Field Notes: February
things I did, wore, used & read in February!
Thinking about February in the middle (almost end??) of March is a real trip, but I wrote down on a to-do list that I would write this little recap every month this year, and I might be late but I won’t skip it altogether.
February went by in a flash — for our family it was filled with lots of skiing, an alarming number of plays and re-plays of the Wicked soundtrack, a plethora of illnesses - none of which were too bad individually, but all together felt like weeks upon weeks of at least one child feeling crappy or sleeping crappy, some exciting milestones at work, fun adventures over a winter vacation that didn’t include a big trip, and a countdown to spring.
On the Calendar…
I’ve shared a bit about this before in this piece - but a big thing on our calendar this winter has been skiing. My older two kids have been skiing (at least) every Sunday this winter, and' it’s been such a hit with them that my son basically ended up skipping a full season of basketball because he never wanted to leave the ski area in time to make his basketball team practices (hopefully I will eventually stop feeling guilty about this, but in a scheduling snafu we ended up with back-to-back activities and that was a mistake!)
Skiing as a family really unlocked winter for us, and it’s been amazing to watch my kids develop skills and a passion for it, and of course, doing it all together has been a blast. I can’t wait until next year when my youngest can get into ski school too!
We made a long weekend out of it over February vacation and explored Bromley which was a huge success. It was such a great place to ski with kids and fun area to be in for skiiers and non-skiiers alike! A winter long weekend with seven kids and six adults is sort of like one long continuous chaos dinner, but also, seriously SO FUN. I already can’t wait for our next weekend away together!
I know there is this whole world of ski fashion and fancy ski things, and I love it so much, but also want to tell you/confess that I am not a super fashionable skiier. I really care about function and being warm more than anything else, and in the grand scheme of spending, I don’t allocate a ton of my budget towards ski stuff (unless we’re talking about having great boots/skiis/helmet/etc.) Let’s normalize it! That said, next year, when I know I’ll ski most weekends because all my kids will be in ski school…I’m coming for you Halfdays!
When we haven’t been skiing, we’ve continued our visit to many museums on the weekends, including the Museum of Science, our local kids Museum, and a special school-vacation week trip to the Museum of Ice Cream in Boston which was a real treat and we all really loved!
I closed out the month with a weekend solo with my kiddos while my husband escaped for a golf weekend with friends. Being the only parent for a period of time is tiring, but also a great way to get some extra special time in with my kids, and a way to make sure I am super focused and “in it” with them (no time for a phone scroll when I’m the only one in charge!).
My biggest tip for these weekends is to have some fun things planned that you are really looking forward to! On Friday afternoon, I wrapped up work early and took my older two kids with me to get manicures to kick off the weekend. On Saturday morning, instead of cooking breakfast for everyone, we walked to the Dunkin Donuts a few blocks from our house for breakfast and everyone had donuts and bagels (and I had hot coffee!) and then we went to a local farm to visit baby sheep and goats that had just been born and see all different parts of a working farm. This was actually incredible - while we were there a baby goat was born and we got to watch it. We met up with friends at a local cafe for lunch and then my amazing girlfriends insisted that everyone come over to our house for a chaos dinner so that I wouldn’t have to lug the kids to a restaurant or someone else’s house by myself, but also so that I didn’t have to be alone — they are the best!
My final tip — getting time away from your kids with friends is part of a healthy partnership and a healthy parenthood experience. I want my husband to have weekends like this just as much as I want to have weekends like that for myself. We both deserve them and we both get them (and, when we leave, we both do little things to make the whole experience just a little easier for the person who is holding down the fort at home - not because we have to or can’t do it without it, but because it’s a way we show gratitude and love for each other!)
Wearing…
I made it through all of February (and January) without buying any new clothes. I’m proud of myself for this - it was both much needed and a big accomplishment. I have a great winter wardrobe, and next year, as the weather cools down again I know I will be on the lookout for another winter coat, some more non-jean pants that I can wear to work and a new pair of boots, those are three key pieces that I know I can and should add to my wardrobe when I find the right ones!
