What I loved in February

It was really hard to type the words “loved” and “February” in one sentence.

Oh my word, February! We started out with a the after effects of January’s Polar Vortex. That was followed by an ice storm, which destroyed my favorite tree. Then we had a weekend of cyclone-force winds. And we ended the month with unrelenting coldness. I swear the sun only came out one time the entire month. I honestly could not be happier that we are moving into March.

Not only was I dealing with my basic disdain of cold weather on a constant basis, but it was also a challenging month health wise. I’ve been doing my best to eat as clean as possible to give my body the best chance to function at a high level. But I’ve been internalizing a lot of stress, which has been manifesting in some difficult physical reactions.

So, there’s that.

Happy Friday!

Here are the things that got me through February:

TV SHOWS

I binge-watched the Netflix series, The Umbrella Academy, and I totally loved it. It’s the story of seven kids who are born with super powers and adopted by an evil genius. He works to help them hone their powers, but in the process, they end up with all kinds of issues from their strange and abusive childhood. They all come back together as adults when their father dies, and they have to work together to solve a mystery. This show was NOT for kids.

I love it when I can find a TV show I can watch with our 9-year-old, so I was so happy to discover When Calls the Heart, also on Netflix. It’s a Hallmark Channel series based on the books by Janette Oke. It’s a completely family-friendly story of frontier life, without even the tiniest hint of bad language or inappropriate behavior. It’s basically Little House on the Prairie.

KIDS BOOKS

My favorite book in February was actually a children’s book. Jayda and I listened to the audio book of City of Ember, and it was so good! She is trying to read as many books as possible from the 2018 Bluestem Award list, and this was one of them. I’m not even going to describe what it’s about, and I suggest you don’t read anything about the book before you actually read it. Figuring out why the society in the book is so unique is the fun of reading the book. Also, do NOT watch the movie. It will ruin the book for you, plus the movie is not good.

We are now listening to the audio version of the next two books in the same series, The People of Sparks and The Prophet of Yonwood.

ADULT BOOKS

I listened to the audio book of Finish by John Acuff. In a humorous and playful way, the author gives lots of tips on how to finish your goals. I’m notorious for starting projects, but never finishing them, so I loved his ideas. He gets to the heart of perfectionist thinking, which often stands in the way of completing things.

PODCASTS

I started listening to a few new podcasts in February.

The first one is called Mega. It’s a satire put together by improv actors who are playing staff members at a megachurch. I often laughed until I cried listening to the first few episodes of the show. The line between satire and reality is so thin that it will take you a while to understand that this is IMPROV! It can be slow and stupid at times, but I’m always impressed that the hosts are making it up as they go along.

I’ve also been listening to The Next Right Thing by Emily P. Freeman. She has short episodes, talking about how to make better choices. I’m not even sure what she is saying most of the time because her voice is just so relaxing and comforting. Basically, I use her as a stress reliever.

CLOTHES

I would really like to write more about clothes on my blog, since getting dressed in the morning is pretty much the highlight of my day. I am definitely NOT one of those people who ever leaves the house in yoga pants or athleisure. I love picking out outfits and creating clothing combinations.

I have been wanting a cute white denim jacket, which I have been trying to find for at least a year. I have a very specific jacket that I have been looking for. As you can see, if you analyze closely, it’s cropped and frayed at the bottom. It’s also more of an ecru than a bright white.

I finally found it at Francesca’s. I thought about it for several weeks, then remembered I had some Christmas money stashed away! When I went back to buy it, everything was 40 percent off! That gave me an excuse to also buy another jacket that I have been drooling over for a long time!

I love cute jackets to make an outfit complete, and I could basically buy every single jacket in Francesca’s! I love that store!

PROJECTS

I didn’t have time to do any crafts in February. I have been focusing on organizing all of my photos from 2018 into a Shutterfly album.

We’re also facing the reality that we will soon have three children in college at the same time. This has caused me to revisit the idea of trying to make some passive income from my blog and my other creative projects. I’ve been spending tons of time researching and experimenting with ways people say they make money blogging. My big focus this month has been on posting to Pinterest.

I wish I could describe how this has become my second job, but you wouldn’t believe it, and it’s kind of embarrassing. Still, I have 12 years of creative projects, tips and ideas already stored up on this blog, so I figure it’s worth a shot!

FAMILY

Finally, here’s what’s been happening with the family.

Andrew and I got to spend a weekend at Taylor University for a scholarship he applied for. We actually ran into a few of his friends from KINDERGARTEN, which was crazy! We haven’t seen these boys since he was little. It was weird that we don’t live that far from each other, but we bumped into them at a college visit. Our minds were literally exploding as we squinted and tried to recognize each other!

Andrew also started an internship at OneWay Ministries. He is editing video for their Prayercast web page. He works with a couple of guys who recently graduated with film degrees from Taylor, so that has been such a great opportunity for him!

Matthew has been working a ton of hours at his job at the trampoline park. The girls have been focusing on cheer and gymnastics, and they both will wrap up their seasons in March.

We’re actually headed off to a gymnastics meet today. Jayda has been super sick this week with a fever and strep throat. She only made it to school one day, and even then, I had to pick her up early because she wasn’t feeling well. I’m praying she will have enough strength to compete today!

Have a great Friday!

 

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So, what did you love in February? Did you find any good entertainment or projects to keep you busy during the brutal cold? I would love to hear about it. Leave me a comment!

 

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