Share 4 Somethings January 2026 Edition

It's the last Saturday of the month and time for Share 4 Somethings with Jenn. This year we're sharing something we loved, something that sustained us, something we're carrying forward, and something we're making space for each month.  


Something I loved:

watching Ian zip around in his new "toy" plowing snow; it looked like fun
 
playing Triominoes with my boys and my mother in law; we were laughing so much!

Going to the movies for the first time in YEARS (we saw the latest Avatar)

A fun morning exploring local shops and this bakery with Evan

I didn't love having to cancel our dinner reservations at Hell's Kitchen for last Sunday but the huge impending storm wasn't cooperating. We ended up still going to Foxwood's the night before and tried out Cedar's Steakhouse instead. I LOVED that we still managed to squeeze a date night in for January! (even if I didn't really take any photo but the 2 below)

 



Something that sustained me: Good food quite literally sustained me. Meals like these that I just shared last Friday. 



I don't typically like winter and January tends to drag on and on but this month our weather was surprisingly mild at times and some really lovely hikes have sustained me. 




I also have lots of travel plans lined up for the year that's helping sustain me too; as of right now I have 4 trips planned... Evan and I will head to North Carolina to see my family, I'm meeting up with the blogging ladies (also in North Carolina!), my husband and I are taking the two younger boys to Utah to see another handful of national parks, and then my husband and I planned another trip to Maine just the two of us. Most are just long weekend type trips but all of them make me excited. 

Something I'm carrying forward: I'm trying to carry forward all the lessons I learned while wearing a Continuous Glucose Monitor for a month as well as utilizing all the macro counts that Weight Watchers has added to their app. 

 

Something I'm making space for: I quite literally made space in our filing cabinet when I shredded 3 bags worth of old documents. I also made an effort to make sure we are signed up for paperless billing whenever/wherever possible this month. It was a low key goal of mine to make sure we have less excess paper in the house for no real reason.

Linking up with:

 


Comments

  1. AnonymousJanuary 30, 2026 at 5:46 AM

    I’m so excited for all your trips, especially Utah, and can’t wait to read your recaps! All your meals look delicious—they always do. I especially love the omelette with salad.
    Ruth@playworkeatrepeat

    ReplyDelete
  2. HollyJanuary 30, 2026 at 6:02 AM

    Oh your trips sound fabulous! They would sustain me too :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne January 30, 2026 at 1:32 PM

      Aw, thank you! I can't wait. The idea of warm weather sounds amazing right now.

      Delete
  3. Amy ScottJanuary 30, 2026 at 6:46 AM

    It's been a pretty good January! We made it! I hope you can go back to Hell's Kitchen! I have been tracking on the WW app some days - not always good about it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne January 30, 2026 at 1:33 PM

      Yeah, I was doing really well up until last Saturday and I don't think I've opened it once! I figure I'll get back to WW next week when I (hopefully!) get back to the gym.

      Delete
  4. Kathrine EldridgeJanuary 30, 2026 at 7:11 AM

    That snow plow is pretty impressive. We would need that this year with all the snow were are having. I am so jealous that you are have 4 trips planned. They all sounds amazing!

    https://www.kathrineeldridge.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne January 30, 2026 at 1:34 PM

      He has an actual snow plow that he uses too but the skid steer comes in real handy when moving piles of snow around.

      Delete
  5. Kim CarberryJanuary 30, 2026 at 8:15 AM

    Ohh! That does look like a fun toy for Ian and how great to explore local shops and the bakery with Evan. That's good you still got a date night even though it wasn't what you had planned.
    It sounds like you have some great trips planned!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne January 30, 2026 at 1:36 PM

      Aw, thank you! Evan and I have been having lots of fun exploring our town and the small stores we rarely think to visit.

      Delete
  6. Dara @ Not In JerseyJanuary 30, 2026 at 8:45 AM

    It's great that you get to plan so many fun trips to look forward to!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne January 30, 2026 at 1:36 PM

      I was really excited! Typically I don't have so many planned this early in the year.

