Please let's wrap up January 2025
the one where the month felt like 12 years
This post will be part of my monthly sensory roundup series, where I share everything I loved reading, hearing, seeing, and experiencing in the past month that made me feel something.
Happy New Month!
Congratulations on making it through January, because with all the devastation, tragedy, and endless doom-like news cycles, it’s truly worth celebrating.
Between the fires in LA, the inauguration of a felon to the highest office in the country and all the insanity that has followed, to ending with the heart wrenching plane crash in DC (where many of you are based), it has been a whirlwind of a month.
So please, let’s wrap up the dumpster fire that was January 2025. I made an intentional effort to focus on the things in front of me, and the things that fill me up. The goal of this administration in particular, is for us to be overwhelmed and perpetually distracted, so we don’t pour our energy into the things that can radicalize and grow us internally and as a community. To that, I say no thank you.
So I stayed away from the news, unsubscribed from daily news that only brought daily doom, and chose peace. In the midst of all the madness, here are some of the things that cut through the noise and pulled my attention:
WalkGoodLA for the LA Fires:
It’s still unfathomable to see the devastation that was the LA fires this past month. I was on vacation when it happened, taking a mini social media break. The day I logged back into my Instagram app, every post was filled with photos and videos from the fire, and everyone’s stories had links to GoFundMe. I ended up spending most of my first days back online doom scrolling through the pages of those affected. The entire thing just seemed so unreal and I can’t imagine all it’ll take for those families to rebuild their lives, particularly for the Black families in Altadena.
For those of us that were not impacted, trying to figure out how to help got overwhelming, as there were thousands of GoFundMe links going around, each story more devastating than the other. For me personally, after a while I got analysis paralysis unsure where to focus my attention or support.
In my search, one of the most helpful resources I found was WalkGoodLA as they were directly donating to the communities and had updated information on everything happening. If you’re looking for ways to support, their page is a great place to start.
Reel by Kennedy Ryan
I LOVE Kennedy Ryan books. Anytime someone asks for a great fiction recommendation, I always start with hers. She writes romance so well—perfectly blending spice, friendship, and real-world challenges—so it’s never just fluffy love stories, which I appreciate.
I first discovered her through Before I Let Go (part one of the Skyland series). Part two came out last year and was just as amazing, and we’re expecting part three later this year! While waiting for its release, I wanted a fresh read of hers before my trip, so I picked up Reel—now officially my absolute favorite of hers. I stayed up until 5 AM (partly jetlag, mostly obsession) because I could not put it down.
If you’re looking for a great romance read that isn’t all simple fluff but really gets into the dynamic and challenges of building a relationship, and of course with some spice drizzled in, I highly recommend.
Usually I would share an amazon link here, but as much as possible we are trying to shop less there, so I recommend looking up a Black owned book store near you to see if they have a copy!
Nigerian Women in Fashion
I truly don’t know what is going on, but for the past two to three years, Nigerian women (honestly African women in general) have been absolutely killing it in the fashion space. As I look at my closet, I’m finding that more and more it’s becoming filled with clothes by Nigerian brands.
Last year I shopped the brand Isale Eko from Derin for the first time, and I’ve loved every single item I got. I’m wearing her brand for an event here, a trip to NY here, and recently for a wedding here. The fit is amazing and her customer service team is great. I have my eye on this sold-out set next.
Also Kai Collective just launched their popular NAO tee in a long sleeve version and although I’m finding it hard to justify spending $100+ on a shirt it does look amazing. We’ll see if I end up caving.
Mel Robbins - The Let Them Theory
As a self-identified control freak, obsessed with order and things going a certain (my) way, hearing about Mel Robbins' viral 'Let Them' theory for the first time about a year ago was incredibly eye-opening.
The idea is simple: stop trying to control what you can’t. If a coworker sends an email differently than you would—let them. If someone isn’t texting back as often as you’d like—let them. Instead of wasting energy analyzing and rationalizing others' actions, focus inward. If it’s not harming you directly, just let them.
She released a book on the theory last December, which I have not read but have heard great reviews about. However, in the past month, in promotion of the book, she has been a guest on pretty much every single podcast I listen to; from Oprah, to Jay Shetty’s, Marianna Hewitt’s, The Skinny Confidential and many more. Through these interviews, I’ve been able to get a better understanding of the concept which is truly so simple but revolutionary.
So if you want to learn more about the theory, you can listen on any of those podcasts listed above, or on hers (The Mel Robbins Podcast) which recently became the #1 podcast in the world.
Keke Palmer for The Cut:
I LOVE a well executed magazine cover story—one where the fashion, storytelling, and visuals all align. And The Cut magazine nailed it for their January 2025 cover with Keke Palmer who is having such a renaissance moment. Check out the story here and some of the amazing visuals below:
One of Them Days Press Tour
Speaking of Keke Palmer, the combination of her, Issa Rae, and SZA on the press tour for their movie One of Them Days has been comedy gold. Dare I say the tour appearances were better than the movie? Every feature was absolutely hilarious, and I particularly enjoyed their Hot Ones Versus. If you need a laugh, take 13 mins for this video.
Doechii Rolling Stone Interview (Ditch the Formula)
I first learned about Doechii last year from her Tiny Desk appearance, particularly her performance of the song Denial is a River. I’ve since been listening to her album which I love, so when I saw this interview with Rolling Stone pop on my YouTube where she goes into her creative process, I was curious to hear more about it.
By the end of the interview, I was doubly impressed by her, the way her mind works, and her emphasis on the importance of listening to your own intuition when it comes to making creative decisions. Give it a watch if you’re needing some creative inspiration.
Heartbreak Hotel ft. The Women of Reality TV
I was never really a reality tv girl, but during the pandemic I needed some escapism more than ever, and so finally got into both The Bachelor and Love Island.
Coincidentally, the starring women of the first season I watched for both shows are going through it at the moment.
Molly Mae: Behind It All
Fun fact about me I am OBSESSED with Love Island. It’s my true not so guilty pleasure as with how busy my life and mind always is, it’s always my perfect escape when I just need to watch something easy.
The first season I watched that got me hooked was S5 which has always been the fan favorite particularly because of Molly-Mae and Tommy Fury. They were becoming one of the rare successes from the show when unexpectedly last year, they announced their separation. That announcement definitely broke the internet, and so when I saw she was coming out with a documentary I was ready to see all the behind the scenes of what went down.
It was so incredibly heartbreaking and sad to watch while also very inspiring. If you’re looking for something to get into this weekend you can watch the first 3 episodes on Prime.
Rachael Kirkconnell: Call Her Daddy Interview
For years I refused to watch The Bachelor or The Bachelorette. But when they announced the first Black Bachelor, I like many other people tuned in to watch and support. I went in with very high expectations and excitement and started off enjoying it.
Unfortunately, it was such a mess of a season, filled with so much drama, kissing with the eyes open, and “thank you for sharing’s.” He ended up picking Rachael Kirkconnell, did not propose to her at the end (despite that being the whole premise of the show), and they’ve been together for the past four years, seemingly fine and in love.
And then to everyone’s shock, earlier this month he posted the weirdest Instagram post announcing their break up, and once again the internet was in a frenzy.
She was completely silent until she sat down for an interview with Alex Cooper on Call Her Daddy this past week. The tea was piping, the pain was clear, and the need for therapy is evident.
If you’re a Bachelor franchise fan, tune in.
A Word Before You Go:
And that’s all I have for January. My prayer is that we have more things to smile about in February and for the rest of the year. Let me know what you’ve been loving this month that has taken you away from all the outside nose.
Keep Klashing,
Bosola.