10 Things to Try This January

Are you feeling inspired to try something new this month? Lucky for you, I've rounded up 10 things to try this January!

As we head into the new year, I find myself looking for inspiration everywhere. Are you doing the same?

It's always fun to break out of my comfort zone, and in that spirit, I've decided to start a new monthly 10 Things to Try series. Each month this year, I'll share ten seasonally appropriate ideas (recipes, crafts, decor ideas, and more) that are worth trying that month. If you'd like to play along, take a pic of something new you've tried, then post it on social media and tag it with #hellolittlehome ... sound like fun?

Let's get started with 10 things to try this January!

1. Soothe Your Skin with a Homemade Scrub

If your winter skin is anything like mine, it's dry, dull, and flaky. Ugh! An easy way to soften your skin is with a moisturizing scrub, and I love to make my own from coconut oil and sugar. It couldn't be easier!

Make you own following my two ingredient Coconut Oil Sugar Scrub tutorial. For a beautiful scent, try my Lemon Lavender Sugar Scrub ... it smells so good!

Want experiment with other all natural beauty products? I've rounded up over 20 DIY Beauty Treatments, too.

2. Try a Kale Salad

Whether you're trying to lose weight or simply eat healthier, working more salads into your diet is an easy way to do it. Salads can be boring or leave you hungry though, which is why I love a hearty, protein packed kale salad.

I'm kind of obsessed with kale salads ... they're so delish if prepared right, plus super healthy! Here are a few recipes from my archives to inspire you:

• Mexican Kale Salad with Chili-Lime Vinaigrette (my most popular kale salad recipe)
• Kale Pasta Salad with Creamy Lemon Basil Dressing
• Kale Caesar Salad
• Easy Kale Salad with Creamy Lemon Garlic Dressing
• Winter Kale Salad with Freekeh and Roasted Veggies
• Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad with Maple Vinaigrette (Shown above, this one doesn't have a ton of protein. Serve it as a side or add some beans, like chickpeas, for more protein.)

3. Track Your Healthy Habits

Like many people, I'm hoping to drop a few pounds this year. I was doing really well this summer, but then I had some back problems (ouch) and got a little off track. Let's not even talk about the holidays ... ha!

Anyway, I've had really great success in the past when I've tracked what I ate and how much I exercised. Tracking your progress really holds you accountable to your goals, plus you can see in black and white what you're doing well on and what needs improvement.

My Printable Food and Fitness Tracker is a great way to monitor your food and exercise, and it's FREE! If you'd like to try an online program, I've used and highly recommend SparkPeople. It's super easy to set up and get started, you can set goals, and you'll find tons of helpful resources (from workout videos to recipes and more). There's an app version, too, so you can track stuff on the go. I've also heard great things about My Fitness Pal, but I've never used it.

4. Make a Winter Inspired Craft

It's always kind of sad to take down holiday decorations. My apartment feels so bare at this time of year!

Decorating for winter is an easy way to add a little character to your home at this time of year, and a winter inspired craft is a fun way to do it.

Here are a few ideas:

• Decorate your door with a seasonal wreath. I love this Snowy Winter Wreath from Creative Green Living.
• Protect your coffee table with my cute DIY Wood Slice Coasters.
• Hang a few of these Heidi Swap Snowflake Marquee Lights (affiliate link). Leave them as is, paint them, or use your favorite paper to decorate them. (P.S. Check out my DIY Arrow Marquee Light for inspiration and to see how easy these lights are to decorate.)
• Dress up a throw with oversized tassels (via DesignSponge).

5. Eat Healthier Comfort Food

Is it just me, or is there a constant pull at this time of year between trying to eat healthier and wanting every meal to be filled with rich, hearty comfort foods?

