Kate's Picks: My 8 Favorite Products of February

Hey, hey, my friend! It’s tiiiiiime for your monthly round-up! 8 RANDOM products that have “sparked joy” and enhanced my life in the last month.

And the hilarious part about this specific round-up?

Is that I actually decided to do a spending freeze and not buy ANYTHING for the whole month of February

(It’s a long story— you can read more about my “why” and HOW you can do a no-spend/low-spend month of your own on my NEW substack here!).

But, the TL;DR? As I mentioned in my reflections from 2022 blog post, I am just having, like, this deep SOUL desire for simplicity, for organization, for clarity, for peace.

It’s hard to describe— but I’m just kind of over having stuff I don’t need, clutter, cardboard boxes arriving at the door, or having multiples of the same item.

To put it simply?

• I just want what I NEED.

• What are the things that *actually* enhance my life?

• What do I find beautiful?

• What are the things I reach for over and over?

• THOSE are the things I want in my home, my space, my periphery.

And those^^ type of things are always what I try to share in these posts! I never want you to feel like you “need” anything— but moreso just share items I genuinely love & have spent my own hard-earned money on!

So, while I didn’t buy any of these items this month, they are things I already owned & that I find myself reaching for over & over again.

miles’ baby book (and this polaroid printer)

Okay, here’s the thing— I feel like every mom has the ~ intention ~ to document everyyyyyy single milestone, specific month photo, and scrapbook in a very organized fashion—

buuuut for a lot of us, that doesn’t always happen. *nervous laugh*

Which is why I am SO happy I found this baby book.

It is simple & straightforward enough that I actually stay up-to-date on it. It’s just in-depth enough, and just brief enough.

I bought another brand of baby book when I was pregnant, and verrrry quickly realized it was too demanding for me to actually stick with (like… ya girl is not going to write PARAGRAPHS and DOCUMENT EVERY LAST WAKING MOMENT, YA KNOW?!). In a frenzy, I searched for a more simple option and found this random one on amazon. We have LOVED it.

It is so cute, so easy, and has everything I want (but nothing I don’t).

How do I do it? About once per month (because, again, #notperfect), I simply use my polaroid printer & this polaroid film to *instantly* print out polaroid photos from my phone of Miles from the previous 30ish days— I tape them down, jot a few notes, and boom! A tangible keepsake full of printed photos from each month, simple prompts, and [brief] handwritten memories!

So easy, and so sweet. I *already* get nostalgic looking back at the previous months, and can’t believe how fast my baby is growing! I am SO thankful I have this baby book as a keepsake :)

this wine subscription (i’ve been a member for over 5 years!)

Mmmmm, winter wine season is my FAV…

cabernet, merlot, and syrah REDDD WIIIIINE season. *happy dance*

If there is one thing you need to know about me… I AM LOYAL to brands I love. Because, yes, I will experiment, explore, look around until I find “the one”. And once I find a great company, I tend to stick with it. Annnnnd that’s how I feel about Naked Wines.

It is the best wine subscription ever. That’s all.

I have been a subscriber for over five years (!) ALL on my own dollar, and I am *still* just as obsessed as I was in the beginning. This wine is bleeping DELICIOUS (I always get complimented on the wine I bring to girls’ night *hair flip*), and I love that I am supporting lesser-known vineyards and small businesses in the process! It’s reasonably priced and your membership supports small vineyards and you get to FULLY pick & customize delicious wine… delivered straight to your door. (I told you it’s perfect.)

For example, I don’t really love white wine— so I can fully pick reds & roses that I want. BONUS: they even have organic wine options, and are getting more & more clean wine options each time I shop. Ya love to see it!!

They don’t gift me any wine, and this isn’t sponsored or anything— just a classic refer-a-friend link. Get $100 off your first box with this link. :)

this menstrual cup

Welllllp… after 5 months postpartum, my cycle came BACK with a vengeance in December. And, to be honest, I was a little caught off guard. Since I am exclusively breastfeeding, I weirdly thought I’d at least have until 7 months, but surprise!

