Welcome to one of my favorite months of the year! I always look forward to February because:
- It’s my birthday month (yay!)
- It’s Black History Month
- There is pink and hearts everywhere you turn!
It’s only my 3rd day out here (*Lil Uzi voice) and this month is already off to a busy start. I have a lot of content planned this month and I am excited about all of the celebrations and things to come.
Here is how I am finding balance this February:
Valentine’s Day Fun
You would think that, as a single lady, I would be a little bitter (or at least indifferent) to the commercialized holiday of the month. Nope! I love all of the frills of Valentine’s Day! I get excited about all of the red and pink, the parade of hearts, and the displays of love. Over the years, I have found my own small ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day (check out this guide here!) and I can’t wait to celebrate this year.
Dating App Chronicles
Speaking of love, I shared on my Instagram last month that I was going to start dabbling with the use of dating apps. While I have been on and off dating apps since college, I never really took the process seriously. I would look around for a few days, get turned off by the whole idea because of one jerk, and basically never meet up with anyone in person. However, over the last year, I noticed that an increasing amount of my friends have experienced success using dating apps. Many of them range from being in serious, long-term relationships to being married for years. I listened to stories about how they met their significant others from apps like Tinder (I was surprised too), Bumble, Coffee Meets Bagel, Hinge, etc. I decided that I was going to give dating apps a try and share the experience with you all. My Dating App Chronicles will be posted on IGTV on Tuesdays, so make sure that you are following me on that platform as well!
By the way, if you are subscribed to my newsletter, then you got a preview at this bucket list item! If you want to have access to exclusive content and sneak peeks, please sign up for my newsletter here!
Automate Decisions
One of the books that I finished in January was the Happiness Equation: Want Nothing + Do Anything = Have Everything by Neil Pasricha. While I didn’t necessarily agree with everything in the book, there was one concept that really caught my attention: automating decisions. Pasricha discussed the concept of decision fatigue and how it leads to indecision or making poor decisions. To combat that, he provides examples of how automating decisions can help. Honestly, I already know that I subscribe to this technique. It’s one of the reasons that I love group fitness; the workout is decided for me instead of wandering aimlessly around equipment or searching up workouts online. This month I plan to look at some of the other decisions in my life that I can automate or schedule and see if it helps reduce my decision fatigue.
Galentine’s Day Cards
February is a great time to tell the women in your life that you love them. Exchanging letters with Caitlin (for almost a year now!) has reminded me to never underestimate the power of a handwritten note. Everyone loves to be surprised by happy mail, even if it is during a predictable time of year. I personally like to concentrate my efforts on the single ladies in my life or anyone else that needs a little extra love this season. I challenge you to send a Galentine’s card as well!
Headwrap Challenge
As I continue on my natural hair journey, I have to keep challenging myself to face my discomfort and embrace new things. As strange as it may sound, I have always felt uncomfortable with my hair pulled back. Growing up, you would see me with my hair down more often than not and I would even avoid pictures or social media whenever my hair was pulled back (unless for sport/exercise purposes which were somehow different in my mind). To be honest, I have used my hair as a crutch for most of my life in more ways than one. Going natural has forced me to wear my hair back more and it has been taking some time to get used to. Enter the headwrap. I have always been interested in the idea of wearing a headwrap out because they are a great protective style. However, I can’t shake the feeling of being so exposed. This month I am going to wear a headwrap in public at least once a week. I’m hoping that by forcing myself to wear it, I will normalize the concept for myself.
Visit a Speakeasy
We’ve made it to the second month of the ’20s! Last month, I brought in the new year with a Gatsby-style party. In February, I am going to go on the hunt for a local speakeasy or two. I’ll let you know if I find anything interesting!
This month, I will be spending my time loving myself and those around me.