TOP 5 MOST POPULAR BLOG POSTS | 1.15.25

Hi hi hiiiiii and welcome to the first blog post round-up of 2025! Today's post is all about the top five most read blog posts of the month here on TKD. If you're new here, we always do them in the middle of the month so it's a little mix of two months really. It doesn't really make much sense but it started that way and stuck! A lot of these are also health + wellness related which is fitting for January and #newyearnewgoals, hehe. PS-- how are we doing with that? I'm just now starting to get back into the groove and in flow with mine which feels good! 

1. SALT & STONE DEODORANT REVIEW + RESTOCK HAUL - If you're a clean ingredient/deodorant homie, this post is for you. I did a little review on the Salt & Stone deodorant- a clean, aluminum free formula. In the post here I share my thoughts, what scents I've tried + mini haul. 

Read here: Salt & Stone Deodorant Review + Restock Haul 

2. OURA RING UNBOXING - Ok really, how are we doing on all of those new year's resolutions and health goals? Today is actually "National Quitters Day" (lol) but ya'll better not be giving up yet! Gotta beat those stats! If you're looking to invest in your health during 2025, the Oura Ring is a MUST. I love love love mine and find the data on my sleep, overall "readiness" and being able to track my cycle is 100% worth it. Be sure to check out my unboxing for all the good info on buying, the ring features + more. 

Read here: Oura Ring Unboxing

3. REVIEWING YASSO GREEK YOGURT BARS - Also helpful for those health goals are the Yasso Greek Yogurt Bars. These are seriously too good- love them. They are my favorite healthier "ice cream" because they still taste great but are much healthier compared to regular ice cream. I share all of my favorite flavors in the review post here. 

Read here: Reviewing Yasso Greek Yogurt Bars 

4. SOFT GIRL SELF CARE IDEAS - January is definitely the time for all of us to be in our soft girl era. It's cold, a little dreary and after the busy holiday season- a good time to rest. I've been spending the month focusing on me and definitely putting some of my favorite self care ideas in practice. You can read through them all here :) 

Read here: Soft Girl Self Care Ideas

5. NEW CHRISTMAS SWEATSHIRTS - Okay I'm so sad I can't wear these now!! I bought these amazing Christmas sweatshirts back before the holidays and I'm already looking forward to wearing them again this year. They are amazing quality and I love the vintage-inspired designs. I am excited for the brand's new Valentine's Day collection- I just may have to snag one of those! 

Read here: New Christmas Sweatshirts 

How are your resolutions going? LMK!

PERSONAL GROWTH BOOKS ON MY READING LIST

A new year means new book possibilities! One goal you can always find on every one of my new year's resolution lists is to read more books. Once upon a time I was an avid reader and while I still cling tightly to that title, I've really been holding on for dear life ever since my college days. Lol- the drammmaaaa. Nowadays, I'm more of a sporadic reader. Maybe I'll read one or two books one month, then nothing else for the next eight months. At some point I lost my game and now it just takes the right mood and book for me to get in flow. 

I will say I did a tiny bit better in 2024- I read a total of seven books. Granted, four of the seven were Harry Potter re-reads but a win is still a win, no? Also a big improvement from the three in 2023... are you doing the math here? Lol. The sad part is also that every month without fail, I still share reading list posts just like this one like. Maybe it's my own way of trying to push myself back into it or I've just been in denial? Lol. Jokes aside- I'm working my way back and I have a plan! 

I decided to be a little more specific with my goals this year and break things down monthly. For January, my goal is to just read two books. Spoiler alert- I've already finished one! Wooo hoooo. I'm adding bonus points if I can make one of them a self-help/personal growth book too, hence today's post. 

I rounded up the next books on my "self-help," personal development list. A few of these have been on here awhile: The Psychology of Money and The Four Agreements. I'm also super excited for Mel Robbin's newest release: The Let Them Theory. 

It should also be no surprise that although I'm not currently in my avid reader era, I never left my avid shopper era which has left me with a larger collection of unread books. We love an extra side quest so I'm also adding in a challenge to buy a few less books and read some of the unread ones I already own. From this list, I have The Psychology of Money and The Five Love Languages to dive into!

