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1. Celebrated Christmas: For the first time since Will and I got married I was able to travel the 4 hours to my dad’s to spend Tuesday through Sunday there! It hadn’t worked out with days off in the past two years so I was thankful to spend the holiday with my family.
2. We went to Will’s work Christmas party — It was fun to meet all the people that Will works with and see how quickly he’s become well-liked and friendly with people at this new job! We had a great time and I got to wear a pretty dress. (If you check out this post you can see a pic from it)
3.I took a decent amount of time off from the blog: I was really intentional about making December very low key and taking time off. I didn’t post a lot of discussion posts or reviews but rather did lots of best of 2014 lists and did a fun week of handmade Etsy giveaways. And I also scheduled lots of days off from posts. My plan WAS to use some of that time to get ahead in January but I ended up not doing a thing. Oh well, I needed the time.
4. I got sick 2-3x– It was AWFUL. I hadn’t gotten sick in a while and then it kept hitting me. I got a cold, then was out for the count with aches and a high fever and then NYE I woke up at 3:45 puking and spent my NYE in bed!
5. I participated in Secret Santa: At my other blog, The Broke and the Bookish, I host a Secret Santa and this was the 5th year and there were over 300 people who participated! My Secret Santa, Maggie, was the sweetest ever and I loved all my lovely presents and I had such a blast shopping for my Secret Santa Ellice over at Paper Riot.
I put all my Monthly Rewinds in a Spotify playlist so you can listen to them here now !
1. Honest — Kodaline
2. Awakening — AURORA
3. High – Young Rising Sons (Um, I don’t know how this didn’t end up on my October or November rewind??)
4. Wicket Youth – Sego
5. Tears – The Tragic Thrills
6. Cloudline — Joseph
Honorable Mentions: Lampshades on Fire by Modest Mouse (AHH NEW MODEST MOUSE), Palm Trees by Lowell, 1965 by Zella Day, That Time of Year by Charles William (I’m LOVING him — see last month’s pick!)
Check out the rest of my December playlist
I read 11 books this month!
1. Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
2. A Mad, Wicked Folly by Sharon Biggs Waller (also made my top books of 2014 that deserved more attention)
3. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
I didn’t do a ton of reviews for the month of December because of my break + I find people are so busy and they don’t get much attention in that month! But you guys seemed to like my 11 books that deserved more attention in 2014 which is a whole lot of once sentence reviews! 🙂
“People really are like house with vast rooms and tiny windows. And maybe it’s a good thing, the way we never stop surprising each other.” — Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
** this is taken from the ARC so it is subject to change.
“We try to explain how we feel, but there aren’t always the right words or the words we have fail. But with music, you can hear a piece and say, Yeah, that’s it. That’s exactly how I feel.” — There Will Come A Time by Carrie Arcos
1. I Didn’t Intend To Write This Post– This was a spur of the moment post and I’m glad I did post it. I posted it while I was away so I haven’t had time to get to all the comments but I love you all <3
2. So I Sat Here Ready To Declare My Goodreads Challenge— Loved hearing your thoughts on what I was contemplating!
3. 18 YA books I Cannot WAIT For In 2015: So much to look forward to!!
4. My Book Related Goals & Resolutions For 2015: Let’s hope I will accomplish these things!
5. My top twelve 2014 releases : It was so hard to narrow but these ones definitely stuck out!
Either my favorite backlist books I read in 2014 or my Beyond The Pages where I talk about Station Eleven! I definitely wanted to just discuss the crap out of the stuff I talked about.
I STILL didn’t do anything on Youtube this month. Good thing I made this my resolution for 2015!
1. On Creating Safe Spaces – I feel the same way about my blog and also really need to go through my personal Facebook. I’ve always felt like my blog was this safe space where I am more honest and more myself than anywhere else other than my home and with my closest friends and family.
2. New Years Resolutions To Transform Your Life: I really liked thinking on these ones!
3. Be Kind Whenever Possible: A hundred amens to this post. I often feel kindness gets discounted just as Alex does. And it’s sad because I don’t think kindness means being passive or weak or not able to have an opinion like I’ve heard so often. A reminder for me that I can always choose kind even in unpleasant things.
