This year (all four weeks of it so far!) I've been thinking a lot about what makes me happy. In particular, the small things on a daily basis that put a smile on my face. One of my intentions for this year is to appreciate the small things more. So over the last few weeks I've been paying extra attention to what's been making me smile each day. Which also got me thinking about what makes other people genuinely happy. So I thought if I share a little January recap of the things that I'm really loving right now, you might see something new that's of interest to you, and maybe it'll put a smile on your face too.Let's get into it :)

Netflix

I really enjoy sitting on the couch of an evening and watching some TV. Don't judge, I know I'm not alone here! So I thought I'd start with something that I've been watching that has actually been really motivating.

Marie Kondo

This new show on Netflix could not have come at a better time. Not only do I plan on being more minimalist in 2019, but we are also moving soon. So I'm already in the process of sorting and packing in preparation for that. And before you ask, yes I have already watched the full season!I love the way that Marie Kondo shows so much respect to the people, their homes and all their stuff. Even the things that they are getting rid of. As much as I don't want to take anything to the new apartment that doesn't "spark joy", I'm also being really conscious of not letting anything go to waste. So I've either been repurposing things at home, selling them or donating as much as I can. I've thrown some things out, but only as a last resort. I found a great app here in Sweden that I can list almost anything for donation and somebody comes and picks it up. It's felt so good to pass on some of our things to other people and seeing them so happy to receive it. Now I can't wait to move so I can try Marie's folding method in my new wardrobe! I'm loving this show and organising my home definitely sparks joy for me! Have you been swept up in the Marie Kondo #konmarie craze?

Podcasts

I hear so many people talking about their favourite podcasts, but up until a few months ago I'd never really listened to them. Much the same as my introduction to audio books, I found it hard to follow along whilst I was multitasking. Which I'm almost always doing. I would realise after a few minutes that I hadn't really heard anything. But I got restless if I tried to just sit and listen, so I stopped trying. Recently though, I've found some real gems and now I listen to hours of podcasts each week. I love to listen whilst I'm cooking and cleaning, on the train, walking the dogs and even on the treadmill.There are two podcasts that I've been obsessed with this month. Both I've found due to recommendations from other people and I've been binge listening (is that a thing?!) all month.

The Plant Proof Podcast 

An Aussie friend also living in Stockholm told me about this one. As eating more plant-based is something I want to do this year, this has been perfect. The host Simon, interviews fellow plant-based eaters in such an interesting way. Because of this podcast I've found so many social media accounts to follow for plant-based meal ideas and have learnt so much about this lifestyle and how to look after the planet more. Plus Simon is also an Aussie, so listening to his accent is an added bonus for me! If you're interested in plant-based eating and don't know where to begin, I think this is absolutely a great place to start. You can listen to The Plant Proof Podcast on iTunes here.

My Favourite Murder

My daughter actually told me about this podcast ages ago, but recently I saw it mentioned again on Instagram. I'm loving listening to this for hours whilst I'm organising and packing up the house to move soon. It's not only fascinating listening it's also hilarious. It's a true-crime comedy podcast hosted by two very entertaining ladies who also seem to have created an amazing community. Have a listen to My Favourite Murder on iTunes here.

Nighttime Ritual

I haven't intentionally set out to create a night-time ritual, but I have noticed that I do the same thing every night before bed. As the renovation has been a bit stressful lately, I've found myself having trouble falling asleep. This new ritual has been helping though. As it's well below zero most of the time, the first thing I do is put on my warmest, cosiest pj's. Then I moisturise my arms with the Lush 'Sleepy' body lotion which smells heavenly of lavender. Spray my pillow with a relaxing pillow spray and read for a while. I've also been taking a few drops of my Bach Rescue Remedy, which I swear by to help in particularly stressful times. Going through this routine each night makes me feel cosy enough to fall asleep and relaxed enough to sleep all night. Which means I'm waking up slightly more rested than normal and that makes me smile.

Random Musings

So far I'm pleased with how many of my 2019 intentions I've stuck to. Of course a few have fallen along the wayside, but overall I'm still going pretty strong. I'm taking baby steps towards helping the environment and it's been much easier than I thought. I've bought a Keep Cup and keep that, a reusable water bottle and a tote bag with me most of the time. I'm really loving knowing that I'm doing a little extra for the planet each day.

The other thing that I've been focusing on for this month is going without sugar and alcohol. Giving up alcohol has actually been really easy. I was talking to a friend today who is also going alcohol-free this January and we've realised that for the most part its the ritual of having a drink rather than the actual drink itself that makes us happy. For us anyway. I'm sure there are a lot of people out there who really appreciate the taste of alcohol. For me, there are only a few drinks that I actually like. So I think I'll keep this going long term and only drink when I really want to, not just out of habit.

Giving up sugar started off well, but wasn't as easy to stick to. I did notice though that I felt much better without all the excess sugar. So I'm going to try to get back on track and keep cutting out all the unnecessary sugar from my life. Which means more cooking things at home from scratch as so many sauces have sugar in them.

Lastly, how could I not mention all the snow? Stockholm has been like a winter wonderland over the last week or so and I'm loving living in a winter wonderland.

Over to You…

What are you really loving at the moment? I'd love to start a community conversation sharing some of the small things that are making you smile lately. Without recommendations from my friends, I wouldn't have known about some of the amazing things I've mentioned here. So I wanted to continue the loop and share some of mine. I'm going to keep this up and post a little recap at the end of each month. I'd love to get more recommendations from you guys too, so leave me a comment or reach out on Instagram.

Cheers, Jess :)