Bits n bobs to bust the winter blues
Yes January is almost over but better late than never.
January. Nobodies favourite month, except maybe Father Christmas’s, a chance for him and his busy elves to kick back and catch up on sleep post the December madness. I should really take a leaf out of their book…
A new year signals a fresh start, a desperate opportunity to make unsustainable resolutions and self flagellating routines. I’ve always been a sucker for reading those quick fix articles in the Sunday broadsheets that spell out how to “live a better life”. You already know what they’re going to advise before you’ve even opened the paper, essentially sleep/rest/exercise more and eat less. Yep we know. But still, write it in a natty 100 list format for me, chuck in a handful of experts and I’m hooked.
Resolutions however? Nope, not for me. The only resolution I’ll be committing to this year is martinis. To my unsophisticated palate, martinis have previously tasted like pungent cleaning detergent, but not in 2025. This year I’m going to be oh so chic and learn to enjoy every startling sip. Adding not subtracting is a better resolution equation for me. Life feels challenging enough without throwing in giving up chocolate or taking up team sports (I know this is adding but there are exceptions to the rules). No thank you, next. My childhood and education was very goal driven, I was an extra-curricular fiend, a dogged goody-two shoes you could say. I suppose ever since leaving school I’ve gladly shaken off all of the extra responsibilities that sucked up my free time. And yet, I still crave for the direction, for the step-by-step guide to the next rung of the ladder.
Speaking of climbing, I’m doing the National Three Peaks Challenge (Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike, Snowdon) in 24 hours at the end of May with four best girlfriends, to raise money and awareness for The Lady Garden Foundation. Gulp. It’s the sort of thing that keeps my up at night. At 2am my internal dialogue is whirring, ‘You can’t even be bothered to get out of bed and go for a wee at this time. Imagine hiking at this time?’
My job as a model often throws me out of my comfort zone. I often receive bonkers direction from excitable videographers and photographers—“Pretend you’re a dj in the middle of the Moroccan desert. Try and ignore the buzzing drone that keeps dropping out of the sky directly above you!” or “Can you ride this horse bareback along the cliff edge please?” I firmly declined the latter but you catch my drift. I’m used to a level of performance that can feel challenging at times at work, but physical challenges have never been my cup of tea. I’ve supported friends and family at marathon finish lines without feeling an ounce of envy. Good on you seriously for pushing your body to its limits and of course for the act of charity, but I’ll leave the wincing, wobbling, blisters and collapsing to the runners. I’d much rather be cheering from the safety of the sidelines clutching a coffee, tucking into a packed lunch in between stations.
Casually dropping in a physical challenge feels very January new-year-new me, very eye rolling, very ‘Oh gawd silly me, what am I like..now think better of me’ etc. so enough of that. I only thought it was worth jotting it down here in case anyone has any tips or suggestions for me. I was supposed to buy a pair of hiking boots recently but somehow I swerved the sensible shoe shop and found myself gleefully trotting to Miista. See below for the goods I left with. They were on sale, I had to!
I recently saw someone I went to school with post on Instagram about their annual end of year list, where they write down all the memorable moments of the year just passed instead of future resolutions. She wasn’t showing off how great her life was at all but sharing her choice to take stock of the good times (nope, don’t want to call it a gratitude list) rather than charging blindly forward into a new year. Being freelance I’m only ever as good as my last job so I’m not one to look back much, but this exercise was a helpful reminder of how getting new clients, or going on holiday abroad is just as rewarding (if not less rewarding) than fish and chips on the British seaside, or seeing the tulips bloom at home, or playing with my nephew in the garden. There’s joy to be found in the near or far. This list has also helped direct me to what I want to prioritise more of in 2025. Give it a go if you like and thank you to you-know-who for sharing this natty tip with us!
Outside of writing a jolly list to help bust the start of year brain fog, I can recommend some beauty product wisdom I’ve gathered whilst sat in the make up chair:
I always struggle to find a brow pencil colour that suits me, normally they’re too reddish, but if you’re more ashy like me, Anastasia has the one for you.
I’ve been a big fan of Weleda products for a long time but I’d never tried their lip balm or facial mist before. They left me feeling deeply hydrated rather than that sticky surface feeling you all too often get from other products.
Other January joys include:
Anna Jones’s spiced tomato soup with lemon and herb flatbreads has been a welcome zingy alternative to the stodgier, heavier soup options I often find myself whizzing up at this time of year.
Snuggling friends newborns and new pups.
For some light reading, I delighted in reading Hugh Grant’s interview with Renée Zellweger for Vogue UK’s January issue. It felt so much messier and more honest than most cover interviews. Of course Grant has far more access to Zellweger than a journalist would, but bravo Vogue for this editorial decision. Back over to the journalists though…
For longer reads:
I detest when people ask me what my favourite book is. It makes my brain fizz, I can’t focus, my memory is completely wiped clean, my face begins to flush with anger. How dare you ask me such a personal question so casually? Reading for me is so closely tied with and affected by the context of my life, the world at large and my surroundings. A collection of books that I enjoyed from 2024 though, no strings attached? Sure no problem. Here goes:
A darling bookworm and friend lent me Dinner With Edward by Isabel Vincent (very Nora Ephron, very heartwarming) and Strong Female Characters by Fern Brady (fiercely brilliant and hilarious).
A book club goer and old friend lent me Wandering Souls by Cecile Pin. A generation spanning family history that blew me away.
Nature focused narratives (maybe they kickstarted the urge for me to do a mega walk?):
The book I’ll be returning to again and again:
Art/fashion books:
Happy reading, eating, sleeping, not-doing-muching. 'Tis the season!