10 Habits I've Started to Reduce Anxiety

I've struggled with anxiety since I was quite young. 

When I was 2, I was well known for twirling my hair. This habit didn't go away when my pediatrician said it would; in fact, it got worse. If you know me today, you know that I still twirled my hair near constantly. Not as obviously as I did when I was 2, but still noticeably. I like braiding my hair or rubbing it between my fingers, or twisting it around my finger over and over again. 

I never associated my hair twirling with anxiety, but I've learned, as I've gotten older, that I use it as a way to comfort myself when I feel anxious. 

The last few years of my life have been defined by anxiety--to the point where my anxiety started to have effects on my health. 

Lots of people have lots of different ways of dealing with their anxiety--and what works for some people definitely doesn't work for other people. For me, my anxiety often calms down when I'm able to spend a whole day cleaning my house and getting bits of my life in order (something I've been desperately wanting to do for ages now). For others, they feel better when they get a chance to relax or treat themselves in a way they normally do. It just depends!

When I sat down to write this post, I thought of every different way I could indicate that these are just the things that work for me and I'm sharing them only in the hope that perhaps they can help you deal with your anxiety. I'm not a doctor and I'm not being prescriptive with this list. If you're really struggling with your anxiety, the best place to turn is a doctor--not the internet, unfortunately. (It's also important to remember that acts of self-care aren't just bubblebaths and eating your favorite foods, but also include self forgiveness, acts of self-kindness, and much more--and ultimately, self-care can't replace other forms of treatment for anxiety and depression! Get the help you need!) 

So, if you want to learn a few ways I've been helping my anxiety lately, keep reading!

1. Bullet Journaling

I've written about bullet journaling before and I know that for those with anxiety, bullet journals (especially as they appear on the internet) can feel really demanding and, honestly, a little anxiety-inducing. But once I gave bujo a chance (and let myself do it my way, instead of feeling like I had to have The Perfect Journal) it was really fun! I spend every evening working on my bullet journal, writing about my day, and filling out any pages that need filled. 

2. Exercising

I know this feels a little bit lame, but it's been a year since I started working out again and honestly, it's one of the best choices I ever made. For me, exercise walks a fine line between "reduces anxiety" and "causes anxiety". I have to be really mindful of how exercise is making me feel and if it starts to feel bad, I take a break. But overwhelmingly, getting myself in a routine feels really good; I love having my exercise time three days a week where I get out of the house. 

3. Creating a cleaning routine

The way my surroundings look is really important for me. I have to be in a clean, organized house. This has been a sore spot for me for a while because my husband is the exact opposite. I genuinely think he could live inside an active, operating barn and be totally fine, probably not notice a thing wrong. I've started doing what I call my "5 tasks" in the evening before bed and it makes a huge difference: emptying the dish strainer, loading the dishwasher, wiping the counters, cleaning the coffee pot, and sweeping the kitchen floor have made a huge difference in my anxiety level each morning. 

4. Reading

I've always been a reader and I read quite a lot, but for the past probably 6 months, I just haven't made time for it. But taking 10-20 minutes every day to read, instead of look at a screen, has really helped me not get my usual afternoon tension headaches. 

5. Washing my face

As much as I love skincare, sometimes I'm the worst at washing my face. But I have found that washing my face and doing the skincare routine that I really, really love helps relax me in the evenings and lets me unwind much easier. Who knew!? 

6. Listening to podcasts in the bathtub

I love podcasts (I've written at least three blog posts about it!) and I love taking baths. I used to primarily read in the bathtub, but I found that actually didn't help me relax as much as I wanted it to. I've started turning on my podcasts as I soak though and it's exactly what I need: something to occupy my brain, but not too much. 

7. Going to bed early

I have this weird thing about "using the time I have before bed", whatever that means. After Forrest goes to sleep, I feel like I have to accomplish everything: clean the house, food prep, whatever. So I usually don't get into bed until 10pm, then I'm up at 5--and frankly, that's just not enough sleep sometimes! And some nights, I just don't feel like tackling my rapidly expanding to do list and... you know what? Sometimes I don't have to. The email can wait until the morning. The blog post can get written some other time. Crawling into bed at 7pm simply because I feel like it is the best treat I can give myself. 

