The Kind List: Romanticising January
Not my favourite month
The Kind List is a feature for paid subscribers only - a monthly feature which will go to paid subscribers every first Tuesday of the month with curated recommendations on ethical living - beauty, fashion, things to read and watch, petitions to sign, and more.
Hope you’ve all had a lovely start to 2025. My holiday season was, as it often is, a staycation. I went to see my family in Sweden mid-December for my mum’s birthday, so I got to enjoy the Christmas magic of Stockholm. Upon returning to Brighton, there was the usual whirlwind of seeing friends, Christmas dinners, and all the madness before a calm, chilled-out Christmas enjoying long walks, lots of food, and holiday movies. New Year’s Eve was a ramen dinner (more on that below) and a tropical party at a vegetarian pub - so very Brighton.
For as long as I can remember, January has been the only month that I Cannot Stand. I can find something beautiful in every other month - but the dark, dreary, freezing slog of January, combined with an empty bank account and post-Christmas blues, is something I think we could all do without. In fact, I’d be happy to skip straight to March after New Year’s.
But since we cannot control the calendar, I choose to romanticise January in the following ways:
Hot chocolate, cardamom coffee, and really fancy tea. See more on that in this month’s recommendations.
Regular exercise. Skipping the gym just makes me sleepy and sluggish - and is there any better way to lift your mood than a run by the seafront on a sunny winter day?
Fairy lights. Who said lights were for Christmas only?
Little treats, like second-hand books and brand-new nail polishes.
Even more yoga classes at my yoga studio.
Hot soups and stews. I’m thinking parsnips, sweet potatoes, carrots, tofu, courgettes, baby potatoes, cabbage…and lots of turmeric and nutritional yeast.
Making social plans. Hibernating feels better with friends.
…but none of these even come close to the ultimate number-one life hack EVER: