Happy List: January 2023

The first Happy List of 2023 is here. I’ve been doing these little monthly roundups for years now and they’re honestly just my favourite thing to write. You guys always seem to enjoy them too which is great! January seemed to be slow but fast if that makes sense?! I used to hate January and always found it dragged but in recent years I’ve learnt to embrace entering into a new year and I enjoy January much more. Though I am over the cold dark weather now. So let’s take a look back at January shall we?

I really went into this new year ready to smash some goals, make new memories and generally just have a really great year. Setting myself some goals and creating a mood board have really helped me to focus on what I want this year and in turn I’ve had a bloody lovely January! Here’s a recap of the month:

1. January started in the loveliest way possible, with a little holiday to Center Parcs. If you follow me over on Instagram then you’ll have seen the photos I shared. We went the day after New Year’s Day and I honestly couldn’t have wished for a nicer start to the new year. It was so relaxing and it was really great to spend some quality time together. We spent most of our time at the swimming pool but we also went to the spa which was amazing. Waking up in a morning surrounded by nature was just perfect and we had lots of squirrels visiting too. I can’t tell you how much my husband and I love Center Parcs, we’ve actually just booked another holiday there for next January! I wrote a whole blog post on why I think it’s the perfect place for a couples holiday, so it would be great if you could check that out.

2. January was also about trying to get back into a fitness routine. I started working with a PT last May and it’s the best decision I’ve ever made. However due to been really poorly at the end of November and into a big part of December my fitness levels really dropped as I wasn’t working out. I’m not going to lie it’s been hard getting back into it but I’ve been trying and that’s all that matters. I’m still working with my PT and I’m slowly getting there. It felt a bit of a struggle towards the end of the month but I’m ready to take on February now!

3. January was also about embracing the little things that make me happy, a super important thing to do in what is probably one of the hardest months of the year a think! Creating another cosy corner in the kitchen, good homemade brunches, lots of cat cuddles and beautiful sunsets all helped to make January a little bit brighter.

4. I absolutely had to indulge in some sweet treats in January. We have an incredible dessert shop in my local town and they’ve just opened a second store. Some of you may be aware of them as they’re majorly TikTok famous now but it’s called Dolly’s Desserts. Well I had to visit the new store while I was passing to get some goodies to take out. I got a Cadbury Caramel New York stuffed cookie and a Kinder Stack (brownie, cookie dough and lots of Kinder goodness) and both were absolutely incredible.

5. Perhaps the biggest news of the month is that we booked a holiday abroad, our first one in five years! I’m just so excited. We’re heading to Portugal for a week and I can’t wait for some sunshine and cocktails. I’ve never been to Portugal so I absolutely cannot wait. We also booked Center Parcs again as I’ve mentioned the day after booking Portugal so I think we need to cool it a little now haha!

What a lovely start to 2023. I really hope the rest of the year continues the same and that there’s lots of amazing things coming my way.

I hope you all had a great January too. Let me know what you got up to in the comments!