8. Eating breakfast

I've always really struggled with breakfast, as I'm usually not hungry right when I wake up and then I don't have time once I leave for work. But skipping breakfast also gives me a lot of anxiety: I worry about getting hungry later in the day, not having anything to eat, having to find something and spend money... you know, anxiety thoughts. I've been packing simple breakfasts for myself lately--cheese and crackers, yogurt and granola, smoothies, that kind of thing--and it's made a huge difference in allowing me to focus on my work and not feel anxious about getting hungry. 

9. Reducing how much coffee I drink

I love coffee. When Forrest was a newborn, I drank probably 3-4 cups a day, which is substantial for me, someone who never liked coffee before. I've gotten it down to less than 3 in recent months, but even that is quite a lot. Especially since I have pre-existing anxiety issues! I've started limiting myself to one cup in the morning and one cup in the afternoon. Hopefully soon I can cut out that afternoon cup! 

10. Quitting if I need to

I pride myself on not being a quitter. I try not to give up on tasks I set for myself, especially if they impact other people. But lately I've realized that sometimes my insistence on "finishing things" ends up biting me in the butt, for two reasons: firstly, I tend to not do that great of a job if I end up forcing it; and secondly, it just gives me horrible anxiety. Allowing myself to quit something, or at least set it aside for a few weeks and return to it when I feel motivated and able to complete it, has been really freeing. 

3 Affordable Accessories to Improve Your Blog Photos

One of the most difficult parts of blogging, for me, has always been the photography. I really enjoy photography, but it's not something I'm inherently good at--and I've never really been patient enough to really settle down and learn much beyond just getting it done. 

I don't think blog photos need to all look the same. Trust me on that one: you can be successful with photos taken on your iPhone. As I've written before, I have a tried-and-true process for iPhone photos. (You can also read my post on improving flat lay photos here.) 

Another thing I've always been unwilling to do is pour a ton of money into taking blog photos. If I already bought the product I'm taking a photo of, then why on earth would I spend more money to take a photo with it? I've never bought a better lens for my camera (despite really, really wanting one) because I just don't foresee it paying off in the long run; for the same reason, I just don't believe in buying a ton of materials to make my blog photos pop. 

Here's what I have bought to help improve my blog photos. 

1. Printed poster board ($1.99 at craft stores or $20+ for a pack) 

The biggest change to my photography game has been buying a printed poster board. I got mine for $2 from Michael's; it's a rustic, white, barn wood background. It has really made my photos look a lot prettier and more cohesive! Plus, it's easier for me to organize items on a smaller space. These are just like the one I have, but for a pack of 12! However, if you check your local craft stores, there are tons of designs, depending on what you want for your photos. There is a really pretty pink floral one at my local Michael's that I'm definitely considering. 

2. Create a "stage" (<$30) 

Many times, photos are staged on a platform. Many people use their desk that they clean up for this. However, I realized I needed a bit more space and freedom (and also my desk is a constant mess of bills and notebooks). I tore down a diaper box to be the bottom, plus 2 sides; I just recently bought some cheap sheets of tile, like you put on a backsplash, and have been working on a way to fix them onto the box. Then, I'll paste a plain white foam board to the bottom and voila! I've made my own little stage that can mimic a bathroom sink, or a kitchen counter, or anything really. This is still a work in process,  but so far, it's only cost me $20 for the three sheets of stick on tile and foam board. 

3. Camera Tripod (<$20) 

My greatest issue taking photos with my DLSR (which I've started to do more, even though I love the ease of just using my iPhone) is that I have quite shaky hands. If I'm taking photos in low light, then I've adjusted the settings on my camera enough that even the slightest shakiness will end up with blurry photos. I've just put in an order for a new tripod; I picked this one, which comes with a remote. However, you can find tripods for as cheap as $10-15, depending on where you look. As long as it attaches to your camera, or has a way of holding your cell phone, it doesn't need to be expensive! 

Is Instagram Even Worth It?

