February 2025
What I Thought About February
February, unlike January, has come and gone in the blink of an eye. In the midwest, it’s one of those months where the weather is a bit of a toss-up. It could be -20 one day, and 50 the next. The fifty degree days, and the after 5pm sunsets give us hope and a glimmer of anticipation for the spring that’s waiting on the other side of the month. This February was no different. As a result, I filled my non-working hours with indoor joys like reading, writing, listening to podcasts, and enjoying my shows!
Charlie is 17 months now, and she’s a lot of fun. She solves simple puzzles, loves to stack blocks, enjoys being in the kitchen with mama, and is always down to sit on my lap and read a book. It’s a rare occasion when she wants to give me a snuggle that lasts longer than 20 minutes, but when she does, it is glorious. She is also one heck of a daddy’s girl.
This month, I filled my personal cup spending long Saturdays with girlfriends on playdates with Charlie and intentional time with Ronnie and Charlie, as a family. Girlfriend time included a girl’s only staycation downtown visiting Tasha and Helena for brunch, followed by Alexa, Adri and Emilia (~16 mos) for lunch, and an overnight stay at The Four Seasons where we went for a dip in the indoor pool and ordered room service before an early bedtime. It also included a long morning at home with Alexis, Ella, Liz and Gemma and a Bagel Lox platter that I can’t believe I forgot to take a picture of!
Family time included a staycation in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin at the Timberridge Lodge (part of the Grand Geneva Resort) where Charlie got to see Skiers and Snowboarders for the first time, and play at an indoor waterpark, and ended at Lifetime Fitness on a pool date with my mom, who Charlie calls Yaya, where Charlie learned to hold her breath while ducking her head under the water — it was adorable!
Next month, I’ll be turning 34. It’s wild to think how quick this trip around the sun has been. So much has changed since I blew out my 33 candles, and there is a whole lot to be grateful for. First and foremost, I’m grateful for my health, and the health of my family and close friends. Ronnie reminds me often “we and the people we love will never be as healthy again as we are today, so be really grateful for these moments” and he is right. Next, for the memories we’ve accumulated over the last year, from trips like Sun Valley (Brad & Claire’s Engagement), Paris (Lauren’s last Olympics), NYC (Brad and Claire’s Engagement Party, and Brad’s Birthday), and Costa Rica (Couples Vaca!), to core memories like Charlie learning how to eat, crawl, walk, talk, and tell me when she’s got “poo-poo in her butt-butt.” And finally, for the blessing of our community, both near and far, who’ve helped us navigate life as working parents and insisted that we don’t just survive it, but we truly enjoy it and savor it. Even, and especially, the not-so pretty moments, like when Charlie threw-up all over the white-linen table cloths at our Valentine’s Day Dinner at the nicest steakhouse we’ve been to in years, forcing us to take our meals in to-go boxes, so we could race back home to change our clothing and shower off. If it’s not a great time, it’s a great story.
Alright, with that lovely picture in your head, let’s get into the good stuff.
What I Read/Watched/Listened To
Audible: Sahil Bloom - Five Types of Wealth — Sahil spent his 20s chasing wealth, only to wake up to the hard realization that he was chasing the wrong thing when a friend suggested that as a result of his dedication to his career, at his current trajectory he’d only see his parents 15 more times before they were dead. This made him step back and reconsider the cost of a single-minded pursuit of wealth and wealth alone. In his step back, he redefined wealth for himself, and shares that new definition in this book. I love the personal stories and all the research he brings into the book. Certainly a worthwhile read for anyone that’s trading time, health, love, or faith for money and money alone.
Podcasts: Khloé Kardashian’s new podcast, Khloé in Wonderland — Outside of reading Sahil’s book, February has been a bit of a ‘personal development content freeze’ for me. I’m hardly listened to my regular podcasts at all, but I have been LOVING Khloé’s new podcast, especially her episodes with her divorce attorney, Laura Wasser, and her party planner, Mindy Weiss... oh, hahhaha, and the one with her besties Nat & Liv, I was dying laughing. Khloé is such a great host, she does a wonderful job of steering the conversation while also making you feel like you’re just part of her world.
TV/Movies: Kardashians, Season 6, on Hulu; White Lotus, Season 3, on HBO; Severance on Apple TV+ — I’m a Kardashian stan, and I’ve been loving the new season so far. Call it hormones, but the most recent episode where North has an opportunity to sing at The Hollywood Bowl had me in tears, I just thought Kim’s perspective on all the hate she anticipated North getting was so spot on “If people want to hate on a child having the time of her life, then f*ck you.” It’s crazy to me that people pick on children, even famous ones — not okay. As for White Lotus Season 3, I’m excited to see where this season goes. As for Severance, a colleague recommended this and Ronnie and I can’t stop bingeing it, it’s very dystopian. If you watch it, let me know what you think.
Blogs/Substack: The Purse by Lindsey Stanberry (Home Economics) — I’ll go first and say that I love knowing how much people make and what they spend on. Every week or so, Lindsey publishes a deep dive into someone’s Home Economics, think “Single Mom living in Atlanta making $85K” or “Austistic Engineer living in San Fran making $350K” it’s really interesting to peek under the hood of someone’s finances and savings!
What I Made
A Bagel Lox Platter that I can’t believe I didn’t take a picture of (lox, mini bagels, dill, cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, balsamic capers, cream cheese)
Focaccia Bread (my take on the recipe coming soon!)
Where I Went
Girls day in the city and staycation for me and Charlie.
NY trip for work.
Mini-weekender with Ronnie to Lake Geneva, WI.
Chicago trip for work.
What I Discovered
Trader Joe’s Parsley & Cumin Chickpeas (thank you, Lori!!! You are a queen for introducing me to these!)
What I’m looking forward to in March
Work travel to CA for Natural Product’s Expo West - for a girl who says her love language is going grocery shopping together, this show is the ultimate joy.
My birthday month! For the actual day of my birthday (March 9) I’m headed to do an Orange Theory Fitness Workout and a Massage, plus I ordered myself a really cute birthday cake!
From My Phone
