February Favorites on Friday

Paula’s Picks for her February Favorite Things

It’s time for February’s episode of Reviews, Repeats, and Returns, which is essentially my version of a Friday Favorites post but I am thinking of changing the title to Paula’s Picks. Bear with me while I figure it all out. At least for now, I’m compiling a huge list of my favorite things on the last Friday of each month. But, if you’d like to see a smaller list once a week, pop a comment at the bottom of this post. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to get notified of new posts. 

In this post, I’m sharing the things that have been repeats for me. You’ll find cozy lounge pieces and a healthy comfort food dish as well as some kitchen tools I’ve bought repeatedly. And you definitely won’t want to miss a product to get your feet ready for spring-break or sandal weather and more good stuff.

Helping You Solve Problems is my Favorite All the Time

Friends, I love inspiring you, mind, body, and spirit and encouraging you to embrace your life and your body at every stage. But helping my friends find solutions to common issues, a great product or a flattering outfit is in my DNA if I had any. 😉

However, my problem-solving skills have caused some touchy situations between Mr. Dimples and I.  My mind immediately goes into problem-solving mode when we encounter an issue, and it instantly comes out of my mouth, and he interprets this as “telling him what to do.”  What?!?! Doesn’t he know God created me as his “help-mate”? Ha! I hope you’ll be more receptive.

FEBRUARY FAVORITES

Andrea, Living on Cloud Nine

This week I got to meet Andrea of Living on Cloud Nine. I  can’t believe it took us so long to get together when we only live 20 minutes from each other. WHY?!?! As content creators, we need all the support we can get as we encounter many of the same issues in this fickle, “popularity” based industry. Andrea is a super sweet and genuine lifestyle blogger and a natural-born best friend. Follow her blog and on social media and you’ll see what I mean.

Loaded Chicken Salad

I invited Andrea over to My Cedar Palace and I served my favorite Loaded Smokey Chicken Salad with a special garnish on rolls because real women eat carbs and invite friends over to join you. 😉 Seriously, lunching in the comfort of a friend’s home is good for the soul. 

For more on hospitality, read this. 

Treasure & Bond Blue Sweater

I’ve been trying to incorporate more color into my wardrobe since I’ve let my hair go gray and Pantone’s 2020 color of the year, classic blue has been high on my radar. This super cozy Treasure & Bond sweater may not be the exact color but it’s very flattering and will look great into spring with white jeans. 

NOTE- This sweater has already started to pill a little so if you decide to get it (it’s cozy enough that I can overlook this), you need to be careful what rubs against it ( I had a mega fuzzy boob when a snap inside my coat rub up against it all day) and possibly use a sweater de-fuzzer every now and then. 

Athleta Farallon Joggers

Let me just say, these Athleta Farallon Joggers in the camo print aren’t bargain-priced, but they are great quality and have been on repeat since they arrived. I’ve probably worn them three times a week, so the cost-per-wear will be minimum. I’m wearing a size 16. Shop the full look.

Smart Lips Lip moisturizer

This little Smart Lips Tube is the surprise February Favorite because I initially didn’t think it worked. I bought this lip moisturizer last year, based on another blogger’s recommendation, while my dad was in the hospital. I was really struggling with dry lips while spending so much time in dry hospital air but I wasn’t really smitten with it then so I put it away.

But I was recently reminded of it when I saw for sale in a medical spa so I pulled it out again. My lips have been so dry they feel like a puckered butt-hole. I can’t be the only one. 😉 I slather it on my lips every single night at bedtime and let me tell you, they are SO MUCH BETTER! 

Soma Cool Nights Jammies

My love for Soma’s Cool Nights Jammies is no secret as I featured them earlier this month here in a Valentine’s Day Gift Guide. But since my hormone specialist recently took me off my bio-identical HRT they are really being put to the test. They haven’t stopped my night-sweats but they are cooler than any other jammies I own.

Exfoliating Foot Peel

GROSS PHOTO ALERT!