If you follow me on Twitter, you know I've been doing a thread of observations I've made since switching from a personal account to a business account. Most of the thread is based on numbers, a disparity between follower counts, and more technical bits. I'm planning to write a full blog post about that next month (I need one more month of data to really inform my conclusion on it), but I wanted to ask, and perhaps answer, a question about Instagram today: 

Is doing all this work even worth it? 

I know some have wonderful success on Instagram. And that's great for them! But the vast majority of bloggers and small business owners, from what I can tell, struggle to make Instagram work for them. 

It's hard to exactly know how to fix the platform. What causes some people to grow so quickly and others, who are doing the exact same things and sometimes posting more meaningful content, to grow so slowly or not at all? Is it just purely luck? 

A huge issue seems to be, of course, the move from chronological order to an algorithm based on your personal likes and whose story you've watched. While in theory that sounds great, in reality what happens is that you end up seeing photos from 5-6 days before on your feed... instead of the stuff that people just posted! That means that when I post a photo, most likely no one who actually follows me is going to see it for at least 24 hours to 2 days; posting anything topical becomes really difficult, to say the least. 

There are other issues within the blogger community that make growing difficult. Following and unfollowing is a big issue and can feel like such a downer. That's not the only thing, there are absolutely more, but it can all feel like a huge weight when you're just trying to do the best you can and see results. 

It's no wonder, truly, that people go to the extreme lengths of buying followers. It absolutely won't help your brand at all, but it will make you feel a bit better about struggling to grow!

In the past 2 years, I've doubled my followers. From 300 to 600. For some people, that's pretty significant; but in that time, others have started Instagram accounts and climbed to thousands of followers. I definitely do want that kind of success or those numbers (being famous scares me!), but I do wonder just what exactly I'm doing wrong. I've improved my photos. I've upped my hashtag game. I've done everything I can aside from turn into one of those emotionless Instagram accounts that's all about aesthetic. (No offense to Instagram accounts with themes.) 

So, knowing that I'm not really alone in feeling this way, I have to wonder: is Instagram even worth putting this much thought and effort into? It's still listed as many people's favorite social media, but when it comes down to numbers, I don't see evidence for it contributing to blog traffic--just potential for sponsorships! That's where it gets difficult, isn't it? 

I might decide to let Instagram go and not try--but in the end, that hurts my ability to work with brands. It's brands that want a large Instagram following, really, and it's something that a lot of bloggers just can't provide. What happens to us? What happens to the people who have a large Twitter following, good traffic, and a bumpin' Pinterest profile... but not a great Instagram presence? Do we get left behind because where we thrive isn't where brands want us to thrive? 

It's a lot to think about! So I'm turning it over to you: what do you think? Is Instagram worth the hassle? Am I overthinking this? 

Product Review: Uniquely J Voxbox*

This is going to be a rather quick review. To start, I received three products in this Voxbox from Influenster and, not to give it away, they all fell a bit flat. It's hard to get excited about crackers and freezer bags, but I did my best!

Disclaimer: as always, the asterisk (*) in the title of this blog post denotes that I received these products free in exchange from review. However, my choice to feature them here is my own and all opinions are my own. You can read more about my disclosure policy here. 

What is Uniquely J? 

Uniquely J is the generic brand of Jet.com, a website that I know most for having somewhat bizarre commercials. Jet.com is a lot like Amazon, selling household goods on subscription services for cheaper prices. So basically, you sign up and get toilet paper autoshipped to your house every 6 weeks--so it's technically cheaper than buying it from the store. 

Uniquely J is their brand of just about everything: coffee, paper supplies, cooking supplies, cleaning supplies, snacks... They've got a bit of everything. You can check it out here. 

What I Received

In this voxbox, I received: Fig and Olive Large Crisps; Almond Chocolate Biscotti; and Freezer Bags. 

Uh, yeah. Freezer bags. 

First things first, let's discuss what I liked: the packaging of these products is cute. I mean, it's really cute. The boxes are cute. Everything is cute. But then, you open them. 

Ok, it's not quite that dramatic. 

But I was pretty disappointed by the snacks because, well, they have the makings of everything I love. I love biscotti! I love crackers! I love those things! Yet, I wouldn't eat either of these things by choice. 

