The Best of January 2021
Back in my 2021 Goals post, I mentioned how I wanted to focus in on the bright and positive things in the year. Not to downplay the more difficult things that come up in life but rather to shift my focus. I know for myself it easy to get bogged down in the negative or even just in the mundane in life. The point of this is to challenge me to stop and take notice of all the things that spark joy in me. Could not be an issue for others but I know I let the bad bulldoze over all the good and I want to change that. They can be a bit random but I hope you like them too. Without further ado, in no particular order, here is my best of January 2021!
BEST SOCKS OF JANUARY 2021
Someone on Twitter posted a link to these bizarre dishtowels with a devil eating cheese on it. OBVIOUSLY, I had to deep dive the entire site that sold those dishtowels. I don’t think I have ever sat and laughed out loud at a retail website. But this site, Blue Q, had so many hilarious and weird designs and slogans. I want to buy them all and just have this delightfully bizarre brand in my life!
Amongst all these kitsch treasure there was one item that rose above the rest. No exaggeration I cannot even count how many times this month I have burst out laughing just thinking about these socks. Something about it just got me. Anyone that has had to sit through a meeting that could definitely be an email can relate to these socks. Really the socks speak the words our souls could not express. If you love them as much as I do you can buy your own pair here:
This Meeting Is Bullshit Socks
BEST OBSCURE PIECE OF HISTORY LEARNT IN JANUARY 2021
It was an absolutely regular day at work. I was just quietly completing my task with a podcast on for company. At this point, I’d listened to My Favourite Murder back to back for days on end so it felt like time for a less murdery option. There is pretty much a Podcast for everything these days so I did a quick ‘food history’ search, because why not, and found this absolute gem: The Fantastic History of Food.
Each episode is 10-15 minutes of the most bizarre, hilarious, or downright gross stories about food. Episode 4 tells the story of when NY Yankee baseball player faced off against Percy the Ostrich in an eating competition. I half-listened to this weird and wonderful story as I worked and didn’t think all that much of it until a couple of hours later. I was sitting eating dinner with my family when I started to retell the story of Ping and Percy’s exploits.
As I was telling them the story it really struck me how completely bonkers every single aspect of this story was. Each piece made me burst out laughing so that I could hardly finish the story. The image of this Ostrich shovelling down spaghetti (do birds even like spaghetti? Did he know spaghetti was even a thing you eat?)
Even the minor details of this story became gut-busting hilarious. Like the fact that Ping Bodie as the challenger got to pick the food, they would be eating. What would the alternative even be? Percy is an ostrich, if he was considered the challenger how would he choose the food? Would this Italian baseball player be forced to scarf down insects?!? The more I thought about this scene the funnier it became.
The episode is wonderfully done and has truly brought laughter and joy to my day. I cannot think of a better way to spend 15 minutes than listening to this story being told.
NY Yankee vs Ostrich Spaghetti Eating Competition
Oh and if like me, you CANNOT get enough of Percy and Ping here is another great article to read!
Ping vs. Percy | Louisville Slugger
BEST BLAST FROM THE PAST TV SHOW OF JANUARY 2021
Is there a sweeter memory than the absolute bliss of Saturday morning cartoons? None that I can think of. Consider this a PSA 90’s babies, Recess is on Disney +! I had a lovely morning drinking tea and reliving my childhood. Recess holds up, I loved it as a kid and I love it still. The escapism was exactly what I needed to refresh for the week ahead. Perhaps this will inspire a Halloween costume?
BEST BBQ OF JANUARY 2021
It has been a hot minute since I went out to sit down and eat. Of course, following all Covid 19 safety precautions. My goodness, I’ve missed it so much! Even though things are not remotely back to normal it was such a relief to do something that felt normal again. Got to support a local Vancouver restaurant I have never been to before. Peckinpah is serving up Carolina style BBQ in Gastown. 10/10 for food, get the pickle plate it is MAGICAL. The ambience is really fun and has an interesting view out onto Water St. Best of all you can order a mystery beer with a shot of weekly whiskey! It is worth going for that alone! Definitely want to return.
BEST WEATHER OF JANUARY 2021
HOLY MOLY it has been a torrential downpour all day everyday month. I get it we live in a rainforest but damn, take a break Vancouver. This wasn’t even Vancouver rain this was turning the streets into rivers rain. BUT just when you accept the perpetual precipitation the sun comes out and there is a glorious sunny day. It’s good to be reminded that the gloom won’t last and the sun will come out again.
