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itsfi · ‎01-01-2026

Happy New Year, BIC! Let's start 2026 with a fresh, fun and fierce month of self-care à la wellness bingo!
If you're new here (to BIC and/or to wellness bingo, welcome!! If you've taken part in a round of wellness bingo before, welcome back!

Self-care can be a very personal thing - what works for one person may not work for someone else. Practicing wellness is a process - it takes time and effort. We will have our good days and bad days - moments when we are thriving; and others when we need to pause, take a deep breath (or multiple ones, for that matter), and reset.

Working towards wellness is a life-long, evolving process that takes into account our individual needs and circumstances. Self-care is not about perfection, but progress. Likewise, wellness bingo isn't about winning or being the first to get bingo or clear the board. It's about finding what practices we can incorporate into our daily / weekly / monthly routine to support, maintain and/or improve our quality of life. All while having some fun along the way.

Getting Started

To help you get started with this month's game of wellness bingo, here are a few links that may be of interest to you:

How to Play / How to Post
Description of Wellness Activities

Looking forward to hearing about your wellness practices this month. Please join in as you feel comfortable.

itsfi

That snow!!! Those footprints! Awww, what a great view @Shosh85! Good memories too, And time to think back - they were just babies not that long ago and now they're running around in the snow!! Oooh, The Jungle Book. It's so fun to see, experience songs with kids - their joy and energy is so infectious. It's making me want to rewach The Jungle Book now.

Whoa 👀👀 those are some seriously impressive puzzle skills you have, Shosh!! Brava to you, girl! 👏 Do you do a little each night or when you feel like it / have time for it?

Shosh85

@itsfi I love The Jungle Book! The other song that's a hit with the boys is, "I Wanna Be Like You" 😃

I just work on the puzzles whenever my kids are gone or sleeping 😉

caitbird

@Shosh85 great job! Love that you are doing wellness activities with your kids, that's awesome. Love the puzzles, that looks so fun!

Shosh85

Thank you so much @caitbird! I'm always trying to find things to do with the kids that'll wear them out good 😉😅

caitbird

Happy 2026, everyone! I hope you all had a good holiday + New Year, and are having a happy and restful year so far 💜

I can't believe we are almost 2 weeks into the year already - where does the time go?! I didn't think I'd gotten that many of this month's Wellness activities done in this past week and a half, but when I was tallying up the board, I realized I had checked off more than I thought, though no bingo yet.

Here's what I've completed so far:

-Aromatherapy: Lately, I have been enjoying perfumes - I picked up a Dossier advent calendar this week, so I have started testing some of those fragrances; scented candles - currently burning Voluspa Noble Fir Garland; and scented hand creams and other body care.
-Eat a healthy meal: After the (admittedly very enjoyable) indulgence of rich foods and desserts over the holiday, we are back to our usual, healthier fare. Last night’s meal (and tonight's leftovers), courtesy of my mom, was vegetarian tacos, with fresh fruit and salad.
-Give yourself permission to: create without needing it to be perfect - this example really spoke to me, since one of my goals this year is to be more creative and work on more creative projects, but I often find my perfectionism holds me back from being creative like I want to. This year, I really want to embrace imperfections and progress over perfection in my creative endeavors.
-Quiet time - journal - meditate - breathe: I’m currently working on sticking to a more regular journaling routine in various forms - digital daily notes, reflection + prompts in a physical paper journal, etc. I also want to start trying bullet journaling this year, so I’ve been noodling around with that a bit, too.
-Financial wellness: Over the holiday break, my mom helped me pay off the majority of my debts (using some money that was left to me by my grandma). I’m not quite debt free yet, but I can see the end in sight now, which is a huge relief. The next step is putting together a budget, with my mom’s help again - she’s very financially savvy and responsible, so I appreciate her input.
-Read - audiobook - podcast - TV/movie: I’ve been doing a lot of reading already this year, which is one of my goals (this year, and always). I also watched (or rather, rewatched) a movie for the first time in ages - Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which was fun.
-Free space: one of the additional wellness activities I’m currently working on is doing a digital detox for the new year - deleting old emails and unsubscribing from unwanted lists, organizing and decluttering my photos and files, unfollowing social media accounts that I don’t vibe with anymore, etc. It’s a work in progress, but it’s something I’ve been meaning to do for a while, and I think it will ultimately be very positive for my well-being.
-Joy list: I love this task! As someone who struggles with depression, I sometimes have a tendency to withdraw from things that I used to enjoy, as counterintuitive as that might sound. It’s a good reminder to be mindful of my mood + happiness and what “makes my soul feel alive” and to spend more time doing those things. I made a list of activities that bring me joy (I’ll keep adding to it, as I’m sure I’ll think of more), and so far I’ve checked off several, including reading, watching a movie, and cuddles with the cats.
-Occupational wellness: I am about to start a new job, which is exciting but also a bit nerve-wracking. I’m doing my best to prepare by thrift shopping for some new job-appropriate clothes with my mom, and trial driving the commute with my dad, among other things, which helps me feel less anxious.
-Seasonal fruits + veggies: one of my health-related goals for 2026 is to eat more fruits and vegetables. Lately, we have been enjoying seasonal fruits such as apples, pears, and citrus, and veggies like broccoli and green beans.
-Body care - winter edit: I’m doing my best to combat winter dry skin by sticking to a regular skincare routine and focusing on hydration and barrier-boosting products; using lotion or body butter after showering; and using lip balms + hand creams regularly throughout the day.
-Hydrate: as always, I’ve been doing my best to drink as much as I need to throughout the day, with the help of my trusty reusable water bottle. I’m also still trying to drink more tea each day. I find that I need to drink more than I would expect in the winter, likely due to the drier air and also spending time by the woodstove.
-Music therapy: I have been listening to Spotify most days lately, often while working on other things. I usually like to just play my liked songs on shuffle - I have a pretty long and eclectic playlist, so I never know what’s going to come up next, and that can be fun.