Let's break it down.

I'll start with the Fig and Olive Crisps. They're insanely sweet. Not sweet and salty. Not savory with some sweetness. They are sweet in the way that British people often describe American bread. (Yes, you're not alone, Brits. I, a born and bred American, also hate how sweet our bread is.) They are blisteringly, mouth-puckeringly sweet. I have no idea what you would eat these with, honestly. A dip might help reducing how teeth-numbingly sweet they are, but I honestly can't imagine what I would dip them in. Cheese? Gravy? The possibilities are all quite disgusting. On the plus side: Forrest likes them, but occasionally I catch him eating crayons. He is two years old, after all; his tastes aren't exactly discerning. 

Next, let's talk those Almond Chocolate Biscotti. Almond! Chocolate! Biscotti! Can you imagine? It sounds delicious, right? While the Fig and Olive Crisps are much too sweet for being a savory cracker, these biscotti are not sweet enough, despite being essentially a cookie. What is going on?! They are vaguely chocolatey, with bits of almond in them... but I wouldn't call them a biscotti. It was like two different kinds of blandness getting married to form another type of bland in the form of a cookie. They are aggressively bland in a way that is almost unsettling. And worse, they aren't even whole. This isn't a sleeve of little biscottis; it's a bag of essentially biscotti pieces. It's so bizarre! How can something that should be so easy to make taste amazing taste like I'm eating a piece of cardboard that's vaguely chocolatey? 

Needless to say... the two snack choices didn't make me very happy!

Then, of course, we have the Freezer Bags. I don't even know what to say about these! How do you review freezer bags? They zip. They have cute little designs on them, which isn't exactly my thing, but it's a nice touch. They seem to freeze well. They are quite thick and you get a lot in the package. It's hard to like or dislike freezer bags! 

It's funny because this voxbox had the other option of receiving cleaning supplies... I would much rather have gotten cleaning supplies, because I love a good window cleaner or wipe for my counter! These snacks have officially been put into the "treats for Forrest" bin and we've moved on from trying to make them work. But hey, the Uniquely J coffee does look really good and the prices certainly aren't bad. 

I Tried Hungry Root So You Don't Have To

If you like this blog post, you’ll love my road trip guide just for parents, featuring Hungryroot snacks & foods. You can read that here.

As well, you can now use my promo code PAUSES40 to 40% off your first order PLUS a free gift for life! Just sign up at Hungryroot.com and use my code below to receive your discount.

A few weeks ago, one of my favorite podcasters, Jackie J, posted on her Instagram story about Hungry Root, a grocery delivery service. As Jackie would say on Natch Beaut, color me intrigued, baby!

Of course, because I looked at it online, I started to get ads for Hungry Root: in my Instagram feed, on Facebook, everywhere. One night, I clicked on an ad to see the price: the introductory offer was about $50 for a box.

Honestly, still pretty steep considering that's my budget for a week's worth of groceries for 3 people. However, I talked to Danny about it and we agreed it would be nice to try to get an idea of vegan recipes to replicate. The next time I saw an ad, I clicked on it again--and guess what? The introductory price had been cut to $30. Ok, for $30, I'll try anything especially if it's food. 

I ordered, I set a delivery date, and I waited. 

What is Hungry Root? 

Hungry Root is a vegan delivery service that promises each meal to be under 500 calories. It's ideal for people who need fast recipes that feature plant-based proteins. You can learn more about Hungry Root here. 

(I'm still debating whether or not to write Hungry Root with a space or as one word. On their packaging, it's two words. On their website, one. I'm torn, clearly!) 

The Delivery

So, shipping was relatively fast, although my box got delayed on the way to me. It was supposed to show up Tuesday, February 13 or Wednesday, February 14. It showed up on the afternoon of Thursday, February 15. I had started to get worried because it's a box of food. 

As I posted on Twitter at the time, the delivery driver also didn't take my box of food up my driveway. I live in the country and my driveway is quite long, but it's not a difficult driveway to get up at all. In fact, my husband manages it in his small car pretty easily. We get delivery trucks all the time, as well as our garbage service. The delivery driver chucked my box of actual food into the ditch beside my driveway. I kid you not: I had to try and wrangle Forrest while digging this out of the ditch, wondering if this $30 box of vegetables would be ok or not. (It was fine, in the end.) 

