Welcome to one of the best months of the year! Cue the tsunami of pink, flowers, hearts, and love! I have always been a fan of February (mostly because it’s my birth month) but also because it serves as a reminder to love yourself and others. Though I am chronically single, I still get wrapped up in the idea of love being in the air. This month, I want to focus on ways to express self-love.

Here is how I am finding balance this February:

28 Days of Essential Oils

When my premium starter kit from Young Living arrived, I was so excited to start my essential oils journey. In order to give a really honest review of whether it is worth the investment, I want to really immerse myself in the EO world. SO many people swear by it, but is it really worth the hype? I’ll let you know my thoughts at the end of this challenge!

Treat Yo Self Day

Treat yo self 2019 is upon us! Since I decided to stay local instead of traveling for my birthday this year, I thought why not make a whole day out of it!? I am not exactly sure of the agenda just yet, but I am looking forward to a restriction free day! Better believe I am going to be singing “7 rings” the entire day. For all my single ladies out there, this is a perfect way to celebrate Valentine’s day! If you need be suggestions, check out last year’s Single Girl’s Guide to Valentine’s.

Brother/Sister Birthday Date

Fun fact: I share a birthday with one of my brothers! We are 13 years apart and I still remember every detail about the day that he was born. Now that he’s older, I have always wanted to start a tradition where we celebrate in a special way, just the two of us. Can’t wait to spend some one-on-one time with him!

Morning Pages Challenge

This bucket list item is inspired by my girl Kristine! I watched her take on Julianne Hough’s 10-day challenge and read about her thoughts (see her post here). I decided to give it shot! Though I do a lot of writing now on here and on the Positivity Charge blog, I think that the Morning Pages challenge will be a great way to express my thoughts and feelings without the pressure of being judged by the world.

Random Act of Kindness

Did you know that Acts of Kindness Day is on February 17th? In recognition of that, I want to complete a random act of kindness this month. I encourage you to complete one too!

Declutter Palooza

Doesn’t everything sound more fun if you attach “palooza” to the end!? If you were following along on Instagram, then you know that I caught the Marie Kondo bug last month and wanted to reorganize my life. Beyond reorganizing, I think that it is important to declutter every quarter. Usually, I do random purges, but this month I am ready to systematically get rid of unnecessary clutter in all aspects of my life. Stayed tuned for a post about how I plan to do it!

Black Friday

Don’t forget that this month is also Black History Month! To celebrate the history and accomplishments of my race, I am making the conscious effort to shop at a Black-owned business at least once a week. I actually got this idea from rapper and activist Killer Mike. He did a challenge in which he tried to keep his dollar in the Black community for 3 days. He found that it was extremely difficult to eat, get around (lack of Black made transportation), and find a place to sleep. It was kind of eye-opening. His suggestion was that everyone–People of Color and Allies alike–should consider putting their money into Black-owned establishments at least once a week, calling it Black Friday. Seems like a great way to honor Black History Month to me!

**Disclaimer: I do not endorse or agree with all of the actions and beliefs of Killer Mike. In all honesty, I hadn’t heard of him or his background until someone told me about this challenge. However, I do think that this particular point about the state of Black business was pretty striking.

Fast Food Free February

It’s back! I feel like I constantly need to detox from fast food. It’s no secret that the highly caloric and sugar-filled treat is purposefully addicting. This month I am challenging myself to avoid eating fast food. However, I am giving myself a pass on my birthday weekend…because…birthday often means free food.

This month, I am hoping to incorporate balance into my life by expressing self-love.

How are you finding balance in February?