4. Why Minimalism Should Be Your 2015 Resolution: This was a good read! Because circumstances of the past couple years I’ve definitely become more of a minimalist which is so the opposite of who I was. I don’t reject buying things or keeping things but I definitely have become more thoughtful on everything I buy, what I consume, the amount of choices I give myself, the clutter of my life. I don’t think I could live the way some of those I’ve seen in the minimalism movement live but that’s okay…I’m paring down what I need to and putting less value in STUFF…and it makes me happier and more free to be honest.
5. Why I Don’t Do Reading Challenges: I’ve been feeling like the only one who doesn’t do these but they just don’t suit my reading habits (see: what it is like to be a mood reader) or personal habits. Gillian’s post explains really well why I don’t do them despite so wanting to!
What’s one thing you really want to work on in 2015?
My answer is something I tweeted, “I want to care less about things that don’t really matter and more about things that actually do matter.” I spend so much time thinking/stressing/fixating on things that don’t actually matter in the big picture. It’s easy to fixate on that person who unfollowed you and rack your brain all day on why or to get in a spiral of social media scrolling and get nothing done or get yourself worked up about something that doesn’t matter and let it affect your day, etc. I want to just be more accountable to myself with where I’m spending my time, my energy and my thoughts.
Pick a category (or 5… or all of them) and tell me what went on in YOUR life this month!! What sort of things were noteworthy for you this month? New obsessions? Any new song recs?? Best books you read this month? Great posts I missed on your blog? Answer to my question of the month?
ashley says
Your one thing is VERY much my one thing. I’m an email/text/tweet away if you need me. I’ve already struggled, because it’s hard. *sigh*
Jamie says
MWAH. I utilized that only a text away obvi 😛
Emmah says
What’s one thing I really want to work on in 2015? Probably being able to control my anxiety better. I let it rule me :/
Basically the only music I listened to in the month of December was Taylor Swift’s newest album haha.
Best books I read in December? “Me Since You” by: Laura Wiess and “Flat-Out Celeste” by: Jessica Park!
New obsessions? Peppermint Bark puppy chow, omg! SOOO good!! You should be able to find the recipe on a blog called “yourcupofcake”, if you type in “peppermint bark puppy chow” on google 🙂
Jamie says
It’s so hard! 🙁 *hugs*
I’ve been listening to Tay’s album non-stop!!
Both those books are on my TBR so YAY!
OMG PEPPERMINT BARK PUPPY CHOW !!!!!!
Emily says
My goal for 2015 is to be more positive and to change my outlook on things. Yes, I have some not so fabulous life situations, but it could be so much worse and there are so many people with so much less. My goal is to change how I look at things and to be more considerate of what I do have that is positive in my life. I think that if I can change my outlook then I can change a lot of other things that are going on. I think I’ll be more confident which will really help with my job hunt and everything else. I think it’ll also help my anxiety, which I have seriously been struggling with lately.
In December I devoured The Sea of Tranquility, Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares, and The Young Elites…all fantastic books.
I was also super pumped for new Modest Mouse. I liked them a lot, but I love their new single. Otherwise my music kinda stuck to First Aid Kit, Vance Joy, and some other randoms that I’ve been listening to on and off for months. Ha I really need to try to find some new music to listen to (sooo I’ll definitely be checking out your picks. I’ve recently been listening to Kodaline and AURORA…SO GOOD!)
Jamie says
I’m with you, girl! There’s been some less than great things here in my life for the past couple of years but I need to focus on the fact I still have a home, a loving husband and family, I’m healthy etc. I think it’s an every day struggle to keep your mind focused on the positive because it is SOOO easy to go towards the negative. Sounds like you and I are in the same spot with the job hunt 🙁 GOOD LUCK TO YOU!!
I LOVE ALL THOSE BOOKS. GREAT TASTE YOU HAVE.
First Aid Kit is one of my faves. Same with Vance Joy. I got to see him in 2014 and <333
Megan @ Semi-Charmed Kind of Life says
Kodaline always comes on my iTunes radio station; I really need to learn more about their music! I always seem to enjoy the songs iTunes picks. 🙂 I love your New Year’s resolution. I framed my “resolutions” as things I wanted to do “more and less” of in 2015, and I think your goal is a great item to add to my list!
Jamie says
Kodaline is so great! I love their album from last year!
I love the more/less idea! Good luck with them!!
Nicole @ The Quiet Concert says
I always resonate so much with your posts Jamie but especially that last part about caring more about things that matter and less about things that don’t. I am THE WORST with this and I really feel like it impedes my happiness. But HOWWW. It is so hard and I don’t even know what little actions I can take to start changing this about myself. If you have any ideas… Anyway, good of you to take off some time in December! It sounds like you had a fantastic month and I hope January is just as great. I need to look into this Inked release party that is happening for Eric Smith!
