January Living | 12 MONTH SERIES

Just in case you skipped my Instagram stories and headed straight here, I'll give you a quick background on this series, what to expect, and why its being posted in the last 10 days of the month!

If you are a blogger you know very few things happen in the moment. There is a ton of planning and lists and schedules and reschedules. Add in a kid or two (or three in my case) and very rarely do things come off without a hitch! This series started brewing in my mind in early December and I made a few notes and plans to launch it within the first week of January. The Monthly Living series on Miranda Southern will basically be a way for me to live intentionally in 30 days, hold myself accountable to accomplishing , and try new things for the next 30 days. I'm also extending the invitation to you!

If you follow me on Instagram you know we spent the last 2 weeks of December in Atlanta with my husband's mom Zita and the rest of our family. Her cancer had worsened and hospice had been called in. Unfortunately we lost her on December 31 so we remained in Atlanta until January 7. When tragedy strikes your home its hard to feel inspired and most things felt inadequate to share so I stalled on a few things, this series included. Fast forward to the last week and a half before February and I started my prep for a new month. This series popped back in my head, but I quickly shut it down thinking I can't share it without a January post thinking no one would get it or understand. But then I realized, this is my space, my blog. This is where I share with y'all that it is okay to set things aside for another day so you can deal with your emotions. I'm not a magazine with editorial deadlines. I'm a real life human being working in the thick of it all.

Starting in February and moving forward you'll see this post within the first week of the month. Let's see how much we can accomplish and how much fun we can have in 30 days, okay??

JANUARY LIVING

Word - CONSISTENCY

I've never been one to set New Year resolutions. For me it seems almost impossible to set a goal and stick to it for the next 365 days. One thing though I have been wanting to do is to find consistency throughout my life and remain in it. With this word I have set small goals for myself in different areas like housework, homeschool, Bible study, eating, spending time with each of my children, and of course blogging. For anyone interested, I've been using Savor by Shauna Niequist for my morning devotions and I post them frequently in my Instagram stories.

Worship Song - SURROUNDED by UPPERROOM

This one will be hard for me each month because narrowing it down to just one will be difficult. I find my closest connection with God is thought praise and worship. This song specifically reminds me of church as a child. The repetitiveness of it requires you to dial in, clear your head, and focus on worshipping God. Many times when we are walking through deep grief and trials it can be hard to focus on the promises of God. This song specially reminds me He promises to never leave me or forsake me regardless of the situation.

Verse - Psalm 23 "THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD, I LACK NOTHING."

In some of my most darkest moments of life, the Lord has used Psalm 23 to bring me closer to Him. If you were raised in church its probably the first chapter you learned in Sunday school. If the Lord found you as an adult, it is probably one of the first chapters you studied. It sometimes seems elementary coming back to it. How can the Lord use this chapter to speak to me, but ya'll its powerful. It declares several promises of God and if you allow yourself to fall deep into the words of David you will find great comfort there.

Color - BLACK

Basic much?? Haha! I wanted to start out with something I felt comfortable with, didn't have to buy anything else of, and yet could still take me out of my comfort zone. Black in clothing is a comfort for me, but black in other things... my nails for example.... now that makes me feel a little antsy! Here are a few of my favorite black accessories for January that won't break the bank, as well as the color I've been wearing on my nails this month. This hat is the same one I'm wearing in the above photo and also quick side note: did you know I do my own nails using gel polish?

Try Something New for the Month - DERMASUCTION

Okay, so would y'all even believe me if I told y'all my 76 year old Grandaddy got me wanting one of these? He saw it on an infomercial ordered it and I watched him use it and had to have one! I found this one at my local Kroger in the AS SEEN ON TV section of the store. It was only $20. The first time I used it, I used the highest setting and that 100% most definitely was way to high for my skin. I looked like I had a hickey right on my cheek! Thankfully I didn't proceed to doing it all over my face! I reduced the setting to the lowest (there are three) and used the exfoliator attachment and y'all it was like heaven to my skin. I do exfoliate on a regular basis with Rodan + Fields microdermabrasion paste, but definitely feel this took my exfoliating to an entirely different level. After applying my night time serum my face felt so baby soft. I've been using it for 3 weeks now and definitely can tell a difference in the texture of my skin. I have never seen any dead skin on the inside of the attachment as you may see on the infomercials or have I sucked out any blackheads. If you have sensitive skin and want to try this I would definitely use on the lowest setting possible and start on a less noticeable part of your face just incase its too strong for you.

Family Outing - AMC DINE IN MOVIE THEATER

I blogged about our experience here. I know AMC Dine-In theaters aren't in every state, but if you have one in your area I highly suggest treating yourself to a dinner and a movie in one! We are also headed to see the Harlem Globetrotters this weekend and we are super stoked about that! I can't wait to tell y'all more about that!

That's all my topics for this month. If you have any others you are curious about let me know! Depending on what I come across each month I'll share those with you and please as always let me know if you try anything I've listed above!