Why hello there February. I don’t much like you, but promise not to drag your feet and I’ll keep things civil.
Does anyone else feel like February is one of those months that we just have to get through? We’re tired of winter. We want warmth, and sun, and the ability to go outside again. Gah! I’m sorry – what a horrible attitude to start a new month with. February really isn’t all that bad, there’s just something that I’m really looking forward to happening at the beginning of March, so I’m kind of counting down the days. I’ll share more with you guys in a future post, though, because today I wanted to talk about my January favorites and my February goal. First, the goal.
Lately I’ve been feeling like I’ve become some mysterious voice behind a computer screen. I don’t post many personal pictures and I don’t share many details about my life; not because I have anything to hide, but because I’m shy and have a hard time talking about myself… which is kind of strange considering I have a personal blog. This is something I really want to work on changing. My favorite blogs tend to be the ones where I feel like I really get to know the blogger better through pictures and details. Pictures of food and informative posts are great and all, but at the end of the day, it’s all about the people, right?
That being said, I’m going to do my best to try and push myself out of my comfort zone and get more personal, so I need you guys to hold me to that, okay? Okay. I’ve also been toying around with the idea of occasionally posting more than once a day, since sometimes there are things that I want to share with you guys that kind of get lost along the way; that and my list of blog post ideas is getting epically long, and I can never seem to make a dent in it. So let me know what you guys think about that! And with that out of the way, let’s get to the favorites…
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. Food Favorites .
Given all the cereal love around these parts lately, it probably doesn’t come as much of a surprise to find cereal topping my list of favorite foods. January was special, though, because I rekindled a love affair with an old favorite…
I used to eat Weetabix all the time back in the day, but my love for these wonderfully wheaty biscuits got pushed to the side when I discovered things like Kashi Cinnamon Harvest and Puffins. As luck would have it, I was at my parents’ place one cold Sunday evening, when I got hit with a sudden craving for cereal. Problem was that Mom and Dad don’t exactly share my love for this fine breakfast food, so their supply was pretty dismal. After some serious digging, I struck gold when I came across a box of Weetabix (which I ended up stealing) and we’ve basically been inseparable ever since. I don’t know what it is, but I love the flakey-ness of this cereal. It’s great with milk, but I’ve pretty much just been craving it dry, crumbled over some yogurt…
Another rekindled love? Chocolate chip oatmeal cookies…
These have been my all-time favorite cookie since as far back as I can remember. My mom used to bake them for me all the time when I was little, but just like with Weetabix, they got lost in the sidelines as I started experimenting with different things. January saw them come back with a vengeance, though – I actually just baked my fifth batch of the month last night and enjoyed a couple alongside a cup of Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride…
… which just so happens to be another monthly favorite. And finally…
… Maisie Jane’s roasted almond butter. This has been my go-to AB for years now, but lately I’ve been getting some questions as to what I love about it. First, the taste: the roasted almond give it a wonderfully rich and nutty taste. Second, the consistency: it’s always drippy and never gets stiff. Third, the ingredients: no added salt or sugar, and no traces of peanuts! Woop!
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. Beauty Favorites .
Another month, another Lush favorite; this time in the form of Honey Trap lip balm…
I’m not going to gripe about the weather, but it’s been bad. Cold. Windy. Dry. Basically the perfect conditions if you’re looking to ravage your skin/hair/nails. I’m not really into the dry and flakey look, so I’ve been taking extra precautions. Made with oat milk, almond oil, white chocolate, olive oil, and shea butter, this balm has been working wonders – no chapped lips for this girl.
No dull and lusterless skin either, thanks to MAC’s Mineralized Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle…
Dry winter air means dull winter skin – not a good look for me. To help brighten up my skin, I’ve been sweeping this highlighting powder across my cheekbones, nose, and forehead. It gives me a nice summer glow without making me look shiny or greasy.
And for a little extra radiance, a spritz of MAC’s Fix+…
Not only does this blend of green tea, chamomile, and cucumber help set face makeup to make it last longer, but it adds that nice dewey glow that’s so hard to get in winter. I’ll often spritz my face a few times throughout the day if I feel like my skin is starting to look a little tired – it’s wonderfully refreshing.
This next beauty favorite takes a bit of explaining, so hear me out…
Baby shampoo. No, I haven’t been cheating on my Lush solid shampoos – this stuff hasn’t touched my hair since I was a teeny-tiny human being. Instead, I’ve been using it to clean my makeup brushes. If you use brushes to apply your makeup, it’s important to clean them regularly to prevent the build-up of bacteria, which can lead to some nasty breakouts. I used to use a designated makeup brush cleaner from MAC, but that stuff gets expensive. After hearing that baby shampoo could be used instead, I gave it a shot and never looked back. All you have to do is wet your brush, squirt a little bit of baby shampoo in your hand, and swirl your brush around in it. When you work up a nice lather, wash our the shampoo and voila! Clean, soft brushes at a fraction of the cost.