PERSONAL GROWTH BOOKS I WANT TO READ:

You can read the synopsis + shop each book by clicking on the title below: 

+ The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins 

+ The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel 

+ The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman 

+ The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz 

*SHOP THE POST + ALL OF MY READING LIST HERE*

What was the last book you read?

PS-- I'm also on Goodreads if you want to add me here :)

I love sharing my picks + hauls with you all! Should you click on or make a purchase through the links in this post, I'll earn some money to keep on shopping! Pretty cool, huh? :) 

ABERCROMBIE FINDS

Scoop Neck Tee // Queen of Hearts Graphic Tee // Wide Leg Sweatpants // Waffle Knit Thermal // Striped Half-Zip Pullover // Long Sleeve Mini Dress // Trench Coat // Plaid Blazer

I love sharing my picks + hauls with you all! Should you click on or make a purchase through the links in this post, I'll earn some money to keep on shopping! Pretty cool, huh? :)

WHAT'S IN MY AMAZON CART | 1.8.25

Nourishing Lip Balm // You Are a Magnet by Amber Lyon // Vitamin B Drops // Drawer Organizer // Honey Glow Face Mask // Cuticle Nippers // Waterproof Shoe Protector Spray // Bracelet Buddy Tool

*SHOP ALL OF MY AMAZON FINDS + WANTS HERE*

I love sharing my picks + hauls with you all! Should you click on or make a purchase through the links in this post, I'll earn some money to keep on shopping! Pretty cool, huh? :)

MY JANUARY GOALS

For 2025, I've decided to take a different approach when it comes to my new year's resolutions + yearly goals. Instead of placing so much emphasis on my overall goals, I'm taking more of a micro approach and honing in on smaller, monthly goals. Many of these fall under the umbrella of some of my larger goals, however will hopefully be more concrete, sustainable + enjoyable. 

I fully believe it's important to define your goals and write them down- if you don't know where you're headed, you'll never get there. That being said, I find myself often feeling overwhelmed by everything I hope to do, be, see and accomplish. I once heard that you overestimate what you can do in a year and underestimate what you can do in ten. Over the last few years, I've started to trust myself and the process of life more. By relinquishing control (or the need to be in control) of certain things, they usually work themselves out even faster. I've also noticed the more at ease and in flow I am, the more everything seems to just work out for me. 

I'm starting January off in the same way- excited about the new year but not in a hurry to make everything happen at once. My plan is to just ease my way in while still being intentional. I have four mini goals on my agenda: 

JANUARY 2025 GOALS

+MOVE MY BODY - I had to take a little break from working out and keeping up with my 10,000 steps per day over the last few months which has lowered my "normal" daily activity. It's actually been nice to have a little break- before that, I was so focused on maintaining my daily step streak that in many ways, it was a self-created stressor in my life. I do think it's important for our health to have daily movement and aiming for 10K+ per day is a good baseline, however my focus has now shifted to being more about the movement and activity versus my step count. This week I'm getting back into the gym and once the weather warms up a bit, I plan to start walking outside again. The overall goal is to just starting moving more + working my way back to normal. 

+MORE PROTEIN, LESS SUGAR - Sugar and snackies get me in trouble and after the holidays, we need a little separation lol. This month I'm prioritizing more protein, a few extra veggies and less "junk." 

+READ TWO BOOKS - I haven't had the best track record with reading books over the past several years. I go in phases where I'll read two or three at a time and then nothing else for months. I'm hoping to create a little bit of consistency this year by challenging myself to read at least two books per month. It can be any genre I want but I'm shooting for at least one personal growth book if possible. For January, I plan on finishing this cute rom-com I started before Christmas and also want to try and pick another from current unread book collection. 

+WHITEN TEETH - I specifically added this to my January list because 1- I've been wanting to whiten my teeth and 2- I am always bad about stopping halfway through. I use these whitening strips but I always find myself making it three or four days and then I either forget or I skip. I know it's best to complete a full cycle all at once so to make it happen, I'm making it a goal. Tonight will be my sixth day so I'm almost halfway through! 

What are your goals for January?

