February Reflections

Welcome to another post of #loveyourbalance Reflections! Can you believe that February is already over?! I feel like it was simultaneously the shortest/longest month. So let’s get dive into what happened in February for me!

This entire week leading up to writing this post, I felt so excited. When I write these, it truly feels like I’m talking to a friend. So, thanks for being here, thanks for listening to my crazy talk and let’s get to it!

February Brought New Life 

Literally! My AH-MAZING sister in law, Elisa and her husband David, had a baby girl! Her name is Charlotte (nickname is Charlie) and she’s basically perfect. I had never held a newborn baby before and we had the privilege of holding her when she wasn’t even 24 hours old yet! WHAT! So wild! 

I was so afraid – she’s so fragile and precious! And y’all, HER EYELASHES. They’re so tiny! I just can’t comprehend how something is so sweet and perfect. God really did good!

And now here we are, almost one month later and she has already changed so much! Bigger, much more alert, with a sweet worried brow. I love holding her any chance that I get – especially when she is swaddled like a burrito/loaf of bread. Can you tell I have baby fever? Hehe. 

Checking in on Goals

In last month’s January Reflections, I talked a bit about my goals for this month. Have I met them? Well…kind of. 

I haven’t been doing daily yoga – only averaging 3-4 days a week. Which is okay with me! I never again want to make exercise such a priority in my life that it takes over my mental health. I do yoga to wind down and move my body in a way that makes me feel good! Still doing Yoga with Adriene who I love! 

I haven’t been overly strict with my sugar consumption. I have made a few sweet treats for the blog – I’m looking at you Salted Pretzel Brownie Cookies and Earl Grey Blueberry Loaf Cake, so of course, sugar has easily made its way back into my diet. Is anyone surprised? Ha! But I’m truly not worried about it. I know my body will let me know if I’ve had too much or vice versa. 

Well, unfortunately, I haven’t been reading as much this month. I began reading a book called Conviction* which just was NOT my jam. It was too scary for me, ha! I’m a big baby. If you like true crime podcasts, you’ll probably love it though. 

I also began American Dirt* and loved it! Unfortunately, I ran out of time to finish it before I had to return it to the library to avoid late fees. So now, it’s back on hold again and i’m #15 in the queue. Cue the tears!

*This is an affiliate link – basically, this means that I will earn a small commission if you click the link, love the shelves as much as I do and purchase them. Thank you for continuing to support Our Balanced Bowl!

Candle Making Workshop/Galentine’s Day 

Ahhh, February! The month of love. From friendship, family and of course, the love of my life, Benjamin! 

I won a pair of tickets to an awesome candle making workshop in my town. These are artisan, locally made, soy candles that smell AMAZING. Of course I took my best friend, Kate, especially since it was on Galentine’s Day! 

It was SO fun. We got to mix and match scents – we ended up mixing French Bakery + Coffee Shop for one of our candles. It smells so good it’s almost edible. The perfect candle to light while you’re sipping on hot tea and reading a book. 

The second candle, we wanted a more fruity Spring scent so we decided on mixing Grapefruit and Seaside Breeze. It’s the type of candle that is perfect for lighting after you clean the house. 

Overall, it was a blast and I couldn’t recommend Wandering Lark and their candle making workshops enough! It was fun to get out of my comfort zone and make something that I can enjoy for months to come! 

Valentine’s Day 

We actually decided to celebrate Valentine’s Day on the 15th. It was SUCH a fun #adultlife day. We ended up driving 30 minutes to the next town over to go to Costco. We sampled all the samples, bought sauerkraut, sprouted bread and eggs and then trekked over to Trader Joe’s to pick up stuff for our dinner. 

Weirdly enough, we have always loved going to different grocery stores together. I think it is due to the fact that the first year of our relationship was long distance – so grocery shopping together felt like one of the more “normal” things that we could do. 

Lastly, we stopped in at Total Wine! They do samplings there on the weekend and we love looking at all of the different wines. We also needed to look for a certain type of brush/something in order to clean our wine decanter.

Don’t have a decanter? 1 MILLION PERCENT recommend! It absolutely changes the flavor and deepens it. Even with the cheapest bottle, haha! This decanter* is the one that I bought Ben for his birthday – a good price and they had amazing customer service!

*This is an affiliate link – basically, this means that I will earn a small commission if you click the link, love the shelves as much as I do and purchase them. Thank you for continuing to support Our Balanced Bowl!

We ended up heading back home and starting on dinner. We made steak that we bought at Trader Joes, roasted garlic mashed potatoes and homemade mac and cheese! Yes, I’m aware that the picture is like super not good but I still love it. I wanted not to focus on my phone for once and just enjoy the moment 🙂

I also ended up spontaneously making lava cakes for 2 which made both my heart and stomach happy. It was a lovely night. I love my husband and I love love! 

March Goals 

I’m SO looking forward to March and the start of Spring. I want to begin walking more! Call me a 65 year old if you want, but I absolutely love walking! It’s a great form of exercise and my husband and I always produce our best business ideas as we walk through our neighborhood. 

Not to mention, after March, weather in NC shoots up to literally unbearable heat so I need to get it in when I can. 

Another personal goal I have is to create a more organized/productive schedule for myself during the work week. I find myself getting up early, but then after doing my Bible Study, eating breakfast and showering, I’m not getting to work until 9:30-10! While it’s great to have that ability to make my own schedule, I need to get started earlier/cultivate a better work schedule. 

I read somewhere on Instagram that productive mornings make for present evenings. That’s my goal! 

Do you have any goals this upcoming Month? Did you have a good February? Tell me what you did for Valentine’s Day! Thanks so much for reading, y’all. Lots of love! – Haylie

Did you enjoy this post? Here are a few others you might like: 

Favorite Trader Joe’s Items + Grocery Shopping Tips 

Maintaining a Lifestyle Change 

Thank you so much for following along here, friends! Want to see more? Be sure to follow ourbalancedbowl on Instagram and tag me with your photo if you end up making a recipe! You can also post a photo of your recipe to the Our Balanced Bowl Facebook page! I always love to see your re-creations! If you do make a recipe, it would make my whole day if you were to rate and comment so I can get your feedback! Lots of love! – Haylie