While I like the holidays every year, this year I actually loved them. I got to go home and see family. I went on a horse drawn carriage ride. I ran in the snow. And so much more…it was simply a very special, almost magical season. Frankly, I wasn’t ready to see it go.

This is very unusual for me. Typically, I’m more than ready to take down the tree and pack up the decorations. But this year…it left me feeling kind of sad. To make matters worse, January has gotten off to an extremely frigid start, making today, the first Monday in January, a tough pill to swallow.

This combination of events inspired me to brainstorm a little list of things we can love about January. It’s my attempt at making the 26 days ahead a bit more bearable. Ready? Here we go:

1. It’s easy to find a good parking spot at Target again.

2. The cold weather is a great excuse to curl up on the couch with a mug of hot cocoa.

3. Storage solutions are plentiful in stores and even on sale!

4. January represents a fresh start and a new beginning.

5. Christmas merchandise is leaving the store shelves, and bright, colorful items are moving in!

10 Reasons Why January Isn't So Bad

6. It’s soup weather.

7. Your to-do list is shorter than it was last month!

8. The days are getting longer, but there’s still plenty of evening darkness to burn scented candles.

9. No yard work!

10. Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. (It always helps to have something to look forward to, doesn’t it?)

Ahh…things are starting to look up! So what about you? What do you love about January, or what do you do to make it more bearable? I’d love to know!

Let’s make it a Happy January!!

Aby