This wasn't Hungry Root's fault, just a 3rd-party delivery driver who was apparently feeling a bit lazy that day! 

The box was pretty large and heavy because it was packed with biodegradable insulation (nice) and Arctic Ice packs. I'm still not sure what to do with these items; can I recycle them? Toss them? What's the process? I do wish the Hungry Root instructions had something about recycling the box or turning it in for credit. 

What I Got

Here is everything I received for this first order: 

• Cucumber Corn Black Bean Salad

• Roasted Corn Edamame Salad

• Black Bean Brownie Batter

• Fluffy Maple Chickpea Batter

• Chickpea Alfredo Sauce

• Thai Peanut Sauce

• Carrot Chips

• Cauliflower Rice

• Shaved Brussels

• Superblend Salad

• Sweet Potato Mac

• Avocado Crema

• Braised Lemongrass Tofu Nuggets

• Peanut Butter Coconut Cookies

• Roasted Red Pepper Quinoa Bowl

All those items promised to make the following dishes, based on the Hungry Root recipe book they include: 

• Fluffy Maple Chickpea Pancakes (breakfast)

• Avocado Bean Southwestern Salad (lunch)

• Simply Seasoned Carrot Chips (side)

• Red Pepper Sauteed Sprouts (side)

• Crispy Greens Sweet Potato Hash (main)

• Carrot Edamame Peanut Stirfry (main)

• Heart Corn Edamame Stew (main)

• Pad Thai Fried Rice (main)

• Peanut Butter Coconut Cookies (dessert)

• Black Bean Brownies (dessert)

The plan we signed up for (The Good Life) says they include enough for 5 meals, plus 5 sides, snacks, or sweets. My recipes don't necessarily narrow down to those parameters, so it's difficult to tell. However, it is nice to get a few sweets included because it makes it a bit more fun. 

What I Liked

I'm a relatively picky eater and, to be absolutely honest, I'm always very hesitant about vegan food. I typically don't like the way most vegan dishes skew (basically, really heavily sauced things). So I was excited that these dishes were a little more "basic" and gave me some ideas of what I can make at home that isn't standard vegan fare. 

My favorite dish was probably the Avocado Bean Southwestern Salad; that's something I would definitely make myself. Each recipe is for 2 servings--and the servings were huge. I'll talk about this a bit more in the next section, but one issue I did have was that the flavor, especially of the dressing, was just a bit... basic. But it was still quite tasty and I really enjoyed it. 

My other favorite item was the Black Bean Brownie Batter. You can bake it or eat it plain. Danny and I ate it plain throughout the week, just taking bites whenever we wanted it. It was so good! This is something I wish I could purchase ala carte; I just want a tub of it at all times. 

I liked the convenience of all the dishes and how easy they were to make. This is definitely designed for people who perhaps don't really know how to cook or don't have time. I found it a bit frustrating that in the end, it was just opening a bunch of separate containers. There isn't really any "cooking" involved! 

What I Didn't Like

As I mentioned, there just wasn't as much cooking involved as I expected! It's mostly just quickly sauteeing stuff, adding water, and letting cook for maybe 3-7 minutes, then mixing with a container of salad. It's nice because it's so quick, but I really enjoy cooking and so I got quite frustrated having to wait until 10 minutes before dinner to start! 

Danny quite enjoyed almost every single recipe, but he's a trooper and will eat just about anything. His favorite was the Crispy Greens Sweet Potato Hash, but I added a fried egg to give it some protein. That's the issues with some of these recipes. They all promise to be under 500 calories per serving and they definitely are... but some of them a lack a protein element, even though they include a lot of bean salads and the like. 

As I mentioned, I want to talk about flavors. The overwhelming flavor of most of the prepackaged salads is vinegar. There is a lot of vinegar. I love a vinegar-based salad dressing as much as the next person, but it's quite a lot. In general, there isn't a lot of flavor to anything. The Thai Peanut sauce used in the Pad Thai Fried (Cauliflower) Rice is very heavily just peanut butter and very spicy--there is no dimension to it. It's not bad, but it's not something I would want to eat nonstop. It would be nice to see a variety of flavors or perhaps spice packets that can be added to these items to make them have a bit more dimension. 

