I hope that the New Year has been good to you all so
far! January went by so quickly, didn’t
it? It’s crazy, but I admit that I have indeed been very busy and I’ve gotten a
lot done (hence, this post is rather late, hah), so I’m feeling good
about that. 2014 is certainly looking to
be quite a year for me. I’m taking my
final required course for my degree this term, which means nothing but electives
from here on out. Looks like I’ll be
graduating next year! Yay!
My friends and I have already put together a to-do list of
sorts for the summer and beyond. It
includes the regulars such as the Scandinavian Festival and Wordstock, but
we’ve been looking into other events and opportunities as well. I’m excited, and am eagerly looking forward
to what’s to come. ^_^
It’s snowed here, again!
We’ve definitely got more than a foot out there.
Speaking of snow…
This past month, I finally
watched Disney’s Frozen, and I feel that this is an
appropriate opener for my January Favorites!
Frozen
is amazing. Disney
has done it yet again. The characters,
the visuals, the world, the MUSIC. I
can’t believe that I waited as long as I did to watch it. Christmas season was just so busy for me!
>u<
That being said…I don’t love it quite as much as Tangled, though, sorry. That movie just has a very special place in my
heart that can’t be replaced!
♪ Let
it go! Let it goooo! Turn away and slam the doooor! ♫
Sigh. Sometimes, I
wish my life was a musical.
Next is a music favorite for the month (besides Let It Go): Imagine Dragons’ Night Visions album. I’ve had this album for a while now, but
recently (taking a break from k-pop? no way!) I dug it back up and have
been listening to it nonstop! I would
say that it’s one of my favorite albums ever, and I’m so very glad that I
purchased it in its entirety. Imagine
Dragons has a really unique sound. Their
songs are so harmonious and catchy, and the group utilizes many different
instruments and synthetic effects to add interesting texture.
With the weather even more frigid now, one can imagine that
my problem skin hasn’t been taking the cold very well—WRONG! :P I’ve
taken well-educated measures to ensure that my skin condition does not worsen,
and thankfully, my efforts have paid off.
Lately I’ve been focusing on using as many natural products as possible,
such as Vaseline as an all-purpose emollient, and aloe vera gel to combat
redness and dryness. I’m still using my Cetaphil
cleansers and lotions daily, as well as a hydrocortisone cream to soothe my
psoriasis, but the product that I’ve found especially helpful as of late comes
from Japanese skincare and makeup company DHC,
and is called Deep Cleansing Oil.
My mom swears by this stuff, and now that I’m using it regularly,
I see why. Not only does this oil-based
cleanser completely remove makeup, it also soothes irritations and leaves skin
feeling super clean, smooth, and relaxed.
I use this cleanser at night to remove makeup, after a warm rinse and
before my regular cleanser. DHC products
are a bit pricier than even the more expensive drugstore brands, but in the
case of their Deep Cleansing Oil, I think that it’s well worth it.
Drink of the month: homemade
lattes! I’ve been exploring my city
lately and going to a lot of fancy cafes (there are lots here in Eugene!) with
my friends, and these experiences have inspired me to be more creative with my afternoon
cup of joe. So here’s a little recipe of
mine for you guys to try! (Photo not mine!)
French
Vanilla Latte
Makes 2 servings
2 cups milk
2 teaspoons real vanilla
extract
Sugar to taste
Dash of salt
1-2 cup(s) brewed French
roast coffee
In a small pot, heat milk,
vanilla, sugar, and salt, whisking until mixture is frothy. Do not boil.
Pour coffee into large mugs. Add
milk mixture up to the brims. If you
can, make a little design in the froth as you pour. …If not, it’ll still be delicious! ;)
Enjoy~!
Finally, to end this post, I’d like to make mention of The
Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD
for the Wii U. I received this video
game as a Christmas gift, but hadn’t been able to find the time to start
playing it until about two weeks ago. I
could hardly believe that it’s been more than ten years since the original Wind Waker released. I was about twelve years old! It’s just nuts how time flies!
Similar to my Ocarina
of Time 3D experience, it’s truly magical to play this video game remake in
gorgeous HD graphics and sound. I’m
reliving one of my favorite childhood games all over again!
…And that’s it for January!
Stay warm, everyone!
