10 ways to make it a fantastic February
1. Keep rocking out Winter Shape Up! This has been my favorite challenge on the blog EVER -I hope yours, too!!- and I’m blown away by all of your dedication and hard work. Keep it up, and don’t forget to check in each morning for your chance to win some awesome prizes.
2. Do something good for your ticker. Your heart is your most important muscle- it works hard for you all day, so do something to make it happy. Whether it consists of smaller but very important goals, like getting in regular cardio sessions, managing stress and paying attention to heart-heallthy foods, to making an appointment to get your heart health assessed, endeavor to take care of your ticker. Make these steps things that you can maintain, long after February is gone.
3. Shower those you love with LOVE! Make a list of random acts of kindness you’d like to do this month and make it happen. For me, I’ll definitely be surprising Starbucks cars behind us more often- such a small and fun way to make someone’s day-and also taking steps to plan more date nights with a certain very busy Pilot.
4. Rock red lipstick. It can seem a little daunting at first, but there’s a color out there to flatter every skin tone. My favorite is this one:
5. Prioritize and don’t be afraid to say no. There are less days in the month of February, and for me it always feels like a little less time to get more done. I’ve been streamlining my to-do list a lot lately, focusing on the important things, and also saying “no” when I need to. You don’t have to do everything, all the time, and if your gut is telling you that it’s too much… listen.
6. Love your body. Maybe take a second to embrace your not-so-favorite features and focus on the things you love, your strength and your health. It’s never a bad moment to be grateful, and try to make a conscious effort this month to fully love and be kind to yourself.
7. Make some Valentine’s plans. Valentine’s Day was a liiiiiittle fuzzy for me last year, since we had a 4-week old baby and hadn’t slept more than 3 hours in a row. Even though I vaguely remember it, we drank a little wine, ate takeout and chocolate and it was perfect.This year I’m excited to spend the day with my little Valentine and maybe enjoy dinner somewhere nice with her daddy 🙂 Plan a fun dinner party with girlfriends, go see a movie with your mom or sis, or treat yourself to something you love, whether it’s a spa treatment, outdoor hike, long glorious nap, or new fitness class.
8. Try making your own sangria! For even better results, make it the day before and event or party (or Tuesday?) to let all of the flavors to beautifully merge.
9. Scope out spring fitness events and start training. Enlist some friends to join in the fun 🙂
10. Watch your all-time favorite chick flick over the Valentine’s season. Mine: Dirty Dancing but there are so many that I love (Moulin Rouge, Return to Me, Pretty Woman, Love Actually…)
What are you doing to make it a Fantastic February? All-time fave chick flick?
Winter Shape Up friends: check in for Workout #2 and enter today’s giveaway here!
You might also like:
50 Comments
Leave a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
LOVEly list! I especially like #9 – thanks for the inspiration!
Love the pic of you and Pilot 😀 Hope you guys have an amazing Valentines this year since you wont be sleep deprived. Since we are in a combined phase 1/phase 2 next week we are going to spend the long weekend in Charlotte 😀 We sooo need a date night esp with our upcoming deployments.
Yumm that chicken kebob looks sooooooooo good. Makes me want to grill out tonight 😀
I love the random acts of kindness point. I have a couple friends back home who could use some love. I think some kindness will be coming their way in the shape of USPS 😉
Those are some GREAT tips to have an awesome month!
This month I’m focusing on being grateful. February is such a hard month for me to get through, so I am doing morning affirmations in the car on what I’m grateful for. This morning to help re-enforce this, I posted it on facebook!
I really like the idea of random acts of kindness. I already do this for the hubby and family. So I’m going to keep working on this. I haven’t been getting along as well as desired with in-laws, so I’ve been sending messages of positive love randomly. I would also like to do something for my students, so I’ll keep that in mind but it’s going to be something non-materialistic.
