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It’s only been two weeks since our last personal check-in, but since November when we actually shared things we loved.
Mary’s Loves
Things have been busy in my household. Baseball practices, school/community meetings, Valentine’s Day class parties, and did I mention we’re fostering three puppies??? Please send coffee. I need it.
Now that I’m 40, taking care of myself has been more important than ever. Prioritizing more sleep, decluttering, increasing protein intake, staying hydrated, and boosting my step count have all been key to helping me feel good.
7-Color Light Therapy Facial Massager. I never knew I could love an item as much as I do this one. Since becoming part of my nightly skincare routine, I’ve noticed that my skin looks and feels healthier.
about-face makeup. I’m a big fan of Halsey, so of course I’m going to purchase her products. I really like that her makeup is highly pigmented, water resistant, and smudge-proof. I’m currently digging the Shadowstick in Dream Syndicate, Brow Artist eyebrow pencil, and the Cherry Pick Lip Color Butter lip balm.
New Balance Women’s 680 V8 Running Shoes. Clearing out old and worn-down items from the house also meant saying goodbye to a few athletic sneakers. Did you know you’re supposed to toss out athletic shoes after 500 miles?
How to Dress Your Best: Discover Your Personal Style and Curate a Wardrobe That Actually Works by Ellie-Jean Royden. Since discovering Kibbe body types and color seasons along with every other creator on TikTok, I’ve been playing around with my closet. This book compiles all that information into a comprehensive guide.
Sterling Ink 2025 A5 Daily Planner. This year, I decided to take up daily journaling to organize and process my thoughts more effectively. I love that this planner has dated daily pages, and the ASMR of turning the pages after being written on is just so satisfying.
When it comes to the kids, the girls have been getting into arts and crafts while my son is currently obsessed with Pokémon (but isn’t that every kid these days?). He received the Pokemon TCG Battle Academy Game for Christmas, and I have to say—it’s incredibly fun to play! The board game provides a clear guide on how to “battle”, and a detailed board showing where to place cards and helpful reminders for each turn.
The spark for this Pokémon obsession began with Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. While I haven’t played this game since college, it’s been awesome sharing my nostalgia with the family, despite frequently losing to my 7-year-old.
Patti’s Loves
You know when friends ask how you’re doing, and you just kinda stammer off an “I guess I’m fine…”. Nothing of note is particularly amazing, but you’re getting through the weeks and that’s good enough.
Lately, I’ve been disassociating with Girl Scout Cookie Time. Short measurable goals, low stakes, easy vibes all around. The girls are selling for the first time with their Daisy Troop, and all of the girls have really brought it. A&Z hit their cookie patch goals on Tuesday, #GirlsLeadership. Support your local troop or donate boxes to Smiles4Military.
The girls also went to the Atlanta Girl Scout STEM Expo last month and went to a local Karate dojo for our troop outing this past weekend. They kicked through a wooden board, symbolizing their fears, and got their beginner white belts.
Every month, my book club meets over Zoom. It’s usually just 3-4 of us getting off topic; but now that Zoom gives you AI summaries of your meeting, it actually sounds like we are a real book club. The formality gave me a huge laugh. Our March book (which I selfishly nominated) is We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer. I haven’t gotten out of my horror vibes since October. I also pre-ordered Curtis Sittenfeld’s new book of short stories, Show Don’t Tell. My latest Audible is Hillary Clinton’s latest book, Something Lost, Something Gained. Again, #GirlsLeadership.
I still have my Regal Unlimited and watched Companion last weekend. It gave me all kids of warm fuzzies and I really love Sophie Thatcher in Yellowjackets. I’ve also bingewatched XO, Kitty twice.
Around the house, I started my sourdough starter journey. During the pandemic when everyone else was doing it, the girls were two. Now that they are six, I have a little more time to grow a weird yeast animal on my counter. I used this dry starter from Breadtopia that I picked up over the holidays, and this beginner bread recipe from Feasting at Home.
For Christmas, my in-laws gifted me an annual New York Times Games subscription. It’s been doing the trick as far as getting me in a good morning routine. I have five games that I do every day, and have gotten pretty stellar at the Crossword, if I do say so myself. Trying to keep those dendrites firing.
I think everyone is looking forward to spring. If we’re taking things day by day, a warmer day is at least nicer. My other best friend turns 40 in April, so we have a little weekend getaway abroad planned. Just two more months of slogging and sports practices.
For the blog, we’ll be closing out February with our first Playdate Review and Child(ish) Reads review of 2025. We’ll also be prepping posts for Newborn life for OT Month in April.
~Mary & Patti
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