The Best Bits: My January 2026 Favorites
The Best Bits is a monthly series where I tell you what I’ve been up to! What I’m doing, media I’m loving, and products I recommend! Here’s a fresh batch of favorites for your reading pleasure!
BEAUTY | Keeping it Simple
I’ve had a bit of a break from beauty this year so far! I’ve worn makeup only a handful of times, and with the cold weather I’ve really been doing my best to focus on moisturizing my skin! Not much to report here, other than rituallistically slathering myself in as much moisturizer, lip balm, and lotion as possible!
I did get a lovely new lip balm for Christmas, and that has been heavy in my rotation! Bluephoria Lip Therapy is a godsend!
STYLE | eBay Scores!
With the weather being so cold lately, I’ve started to realize the gaps in my winter wardrobe! I turned to eBay and other secondhand shopping sites to find some nice winter basics for great prices. I lucked out on an L.L. Bean Raincoat and a gorgeous Eileen Fisher top in the perfect green for me!
READING | The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan
This was my book club’s pick for January and it was a five star read for me! This is a novel set in WWII England with a focus on food and female friendship. Based around a fictional cooking competition, four women compete to win a job presenting a wartime food program on the radio. A great read for anyone interested in history, women’s stories, and cooking!
CRAFTS | Socks, Mittens, and Embroidery
I’ve been a bit non-monogamous in my crafting lately! In order to give my wrist a bit of a rest from knititng, I’ve been picking up an embroidery project that has been in hibernation for quite some time. A few years ago I purchased some pretty felt with the intention of making a bunch of embroidered easter eggs. Cut to years later, I’d only finished one. The process was fussy, but I had been stitching right on the felt without anything to hold it in place.
For some reason it has taken me until now to realize I should’ve been using an embroidery hoop (don’t ask! I don’t know why it took so long either!) But my cheap wooden embroidery hoops also left a lot to be desired, so (finally) I had the bright idea to employ the QSnap frames I’ve used for cross stitching. BAM, game changed. I’ve now embroidered enough pieces to make three whole easter eggs in record time compared to my previous output! Such a brag, right? 😂
When it comes to knitting, I have three different pairs of socks and a pair of mittens going!
WATCHING & LISTENING | A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
I’m one of those weird people who still hasn’t watched Game of Thrones. It’s not because I don’t want to, but my husband has already seen it and I haven’t set aside the time to really dive deep into it. Plus, people really seemed to hate the ending, so that makes me a little hesitant to even start!
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a show set in the world of Game of Thrones, but only loosely related to the main story. If I’ve heard correctly, the events in the show happen many years before the official GoT timeline.
IN THE KITCHEN | 52 Week Cookbook Challenge
I wrote a little about my cookbook challenge in my last post, but to catch you up… this year I’m challenging myself to make something from every cookbook I own! I conveniently own somewhere around 52, so I’m making a year of it!
Here’s what I made in January!
Sour Cream Breakfast Buns from The Complete Magnolia Bakery Cookbook
These breakfast buns were great, but truthfully the word “bun” in the name is misleading, and these are basically just muffins with a brown sugar strusel. I’d make these again, especially the batter. It would make great blueberry muffins!
Beautiful Shrimp Dumplings from Home Style Cookery by Matty Matheson
This recipe was sadly overshadowed by the other dumplings I made to use up the rest of the dumpling wrappers! While the shrimp dumplings were very tasty, they paled in comparison to the pork, mushroom, and dill dumplings we had along side them. I’ll definitely be sharing that recipe soon!
Fried Farro with Grated Cauliflower and Shallots from That Sounds So Good by Carla Lalli Music
This was our winner for the month, the farro was excellent! While it requires a few more steps than something I’d typically throw together in a flash, it is a great side dish or base for a grain bowl, and will definitely be entering our weeknight dinner rotation! So so good!
Sour Cream Poundcake from Grandmas Rose’s Book of Sinfully Delicious Cakes, Cookies, Pies, Cheese Cakes, Cake Rolls & Pastries
We deviated a bit from this recipe, as it calls for a whipping FOUR tablespoons of cinnamon, and that just seemed a bit off putting (even as cinnamon lovers) so I omitted the cinnamon and holy moly – this is hands down the best pound cake I’ve ever had! My adaptation of this recipe is coming to the blog very soon, keep your eyes peeled! It’s a must-bake!
OBSESSIONS | Planners and Junk Journaling
I’ve felt compelled to begin a junk journal because I have been seeing a ton about it online, but since I know myself and my history with consistent journaling I have been trying very hard to resist! I do have goals to work on cooking and crafting journals, but I am wary of falling into the trap of buying things. Sure, I have a few empty notebooks at hand, but the ones I don’t have are definitely better suited to my intentions, right? So sneaky!
I did buy a planner at the beginning of this year and I have been keeping up with it, but keeping my desk clear is a constant struggle so sometimes it ends up at the bottom of a pile of other random desk debris, so I have to make sure I am intentional about actually using it!
LITTLE MOMENTS | PA Farm Show and Snow, Snow, Snow!
Some family friends came up to visit this month to attend the Pennsylvania Farm Show with us, and it was a blast! We saw practically every farm animal, from newborn baby calves to massive Belgian draft horses, indulged in potato donuts and the famous farmshow milkshakes, and browsed endless aisles of prize winning crafts, baked items, and canned goods! We also got a huge load of snow, and given the forecast it doesn’t look like it’ll be going anywhere for quite some time!
What are your favorite things this month?
Be sure to leave a comment and check out other monthly favorites posts here!
