Weekly R.E.P.O.R.T: January 22-28, 2024
Alison Pegg
“Doesn’t January seem like it has 738 days?”
I’m might have joked about this in a presentation this week - thankfully it was well received.
Officially the fourth week of January, this week was when the holiday cobwebs finally seemed to recede. In good ways and bad.
Here is the R.E.P.O.R.T. from the fourth week of January.
Reading
I had no idea the sequel to Fourth Wing was 800+ pages. I’m so glad I gave myself more than a week to read it from Libby because it was A LOT. Violet’s relationship with her siblings and squad were a highlight for me, and it’s hard not to crush on the broken and brooding Xaden. Like the first book, the last two chapters left me reeling, it might be time to head to #Booktok to fully process them.
Image via Food Network
Nothing is better during #CozySzn than soup. Last weekend I drug out the dutch oven and made a big batch of this soup for lunches throughout this week. It’s super easy to make, and I love that it’s healthy and filling at the same time. I subbed a box of baby kale here, and added three stalks of celery that were hanging out in my fridge. Don’t skip the parmesan rinds - they really add to the soup’s depth, especially with leftovers.
Playing
I was rushing to finish Iron Flame this week before my library loan expired, so didn’t really spend any extra time catching a show, listening to albums, or really anything else. My only time this week where I did accidentally discover something new was in the car, stuck in traffic and trying to reprogram my Sirius XM channels. The Coffee House is a new station to me and it’s acoustic vibes were perfect for the rainy, gloomy weather we had all week.
Obsessing
New Balance 1906r, Nike V2k Run, Asics Gel Kayano 14
The willpower has been working overtime. I’ve almost purchased three pairs of sneakers this week, three pairs that don’t actually need, but need. Metallic trimmed dad sneakers have had me in a chokehold these past few weeks, the silhouette is more substantial from my slim, low-profie Adidas sambas. The metallic trim is the game-changer here, these shoes are otherwise boring in the other colourways.
Recommending
Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Nail Color - 423 Just in Wine
Between the cold, the wind, and all the hand washing, winter wrecks havoc on my hands and nails. To combat all the elements, I’ve been getting back into painting my nails regularly, digging into my stash of colours I’ve collected over the years. Wine coloured nails have been trending all over TikTok, and this Sally Hansen polish was the perfect drugstore polish to try the trend. Two coats held their staying power all week, for such an affordable price it held up beautifully.
Treating
We ventured down to Nationwide Arena for a different kind of skating this week, the US Figure Skating Championships. It was fabulous to see all the drama of skating that we normally see on tv in person, and it was even cooler to appreciate the sheer athleticism the skaters have up close. It was definitely a “OMG I’ve only seen this on tv” moment - if you get a chance to see these in your area, I highly recommend.