Captivations is a monthly feature with links, stories, and news that captivated me.
What the Heck, February?
This month had me crawling to the end. Two big things happened. One, I ran a marathon! I wrote a big post all about it. Two, three days before the marathon, Kaira snapped at my face and I ended up in urgent care around 9 pm, getting five stitches on my lip. It was a slightly traumatic experience (lots of blood, then nerves, needles, and pain), but I guess I can say I’ve had stitches now. No, we are not getting rid of her. It was an accident of play and not aggression and we are continuously teaching her! I’m also trying to accept the scar on my face. Since it’s on my lip, it’s pretty noticeable right now. I’m doing everything I can to help it heal and I know it’ll take time and maybe a visit to a dermatologist.
But here are some other fun things we did in February.
- Will and I went to the Austin Symphony. (Did you know I played the violin for seven years?) It was less exciting than we thought it would be and why do they start so late?! We’d do it again but not often.
- We started our CSA (community-supported agriculture) this month! This means we get a regular subscription box of locally-grown vegetables. We’re getting it from Johnson’s Backyard Garden, who I’ve volunteered with before. We’re testing out the size (medium) and frequency (every other week) for about a month to see if we need to adjust it. Our goals are to support a local farm, eat more locally, and eat more vegetables! (If you want a referral code to try it out, let me know!)
- We celebrated our friend Cristina’s birthday with a murder mystery party. Have you ever been to one? We were each given a character and story synopsis and we had to talk to other characters to solve the mystery. It was a little confusing but also intriguing and fun!
- I finished my posts for Austin Food Blogger Alliance’s City Guide. Every year, we publish and update posts about where to find the best eats in Austin. My posts included the best pastries in Austin, the best cupcakes in Austin, best North Austin restaurants, and culinary classes in Austin.
- The photo above is a bathroom selfie! Because when the bathroom is as fun like that and has pretty wallpaper, you stop by for a quick photo. 🙂
The Scarcity Mindset
I think social media encourages the scarcity mindset, the thought that what you want is in limited supply. It causes us to feel like we’re not enough and what we have is not enough. It makes us feel like we don’t belong. Read more about it in this article. For an expanded version (and to go down a rabbit hole), see this article with lots of linked articles.
Therapy
While I’ve only been to therapy twice, I’m a big advocate of it. This post was one person’s life-changing account of how therapy has helped him.
Will You Be My Content
In this social media world, do we need consent to post about other people? I have a small following, and I try to keep things private. I rarely post photos of friends on the blog unless it’s a blogger event and they know they’ll be photographed. I rarely posted and still don’t post often about my husband because while he’s an important part of my life, he prefers to not be on the internet. Even if you’re posting photos to your private Facebook account, do you check with people in the photos? Why or why not? Read this New York Times article that sparks this discussion.
Are You Tired?
What kind of tired are you? For the past six months, I’ve said “I’m tired” with frequency. Sometimes it’s stress, sometimes it’s poor sleep the night before, sometimes it’s not making time to relax and turn my brain off. This article suggests maybe it’s time to do something about it.
Are you Half-Committed?
This thoughtful article talks about fully committing to things. It’s synonymous with being present and giving undivided attention. There are many distractions in our lives. What matters most and should you give it your full attention?
Baby
One topic that seems to come up frequently is if Will and I will have kids. (Unless it’s my parents, then the topic is when and not if.) I’m drawn to content about the subject because I’m not really sure what I want to do, so I’m taking it all in to hopefully figure it out. Here are some articles I found interesting:
- This article about when you know you’re ready
- This post about being a working mom
- This post about being the childless friend
- I couldn’t get past the first paragraph of this article about postpartum but maybe some of you will like it
- And of course, she’s not ok
Tasting Chocolate
A few years ago, I learned about craft chocolate. It was eye-opening and so fun! I visited a cacao orchard and made chocolate in Belize and visited Austin’s craft chocolate shop SRSLY. I still love discovering new brands and tasting chocolate! This article will teach you how to taste chocolate like the pros.
The Center Ring
Do you find yourself saying the wrong thing? The ring theory is something to keep in mind.
A Year of Second-Hand Shopping
Two months into this year and I haven’t bought any new articles of clothing. (However, I was gifted a new jacket, hat, and shirt from the marathon.) My goal is still to buy nothing and buying second-hand if needed. This post about one person’s year-long experience echoes my thoughts on why I’m trying this.
Zero Waste Soap
Speaking of other zero waste solutions (did you see last month’s Captivations post?), this company is trying to streamline your cleaning products with reusable bottles while this company sells natural, sustainable goods. I’m curious about this dishwashing block. After finishing up my current products, I’ll be looking into HiBAR‘s shampoo.
Relationship Advice
February is when people are dialed into their relationships, so I bookmarked a few articles that were interesting.
- Stop communication bias by truly listening
- Communicating mindfully with your partner
- How to build a long-term relationship
- Tips from a sex therapist
Exes
What’s it like being the ex-girlfriend of Lady Gaga’s boyfriend? This article was an entertaining read.
Best New Restaurants in Texas
I love lists like this one because I’m curious where people, especially food critics, like to eat. Have you visited any of these restaurants?
Texas Refugees
President Trump and Governor Abbot have fought to refuse refugees into the U.S. and Texas. This is based on fear and racism. Give this opinion piece a read.
Thank you
Thank you for reading my blog! After all this time, I still question this blog’s purpose and importance. I question the amount of effort and love I put into it. I question it all because it feels important to me and I strive to be helpful, informative, and impactful. It’s also nice to get my thoughts out and connect with others. So, thank you for making it through this long post and I hope something wonderful happens for you this week!
What’s got you captivated lately?
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