Despite the cold of February, I wore a lot of the Donni Silky Pants - a bias cut silk pant has become a cornerstone of my wardrobe - I wear them for work, I wear them casually on the weekend, and I wear them for fun evenings out. I get so much wear out of them, in fact, that I am considering investing in the 100% silk style in black. Or, maybe I’ll go for the La Ligne Colby? Either way, a pair of black silk or silky pants is on my wardrobe wish list!
I was insanely fortunate to be gifted the La Ligne Marin V-Neck Sweater, and so, I wore it on repeat, as one does. One of my most favorite sweaters in the crew neck (I have it already in the cardigan, periwinkle and cream crewneck, and green crewneck) the V-neck is a nice way to switch things up, and I’ve been getting a ton of wear of out it. (PS the cornflower blue colorway is BEYOND). I get a lot of questions about whether it pills, and the answer is — it does — sweaters made with natural fibers do pill! BUT, I find that I get the most pilling after the first couple of wears, and if I address the initial pilling with a sweater shaver (I have this one and it’s expensive but baby does it work! PS - I bought this myself), it makes a huge difference and then I just shave it from time to time when I notice it really needs it. If you’re considering a La Ligne purchase, you can use my code CHRISTINA10 for 10% off!
This is just one outfit that I really loved and will repeat for sure. I don’t always feel like myself with blazers, I’m pretty particular about them, but this was a great reminder of the variety of ways that you can style one (including as a shirt!) and I felt really great in this!
A peek at a very typically “weekend mom” outfit for me. Long-sleeve button-down of some kind (in this case layered with something underneath), with a pair of legging-like but not legging pants, and sneakers.
Using & Loving
Winter skin is just a bit of a drag. Most days, I have easy skin - pretty clear, pretty normal, not too tricky, but every one in awhile, especially in wintertime, it gives me a run for my money and gets so insanely dry. My main fix? Aquaphor — when in doubt, that’s what I use. A couple other things I have in my rotation and that I like:
I’ve been enjoying this YSE Brightening / Dark Spot correcting cream - I sometimes use it during the day and sometimes use it over tret at night. It’s very easy on your skin, which I love.
I am not very particular about my cleansers, but it drives me completely insane when your basic face wash doesn’t get eye makeup off. I don’t want a two step cleanse, I want the face wash I use to work. Enter the Outset Cleaner - it is simple, gentle, has good packaging that you can travel with, and actually removes eye makeup!
I continue to be obsessed with the Innbeauty Extreme Cream, and most days I wear it morning and night!
Wearing Setting Spray Everyday: In January I wrote about wearing setting spray almost everyday, and just as I ran out of the one I was using, I was gifted this from Refy. I’ve been using it everday, and I love it (I’ve also been pairing it with this primer, and even though I’m not a big face/skin makeup person, I have noticed that it makes a huge difference in the way my concealer goes on!)
Speaking of other things that I wear everyday - I am very particular about my eyebrow products. I also tried the Refy Brow Tint, and I love that it deposits the perfect amount of color and hold.
On the hair front, I know I owe everyone a hair routine, and someday I will get to it. In the meantime - what I’m using is all here. And, recently, I added the Epres Bond Repair treatment into my routine, and I’ve been really happy with the results. Specifically, extra silkiness, smoothness, and a longer-lasting blowout. It’s great. I typically apply the night before I plan to wash & style my hair in the AM for maximum benefit!
Reading (and listening!)
I am in a bit of a reading slump. I haven’t read anything that I loved in a long time, and I haven’t been reading as much as I usually do (or like to). I did listen to Margot’s Got Money Problems and Deep End, and I liked both of them (for very different reasons!)
I’m hopeful to get into a better reading routine in the spring, since it’s something I love and I’ve really been missing!
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I have been loving wearing sillky pants to bed everynight but they are pajamas so of course they wrinkle. Do you find yourself having to steam the ones you have before each wearing? I'm extremely lazy...
Family skiing is so much fun! Bought the Half Days Lawrence jacket for a trip out west last month. So practical yet so cute! It worked great for both cold and warmer days. Loved the hood fits over your ski helmet. Plus goggle wipe and phone leash. Highly recommend.