What are you currently loving this January? Your favourite things of the moment? The things you have and the things you do that make you smile, make you feel good, put a smile on your face? I know life is all about experiences and not things, and I am totally signed up to that, but sometimes we need things to make life easier, more comfortable, or even just a little bit nicer.
While my blog is primarily about the outdoors, adventure, travel and my bucket list, I do like to deviate slightly once every couple of months for my regular currently loving feature. More the type of post a ‘lifestyle blogger’ might write, I enjoy putting these lists together because they help me to consider the things that are making me smile.
In my January 2024 list I’m sharing ten more things that I’m currently loving, including my new Christmas jumper, some thin tech I hope will mean I never lose my wallet again, and the simple yet beautiful coin purse I had made for me in Marrakesh. Let me tell you all about them…
Currently Loving | January 2024
01 Setting up my New Bike
Given the weather (and salt-covered roads), I’ve not ridden my new BMW F750GS much yet. I have instead been using the winter months to get my bike set up as I want it, which is proving a lot of fun. It helps that I’ve had a birthday and Christmas to acquire accessories, two of which are pictured representing this wider currently loving entry.
The bag is the SW Motech Pro Micro Tank Bag, which has a neat attachment system screwed into my fuel cap. This replaces my old (well used and well loved) handlebar bag, which doesn’t fit my new bike and needed replacing anyway.
And the cord on the Thunderfoot retractable side stand puck should make the act of placing and retrieving it a lot easier to do alone. I mean, I am more than happy to accept the help of my riding friends, but it is nice to be able to do some things myself.
Other farkles I’ve added to my GS include a (not pictured) set of Bumot Defender Evo racks and panniers. These give me a little more space than I had before, and look fantastic on my bike. I had decided in Morocco that I would upgrade my luggage before my next trip, not knowing at that point I’d be changing the whole bike. I am so happy with them, as I was with the service from Adventure Bike Shop.
I’ve also changed the screen, added a plate for my existing Givi Monokey top box, a mount for my Peak Design phone holder, and a secure bracket to the TFT screen. Annoyingly, I am still waiting for my engine bars to arrive, I really would like those on before I get out too much, just in case.
02 Rolling Square AirCard
Having lost my wallet too many times (I found it each time, but only after much panicked searching), I am unquestionably currently loving my new Rolling Square AirCard.
This credit card sized piece of plastic works with Apple Find My in the same way AirTags do. Whereas AirTags are too bulky for slim-line wallets like my SECRID Wallet, the AirCard is the thickness of a couple of credit cards, and so neatly slips into one of the (non RFID-safe) card slots.
It was very easy to set up and pair with my phone, and so now I know where my wallet is at all times. The card also has a customisable NFC business card if I wanted to use that, but I don’t think I’ll set that up, at least not yet. The battery should last over two years, so it really is one of those get-and-forget bits of kit that is sitting there as my insurance policy against the risk of me forgetting or dropping my wallet in future.
03 Christmas Jumper
An odd time to talk Christmas, perhaps, but I wanted to include my new Christmas jumper in my currently loving feature this time around. The design is clearly a take on a well-known outdoor brand’s logo (which I wear quite a lot…); just a bit of fun and which I reckon works particularly well.
I’ve seen quite a few places selling this design, including on Amazon and Etsy, and so it’s hard to find where it originated from; mine came from AC Designs Ltd. The jumper itself is actually really nice. I mean, it’s a plain green poly cotton crew-next sweater with a white printed design on it, but it’s well made, comfortable to wear, washed well, and fits right.
And no, it won’t only be confined to Christmas – I am a bit of fan of a crew neck sweater, and so you’ll certainly see me in this before next December.
04 Tea for Two
My friends know me very well. I received these two mugs – one for my birthday and one for Christmas – from two lovely people. They are both perfect in their own way, and have gone right to the top of my tea-mug rotation.
I’m not sure if you can quite make it out in the photo, but the smaller one of the two says ‘I bloody love tea’. This is a porcelain mug by East of India, and has become my Earl Grey tea mug of choice – it’s the perfect size and shape. It feels suitably dainty yet without the pretentiousness of a teacup.
The ‘Tea is always a good idea’ mug is much larger and heavier. This one has become my working-from-home choice for chain drinking the good stuff, making sure I keep warm and hydrated during long office days.
05 Cook Out, by Harrison Ward
I mentioned in a recent weekly blog episode that I was super chuffed to receive a copy of Harrison Ward’s Cook Out (also at Amazon and Waterstones) from my sister for Christmas. Also known as Fell Foodie, Harrison is one of my fellow Ordnance Survey Champions and an absolutely lovely soul, and this is his recently published outdoors-focused cook book.
And as I have now tried some of Harrison’s recipes, it can take up its rightful place in my currently loving feature. The recipes have all been consciously developed and designed for single burners and camp stoves, and while I’ve only tried them indoors so far, I can see how cooking these when camping would be completely doable.
The recipes are easy to follow, and the methods well within my cooking abilities (a skillset I intend to continue to work on in 2024). In the last week or two I’ve made Lamb Kofte (page 74), flatbreads (page 160), and the especially delicious Irish Stew (page 96). I’ve also tried the Welsh Cakes (page 182), mainly because I had one in Gloucester recently and remembered how much I liked them, and the Energy Balls (page 194), which come under the ‘adventure snacks’ because they travel particularly well.
All of these have been very successful, and given that the timings are designed for outdoor cooking when you are relying on a small gas cannister, were also ideal for midweek dinners. I actually can’t wait to try the Welsh cakes on my skillet over my fire bowl when the weather is a little kinder, when does spring start?!
