Robsessions // January 2019

January has been and gone, and strangely it feels like it's lasted both 2 weeks and 2 years... I turned 26, I baked a shit-ton of cookies, I got in touch with an old friend, I took a trip to see the Winter Lights Festival in Canary Wharf (above) and I loved a whole lot of things in between...

I Watched...

The first film I watched this year is already a strong contender for my favourite film of the year. Coincidentally called 'The Favourite,' Olivia Coleman, Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz are a tremendous trio who alongside the kid from 'About A Boy' and Taylor Swift's current boyfriend, provide an irreverent look at a gout-stricken Queen Anne, and two women competing for her affections, complete with rabbits, killer outfits and a dance-scene that I will forever campaign for anyone to do as their first dance at their wedding.

Picture Credit

Netflix has been delivering the goods recently, with teen/tween/cute/quirky/fun series 'Sex Education.' It's caused a bit of titter-tatter on the webs, with many confused by its combination of US setting, retro clothes, but very current British humour, but I feel it just adds to its charm. It's a nice, enjoyable watch, with a great cast, and delves semi-deep into a wide range of 'young people sex problems.' Top tip - if, like me, you like to download shows to watch during commutes or lunch breaks, maybe don't do it with this.

Props once again to my favourite show 'The Good Place,' whose current season finished in January. I'm very intrigued to see how the next chapter of the story goes, and whilst the current season felt very choppy as they ran into a circle of issue, panic, overcome, issue, panic, overcome, they may have set up what may be a longer story arc for the next series, which will make a nice change, even if I'm not the biggest fan of who they've brought in and brought back. The characters still remain loving and endearing and depending on how much you're into the show, and the characters, you may shed a tear or ten at the final episode of the series. Surprise surprise, I did.

I Used...

I have a new favourite shower gel. Just thought I'd let you know. As the self-titled biggest fan of ~citrus~ it's no surprise Original Source's Orange has bulldozed it's way through the competition. I'd used the Foaming Shower Gel a few times prior, but honestly no matter how luxurious it feels sometimes you just want a shower without all the faff of loads of bubbles, so this no-nonsense yet obnoxiously strong smelling shower gel fulfills this greatly.

I received a box set of Barber Pro Gentleman's face masks for Christmas, which came with different variations of masks. I've found the peel-off mask has been the best so far,  I've also been enjoying eye masks recently - as a 26 year old with the under-eye bags and wrinkles of a 62 year old, they're a very much needed addition to my self-care ~routine~.

Part of my morning routine now, he says as if he has a lengthy morning routine, is using a face mist. I think it genuinely helps me wake up a little, and it's always nice to add more moisture to your face in this weather. I've been using The Body Shop's Mandarin Energising Face Mist which leaves a nice little whiff and ready to face my BFF - the morning commute.

I Consumed...

The weather outside is frightful, but the food is so delightful, and since this is a favourites post... I've come back to this four times to finish and I've got nothing apart from 'here you go, here you go, here you go.' Don't worry, I'm disappointed too. Anyway, one of my favourite things about the cold weather is comfort food - there's nothing better than coming home from a long day at work, having traveled in the cold to some warm, hearty... grub. I always refer to Autumn as Pie Season, but as January comes, and the healthy-eating fairies swarm, I ditch the pies for a greener alternative.

At the moment, my go-to option is a 'bung it all in one big pan' dish consisting of wholegrain rice, beans, pre-cooked seasoned chicken, mixed veg, peppers and a shit-ton of seasoning. Honestly, it's so simple but ticks every box for me - I can just throw it all in a pan willy-nilly, mix it a bit, and serve. It doesn't even matter if you make too much because, as I now always say, the rest is for lunch tomorrow. I've also been partial to a Katsu curry or five this month, and have found solace in many a homemade mash side dish over January.

Another winter-warmer is the universal short-term therapist also known as hot chocolate. Sometimes I do get a little bored of plain hot chocolate, and decided to set up my own little hot chocolate station, complete with my new obsession - flavoured syrups. A pre-Christmas trip to TKMaxx resulted in me conducting an X-Factor style competition to shortlist the literal tens of different flavours down to just 4. I'm happy with my choices, and my current favourites are Toasted Marshmallow and Mint Chocolate Chip which does actually taste exactly like the ice cream. Stunning.

As my Lacto-sensitivity worsens (sorry, TMI) I'm finding myself testing trying out the now extensive offering of alternatives, and whilst LactoFree is satisfying the milk and cheese area, it's Alpro's Vanilla Soya Yoghurt that is leading the breakfast round - the consistency is different to what I'm normally used to but paired and mixed with with granola and berries it is beautiful. Well played, Alpro.

I Did...

I turned 26 this month, was strangely okay with it, and decided to celebrate with my friends with a nice trip to the new BoxPark that's opened in Wembley. It's basically a large area of seating with a couple of bars and loads of street-food-esque places all under one roof. If you venture upstairs, there's loads of activities - we're talking Jenga and Dominoes on the tables, , and a new love of mine... Shuffleboard. Honestly, it's great.

I've also baked a lot and made some incredible chocolate chip cookies, as below, and experimented with some hot-cross-bun themed cookies where I added mixed space swapped chocolate chips for mixed peel. They were beautiful, thanks for asking.

I Listened...

I'll be going into more detail later in the week, but here's a whole list of songs I've been loving this month...

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Is there anything you've been loving in January you'd recommend?