      Delete
  7. AnonymousJanuary 30, 2026 at 10:22 AM

    I’m glad your future trips are sustaining you. Happy Friday. Hugs. xx.
    rsrue.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  8. Heather{Our Life In a Click}January 30, 2026 at 12:06 PM

    Isn't it nice to shred things and go digital?! It looked like a really good month!

    ReplyDelete
  9. EricaStaJanuary 30, 2026 at 1:02 PM

    A good idea... See back and than into springtime.
    Greetings by Heidrun

    https://happy-hour-with-picts.blogspot.com/2026/01/mosaicmonday-no-173.html?m=1

    ReplyDelete
  10. PamelaJanuary 30, 2026 at 3:39 PM

    I love the paperless trend - nice to just click and save a document rather than having to physically file it.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Jodie's Touch of StyleJanuary 30, 2026 at 4:28 PM

    Getting rid of excess paper us huge.. now thats a goal i need .xoxo
    Jodie

    ReplyDelete
  12. Tanya January 30, 2026 at 6:29 PM

    Planning some travel this January for the spring really boosted my spirits. :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Chrissy TJanuary 30, 2026 at 6:41 PM

    Hello!! Planning trips sustain me to this time of year as well as hikes!! I love you sharing your pockets of joy!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne January 31, 2026 at 6:41 AM

      Thank you! Since hiking is really hard to do now that we have a few feet of snow on the ground and such arctic temps my trip planning has really ramped up.

      Delete
  14. AnonymousJanuary 30, 2026 at 8:12 PM

    4 trips sounds like something to look forward to!! Oh, the glucose monitor looks interesting. We had to put one on my diabetic cat once and it was kind of cool. She had the Libre. Wow, that one hike with the snow all down the path into the woods looks so pretty.

    Carrie
    curlycraftymom.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne January 31, 2026 at 6:42 AM

      Aw, thank you! That is one of my favorite trails to hike.

      Delete
  15. Lux G.January 30, 2026 at 8:43 PM

    I also love exploring local cafes. I miss that. Stay warm and enjoy the winter!

    ReplyDelete
  16. MarilynJanuary 30, 2026 at 9:41 PM

    The goodies look good at the bakery. Planning trips is good for the soul, right? And so is shredding lots of papers! Enjoy your weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Kim January 31, 2026 at 1:23 PM

    You do have a lot of trips planned! I think it's neat that you're going to meet up with some blogging friends. That's always fun!!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Brenda CoxJanuary 31, 2026 at 6:52 PM

    It sounds like a productive and enjoyable month; card games with laughter, winter hiking (I love the photo of the water fall), and yummy food. What a lovely share, Joanne. I'm trying out writing a monthly reflection post for the monthly wrap-up. We'll see how it goes. Hope you have a warm and wonderful February!

    ReplyDelete
  19. NatalieJanuary 31, 2026 at 9:53 PM

    Sounds like you had a very good January. I love your photo of all the trees and the trail covered in snow against the blue sky. Thank you for sharing your month #monthlywrapup.

    ReplyDelete
  20. SusanneFebruary 1, 2026 at 4:24 AM

    Your upcoming trip to Utah sounds fantastic! I look forward to seeing the photos! Looks like January was a good month for you with some cosy activities and good food.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne February 1, 2026 at 9:15 AM

      Aw, thanks! I am most excited about that trip!

      Delete
  21. Writing SparkleFebruary 1, 2026 at 8:32 AM

    Great post, Joanne.

    My husband was zipping about plowing snow using the same machine as your husband it. It does look fun. Or it did, until my husband zipped into our mail box and we had to replace it (eyerolling here). Haha.

    Happy Sunday. Thanks for the virtual coffee.

    Stopping in from Weekend Coffee Share: https://brewingcoffeetwistingwordsbreakingpencils.ca/2026/01/30/coffee-and-creative-challenges/#comment-9013

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne February 1, 2026 at 9:16 AM

      Oh no! LOL. That does sometimes happen for sure. We have seen many mailboxes on the side of the road courtesy of the plow trucks too.