Another thing: the individual items are labelled really oddly. Like a package of sweet potatoes is labeled "Sweet Potato Mac." But it's just raw sweet potato! It's not a package of sweet potato mac and cheese; you add the sauce separately. 

Is it Worth the Money? 

I paid $30 for this--effectively half the price of the box usually. Was it worth the $30? Honestly, I'd say no. I ate two things that I really, really loved; the rest was a bit meh, I could dress it up... but at that point, I'm just making my own recipes and cooking for myself! 

What made it worth it? It gave me some ideas of recipes to make and things to try in the future to incorporate more vegan food into our diets as a family. I would never purchase it again, but I enjoyed it. And honestly, finding out how good black bean brownie batter is definitely gives me something to think about. Anyone have a good recipe for that? 

What Changed?

You might notice I have a promo code with Hungryroot now. A lot has changed at Hungryroot and I’m so happy to be working with them. My first review was critical of the meal subscription idea—I felt that the box felt more piecemeal than, say, a Blue Apron box and I ended up doing a lot more experimenting. As it turned out, Hungry Root was kind of on the same page. As of January 2019, they have rebranded—not only is their new logo and website gorgeous, but they’ve transitioned to being less of a meal delivery service and more of a grocery service.

Here’s why I love that: I can’t get grocery delivery services in my area and I’m not alone there! What Hungryroot offers is the option to pick a bunch of healthy groceries and have them delivered to your door on a subscription. Our weekly grocery budget is about $50-65 these days so a single small Hungry Root box can give us a few breakfast options, some pre-cut veggies, and a few treats, which is just about all we buy anyway! You can visit my new blog post about Hungry Root to learn more about my more recent experience with using their service.

One of the best things about Hungryroot is being able to get your favorite groceries delivered right to your door—that’s more important than ever! I get oat milk, oatmeal, pancake mix, fresh vegetables, and more delivered every week… no more running to Whole Foods on a whim and trying to find what I need.

Have you tried Hungryroot? Are you considering it? I'd love to hear your thoughts! 

Spring Color Series: Canary Yellow

It's officially here: the last in my spring color series. (You can read all the other posts here.)

Putting these together every week has been one of my absolute highlights. These were never meant to be all that serious, but rather fun posts for me to explore colors that are trending and that we can all incorporate into our wardrobes (or decor) relatively easily and affordably. 

I saved my favorite for last: canary yellow. 

When I say canary yellow, however, I don't mean just bright yellow; I mean shades of chartreuse or lemon, mustard or rusty. All shades of yellow apply here, as long as it's beautiful, bright, and sunny. 

Let's jump in and talk about yellow--and what's inspiring me for this color! 

Inspiration

Yellow is one of those colors that is simultaneously always in fashion, but feels difficult to wear. When we talk about "yellow," some people imagine it as a sickly color or a childish color. Baby nurseries are butter yellow or sunny yellow. I once read a poem that described hospitals as smelling yellow. 

Some have mixed feelings about yellow... but I love it. 

A few years ago, mustard yellow everything was the trend. I had a mustard yellow skirt that I ended up shrinking in the washing machine (RIP yellow skirt) and a mustard yellow cardigan that I wore to my first ultrasound appointment. Mustard yellow was everywhere. 

Yellow can be one of those colors that's a little bit of everything; it goes with neutrals, but it can be paired with other bright or primary colors for a little bit of fun. It can be sunny, or preppy, or athletic. It can be whatever you want it to be. I specifically like it in these two color palettes because you can see how well it pairs with other neutrals (with gray for a more modern look, or with brown for something that's a little 1970s reminiscent). 

Top 3 Picks

1. Lemon Wedge Cross-body Bag

The cross-body bag trend isn't going away anytime soon. I know novelty bags are just that--novelties, a little impractical for day-to-day life. But just imagine wearing this lemon wedge bag with jeans and a gray cardigan to brunch. It's big enough to carry your essentials and cute enough to remind us that, despite the fact that it's snowing in places it really shouldn't, spring is coming! 

