Monthly Round Up: January 2018
A look behind the scenes at the month that was, sharing the highlights, challenges and some personal recommendations for you!
January was much calmer than expected - normally I feel like it gets to mid-way through the month and I'm still rushing around saying 'huh, wha, new years resolutions oh shit' but this year was a much calmer, controlled start to the New Year.Was it the detox on booze? Maybe.The sexy Passion Planner diary that made me feel more organised? Perhaps.Was it being totally OCD and cleaning out my clogged inbox entirely? That definitely helped.Overall though, the calmer feeling was because I had a much clearer idea of what I wanted to achieve this month, and gave myself a break for not achieving it all right this second. But let's be real, not-drinking definitely helped those productivity levels! Let's have a look at the month that was January.
Places Travelled: Budapest, Tirol
Despite our best intentions, we snuck in two weekends away this month. A last minute frolic to Budapest, which even in the depth of winter is absolutely gorgeous.
I loved getting my tour-guiding hat back on and showing friends around the city - we spent a lot of time cosied into cafes and restaurants, and it was a joy to introduce them to the beloved ruin bars.We also hopped across to Tirol for a weekend for a family birthday. Although it killed us not to be skiing (boohoo right?) we still had a lot of fun frolicking in the snow and tobogganning down the slopes in a beautiful mountain surrounding.
We may have also spotted our next big splurge hotel, the Kaiserlodge Scheffau which was absolutely stunning - hoping to get back there on our next visit to enjoy the top notch facilities.
Highlights of January
Eating healthy for the entire monthThis meant detoxing from booze, gluten, meat and sugar. This is probably a really boring highlight, but personally, I was super proud of sticking to my healthy eating plan. It's basically taking the principles of Valerie Orsoni's 'Le Boot Camp' method, without the monthly sign up fees. I just brought a second hand edition of her book instead!I trust this method for a few reasons a) I've used it before successfully b) Valerie is French (so appreciates good tasty food & a glass of red wine) c) She used to struggle with being overweight herself so has walked the walk.
I also find this healthy eating method the most sustainable - straight cutting entire food groups never works for me, but adjustments and some guidelines that allow reintroduction of food groups is much more manageable.The biggest surprise? I really didn't crave a drink at all - I thought I'd be jonesing for a wine within 4 days, but it's been quite pleasant to smugly wake up on weekend mornings with a clear-headed day ahead of me. I don't think it's something I could commit to long term, but a month-long detox a few times a year is refreshing.Yeah, I'm insufferable now - but healthier, at least.Trying Supercycle spin classes and not dying! This exercise class was way more fun and achievable than expected! I loved each class I went to and will be giving you guys a full review here on the blog soon. In short, if you have been debating trying it, sign up now for an entry level class, you won't regret it.
Challenges & Lessons
Learning the hard way about Austrian store return policies.Ok this is maybe petty, and my fault, but I tried to return a sweater purchased pre-Christmas that wasn't working for me, and the store refused to accept it back. It had never been worn, in perfect condition, just didn't suit my style.I learned the hard way that Austria has a strict 14-day return policy - even after years living here, these kind of rules and regulations that they adhere to so strictly shock me.In unrelated news, anyone wanna purchase a lovely deep green cashmere winter sweater?Planning our wedding went up a notch. We're now only 12 weeks or so away from our destination wedding in Bali - so the questions and details are flooding in.Stefan and I are doing a pretty good job so far of keeping our cool, but there's just so many silly little details to decide on. Things I've never thought about and don't particularly have strong opinons on - flowers, footwear, cake toppers....I never was the girl who planned her wedding in advance. The 'big picture' things like DJ's, photographers and bridal party outfits are decided.The rest, for me, is not that important - but even making that choice is a decision that needs to be communicated, so we're hunkering down into spreadsheets and planning mode to try and get everything sorted. The plan is to then do a seamless handover to my sister, our MC and a few key people so that once we get to Nusa Lembongan we can just enjoy it.That's the plan anyway - if anyone has survival tips for destination wedding planning I'm all ears!
Most Popular Posts
Blog: This month I'm loving sharing detailed insider tips on Vienna, and it seems you guys are too! These were some of the most popular posts last month
What to know when you visit Vienna
10 signs you're becoming Austrian
Instagram: You guys were also loving the snowy scenes of Vienna - hard to imagine now as it's so warm! This was the most popular post last month
What I've been Reading, Watching & Recommend for you!
TV: We binged Season 3 and 4 of Peaky Blinders on Netflix, and oh my Lord if you haven't discovered this show yet and the wonder of Cillian Murphy's cheekbones and blue eyes (not to mention rich scriptwriting, beautiful cinematography and outstanding modern soundtrack) then you are in for a treat.There's no way to truly capture everything about this show - set in post WWI Birmingham, it's about gangsters, and love and family and honour and loyalty and class and humanity. Adrien Brody pops up in Season 4 and Tom Hardy is brilliant as a mouthy London ganster but honestly you should just go watch this, immediately!Reading: After a heavy few months of book binging, January was a slow month for new novels. I tried 'Hot Mess' by Lucy Vine but it left me cold (ha #sorrynotsorry) so settled for magazine reads. I've just started the Sympathisier by Viet Thanh Nguyen which if gripping and honest so far, fingers crossed it can get me back in the reading zone.Wearing: Longtime newsletter subscribers (you can join us by clicking here) will know I've been on the lookout for the perfect cosy winter sweater for months now (see failed attempts above) and I think I finally found the one. Edited's Allegra Cashmere Jumper.It's cosy, snuggly and perfect fit without looking sloppy which believe me is tough with my body type.
I'm 100% sure this baby will be with me for years, it's that good.
Up Next in February
I'll be heading to the Comepass Maxima Bloggers Festival at the Ottakringer brewery, which will be my first blogging conference entirely in German, so mildly freaking out, eep!I also have plans to check out a few new brunch spots this month and make the most of the gloomy weather by hibernating inside, writing, reading, and continuing to take 2018 slow. I don't want to jinx it, but we currently have no travel plans (in wedding lockdown) so it should be a good month for exploring Vienna in the quiet of winter.Tell me in the comments - where would you like me to explore and share with you this month in Vienna?To stay in the know about all things Austrian Adaptation, join our community of 5,000+ readers by subscribing below. You'll get fortnightly updates on life in Austria, Vienna insider tips, and the behind-the-scenes truth from us!