Instead of depriving yourself, fill your meal plan with healthier comfort foods instead. Here are some of my favorite recipes that will still satisfy you on a cold winter day, but won't destroy your diet:

• Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese: Replace some of these cheese with butternut squash. Even squash haters (like my husband) love this recipe!
• Healthy Mexican Quinoa Casserole: One of my favorite recipes ... I need to make it soon! It's packed with fresh veggies.
• Crock Pot Spicy 3 Bean Chili: This recipe is so easy to make, plus super delicious!
• Baked Polenta with Chunky Roasted Red Pepper Sauce: A yummy recipe that relies on healthy convenience foods, making preparing it a total snap.
• Hearty Minestrone Soup: I love this veggie-packed soup, and it even has a little pasta to cure your carb cravings.
• Moroccan Spiced Cabbage Rolls: Yum! This delish recipe is filled with warm, fragrant flavors you'll love.
• Tamale Pie with Cilantro Lime Yogurt Sauce: This tasty recipe will keep your warm, toasty, and totally satisfied.

6. Get Set Up to Workout at Home

I love to workout at home. Sometimes going to the gym can be overwhelming, or I just can't work up the motivation to get there, especially in winter. Thankfully, it's easy to get a great workout in the comfort of your own home.

You don't need to buy fancy equipment or make a lot of space to get started. A yoga mat, balance ball, and hand weights are fun to use and affordable. I also love exercise videos. Check out all of my essentials for exercising at home here.

Having trouble getting motivated? I find that the less time I spend thinking about it, the easier it is to get started. Set out your exercise clothes before you go to bed, then put them on as soon as you get out of bed or the minute you get home at night. Once you're dressed, grab some water and start your routine right away.

7. Make Your Breakfast Before Going to Bed

My day definitely goes downhill fast if I skip breakfast, yet I don't have a lot of motivation to cook in the morning. And that's why I absolutely love overnight oats!

Overnight oats are so simple to make. You just combine a few ingredients the night before, and then they're ready to enjoy in the morning. If you make your overnight oats in a jar, they're portable, too, so you can eat them at your desk or in between errands.

Check out my Easy Overnight Oats 3 Ways or my Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats recipes for inspiration. Once you learn the basic recipe, customize the oats with your fave ingredients!

8. Take Care of Your Hair and Skin

Winter weather is so bad for hair and complexion. Whether it's due to the harsh wind or freezing temperatures, even my combination skin and oily scalp tend to get dried out.

The key to surviving these cold, dry days without chapped skin and flyaway, brittle hair is to avoid overzealous cleaning, exfoliate gently, and do plenty of moisturizing. Check out my Winter Hair Care, Brightening a Dull Winter Complexion , and How to Get Beautiful, Glowing Skin posts for lots of easy tips.

9. Get Organized

If you're anything like me, you are constantly on a quest to be more organized, especially at this time of year. There is nothing quite like a well organized home!

The New Year is the perfect time to take stock of your possessions and try to figure out what you really need and what is just weighing you down. If you need a little help, I highly recommend The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. I don't think my home will ever be as minimal as hers probably is, but I love the way she approaches clutter.

I've written a bunch of posts on organizing, too. I'm Getting Organized: Starting with Jewelry, Tips for Organizing a Small Kitchen, and DIY Custom Memo Board are some of my faves!

10. Try a Green Smoothie

Are you getting enough fruits and veggies? It can definitely be a challenge, especially at this time of year when there's not a lot in season.

Green smoothies are one of my favorite ways to packed in tons of fruits and vegetables. You can make them with almost anything you'd like, and it's fun to experiment with different flavors. This Berry Green Smoothie is my favorite easy recipe. Give it a try ... I promise it doesn't taste like grass! 😉

What is something new that you are inspired to try this January?

Make sure to check out all of my 10 Things to Try posts for even more inspiration:

• 10 Things to Try in February
• 10 Things to Try in March
• 10 Things to Try in April
• 10 Things to Try in May
• 10 Things to Try in June
• 10 Things to Try in July
• 10 Things to Try in August
• 10 Things to Try in September
• 10 Things to Try in October
• 10 Things to Try in November
• 10 Things to Try in December