I’m loving the winter workouts. I have a hard time doing or getting excited about cardio when the weather is cold. So I’m doing interval sets HIGH intensity like amanda russell and bodyrock. And I am sweating every time you require cardio. But I’m also trying to meet a personal 25 hours of yoga goal so that’s taking a lot of my exercise time. I love your toning stuff too! It makes me sweat and tones…awesome!
I love the one that reminds us to love our bodies. It is so easy for women to criticize ourselves and I think this is a great reminder to love what we have. I am hoping February will great because we are taking a trip to Tahoe next week over Valentines Day.
Great list! I love the sangria idea especially.
Dirty moment of the day: I thought #3 said shower WITH those you love hahaha. Oops, clearly didn’t finish my coffee yet. Love these posts though Gina, keep them coming. And I also loveee that you made a video with the workout moves for this week’s winter shape up! It helped so much!
I thought #3 said that too! Funny!
hahah, that too 🙂
My all time favorite chick flick is The Notebook. Ryan Gosling, no other explanation needed haha.
Gina I have to make your sangria recipe, it looks delish!
Love the list! I especially love that you looked at all of February, as I find many people just focus on Valentine’s Day- which makes it lonely for those that don’t have that “Special someone”.
I’m almost 30 and still to nervous to rock red lipstick!
I love your monthly lists! This month I will be getting ready for a half-marathon and trying to eat a little better. My husband and I are opting to spend valentine’s day with our 2-year-old daughter and maybe catch an early dinner as a family. No use trying to find someone single to babysit! All time fav chick-flick? Can’t decide.. but LOVE When Harry Met Sally, City of Angels, and Love Actually.
Love this list! One of our local movie theaters is playing Moulin Rouge next week for $5, so I think I’ll be dragging the hubby to see it on the big screen.
My favorite though is Love Actually. I watch it all the time!
Red lipstick!! Thank you for reminding me!! I have to in my pocket every day and just never dare to use it. Bah.
And I love the random act of kindness thing. Especially in this time of year we have such a long period of grey, cold and rainy weather therefore some smiles are truly needed.
Love your list – needed a little pick-me up today and I think doing a random act of kindness for someone else might be just the thing!
Favorite chick flick (hard to pick one!) = 27 Dresses
Love these ideas! It’s also fun that not all of them are valentine focused. I’m going to be adding more relaxing yoga evenings into my month to relieve some stress and hep my ticker
Also really loving number 6… Especially as I’m focusing on shaping up for the summer it’s so easy to look at my body negatively when I should be loving on it for helping me kick booty in the gym everyday. This was a much needed reminder 🙂
I’m attempting to make my February fantastic in a few ways! I’m turning 21 this month, so I am trying to create a list of 21 “things” to do while I’m 21! I’m also starting my training for my first half-marathon, AND I joined a CrossFit box that is just starting up in my hometown. Its a month to be very happy about, and one to enjoy immensely!
Great list Gina!!
We are throwing an engagement party in 2 weeks for my brother-in-law and his fiance. Love your sangria recipe, would it work with a dry white wine too? Just curious, we just got a new rug for the living room and serving red wine scares me!
it totally should!!
These are great ideas! I love the idea of surprising cars behind you in the drive thru line at Starbucks – gonna do that one a few times this month!
I have a bottle of wine in the fridge that’s been dying to make sangria.
I’m reading a Nicholas Sparks novel, which I haven’t done since high school!
Fantastic February = WSU!
Chick flick = How to lose a guy in ten days – first movie I ever saw with my husband when we were dating….now I can’t even get him to see chick flicks! Lol
i love these lists– they always make me look forward to the month ahead and feel like it is full of possibilities! I haven’t made my own sangria in far too long so I love that idea and thank you for the reminder of not taking on too much…sometimes I have a hard time with that one!
I love these. I don’t go through the drive-through on principal (I like to get out and walk) but I love the idea of surprising a stranger by buying their coffee. I’ll have to figure out another way to do that 🙂
I would like to add a #11. Paint your nails a fun bright color!
