January is a time for resolutions and recovery, and who are we to challenge a prudent tradition? Although it involves the reintroduction of moderation to our lives we enjoy this month, since it heralds all manner of beginnings. Not that everyone's year starts in January. To Aesop clients whose Year of the Tiger begins on 14 February, or whose Noruz starts on 20 March, or who observe a New Year's day of silence – Balinese Nyepi - in mid-March (a practice we applaud), we raise our glass of filtered water and wish you the best for the year ahead.

DRINK
A glass or three of Domaine Tempier Bandol Rouge. This is the definitive Bandol, and we say this with confidence knowing that the family who created it was instrumental in having the appellation recognised. Based largely, if not solely, on Mouvedre, this is Southern France done very, very well. Perhaps your New Year's resolutions can be held over for just one more month?

READ
The compelling personal accounts of Médicins Sans Frontières field workers to gain insight into the lives of aid workers and the people they assist. In addition to providing emergency medical assistance to those in dire need, MSF acts as an advocate for the powerless, seeking to address both the symptoms and causes of suffering. You may feel an urge to contribute, or even volunteer.

ENJOY
Aesop's Parsley Seed Facial Cleansing Oil, our latest release. This gentle, oil-based cleanser is effective in removing grime without stripping skin of good oils, and is ideal for those who find gel or cream cleansers unsuitable. Rich in beneficial anti-oxidants, Parsley Seed Facial Cleansing Oil is suitable for use in all climates and for every skin type. Available worldwide.

EAT
Eggs with crusty bread for lunch at Leila's Shop, Shoreditch. The menu is succinct, the staff will serve you when and how they see fit, and you do have to share a table, but this homey eatery is famed for its good food and outstanding Monmouth coffee. You can also buy excellent jams, Polish sausage and Spanish almonds to take home.

LISTEN
To our favourite New York Times Magazine podcast, The Ethicist. Writer and humourist Randy Cohen offers solutions to life's more curious quandaries, calling on his experience working for David Letterman and Rosie O'Donnell to lend a consistently well-crafted, if twisted slant to his musings. Should you prefer transcripts, we refer you to The Ethicist on NPR (www.npr.org).

DISCOVER
Venetian-born Carlo Scarpa, who is as renowned for his early glass work with Venini as for his final architectural masterpiece at Treviso's: Brion Vega Cemetery. It is fitting then that this great architect - who never completed his degree - is buried in this composed and considered setting.

WATCH
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoise by Spanish-French surrealist filmmaker Luis Buñuel, which stands tall next to the crop of mediocre, commerce-driven films that are thrust upon us every holiday season. Buñuel offers would-be filmmakers a lesson in how to articulate wild imaginings while giving your viewers sharp-eyed, well-crafted, political comedy. His films are available from Criterion.

LEARN
From the digerati at this year's South by Southwest Interactive. Although the Austin event doesn't begin until 12 March, tickets sell early. For the unfamiliar, SXSW began in 1987, SXSW Interactive in 1994. It is regarded as the most important annual gathering of those who work with emerging technologies. For inspiration, view the list of confirmed panels. Make time to attend Clay Shirky's presentation, at the very least.

ATTEND
The Sydney Festival, which presents a spread of music, theatre, visual art and lectures from January 9 to 30. We have earmarked Opera Australia's Candide in the Domain, and John Cale's keynote address and concert. On the first evening, the Festival event in Hyde Park promises a spice garden, juggling and hula lessons, and a performance by forty-three Rajasthani musicians.

HEAR
Nick Cave's soundtrack (with Warren Ellis) to The Road, then ponder how a tortured post-punk private school boy ends up as Ambassador of the Australian music scene. With longtime collaborators Mick Harvey, Blixa Bargeld and Rowland Howard, Cave has put soulful words to songs of piety, death and love for decades. He's also penned two novels, and turned in a terrifying performance in 1989's Ghosts of the Civil Dead. Keeping his credibility intact, Cave requested in 1996 that his nomination for an MTV award be withdrawn. If everybody loves you, you're nobody.

'Lost time is never found again.' Benjamin Franklin