What I Loved: January 2019

I've really been enjoying sharing my latest obsessions with all of you every single month. It's fun to discover who else shares my interests, getting new recommendations for similar things and encouraging people to check out (and fall in love with, hopefully) the things that I've loved. I'm sharing my January favorites today! Let me know what you've been loving lately.

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Boku no Hero Academia | Full disclosure: I had watched two episodes of this show last year, and while I thought it was interesting, it didn't really click with me at the time. Macky convinced me to give the show another shot, and having been told that I needed to get past at least the first four or five episodes before making a decision on the show overall, I thought it would be fair to give it another try. Imagine my surprise when I found myself falling head over heels in love with this anime! The characters, the story, the execution - all of it really came together for me after that initial bump of the first few episodes. We discussed it in more detail in our latest anime recommendations video, but suffice to say that I loved this show and cannot wait for the new season.

Gakuen Alice | On the other hand, the minute I started watching this anime, I was charmed! It only took two episodes before I was definitely all in when it came to Mikan Sakura and her story. Her love for her best friend, her desire and stubborn determination to find her place at Alice Academy, the friends (and foes) she makes along the way - it all came together in a beautifully rendered anime that had me hooked. Even though I'm still irrationally mad that it was only animated for one season, it at least has a concrete manga continuation and ending (though there's no official English version in publication yet - someone get on that already).

Heard It in A Past Life by Maggie Rogers | I'm still regretting the fact that I didn't buy tickets to see Maggie Rogers when she comes to New York next month. I loved all of her singles prior to her album release, and I also have fallen in love with her album. Her songs are so catchy, her lyrics are clever and I quite enjoy listening to her entire album. My current favorite songs are Retrograde, Light On and Fallingwater.

Hello My Love by Westlife | If you thought I wasn't going to put a new Westlife single on this list of things I loved, you clearly don't know me very well (and now you do!). I have loved Westlife since their early days (and they were the first band I ever went to see in concert... with my parents), and to have them reuniting and releasing new music is a dream come true. Plus, Ed Sheeran helped with this song, which makes it even better!

UGG Classic Short II Boot in Grey | I've never actually owned a real pair of Uggs before, but I've always wanted them! My grandmother gifted me and my sisters each with a pair last Christmas, and I love them. They're so comfortable, easy to wear and keep my feet (which get cold pretty easily) very warm! I'm pretty obsessed with them (and wear them at least once a week during this winter season), so I can definitely say they were an excellent gift that will be a well-loved wardrobe item for years to come.

Muji flip-top gloves | I own three different pairs of fingerless gloves (thanks to my lovely friend Jodi!), and one pair of full-on winter gloves (which I bought for Iceland and keep around for winter sports days), but I really wanted a pair of gloves just like these. Macky bought me this pair from Muji, and I have to say that I truly love them! The button is useful in making it easier to maneuver with the gloves, and I like that the inside is also lined. They've been very helpful in keeping my hands warm during this cold winter weather!