What I’m Into: February 2014

General Highlights:

In February, I visited my brother in Indiana; attended a fabulous Galentine party at a friend’s downtown loft; celebrated a few friend and family birthdays (February is awfully birthday-heavy for such a short month!); witnessed a fantastic Tiger win; filed my taxes and already received my refund (woo!); watched a lot of Olympics; took my flute for a sorely needed tune-up; and bought a bluebird house for my yard. We also had a tiny snow that melted within hours.

Read and Reading:

I tore through the entire Divergent trilogy (plus supplemental materials) in under a week. I had decided to wait until the final book came out to start reading, and I’m so glad I did. The story and Tris’s distinctive voice sucked me right in. I understand all the fan objections to Allegiant and have a few of my own, but I don’t regret emotionally investing in these books. They raise a lot of worthwhile questions and food for thought. Actually, I could probably write a compare-and-contrast paper just on Tris and other YA heroines of the last ten years.

TV/Movies:

I’m working my way through a curated list of the most important Buffy The Vampire Slayer episodes in preparation for an upcoming blog series, Lessons From Buffy. Get excited! I kind of forgot how good the show was, and it’s getting tough to accomplish much at home. Especially since my cat Peach likes to watch it with (and on) me. I think she’s appreciating the positive female role model.

Rented and liked: The Spectacular Now (pretty depressing, though). Went to and liked: The Monuments Men, though the bad reviews I’ve seen had valid points. I think there was just too much story there to make a super-tight movie.

Music:

The hip but classically soulful Aloe Blacc is really growing on me. This month I learned that he also sang “I Need A Dollar,” which is (inexplicably) my family’s unofficial party song with some longtime family friends. So yeah, I’m a fan.

Beauty:

♥ In February I took a few steps toward a more organic beauty routine. After seeing a good review on a curly-hair website, I ordered Giovanni Tea Tree Treat shampoo and conditioner from Vitacost. My scalp is loving it! This was my first Vitacost order and I’m already a convert. I loaded up an online cart, then printed it out and took it to Whole Foods for comparison. Everything cost twice as much at Whole Foods. No contest.

♥ One unexpected side effect of wearing an eye mask at night is that my eyelashes are breaking and falling off. I’m a little freaked out about it, so I ordered supplies for this natural lash serum. Hopefully I’ll be ready for a mascara commercial by this time next month.

♥ Instead of buying more Biore Ice Cleanser for my face, I’m trying Yes to Tomatoes. Very few cleansers are a match for my super-oily skin, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised by this one!

Celebrating:

As you already know if you follow me on any other social media, I’m going to be an aunt again in October! :) I’m so excited to have a second niece or nephew to love.

Travel:

As I mentioned, my parents and I visited my brother in Indiana over President’s Day weekend. It was my first experience of a place in deep winter. I kept wanting to pull over and take pictures! We went to Owensboro, Kentucky on Saturday and had lunch at the famous Moonlite Bar-B-Q. It was a meal I’ll remember for a long time!

On The Blog:

This month I talked about being, not doing; why my Phoebe Buffay-level guitar skills make me feel more alive; and my struggle to convince myself that I don’t have to be pretty all the time.

Posts I Loved:

♥ LOL of the month: Lindsay Ferrier, When Pinterest Attacks.

♥ Donald Miller: Why I Don’t Go To Church Very Often. Whether you agree with him or not, he makes several excellent points here.

♥ My hero, Kelle Hampton: The Can’t Also Crisis and Sorting Out Identity Issues At 35 Years Old

♥ Paul Heggie: Come On Over Anyway

♥ Abby Norman: Put Down Your Sword, Sister, Your Seat Is Right Here

♥ Debby Hudson: When We Don’t Want Real

♥ Jimmy Cornfoot: Lessons From The Bike

♥ Proud of this post from one of my best friends: Faculty Devotion: Hope

 

About Brenda

Mom to a preschooler with T1D. Paralegal. Swiftie. Xennial. Grizzlies and Tigers. Pilates and Peloton. Books and fanfic. 901 / 305 View all posts by Brenda →