Jamie says
It affects my happiness TOOOO. SO MUCH. I can wake up in a good mood and see one little thing on Twitter and then the rest of my day I am SO PISSY. Over something stupid. WE CAN WORK ON THIS. I don’t know how but we can. I wish there was an off switch. Like I KNOW it’s dumb, I know I need to move on but HOW??? My brain just keeps going and I can feel it in my chest.
And yes!! Come to the release party!!
Emma @ Miss Print says
I always enjoy these recap posts Jamie.
I’m working on two things in 2015. In general I want to keep trying to be a little kinder than I have to be. This was an idea I latched onto in We Were Liars and I think going through life with that outlook has been making things a little easier. As a blogger I am working on commenting more. I often lurk either because I feel like I don’t have a lot to say or because it feels intimidating but I realized that everyone wants to talk and see comments at least a little bit as a blogger so I’m trying to be more intentional about engaging with what I read on others’ blogs.
Jamie says
Thanks girl! I always feel like I can’t gauge if people like them. I like writing them but omg they take forever!
I like that — being kinder than you have to be!! 🙂 And omg you are A GREAT commenter! I always appreciate your comments…like so much!!
Kayla @ The Thousand Lives says
Ahh I love that quote from There Will Come a Time. Such a quotable book! But I think my favorite has to be “loving hurting people is like hugging a porcupine.”
One thing I’d like to work on this month… Hmm… Probably learn how to balance relationships and my hobbies! I’ve made several new friends, and I know that I’ll be spending more time out of the house now, so I need to be okay with myself if I can’t keep up the blogging and reading schedule that I’ve been on for so long now.
Jamie says
THAT QUOTE TOO. Almost picked that one. I read it and I was like OMG so true. I mean, thinking back to when I was really hurting after my mom passed, I couldn’t have been easy to love.
YES feel no guilt! There will always be armchair adventures but REAL LIFE adventures are all the more important 🙂
kimberlybuggie says
Hmmm I really want to work on prioritizing my life. I feel like a lot of stuff I focus on isn’t what I really should be and I get distracted. So this year I’m going to do what I want to do first and then take care of the rest. I think I”ll feel more accomplished this way! Oh, and stop buying books. Because it’s ridiculous! 🙂
Jamie says
I am SO there with you!!! I can spend my whole day on things that aren’t truly a priority and then I’m mad at myself when the things I really WANT to do don’t get done.
You can do it!
Jade @ Bedtime Bookworm says
I really want to work on minimalism this year as well. I feel like the older I get, the less I enjoy having a lot of stuff. More stuff means more stuff to keep track of and keep clean and I don’t like cleaning! I’m trying to be less of a mindless consumer and try to only buy things I really need. I’ve already reduced the amount of things I’m buying by a good amount, but I haven’t started getting rid of stuff yet. I’ll be attacking my closet first, hehe. 🙂
Jamie says
OMG ME TOOO!! I did a lot of purging of stuff in 2014 and I don’t regret it. Stuff doesn’t make me that happy I’ve realized plus like you said…there’s a lot of crap that comes with having STUFF — keeping track of it, etc. PLus CLUTTER. When my job situation changed I was forced to become a more mindful consumer and truthfully even when I get to a better place I think I’ll be keeping my mindset I have had now. When you truly can’t buy things, you realize what you REALLY don’t need. Good luck with purging your closet!! That’s my hardest thing because I will always think I will wear something haha. I truthfully have an easier time purging books bc I know I can go to the library and read them haha
Sofia Li says
I did my own version of a December Wrap-Up based on the wonderful format you’ve provided. My favorite post to read of yours is probably your monthly wrap-ups because they’re full of information that’s funny, concise, and lets readers know a little more about you. You’re my number one blogger role model and I enjoy Perpetual Page Turner a lot 🙂 http://lovingthelanguageofliteracy.blogspot.com/2015/01/december-2014-wrap-up.html
Alexa S. says
I always enjoy getting an overview of your month, Jamie! It’s really great. This month, I think my favorite thing you’ve linked to was the post on minimalist living. I’ve noticed that I’m actually much better at being intentional/deliberate in what I buy, which results in less stuff. But I could definitely still manage to be a wee bit more minimalist, so I definitely want to try!