Desk Diaries 04: A Cozy Peak-Winter Space

A quiet record of desk days—what I’m writing, working on, and figuring out along the way. This is Desk Diaries.

January at my desk has been going exactly as I expected: quietly ambitious. I added a new journal to my system this year, so now I spend an extra 10 minutes or so writing about my day from a place of gratitude. After spending two weeks in my Hobonichi, I get it now. While I’m not using it as a planning or productivity tool at all (that’s what my bullet journal is for) it’s been an excellent short-form memory-keeping companion. Plus, the famous Tomoe River paper lives up to the hype. My pen glides across it like no pages ever before and makes the whole writing experience a delight. So, here’s today’s desk diaries…

What I added to my setup:

A Snoopy mug. I love collecting mugs, but I wish I could attribute this one to my good eye. It was a Christmas gift from my boyfriend’s family, and it makes me smile each time I see it.

A wall calendar. Although I typically use a Monday-start calendar, this one featuring different shop and market illustrations was too cute to pass up.

A Miffy humidifier. Winter is notorious for its dry air, so a humidifier was definitely in order. A cute one? With a night light? Even better. This Miffy one was a Christmas gift from my brother.

A new Miffy plush. Speaking of Miffy, I finally purchased my first Miffy plush, which sits in my chair and keeps it warm for me when I’m not there.

What I’m drinking:

Homemade matcha lattes (hot). I’ve been on a matcha kick lately (particularly from Chamberlain Coffee) and love making them home. The flavors currently on my rotation are the Blue Vanilla, Strawberry, and Lavender matches, which are all so good hot.

Triple berry green tea. I love green tea, so I’ve also been sipping on my favorite from Twinings. It’s a triple-berry blend of pomegranate, raspberry, and strawberry, and it is SO good.

Honorable mention: Hot chocolate. It’s not just for Christmas. Chamberlain Coffee makes a delicious dairy-free version that I top with oat-milk whipped cream and marshmallows when I want a little something sweet at the end of the day. (It’s sold out now, so I’m slowly savoring my batch!)

What I’m working on:

Semi-daily diary-keeping. As mentioned earlier, I’ve been spending more and more time at my desk, keeping up with my Hobonichi and bullet journal. The intentional slow time and reflection throughout and at the end of the day have been much-needed lately, and I’m excited to see how the rest of the month turns out in my notebooks.

A new Ko-fi post. Firstly, I am SO happy to welcome five new paid subscribers to my Ko-fi this month! Recently, I shared a closer look at my finished December calendar and some personal thoughts about the month (including a bit of a health update?). I’m also working on more exclusive video content for February and beyond, so if you’re interested, check it out here.

Setting up my Reading Journal. My mom gifted me a reading journal from Papier for Christmas, and I’m so in love with it! Although I have not been prioritizing reading as much as I used to (there’s just SO much to do!), I’m still always reading something. Currently, I’m slowly reading a nonfiction book and a poetry collection, so I can’t wait to journal about them when I’m done. In the past, I had a reading journal that I made from scratch, but the constant setup made it feel like such a chore. I’m glad this one is fully set up for me to just fill out when I’m ready.

Honestly, 2025 has been off to a good start. Going back to work after having two weeks off for Christmas was a bit of an adjustment, but I’ve gotten back into the swing of things and have eased back into my journaling and desk time routines. In the meantime, if there’s anything you’d like to see more of in this series since it’s still fairly new (on this blog at least), please let me know!

Want more Desk Diaries content? Follow me on Threads and Instagram @meganportorreal for more. I also share exclusive posts on Ko-fi and collections on Pinterest.