Monday, January 19. 2026
I know many of you are enjoying a three-day weekend in observation of MLK, Jr. Day but Tom is back to work, so it feels like a Monday to me. I am linking up with Sarah and Holly if they are still doing it today.
January is really flying by! I’m so glad I put my Valentine’s decor out so I can enjoy it longer. I’m also enjoying my red love, love, love mug below. After V Day, I will put up my St. Patrick’s Day decor, then Easter, then Derby (I live in Louisville, KY so it’s a must). I basically just do my mantel and my hall table so it’s pretty minimal.
I took a look at my Winter Goals list and I am doing pretty well. I ordered new pillow covers for the couch, a new blanket, and a little candle warmer lamp since one of my goals is to hygge up my living room. Those things will arrive soon and I’m excited.
Let’s go back to Thursday late afternoon. I went to a different library branch for an event. Look how modern it is with the books laid out.
It looks cool, but I actually don’t like this library as much as my quaint library. This library has a demo kitchen and a different chef each month this year will be doing demonstrations for free. Thursday was the German cookbook author/chef and she was demonstrating pretzels and a cheese spread.
Elizabeth met me there.
It was fun but the demo was really crowded, and the chef was super disorganized. I think she was nervous because of how many people came but she didn’t have her supplies organized and she didn’t explain the process very well or work out the timing well. She was the same one from the cooking class Tom and I took that we paid for which was much better.
The library staff wasn’t handing out the materials in an organized way or handling the seating overflow in an organized way. As a teacher it is hard to see this. I chatted with a woman on the other side of me and she was having a hard time with this, too, because she leads lots of events at University of Louisville. I’m glad it wasn’t just me.
I think I will go back in a couple of weeks with Elizabeth because she wants to do the schnitzel one. I’m hopeful that the other chefs will be good.
I made dinner before I left so I had that when I got home:
I am obsessed with doing laundry because of this smell and that is how I started my Friday – it makes the whole house smell good. I would go in a Bath and Body Works and smell for yourself. They also have maybe nine other scents.
I also re-created the spread that the chef taught us. It is a butter/cream cheese mixture with relish, grated onion, and spices.
I got my Zenni glasses in the mail. I picked a very similar style to my doctor office frames but these are a dark green tortoise shell. I love them! I get a little twitchy when I don’t have a spare pair so this was needed.
Eddie Otis loves to help take trash cans down and bring them back up. I try to involve him in as many activities as I can. He felt that he needed to take Elefante out with us. I hope he always loves his stuffed animals so much.
I have to tell you what he does when he sleeps in Mason’s bed. I open Mason’s door and EO is sitting at attention on the bed waiting like a good boy for a human to release him. I walk to him and he hands me his paw like we are shaking hands and he hands me his paw a few more times. Then, in order to get down from the bed he needs to get a stuffed animal in his mouth and then he jumps down and heads to the kitchen. Mason stays asleep during this whole process. EO sleeps all night in bed with us about half the week and with Mason half the week.
Tom is so tired by Friday so I usually order food or make something rather than go out. We decided on frozen pizza, but I had some pimento cheese and the spread I made on some bread and some V Day Junior Mints out for him.
I think he loves a little appetizer when he comes home. Then, we walked EO together in the brutal cold.
We built a fire and started His and Hers and Seven Dials on Netflix.
Saturday morning was a little icy. We didn’t get nearly what they said we would get.
Tom and EO left for a longer walk and I did all the things. It’s so much easier to clean when Tom takes him out of the house so that is the routine for now.
I got out around noon and got a car wash…
and went to this boutique which is closing in March, sadly. The owners are retiring but so many things around me are closing and it’s so sad.
We went to dinner around 5:30. I picked last Saturday so Tom got to pick this weekend. He picked Martin’s BBQ and it was really good. I really liked my salad and…
the nachos were good, too. I will never pick bbq over another type of food but it’s fine.
Our routine in January has been to eat at home on Friday and go out on Saturday and it’s just been the two of us and it’s been really nice. We like to go out around 5:30 and it’s perfect. We came home and watched another Seven Dials. We also started Best Medicine and Tom is not sure if it’s his cup of tea but it is kind of cute. There have been lots of things for us to watch in this bitter cold.
