Light List Vol. 1
This essay appeared in the Monday morning newsletter on 1/19/26. Subscribe here!
Three Steps to a Happier Monday
Before we dive into a new week, let’s pause and ask ourselves some simple questions to reflect on where we’ve been, get excited about something today and set an intention for the week ahead.
GRATITUDE: What are three things I appreciated from the weekend?
TODAY: What’s one thing I can be excited about today?
INTENTION: What is my intention for this week?
For me, I’m thankful for the feeling of being home, smiles from Ben and laughs with my mom. Today, I’m most excited to watch the Indiana Hoosiers in the national championship game (totally a bandwagon fan, but it’s been so fun to feel the palpable excitement around Indy!). And my intention for the week is to appreciate routine.
Okay, your turn! And if you want to share, I am all ears. 🙂
Monday Musings: Light List Vol. 1
Welcome to Volume 1 of The Light List: a monthly, running list of small things that have made life feel a little lighter lately.
How’s your January so far? I know there can be a lot to chafe at this month: the return to routine, the dark and cold winter days without any twinkling lights, the end of endless festivities… But I recently came across a quote that offered a reframe I really liked:
“And then January, which I am not perverse enough to like because it freezes my ears or wets my ankles, I do like because it is a beginning. I like all beginnings: the first sentence of a book, the first robin in spring, the first whiff of an autumn bonfire, the first words of a play, the first sip of old wine (and also the second and third). It is customary to speak of January as a month for resolutions. Resolutions are good ideas that usually come to bad endings.” – Charles Lee, “January,” An Almanac of Reading, 1940
I like this focus on the beginnings January offers, rather than what has ended.
And in the spirit of noticing what’s good right now, here are a few light things I’ve been loving lately:
Watching+ I know I’m far from the first person to mention the Taylor Swift Eras Tour documentary series on Disney Plus, but wow – I loved it! I think I watched every episode twice because there was just.so.much. to take in, and I found the behind-the-scenes perspective fascinating. While I was in Florida, my mom and I watched the final concert film (also on Disney Plus), and it’s been fun noticing new details, especially recognizing dancers, backup singers, and band members we came to know through the documentary.
+ Next up on my watch list: the People We Meet on Vacation movie. I love the author Emily Henry, though PWMOV is actually my least favorite of her books, which I think bodes well for liking the adaptation. Sometimes when I love a book, the movie just can’t live up. I’ve heard great things about this one so far!
Reading
+ I finished Best Laid Plans at the very end of last year, and it turned out to be a timely read heading into January. It’s full of thoughtful planning techniques, many of which I intend to experiment with this year. I’ve been a fan of the author for a while now through her blog, The Shu Box.
+ A few other articles and think pieces I’ve enjoyed recently from around the web:
- “13 Ideas for Actually Enjoying January” – Cute ideas for embracing this month
- “Name Your Breaks” – I love this idea of how giving your breaks a name can help you take them more intentionally. I’ve been trying this during Ben’s naps: a movement nap (walking or working out), a get-stuff-done nap (household tasks) and a time-for-me nap (reading or catching up on things on my computer).
- “26 for 2026” – I always enjoy reading (or in this case, listening to) how others are thinking about the year ahead. You never know when something might give some inspiration for your own goal list!
Buying
+ In an effort to be on my phone less this year (a perennial goal of mine), I bought a small word scramble game called Q-Less. I love that you can play solo or with someone else, and I can already see it becoming an evening ritual with a mug of tea… peak January cozy energy.
+ I must caveat this next one: I do not think paying $58 for two hair clips is normal. In fact, I think it’s a bit unhinged. However. Since having Ben, about 90% of the time the top half of my hair is clipped back to keep it out of my face (and his very enthusiastic grasp). When I got to my parents’ and realized I’d forgotten my clip, I decided to order these from Crown Affair. I already love several of their products, so I was intrigued – and also perplexed by the price tag. Could they really be worth it? I’m sorry to report that they absolutely live up to the hype. I can wear one all day – even while juggling a squirmy three-month-old – without any tugging or adjusting. They’re on the smaller side, so they wouldn’t hold all of my hair up, but for clipping just part of it back, I love them and have been wearing one daily.
Looking Forward To
There is a lot of book-related news I’m looking forward to!:
+ Somehow I missed that there’s a new Ann Patchett book coming out this year in June… yay! As my favorite author, her books are instant pre-orders for me.
+ On the nonfiction front, another one of my favorite authors (Laura Vanderkam) has a book coming out in May, Big Time. Can’t wait to read!
+ While visiting with my aunt last week, she told me about a recent book she read & loved called Theo of Golden. And then the next day, I saw the book featured on the Today Show! Took it as a sign that I must read this book and ordered it.
What have you been enjoying lately? I’d love to hear about it! After all, sometimes the smallest joys are the ones most worth sharing.