      Delete
  22. JayneFebruary 1, 2026 at 10:39 AM

    Ian looks like he's having fun with his new toy, lol.
    Lovely that you enjoyed some time shopping with Evan. The bakery goodies look yummy!
    So exciting about your trips too! Can't wait to read about them all. :)

    ReplyDelete
  23. CindyFebruary 1, 2026 at 1:49 PM

    It sounds like your year is off to a great start! I need to plan some trips and fun outings. Have a great week!

    ReplyDelete
  24. JenniferFebruary 1, 2026 at 9:32 PM

    Wow, I can't believe you said January has been rather mild. I wish I could say the same...and I hoping milder shows up for February. But I don't have high hopes:)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne February 2, 2026 at 5:37 AM

      The first 1/2 of January was very mild; it's only the last 12 or so days that got real cold.

      Delete
  25. MarshaFebruary 1, 2026 at 11:06 PM

    Good for you on all the wonderful things this month! I know you hear it all the time, but you live in the one of the most beautiful spots! Congrats on getting all that paper taken care of. We have signed up for as many paperless things as we can. The only things I don't go paperless on are places like Home Depot because I don't use that care very often so I don't know to expect a bill. It's so nice not to have to mess with shredding things!

    https://marshainthemiddle.com/

    ReplyDelete
  26. Deb's WorldFebruary 1, 2026 at 11:22 PM

    It's always great seeing how different the weather around the world is at this time of the year Joanne! You have a variety of trips planned so that's always a bonus as we start to move through the year. I need things to look forward to!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne February 2, 2026 at 5:38 AM

      I definitely do too; especially this time of year when I feel so stuck indoors.

      Delete
  27. NancyFebruary 2, 2026 at 2:36 AM

    Great trips for this year. We also already have some planned. Great to look forward too.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Jenn LloydFebruary 2, 2026 at 8:29 AM

    I loved reading all the answers to the prompts! Trips are sustaining me as well, and I'm excited for what is to come. I have three trips planned so far this year!

    ReplyDelete
  29. MandyJoyLoves♥February 2, 2026 at 11:08 AM

    Having trips planned is the best! Having something to look forward to!

    ReplyDelete
  30. Tamar SBFebruary 2, 2026 at 11:54 AM

    Planning trips is fun! I am itching to go somewhere not so frozen!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne February 2, 2026 at 2:09 PM

      Yes, though I'm not sure where that would be. Even my parents woke up to snow this past weekend and they live in southern North Carolina!

      Delete
  31. nicole orriensFebruary 3, 2026 at 3:16 AM

    How nice that you and your sons and mother in law play a game together! Especially in these times of everybody looking at their little screens.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne February 3, 2026 at 6:03 AM

      Yeah, it is wonderful! My oldest son and his grandmother play cards/games on a daily basis but he usually goes to her house and every now and then she offers to come here and we see who we can get to join us. It's a lot of fun.

      Delete
  32. Kym February 7, 2026 at 10:21 AM

    Sounds like a great January overall! Love that you really got to enjoy some milder temperatures before the cold hit, and how fun is Ian's new "toy"! You have some fantastic travel plans coming up, and what a great way to spend wintery days by working on the plans for some fun trips. I'd forgotten all about Triominoes - we had that game years and years ago and it was a good one.
    Sorry I'm so late in commenting - this has been such a busy week with something going on every evening so I'm way behind in blogworld! Hope you're having a great weekend!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne February 8, 2026 at 4:54 AM

      It wasn't a bad January at all; it was nice to have some milder temperatures before the extreme cold hit.

      Delete
  33. Lindsay's Sweet WorldFebruary 7, 2026 at 11:09 AM

    Oh wow, that snow plow is nice!! I wouldn't even know what to do with that! Haha! I love that you have so many trips to look forward to. I can't wait to hear all about Utah! That should be fun!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne February 8, 2026 at 4:55 AM

      I wouldn't have a clue how to run it either but I an has been driving all sorts of equipment since he was quite young and just seem to intuitively know what to do.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

