February ’24 R.E.P.O.R.T
Here’s my February 24 Report! See January Report for more!
What is REPORT, you might ask? Well it stands for:
What I’m Reading – what books I finished and how I felt about them.
Eating – anywhere noteworthy we dined out or anything noteworthy I cooked, just a recap of the good food from the month.
Playing – current songs on repeat.
Obsessing over – just general recurring thoughts of the month.
Recommending – anything I think you should try!
Treated myself to – cause we all deserve a little treat.
In all likelihood no one actually cares, but I am excited to use this as a little look-back for my own self, hah!
So let’s get to it.
What I’m Reading
Well once again it was kind of a slow reading month. I think this is a common theme for me in winter – for some reason the start of the year / end of winter is not a big reading time for me, which seems like it should be the opposite but whatever!
I read 3 books this month, and they were all quite different from each other which was a nice change of pace! After a year full of fantasy and romantacy last year it was nice to dip back into some different genres.
1. Paladin’s Grace (The Saint of Steel, #1) by T. Kingfisher
This book was… okay. It’s about a paladin who’s god has died and he lives a slow life in a temple until he meets some woman in distress. The book is from both of their perspectives, and I like when books do that. But it was slow, the characters were not compelling, and it just felt kind of boring. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it unless you are just looking for a simple little story. It felt like when a friend tells you what should’ve been a really interesting story but they are half distracted and suck at story telling and it just kinda falls flat and you’re like “wait, can you tell me that again?” Needless to say I won’t be reading any of the others from this series.
2. Big Swiss by Jen Beagin
In my instagram review of this one I said, and stand by, “if this were a movie, it would only play at the Belcourt.” The Belcourt is an independent theater that only really plays indie and arthouse-y movies. It’s a quirky story about a 45 year old woman who is both exactly like a lot of people I know and also unlike anyone I’ve ever met? She is a transcriber for a therapist in her small upstate NY hipster town so she has the in on everyone’s inner workings. She strikes up a relationship with one of the clients and you just really get to know this woman. Strong character development, which I liked. I’d recommend it but also know that it is unique. It also should come with some serious content warnings, as there is a lot of darkness discussed.
3. Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld
This was cute, I really enjoyed it. The characters feel real and believable and it was just really lighthearted and nice. It’s about a writer for SNL (since it’s a book of course it is called something else but it is straight up SNL) and what happens during and after meeting a particular host on the show. They are in their mid-late 30s, which I really liked. Slow burn. Funny. Only complaints is excessive SNL background talk (so if you are into knowing about the inner workings of SNL then you’d love it) and half the book takes place during 2020 and I just really hate when covid is brought into novels. I know it was an enormous part of our lives but I read books to escape real life, not integrate it haha.
What I’m Eating
I taught a sourdough class this month so I had to make and subsequently eat a whole lot of sourdough. I used to try and make a loaf per week but that has really faded out – I make like maybe one a month most of the time. It was nice to dive head first back into that world. Made a chocolate sourdough loaf and THAT is what I’m here to discuss this month. It was awesome.
The recipe for the chocolate sourdough bread comes straight from Conley Anne Kitchen on instagram. Can’t even pretend it is my own. It was pretty easy to make and tasted great. The only thing I changed, thanks to an idea from my friend Esther, is that I bloomed the cocoa in coffee!
If you’re interested in learning more about sourdough, you can find some of my guides on my Sourdough Page OR you can ask me about teaching a private class!
What I’m Playing
I can’t even try to pretend like the only song I listened to in February wasn’t Texas Hold ‘Em by Beyonce. Like, did anyone listen to anything else? Because unless it was my toddler demanding Raffi, it was Texas Hold ‘Em. I am sufficiently SICK of it now that we are in March, but phew did it carry me through that dark and cold month.
Because everyone and their dog knows that song already, I’ll link another song I have been playing a bunch lately by Molly Nilsson. I really like all of Molly’s songs, so I highly suggest you check it out.
What I’m Obsessing Over
I feel both out-of-character and slightly ashamed of this one, but I’m really obsessing over finding my “style.” I’m officially (as of March) 2 years postpartum and been going to the gym and feeling pretty good lately, so I don’t hate getting actually dressed (beyond like spandex and a tshirt) quite as much as I did like a year ago. I’m 32 and have never really had any kind of consistent care about what I dress like, but I find myself on Pinterest more than any other site lately trying to come up with inspo for new outfits. It’s hard to branch out of your comfort zone but I really want to!
I really hate spending money on clothes but I am also really tired of buying cheap stuff that doesn’t last. I’m really into thrifting but I hate Poshmark because I HAVE to be able to try clothes on! Everything fits differently and very rarely does something work first try. So I’ve been just trying to go to nicer thrift or consignment stores (ThriftSmart on Nolensville road!) or actually invest in a nicer brand. That said, the only clothes I actually bought this month were from Old Navy hah OOPS.
My sister turned me on to Big Bud Press and I am eyeing their work pants. I bought some that I thought would be similar from LL Bean but they went straight back to the store – just wasn’t a fan.
If you have any style tips or accounts you like following for such things, LET ME KNOW!
What I’m Recommending
If you’re thinking about cutting your hair, I’d highly recommend DOING IT. Obvious answer here. But I’d been thinking about it for months but my hair felt like my security blanket. I cut like 6 inches off and it’s still long but it feels different enough to me. I almost got curtain bangs but I chickened out and I think I regret it. Should I get curtain bangs? Hmmm.
What I’m Treating Myself To
A massage at Escape Day Spa because it is my happy place and Theron had a giftcard. It was, as always, wonderful.
Thanks for reading the February 24 Report! In the meantime, check out some Dinner Ideas if you need them. Cheers!