this & that ~ jan ed.

things I was consumed by this past month: films, current reads, & a banana muffin recipe

Feb 11, 2025

january in a few words

The past month served as a heavy reminder to slow down, take more time to myself, move my body, and try new recipes. At the end of the month, I took a day off to catch up on sleep and set goals for February. Here is a little scrapbook of my favorite memories1:

highs

Finding a new heatless curl method
Spending time with my family
Creating the perfect recipe for banana muffins
Hummus toast
Reading before bed (my current read is twisted hate)

what I was consumed by this month

Here’s a short list of things I loved this month.

watching

I am loving long form content lately, which means I have been coming across a lot of new creators. Here are a few of my faves.

gentle & nurturing self care habits: watch when you need some words of encouragement and advice on how to get out of a rut.

solo diaries: watch when you want to feel like you are on FaceTime with a friend.

mornings in the english countryside: watch when you want to live out your quiet country side dreams. I always envision a calm quiet life where I open the windows every morning to the sound of birds chirping, warm sunlight, and home made jelly on toast. but alas, I live in the city.

day in the life of a sf ballet student: oh how I love ballet. I always wish I never quit so I live vicariously through alya’s stunning vlogs. I love how kind and genuine she seems which is not always found in the ballet world.

honorable mention: I watched Interstellar for the first time and will never be the same. I also have been rewatching old films and can’t get enough of the way love is depicted on the black and white screen.

listening

Current playlist on shuffle:

Top 3 Songs on Repeat:

Cinnamon Girl ~ Lana Del Rey
High ~ Stephen Sanchez
Power of Love ~ Laura Branigan

reading

I have been trying to ease my way back into reading for fun again because I genuinely miss the feeling of getting lost in a book. However, time does not always permit me to escape reality. Hence, my decision to start off with a lighter read.

Didion & Babitz - Lili Anolik

Let it be known that this is a Didion AND Babitz household! This has been on my wishlist for a while as I love both Didion and Babitz. I will admit that Didion was my first love. I vividly remember being assigned her readings in a CA Lit class and feeling overcome with an obsession for her writing style and the way that she cut so deeply into harrowing events of her time. While the two “literary cool girls” ran in similar circles and had quite the interesting relationship, they could not be more different from each other. I love both equally.

Ms. Anolik however, is a bit biased towards Babitz and it definitely shows through her writing. At times it almost feels like you can’t quite distinguish the writer from the muse, perhaps that’s the allure.

I am still liking it thus far.

I recently read this substack and loved Leah Beth‘s take on the not so subtle Didion slander.

saving

my fav substack reads from this month:

is there room for two it girls? apparently not ~ notes under the fig tree
f*ck a** bobs in film ~ film fatale
what if I move to Paris ~ mimy’s journal
soft spots ~ the internet angel
coffee & novel stimuli ~ typing with feeling
philosophy books that changed my life ~ milk fed (as a philosophy major, I was so excited to see my favs on this list and always love reading others’ thoughts)

consuming

My current obsession is buttery banana & chocolate chip muffins.

This is my go to for whenever I have extra ripe bananas left over. Here’s my recipe.

Ingredients

1 ½ cups spooned and leveled all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
¾ tsp ground cinnamon
⅓ tsp ground nutmeg
1 ½ cups mashed bananas (3-4 ripe bananas)
6 tbsp melted, unsalted butter
⅔ cup packed dark or light brown sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tbsp milk ( I use lactaid so these are dairy free)
⅔ cup chocolate chips, pecans, or chopped walnuts (optional)

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 425°F (218°C). Prep your 12-count pan with pretty cupcake liners or nonstick spray.
Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg in a bowl. Set that bowl aside for a second.
Mash bananas in a bigger bowl (or your stand mixer bowl). At medium speed, mix in the unsalted butter, egg, brown sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until creamy.
Pour dry ingredients (from Step 2) into wet ingredients, then mix well. Toss in chocolate chips or nuts (optional). Your batter will become thick.
Scoop the muffin batter into your liners and fill them to about ¾.
Pop them in the oven at 425°F (218°C) for about 5 minutes, then dial the temperature down to 350°F and let them bake for another 16 to 18 minutes.
Stick a toothpick in the middle — when it comes out mostly clean, they’re good to go (21-23 minutes in total, or 12 to 15 mins at 350°F if you make mini muffins)
Let them sit in the pan for 5-7 minutes, then transfer them to a rack to chill completely.

Notes

The riper the bananas, the sweeter and more flavorful your muffins will be. For the best results, look for bananas with brown spots on the peel.
Cinnamon and nutmeg are classic choices, but you can use other warming spices, like ginger or cardamom, for a unique twist.
Using room temperature ingredients, especially the eggs and butter, will ensure even mixing and a smoother batter.
(Optional) Before baking, add a streusel topping made with brown sugar, flour, and butter. Comb the ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, then sprinkle over the batter in your muffin liners.

wearing

The weather can’t decide if it wants to be an ice cold rain storm or a cool sunny day (my fav). My outfits currently consist of any oversized crew neck I can find, a pair of track pants, alo socks, and sneakers.

But the start of Jan, was filled with a preview of spring.

My favorite fits consisted of flats, slightly distressed hem denim, a pearl button cardigan, and gold accents.

There is nothing I love more than warm brown tones and a cozy latte.

Another fav had me feeling like lawyer barbie. My brother didn’t understand my excitement went I opened a box of silver ballet flats over Christmas. He laughed and said they looked like tin foil but I saw the vision! I love adding unique textures to my otherwise simple outfits for a little pop of personality.

I paired these flats with this surprisingly soft bow cardigan, a cream belt, and pearl earrings.

doing

Pilates challenge series

I am working on my summer fitness goals to focus on improving mobility and joint strength. I found a few pilates series on YouTube and AloMoves that I plan on sticking to in these coming months.

I love that classes never get boring, there are plenty of modifications to fit your schedule and strength, and you leave the mat feeling amazing.

Try out these videos if you are short on time or want to stack a pilates class with other workouts.

Try out this 7 day challenge if you are looking to jump start your fitness habits.