To ask what you are enjoying in January?

[crochetmonkey74]

In an attempt ro be cheerful and see the positive, what are you enjoying in January?
It's taken me 18 days to get on track with being positive but so far I'm enjoying: Getting home and into pjs early and watching good telly, getting some early morning swims before work as my gym has lovely hot showers, finding some good bargains in some charity shops in the post Christmas period, having lovely big cups of tea at work.
January can feel a bit bleak but how are you enjoying it?

I like putting my pjs on early as well, then relaxing on the settee watching tv/reading my book.

Cold here, but looks nice outside with the sun out - hopefully still out when walk to work as it warms you nicely.

We've got some winter bulbs just coming through, which I enjoy.

Hot chocolate in my new Velvetiser.
Getting back into the gym after a loooong hiatus, warms me up and gets the endorphins flowing!
Cuddling with the nice warm dog 🐶

I quite like cycling and running in the cold; I particularly like that there are fewer people around when I’m doing both because most people prefer to be hunched up indoors! Loads of pubs and restaurants have special January deals on, so it’s a relatively cheap month to catch up with friends. It’s good for starting on pruning back the garden before spring starts turning it into a thicket again. It’s a relatively quiet and placid month at work because we’ve concluded the majority of transactions for 2023 and the market doesn't quite begin to wake up properly for new until the beginning of February.

Feeding the birds and watching them take little baths and drinking from their water bowls

plodding through a jigsaw with no deadline or pressure to finish / just as and when in the evenings

reading my new books

Going for a quick walk on a cold but sunny day ( not in the rain though)

making soup on a Sunday to have for lunch for a couple of days.

I'm enjoying the cold, crisp, frosty weather we've got here at the moment. It's absolutely freezing but I love being out in it.

I'm also really enjoying feeding the birds and squirrels in my garden. We get a the biggest variety of bird species in the garden at this time of year and I could watch them for hours.

I'm enjoying the fact that it still gets dark early. Yes, I KNOW lots of people hate it, and I'm sorry about that, but I love dark evenings.

I got some craft/hobby related stuff for Christmas which I'm really enjoying playing around with.

I'm trying to learn a new language and I'm loving the challenge.

We're getting some stuff sorted with our house which has made me feel more positive about my living space etc.

Getting stuck into a really good book while curled up with a cuppa and my heated throw.

I'm also going all-out with the hearty winter cooking at the moment. It's wall to wall stews, slow-cooked curries, sausages and mashed potatoes round here.

We also got some restaurant vouchers for Christmas so planning to spend those on a couple of nice meals out this month.

@ComtesseDeSpair Agree re. running in the cold! I much prefer a winter run to a summer one!

This is a nice thread, OP, thank you.

I'm a weirdo but I love PT sessions outside in the freezing cold.

I'm enjoying not drinking alcohol, its giving me a weird sense of freedom on Saturday evenings which are usually structured around food and drink.

I'm enjoying getting back into jigsaws on weekends.

I've been really lucky with books so far this year so really enjoying reading in bed at night.

There's been some bloody brilliant TV on so far this year - Mr Bates, Gladiators, Big Boys. And I'm rewatching original Louis Theroux stuff as well which is fun.

There are some early spring bulbs poking up in my garden so I'm enjoying watching them grow.

I bought loads of new stationary in autumn which I'm enjoying using.

I had lots of fancy bath shit for Christmas which I'm making an effort to use every day, not just save "for best". I'm loving that - feels very indulgent.

Cosy evenings with the fire.
Frosty dog walks
Thinking about my summer holiday
Seeing the evenings creeping gradually lighter each day.
Not worrying about Christmas.
Being back into a routine at work without children bouncing off the walls due to the C word! (I'm a teacher!)
Seeing the daffodils start to poke out of the ground.

I've taken this month to slow right down and enjoy my evenings more, rather than getting jobs done. It can wait until Feb. I am feeling better for it

I'm also enjoying Dry January, it's making me feel 'clean' inside.

Also my heated throw and the new heated foot muff I had for Christmas which are keeping me toasty whilst WFH.

Watching my bank balance recover from Christmas spending given Dry Jan and hibernating rather than socialising a lot.

Going running and booking a holiday to Sri Lanka in 4 weeks time. I need a holiday!

Me too but it was a bit fresh this morning. Didn't warm up at all 🥶

I also love a really cold crisp walk listening to a good crime podcast or a spooky tale. - I have a long walking commute to work once a week (an hour) and it's really enjoyable in the cold!
I am loving reading at the moment so I love an early morning coffee shop at weekends to read my book. Also I have tried to really focus on nice skincare and body moisturiser so I like looking after my body in that way- In January, it feels like there is time for that more than in other months

Both daughters birthdays and one Grandsons in January.. celebrated one.. two more to come.
Been for drives out into the country or coast .. yes still love going in winter .
Going for lunch.
Just bought new phone and loving it.
Loads of new books downloaded on kindle.
Looking for and planning a few holidays.
First in March.
Getting back into knitting and sewing.
But l do love getting into bed early and watching telly with my Cat on me.
Some great new programmes .
Mr Bates.
Vera.
Grandchester.
Call the Midwife.
Dancing on Ice .

I'm enjoying Dry Jan, having more energy and sleeping a lot better. Also the sun has now come back into my east facing kitchen (disappeared in November). It means today as I'm wfh I can sit in a sunny spot which feels quite toasty!

Me and DP always have our annual "big retirement chat" in January where we map out our finances and run a few scenarios for when we'd be likely to retire. We also share our ideas for things we'd like to do in retirement.
Things haven't really changed for the last few years in terms of planned early retirement age but having the conversation makes it feel like retirement is on the horizon, which makes me take a much more pragmatic attitude to work, which paradoxically reinvigorates me.

So, yeah, I've enjoyed our "big retirement chat" throughout the month so far.

Nothing . Roll on Spring.

The quiet.

Nothing happens. It's great. Just take stock and have a quiet, reflective time.

As well as my massive list above, and my "retirement chat", I also wanted to add that I'm really enjoying this perfume that I got for Christmas. I don't think it smells very Christmass-y (which is why DP bought it for me) but it's a lovely deep, quite natural winter-y smell and then fades to a kind of caramel musk which lingers for ages. Very January 😅

I love these threads but they make me feel very envious.. Is anyone else not just go go go, kids, sickness, late nights working every night to catch up 😭
I am trying to have a nice bubble bath once a week. And I've stopped drinking for the year which feels fabulous already. Oh and I've got a 1 line a day diary which is manageable even for me!

I like January - new year, new beginnings and all that

It's very cold but some days, like today, are bright and sunny

I've started an online sketching course

Last of the Xmas chocolates have been eaten and I'm having not quite a dry January, more a moist one, so a detox vibe!

I love that too. Good choice!

I handed in my notice. And although I'll be sad to leave the people I've worked with a very long time, its like an enormous weight has lifted off my heart.

Pilates & wights at gym
long winter walks & runs
podcasts
cooking yummy home cooked food from scratch

I bloody love January ☺️ Christmas is over, and that is sweet relief for me

The weather! I'm in London, and we've had 2 weeks of blue skies, warm sun and cold wind. Absolute bliss. The rain is arriving on Sunday so YUCK
Great telly
New films in cinema
New books
Getting into bed at 9pm to read
Best time of year for cooking hearty food
Quieter pubs and restaurants