Monthly Muse: January 2021 Favorites

The first favorites post of 2021! That is a cause for celebration! I cannot believe we're at the end of January already. It feels like it's been the longest and shortest month... but is that any different than any other month? 

A lot happened this month... both good and bad; a domestic terrorist attack, lots of weird celebrity news (looking at you Armie Hammer), a new President and the first female, POC VP. We're still in the middle of a pandemic, NYC in-door dining is still closed (despite our numbers being some of the lowest in the state) and the vaccine efforts have really kicked off. My grandpa (and so many nurse/medical professional friends) have gotten their vaccine and I'm so excited for them.

There is so much hope amidst so much sorrow. 

This month brought a lot clarity to my personal life, my career, my 'side hustles'... it's been eye opening and refreshing. I'm hoping to keep up the momentum going forward and really make 2021 a good year.

That being said, I loved lots of things this month but below were the standout items. Some of them are a little strange... I mean, a pen? A pen is my favorite item of the month, yes. 

January 2021 Favorites 

Stoney Clover Notebook Cover

Oh look, another Stoney Clover favorite! A few months ago, SCL released notebook covers and I of course, immediately purchased one. I wasn't sure what I was going to use it for but I knew I needed one. The last few weeks of December, I decided that it was going to be my freelance notebook, for both writing and social media. I've been using it a lot this month and really just fell in love with it. I love the snap closure, I love how pens write on the paper, and I love the size. It's not too big or too small, and it's comfortable while writing. I'm going to get another one for work and probably one for the blog as well. I'm a stationery hoarder and love having a variety of notebooks to choose from but I also love notebook covers, so I'm going to make it work. 

Stoney Clover sells refillable notebooks when you run out but you can also use whatever planner/notebook you prefer, as long as it fits. I've even seen people use them as covers for their books/e-readers. It's very versatile! 

*My notebook is Flamingo with a Love Shack Fancy crown and Lilac 'B'. I also went the store in the West Village over the weekend and got the Carrie Bradshaw porch patch because it's my writing notebook so duh! That patch is exclusive to the West Village store but you can call them and place a phone order.

Sugar Paper LA Pen

While we're talking about stationery, I need to mention this pen. I bought it months ago while in Target and I have been loving it lately. It's a weighted pen but extremely comfortable in your hand. It writes beautifully, doesn't bleed nor is it too watery on the page. I use it every single day and really seek it out when I need to write. It's that good! Sugar Paper LA has other pens that I'm intrigued by and I might just pick one of them up soon.  

Diff Blue Light Glasses

I have previously talked about other blue light glasses I have but I was in Nordstrom before Thanksgiving and fell in love with the DIFF brand. I loved how chunky and oversized the glasses were and how they weren't super blurry or made my eyes feel strange like other blue light glasses. I decided to purchase a pair called 'Ryder' in the Amber Tortoise color and have been wearing them ever since. They of course help with my headaches and tired eyes but I can look away from my computer or phone without having my vision completely distorted. They are so comfortable, so beautiful, and I love them! I still alternate between the Book Club glasses I mentioned a few months ago but I've been preferring these. I also just updated my prescription glasses to have blue light because my eye doctor recommended it so we'll see how that works out in coming months.

Barnes & Noble Nook Glow Light 3

I talked about my Barnes and Noble Nook in 2019 and since then, I've made an upgrade. My mom bought me the Nook Glow Light 3 for Christmas and I have been in love ever since. It's so much nicer than the other Nook and I like it better than my Kindle now! The screen is nice and big, I love that it has a backlight so I can read in the dark, and I love the cover! I'm going to do a more in-depth post on it but reading on the Glow Light 3 has been a pleasure and definitely a favorite. 

Ouai Dry Shampoo

I'm going to do a separate beauty favorites post but I loved this Ouai Super Dry Shampoo so much, I had to mention it again. I got this in a set as a Christmas present and have been loving it! My hair has been extra greasy recently (TMI?) and I'm not sure why... but this has really helped. What I like most is that it doesn't leave a super noticeable white cast nor does it leave my hair a matted mess. I've noticed with other dry shampoos that sometimes it makes my hair feel hard or like I just sprayed it with hairspray. With the Ouai dry shampoo, I can touch and brush my hair immediately after and not feel gross. It also does a really great job at absorbing the grease and just making your hair look better. It's my new favorite dry shampoo for sure!

What have you loved this month?

xoxo

B