Things That Made Me Happy This Month | February
Things I did, saw, bought, ate, or drank this month that brought a little joy.
If January was the weird uncle who overstayed his welcome, February was your favorite cousin who left too soon. WHERE DID THIS MONTH GO? Is everyone saying that? Do we feel this way every February, or was this year different? I genuinely can’t remember. Either way, we made it.
We had Bennett’s second birthday party full of trucks and excavators and family, it was perfect. Although, having his birthday one month after Christmas has me pretty confident he now believes that presents are a monthly occurrence which should be really fun to work through together 😵💫
We’re experiencing the Midwestern phenomenon of “fake spring” this week. Do you know it? Where we get a string of glorious, sunny days above 50 degrees, the snow melts, the grass looks greener, and we all start believing we can do anything…until we get hit with our next round of gray 10 degrees days and you want to move anywhere else. BUT! It is the most fun reminder that warmer days are coming. Soon. We’re getting there.
If you’re new here, this is the post at the end of every month where I share little things that made me happy recently. This started as a mental exercise my therapist suggested to help me learn to embrace the gray areas between “all or nothing”, and it’s turned into one of my favorite things. I find it really does actually help me seek out joy in the everyday—the good days, the bad days, and the gray ones in between.
So, friends, here are some things that made me happy this month:
1. Iced lattes.
That fake spring I mentioned? It has me itching for afternoon iced lattes. In the morning, I am strictly a black drip coffee—no deviations, no exceptions, all year round. But my fun afternoon cup is where I can really go wild (read: not that wild). And the last week or two, iced oat milk honey lattes have been on REPEAT. If you follow me on Instagram, you know we splurged on this espresso machine last year, and I have zero regrets. This is, without a doubt, one of my favorite purchases ever. We looooooooooove coffee. So much. Too much. Before our Breville, we were going out for an afternoon cup at least 4-5 times a week. Which…adds up. Yes, this machine is an *investment*, but it makes the absolute best latte I’ve ever had in my life, I don’t have to leave my house, and I think if I did the math I’d find that it has already saved us money.
2. My 20% reading rule.
I used to firmly believe that if I started a book, I had to finish it. I’d slog through something I just couldn’t get into because I AM NOT A QUITTER. But life is too short for books you don’t love. So now I am a quitter. At least, I’ve given myself permission to be. A few years ago, I made myself a rule: I had to give a book at least 20% (thank you, Kindle progress bar), and if I’m still not into it, I can walk away guilt-free. I pulled the 20% card earlier this month and it reminded me how freeing this rule is.
3. The U.S. Army Chorus.
You’ve probably seen this video by now, but I can’t stop thinking about it. Les Mis was one of the first musicals I remember really loving (one of my mom’s all-time favorites). It’s a story about fighting against government tyranny and social injustice, fighting for the people. This performance from the U.S. Army Chorus at the White House Governors’ Ball WRECKED me. The bravery this took is astounding. My friend Carly also sent me this TikTok, breaking down how pointed and intentional the arrangement choices were (pulling very specific lyrics from different pieces throughout the play). It was a much needed spark of hope this week.
4. Creami Showdown.
Do you have a Ninja Creami? We love ours. We mostly use it for protein ice cream, both David and I are always impressed at how much it doesn’t taste like protein powder. We’ve been rotating between Mint Chocolate Cookie and Chocolate Brownie Batter from Clean Simple Eats for months, but I grabbed their Variety Pack, and now we’re having a self-proclaimed Creami Showdown—testing a new flavor each night and picking a winner. Winner so far is White Chocolate Peppermint. I’ll report back with the champion.
5. @meetmeinthemediacenter on TikTok.
Have you seen her? Why do I love her so much? She is a middle school librarian who plays “The Book Return Game” where she literally just scans in returned library books and I can’t stop watching. She is so adorable, animated, soothing, and I watch every single thing she posts.
6. Fargo, Season 2.
We are eons late to this party, but we finally started Fargo season 2 on Hulu (we’ve jumped around and watched a few other seasons—it’s one of those shows you can totally watch out of order) and I’m so into it. Ted Danson is in this season, and is there anyone better? It is a DARK show, but I’m stressfully enjoying it.
7. Strawberry Topped Brownies.
I made these brownies for Valentine’s Day with a boxed mix and DANG. So good. So easy. And they have fruit so, like, they’re healthy. Obviously.
8. Divi Air Dry Cream.
You know I’m a Divi fan girl, and their new Air Dry Cream is so good. I’m a night showerer and this stuff still works magic. My hair is that very annoying in-between-straight-and-curly texture, so it kind of just flops around. I can’t say this stuff adds curl definition that isn’t there to begin with, but it just smoothes everything out and makes it public-passable without heat.
9. Audiobooks on Spotify.
I’ve always been a podcast person, but audiobooks? I’ve struggled. My brain just doesn’t absorb fiction the same way when I listen to it. But Spotify has started adding some really great non-fiction options free with a Premium account (I just listened to The House Of My Mother) and it’s been really fun. They seem to have newer releases that I’d wait forever for on the Libby app.
10. The Simplified Winter Collection.
SHAMELESS WORK PLUG. Okay, but truly—my job is one of my greatest joys. I love the women I work with to absolute pieces, I love the products we create, I love the community that supports us. Getting to work so hard to bring something to life with your best friends and then share it with the world? The best. This year’s Winter Collection is SO GOOD.
❤️ Happy almost March! Thanks for being here, friends.
What made you happy this month?
Catch-up on popular posts you missed this month:
Thanks for being here, friend 🫶 And yay for doing good things! A percentage of all proceeds from paid subscriptions will be donated to the ACLU this month.
I love fake spring! Live in Ohio and have enjoyed getting outside this week!!!
This is such a fun post to read! I hope it’s been a great month for you!