I know it is so cliche to say, but where did January go? 

It is the same thing every year. I work my butt off during the holidays thinking that I will have time to rest in January. But then January rolls around, and I am full steam ahead. 

A photo with Aysegul and her dad

Still, I am grateful for everything I have, as I know many people struggle with life right now at all levels. There is light at the end of the tunnel, but the tunnel is long. Like many, my patience is wearing off, and I am itching for some normalcy.

If you feel the same way, please know that you are not alone.

Home Projects

We did a lot of work in the house this month. I am no handy person, but my dad is, and thanks to him, we accomplished quite a bit. I shared them in detail on my Instagram account, if you’d rather watch me talk about and show you everything we did around the house.

Kitchen

The new kitchen cabinets did not come with knobs. I initially thought that we can live without them, but after cooking in the kitchen for a few months now, I realized that it is best to install them in the long run. They get stained so quickly, and having to clean them every time I cook is no fun.

Foolproof Living's Kitchen with and without knobs

So, I ordered knobs, and we installed them. It was a whole day project, but it ended up looking pretty good.

Reading/Library Room

If you have been following me for a while, you know that we have been moving from one place to another for years. Living the nomadic lifestyle, I had most of my books in boxes for years. 

Reading room with bookshelves and a couch

They are out now because we finally bought some new bookshelves. It took my dad four days to put them together, but it ended up being SO worth it. I finally have all my books out of the boxes and on the shelves. 

We still need to do more decorating, i.e., buy some plants, art on the wall, a new lamp, etc. but so far, I am loving starting my days in this room.

What Is Working?

My First Zoom Live Cooking Class:

If you read last month’s life lately post, you know that I announced my very first Live Zoom class. If I am being honest, I had no idea what it would be like as I have never done anything like this before. 

A photo from My first zoom class ever

For one thing, I didn’t know if people would attend. Then if they did, I wasn’t sure if they would cook with me at the same time. I honestly thought that I would cook and people would watch.

Boy, was I wrong?

Not only did they sign up, but also they cooked with me. Towards the end, everyone was talking to each other and having a good time. We all ended up having dinner for our families after a fun cooking session together. 

Feeling encouraged, I am excited to let you know that our next live Zoom cooking class will be on February 18th at 5:30 pm EST. 

Live Zoom cooking class for February 2021

This month we are making my Southwest Chicken Salad with Avocado Dressing

If you are on my email list, you probably already saw the survey that I shared. I landed on this recipe with your help. Thanks a million to those of you who took the time to respond.

Survey results for my next cooking class on Zoom

I love this recipe because it is filling, healthy, and oh so delicious. 

You can find more information about the class here. I would love you to join me for a fun and relaxed evening of cooking a healthy meal for our families. 

Gabby Bernstein’s Manifestation Challenge

I started reading Gabby Bernstein’s books a few years ago. If you are reading spiritual books, you may have heard her New York Times bestsellers like Super Attractor (affiliate link) and The Universe Has Your Back (affiliate link).

I have read all her books and found a lot of wisdom in her teachings. However, after such a brutal year, I felt like I needed to get back into a spiritual routine and start the new year on a positive note. 

When I heard that she was doing a manifestation challenge, I knew that it was what I needed, so I signed up. In 21 days, I followed her prompts to take small daily steps to make feeling good a priority. 

Daily journaling with a mug and a notebook

The essence of her teaching is simple. If you want good things to happen to you, you need to:

  1. Make feeling good a priority. The way to attract what you want is to appreciate what you have and trust in the universe that it is working for you.
  2. Have a spiritual practice where you protect your mood and be very intentional about what information you are consuming (Aka no reaching out to your phone first thing when you wake up)
  3. Be crystal clear about what you want. She suggests having a journaling practice to check in with yourself daily.
  4. Surrender and trust that the universe has your back. If something is not happening, it doesn’t mean that other things are not happening. 

Having read her books, I already knew all of these principles, but I needed a helping hand in getting back into it. Doing the challenge helped me get back on track.

Nowadays, I start my day with journaling, set an intention for the day, and read the following prayer before doing anything else. 

What Is Not Working?

Accepting the fact that it will never be normal again

Have you watched 60-Minutes this past Sunday? The first segment was about people who lost a family member to this brutal virus. They talked to some of the 400K+ people who lost family members. 

People who lost their parents, siblings, lovers… 

I cried the whole time watching it. Life will never be normal for those people. 

Here I am with my 72-year old father, grateful that he is with me and healthy, but I am scared at the same time, thinking a million what-if scenarios in my head.

Times are hard, my friends. If you are feeling it, please know that I am right there with you. I hope we will come out of this stronger, but until then, we have more learning to do. 

Until next month. With gratitude,

Aysegul

Love these life updates? Here are a few more:

About Aysegul Sanford

Hello Friend! I'm Aysegul but you can call me โ€œIce." Iโ€™m the cook/recipe-tester/photographer behind this site.

If youโ€™re looking for approachable, yet creative recipes made with everyday ingredients, youโ€™ve come to the right place. Here, weโ€™re all about recipes thatโ€™s been meticulously tested to provide you with a truly foolproof cooking experience regardless of your level of cooking.

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2 Comments

  1. This is such a lovely read my friend. I am so happy that you have your Dad there with you in your beautiful new home. Love Gabby Bernstein, and I also picked up an old book of her to re-focus my energy and thoughts, definitely tough times everywhere and for everyone. Sending love, hugs… thinking of that wonderful day we met and totally clicked right away ๐Ÿ™‚ Miss you, be well!

    1. You are the sweetest.
      Yes, she is truly amazing. It is a constant struggle for all of us, but we have no choice but to live through and learn from it.

      Thanks so much for your support Silvia.
      Sending you the warmest hugs.
      Cheers,
      Aysegul