Happy New Year!

December was a whirlwind with my new 31-day challenge and vlogmas(ish) series. I’m very much looking forward to a slower pace this month. I’m going to spend a lot of time getting organized, doing puzzles, colouring, and reading. It’s going to be cozy time galore in my tiny home.

Here are my moon planning check-ins this month:

  • Full moon on January 13

  • New moon on January 29

As always, I’m continuing with my core self-care practice of writing daily morning pages.

For more about what’s on my mind right now, you can subscribe to my newsletter, or check out my 2025 goals (coming soon!) and my 101 in 1001 list. I’ve also got a few bits on my about page.

P.S. I loved my 2024 monthly wallpapers so much that I’ll be doing a new series in 2025 — the first one’s available now.

DAILY ROUTINE

My routine is my source of power. Each day is like a little puzzle, and everything always comes together. Read about my fluid time blocking practice.

Morning

The morning is the most structured part of my day. My alarm is currently set for 5:30am. I spend the first few hours of my day getting ready, oil pulling, making myself a hot herbal infusion, watering our houseplants, and writing morning pages. The rest of my morning depends on how busy I am with work. I’ll go for a walk at some point, which often includes a quick trip to the grocery store.

Afternoon

Since I practice intermittent fasting, I have my first meal of the day at around noon. The rest of my afternoon varies depending on how much energy and motivation I have. I spend the majority of my time on paid work and personal projects. I’ll have an afternoon nap at some point, usually a power nap, but longer if I had a shorter night of sleep. I spend another hour cooking or doing chores, and then I do some more work. Some days, I have a sweet video call with a friend. I try to finish eating dinner by 6pm.

Evening

After dinner, I do a bit of this and that. Hubby and I usually start to wind down at around 7-8pm. We spend this time together — sometimes together-together, and sometimes together-while-also-doing-our-own-thing. Each night is different depending on how we feel. This year, I’ll be trying to do some more offline activities as I experienced a lot of eye strain in the last couple months of 2024. I try to be in bed by 10-10:30pm on most nights.

SKINCARE ROUTINE

The general formula for my skincare products is toner + serum + facial oil + moisturizer. I’ll usually use up what I have before moving on to something else, but I also try to finish some of hubby’s products when he leaves them lying around. If you’re interested in which products are my favourites, you can find them listed here.

MORNING

  • Rinse my face with lukewarm water and towel dry.

  • Apply my skincare products in this order:

    • Divine Essence Damask Rose Organic Floral Water

    • The Ordinary Argireline Solution 10%

    • The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%

    • The Ordinary 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Virgin Marula Oil

    • The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA

    • The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Lash and Brow Serum

  • I’ve been using The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Eye Serum when I remember. This is a very rich serum and can feel a bit sticky on the skin, so I try to apply it when I’m planning to spend a stretch of time at home.

  • I’ve been loving Atomy AC Spot Solution as a spot treatment when I have breakouts. I use this when I first notice a pimple and then whenever I remember to reapply, in the morning and/or evening.

EVENING

  • Wash my face with Atomy Deep Pure Cleansing Oil, rinse with lukewarm water, and towel dry.

  • Apply the same skincare products as my morning routine. I’ve been using The Ordinary Lactic Acid 5% + HA (instead of the solution/serum combo).

  • Every once in a while, I use a sheet mask or the Atomy Evening Care Peel-Off Mask, or I exfoliate with the Cure Natural Aqua Gel.

Makeup Basket

I amassed a huge collection of makeup during my shopaholic days. Years later and I’m still in the process of downsizing my collection. One thing that’s helped me focus on using what I have is to keep a seasonal “makeup basket.” I use the products in this basket every day until I get bored, and then I switch them out. For hygienic reasons, I only use mascara and lip gloss for 6–9 months before discarding any remaining product.

Here’s what I have in my current basket. My makeup is very old, so some of the products may be discontinued.

Eyes

  • Urban Decay Naked3 Eyeshadow Palette (old)

  • Adelica Soft Brow Pencil in Brown

  • Tweezerman ProCurl Eyelash Curler in Rose Gold

  • Heroine Make Advanced Film Long and Curl Mascara

Face*

  • Atomy BB Cream

  • Atomy Healthy Glow Base

  • MAC Blush in Blushbaby

  • Diorskin Shimmer Powder in 001

  • FENTY BEAUTY by Rihanna Sun Stalk'r Instant Warmth Bronzer in Private Island

  • Canmake Marshmallow Finish Foundation in MB**

*I use these products very rarely as I usually just wear brow powder and mascara.
**I use this as a powder concealer.

Lips

  • Jack Black Lip Balm

  • Carmex Classic Lip Balm

  • Hurraw Lip Balm

  • Atomy Lip Glow

MEDIA

LISTENING

Lots of music lately, mostly Wicked: The Soundtrack.

READING

I took a monthlong hiatus from reading in December and I’m eager to start moving through my TBR list again! This book will likely be next.

WATCHING

Hubby and I plan to watch a lot of movies this winter (mainly to use up some Cineplex coupons). We also have a huge list of movies that we’d like to watch together at home.

APP-ing

Here are the apps I use every day:

  • Lists: TickTick

  • Calendar: Google Calendar

  • Podcasts: Overcast

  • Music: Amazon Music Prime

  • Books: Libby

  • Games: Pokémon Go, Toon Blast, NYT Crossword, GPGP

  • Social media: BeReal

That’s it for now! Let me know if I forgot anything. I try to update this page on the 1st of every month.