I made a little collage with pictures of some of this month's Wellness activities:

Samtian

@caitbird I love that collage! You are doing so well! Congrats on the job and making a huge dent on the debt.

itsfi

Way to kick off the new year with your wellness activities @caitbird ❣️ I love how your collage can capture some of the things you've done for wellness and serve as an inspiration for you as you move along in your goals throughout the year. Ohhhh, that woodstove, such a wonderful source of warmth this time of year, but yes, also means you have to up that hydration game. All the lovely teas you have to go through will offer a nice treat and break between all your water intake. Those are some great goals for the year too!

Shosh85

@caitbird Awe! I love your collage! Your kitties are so cute ...... they are the best kind of therapy aren't they? 😊

Nice job filling up your board - you've done so much already. I loved reading everything you've been working on. Giving permission not to be perfect is a great one and is something I definitely need to work on as well!

Keep up the good work! 👍

caitbird

@Shosh85 thank you so much! Yes, my kitties bring me joy like nothing else 😺 they are my unofficial emotional support animals!

miss8

To: @itsfi & Everyone Else ✨ Bringing In The New Year With New Opportunities 🛍

Good Luck With Everything & Remember To Take Care Of Your Self ⛑

#HappyNewYear2026

itsfi

Self-Care Focus: For 2026, my primary self-care focus is on prioritizing more of my time and attention to projects that I have previously put aside. Other wellness areas I want to focus on this year include being more consistent with weight training (2-3x per week), and finding the right balance for me when it comes to purchasing new products (both newly launched goodies and items that are simply new to me) and using what I have. There's already several products that have caught my eye so I'm going to have to be extra discerning and highly selective (and exercise a lot of willpower) in deciding what to pick up and what to hold off on for later or just pass on altogether.

Aromatherapy + Quiet Time/Journal/Meditate/Breathe: While I may engage in these self-care wellness practices separately, they do pair well together for me and I find some cozy comfort in engaging in them in the winter months. The Moon + Mana Tranquility Candle was gifted to me by some wonderful folks I'm blessed to know - it's creamy, cozy, calming and comforting. I've not seen this combination of notes either and that's added an extra special touch. Grateful for their friendship and think of them and their families when I light this candle.

Also attended a meditation session the other night and it was nice to be back - we had a little break for the holidays. It's interesting how that 45-minute session with a group of semi-strangers relaxes me more than if I tried to be quiet and still by myself in my own home sometimes. I can get easily distracted when I'm at home or find myself dozing off, though that latter bit could be do to my trying to have my quiet time in bed. Oops. 😄

Brain Teasers: I've been playing a few games on my phone this year as well as a couple games of Wordle and Connections this morning. I had planned on trying to play Connections every day this month but those plans didn't pan out; I may try next month.

Read - Audiobook - Podcast - TV / Movie: On the recommendation of a couple of folks, I've started watching Knives Out.

