No. 70: What to Read, Watch, Wear & Eat in February

plus, as always, the January favorites.

If we all had a collective chart for the emotional roller coaster that is the month of January, I have a hunch they’d all look pretty similar. It started off at a peak (end of December illnesses, motivation for a brand new sparkly year, group trip to Broken Bow) then took a little dippy dip (thyroid betraying me, chronic pain flaring in a new way) then skyrocketed again (that sweet spot of partner/lover/friends with O, good schedule groove with the babies) and tanked (bronchitis followed by the babies and O getting sick.)

January always feels like more of a wild ride than other months, you know? I’ve come to understand it’s inevitable because I always start off at mountain-peak level expectations and excitement. By the start of February, I’m back to bunny hill reality. I’ve been humbled and reoriented. But that first week of January, man, I always need that gentle reminder that I’m still an actual human with actual human children and a non-Disney Smart House home and real life responsibilities. I always end up sitting criss-cross-applesauce on the floor looking back on the month with a fresh reminder that I’m just good ol’ Jill walking through a year with a fresh number on the end of it. The Lord is gracious to sit me down just like that every time.

Next week, I have a huge reflection on a revelation I’m left with at the end of this month. It’s taking everything in me not to dive into it right now because I feel so much lighter and more encouraged after putting the thoughts on paper, but that’s not what today is for. Today is for the January favorites and the February guide and you know how seriously I take that. This is a juicy one, so remember to click ‘View More’ if prompted at the end of the email, or read it directly from the gold standard homepage.

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1: mouth tape. 2: goop exfoliator (that’s the itty bitty version to try before investing in the full size). 3: date sauce. 4: good american white jeans. 6: eye patches. 7: pink sweatsuit (the pants are fully in stock, crewneck is almost sold out. another favorite version is fully in stock here. 9: leave-in hair styling treatment. 10: favorite pullover.

My lips were brutally dry in December and I got into a bad habit of using a swipe of Aquaphor as chapstick knowing good and well that the alcohol in it dries lips out even worse than when you first applied. I used my tried and true lip mask at night to help heal my poor mouth and ordered this non-toxic lip balm after thorough research. I’m happy to report, it’s fantastic. I chose the Creamsicle scent and got the Peppermint for O who also raves in solidarity.

“What has changed is the absolute ubiquity of consumer based solutions to the problem that you weren’t born looking like a Kardashian-Jenner—even though, for that matter, neither were they.” This video digs deep into the false accessibility of beauty enhancements and its impact on our finances. I found this to be be absolutely fascinating. (The Terrifyingly High Cost of Instagram Face is a great follow up—skip to the 2:00 mark to begin.)

If you have Valentines Day on your brain for your kids, this shop is my favorite year after year. Yes, they already have Easter decorations on their site which I’m choosing to overlook and forgive.

I shared this mouth tape in the favorites above but I have to dive into it here a little more. O has been taping his mouth most nights for years after recommendations from a doctor but he used a teeny strip athletic tape which always made me nervous for his skin. I got him this tape in his stocking after all my research and he’s just as obsessed as the rest of the wellness community. You can watch a super informative video on how mouth breathing restructures your face here, but there’s far more research on mouth taping to dive into than just the aesthetic aspect so I highly encourage that.

Lastly, this is a bit niche but if you love a game night like my family does, you have to try Wavelength. We played it three game nights in a row and when my team’s guess and my perfect spot aligned, I shouted out loud, “this is the most proud of myself I’ve been in YEARS.” I’m officially hooked.

Okay, on to the February Guide.

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What to Read:

This feels like the time to tell you I’m in a reading slump. Or, rather, I’m just not really reading right now. I find this happens at the start of the year coming off a Holiday season book marathon and the need for fresh open space in my brain. I also consume more podcasts at this time of year which further fuels the reading pause. Another theory I have is that the end stage of building this home is so time, mind and energy consuming that I can’t fathom diving into a story. Can anyone who has built or renovated a house confirmed this? It feels different than other enormous deadlines and life events in the past. Maybe it’s the financial piece too—I’d love your thoughts. All this to say, aside from the Word and listening to Big Magic again on Audible like I do every year, my book recommendations are slim.

