February Monthly Musings // From The Inspired Abode
We hope everyone has had a great start to 2023! We have been keeping a little secret for the past few months, but we’re so excited to finally be able to share that…we’re pregnant! And not in the “we” like we as a family are pregnant, but both of us are pregnant and only a week apart!
…and no, we didn’t plan to be pregnant at the same time. Which makes it all the more exciting & surreal! B’s having a boy & Kel’s having a girl. We are beyond excited.
Last month we went on a four-night trip to Cabo & stayed at the same hotel where Kel & her husband got engaged! It was beautiful, but we didn’t plan the trip knowing we wouldn’t be able to partake in the all-inclusive espresso martinis, spicy margaritas & any other alcoholic treats our hearts desired. We called it our wellness Cabo trip & made the most of it!
Wishing you all a wonderful Valentine’s (and/or Galentine’s) Day & hope you have the best February!
Credits (clockwise from top left): Woods & Ivory; Jo Johnson Overby; Wilton; Design: Kelly Deck Design, Photography: Ema Peter Photography, Feature: Rue; The Honeybee by Andee Layne; Beauty & Colour
WHAT WE’RE WATCHING…
We started the new HBO show The Last of Us and have really been into it – it’s based off of a video game apparently, but we think anyone who was intrigued by The Walking Dead will enjoy it!
We’ve also been loving revisiting some of our favorite comedies – favorites from recent years have been Game Night and Tag!
WHAT WE’RE LISTENING TO…
We loved learning more about Jessie Inchauspé (Glucose Goddess) on the Second Life podcast. She explores doing what’s uncomfortable, switching careers, her growth at 23andMe, and of course glucose monitoring.
Neuroscientist & author of Still Alice spoke on TED Radio Hour all about memory and the brain. While it was scary hearing how common neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s can be, she talks about humanizing the disease & things we can do in our lives to prevent it.
WHAT WE’RE READING…
At this month’s book club we’re discussing Mythos by Stephen Fry. While we haven’t quite finished, we’d recommend it to anyone interested in Greek mythology, since it goes over all of the famous stories in a fun, easy-to-digest way.
We’ve also been reading the American Royals series – currently on book two of three (and the fourth book is coming in August!). It’s an easy, fun read with a cool concept of imagining modern-day life if America was a monarchy and George Washington became the first King of America instead of the first President. If you’ve enjoyed The Crown, Bridgerton, and Gossip Girl, you’d definitely enjoy it!
With the baby news, we’ve also been diving into What to Expect When You’re Expecting! With so much information out there via social media, apps and websites focused on moms-to-be, and blog posts, it’s refreshing to just pick up a hard copy of the book that all of our moms have probably read (updated of course since then!).
WHAT WE’RE EATING & DRINKING…
Kel tried & loved Carissa’s (@broccyourbody) Cheesy Gordita Crunch recipe! It’s super easy to make & you can substitute the ground beef for plant-based beef and/or refried beans. She hasn’t wanted anything else for dinner since trying it!
B finally tried Half Baked Harvest’s Chipotle Bean Chili, which has been a longtime staple in Kel’s household. It was so flavorful & didn’t get old even after having leftovers for three nights.
WHAT WE’VE BEEN BUYING…
We both have toaster oven / air fryer combos, and we’re absolutely obsessed! But if you’re like us & can’t keep the pan or basket clean, we highly recommend getting these stainless steel replacements that look great AND can go in the dishwasher! Game changer.
This USB-chargeable electric lighter makes us feel like we’re first years at Hogwarts (lumos anyone?). We’ve been using it to light candles since before Christmas, and we have yet to need to charge it yet! It’s also still exciting every time & the joy of lighting a candle without fire will never get old.
links we’re loving…
Our mom recently told us about the Yuka app & it’s safe to say we’re obsessed! The app quickly scans barcodes and tells you how the food item rates – 0 being the worst & 100 being the best. As an example: obviously our favorite popsicles rate low due to sugar content, but it’s cool to see which flavors have bad additives & which don’t. It’s a great app to compare similar items at the store and choose the best one for you & your family!
If you’re like us, you have a list of movies & shows to watch that you keep on your phone, but you might find it hard to remember what’s what. Kel found the Queue app to solve that problem! The app allows you to paste in the list you already have in your notes, and it adds the cover image & details about the show or movie so you’ll never forget or need to look it up separately. You can also mark which ones you’ve seen, rate them, or shuffle your list for those nights you just can’t decide what to watch.
WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO…
February is a short month, but we have a lot of fun plans coming up!
We have a game night & book club planned with friends, we’re looking forward to all the yummy snacks on Super Bowl Sunday, B is moving (not by choice but excited for a fresh start just a couple doors down), and we’re celebrating our mom’s birthday somewhere in Southern California – TBD since we’re surprising her. Excited to share more!