Featured / Monthly Round Up

January 2025 Round Up

Welcome to Hilltown House 2025 and a much needed new pace and new focus. For the longest time I really took the advice that if you wanted to have a successful social media presence you should keep your focus narrow and targeted — well since I no longer care much about have a successful social media presence I’m throwing that line of thinking out of the window because as much as I still love DIYing and talking home improvement and organization + sharing with you all….I’m a little bored. This year I want to share all the things I love talking about – food, restaurants, pop culture, crafts, clothes, and whatever random crap has got me excited each month….and of course some DIY thrown in as well. So here’s my first venture into this new remix…I promise to do my best to let you know whether what I shared is something tried and tested OR merely something new that I gave a chance. As always take from these round-ups what fits and feel free to leave whatever doesn’t.

I feel the most appropriate thing to give the distinction of being shared first is the thing that makes it possible for me to keep all the plates spinning is the Erin Condren Life Planner. I’ve used this thing for the last 6 years and it is the only planner I’ll use for my day-to-day life. It’s definitely for those that want a really robust and structured planner not for those that do better with something more relaxed and flexible. I always ask for one for Xmas so I can take the week off to get my life together. Speaking of what I got for Xmas – I’m super excited about my new electric ramen pot that I was influenced to get from this Tik Toker sharing her Ramen advent calendar. I really want to make Hot Pot style meals in it + love that the boys can use it without having to boil water on the stove. Also over Xmas break GOB wanted me to teach him how crochet because he really wanted a kit to make Amigurumi creatures that seem to be really popular among kids BUT he had a really hard time learning with the smaller size hooks and yarn that these kits require so we switched to a much larger hook (size Q or U) and this soft jumbo yarn and he picked it up super fast and has been spending these chilly nights relaxing on the couch working on a crotchet blanket. As for me, I’ve been spending my nights playing Tears of the Kingdom (which holy hell is this a good game!) and the husband got me caught up on Severance on AppleTV+ before the new season started. It’s like the perfect combo of all my favorite things – Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, cult references, weirdly vintage set design, and all the Kubrick + Paul Thomas Anderson vibes I could want.

As is tradition here is my wish-list of DIY projects I’d like to tackle this year….I’ve been dragging my feet on the kitchen island and powder room so I’m determined to at least get those two finished!