2. Ikebana for All A-Line Midi Skirt in Saffron Floral

This skirt reminds me so much of the mustard skirt I had... I almost ordered it. Almost. With a bright, pretty floral pattern and a gorgeous, buttery yellow color, this skirt is perfect for wearing to the office. Pair with some flats or kitten heels and a sweater for a perfect early Spring outfit. 

3. Faux Patent Leather Slide Sandals in Yellow

These sandals (yes, sandals, spring is going to get here, I promise) are the perfect addition thing to wear when you want to look trendy, but don't really have the cash. (They're less than $25. Really.) I would pair them with a striped skirt and a cardigan; but they'd also look great with skinny jeans or shorts. And their somewhat muted canary yellow color is great for the season and goes with just about every neutral. 

My February 2018 Wrap Up

As I wrote in my January wrap up, January felt like the longest month ever. Conversely, February feels like the absolute shortest month. How does that happen? February has notoriously been an important and hated month for me, evidenced by this tweet: 

The most important events of my LIFE always happen in February.
1) found out I was pregnant 3 years ago
2) got let go from a job I hated 4 years ago
3) cut off part of my thumb 5 years ago

February: my least favorite month.

— michelle 👩🏻‍💻🎄 (@michellelocke_) February 18, 2018

Thankfully, this February has been relatively quiet. I did get called for jury duty, but thankfully, there are no jury selections scheduled for my day--score! (And before anyone asks, I understand jury duty is my civic duty... however, I've been called 5 times since I turned 18! The first time I was in high school. I've served way more than others!) 

A few really great things happened this February, which makes it stand out in a long line of bummer months. Let's talk about all the good stuff! 

Things I Loved

• I know from many parents that all toddlers eventually develop their first obsession. For some, it was Monsters Inc., or Toy Story. I know Forrest's now. It's the Little Einsteins. It's a Disney Junior show where four very diverse characters (one is a conductor, another a ballerina, etc.) fly in a rocket ship to play music and solve problems. It's not a terrible show, but the rocket ship song will haunt my nightmares. This is motherhood, ordering 5 Little Einsteins DVDs only for your child to only want to watch one of them over and over and over...
• Danny and I took a weekend trip to a family cabin in Sunriver, Oregon. It was so nice to get away for a little while, even if Forrest chose that weekend to throw several massive tantrums! It snowed, both there and at home, so we got a bit of fun weather. 

Things I Learned

• First things first, we have to talk about my newest podcast obsession: This Podcast Will Kill You, a podcast about infectious diseases. It combines history with biology in a way that is so fascinating. The hosts are funny, educated, and insightful. The smallpox episode and the HIV episode stand out as my two favorites, but they're all good. As a warning, it can be quite gruesome--buth the payoff is great. I can't wait for season 2! 
• My other new favorite podcast: Witch Please! Another podcast hosted by two women where they discuss Harry Potter in a way that is purely academic, funny, and purposefully ignores authorial intent (aka the bane of my existene when I talk critically about Harry Potter). I'm still binging, but I really, really love this one. 
• If you haven't read the article from New York Magazine about the worst roommate ever, please click here and read it. Like many, I have a terrible roommate story (I learned my lesson and never had another), but goodness gracious, can you imagine living through that!? I am obsessed! 
• One of my favorite artists is Sizzy Rocket, who just released a 3 song EP called Mulholland. Listen, that's way too few songs because it is so good. Please listen here. 

My Favorite Content

• If you haven't been following my thread of observations I've made, after switching from a Personal Instagram to a Business Instagram, I highly suggest you click here. I'm going to be writing a much longer blog post on this eventually, with some quantified data (well, as good as my non-math brain can) and decisions about whether it's worth it. 
• My February Ipsy Bag review: this is a favorite only because I'm so impressed with my own photography!
• My Spring Color Series: I'm finishing up this week, but I've been having so much fun writing these, finding inspiration, and finding pieces that everyone can use to add some color to their winter wardrobes! 
• My review of Lush's Bella Fruta box: This review was several weeks in the making; I put a lot of work into it (all those baths, "work") and I'm really happy with how it came out. My only regret? That I started using items before I took a better picture! You live and learn! 