Girl, I’m a hot mess. Not only did my lips feel like a puckered hiney, but my feet are so dry if I walk across the carpet in my bare feet it sounds like my feet are made of velcro. So for Valentine’s Day, Mr. Dimples and I used an exfoliating foot peel. Yeah, we’re really romantic, plus who wants to kiss a butt-mouth. 😉  I’ve used one in previous years, but this brand was the best I’ve used so far. 

We left ours on for about 45 minutes as directed, but with no socks on top, and within a week the magic started to happen. This is truly a case of it gets worse before it gets better, but the results are worth it. However, it also gets messy and even though we have worn socks around the house most of the time, you will feel like that gross guy from Austin Powers, Gold Member with the amount of dead skin you’ll find around. That leads me to my next FEBRUARY FAVORITE THING…

Roomba Robotic Vacuum

My Roomba was a godsend in the last couple of weeks. I literally ran it every single day in my bedroom, bathroom, and closet to pick up the exfoliated skin from the foot peel. Honestly, it looked like some sort of weird crime scene. The great thing about a Roomba is it’s a set-it-and-forget-it household appliance. I can be “cleaning” while I’m in another room watching TV. 😉

Recipe Cuban Picadillo 

This Cuban Picadillo dish by Serene at House of Yumm has been in our dinner rotation all month long. We’ve eaten it once a week for dinner and had the leftover for lunch. Because it’s so quick and easy and Mr. D and I both love green olives, we haven’t tired of it. 

Natural stone sauté pan 12”

I needed to replace my favorite 12″ saute pan in the last month and it wasn’t even a question about which one I would buy again. It’s perfect for making the picadillo recipe above and it’s one of two pots or pans I use almost every day.  I also bought it in a smaller size, it’s that good. The natural stone finish is non-stick and a healthier option than Teflon.

Ground Meat Masher

Okay, I’m totally in LOVE with this little gadget. Sure, I can brown and separate ground meat with the spatula or a wooden spoon, but this tool is a game-changer for me. Totally worth it! And it would make a great gift along with the natural stone saute pan.

Book – The Miracle Morning 

I’ve been reading The Miracle Morning, by Hal Elrod. As a stay-at-home blogger, I’m trying to develop better morning habits in the hopes of having a more productive day. So far, I’m skeptical. Mostly because I don’t sleep much at night (“Thanks, Menopause.”) and this calls for getting up super early and right about the time I can finally fall back to sleep. But, it has helped me see the value in taking a little time to center myself in the morning instead of hitting the ground running with no plan in mind. 

Devotion – Gods Not Done with You Yet Tauren Wells

One of the centering elements I try to incorporate after I get up, get dressed, and grab a cup of tea is to sit down and read a devotion and scripture. I love the plans offered in the YouVersion bible app or Bible.com. I highly recommend God’s Not Done with You Yet 10-day devotion by the Christian singer and songwriter, Tauren Wells. It has been one of my FAVORITE devotions completed this year and was even the inspiration for Keeping God Close is Like Keeping Your Christmas Tree Up Year-Round. 

Netflix Binge – Father Brown 

Is Netflix the new smoking? I think it might be for Mr. Dimples and me. But since it’s been so cold outside, we feel justified in our binging and so leads to our last February Favorite.

Father Brown is the number one daytime TV series in Britain but make no mistake, it’s not a soap opera. It’s a witty and thoughtful mystery series about a priest with a penchant for solving crimes in order to get a confession and save souls. The Mister and I  have watched the entire series through once but recently decided to start it over again. While we love all things British murder mystery, Father Brown gives us the mystery aspect without the super intense, darkness so many murder shows are known for. This one is delightful!

Have you watched Father Brown? If not, get caught up because season 8 will be out at the end of April! At the time of this posting Seasons 1-6 are available on Netflix and seasons 7 and 8 require a BritBox Subscription.

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Are Any of My Favorites, Yours?

Anywho… There are lots of things to love on this February Favorites list and I hope you find something you didn’t know about but will love as much as I do. Is there anything here that was ALREADY your FAVORITE?