Tag Archives: Monthly Favorites

February Monthly Favorites: The Snowpocalypse Diaries 2015

#DailyWings: “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” -Dr. Seuss

Happy (belated) National Read Across America Day aka Dr. Seuss Day! If you’re a big Dr. Seuss fan like I am, check out this list of classic Seuss-y quotes or read all about his upcoming book, What Pet Should I Get? (Late authors can still get stuff published, didn’t you know?) Or, best of all, take this awesome Buzzfeed Quiz to find out which Dr. Seuss book character you are (I got Horton!).

Dr. Seuss’s books were some of my favorite growing up (namely Green Eggs and Ham and There’s a Wocket in My Pocket!). If you work with a child or have kids at home, take an hour or two today and read with them – it’ll give them a break from the computer screen and remind them the joys of books. After all, as Dr. Seuss always said, “the more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” A wise man, he was.

Whew. Now that we’ve celebrated Dr. Seuss on the blog (albeit a day late), it’s time to get into my monthly favorites! It still feels like February, which doesn’t come as a surprise since there’s only 28 days in the month. How is it already March? Where did the time go? Is it just me, or do I ask this in every Monthly Favorites blog post?
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January Monthly Favorites: Where Did the Time Go?

#DailyWings: “And I am all the things I have ever loved: scuppernong wine, cool baptisms in silent water, dream books and number playing.ʺ -Toni Morrison

Despite the fact that I am still writing “2014” instead of “2015” on occasion, we are already in the month of February. Wow. I also just realized that yesterday marks six months since I started working at Personify as their web content producer. Wow. On Monday, Jan. 26, Andrew and I celebrated our two-year anniversary together. WOW.

The start of this year has been a lot more productive than previous Januarys, when I would spend a week being ultra-healthy and writing too many blog posts before falling into the post-New Year’s slump. Instead, I spent most of the month organizing my closet, throwing out crumpled school papers, experimenting with new products, and putting together a bundle of unwanted but usable clothing and books to donate to local thrift/bookstores. I even plucked up the courage to drive for two hours during a road trip with Andrew, not to mention drive my car around a metropolitan city alone on a different night (totally not on my original agenda).

I have a feeling this year is going to be filled with twisted turns. The thing about surprises, though, is that you never know they’re going to happen until they hit you. Surprises also come in different packages, such as (a-hem) monthly favorites. Here are mine for January.
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My Mother’s Duck, ELF Eyeliner and Other December Monthly Favorites

#DailyWings: “Hitting a low note on a piano with a really good bass is like taking a bite out of a rich chocolate cake.” -Anja N.

Today’s #DailyWings is brought to you by one of my best friends, Anja. Like me, Anja grew up playing piano (we even had the same piano teacher for a while) and appreciates classical music more than anyone I know. It’s been years since she first made that simile, but it always stuck me and reminded me to appreciate all the good things in life, to live like a bon vivant. And, I mean, when you think about it, can’t you just taste that chocolate and hear that bass? (The appropriate response to this question is, yes, you are all about that bass.)

I like to call December 2014 “pre-winter.” Most of the month was characterized by relatively warm weather in North Carolina; in fact, I remember the sun was shining and caused me to sweat a day or two after Christmas! I’ve always enjoyed white Christmases the most, but the lack of snow didn’t stop me from sharing the holiday spirit or enjoying time off work with my family. Here are just a few of my highlights from December:
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Capturing Autumn: November Monthly Favorites

#DailyWings: “It’s a most distressing affliction to have a sentimental heart and a skeptical mind.” -Naguib Mahfouz

Last night on my Facebook page, I mentioned that I haven’t been feeling very well and that this week’s Writing Remarks post would go up today. I was hoping to post my book review on “Writing Down the Bones” by Natalie Goldberg, but book reviews take a lot of mental capacity that I just don’t have the energy for right now and, honestly, I didn’t want to post a half-baked review for you all.

Instead, I decided to stick with my regular posting schedule and write my very first Monthly Favorites post. I am incredibly excited about this because I absolutely love watching Monthly favorites videos on YouTube and reading them on blogs. It’s such a great way to round up whatever month is ending and, more importantly, remind yourself of all the wonderful things that make you happy.

Without further ado, here are my November favorites:

1) Skone Cosmetics Tattooed Waterproof Eyeliner, $15 — Before receiving this product in my October Ipsy Glam Bag (my first one!), I’d never tried to put eyeliner on before in my life, let alone a cat eye look. I just wasn’t brave enough. (Plus, my experience with makeup was basically nonexistent, hence my subscription to Ipsy). But I fell in love with this eyeliner the first time I used it, and I’ve worn many a cat eye since then for dates and other special occasions.
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