Hello, 2019!
The new year is just getting started. And I kicked the new year off with Veganuary, going to see my 5th Cirque Du Soleil show, and trying a new restaurant. I also knocked out more of my home improvement projects. And made plans for February. So here’s my wrap-up of January 2019.
What I learned during Veganuary
I’m a vegetarian but what inspired me to eat a vegetarian diet was Veganuary. I took up the challenge back in 2016 and afterward decided to go vegetarian. But every January I donate and eat a vegan diet to support the charity and learn something new.
During my time of eating a vegan diet, I discovered a lot of new delicious recipes. I also learned that some foods that I thought were vegan are actually not. One of them being 
sugar. I learned that not all sugar is vegan and some brands use bone char to process their sugar. Luckily when I went through my pantry I didn’t find any non-vegan sugar. Another thing I learned was that not all orange juice is vegan. Some have vitamin D3 which derived from sheep’s wool.
But most importantly I learned to read the labels. Things that you think might be vegan-friendly may not be. So when I’m out shopping I need to make sure that I read the packaging thoroughly so I don’t buy something or eat something. That isn’t vegetarian or vegan-friendly.
What I did in January
Mission Taco Joint
As I mentioned in my November recap post I was able to get my tickets at a discount. Which is a good thing because Cirque Du Soleil tickets can be expensive.
Before seeing the show my husband and I tried a new restaurant called Mission Taco Joint in the crossroads district of downtown. I’ve walked past it multiple times. But there was always a crowd of people inside which to me was a good sign. The food was delicious. I had the Cali burrito. A vegan burrito with an Impossible Burger, smashed black beans, lettuce, vegan cheese, guacamole, and chile de Arbol salsa. All wrapped in a wheat tortilla. When I originally planned the outing I had planned for my husband and me to walk around downtown but, it was too cold for that. So we just made our way to the Sprint Center to wait for the show to start.
Cirque Du Soleil: Crystal
This show was absolutely amazing and there is so much I want to blurt out about it. Including the most shocking moment toward the end but, I must hold back. If Cirque Du Soleil: Crystal is making a stop in your area I highly recommend checking it out and seeing it for yourself. The show combines ice skating, acrobatics, juggling, and so much more. When the show begins the entire set comes to life. Crystal is the story of a young woman trying to find her place. She goes out to a frozen pond and falls through the ice to a parallel world where she encounters great thrills and faces her own thrills. The story evolves and shapes into a tale of a young woman coming to terms with her own identity.
Home Improvement Projects
Owning a home is constant work but, I’m glad to announce I have now completed about 70% of my home improvement projects. Most of what’s left will have to wait until the spring. Since they’re outdoor projects and I’m not going to try to seed my backyard or start a garden while it’s January and 30 degrees outside. 
In January I finished painting, got the carpet replaced, new furniture, and the carpet in the master bathroom replaced with vinyl planks. My walls are still kind of bare but, that’ll change soon. I’m not sure what style of wall decor I’d like but I’ve looked through Pinterest for ideas. And I’ve found a few projects I’d like to try for my home. One is floating shelves for my master bathroom, and the other is a welcome sign using old license plats for the front entryway. Hopefully, I’ll be able to start one if not both of the projects this month. 
February Plans
Blogging plans
During February the focus of my by post will be about building self-esteem and a positive body image. I chose to focus on this because both are things I struggle with. It’s also something I would like to work on and improve. And since February is about love why not focus on loving your body and all the things that make you special. In my next post, I’ll be going to share my struggles with body image and disordered eating in my next post. So stay tuned for that.
Personal plans
My goal for February is to at least start my cosplays for Planet Comic Con. I’ve only decided on one build so far. And I’ve ordered the supplies for it but, I still need to decide on one more build. If you have any suggestions feel free to leave them in the comments.
Another goal I have for February has to with my focus on self-esteem and positive body image for my blog. I wanna try to post at least one photo of my self a week on Instagram. I don’t have a lot of confidence so I prefer to be behind the camera instead of in front of it. So I wanna try to build my confidence by stepping in front of the camera. I’m a little bit nervous about it but It’ll get through it.
Did you do anything fun this past month? Or do you have any fun plans for February? Let me know in the comments.
Your January looked awesome. My husband and I have been talking about going vegan, but first, we need to eat all of the non-vegan food in our house because we don’t want to waste it. This is giving me time to do lots of research and find plenty of recipes to try. I never knew vitamin D3 was made from sheep’s wool! Your house is looking great.
Thanks!
That’s great. Not wasting food and doing your research is the way to go. There are a lot of vegan recipes out there so you’ll definitely find some you’ll like.