good things about their cleansing oil, so I can't wait to see my skincare routine transform for the better. Again, more on this one in an upcoming Beauty Bites, but here's your little sneak peek. We dined at Dumpling Time and as a bun-lover, if you're in SF and haven't yet tried it, it's 100% worth the hype.
And, because we're hitting upon all of the areas of life this month, might as well talk about finance, right? At the very end of the month, I was invited to attend a #FinanciallyFit event with Credit Karma. Along with getting our bodies fit (afternoon yoga, mani/pedis, and deliciously healthy snacks), we learned how to get our credit in tip-top shape. Credit Karma offers its users free credit scores (always great to know where you stand, financially) and, even better, a free tax preparation and filing product. After I learned about both, I went home, researched some, and signed up. Finished my taxes in 20 minutes top (and, let me tell you, mine are not so easy to do, so this was a major come-up!).
So, those are the leftover bites from my January. It was a busy one, you guys! Because it was so busy, I haven't had a proper day to sit down and write about everything above. But it's on my list! Promise. February is my favorite month of the year (you'll see why soon!), so I am already eager with excitement for how this month will play out.