February is kind of that wierd month between really cold and pretty spring weather. So to hold me over until sunshine enters my life again, I am painting my nails a spring-like color. I started last night with a bright pink. It’s already cheered me up:)
i love that idea! feb is the blah in-betweener of winter and spring
LOVE these! This might be my favorite “10 ways to make the month” posts yet!
And my recent favorite “chick flick” is The Silver Linings Playbook (not really a rom com or traditional chick flick, but it’s definitely a must see. Plus Bradley Cooper is easy on the eyes.) 🙂
I definitely plan to continue following winter shapeup! Love it so far. I also like the starbucks idea! Hopefully a date night or two with my fiance will fit in there as well 🙂
Amazing post! I love all of what you said!!!
Pretty Woman is my all time fave chick flick. I own it on DVD and have it saved on my DVR, and yet, anytime it’s on TV, I have to watch it.
February is already fantastic! I’ve had a great start with fitness, so there is no stopping me!
My february is already off to a great start! I just got my drivers license today!!!!! I dont know if my February can get much better!!!!!
whoo hoo! congrats!!
Thank you! A great start to February!! Don’t know how it could get much better!
All time fav chick flicks: The Notebook and Love Actually! Both are so good!
Love Moulin Rouge! I haven’t seen it in forever and I think it’s time to bring it back out!
workout done! whoooo
I love the tip to love your body! So important to do so 🙂 I will be doing the random acts of kindness too! <3 you!
I think any time is the perfect time for random acts of kindness. I always wanted to pay for the car behind me, because that would be a wonderful surprise.
Thank you for the reminder to say “no”! I feel like I’m taking on a lot with school, work and upcoming internship interviews, and it’s getting to be too much to handle!
I love Moulin Rouge and Love Actually! Also The Notebook and You’ve Got Mail are favourites of mine too. 😀
Great list! I love Valentine’s season I don’t know if it’s the glitter I like or the color scheme… or the chocolate. Who am I kidding, it’s definitely the chocolate 😉
Great list of ideas! I especially have to remember and take the time to spend 1:1 time with my hubs. 3 active young kids, working full-time and trying to move leaves little time for romance. Thanks for the tips.
With all due respect, wouldn’t it make more sense to do something for someone REALLY in need – not just pay for the Lexus behind you’s overpriced latte?
i’m not a subscriber to the belief that every act of kindness and charity has to be a huge, grandiose expense and effort. of course i think it’s important to help people who are really in need through fundraisers, events, personal volunteering, etc. but this is just an small act of kindness for someone who may not be “in need” per se, but could use a little pick-me-up.
if you’re in the starbucks line and want to do something nice for someone else, just a little idea.
You drink that simply orange!!! “The factory in Florida where the bulk of Coke’s orange juice products are made sounds less like a bucolic grove where natural things grow than an oil refinery where natural things go to die. And yes, that includes the “Grove Made” variety.”
Time to do a little more healthy eating research?
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/business/2013/01/who-wants-nice-tall-glass-coca-colas-algorithmic-orange-juice/61667/
i don’t drink it everyday.
I love the movie “Valentine’s Day”. I actually just watched it this past weekend and it got me in the spirit for the holiday!
I love, love, LOVE this post!! Thank you! My fiance and I are separated right now (I’m TDY) and February has never been my favorite month anyways- like you said, it’s kind of the short, ho-hum month in between winter and spring- but this gave me a BUNCH of great ideas!!! The sangria looks amazing- I think I’m gonna have to have a get together when I get back home just to make some. 😉 I also love the random acts of kindness thing- I remember a children’s book I used to read to my cousin, something like “Because Billy Hugged his Mom,” that detailed how little acts of kindness can make such a big difference, like a domino effect. I actually get to see my fiance the day AFTER valentine’s day- we are going to the Melting Pot. (I love that place.)
Fave chick flicks- You’ve Got Mail and Love Actually.