February was quite a social month for us! We had a few families over for the Super Bowl, two date nights, and a Blonde Squad meet up. Here is what else we have been up to this month.
Books I’ve Read
- At First Light by Barbara Nickless- Dr. Evan Wilding is called in to consult on a murder case with mysterious runes. The murder looks ritualistic. Evan works with Chicago detective Addie to try and solve the case. This was really interesting and I love the fast paced manner. It makes me want to read another in this series. 4/5
- My One Month Marriage by Shari Low- One month into her marriage Zoe discovers one of her 3 sisters may have been the reason her husband betrayed her. This was a good book about 4 very different sisters mending their relationships and trauma of their past. 3/5
- Objects of My Affection by Jill Smolinksi- Lucy Bloom has given up everything in her life in order to raise the funds to send her 19 year old son to rehab. Now she has taken a position clearing the clutter from a famous artist’s home. Lucy has some trouble with objectivity, but still manages to be fairly likable. It’s a fun book. 3/5
- This Time Next Year by Sophie Cousens- Minnie Cooper is convinced she was born with the worst luck. She is sure Quinn Hamilton, the man born right before her on New Year’s Day leads a charmed life. When she truly meets Quinn, they end up forming a friendship and maybe more. I adored this lighthearted book! It was really cute. 3.5/5
Products I’ve Tried
- Smitten Nails– You know I love my nail wraps! I’ve tried gel nails before from a nail salon. My nails would feel so weak after I got them off. I was excited to try these gel nail wraps that you cure with a light. They are absolutely beautiful and cost efficient, too.
- For between $12-18 a set, you can get about 3 manicures.
- There are many unique and beautiful designs, too. I tried two different sets. The solid color and the one with designs/glitter both went on very easily. I cured them for 3 minutes each. The photos you see are after a week of wear.
- These gel nail wraps are by far the best at-home nail strips I’ve ever tried. I had absolutely no chips. The only wear I could tell were VERY faint scratches on the nails. One or two of my fingers had a slight lifting on the corner of the clear top coat by the end of the week. This may have been due to curing them too long. I might try 2 minutes next time.
- For each set, I tried removing them different ways. The first time I tried their nail polish remover with an orange stick. I did see some damage. The next time I tried soaking my nails in warm water for 10 minutes then an orange stick. That worked much better and there was no damage that time.
- Overall, I was impressed with the durability and strength. The nail wraps are nice and thick! They are easy to apply as well and only took a few extra minutes with the nail lamp. I will be trying these again!
- Dr. Nassif Radiance Resurfacing Peel– Honestly I wish I had time for a facial. But at least I can give myself a mini one at home with this set. It has Vitamin C crystals, peptides, and AHA/BHA complex. My skin feels so nourished and velvety soft afterwards. My pores are minimized and my skin is radiant and glowing. The two step system is what really works here. First you exfoliate, then add the radiance activating gel which warms and foams on your skin.
- Boujee Beauty Hair Tools- In case you missed my stories and instagram post on these products, I wanted to share it here, too. These hair tools are wonderful. They are very high quality and the straightener especially, has fast become a favorite. It trumps my old straightener with no contest. My hair is much softer, shinier, and healthier looking. If you get one thing from this post, I’d recommend it to be the straightener.
- Laser hair removal- I am trying out laser hair removal on my underarms at Semper Laser. I have my next appointment next month and I am really excited to not need to shave at the end of it all!
Recipes I’ve Made
- French Bread– I forgot to get french bread for some Italian beef we made so I made some from scratch. It was delicious!
- Sourdough Bread– I was so excited to get a starter from someone. Claire has been going through sourdough bread like crazy so I wanted to try and make some myself.
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Peanut Butter Pie-This is so delicious and in spite of all the layers, it didn’t take too long to make.
Currently
- Collecting- I was really excited to get a sourdough starter to try this month so I have been collecting recipes. I’ve been trying out bread so far, but look forward to other recipes like waffles, pancakes, and more!
- Craving- This time of year is always a big let down for me. The holidays are over, everything is cold, grey, and wet and spring seem so far off. I’m craving some good ole vitamin D and sunshine!
- Picturing- Maybe this is a bit of a stretch, but I am picturing the 2 date nights Matt and I were able to go on last month. We went to Bachelor the Musical and visited a local distillery. Both nights were a lot of fun and I hope we can go on another date soon.
- Playing- Recently I have gotten into a few different series and miniseries. I’ve been playing Ozark, Inventing Anna, and Ted Lasso. They are all so good!
- Wishing- Right now I’m wishing for a bit more time. Things build up and it’s hard to tackle some of the extra projects I’d like because the day-to-day of work, meals, schoolwork, activities, etc. take up a lot of my time.
- Family Update
-
- Matt- Poor Matt and his family have had a rough month. His grandmother passed away in the early morning hours of Valentine’s Day. She was a very sweet, loving woman who adored her family and was so proud of her Irish heritage. Claire’s middle name was after her. Combined with lots of travel and people changing positions at work, it’s been fairly stressful.
-
- Me- I was so excited to be able to meet up with the Blonde Squad and see Kathrine’s recital. I can’t express how talented she is! The pieces and poetry she picked worked so well together and it was amazing to sit and be immersed in the music.
- Claire- After selling over 300 Girl Scout cookies, Claire has been working hard to deliver them. I’m not sure which is harder; selling or delivering. Claire was very excited to negotiate a later bedtime this month. Jury is out though as we are still working out the kinks and routine of it.
-
- Aveline- The hunt begins for a new preschool for Avie next year. I really would prefer to stay at the preschool at our church, but they increased tuition by $350 a month. Yikes! And it’s only 5 hours a day. I am hoping to find a place nearly with better rates. I understand rate increases, but we already had an increase in January. Fingers crossed we find a good one!
February Goals Recap
- Make and decorate Valentine’s Day cookies with my daughters- We made Lofthouse cookie bars instead. Twice!
- Shampoo carpet on stairwells- Done.
- Schedule belated birthday party for Claire– Waiting on my call and emails to be returned.
- Sand & paint hooks for running medals- I’m hoping to get to it this weekend.
March Goals
- Organize bedside table- I would love to make this messy drawer look more organized and less of a catch-all.
- Hem jeans– I have a pair of flare jeans that I really like the fit of, but I need to hem them myself or get them hemmed.
- Shampoo carpet in bedroom– Slowly I’m going to get the entire house done!
- Lift weights twice a week– Since adding more hours to my job after winter break, I’ve been struggling to fit in weight lifting consistently. I really want to be better with it.
- Go shopping, by myself– I’d love to enjoy just a few hours alone.
LINKING UP WITH ANNE & WHAT’S UP WEDNESDAY
