Ultimate Coffee Date: January 2024

Welcome to the very first Ultimate Coffee Date of 2024! It’s already another new year! I’m on the tail end of my 7th straight day of working, so I’m super excited to have a weekend soon!

Ultimate Coffee Date: January 2024

I took Tofu back to my parents’ place for the holidays and he did so well! We took him all over and he especially loved the nearby park. <3

If we were having coffee/tea today, I’d tell you that…I’ve been trying to make my home office more cozy! Home office is probably misleading since I really only work in there 1x every 2 weeks, but I do most of my gaming/reading/hanging out in there when I’m home. I sectioned out one of the built-in bookshelf spaces for a tea area and have another little cart dedicated to snacks.

It’s not really organized yet, but this is my current tea/hot cocoa/honey shelf!

I have a bar cart that I got for free from someone who moved to Australia and I’m hoping to turn it into something like this (it’s so pretty! *-* )! It’s going to be my tea trolley once I’m done with it. :]!

If we were having coffee/tea today, I’d tell you that…one of my patients is looking for someone to adopt her dog and I’ve been asking around for her, but low-key want to adopt her. (I realize I can’t do this with every pet I meet,  but the pull is strong for sure. :'( )

I tried asking my friends to talk me down but they’re all enablers and told me Tofu would love a friend, haha. (They’re not wrong…) To be continued, haha.

 If we were having coffee/tea today, I’d tell you that…I managed to read 33 books last year! I’m going to aim for 2 books per month again for this year  + we’ll see if I manage to surpass it again!

Cassandra in Reverse, by Holly Smale – A neurodivergent woman finds herself in a “Groundhog Day”-esque situation + later realizes she can travel through time. The book follows her attempts to right different perceived “wrongs” in her life. The main character wasn’t my favorite, but it was still an interesting premise + I liked the Greek mythology references.

You and Me, Always – by Jill Mansell – This book starts off with the main character, Lily, who turns 25 and opens the very last letter her late mother wrote to her. You meet the cast of characters in her life and a story that slowly unfolds in their small Cotswold village. If you’re looking for an easy, enjoyable feel-good read, this one will be perfect for you!

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, by Suzanne Collins – Since the movie recently came out and I have yet to read the book, I figured I should get to it! This is essentially the prequel to the Hunger Games trilogy and looks into what President Snow’s teenage years were like. (It should probably come as no surprise to anyone that he was a total psychopath…)

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, by Sangu Mandanna – I found out about this book from Flour & Fiction (run by my friend’s friend’s sister — she’s behind the Raspberry Rosewater Cheesecakes!)! It’s part of her pumpkin bread baking kit (more about that later!) and is about a young witch trying to find her way in the world — it’s the epitome of a cozy read. I wanted to jump into the book to hang out with everyone. <3

The Woman in the Library, by Sulari Gentill – This is a murder mystery story within a story — four strangers sitting at the same table when they hear a terrified scream. One of them is the murderer. I did nottt see this one coming — it was an interesting read!

The It Girl, by Ruth Ware – 10 years after the murder of Hannah’s best friend, a journalist comes knocking and presents information that suggests the murderer who was convicted (and who recently just passed) may have been innocent. I managed to guess who it was later on in the novel, but it did take a bit.

There have been some changes to my plant shelf. The giant snake plant is still doing well, but I moved him closer to the window. My black thumbs unfortunately couldn’t keep the cyclamen + anthurium alive, but I’m apparently okay at keeping snake plants, ZZ plants, oxalis + inchplants alive! Probably because they thrive on neglect, but I’ll take it.

See past ultimate coffee dates here!

(Link-up with Coco @ Running with Perseverance & Deborah @ Confessions of a Mother Runner!)

End-of-Month Recap

• Have you ever been sand sledding? I went over in the Mesquite San Dunes in Death Valley National Park! :D
• I made a list of my 2024 fitness goals! :] Do you have any fitness goals for the year?
• I dropped the ball last year on updating my 101 in 1001 but I finally made one again for 2024-2026(-ish)! Are there any things you’re hoping to accomplish in the upcoming years? Anywhere you’re planning/hoping to travel to?
• Another piece from my Death Valley National Park — would you ever expect to see…a waterfall?! Check out Darwin Falls Trail! :]