I hope you all had a wonderful month. Drop your favorites, loves, and learns in the comments! 

Beauty Review: My February Ipsy Bag

Another month, another Ipsy bag! I'm quite excited about this one. If you remember, last month's bag was a bit of a let down... so this month needed to be big or I was going to be over it. 

Well, Ipsy seems to know when they are starting to make me mad and this bag was truly my favorite in a long time! Don't forget to read my past Ipsy reviews to get an idea of how I review these and determine the value of each item. 

Let's jump into what I received!

1. F.A.R.A.H Angled Contour Brush 30F, $13

F.A.R.A.H actually sells these brushes in a variety of colors, but I received "Your Majesty" (purple). These are vegan brushes, which us always a plus, and quite soft for synthetic bristles. This brush is designed specifically for contour, bronzer, and blush. I am a little bit of a brush fanatic and I already have a preferred brush for my blush and contour. However, I do like this one for blush just a little bit more, although I find that the bristles are almost a little too soft. It's not a huge flaw, however, and it's nice to have a second option when it comes to blending blush! 

2. Ofra Cosmetics Liquid Lipstick in Ipsy Unzipped, $20

This is a dark pink color--not mauve-y, for once! When I first saw I was receiving it, I was a little frustrated because I have a ton of mauve-y pinks. However, this one definitely falls more into the "berry" family--making it ideal since I don't have a ton of light berry shades! I've never used Ofra before so I was really excited to try this liquid lip. I found the formula quite soft and comfortable, and very matte without being dry. However, I did find that it transferred and faded a lot, very quickly. Not a huge downside because it's such a pretty color and so comfortable, but something to be aware of! 

3. Estate Cosmetics Dew Me Baked Highlighter in Afterglow, $10

Estate Cosmetics is a brand known for making highlighters in unique, pretty shades. This one, Afterglow, is a iridescent lavender color; it's very pigmented, without being like a blush, and gives a nice highlight. Just be sure to go easy; when I first applied it, I realized I went a little too hard and looked a little like an Easter egg until I did some blending! The formula is very smooth and easy to use and the packaging is so cute. Millennial pink, baby! 

4. Biobelle Perfecting Primer Facial Mask, $9.98

I love getting face masks in my Ipsy bags! Seriously, if I get a mask, it's a good bag. These ones from Biobelle feature masks made of botanic fibers, which means they biodegrade (really cool!) These masks promise to boost texture, minimize pores, and even skin tone, making them ideal for wearing before you put on your make up. They contain tea tree oil, rosehips extract, vitamin C, and niacinamide, ingredients that are known to be good for the skin. However, I don't know about you, but I rarely have time to wear a mask for 10-15 minutes before I put on my make up! Not with a toddler, that's for sure. I wore these at night and definitely felt like my skin felt amazing afterwards. At $4.99 a piece, for valuation, I just doubled it--since I received 2! That means, this weekend, I'll be able to test this out before I put on my makeup. 

5. IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye in Light, $24

I literally just bought Shape Tape, so at first I was a little disappointed to receive a concealer in my bag. However, this concealer really blew me away. In terms of coverage, it covers everything. Seriously, everything. It is extremely thick and sticky, making it ideal for not just undereyes, but blemishes and more. And even though it's $24 for a tube that is barely bigger than a lipstick, a little goes a long way. I used a half-pea-sized amount on my entire face basically! I will say: the shade range is extremely disappointing with only 6 shades and only 2 of those shades being appropriate for people of color. I do my best to amplify brands that are diverse in terms of their offerings; it sucks that IT Cosmetics makes such an amazing product that most of the population simply can't use. 

Final Thoughts

Overall, this bag is valued at $76.98. That's pretty good for a bag that I love everything in (despite my disappointment in the late of IT Cosmetics shade range). Considering I did not love my bag last month, this felt like a nice breath of fresh air and I am really happy with everything I received. If you'd like to try out Ipsy, click here to use my referral link.