January Favorites

My favorite way to find books is to ask those avid readers in my life what THEIR current favorite titles include. I also spend a lot of my time on the internet listening to people I simply adore talk about their favorite products. There are so many things I use daily and love. I could scream about them from the rooftops. My rooftop is my website. So here we go.

These are the things that have made my January a little bit brighter.

When it comes to hydration I am on the cold water train. I love drinking water that is ice cold and through a straw. So specific. I know, weird, but I consume so much more H20 this way! I have always been a Yeti lover because my water stays cold forever. I recently got special tops for the Yetis in the Golz household that include the straw and have not looked back!

My go-to mug this month has been the Tiled Margo Monogram Mug from Anthropology. I love this mug because it is simply stunning - and doesn’t carry the high price tag that usually comes with that Anthro name.

Let’s talk lip care. In Chicagoland the winter is not only freezing, it is super dry. Lots of water out of my Yeti helps, but lip masks don’t hurt either. I have a couple I love for different reasons. When I am changing Emmett’s diaper I will throw on some Aquaphor, which is wonderful but doesn’t last super long on the lips. The Laniege Lip Mask is advertised for sleeping, but I prefer to use it during the day. It gives great shine and a hint of color. The Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask has been a holy grail for years. I slather it on before bed and my lips are healed in the morning. Both these tubs of goodness will last you forever so they are worth the investment

Recently the cap of my Apple Pencil cracked and never recovered - poor thing. I found some silicone caps on Amazon that come in a multi-pack and fit like a glove on the top of my good ole Apple Pencil. Love, love, love.

When it comes to wearing shoes to work and teaching all day, these 31-year-old soles can not do the cheap flats anymore. I love teaching in sneakers, but prefer that they have a more polished look. When I saw these Ugg slides on sale I had to snag them. They have the look of a loafer, but the comfort of a traditional slide sneaker. They were super squeaky when I got them, but the noise took a chill pill after a day of wear!

Let us talk hair. I have been struggling with postpartum hair loss. With this in mind, I have been trying to take care of the few hairs I have left on this head of mine. So many of the people I follow on social media rave about Olaplex, more specifically No. 3. I never really understood what all the hype was about until I tried it. It is a hair treatment - not a shampoo, not a conditioner, not a traditional hair mask. You dampen your hair and apply a generous amount of the Olaplex and pop it up into a bun. I have found that using this treatment overnight in my hair works best. With a shower in the morning I shampoo, condition, and BOOM. Shiney, soft, minimal frizz. Actual magic! This bottle is small and I have long hair so I was skeptical about how long the tiny bottle would last me, but it is still going strong after 5 treatments! I am about halfway through the bottle. You can utilize however often your hair needs, but I tend to use mine once a week or once every two weeks.

I have been living in Aerie since the pandemic hit. Loungewear all day every single day. From the third trimester of my pregnancy to c-section recovery my giant collection of Aerie loungewear has served me well. Then it was time to go back to teaching in-person… oof. I needed to find clothing that fit my new mom figure but was just as comfortable as my beloved loungewear. This sweater is everything. So soft, so stretchy, and full of oversized goodness. You can always snag it on sale too - a total bonus.

This travel camper mug needs no explanation. Cute, cute, the cutest.

Another favorite that needs no explanation, but has been a savior in remote teaching is this wireless mouse. I may have two of these so I can keep one at school and one at home.

As far as storage of stuffed animals, blankets, baby toys, and all things clutter - they have a new home and it is these wonderful rope bins from Target. We have 5 of these in different rooms at the Golz house that can collect all of the things. They come in so many different sizes and the leather handles make them look just the right amount of chic.

Lastly, we have my favorite plant of the month. Now I don’t usually pick favorites when it comes to my plant babies, but when I do - it is the monstera. Most of my plants ride the struggle bus in the wintertime. It is cold and dry in Chicago and many of my plants are in a dormant state so they don’t look so hot. I currently have two very large monsteras, one smaller monstera, and one that is propagating in water. Every week these beauties have new leaves unfurling. Even in the cold and dry winter, they show me all the love - so for January, they take the top spot. You can grab monsteras at your local hardware store, plant shop, or even on Etsy. Finally, here is a site if you are new to the plant parent game that can lend you some tips on the great monstera.

That’s that on January faves. Let’s get rolling onto the month of reds and pinks to see what lovelies we stumble upon in February!