The Weekly, 02.01.2021

Happy Birthday month to me! Today marks the start of February, my favorite month, because of my birthday, of course, but also because it’s the shortest month of the year. After the holidays, I often feel a sense of sadness because they are over, and then when you’re hit with the brutal cold of January, it’s nice to feel a reason for excitement in what could otherwise be one of the most difficult points of the year, even if it’s just to celebrate your own birthday.

Last year, Chris and I celebrated my 30th in Antigua, and while we certainly aren’t headed to any tropical destination (very confused by the people I see online who are…), we did rent a house for a few days upstate, in the middle of nowhere, with some friends, and I am super excited for a change of scenery. Not only is it hard to believe that we won’t be doing any major travel during our upcoming breaks, as we usually do, but it’s also hard to believe we are coming up on a year in this reality. I am not sure that will ever be less shocking in insane feeling.

We are supposed to be getting a big snowstorm today and tomorrow, and honestly, I am kind of looking forward to it. I feel like we so rarely get real snow anymore, that I am kind of eager to have that cozy, stuck inside feeling, despite the fact that I have to work, of course. I wished it had snowed over the weekend, when I left the house only to walk the dog and go to the pharmacy. I ended up digging into the new season of This Is Us, which I really really enjoyed. And I also decided to check out, Bling Empire, which is supposed to be a real life version of Crazy Rich Asians, and for me, it was definitely a pass. That didn’t stop me from watching four episodes, but I can’t say I recommend.

Maybe it’s the weather but all I am gravitating towards is cozy clothes. I made such an effort to get myself into real clothes every day, but I am slowly relinquishing control. I’ve been having a major thing for quarter-zip sweatshirts since I got one from Mango a few months ago (similar one here). And then I stumbled upon this brand Varley, and now I am down a serious rabbit hole with all of their cute sweater and sweatshirts. I love this classic knit version, just as much as I like this sweatshirt version. I also have my eye on this version from Good American, who recently released a very basic line of sweats. And then there’s this sportier version from lululemon that just looks premium. I think I see a little birthday gift to myself in my future…

You know that I have obsession with shackets – I just love how versatile they are, and so easy to throw on on top of anything. In some recent browsing I stumbled upon this gorgeous blend between a cardigan and a shacket, and it. is. stunning. I really love both the camel and the white, and think it would be a great WFH outfit option. Comfy but chic.

Do you spend every fall through winter season looking for the right pair of boots to buy for winter, almost completely missing the winter season because you can’t find the right pair? I feel like that is me, every winter. I can never find boots that I think will look good, will be good for this or for that, and then I get all the way to the end and either end up with something I don’t actually wear, or with nothing at all. Despite the fact that I rarely wear shoes these days, since I don’t leave the house, I shouldn’t be looking, but then I came across these stunning boots from Loeffler Randall…I am in love. The color, the cut, the toe-shape, and the rubber sole are just all so perfect. These are 100% on my wishlist.

To be honest, I think my most worn shoes right now are definitely sneakers. On the rare chance I do leave my home, I often grab the thing that is most comfortable to walk in. I most definitely have an ever-growing sneaker collection, especially as a teacher, and these might just have to be next on my list. I am oddly into a velcro strap, and I love the neutral colors of this pair from Veja. I also have my eye on a pair of high-top sneakers with a side-zipper, and I love this snakeskin pair from P448, a brand that mimics the Golden Goose look with a slightly less intimidating price tag.

I’m reading a lot about double-masking with the newer strains of the virus circulating, and feel like my masks have become like socks – I am losing them in the wash. I wanted something that I could double layer for protection if I need to, and pick up these tie-dye cotton masks from Everlane to see how they fit behind the ears, as I am finding some of the elastic are pulling on the back of my ears when I am wearing them for a full-day on the days I go into the building for work. Feeling like I could layer this over a medical mask, or layer two of these should I need to.

On the list of random items I bought on Amazon this week are these hair clips that I saw Krista Robertson talking about. I like to clip my hair up when I sleep to prevent frizz, breakage, and oils on my pillows, but I have a hard time finding something that is going to stay in place all night. I can definitely say that I love these clips from Drybar, and I definitely think they do the job well. I also re-upped on the hands-down best no-show socks from Amazon; these are truly the only stocks that say up in my sneakers.

I’ve slowly but surely been making my way through some of the half-empty products in my skincare accumulation, and have been trying not to buy anything new. But then I saw Brooklyn Blonde post about how impressed she is by this brand I had never heard of – BeautyRx – and their Peel and Glow + Vitamin C serum duo. Well, you know that was an instant add-to-cart moment, and I’ll be trying that out over the next few weeks. I am personally more of a daytime Vitamin C user, but this one is for the nighttime routine, so I’ll be adding that in and keeping you posted. I take BB’s skincare recommendations very seriously.

Lots of people say that educators are the most patient people. And while that might be true at my job, it’s most definitely not at home or when I order things online. I never thought I would be into pre-ordering books, but this week I’ve done it not once, but twice. I pre-ordered Amanda Gorman’s upcoming poetry collection, The Hill We Climb, and a book my mom shared some buzz with me about, Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family – a book about a real family of ten children, six of which were diagnosed with schizophrenia. Very all over the place with my reading, but committing to try and bring myself back to physical book reading at night instead of screen time. Looking forward to their arrival, and testing my patience.

I have two goals for this week – the first is to attempt some lower-impact workouts this week, as I’ve been noticing exercise to be a bit of a headache trigger over the last few weeks, and I am thinking I might need to switch things up. I am adding these ankle/arm weight bracelets to my cart tonight so I can kick things off with some pilates ASAP. My other goal is to bring my paintings (above) I finally finished this week to get framed – a goal that requires leaving the house, so a bit of motivation required. Either way, I am looking forward to a snowy start to the week, and the beginning of my favorite winter month and our upcoming tiny getaway.

Thanks for shopping my blog post! For transparency, some of the links from this post may be affiliated, which means that I may make a small commission off of any purchases made when using these links. I only share what I love on Pretty Busy Brooklyn, and appreciate your support.