January 2014 Non Beauty Favourites.

I know I'm not alone in thinking this month has flown by and yet felt really long at the same time. January is always an interesting month. The start brings with it so much hope and promise and I think it can often be difficult to keep the momentum alive throughout. I've certainly been guilty of having a few 'oh no, what am I doing?!' days but I've made sure I surrounded those days with a lot of positive thinking and happy things. Here are some of the things that have been making me smile...

Owl Oil/Tart Burner (£6.79)
This little guy has been one of my favourite purchases in a very long time. There's something very comforting about having a pretty tea light flickering away during the evenings, especially when it's illuminating a sweet owl and making the room smell lovely with whatever scent takes my fancy. I had no idea I would get as much happiness from this as I have, which sounds really silly I know, but I've started associating it with feeling really warm and cosy. Sometimes it's the little things that make all the difference.

Yankee Candle Fireside Treats (£1.20)
Sweet scents like these aren't something I usually go for, but there's something about this one that has perhaps changed my mind. It's not too overpowering, instead giving a delicate scent that's not too sickly. I can definitely see why this is a favourite of many!

Great Plains Night Lights Sequin Skirt* (£42.50)
You know when you find a piece of clothing that makes you feel amazing whenever you have the change to wear it? This skirt is that for me. The beautiful, subtle sparkle of the sequins adds that little bit of glamour that isn't present within most of my wardrobe, but it's a piece that can be dressed down as well as up, which I love because I don't get the chance to dress up very often.

Diana Mini Camera (£49)
This is such a sweet little camera that I'm so pleased to finally have in my collection after coveting it for a little while. I haven't had as much time as I would have liked to dedicate to taking pictures this month but I'm already looking forward to finishing the roll of film so I can get it processed and maybe get a couple of pictures printed for our home.

Love Hearts and Crosses Origami Bunny necklace* (£12.99)
This is a piece of jewellery I've barely taken off since I unwrapped it because it's so incredibly cute! It's dainty enough to look lovely with pretty much every outfit and the rose gold colour is absolutely beautiful. I think some rose gold pieces can look a little cheap sometimes, but this is one of those that looks a lot more expensive in person that it is and I love that!

Tom's Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce (£5)
This is a book I've mentioned a couple of times recently so I won't talk about it too much here again. All I'll say is that I think this is one of the sweetest children's books I've ever read. It's quite unique because nothing much really happens throughout, but it's beautifully written, overwhelmingly lovely and there's a little touch of magic in there to really inspire imaginations. It's beautiful.

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachen Cohn & David Levithan (£4.40)
I found this hiding behind a pile of other books in The Works at the very start of the month. After hearing so much about it over on Book Tube in the run up to Christmas I had to pick it up as part of the 3 for £5 offer. I wasn't expecting to enjoy this as much as I did. It was a lovely, quick read that I started and finished on a particularly dreary Wednesday evening and it really cheered me up. It reminded me so much of being a teenager and all those feeling that go along with that. Very sweet and a good one to read around Christmas time for sure.

Sam Smith. 
There is something incredibly inspiring in seeing someone do exactly what they're meant to be doing because they have a real talent for it. He makes me want to work harder at the things I love to do, even though I'm nowhere near as talented as he is at anything, but I don't think that's as important as I once thought it was. What's important is making the most of every second and spending as much time as you can doing something that makes you happy. 

Is there anything that has made your Janaury that little bit better? 

Love, Jennie

xoxo