15 Family Restaurant Games

Image
When my boys were little and we'd take them out to eat I kept a small bag of toys in the car to grab on our way into any restaurant.  That way they would be entertained and a bit quieter while we enjoyed our meal. Now that the boys are older we don't keep a bag of toys handy but we do have few games we use to keep the boys occupied if they start getting bored or squirmy while we're waiting for our food or our check. While there are many phone apps, portable gaming systems and electronic games that could occupy my kids we prefer to use the time together at restaurants to connect with one another and so we tend to play games like: Hangman--   any restaurant that has paper place mats works well for this.  We take turns picking  a word and drawing our hangman stand then take turns calling out letters and seeing if we can solve the puzzle.   Tic Tac Toe-- This works best with pen on paper place mats but we have played making a grid with butter knives ...
Read more

21 Pilots The Clancy Tour Breach 2025

Image
Last Tuesday, September 30th, Evan and I had tickets to see 21 Pilots in concert in Hartford Ct. The show was at an indoor/outdoor venue called the Xfinity Center (not to be confused with the other indoor/outdoor Xfinitiy Center in Massachusetts). We had never been to the Xfinity Center and had no idea what to expect. Reviews online were not favorable but we really enjoyed it. I'll liberally sprinkle photos in around all the details, feel free to skip them and just look- most of the details are for me to remember anyway!  I wore comfy clothes with large pockets so I didn't need to bring a bag with me. I carried just my phone (with my credit card tucked inside), keys, and ear plugs. We were surprised to find ourselves so close to the stage! We got an email a few days prior outlining what time the parking lots and various things opened including the doors and decided to switch up our plans a lot. Originally we were going to arrive around 6 for the 8 o'clock show but the parki...
Read more

Favorite TV Shows Growing Up in the 80's and early 90's

Image
Do you remember the TGIF lineups on Friday nights? I can remember planning sleepovers and time with friends around TV Show lineups of our favorite shows... or else trying to set the VCR to record our favorite shows if we weren't going to be home. And through the years I had SO MANY favorites! Growing pains aired in 1985 which put me around age 8 and it stayed on the air until I was 15 or so; I'm pretty sure most people in my age group watched mostly for Kirk Cameron and all his antics.  I still have a soft spot for family sit-coms!  The Facts of Life aired when I was just 2  and stayed on the air until I was 11 so I'm sure the episodes I remember so fondly were either some of the later ones and then reruns shown later on when I was old enough to watch from the beginning. I think everyone would have loved an Edna Garret in their lives.   Benson another sitcom that began airing when I was just 2 and was done by the time I was 9 (another one I must have watched mai...
Read more

North Carolina Trip: Highs & Lows

Image
Evan and I headed to North Carolina for 4 days from Saturday February 21st until Tuesday February 24th... or so we thought. It was just a"quick trip" to see family... but a blizzard hit at home and we could not find a flight back home to the airport I had parked at until very, very late Friday February 27th and we arrived home at 2 am on February 28th.  Evan had been asking to go down "one last time" to see his cousins before he starts college in the fall and we were able to make that happen. My sister, her husband, and her two teen/young adult sons had just moved in January and live much closer to my mom now so we figured this was the perfect time to go. I only had to pay for flights and my mom offered to chauffeur us around for the weekend plus got their spare bedrooms set up for us to stay with them. I thought this would be a cheap trip as well but added airfare costs, much longer parking at the airport, and filling our days with things to do added up quickly.  W...
Read more

Share Our Lives: How I Stay Connected with My Spouse

Image
This month for Share Our lives we're talking about staying connected. I decided to focus on how my husband and I have stayed connected all these years. We began dating at 16 which means we've been together more than 30 years!   From the time my boys were very young I was very aware of the fact that my marriage was meant to be my lifelong relationship and while I'd obviously have a relationship with my boys for their whole lives as well (I hoped!) I knew it was my job to raise them to leave. The whole point of parenthood is to send our kids out into the world so while I wanted a strong relationship with all 4 of my guys I never lost sight of the fact that for me, my most important relationship was that with my husband.    Basically, it all boils down to I've never stopped dating my husband.     a date night outfit   We made sure to schedule date nights as often as we could. Something that is so easy now that used to take weeks of planning (and hopi...
Read more