Sunday was mopping, grocery, and a few other things.
I found these at the store:
$1.75 tulips!
I made lunch and then we did another fire and watched some shows together and I read.
My 5th book of January:
It is Christmasey but it sounded good so I went with it!
I’ve been seeing everyone take it back to 2016 – is that just because it’s 10 years ago? So much has changed for me since then. My parents were traveling together and really enjoying semi-retirement and they were visiting grandkids any chance they could. My twins were 13. My camera roll on my phone goes back to 2017 so I will have to do some digging to find 2016.
Facebook memories that pop up can be really fun like this one:
Ok, Mason…
Tell me something you did this weekend!
Amy
Coffee and Cocktails at the Casa 
Other than grocery shopping I never left the house once this weekend. We had two snowy days and then woke to even more snow this morning… so I’m probably skipping the gym this morning as well.
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Oh gosh! Are you getting cabin fever? I can handle a couple
days but then start to get antsy. I made it to the gym but the wind is brutal today.
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It looks like a nice weekend! I like the garland and simple touches. I still have my winter plates- I’m thinking about switching in Feb but if my winter dishes weren’t out, I’d have some Valentine’s Day decor out.
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It was! Can you believe that garland is felt and from Dollar Tree? I think Dollar Tree used to be better. I guess I could say that about a lot of things. I love the reds and pinks and it just makes me happy. If I could trust myself, I would also have candy dishes out with V Day candy!
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I chuckled at Mason’s police description. That was a good one. Also I don’t get the throw back to 2016.
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He was a very funny kid – dry sense of humor, too. The fashion from 2016 is so 2016. I think that is why I struggle with the leggings, booties, and scarves. It just looks so dated to me and I did that trend to death!
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I laughed at Mason’s police description comment. How hilarious! We did some Christmas packing up and taking to the storage unit on Saturday (it was 60 degrees!), went to a friend’s open house yesterday and plan on relaxing today. I’ve been cooking and that has been fun. Love Eddie Otis and his stuffed toys! My labs will destroy their toys so we are constantly cleaning up fluff. Have a good week! It is COLD!
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He was a funny kid! 60 degrees? What is that? My brain cannot comprehend warmth anymore. I bought stuff to make queso, Chex Mix, and the ranch cracker snack thing. I don’t know what I’m thinking – it’s just winter snacking I guess. He is very gentle with them which is so surprising because he is not gentle with us!
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I love when it is tulip season! I remember seeing all the Derby decorations at homes last year and that was so cute. I think I would have felt the same way about the cooking demonstration. Sounds like a good balance of getting out and staying home this weekend.
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It is really cold here in central Florida…anyways, thanks for the lovely post. I personally do not like modern libraries, smiles. Wishing you a lovely day.
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Tulips make me so happy and I love having them in the house. We always have a Derby party…somehow it’s become ours because we hosted once and now everyone wants to do it yearly. It’s fun, but it’s a crowd and I need the weather to cooperate so we can spread out outside. I need to add some decor. I’ve added something every year and it’s a fun day. I struggle with disorganized events too. I have to tell myself to stay put as I want to jump in and sort it out for them lol. Have a great day!
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Elefante lol. Mav has so many toys that he takes outside through the doggy door and we never see them again. He always has a stuffy in his mouth too.
The description to the police cracks me up.
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We stayed in for most of the weekend because it’s downright frigid here. I did go to the museum to watch a friend’s tour. But, yesterday was all about staying warm. We didn’t put in a fireplace, and I’m really regretting it now. Love the police description!
https://marshainthemiddle.com
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Love your little winter routine with Tom- sounds perfect! That library is intriguing but I chuckled at your description of the chef- eek- ha ha!! That quote from Mason- hysterical!