Body Care: The Winter Edit: Rotating through a few body care products from the items I set aside for the Shop Your Stash Challenge: Winter 2026 ❄️ to keep the skin on my body exfoliated and moisturized. I tend to pay more attention to the skin on my face so I'm going to try to be a lot more consistent with body care this winter. Also, I think I may get a massage today or tomorrow to help with some soreness and tightness that's come back. 😐

Let it go ...: Sometimes letting go is a process. Or, you do it and then you realized you didn't let it go completely so you have to let it go or release it again, or more of it, or all of it. So, you try it again and make an effort to stick to it, day in and day out.

Hydrate: I have a harder time getting my daily water intake during the wintertime - cold water isn't as appealing this time of year. Taking a page from @blackkitty2014, I'm drinking more green tea - picked up a box at a local Eastern European market I passed by on a walk the other day. Thought I'd give it a try.

Stretch (30 minutes): I stretch before and after working out, but for this square this month, and future months for wellness bingo, my plan is to do a 10-minute stretch in the morning to start my day; another 10 minutes of stretching broken up throughout the day, focusing on the parts of my body that are tight on that particular day; and, at least 10 minutes of stretching as part of my wind down routine / digital detox in the evenings.

Spoiler

InnBeauty Project Bright & Smooth Body Serum (discontinued) - a reminder to use my products while they're still in circulation.

AESTURA ATOBARRIER365 Moisturizing Body Lotion with Ceramides for Dry & Sensitive Skin 13.50 fl.oz/4...

Skinfix Eczema+ Ceramide Hand + Foot Relief Cream 3 fl oz / 90 ml - this initially seemed too thick when I first purchased it in the spring but it's a great consistency for the winter season and melts and absorbs smoothly as it's massaged over hands and feet.

Samtian

@itsfi What kind of tea is your favorite? I try tea and just can't do it. I need like 5 cups of sugar and even then sometimes 🤢

itsfi

Oooh, that’s a good and hard question @Samtian. 🤔 I like most teas, though I probably drink green or black tea the most, or some variation of those two. I’m probably pickiest about white teas and Pu’erh teas, the latter because they can be too … earthy tasting for my liking.

lololol, what kinds of tea have you had? Or which ones did you have to add a lot of sugar too and still not like?

There was a tea lounge I used to go to a lot a few years back - I made it a thing to try every tea on their menu - they had 40 different ones at any time and would rotate new ones occasionally and have seasonal offerings. They had a brioche / croissant flavored tea I think you might have liked - it was good with and without sugar or milk.

Shosh85

@itsfi Glad to hear you've been able to get in some time for yourself!

Quiet time + a nice smelling candle is such a relaxing combo - and thinking of the people who gifted it while burning it definitely makes it even more special ♥️

I've never heard of Wordle and Connections... will have to look those up sometime 😉

itsfi

@Shosh85, Wordle & Connections are recent discoveries for me, which I learned about here on BIC and heard some acquaintances talking about occasionally. I don’t need to be on my phone more but I do like that both are available on the phone - it makes it convenient to do anytime, anywhere.

caitbird

@itsfi great job! Seems like you have been able to work on a good variety of wellness activities already this month! Love the stamps you picked for each week, they're cute and perfect for this time of year. That tranquility candle + green tea assortment both sound lovely - I hope you enjoy the tea. Thanks for the reminder about the Winter Shop Your Stash thread - I need to think about what I'll try to use from my stash for this season.

itsfi

@caitbird, I find that I can get in more wellness activities on these cards when the month starts around a weekend or in the case of this month, a holiday weekend. More time to get things in so I front load it, I guess. The tea has been a nice way to try some from a different part of the world. 🫖 And good for this time of year.

adamsev

I did a lot of combining things -

- self care focus and give permission to went hand in hand for me. I'm going to focus this year on trying to not having everything be perfect and giving myself permission to not be perfect and not care what people think.

- aromatherapy and stretch - I bought a bunch of candles during the after Christmas sales and have been using them every chance I get and use them when I do some at home yoga.

- exercise and music - it’s too cold and wet for me to run outside so I get on our Peloton and listen to my playlist.

- fruits and veggies - there's been a small farmers' market by our gym and they're expanding so we've been going to the gym earlier and getting our product from the market after we're done.

- arts and crafts - I got a coupon for a series of flower arrangement classes for Christmas and went to my first one this week.

Samtian

@adamsev Flower arrangement sounds fun! Great work!

Shosh85

@adamsev Oh, I love farmers markets! Glad there's one that's super convenient for you!

Flower arranging and candlelit yoga sounds amazing! Happy you were able to treat yourself a little bit!

caitbird

@adamsev awesome job! I love your approach of combining different wellness activities, that's so smart! Candlelit yoga and flower arranging classes sound like fun, hope you enjoy!