Monthly Recap | February 2019

READING

I read 8 books in February, nearly half of what I read in January. But January was a really crazy month in terms of reading, so this is much more my speed. My top three books from the month were:

• Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery, which was a reread for me. This series was my grandma’s favorite and it was almost like she was here with me as I read this book. <3
• They Can’t Kill Us All by Wesley Lowery, which was a heartbreaking account of police violence and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement.
• I Let You Go by Claire Mackintosh, which was such an engaging thriller involving a hit-and-run that killed a child. I could not have predicted that first twist for the life of me!

WATCHING

• Mad Men, season 4 – I finally finished season 4 of Mad Men this month! I really don’t know if I’m enjoying this show and yet, I keep watching it. It’s not one that I feel like I *need* to watch to know what happens next. Maybe shows like Scandal and How to Get Away with Murder have ruined me. All the “crazy” things that happen on Mad Men seem like a regular episode of Scandal, ha.
• Grace and Frankie, season 5 – I was so happy to see that the new season of one of my favorite Netflix series dropped! I fiercely adore Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda, and the way their friendship has evolved through each season makes my heart so happy. This season was a delight!

BUYING

• Instant Pot – I bought an Instant Pot in early February when they went on sale, and I haven’t regretted the decision once. I’ve made a couple of meals in it, including one-pot spaghetti that was so damn easy (and delicious!) that I think I may have a new favorite meal.
• HEXBURG Nano Robotic Cat Toy – I bought this toy on Kim’s recommendation, and my cats go crazy for it. The first time I brought it out, they followed it around for 20 minutes. I keep it tucked away and bring it out a few times a week as a special treat for them.
• Girl Scout cookies – Yassssss. Girl Scout cookie season is my favorite. One of my coworkers sells it for his daughter (I realize this is cheating, but please don’t judge me on how I get my GS cookies) and I picked up three boxes of Thin Mints, one box of Savannah Smiles, and one box of Tagalongs, and I am one happy camper.

LISTENING TO

• Boss Ladies on Call Your Girlfriend – I loved this episode where Ann and Amina get real honest about their lives as self-employed boss ladies. They talk about money, how they charge for their work, their career trajectories, etc. I don’t have any desire to be self-employed but I liked hearing about how it works for them.
• Elephants: The Best Animals? on Stuff You Should Know – Oh, my heavens. Elephants have to be some of the sweetest animals alive. I loved this episode from Josh and Chuck, especially the story about two elephants who reunited after decades and went absolutely batshit crazy about seeing each other. Elephants, definitely the best animals.
• No Thanks, We’re Booked – I only recently started listening to this bookish podcast, so I’m currently catching up on their archive. Each episode tackles a different subject through a bookish lens. For example, one of their earliest episodes was about the Enneagram, and they typed different literary characters to explain it. It’s a fun listen and the hosts have such soothing voices. It’s one of those podcasts I can put on and know I’ll be in a better mood when I finish it.

THE HIGHS

• Adopting Lila – No doubt, the biggest part of my year so far has been welcoming a second kitten into my life. Although I have been planning to adopt a second cat, I was surprised how quickly it happened! Lila has now been in my life for a few weeks now, and I can’t imagine it without her. She fits so seamlessly into our little family! There was some jealousy and fighting in the beginning between Eloise and Lila. (The first time I ever heard Eloise hiss was at Lila!) But Eloise now lets me snuggle Lila without getting between us, haha, and I’ve even caught them snuggling together and licking each other’s fur a few times, so I think things will be A-OK. Lila is still a little skittish around me but will also climb right onto my chest and stare at my face until I pet her. It’s the sweetest thing!
• Galentine’s Day – Every year, my friend B. and I meet for a Galentine’s Day celebration of our friendship. This year, we made plans to celebrate on Valentine’s Day and it was everything I could have wanted! Valentine’s Day is always a hard day for me, even though I wish it wasn’t and I wish I could be happy with the other loves I have in my life, but it is. It was nice to spend the evening with B., getting totally and completely spoiled by her. She brought me flowers, chocolate, and a card, even! We ordered pizza, watched episodes of Parks & Rec as well as a comedy special, and snuggled together on the couch. It was the perfect evening.
• A night at the beach bar – My friend, A., and I live super close to a beach bar so we made plans to meet up on a Saturday night to scope it out, order some drinks, and try to flirt with cute guys. (We’re both single and ready to mingle, for sure!) While we didn’t end up leaving with any numbers, we did have fun sipping fruity cocktails, talking about the dating scene, and people-watching.

THE LOWS

• A depressive episode – It was so helpful to have a therapy appointment right as I felt a depressive episode begin because we were able to identify what was causing these feelings (mostly family drama that I wanted to make better but was totally outside my control). We also figured out some things I could put in place to help me make it through this episode, like no longer listening to depressing, heavy podcasts. While the depressive episode didn’t last as long as the one I experienced last year, it was still so damn awful to be in the middle of it and not know how long it would last. I’m happy to report, though, that I’m out of the depression and feeling so much more like myself.
• A fender bender – Ugh, this was so annoying. Thankfully, it was mostly a side swipe that happened in my apartment complex as I was pulling out onto a busy main road. This dude decided I was taking too long to turn so he tried to go around me and as he did, he swiped right across my bumper. Thankfully, the most damage my car sustained was a few scratches. I just hope this dude learned his lesson. Wait your goddamn turn!
• Bug bites – I’m particularly prone to allergic reactions to mosquito bites, especially ones on my feet, so I spent the last week of the month with swollen feet and so much itchiness. I swear, though, is there anything more euphoric than scratching a mosquito bite? I THINK NOT.

ANTICIPATING

• Daylight Saving Time!!! Hold tight, everyone. We only have a few more days left and then we get our BRIGHT EVENINGS back. I look forward to DST every year (and wish we could do away with going off it for the winter) so I have this date circled and marked on all my calendars.
• An author signing – A few friends and I are going to Taylor Jenkins Reid’s signing this month, and I can’t wait! It’s my first author signing! Authors never come to my area, so this is a treat and the fact that it’s one of my favorite authors is even better.
• Paying off my credit card – Hopefully! I think I should be able to make this happen since I’m doing a no-spend month and will get three paychecks over the course of March. Fingers crossed!

Tell me a highlight from February for you!