As this is the last week of February, I thought I’d take a page out of Emily P. Freeman’s book, “The Next Right Thing,” and share a few things that I love and/or are working for me as I reflect on this month.

1. Listening to Podcasts. There are so many great podcasts out there, but I have a few favorites that I listen to throughout the week during my commute to work.
   • The Next Right Thing – Always food for thought
   • The Big Boo Cast – Just because it makes me smile
   • Feel Better. Live Free. – All things healthy eating and lifestyle change
   • The Pour Over Today – I love this quick 10-minute rundown of the news from a Christian perspective

2. Audible. And on my commute home from work, I love to listen to audiobooks . Lately, I have been intrigued by some true story / memoir-type books.
   • Dinner for Vampires – Fascinating story of actress Bethany Joy Lentz’s and how she ended up in a cult. Warning – there is some language in this, but I love that the author is reading it.
   • Counting the Cost – The story regarding the well-known Duggar family and their daughter Jill’s view of the TLC show and how she broke free from that situation.

3. Increasing my steps each day. We all know being active and walking is good for our health and mental/emotional well-being. I got off track around the holidays, but I’m back to setting a step goal each week and making it happen. My family has made more than a few jokes about my “pacing” around the house at night to get in those last few steps to meet my goal, but it is working for me!

4. Paper Planner. After a few years of not using a paper planner, I found “Plum Paper” and ordered a planner last year. I loved it so much, I did it again this year. I have been using it consistently to stay on track with my writing goals and other things. Being able to personalize it is a game changer!

5. Making a Menu. When my husband and I sat down to review our spending from last year, our mouths dropped when we realized how much we were spending on eating out. In all fairness, we both have demanding full-time jobs that require after-hours support most days, and we still have two young adults and a teenager in the house. But we knew we needed to make changes. So, I’ve been working hard to make a menu, order groceries online, and be better prepared each week. I use a cute menu board (similar to this one) to list the meals for the week so everyone knows what we are eating and what night we will eat out. It’s not perfect, but it definitely is helping our budget.

6. Saying the word “should” less. I recently made a quick post on Facebook about how the word “should” (you can read it here) is causing a lot of pressure in my life and how I’m trying to frame that differently and replace it with “could.” So many people have resonated with that post. Here’s to changing our thinking.

7. A New Hand Lotion. I found this wonderful hand lotion at a cute little boutique in town, and I love it! I got the lemon scent, and it has quickly become a favorite.

8. Prayer Journal. I’ve been using Beth Moore’s “Practical Steps to Intimacy with God” prayer journal for a few weeks now. It’s a nice change from my normal routine and has helped me be more focused on praying for others during my quiet time.

9. Trying Something New. I went to a “card class” with some dear friends. One of our friends uses her creative skills to design a few cards and then puts all the supplies together so we can follow her model and make our cards. I’m not very crafty, so I loved that she had an “example” for us. It was great fun and something I will do again. Plus, it is just fun getting together with a wonderful group of women who can laugh at themselves and each other!

10. Farm Fresh Eggs. If you don’t have an “egg dealer” (that is what my kids call it), find you one. My dear friend is determined to change the chicken industry by sharing her knowledge about the horrors of chicken/egg factories. And she also sells farm fresh eggs that I can’t get enough of. (And doesn’t she have the cutest egg cartons?)

So those are just a few things I’m loving this month and are working for me. How about you? What is working or something you just loved this February?

(p.s. Some [not all] of the links in this post are affiliate links meaning I make a very small commission on them)