January Purge.

I get very to-do-y in January. In fact, you best watch out if you get in the way of me crossing things off my list. This is me.

A productive winter sets the tone for fruitful year. Because you reap what you sow. That’s a saying for a reason.

I get work re-motivated in January. It’s like September all over again. But you actually know the kids and you know what to work on with them. So it was some professional development on the top of Brooklyn Law School again. We were doing fraction activities, so I tried to make a visual model of 1/2 on the balcony at lunch. So much grey. My bridge is lost in the fog.

Later in the month in the same space, Implicit Bias Awareness Training. Basically a preaching to the choir situation that I mostly resented, but not a total waste of time. Want to know if you have biases? Take one of the many tests online from Project Implicit.

Freezing finally. The cold helps with productivity. Well, it helps me at least since most of my tasks are home-oriented. With all of my stuff out of hiding, I have been spending my time sorting, seeing if things “spark joy” (though this does not help me get rid of much as I feel joy easily, at variance, and in abundance) and finding creative means in which to incorporate more of me in my space. But here I am cracking the ice and loving the sound of it.

An opportunistic lunch before cutting all my hair off. This dish at Wild Ginger in Carroll Gardens is so reminiscent of my early vegan years. Soy science meat, breaded and doused in sweet and pungent orange sauce with crunchy blanched broccoli. Reminded me of Bamboo Garden in Seattle. Early food love.

Even though I don’t have chairs yet, I had a couple of gals over for brunch… to get us out of our dens. We played with fire, drank mimosas, and squealed at a new baby girl of two months hanging out on my couch. Only one instance of baby spit-up on my couch = success.

The lemon meringue cupcake hand-off. They were extract-y tasting for me, so I gave them all away as parting gifts. Note to self: only ever use vanilla.

The last pancake, the one you make with the small amount of batter left at the very end when the pan is super hot, is always the best pancake.

Can feet be embarrassed? These yoga sock I donned for a workout, January style, sure answers this question. With my phone within a nice, long stretch, I captured how uneasy they appeared. And I think I just like my rug as the background.

In a ridiculous craft, I turned the stack of ‘thank you’ wedding photos of my friend’s first marriage into playing cards. Why? Because my playing cards needed some flair.

Storage space completely cleared! But now the car…

It’s been a productive first month! I can’t believe how quickly the months just fly. I hope 2019 is treating you right! xo, VV