BEST CULINARY ACHIEVEMENT OF JANUARY 2021
I’ll be blunt I am not a good cook. I can make sure I don’t starve but I wouldn’t really serve anyone else what I make. Back in Highschool, I rebelled against the assumption that because I was a woman I HAD to cook because otherwise how would I get a husband. I wish I had seen that cooking is just a life skill and not let the intense gendering that was happening stop me. I’m trying now as an adult to unlearn those stereotypes and care for myself by learning how to feed myself. It doesn’t come naturally to me and I’ve definitely had more flops than successes. But I think I’m worth having good food to eat so here I am still trying.
Another thing to know about me, you might already know, but I have a big ole crush on James May. The timidest of all Top Gear hosts just has a special place in my heart. Made me very happy when several unconnected people in my life texting to let me know James May had a cooking show on Amazon Prime. I have never felt more seen. Of course, I binged that entire series in a day. It’s a fun show that in no way takes itself too seriously. Naturally, I then had to try one of the recipes and it went well! I made the Thai green curry soup and it was delicious enough I would confidently serve this to others! This is a rare thing for me.
Riding on this success I’m considering buying his cookbook. The title really speaks to me.
BEST EVENT OF JANUARY 2021
HOT CHOCOLATE FESTIVAL IS BACK! Every year in Vancouver from mid-January until Valentine’s day a variety of coffee shops, bakeries, and chocolatiers take part but creating a unique hot chocolate. I wasn’t expecting the festival to run this year because covid ruins everything. Luckily they’ve made some changes to made it covid safe. Expect a lot of take-out only options, ordering ahead online, longer wait times, and absolutely fantastic hot chocolate. You can see all the places taking part and the flavours they offer on the website. Remember to be kind to the workers and tip extra well!
Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival
BEST THING I REMEMBERED IN JANUARY 2021
For almost all of January, I’ve been having pretty bad insomnia and I’ve been absolutely exhausted every single day. I would go to work, come home and just lie on my couch. No energy to do any of the things I love but still couldn’t get to sleep at night. Watching my sewing projects go untouched for weeks on end. The whole thing was discouraging and made me sad.
I think in the back of my mind I knew that some of the issues I was experiencing were being influenced by my anemia. I stopped taking my iron pills when I was adding spirulina into my smoothies every morning. But I ran out of spirulina awhile back and just didn’t switch back over to the pills. I really do forget how much not having an iron supplement negatively effects me.
I think when I can ignore the symptoms it’s nice to pretend I don’t need the pills. Not a healthy outlook and I would not recommend because it always inevitably comes back to haunt me. Eventually, when things were really bad it FINALLY became impossible to ignore and I started taking iron pills again. WOW, I really wish I did this sooner. After just one day of taking them, I feel so much better. I slept better than I have the past month. Sometimes the things that make your life better are simple. I just really appreciate feeling good again and taking better care of myself.
BEST I KNEW I WAS RIGHT MOMENT OF 2021
Come with me on a journey. Back in 2020 Marimekko did a collaboration with Uniqlo. The clothing was utterly darling and I wanted a few pieces. Never in my life have I had so many issues trying to shop from a clothing retailers website. So sadly the opportunity to own a piece came and went and I was left empty-handed.
Fast forward to this month when I was scrolling Instagram and jumping through websites looking for fabric. On one Aussie creator’s account, I saw a link to this fabric that reminded me of MarimekkoXUniqlo but I got distracted and moved on to other things. A couple of weeks later I decided that maybe I wanted to buy some of this fabric. No matter what I googled or how far I deep dived into any Instagram profile I COULD NOT FIND THIS FABRIC ANYWHERE. As far as I could tell seeing it in the first place must have been a dream.
I hate losing and I was so determined I would find it that HOURS later I finally finally found it again! Going full Sherlock Holmes had paid off and even better I knew I wasn’t dreaming up amazing fabric it actually existed. Needless to say, this whimsical fabric is now on it’s way to me!
If you’d like some of your own you can find it here: Darn Cheap Fabrics
Best list of January 2021
My number ten things I am grateful for is completing this list. Already I am looking back and appreciating things and moments I would have otherwise forgotten about. I’m hopeful and expectant of a transformative year as I continue to make these lists!
What has brought you joy this January?
-Hannah