Aaaaand I couldn’t end my beauty favorites without mentioning my new favorite nail polishes…
You guys have heard me rave about the Revlon Colorstay polishes enough already so I’m not going to say too much about them. They’re fast and they last. In short, they’re wonderful.
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. Book Favorites .
My book pick for this month is The Name of the Wind, by Patrick Rothfuss.
Oh.my.goodness. Where do I even start with this one. I’ll give you the description while I think…
The riveting first-person narrative of a young man who grows to be the most notorious magician his world has ever seen. From his childhood in a troupe of traveling players, to years spent as a near-feral orphan in a crime-ridden city, to his daringly brazen yet successful bid to enter a legendary school of magic,The Name of the Wind is a masterpiece that transports readers into the body and mind of a wizard. It is a high-action novel written with a poet’s hand, a powerful coming-of-age story of a magically gifted young man, told through his eyes: to read this book is to be the hero.
If you like fantasy books, I can pretty much guarantee that you’ll love this one. It’s been compared to works like The Lord of the Rings and The Song of Fire and Ice, but dare I say that I think I might like it even more than either of those. First of all, Rothfuss’ writing is just beautiful – there were countless instances where the beauty of the prose took my breath away. His choice of words and the manner in which he delivers them is almost poetic in nature. Rothfuss creates a vivid world that you can easily picture in your mind, giving just the right amount of detail without losing you in it.
The Name of the Wind is a bildungsroman, a coming of age story. It focuses on the growth and development of the main character, which the author goes about doing in a brilliant way. The story of the book takes place over the span of a few days, but covers years of the character’s life. When we’re first introduced to the present-day Kvothe, he’s already grown up and living as a simple innkeeper in a quiet town, hiding who he truly is. Certain events unfold that bring his true identity closer to the surface, and the reader begins to realize that there’s more to him than meets the eye. Pushed to share his story by a Chronicler, Kvothe sits down in his inn and begins to tell it. At that point, the book delves into the past, with several interludes that bring it back to the present. The stark contrast between who Kvothe is and the man he was in his youth makes the reader wonder what it was that happened to get him to where he is now.
Kvothe is a powerful hero, but at the same time he’s incredibly fallible and human. He makes mistakes, he gets badly beaten, he suffers, he barely manages to get by – his story is real. It’s the good and the bad. The joy and suffering. The great acts and the stupid mistakes. Stop listening to me rave about it and go pick up your own copy! You won’t be sorry.
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How do you guys feel about more than one post a day?
I could use some encouragement! I could definitely get a little more personal, eh?
That’s it, I’ve got to get my hands on some Weetabix! I think I saw it the last time I was at Publix! I’ve heard it’s really good and I LOVE me some Kashi Cinnamon Harvest, so you’ve totally got me convinced now that this is my long lost {cereal} love! 😉 And seriously? That lip balm as white chocolate in it?? Ahh, it wouldn’t last me a week! Lol
Love baby shampoo for cleaning my brushes…been doing it for years! It’s funny, every time I smell it, it takes me waaaaaaaaay back when I used to have to give my little sister a bath…which I hated at the time, but love looking back on it now! 😀
I would love to see more personal posts (and pictures of that pretty little face of yours)! I’ve gotten seriously bad about blog reading lately, but that doesn’t mean I don’t still care! And I know…I STILL owe you an email!! Don’t hate me!!
love these monthly favorite posts! reminds me of the things i used to love but have forgotten about (weetabix!!!!)
I completely undersand what you mean about getting personal on a blog. I’m naturally shy as well which leads to very selective blog posts. But in all honesty, sometimes I feel almost guilty about leaving certain things out because my blog is my personal space after all. I guess it’s just a matter of what you do and don’t want to share because you ultimately have a right to be selective! But I really hope you do find the courage to share more of your life because I love your blog and enjoy reading about your life (in a non-creepy way) 🙂
I think if you have the desire to get more personal than you totally should. And trust me when I say it isnt going to make people like you any less, if anything they will love you MORE! Cause your a pretty awesome chick 🙂
And I seriously need to get some of that nailpolish. Im sick of taking mine off after 2 days because its horribly chipped. Im clearly not very good at being dainty!
You should do a day in the life post (who doesn’t love those??) and tell us more about what happened with that Boy of yours. Still wondering over here!!
=)
Weetabix! I totally forgot about that stuff! I had to start limiting myself to one open box of cereal at a time because it was out of control… I kept buying and opening everything the looked good and not finishing it all before it went bad. New things are just too much fun!
One box?! I don’t think I could manage. I have like 8 open boxes right now because different moods call for different cereals. And can cereal even go bad?
Yeah! It get all soft and chewy. I did that to the end of my Kashi cinnamon and was so sad.
Thanks so much for the baby shampoo tip! I have tons of baby shampoo for my son and he needs a special one so I figured it would never get used. Yay!!!
I don’t get too personal on my blog either. I sometimes get annoyed when blogs post too many “selfies”, so I’ve tried to stay away from that. But I guess I’ve gone to the other extreme of barely posting any photos of myself! I definitely like it when I can see the face and personality behind the blog though, so I need to work on that!
