February Recap + Favorite Things

Oh boy, what a month February was. It’s the shortest month but I feel like somehow, it’s also often the one that brings the most chaos to our house. Is that just us?!

I think it’s safe to say this year I am very ready for February to be over. Winter was lovely and all but I cannot even begin to tell you how ready I am for all things spring. This has been a warmer week for us and the jolt of joy I feel every time the sun hits my skin is light a lightning strike in the best possible way. Bring on the short sleeves and sunscreen!

We were all tired of the cold weather this month so, honestly, there was a lot of hunkering down. We watched movies (we’re working our way through all of the Marvel movies), played some games, and the kids did a lot of crafts. Oh, and we put our house up for sale.

!!!

It is a huge step and we’re feeling a lot of feelings about it – mostly nerves! But, we’re excited and hopeful and eager to see what the next steps bring us. Fingers crossed that next month’s update will have good news to share?!

This month we had a little medical scare with Grant – very long story short, we spent an entire day in the ER doing all sorts of testing. They checked for a lot of really scary things, but in the end we discovered that he had transient synovitis. It’s an inflammation of the hip that can occur in young children (usually boys!) after a cold or a virus. There’s literally nothing you can do about it other than wait it out, so he took two days off of school and hung with me. It was terrifying, but we are so grateful it wasn’t anything more serious!

A few other things that happened in February include…

• Grant started t-ball and Jackson started practice for his second play with our local kids’ theater company.
• Corey and I started making some serious plans for our family Disneyland trip in May!
• Oh, and I recapped the (adults-only) trip that Corey and I took at the end of last month.
• I finally shared the big reveal of our new outdoor kitchen.
• We celebrated Valentine’s Day with all the heart shaped things and a trip to our favorite local pizza buffet/arcade.

Onto the favorites!

My Favorite Things in February

• I grabbed this outdoor rug to freshen up the front porch, and it truly always amazes me what a difference it can make! The stripes feel perfect for spring, and I love an oversized mat layered under a regular welcome mat!
• I did a lot of searching for the best affordable faux hydrangeas around, and I think these are it. They’re REALLY big, and look so gorgeous on my dining room table!
• This oversized coat is one of my new favorite things in my closet. Is it a little too oversized for me? Yes, yes it is. Do I proudly wear it and feel like a million bucks? Yes, yes I do.
• I’ve foud the perfect basic white tee (and it’s under $10)! I had one I loved but after nearly a decade of constant wear it finally got a stain I couldn’t remove. So, I snagged this one and I love it! It’s long enough to wear with leggings but can still be comfortably tucked in.
• I’ve been hearing chatter about Keep It In the Family for months now so I finally had to give it a shot. It was probably the book I read this month that will sit with me the longest. It’s dark and really intense, but I can’t stop thinking about it and telling everyone I know to give it a shot!
• My new favorite candle is the Ariel scent from Bath & Body Works’ princess line! I went and smelled every single option and this one has my heart. Belle is really great too, though!
• I allllmost bought these faux artichokes last year and didn’t, and I’ve been thinking about them ever since. So, I snagged them this month and I’m so glad I did. They are so realistic and beautiful, and they look amazing gathered in a bowl for spring!
• Back in September my body decided I was allergic to the deodorant I’ve used for literal decades. I tried a bunch of different options, all of which gave me a rash, before I got smart enough to give the Vanicream deodorant a shot. It works like a charm, and zero rash! I can always count on them.
• My college bestie came over a little while ago wearing an oversized jean jacket that I immediately fell in love with. She got hers at Target and I couldn’t find it, so I went on a hunt to find the cutest oversized denim jacket around and, well, I succeeded.
• I (re) read the first book in the Wayward Pines trilogy this month and, OH BOY, I forgot how great this series is. I also forgot everything that happened so I can’t wait to experience it anew!
• The first time I tried on this cropped sweatshirt, I wasn’t sure if I was going to keep it. But then, I decided to try it on again. And I couldn’t stop thinking about it. And the more I wore it, the more I loved it. And now, it’s one of my favorite sweatshirts. Isn’t it funny how that happens?!
• And finally, I found the prettiest spring wreath around for our front door. We are READY for some warmth and sunshine around here, y’all!

And that’s a wrap on February. Time to start ushering in the spring season – and I can’t wait!