I love sharing my picks + hauls with you all! Should you click on or make a purchase through the links in this post, I'll earn some money to keep on shopping! Pretty cool, huh? :)

HEALTHY GROCERY HAUL | 1.3.25

It's time to jump on the healthy train, ya'll. After way too much indulging during the holidays, I'm excited to jump start the new year with eating a little bit cleaner and re-centering my health and fitness. Ya'll know I always preach "everything in moderation" which hasn't changed, however I am making an active choice to eat more protein + veggies while cutting back on sugar + snackies. 

It's also better for me to focus more on being consistent versus going overkill. Extreme diet changes aren't usually sustainable so I like to find a balance between eating the good things and allowing myself to still enjoy treats. 

Having New Year's Day in the middle of the week is kind of a weird setup for starting off with new goals + habits. I definitely took advantage of my last few hurrahs this week before switching to a new mindset yesterday. Since it's a shorter week, I just picked up a few staples.

Eggs, a breakfast protein, greek yogurt + some type of berries always in my healthy food lineup. They make breakfasts and lunches easy and no fuss. You can also never go wrong with the gym bro meal for lunch + dinner, haha. This week I grabbed some chicken for dinner with baby potatoes and green beans. So easy to pop in the air fryer, healthy + delish! 

Ya'll already know my love for Hero bread, too. It's so good and very healthy with high protein, high fiber + lower calories. I also love that it has good ingredients-- that can be hard to find in healthier options that also still taste delicious. I love the seeded bread and the tortillas. I use them for breakfast, lunch, dinner and even snacks. The toast with peanut butter is one of my favorite snacks for lower calorie with a little extra protein. It's a splurge and not available in all grocery stores, however you can order it online here. Both are also linked in my the "Snackies" section of my storefront here. You can also buy variety pack bundles to try out a mix of their different products. I want to try the croissants and the Hawaiian rolls soon!

DAIRY

+ Oikos Triple Zero Vanilla Greek Yogurt  

PRODUCE

+ Blueberries 

+ Honey Gold Baby Potatoes 

+ French Green Beans 

PROTEIN

+ Chicken

+ Greenfield No Sugar Added Bacon 

+ Eggs 

GRAINS/BREAD

+ Hero Seeded Bread 

+ Hero Flour Tortillas

What are you picking up this week? 

*SHOP ALL OF MY FOOD FAVES + FINDS HERE*

I love sharing my picks + hauls with you all! Should you click on or make a purchase through the links in this post, I'll earn some money to keep on shopping! Pretty cool, huh? :) 

HELLO 2025!

Happy New Year!! We made it to the other side and it’s time for a fresh start. I love the possibilities of a new year- I definitely have a list of goals I want to work towards in 2025! I spent most of today just relaxing at home and enjoying time off from work.

I’m really looking to January 2nd as my first official start day when it comes to goals, however I did jump on a few little things today. Over the last year, I’ve shifted my mindset about the new year in a few ways. I still think it’s a great time to begin something new and prioritize goals, however it doesn’t have to start off super intense in my book. The Kristen from a few years back would have been adamant about doing all of X, Y and Z right this second at lighting speed. 

Now I keep more of a slow and steady wins the race approach. I saw this week that you’re much more likely to accomplish goals if you write them down, however most people give up on their resolutions by January 15th. On the radio they said it’s now called “National Quitters Day” which is crazy, lol. The key is to be consistent- you’re capable of more than you think if you just stick with it long enough. 

I also fully embrace the idea of a soft winter now. Just like in nature, the colder months are a good time to “hibernate” and rest. For me this means resting, taking care of myself and focusing on what feels good. I will still work on goals, just in a way that aligns with this mentality. 

I’ll do a separate post with my goals- right now I’m focused more on what I want to take care of in January but I always have a few yearly resolutions in mind too. 

I hope you had a fun, safe NYE and enjoyed ringing in the new year. I spent mine enjoying Japanese food and staying in with family at home. I did try my hand at bartending this year and whipped up some S’mores martinis! I need to buy some actual cocktail glasses but they were yum! 

Here is to what I hope will be our best year yet. Regardless of how your 2024 may have gone, it’s a blessing to have lived through it, see it close out and to be present for the start of a new one. I feel a new sense of excitement for 2025- here we go!