With this unexpected visitor, I could NOT find my menstrual cup so Adam had to run to the co-op to get me some organic tampons. I used tampons for my December and January periods because I still couldn’t find my cup, annnnnd

guys…. tampons SUCK. pads SUCK. Wow.

I was kind of shook. Because, for the past 4+ years I’ve solely used menstrual cups and for FORGOT about the experience of using tampons/pads, but, woooow the stark contrast between my cup was WILD.

which is funny— because, to be honest, menstrual cups totally freaked me out for the longest time.

and thennnnn I tried one and it was life-changing.

I originally tried a menstrual cup for sustainability reasons. Did you know that In the United States alone, approximately 12 billion pads and 7 billion tampons are discarded each year. These items cannot be recycled and end up in landfills, clogging sewers, and contributing to plastic in our oceans (tampon applicators take over 20 years to break down….). I loved that the menstrual cup can be used over and over again and is SOOO much better for the planet. I bought it for that reason alone… but was shocked to find I loved it SO. MUCH. MORE. than the tampons I was using. Like, no contest.

Long story short— menstrual cups are worth ALLLLLL the hype and then some. They protect soooo much better against leakage, you can wear them way longer, and you don’t need to change it every time you go to the bathroom like a tampon. [insert “praise hands emoji” here]

As with everything I buy, I was quite picky when selecting which menstrual cup I wanted to go with. This particular one is made of medical-grade silicone which is derived from sand, so there are no unnecessary chemicals, toxins, or artificial coloring. I love love love it. Highly recommend. (for my other holistic period must-haves, here’s this old blog post!)

these high-quality kid’s foods

My baby is eating SOLIDS. WHAT. *sappy tears*

On his 6 month bday, we started his first food ever— mashed avocados! For me, food is SUCH a love language, and it has been really fun (and sometimes stressful, lol) learning to nourish him in this stage! Overall, my vibes with feeding my kids? being chill & flexible.... but also INTENTIONAL!

While I am in no way trying to be “perfect”, I am trying to *nourish* him & his growing brain, body, and development! I want to make the most of this crucial window where his taste buds are developing— but also leave room for imperfection, flexibility, and, um, life, along the way! (I could talk so much more about this!)

While I ultimately plan to go with the baby-led weaning approach long-term, I intuitively felt most comfortable with purees & soft foods in these early stages :)

I have been doing a lot of mashed/pureed avocado, yogurt, mashed egg yolks, duck liver, sardines, roasted sweet potato, etc. Just beautiful whole foods with an emphasis on healthy fats, proteins, and veggies. (Nothing “against” fruits or carbs— but I just want to introduce the more difficult flavors NOW (veggies, meats, etc.) when his tastebuds are still developing rather than giving the sweet flavors of fruit right away!)

So, while I prefer to just whip up some whole food mush on our own…. there are OBVIOUSLY nights where time is short (and energy is low), I wanted an EASY pouch, puree option.

….buuuuut lemme just say, the baby food industry is WHACK.
to be frank, I couldn’t believe how $h!tty & low quality the options were.

After A LOT of research, this specific brand had the highest quality, and the best nutrient profile I found for baby purees (I specifically get their meat pouches!).

Beautiful grass-fed, pasture-raised meats & organic veggies, spices, etc. The ingredients are SO pure, straightforward, and a beautiful option for nourishing foods in a pinch!

This is NOT sponsored— I bought these with my own money and I reached out to them, but they were nice enough to share an affiliate code!

Enter “KATE15” for 15% off their delicious, nourishing kid food and baby purees!

this. books.

Mmmm, this book. I’ve probably read it 5 times, tbh. If I had to choose just one book to emulate with my spirit and who I am and how I show up in the world???? It’s THIS one. 

The idea of showing up better and “vibrating higher” may SOUND a little woo-woo, but trust me—this book is suuuuuuper grounded while still being beautifully spiritual. Vibrate Higher Daily is about how to upgrade your life and simply make it brighter in areas like self-talk, relationships, food choices, etc., and mmmmmmmmm the writing just speaks to the dang SOUL. 

