February Faves
Praying to the hair gods / I like these now!? 🥒/ Home gym Q&A / FebruWEARy thoughts / Tru Fru, and more!
February Faves
Hey friends! First off, this February Faves is sponsored by Athleta!!! I know you have heard me rave about their athletic gear (it’s almost skort season!!!) but did you know they make a ton of styles that seamlessly transition to work and travel but with the athleisure comfort you love? These trousers would be great for an office job, and both the Venice straight leg and jogger are perfect for everything from a brisk walk with a friend to running errands to volunteering at your child’s school. Lastly, I could not share them as our sponsor without sharing the legging I cannot stop wearing to any sort of pilates/yoga class. Perfect amount of stretch without being too stretchy, tons of colors, many a matching top, such a winner — and on sale!! Our emails remain free thanks to sponsors, so big thanks to Athleta for sponsoring the February Faves!!
February was a short month (PTL), but I wasn’t short on faves! We have a few beauty, some closet, and then lots of random consumption, namely in food form. Let’s dive in.
Lip stain: I used a peel lip stain all through book tour, and sadly, I cannot believe how long I used it before discovering the wipeable version. Jess (my assistant you all know and love) gave it to me for my birthday, and it is absolutely amazing. Stays on for hours, and you can’t eat it off like I am prone to do with lipsticks (just me?😬). I use the color Whimsical.
I know I sound like a broken record this last week, but if you struggle to curl your hair, hot rollers are so much easier! I watched one youtube video from 2016 and caught on quickly. Also if your hair doesn’t hold a curl well — being able to let it cool completely in the roller makes such a difference. That cooling time really locks it in. Lastly the set I share comes with these larger clips that cover the entire roller, which if you struggle like I do, is much easier than the little wire hairpin clips many sets have.
My FebrWEARy Closet Challenge: I have too many clothes and I wear 10% of them. This month I gave myself a challenge to wear more of my clothes. The gist was once I wore something it would go to this large plastic tub I put in the corner of our bedroom, or get hung in the hall closet if it was a hang-up item.
Not gonna lie, the end of the month is sort of a struggle. I’m getting to the bottom parts of my closet — the pieces I’m a little less excited about — but that was exactly the point. I have worn a ton, and I’ve actually gotten rid of quite a few items that were just hanging there that I still didn’t want to wear. All in all, a success!
Anyways, I guess the fave here is giving a challenge a name and a time frame. It is so helpful for me. Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound…as they say.
When I first wrote this I was calling them “drop totes” but then realized the real term is “Bucket Bag” but in a mini size. What I mean by this is a small purse with an open top that I can just sort of drop all my stuff into. I discovered my love for these bags two years ago when Nate and I were in New York City and I chanced upon a small store that carried this tote. I bought it knowing nothing about the brand and fell in love with the ease and size. Recently, Cuyana reached out and generously offered to send me a bag, and I decided to try out another drop tote in a slightly different shape. They have two that are absolutely fitting the bill of what I am talking about and come in the most beautiful colors! I didn't get the circular-shaped one simply because I already have the one made by Nimes but if you are looking for a good drop tote bag, all of these are great options. Note: if you care about having a crossbody option, go Cuyana. Nimes does not have a strap option. Also worth noting: both LL Bean (get the mini) and Lands’ End (get the small - mini is veryyyy mini) have perfect canvas options for summer as a great price!
I have thought my entire life that I didn’t like pickles, and then I had a Grillo’s pickle. This was really a very random Costco purchase I bought for a recipe and knew my family would eat. I actually didn’t expect to even try one, but as I was cutting them I thought what the heck.
I know this sounds dramatic but WOW. It is such a good pickle!! Even typing this, I might actually be craving one — which feels wild to say.
All this to say I now like pickles but I am a pickle snob. If you have never tried them, check out Grillo’s.
Tru Fru is trulyyyy fantastic. I am not one to ever choose a chocolate and fruit combo but I am loving these! The raspberries have dark chocolate on the outside and white chocolate on the inside, and the strawberries have a layer of white chocolate then milk chocolate. I got a large bag of the strawberry ones at Costco and they have been such a treat in the afternoon/evening. Plus, because they are so cold I feel like they take me longer and I eat less of them?! Always a good thing because your girl has a major sweet tooth. Note: they say to take out and let them thaw for like 10 minutes; I agree.
This little thing turns any lamp into a dimmable lamp, and extends where the switch is! For me, it’s become this small, lazy treat by my bed. I don’t have to get out of bed or deeply lean over to turn off the lamp — I just reach over and touch the switch. Also, now the lamp is dimmable! You may need to swap in a dimmable bulb if you don’t already have one. But once you do, it’s kind of amazing how it changes the feel of a room.
