The Catch Up, Vol 2. ✿

My monthly note, February

Mar 02, 2025

Welcome back to “The Catch Up”! I thought it would be fun once a month to do a post with all-the-things we would talk about over Marco Polo or coffee if we were IRL! Books I’d beg you to read, tech tips I’ve learned, show's I’ve watched, new obsessions, and something to love about the current season.

I just finished my February monthly Chatbook, and dang. NO WONDER WHY I’M SO TIRED! lol. The end of January and all of February was a very full time for our family. Mostly because our three big kids all have birthdays, but that is just the tip of the ice burg. There was church league basketball, a Christian Women’s Conference (I’ve been going to for almost 10 years!), a fundraising luncheon for our favorite non profit, trips to see our new nephew, and Valentines day.

Somehow in the middle of all that, I managed to have a one on one date with each of my four kids, and one with my husband. We made all sorts of yummy new afternoon snacks, spent lots of time reading by the fireplace, and afternoons around the table with watercolor. I’m proud that I also started my daily walks back up now that I’m 6+ weeks post-op hysterectomy surgery.

However the biggest feat was hosting not one, but two birthday parties at my house this month. My 8 year old had a “Valentines themed” cookie decorating party with 12 of her friends on actual Valentines day. It was all things pink, candy, girly, and what 8 year old dreams are made of. My 13 year old daughter hosted her very first sleepover with her few closest friends. We had a blast with all the fun details- these cute color changing cups, a popcorn bar, dreamy movie set up, cruising around with fun music, cake, dinner out and lots of laughter.

I think I need a nap now, but until then…grab a homemade latte or iced coffee, and lets get down to this months catch-up!

✿Books I Read and Loved this Month

Our book club book this month was “The Wedding People”, and I was obsessed with it. Even though I had a dozen questions and prompts for our time together, I could keep talking about it. I’m thinking about doing a “podcast” Substack post just talking about my favorite books so far in 2025! Until then, here’s my list from this month.

✿Obsessed with ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Wedding People by Allison Espach
Here Be Dragons: Treading the Deep Waters of Motherhood, Mean Girls, and Generational Trauma by Melanie Shankle

✿L-O-V-E-D⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Fall Risk by Abby Jiminez
Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
When in Rome by Sarah Adams

✿Liked⭐️⭐️⭐️

Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle

✿Learned something / from someone 🤍

Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
The House of my Mother by Shari Franke
Feeding the Mouth that Bites You by Kenneth Wilgus

✿Didn’t finish 😜

This is a Love Story by Jessica Soffer

✿Shows I Watched and Loved this Month

Last month this list was huge because I was knee deep in recovery mode, and now that I am back on my feet this list has shrunk. I still love sharing fun shows!

Sweet Magnolias - Netflix - I have loved this sweet wholesome show about three best friends who live in a small Southern town. Give me best friends, family, small town, and small business and I”m in. It’s not totally “bingeable” this season, so I’m still not done, but I enjoy it.
Scamanda- Hulu- I heard so much about this story from the popular podcast that came out a few years ago. It’s about a young Christian mother who faked her own cancer and it’s mind blowing!
The Bachelor - ABC/Hulu- Yes, I am still watching this show. I have only missed a season or two since I was a junior in high school (that was in 2001). Maybe I should be embarrassed about this, but this is my comfort show. I mostly have it on when I’m doing other things now.
Love is Blind - Netflix- I have only watched a few episdoes of this new season, but it’s still a fun comfort show. I mostly love watching them fall in love in the pods, and then I get bored lol.

✿Seasonal family rhythm list

If you read my “Family Binder” post, you saw this idea to create a google doc for monthly to-do’s that are specific to each month. This helps with my mental load sooooo much! It’s a “decide once” (thank you, Lazy Genius) type of principal. So each month I’ll give you a peak into what’s on my monthly list. I hope it encourages you to think about and start building your own!

Spring cleaning : room by room
Clean up outdoor plants / replant
Switch out clothes in closets
Order/chose girls Easter dresses
Get Easter basket gifts
Decorate for spring in the house
Delete, Sort, Organize monthly pics on google photos
Order monthly Chatbook

✿Tech Tip

This might be old news to many of you, but in case you haven’t taken advantage of it : Did you know you can “speed up” texts? I love to voice text my friends, but I often get long winded. So now I just teach everyone how to speed me up. Just hold down the actual voice text and this button will pop up! If it doesn’t work, make sure your iPhone software is updated.

✿Phone note to start

If I haven’t said it enough, I am obsessed with iPhone “Notes”. I want to share an idea with you every month of a note you can start! I wrote a whole post this month about phone note ideas!

✿Newly obsessed with….

My air fryer! How have I never had one of these before? My sisters heard me say I didn’t have one, so guess what my secret Santa brought me for Christmas? I am amazed. I started using it at first for leftovers (yummmm), and frozen kid food. Now I’m getting more creative! We are all in love with these air fryer “bagel pizzas”. We also did salmon in there this week when we didn’t have time to fire up the grill, and we loved them even more than on the grill!

If you have yummy things you make in your air fryer - please tell us in the comments!

✿Things to love about “still winter, but almost spring” season

I am obsessed with the seasons, and I thought it would be encouraging to share some things to love about whichever season we are in. There ARE things to love about each and every season. Even in these "in between” seasons.