What to Watch:

This might be a hard sell, but I love watching Alone in February. I’ve converted just about every member of my family to Alone lovers and I always start with this sentiment: watching Alone (especially cold locations) in my bed with my blanket tucked up under my chin and a steaming cup of bedtime tea just feels like peak gratitude to me. I literally cannot stop being thankful when I watch someone trying for the third day to catch a single fish in a snowsuit while I raid my pantry full of food for a bowl of trail mix. It’s just the perfect February watch.

I recognize that this is the month of love and Valentine’s Day and all that, but I always find my anniversary to be our most reflective and sweet time of the year so aside from a single intentional day to be extra spicy, I don’t find the whole month to need to be shaped by lovey dovey focus. You know your go to romantic genre so this is a Choose Your Own Adventure opportunity. Maybe you lean more How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. Maybe you’re reaching for Casablanca. You might reach for Love Jones or Love & Basketball or any variety of delightful garbage our favorite streaming services have at the ready for us this time of year. What I personally crave in February is—shocker— the warm nostalgia of a favorite 90s show. I don’t crave a cozy rewatch in May or July, you know? I’m too busy swimming and prepping barbecues and what not. But February? Give me all the cozy shows. If you haven’t started or revisited Mad About You yet, this is your moment.

It goes without saying that this is Black History Month and if you’ve never sat down with your kids to watch an age-appropriate documentary or show about the historic and current Black experience in America, I highly recommend whipping out your googling thumbs and choosing something you’ll be able to digest and discuss.

What to Wear:

Listen. I just got done saying Valentines Day is sort of just another day, but I’m also me (I have an e-book on sex after all. The jig is up) and I find pretty underthings super fun. Do I wear them often? Nope. But at the seven month postpartum mark, pretty much zero of my spicy things fit so I’m scooping up a little something. This post is one of the most popular on my blog—mostly for literal everyday underwear and bra essentials and not the fancy stuff. But for anyone who is also looking for something lovely or different, I’ll share my go-to sources. This is probably my all time favorite curated collection of lingerie and sweet pajamas, this curation is always more elegant, simple and tame and finally, this shop is the absolute most indulgent and over the top and expensive of the bunch but if you’re adventurous or super into spending like a Rockefeller…that’s your winner. Just know, if you feel squirmy around the female body, that site isn’t for you.

I can’t condone buying heavily marketed clothing isolated to the one-day-wear pile for myself so because I don’t wear heart-spattered clothing on the regular, I steer clear of purchasing Valentines specific clothing. You know how I feel about my pink sweatsuits and all the red things so that’s the route I’d go, personally. And for the rest of the month:

What to Eat:

What a fun food month! We’re still leaning heavily into comfort foods because, you know, winter. But we get the addition of the Super Bowl Snacks! And Valentines Day lusciousness! And my Birthday! I’ll admit, eating a grain, gluten and dairy free diet isn’t exactly peak-delicious for Super Bowl snacks. Head to Trader Joes and, I don’t know, Tik-Tok for ideal yumminess. If I had it my way, I’d be back in 2001 eating pigs in a blanket (weenie sausage in a crescent roll,) eight handfuls of doritos and a cheese and sour cream lathered walking taco (is this just a midwest thing?) These days, this Vegan Queso Blanco is my favorite thing to make and for whatever reason, extra crispy tater-tots are the dream vessel to shovel it into my mouth. I’ll also be making this 7-layer dip for O and the kids to devour.

If you’re menu planning for Valentines Day, consider grabbing dough from your favorite pizza place, cutting little pepperonis into heart (or heart-ish) shapes and letting your littles make their own pizza. This also works on Naan pizzas for an even quicker meal. Easy, festive enough with the red sauce and memorable. I like to try out a different treat each year, but I’ll be making this Grain-Free Strawberry Snacking Cake again to send to school with them because it’s so simple and light, the world’s best Rice Krispie Treats topped with festive sprinkles to enjoy in the days leading up and my go-to Beet & Berry Smoothie that’s delicious, healthy and (more importantly) neon pink.

Stay tuned for the Sunday Series to keep an eye on my meal plan every week.

That’ll do it for the gold standard letter today, friends. What are you looking forward to this month? Watching? Eating? Reading? Listening to? I always love adding to my list based on your comments so lay it on thick, y’all. I’m doubting if that’s the phrase but it feels right.

Have a beautiful weekend, friends.