The February Edit

no surprise - the shortest month flew by

Another month, another list of highlights.

Books + Reading

• I read so many fantastic romances this month. It’s hard to pick out just one highlight so you’ll have to wait and read my complete February Reading Recap at the end of the month.

• Progress report: I finished A Wrinkle in Time as my 2nd reread of the year! 2/12 done
  

  The Rereading Project

TV + Movie Recs

• Masters of the Air (Apple TV+)

• All the Light We Cannot See (Netflix)

• Love at First Sight (Netflix)

• True Detective: Night Country (HBO)

• Death and Other Details (Hulu)

Tunes

• I made my husband a playlist for Valentine’s Day which made me feel like a giddy schoolgirl all over again. I’ve gotten away from curating playlists but the practice was special. Even though it was a free gift, it was meaningful— especially when we listened to it together on our way up to the mountains. Because it’s so personal, I don’t want to share it here but I do want to encourage you to make your own playlist in the next month, whether it’s for you, another person, inspired by a book/movie, the coming Spring season, or something else.

Purchases + Wish List

• Other than books, the only fun purchase I made this month was this half moon crossbody bag from Target. I did also finally find a pair of dark wash jeans that fit me well.

• I’m starting to think about my Spring wardrobe which is nonexistent. I hate wearing shorts, short sleeves, and dresses but the weather where I live mandates it. Is it just me or are stores still sort of in between seasons? It’s tough to shop when it’s already 70 degrees! One thing I’ve added to my wish list recently is this shirt dress from Tuckernuck. I love the silhouette.

Organization + Cleaning

• February wasn’t nearly as productive as January but I booked some not fun but necessary appointments this month so I’m giving myself a gold star for adulting. We made some major parenting goofs that we’ll be paying for and honestly, it’s been a bit hard to work through. I’ve had to pull myself up by my bootstraps.

• I gathered up 4 trash bags of clothes that are too small for my kids to donate to Goodwill. I managed to get all of their clothes put away and put aside some neutral-colored hand-me-downs from my daughter in the back of my son’s closet for next year. It tested my patience but I’m glad I took the time to do it because I discovered there aren’t many gaps to fill for the Spring and Summer season. I was able to remove a lot of items I had filling various shopping carts online.

• When we lived in Charleston, my husband and I would walk a few blocks down the street from our apartment to the parking garage once a week and get in the car to drive over to Mt. Pleasant to go to Trader Joe’s. Our weekly grocery haul always included a bunch of pretty stems. Thus began the tradition of the Sunday arrangement. I miss the simple practice of creating a weekly bouquet for myself because it is a form of meditation. My flowers from Valentine’s Day held on for most of the month but I decided it was time to repurpose them. I was able to gather a lot of the roses and ranunculus to attempt to hang dry. I created two smaller vases of blooms from the alstroemeria and greenery.

Yummy Bites

• This month’s meal planning was a bit uninspired. I’ve improvised a lot and had a couple of eat-out-the-freezer/pantry weeks. It’s not all bad, though. It helped us cut down our grocery bill. Two fun recipes I made were this Red Wine Spicy Sausage Pasta and Marry Me Salmon.

• At the Celtic Festival, I indulged in a couple of Scotch Eggs and if you’ve never had one, they’re such a savory treat!

Highs + Lows

• I had a haircut + gloss appointment this month and it’s always such a treat to sit in the chair and get a good relaxing scalp massage. I’m glad I’ve made the effort to schedule more regular visits with my stylist. I’ll go back for more color in May.

• Our first family road trip of the year was to the Asheville Celtic Festival over President’s Day weekend and it was exactly what we needed. I enjoy vacations where we don’t have a rigid schedule or timeline to attend to. My mom came with us and it was a huge help with the kids. She cooked some yummy meals for us too! As much as my husband and I grumble about living back in our hometown, sometimes it is nice to be situated where we are. We’re a 2-4 hour drive from a lot of major cities in the Southeast and lucky our low cost of living allows us to visit other places fairly often.

• My kids have had indoor soccer lessons on Thursdays since January and I’m thrilled that they’re over this month. Between the noise reverberating in the gym, being burnt out from a full day of work, trying to get them dressed and there on time, and managing all of their big feelings during their class time, this Mama is DONE. I’d like for them to have a positive experience with sports but the next time we try something it will probably be on a weekend and outdoors again.

• I spent the last full weekend of the month nursing my toddler who came down with a stomach bug. So far, the Full Moon has not been kind to us.

• The Saucer Magnolias around town are blooming and they are my absolute favorite flowering tree. Not only are they pretty to look at, but they’re a reminder that Spring is nearly here.

If you enjoyed this post and want to see more, consider buying me a coffee and keeping me caffeinated during my writing sessions!

Cheers,

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