The February Edit
Chatting about doorstopper books with a side of compound butter.
January actually flew by this year! I can’t believe it. I actually love that it’s a bit of an in-between month. A chance to recover from the holiday hubbub and settle into a new routine. The next few months are going to be stacked with fun trips and events and it feels nice to finally have something to look forward to. I hope you’re feeling refreshed too!
Loving Lately
Here are a few things I’ve been loving lately.
Shop: Valentine’s Day is coming up and I bought my preschooler this Chelsea barista doll. It comes with a tiny espresso machine and a croissant. I can’t deal with how stinkin’ cute it is.
Read: I have a few books on my TBR list that I’ve been putting off until now because they’re doorstoppers.
What is a doorstopper book?
(humorous) A large book, which by implication could be used to stop a door.
I don’t often read books over 400 pages so I know these will be a little bit of a commitment. I’m hoping to finish The Secret History by Donna Tartt (559 pages) and the 1st Outlander book by Diana Gabaldon (850 pages) in the coming months. My “What I Read” recaps might start looking a little sparse. Just a heads up!
Watch: Since I last checked in my husband and I finished Derry Girls Season 3 and I finally finished watching Season 5 of Outlander on Netflix. I also watched After Ever Happy which was, in a word, infuriating. Definitely pass on that one. Now we are working our way through Dead to Me Season 3. It’s kind of dragging, to be honest. We took our kids to the library to watch Lyle, Lyle Crocodile and they got antsy 1/2 way through. I may never know how it ends. I also had a few friends recommend the Letterboxd tracking app so I’m giving that a go!
Wear: I have Plantar Fasciitis and Hokas have greatly improved my quality of life. I don’t wear any other shoes on the weekends. I’m looking to add another pair to switch out this Spring. I have my eye on a blue suede pair.
Homey Bits: I’ve been really drawn to this thrifted, cottagey-feeling child’s bedroom design lately and I want to pick up a few vintage pieces to add to my son’s room.
Eat: My favorite thing to make the past few months has been a super easy compound butter to serve on a fresh loaf of bread. I take a few tablespoons of butter and let it soften on the counter for a while before folding in Trader Joe’s Green Goddess seasoning. The key is really letting the butter soften on the counter. You CANNOT microwave it. It will melt. If there’s any leftover I’ll roll it up in cling wrap and store it in the fridge. Also tasty served with veggies or eggs.
TikTok also put me onto herbed sea salt and I may never use any other variety.
Listen: I don’t often listen to Podcasts but I caught up on a few episodes of Offline by Jon Favreau that are worth a listen: Two Writers Wonder If They’ll Be Replaced By AI and How to Avoid Distraction with Johann Hari. Hari’s book Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention and How to Think Deeply Again caught my eye recently.
I’ve also been keeping busy listening to non-fiction audiobooks while I work again. I finished two celebrity memoirs last month— Michelle Obama’s The Light We Carry and Tom Felton’s book Beyond the Wand. Both are quick reads. I’m currently listening to Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman and so far it’s more philosophical than I expected!
Celebrate: It’s Black History Month! There are so many ways to celebrate black joy this month, whether it’s learning about black pioneers like the first black woman in space, Mae Jemison, or reading books by black authors like Octavia E. Butler or two of my favorite romance authors: Jasmine Guillory and Denise Williams. Maybe you’ll subscribe to newsletters by black creators like my personal favorite substack...
. Are you going to be one of the lucky few who scores tickets to Beyonce's Renaissance tour? Maybe shopping at a black-owned bookstore like Brave + Kind Bookshop is more within your budget. You might watch Wakanda Forever, Soul, or The Princess and the Frog together as a family. In recent years I've realized that I have a lot of work to do to break down my own implicit bias. I enjoyed this article about talking to kids about racism and I hope by introducing our kids to the subject early on, we'll raise a generation that's better than my own.That’s it from me today. I’ll check back in later this month with some romance book recs.
My hold for The Secret History JUST came in, but so did Us Against You-- so I am feeling you with the long(ish) books!