February Top 10
Recapping the month
In some ways I can’t believe next week is March and in others it feels like March will never come. It’s been a long winter and a long year already for a variety of reasons.
As a way of reflecting on the month, I’ve started making “Ins and Outs” list and a list of Top 10 things. I hope I find these helpful if, in the future, I’m asked about what happened in February 2026, because goodness knows I’m finding it difficult enough to remember what happened when!
Here are my February Top 10, a true mixture of everything from this month. February’s Ins and Outs to come in an upcoming post.
Meal planning: Something I always mean to do, rarely ever do, and always feel grateful for when I do. With multiple blizzards already this year, meal planning was essential to make sure we could literally eat. I’ll strive to keep this going under less treacherous conditions.
Taking a few days for you: I had one of my first work trips in years this month and while I love traveling with my family, it was really relaxing to be at the airport by myself, have the window seat, and get to watch whatever I wanted on TV :) And it was so nice to be relatively unencumbered by only my own luggage!
Donni kick flares: I bought these after many months of seriously considering them and I have to say I LOVE them. They are perfect for working from home but also for going out—I loved dressing them up with a great sweater and a silk scarf for my work event in LA.
Really good shirts: I’ve noticed my style slowly shifting this year to incorporate more shirts and jackets, which I’ve always felt were too “much” for me in previous years. (Is being less reticent about things feels like? If so, bring it on!) Both Ann Mashburn and With Nothing Underneath sent me new shirts this month. I’ve sung their praises before, but let me do so again—both brands have the attention to detail I demand in my clothing—properly placed buttonholes with excellent buttons (Trocas shell); French seams; and USABLE and properly-proportioned cuffs. They actually FIT women’s bodies, not just the bodies of mannequins. I strongly urge you to try them out if you’ve always felt you weren’t a shirt person.
Reading poetry: When was the last time you read a poem, either to yourself or out loud? I’ve been trying to read at least one poem a day and my life has improved immeasurably. I often find myself chanting lines to myself, appreciating the rhythm and cadence of the lines as I go about my day.
Recuerdo by Edna St. Vincent Millay
Revisiting touchstones: Over the years I’ve accumulated quotes, photos, articles, images, and so on of things that are particularly meaningful to me. It’s been enlightening to me to revisit them sometimes decades later, tracing the path from the person I was to the person I am now. I’m starting to keep these on a private Pinterest board so they’re all in one place.
Living a life of meaning, purpose, and consequence: whether that has a broader global affect or my life impacts just my community, or just my family, I constantly strive to leave the world a better place than I found it.
Not making excuses for bad behavior: Adding onto point 7, I feel like we as a society constantly make allowances for when people behave badly. I’m done with that. It takes up too much time, mental energy, and only creates stress in my life and in the lives of others. Enough is enough. If you feel like something is wrong, it probably is. And here’s the thing—you do not need to go along with people behaving badly, even if it is uncomfortable in the moment to stand up. I feel like women especially are taught not to go along with things in order not to offend. It doesn’t have to be that way. Don’t be remembered for laughing along or staying silent. I’m proud of the people I know who have done this, whether it’s on a small or large stage. It’s hard, but it gets easier every time you do.1
Cultural context: I had a great visit with my high school history teacher, a woman who had a huge impact on my life and the person I am today. One of the things that was particularly amazing in her class was how immersive everything was. During our unit on the Vietnam War, we delved into the culture of the time, from music to present-day newspaper articles to film to books. It’s changed the way I think about history and also how I experience the present day.
Keeping a record: Whether you’re keeping a personal record of your life in a journal or your agenda, or writing a newsletter, or something else, having something to look back in the future has always appealed to me. I’m trying to be more dedicated in writing down what’s happening to me and to the world.
In the meantime…
I try to post here on Substack a few times a week. Between posts, you can find me on ShopMy, Instagram, LTK, and Pinterest.
If you are shopping and need a discount code, mine are below! (And some of these are stackable with sales…!)
NEW:
Susanne Kaufmann 15% off with FEWERANDBETTER15
Le Prunier 15% off with FEWERANDBETTER15
Abby Alley 15% off your order with SARAH15
Aurate 20% off your order with FEWERANDBETTER20
CampSnap 5% off with FEWERANDBETTER5
The Checkroom $100 off your purchase with FEWERBETTER100
Dempsey & Carroll 10% off your purchase with SARAHC
Faherty 20% off with SARAH20
Figlia 20% off with FEWERANDBETTER20
Finding Ferdinand 10% off with FEWERANDBETTER10
Frame 15% off non-sale items with FEWER15
Koba 20% off with FEWERANDBETTER20
Lake & Skye 15% off with FEWERANDBETTER15
La Ligne 10% off your first order with FEWERBETTER10
Laundry Sauce 15% off your order with FEWERANDBETTER15
Loup 15% off with FEWERANDBETTER15
Lunya 20% off with FEWERANDBETTERBLOG
March Hare 20% off your purchase with FEWERBETTER20
Material 20% off your purchase with FANDBMATERIAL
MM LaFleur 15% off with FEWERANDBETTER
Nelle Atelier 15% off with FEWERANDBETTER15
Nori 15% off with FEWERANDBETTER15
Soludos 20% off your order with FEWERANDBETTER20
Highly recommend reading this op-ed from years ago now—but it’s one I find myself revisiting almost weekly. (Gift link to read the article.)