Also even though you don’t post a lot of pictures of yourself on your blog, I still think you really shine through and I get a really good sense of who you are from it. 🙂
Thanks for the make-up brush tip! I’m dreadful at cleaning mine, but definitely going to pick up a bottle and get cleaning!!
I love the Revlon Colorstay for the same reason, it is one of the only kinds I have found that actually stay presentable for a while. I always buy brands of almond butter that I know are drippy too, it makes it all the easier to use on top of breakfast, right? 🙂
Hey girl,
I’ve been reading your blog for about a month or two now. Loving it… it’s been a refreshing change from some of the others that I have followed for awhile.
I’m in the same boat- sometimes I feel like…’Hmm, maybe I should post more often’. I know many bloggers recommend it/do it themselves. However, I really think that overall, people prefer to read for quality instead of quantity. I do, at least. I know I’d rather open up a blog and find meaningful, insightful writing than 3 post/day that don’t really equate to anything.
Thank you, Kelly 🙂 And I definitely agree that quality trumps quantity. I’m hoping that I can do both, but that might be asking too much.
I would love to see more personal posts from you! I’ll admit it can be really hard to press publish on some of my more TMI posts but the reactions I get from them are always worth the anxiety. But even if you don’t decide to do the personal posts, I’ll still be a loyal reader–I love your writing style and your mix of food and life posts!
No matter if you get personal or not, your blog will still remain one of my favorites. I can’ t say for others, but man I really enjoy looking at your beautiful cereal bowls & hearing all about your obsession to it :)… heck this post has even made me decide that I MUST pick up some Weetabix at the grocery store next week.
I have never heard of Weetabix, but it sounds mighty tasty! Any idea if it is available here in the States??
I’m not 100% sure, but a few people have said that they’ve tried them so I’m assuming so? I just find them in my regular grocery store.
Amazing product overload! I have been dying to try out Lush Cosmetics. As usual, your photgraphy is gorgeous, too!
im so excited to hear more about you more personally! i still struggle with sharing some stuff but slowly opening up more.. i sadly have never had weetabix I have to try them, if you love them and love puffins as much as I do they must be good! if you can do more then one post a day then power to you and do it! also agree, February stinks! i miss HS when we had feb break but ofcoarse college doesn’t have that, sighhh.
Canadian colleges do! It’s called Reading Week, and it’s wonderful 😀
I think getting more personal would be a great idea… but I have to say that the way you write DOES connect you with your readers… your blog comes across as being very personal 🙂
I love that you love almond butter 😀 and the plain jane kind too, it is the best! never does me wrong 🙂 I say post when you feel like it, no schedule. Also that book sounds AWESOME. right up my alley AKA it is going on my book list which continues to grow (kinda like you idea list for blogs)
o and I sort of pasted the worng website haha that would be chobani’s recipe website that I was stalking
So. I think that you’re a fabulous person, and I hope that you do reach out a bit more from behind the screen because everyone deserves to experience a bit more of our lovely Spoons. 😉 <3
And to the old school cereal? Yes. Just yes. Is it sad that I love Corn Flakes and Just Right? Yummm. Sure, they're lame and generally for fuddy duddies, but I love them all the same.
Fuddy duddies? 😆 I’ve never heard that expression before, but it seriously made me laugh out loud.
I love chocolate chip oatmeal cookies! Yum 🙂 And yes, I would love to hear more about your life!! You have a great blog, post as often as you can!!
Well, Well, Well, what do you know! I am sipping on some Celestial Seasonings Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride tea RIGHT NOW! Love this stuff! I bought it in BULK on Amazon because it NEVER goes out of style to me – I love it in July! 😉
LOVELOVELOVE that February blogging goal!! I agree, the best blogs are the ones where I get to know the writer, and I TOTALLY want to get to know you more! I promise to hound you on this lol. Posting twice a day at times could be fun too – some blogs that post multiple times a day get really annoying but yours is one I always look forward to reading so I kinda can’t see that happening.
SUGAR COOKIE SLEIGH RIDE TEA FTW!!!! Ahh…. I can’t wait till next November when that hits stores again (I’ll send you some!)…going through withdrawal. I agree with the highlighting powder and mist too – I use different brands but Colorado (although not really that cold in comparison) is hella windy and REALLY dry and less oxygen at altitude obviously, so my skin suffers – I use those products year-round out here and they help SO MUCH. On that note….110% agree with you on February. It’s just a stupid month. March is usually kind of stupid too where I live, although it has St. Patty’s Day which is an excuse to drink a lot of beer……
I know I can count on you to hound me 😉 And did you ever find a foundation that you liked?
I did! Totally hooked on the Maybelline BB Cream 😀 thanks for the rec!
I have that lipbalm in the lime flavour (smell) and its amazing!!!
I love when someone uses the word Bildungsroman and actually knows what it means 🙂