Workout clothes for women, free music player, easy appetizers, and book club ideas.

Hi friends, today I’m sharing my monthly favorites again!

1. Amazon music. If you’re like me you love Pandora, but haven’t subscribed to their premium music option to listen without ads. And the ads have gotten pretty overwhelming lately. I know lots of other people have jumped on the Spotify bandwagon, but for some reason I just can’t get into it. But, I found out a few months ago about Amazon Music. It’s free if you have a Prime subscription and they have radio stations (like Pandora), you can choose specific songs to play (like Spotify), and they have curated playlists. The music playlists have been my favorite part. Cozy Cabin and Christmas Classics were my go-tos leading up to Christmas, anytime I run on the treadmill I go to one of their workout playlists (90’s Pop Workout and Workout Energy Boost are my current faves) and 70’s Dance Party is awesome for getting the zone at work.

2. This year I spent Christmas with my family for the first time in 5 years. We made a delicious meal on Christmas Eve and I was responsible for the appetizers. I made these Sardine Anchovy Toasts with Chile Butter which were good, but not an overall crowd-pleaser. Anything with anchovy or sardine in the title usually scares people off; add them together and everyone’s pretty skeptical. I liked them, and if either of those are your thing then you’ll love them! But, I also made these puff pasty Cheese Twists knowing they would be a bit more agreeable for most people. And OMG. They were so good! It’s a really simple recipe that sandwiches cheese and few spices between two layers of puff pastry. I used Gruyere and Parmesan. I want to throw a New Year’s Party solely so I can make them again! These would be the perfect easy appetizer for a crowd.

3. This month I hosted my first ever Article Club. I borrowed the idea from Joanna Goddard who writes Cup of Jo. The concept is a bit like a book club, except that you just read an article instead. It’s great because you don’t have to commit to the time it takes to read a book, and you get to talk about things that are more relevant and timely. We read this article that’s actually old, but is still so applicable. The conversation was great, and it was a fun way to bring together a group of people who don’t know each other that well. If you’re looking to connect with some of your girlfriends a little more I definitely recommend trying it .

4. I workout pretty regularly, usually 4-5 times per week, and so I go through my leggings quickly. But, I’ve found that my favorite source is Gap Fit. They’re a nice thick material meaning no see-throughness, they last for a couple years even with constant use, and are a reasonable price. PLUS, Gap almost always has a 50% off-the-whole-store-sale at least a few times each year. Black Friday and the day after Christmas always and I’m sure a few other times too. So, on Tuesday I got a couple more pairs to replace some