What I love most about this book is that it’s full of gorgeous quote pages and workbooks that really allow you to interact with it + journal your way through from beginning to end. Even though I’ve read it cover to cover at LEAST 2-3 times, I find myself just opening it up to page through whenever I need a little spiritual boost, and no matter what page I end up on, I take something new away each time. :)

I am thinking of making this the first official read of my virtual book club for my substack subscribers! thoughts???

this electronic candle lighter

Okay— let’s be upfront.

Do you need this? Absolutely not.

But is it AN ABSOLUTE UPGRADE? You bet.

Say buh-bye to your ugly gas station lighter, and get this gorgeous, easy, rechargeable candle lighter. It’s SUCH a vibe when sparking the candles and works great. (not to mention, much more beautiful to have sitting out on the table than the blaze orange bic one that I had, lol).

my clean makeup 5-step process

My faaaaaav clean makeup brand. I love each + every item I’ve tried (the bronzers, the multi-sticks, the cream blush, the highlight!), but there are two products that absolutely stand out.

1) The Super Serum Skin Tint: I mean, WOW. Hands. Down. My favorite item in my makeup bag. Truly. It’s a foundation + serum + SPF 40 all in one. Annnnd
2) THIS. MASCARA: Guys, a clean mascara that actually works. Do yourself a favor and get it

I like to keep things SIMPLE (and nontoxic) with makeup, and I think I have finally nailed down the perfect “everyday” casual makeup that is soooo easy, but still upgrades and enhances how I look & feel.

• Here is my mini routine—

  • super skin tint serum (the perfect amount of coverage— hides blemishes and discoloration, but gives a beautiful, dewy, VERY natural look. I am obsessed.),

  • bronzer on cheekbones (I am a pale minnesotan after all!),

  • the BEST clean mascara around (trust me),

  • a little bit of eyebrow gel to bolden up & shape the brows (yessss plz),

  • and finally, the color haze (a blendable cream that adds effortless color to cheeks, eyes, lips— it does it all!).

  I consider these 5 products my little makeup “capsule”— 5 simple items that cover ALL of my needs, but are straightforward, easy, and clean ingredients. Highly recommend simplifying your beauty routine and investing in just a few key products that #WERK (and support your health! )

this specific meditation app

In the month of February, I meditated EVERY single day (go me! so proud of myself!). And a huge part that made that goal into a reality is that I finally found a meditation app that you can actually be consistent with.

IYKYK. I have been sharing this app on my Instagram stories like crazy lately, because I am….. obsessed. And I don’t say that lightly.

I’ve been using this app for over a year, and it TRULY has helped me soooo much with making meditation into a HABIT (not just something I do “every once in a while”).

What makes this meditation app different than the other 9032048 options? Because it is SO realistic for everyday life. While there are beautiful “classic” meditations for when you do have time to sit down and zen out, it also has UNIQUE meditations that you can play while doing “everyday” things— cleaning your house, walking, doing your skincare routine, waking up in the morning, running errands, etc. Plus, a whole library of meditations under 5 minutes, etc.

Even in this season of being new to motherhood, I have been so consistent and GENUINELY looking forward to these busy-girl-approved meditations every single day— they are SO relevant, easy to implement, and truly lovely. 10/10 recommend. (Pssst: Try 6 weeks free by clicking this link and entering the coupon code KATE :) Enjoy!

this set of glasses from amazon—

After having mismatched glassware for years, I finallyyyyyy bit the bullet and got a 16-piece glassware set— and WOW. I love.

I was so torn between a few options, but ultimately chose this collection and I am so impressed. I LOVE the rounded bottom and thin glass design of these. Not to mention, I was grateful that it came both with a “big” size and a “cocktail glass” size. Good for any beverage! Great for hosting!

They are chic, high quality, and affordable! Enjoy!

that’s a wrap!

Another month with my fav products of the moment :) You guys ALWAYS love these posts, and tbh? So do I.

While they may seem quite surface-level, these lists are always so fun to me to write— and they also are quite reflective actually!

It causes me to pause, truly think about the things that are enhancing my life (even in the smallest of ways. cough, cough, aesthetic candle lighter… ha!). But it causes me to give GRATITUDE for the things I already own & love. And there’s something magical about giving an extra bit of thanks to the ordinary, everyday things we use :)

With intention,
Kate

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