Starting A Fresh Year And Celebrating My Birthday- January 2025 Overview

Usually I find that January drags, but this year January 2026 has flown by. Probably because each day/ week/ month is blending into one for me as I’m not back at work. I did do another KIT day in January and I don’t feel disconnected, but not having the same routine is blurring everything.

I’ve managed to squeeze in some catch ups with friends this month which has been nice, some with Scarlett and some solo.

My birthday in 2026

I turned 36 this year which has felt quite significant for some reason. It’s probably because I’m now closer to 40 than 30 which is slightly scary.

My birthday was mid week but Luke took two days off and my mother-in-law kindly looked after Scarlett so me and Luke could celebrate. For the first time we actually stayed in London which was so nice.

We did some shopping (monetary damage may have been done). We ate some nice food and some yummy snacks. And we went to see Hercules at the theatre which was fab. It’s such a great Disney movie and I think it translated really well onto the stage.

Scarlett’s changing before my very eyes

So much seems to have happened so quickly with Scarlett. Over this single month she now sits independently which is wild as we practiced for so long and now she’s just got it. She has two teeth which have pretty much come in at the same time. And she’s rolling all the damn time (including sleeping a lot on her front!)

Weaning has become even more fun as she’s able to eat a bit more, but that’s going to still take a while. She’s on two meals a day and it probably won’t be long before we introduce lunch as well.

Things I watched and read in January 2026

Alongside Hercules I went to the theatre three other times in January which is wild. At the start of the month I went with my bestie to see the Hunger Games show. I had no idea what to expect but they did a really good job of translating it onto the stage. It has made me want to re-read the books and re-watch the movies now.

The following week I went to the local theatre to see the Friends Parody show which was fab. They managed to cram so many iconic storylines, quotes, and scenes into a small show. And it had me laughing away and reminding me how much I love friends.

Then a last minute addition was Cabaret. I’ve wanted to see it for ages and it’s on my 2026 goals. But Matt Willis (from Busted) has just joined the case, and I managed to snag discounted seats for his second night. It’s a bit of a strange show but again it was fab and Matt did such a good job, you really got to hear the strength of his voice.

All things tv and movies

I didn’t make it to the cinema in January which is a shame as I wanted to see Hamnet, but I’ve been pushing through with some TV shows.

I’m caught up on the first half of the new Bridgerton series and I’m intrigued to see where the rest of the season goes. I finished the summer I turned pretty which was a wild ride, I really don’t like Belly as a character and her just going back and forth between Conrad and Jeremiah.

Then I also watched the Taylor Swift era’s documentary and it was way more emotional than I thought it would be. It just showcases how incredible Taylor is, and how passionate and dedicated she is as an artist.

All things books

I’ve got into a bit of a routine with reading, and while I’m getting through less each month than I used to, that’s fine.

I had a bunch of 4 and 4.5 star books which I really enjoyed:

• Mate by Ali Hazelwood.
• Heart of the Shadow King by Sylvia Mercedes.
• Clap when you Land by Elizabeth Acevedo.
• The Gingerbread Bakery by Laurie Gilmore.

Then my top book of the month was book three in the bridge kingdom series, The Inadequate Heir. I couldn’t get enough of this book and can’t wait to read book four asap.

What did you get up to in January 2026?