February Favorites

Another month has passed!

March is always a welcomed arrival. January and February are just so…dreary. And cold. We had so much rain and snow this past month, I’m really looking forward to the warmer weather that March will bring.

We had a busy (but not really busy) month! Kieran’s school situation is evolving everyday, and it looks like there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Our school district recently released news that they will offer IN-PERSON school five days a week in mid April. I could do backflips. Like 10 of them.

The remote school situation has been so tough. The teachers are AMAZING (seriously, they’re heroes in my eyes), and they have done an incredible job with the kids this year. But I’m worried about Kieran’s social emotional well being. I’m worried about his reading and writing. I’m just worried. And have been for almost a year straight. We are READY for some normalcy, and it is so, so incredible that our district basically announced that we’ll be there soon. Whew.

We also celebrated my Dad’s birthday this month. Carefully, of course. And then there was Valentine’s Day, which has definitely morphed into another holiday for the kids. Haha. Dan and I still celebrate with each other, but yeah, it’s all about the kids now. So funny how that happens. I made them little Valentine’s packages (anything to bring some joy into their lives), and you would have thought I brought them to Disney World. They were SO excited.

I have been so busy with work this month too. I cut back significantly on the amount of client photography I was doing in 2020, and it was the best decision ever. I still do some but I’m keeping it very limited. It allows me to feel like I can spend time on my own content, more time with my kids, and less time frantically running around feeling like I’m accomplishing nothing.

It was a huge moment of self care for me. Work does not define me. I needed to step away. And I feel incredibly lucky that I’m even in a position to do that. It’s not lost on me.

Now, I can focus more on taking care of myself and spending more time enjoying these goofy little gremlins (and all their stuffed animal parties).

So, we’re heading into March with our spirits high and hope a-flowin’! I can’t wait for spring!

I discovered some super fun things this past month!

1. First up: the one addition to my life that has had the most incredible impact. The Madeline Moves app! So, I was seeing several influencers talking about Madeline’s workout app for months now and was so curious. I looked into it, did some research, and decided to bite the bullet. You guys. It was been life changing so far! I’m only on my third week, but Madeline is AMAZING. Not only does she provide five (!!!) completely new and unique workouts each week (that are structured in a way to give you a full-body work over by the end of the week), but she demonstrates them in video form (huge for me), and makes it so simple to adapt/modify as you need. The app functionality is fantastic too. It has been keeping me super accountable and increasing my strength/resistance training, which has been a goal of mine for years. This feels like the first program that I’ll actually stick to. It takes all the thinking out of strength training – it’s all done for me each week. I just work my way through the outlined workout in the app each day without having to worry about a thing. They are ALL good. I really can’t say enough things about it! I can’t wait to report back on my progress.

2. With the slightly warmer weather we’ve been having lately, I’ve been craving a summer glow and therefore I’ve started using these tanning drops again. They’re so, so easy to use. I just add a few drops to my moisturizer for my face and my lotion for my body and rub it in like I normally would. Washing your hands afterwards is key, but other than that, these are foolproof. I also find that the tan doesn’t transfer to clothing or bedding, like so many other self-tanning products do. It adds a subtle warmth to my complexion without being obvious or orange. Love, love, love!

3. I have been LIVING in this vintage tie dye hoodie from Old Navy these past few weeks. I have it in the white tie dye (with light green, yellow, and pink), and it is SO cute. I wore in my Instagram stories recently and had so many of you reach out asking me about it. It’s cozy, easy to throw on with leggings or jeans, and is really cute without being like “HI I’M WEARING TIE DYE!!!!” Haha.

4. Another Old Navy find this past month has been these workout shirts. I adore them! They are cool and lightweight with a super flattering tie detail at the hem. I get them in a large (I wear a medium in most things) because I hate working out in anything tight or clingy, and these have been awesome. They wash and hold up well, too. I will be stocking up on some other colors!

5. Dan bought me an Ember mug for Valentine’s Day, and although I was highly skeptical at first, I can say that I am fully obsessed with this thing. My goal in life is to drink my coffee piping hot and well before anyone else in my house is awake. It’s my zen time. But lately, life has been hectic (to say the least), and I’m lucky if I get 10 minutes to myself to slowly and leisurely sip my hot coffee. This mug keeps my coffee piping hot for almost two hours after it’s poured, and I am questioning how I ever lived without one! It is a simple thing, but it’s making me very happy.

6. Along the same lines as the mug, I’ve been enjoying this cute little coffee frother this past month as well. I had one before but it broke and it took me forever to replace it. I use this for blending collagen into my coffee or when I’m in the mood for a frothed milk situation without having to get my aeroccino out. Works like a charm! The little stand it sits in is so great too.

7. I’ve been in a major organization mood lately. Must be an inkling of spring cleaning sneaking up on me. I have always been a purger – meaning, I get rid of stuff constantly. We make clothing, shoe, and toy donations multiple times a year. De-cluttering helps with my stress levels. Our kids have a playroom off of our main family room, and it has been disastrous as of late. In addition to making a large toy donation, I bought a couple of these huge woven baskets for holding things like stuffed animals and Kieran’s thousands of Mega Bloks, and they are a game changer! They hold so much stuff. As long as you designate one basket for one type of toy, they are fantastic for storage. The room stays more organized and de-cluttered for much longer (which is my goal).

8. With all the resistance training I’ve been doing, I needed some closed-loop bands for squats and other lower body exercises, and so I ordered these. They are great! Super affordable and easy to use – I might invest in something higher quality as time goes on, but for now, these are fantastic.

9. Once a week, I wash my hair with this blue-toning shampoo. With Covid, it’s been well over a year since I have had my hair cut or colored, and I do have some balayage highlights in my hair from forever ago. To keep my hair from looking fried and brassy, I work this shampoo (and the conditioner) into my routine and it works WONDERS. I swear it really tones down the brassiness and just makes my hair look healthier. It makes the natural browns in my hair appear deeper and more vibrant at the same time. I’ve used other toning products in the past, and this one is my favorite so far.

10. When visiting my sister a couple months ago, we did a HomeGoods stop and discovered Red Leaf Home candles. We both bought a few. My favorites are the Magnolia & Fig and Midnight Citrus scents – they’re AMAZING. Neither scent is overpowering or perfumy – they’re light and fresh without giving me a headache. They also have wood wicks, which I LOVE. The little crackling sound is soothing! I have stocked up online since the HomeGoods trip, too. They’re awesome.

11. I am obsessed with these sneakers. I bought them on major sale and have been loving them these past couple weeks. I have them in white with a leopard detail on the side (Nordstrom doesn’t appear to have them online anymore). They’re so cute and extremely comfy. I wear them with leggings or jeans when I am out and about running errands or taking the kids to the park. They’re my newest favorite comfort accessory!

And that about sums up this month! Lots of fun stuff despite still being home most of the time. I hope March treats you well, friends! Bring on spring!

[This post is not sponsored but contains affiliate links. If you click on an affiliate link and purchase the product, I receive a small kickback from the seller – at no extra cost to you! It is a small way I can earn a living doing what I love. Thank you for supporting this blog! I will always disclose this to you.]