Nicely done Harrison, I know you worked incredibly hard on this book, you should be very proud of it.
06 Comfort Food from Bowls
Talking of cooking and eating, here’s a somewhat unusual entry for you. I am currently loving… eating food out of bowls. Whether it’s soup, stew, noodles, rice, chilli, or something else, bowl food is some of the best food.
There is just something so easy and comforting about eating food out of a bowl – with a spoon. It’s probably as much about the type of food that goes in the bowl as it is about the bowl itself, but the bowl also matters. And it doesn’t matter if I’m sat at the dining table or on the sofa, it just works.
If the food has also been prepared by me from scratch with the help of my slow cooker, then that’s even better. I absolutely love my slow cooker (I have the Crockpot Turbo Express), as it allows me to make time consuming meals with one short burst of productivity before I start work – and to have several portions of that meal ready to serve up as the need takes me over the following weeks.
07 Handmade Leather Coin Purse
When on our Morocco overland adventure, the highlight of my day in Marrakesh was sitting in a kiosk in Souk Semmarine drinking Berber mint tea while I watched a craftsman make a small leather coin purse just for me. Isn’t it beautiful?
I’d arrived in Marrakesh knowing I wanted a coin purse. It seemed like the perfect place to get one; something I needed as well as wanted. I’d been looking around the various stalls in the Medina all morning, but everything on display was a little too large or fussy for my liking.
We got chatting to one stall holder, and he offered the services of his craftsman to make one for me. Right there, in the back of the shop. I explained what I was looking for, we agreed a price, and he created it as I waited. As the craftsman worked, we talked about all kinds of things such as what we each ate for breakfast – it was a lovely encounter.
I don’t normally buy souvenirs, the way I travel and the fact I dislike clutter at home means I just don’t have that need. This was more than just a souvenir; it was such a great experience – and my handmade little coin purse will now accompany me on all my travels.
08 Mini Tangle Teezer
I finally fell out with my little travel brush when I was hiking the Cotswold Way back in April last year. I’ve had my round Denman Hairbrush Compact for the longest time (I just looked, and I got it back in January 2012), but on recent trips I’ve liked it less and less. While it’s super small and lightweight (and includes a handy mirror), it’s hard to hold, the bristles don’t stay open/unfolded, it’s hard to clean, and it’s just not that great at untangling my hair.
So a day or two before I went on my next trip, I walked into Boots hoping to find something that would make me less frustrated. It still needed to be light, and take up very little space in my bag, but I was willing to sacrifice a bit of packability for an improved experience.
I found there is a mini version of the brush I use at home every day, and didn’t need any more convincing. The Tangle Teezer Mini (this is the full-sized one I have, included in the photo for scale) is so much better. It detangles with ease, is comfortable to hold, can be cleared of broken hairs quickly, and easily fits in my travel wash kit. It might be a little larger than the Denman, but that’s fine with me. It’s worth it.
09 Pomegranate Juice
Ready for another mention of my trip to Morocco? It really was a fantastic adventure. This time I’m bringing it up because of all the sweet treats I was able to eat and drink while I was there… the dates (oh the dates!), sweetened mint tea, mini pastries filled with pistachio and syrup, and – my entry in my currently loving post – pomegranate juice.
I’ve always been a fan, but Morocco reminded me of just how good it is. Sweet, refreshing, light, delicious. And it is good for me as it’s full of antioxidants, which is an added bonus.
Now, the pomegranate juice I drank in Morocco was freshly squeezed from local fruit right in front of me. Undoubtedly the best pomegranate juice I’ve ever had.
Sadly, that’s just not the way of things here in the UK (don’t mention how it would be impossible to grow pomegranates here…). But this POM Pomegranate Juice you can buy in Tesco is pretty decent. If you ignore the fact the fruit is grown in California and it’s transported all the way to Gloucestershire, that is. The taste is there, and I’ve been enjoying having that little taste of northern Africa at home.
10 The Yearly Opportunity to Think Deeply
Represented here by my new notebook, bought with the intention to continue to write a brief journal every day in mind, this currently loving entry is all about the promise of the New Year.
Let me start by saying I know the New Year doesn’t have to mean big change, setting far-reaching goals, or starting everything all over again. This isn’t that. I also know that the act of thinking deeply is not confined to January. Not at all.
But I do like New Year traditions and the permission they afford me to both look back and plan ahead. I like how it gives me an excuse to stop and think about my life now, and to really decide what I want to do with my every day. I like to think deeply about things, and this is a great time to do just that.
Part of this is simply because it’s called “new” year. I can’t help but want to use it to get motivated. The other part is something to do with it being a dark and miserable time of year, and so making the most of the chance to purposefully stop, start, slow down, refresh, revive, rest, or accelerate, can only be a good thing.
I guess this is the same kind of personal fulfilment I get from writing (and working on) a bucket list, or even just a particularly useful to do list. The act of thinking hard about what I want – and then going ahead and making at least some of those things happen – is more than a little satisfying.
So yes, I am currently loving the New Year. Anyone else?
What are you currently loving this month? What do you think of my choices? Tell me in the comments below.
Read all my Currently Loving posts.
There are no brand collaborations or gifted items included in this currently loving feature. There are, however, affiliate links on this page, the funds from which help me go on the mini adventures that make life interesting. If you buy something from a website after using one of my links, I receive a very small commission. This does not cost you anything. Thank you for supporting my future adventures.