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What a fun weekend! I love the routine that you and Tom have. I really appreciate some structure in a relationship, and I’ve missed that! Chris and I are starting to have a routine as well, and it makes my heart so happy. I love those tulips that you got for little to nothing! How funny that all of us almost wrote about the 2016/2026 trend today. It’s even mentioned in this week’s hodgepodge! I’m loving my leisurely morning at home; I’m about to bake some sourdough, and then I’m going to Aldi’s. Happy Monday to you, my friend! Tell EO I said hey. 😉
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What a great quote from Mason!! Ha! I bet you are happy you have all those recorded :). Something I did this weekend? Finally caught up on your posts from the beginning of the year – having time to just sit “catch up” with bloggers who inspire me has been rare lately. I’m NOT a “downtime girl” but glad I didn’t miss out on all your posts either. Being at home alone today when everyone else is working but me is making me question why I WANT to work 40 hours a week, that’s for sure!
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Ha! I am! That’s great! I have a lot of information here! Just kidding!
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What a great find with the tulips! Junior Mints – yum! It sounds like you had a cozy weekend. I’m looking forward to Seven Dials. We quit His and Hers after a few episodes. Hope you have a good start to the week.
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Yes, a really good deal! I think you will like seven dials. His and Hers is pretty risque and dark.
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I don’t decorate for anything apart from Christmas which seems pretty boring. I love the idea of decorating for Valentine’s Day!
That library looks very fancy but to me too modern. The demo kitchen is exciting though! Such a shame it wasn’t well organised though.
Your glasses look great and it is so cute how much Eddie Otis loves his stuffed animals.
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That’s ok! You know – most of my V Day stuff is from Dollar Tree.
Too modern!
Thank you!
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Hahahahahahaha!!! Mason! I am dying!
We watched His & Hers too – I liked it! I am starting Seven Dials.
The new library looks so modern, I’d probably like the more traditional one myself but I do not like change so there’s that. Too bad the chef wasn’t real organized, hopefully the staff will get things figured out and it will run more smoothly in the future.
xo,
Kellyann
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He was so funny.
We are enjoying having things we both like.
I do like more traditional!
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The holidays/special events at the beginning of the year happen quickly – put up Winter/New Year just after Christmas and take it down about January 15 in order to have a full month for Valentine’s Day. Then take that down and put up St. Patrick’s. That comes down in time for Easter (this year, April 5) and then I move into patriotic mode which stays up from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Then it’s fall, Thanksgiving, and Christmas (at least a full month each) and the year starts all over again!
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They do! I am definitely feeling time going faster as I get older, too.
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That library is neat to look at but I like something cozy with lots of books on the shelves and comfortable chairs. We have lots of places closing as well in San Antonio. Everything from restaurants to retail. Rent increases are one of the reasons. I would would never get into the restaurant business. Just too much uncertainty. My husband’s law partner owns a Mexican restaurant in Austin and it does well but he has a lot of regular customers.
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Agreed! It’s so sad. Everything is just so expensive to run these days I think. Mexican will always do well!
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Love the new glasses! The cooking events sound fun…but I would be frustrated too if it wasn’t very organized. You have a great January routine going on. Homer hops from bed to bed and I think EO is definitely better trained. Homer doesn’t even like to move over if we need more space 😆 I want to get my Valentine’s Day stuff out, maybe later this week?
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Thank you! Yeah – but still glad I went. I am making it through January. Oh, Homer. I don’t know about that. EO is good about moving over. He looks a bit annoyed. I hope you can get your V Day stuff out before snowmageddon!
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I plan on decorating this weekend 🙂
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Yay! I think you could have time at home – stuck!
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I know. Woah. Haha
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I feel like I need to get out today in this brutal cold since I will be stuck at home!
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I love when pets want to take their toys along with them to do things. The other day Nash brought his fox to the window with him so they could watch the squirrels and rabbits together haha.
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It’s the cutest! OMG – how sweet. They are really just like kids.
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I thought Yours for the Season was good. I need to get my valentine’s day stuff out this week. That library looks so fancy. I wonder if their circulation numbers differ with the books facing out instead of the spines facing out. Bummer about the cooking demo.
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It was cute! It had some depth. I hope you have time to do that. You will love having it out.
Look at you – looking at that with a librarian’s eyes. I don’t like how they are arranged. Yeah – it was not organized.
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