Nate and I watched season 1 of The Night Manager (originally came out in 2016 —Nate watched it back in 2016 and then again with me last month) in preparation for season 2 coming out this year. Yes, the seasons are 10 years apart!! And both star the same cast! I really love the lead, Tom Hiddleston, and who doesn’t love Olivia Colman?! We just started season 2 and it truly picks up with the same cast but ten years later. Not sure how it will compare, but it’s just cool and rare to have a show with seasons so far apart. (It’s on Amazon Prime)
Funny aside: back in 2025 I told you we were loving The Residence. My dear friend McKenzie read “The Resident” and quickly got her husband on board to watch. While Nate and I were enjoying a witty White House mystery unfold, McKenzie and Brian were trying to understand what we loved so much about a subpar 2018 medical drama starring Logan from Gilmore Girls. It wasn’t until the 2025 Nappies Awards that McKenzie realized we were in fact watching two very different shows, but by that point she was 3 seasons deep in her hospital soap (pun intended?!). 3 seasons, still committed to wondering what Kate and Nate loved so much about it. That, my friends, is what you call trust in a friendship.
My Home Gym: This has been an ongoing project for me and I knew I needed a solution to get more stuff off the ground. I finally got a rack for the wall, and it has helped so much! I exercise in a space that is 7’ x 8’ and I gotta say I really feel like I make every inch count. Sure, there’s limitations, but I also love rolling out of bed and not having to get into the car to go to a gym. (Note: we do not have a garage, or a basement, which is why my gym is where it is. Cue the “I just wish…” lol).
Also, I asked people on IG if they had any questions regarding my gym. Here are the quick hitters:
Wall paint color: Farrow and Ball Calke Green, at 50% (the room is color drenched. The walls are satin, the trim is high gloss, the ceiling is flat).
Mirror: I had it custom cut and glued from a local place called Palmetto Glass. They were awesome!
No more Peloton? What do you do for cardio?: In short, I just wasn’t using it. I stressed about this decision for months, made myself bike a few more times, and still wasn’t enjoying it anymore. My cardio has switched to more brisk walking and some running as opposed to biking (also, lifting heavy weights is definitely a cardio workout!). With the membership being $50+/month, it just didn’t seem like a great way to spend that money. That being said, if I had the storage, I likely would have kept the bike. HOWEVER, I gave it to my dad, which some might call free storage 😉😉😉
Links to everything: I linked everything I could here!
Workout plan I do: I am currently going hard on Madeline Moves. I wrote more about her program here as to why I like it.
What I would want to add to the gym: If I had the space, I would 100% get a rack so that I could do pull exercises with actual weight and not just bands (this is what I mean), but the next thing I will likely purchase is a better pull-up bar or a 20-pound slam ball (which are shockingly pricey!)
Fave thing: free weights; also Madeline has really unlocked using bands (with a door anchor) for back and pull exercises
Where do I attach bands and cables? With a door anchor into the door; for instance, in this band set, you’ll see there’s this thing that looks like a loop with a fat ball on one end. You simply stick the fat ball on one side of the door and close the door — voila! Door anchor.
These two purchases fall into the category of “why did I wait so long to buy these?!”
They’re not super expensive and they solve those annoying little problems we all face throughout the day.
First, I finally purchased a fancy tissue box cover. It has a velcro strap across the bottom so it’s secure even when pulling a tissue from the top. I no longer have to care what ugly pattern Kleenex decides to put on the tissue box.
Second, we used to have a car trash can, and I did like it, but it kept getting sticky and smelly with lollipop sticks and gum and leaky items. I finally tried these car trash bags my friend Abbey suggested that hang over the back seat of your car. They are leakproof and smell-proof, which is great for any moms that are still in the diapering stage! NOTE: I shared on IG that I originally tried TidyPhil brand because they were cheaper and they are terrible. They rip off way too easily. Get the pricier Tossits ones. And also: if you have a ton of plastic grocery bags lying around (our grocery stores do not allow plastic), then you could also go this route and do 2 purse hooks with a plastic bag to make use of those bags.
NOTE ON THE CAMP SNAP!!
The Camp Snap was a June Fave (read about why I love it here) and I wanted to let you know I now have a discount code! Naptime10 works for $10 off.
OK! That’s a wrap for February. Hit me up with any questions in the comments if you have them, or please share your own Feb faves! I would love to hear them. Hope you all have a great weekend.
Much love,
Kate
now you’ve got me craving grillos pickles
Another great idea for a small drop purse is the mini Trader Joe’s canvas bags. My teens love those and there’s a color for every season! (And their dirt cheap so when they get stained, you can pitch one and grab another one).