February 2013 Non-Beauty Favorites

February is such a weird fellow - it sneaks up on you with its dreary weather counteracted by pink hearts and chocolate-dipped strawberries, and then it's all gone before you know it. I think I'm glad it's over though; it was quite a challenging month for me and I'm getting really, really ready for springtime showers & sunshine.

As you may remember (and I'm sure you do, I'm just being annoying), I decided not to make any beauty purchases during the whole month; it helps a little that February is so short, right? I'm pleased to announce that I persevered and that my stash not only did not grow but actually shrank considerably within the last couple weeks, thanks to a more scrupulous pruning and generous gift-giving I resorted to. I've also worked on better organizing solutions for my collection and that's definitely a big favorite for the month. I've revamped my jewelry organization too using a good ol' corkboard method; while I dislike having all my accessories clutter on display, it really works in terms of my utilizing my things more and freeing up some space in my vanity drawer.

I'm very sorry to inflict my skeletal hand on you - I could not be a hand model to save my life. Still, this photo was the best of the bunch...

The only thing that I did buy for myself in the entire month was a sterling silver Count Me Healthy bracelet by Chelsea Charles. I will admit that they are quite overpriced for what they are (although I purchased mine with a discount) but it's a really universal basic piece that also has a practical function apart from just looking pretty; it does actually remind me to drink my water more often. Hurray for staying hydrated!

Possibly the biggest highlight of the month was seeing Cirque du Soleil's Amaluna; ever since we saw their classic show Mystère in Vegas last year, we've been big fans of the troupe. Amaluna was a wonderful 2-hour experience tha made me feel like a little girl again, devouring the wondrous acts with my own saucer-sized eyes; although I have to admit I'm never a big fan of the clowns. The costumes, stage, music, choreography and acrobatics, of course, were all first class though. If you're in the Seattle area, book your tickets, you won't be disappointed!

For some more entertainment favorites, in January we started watching a classic 90's sitcom series, 'Frasier'. It's an incredibly funny and smart TV show, even more so for Seattlites, as it pinpoints the little quirks of the city's inhabitants amazingly well. If you've never heard about it, 'Frasier' is centered on the life of Dr. Frasier Crane, a radio psychiatrist, and his family. The show manages to capture the beauty of 'intellectual hypocrisy': while Frasier, with all his psychiatric background, is able to provide great advice to his radio callers, he fails to follow those same principles in his everyday life. Both me and Mr. love it!

Also, thanks to Sandra from '15 steps, then a beauty blog', I discovered a new EP album I've been listening to a lot this month: 'Sea' by Roosevelt. The second song on the album, Soleil, is definitely a firm favorite, and I wish the band came out with a full length album so that I could listen to more of their music. I've also taken to drinking a sleepy time tea this month before bed, and so far, Yogi's Bedtime is the best I've tried: it has a hint of sweetness to it and it feels relaxing and refreshing at the same time. Great for winding down at the end of the day.

I'm already looking foward to March as I'll finally be able to purchase a small but luxurious beauty bit I've had my beady eye on for a long time now, and we have also planned a weekend getaway to San Francisco in a couple weeks time. How has February been for you? Care to share any favorites?