In contrast to January, February has flown by for the STIK team. Between the demise of the Bachelor’s Pilot Pete, and the overnight success that is Love is Blind on Netflix, you could also say that it’s been an emotional rollercoaster for the team. Alas, we have survived and are excited to come out of hibernation. We are R E A D Y for spring.
At HQ, we really consider the end of February to be the end of beanie season. Now that’s not to say that we won’t offer beanies or that we don’t support customers who want to buy them. Please - be our guest! But we get it. It’s been a long winter, and you’d rather go off and think about how to prepare your closet for spring than buy another winter accessory. The good news about this? We have a spring/summer line that we cannot WAIT to transition to over the coming weeks.
But before we get to that, we’re reliving February by way of our favorite things. Enjoy!
1. Christina: Olaplex!
(A note from Tory: Yes, this is all Christina wrote for her monthly fav this month. To be fair, she’s been, like, really busy and is also growing a tiny human and has been a touch tired, so we’re going to give her a break on this one. Since I did recommend this product to Christina, I feel confident that I can share what she likes about it. Olapex is a hair washing SYSTEM that makes your hair so luscious and amazing. Not only is the backstory of the company amazing, the products are also fabulous. We (Christina and I) both love Olaplex No. 3 (the conditioning mask), No. 4 (the shampoo), and No. 5 (the everyday conditioner. You can use them all together or on their own - regardless, the end result is perfect hair.
2. Franny: At risk of sounding like an early aughts graphic t-shirt, my morning coffee is sacred and ritualistic. It is what gets me to crawl out of bed and peel my crusted eyes open. The only problem is I really only like iced coffee. To me, hot coffee tastes sour and oily (please don’t come for me coffee snobs) and is only enjoyable for an extremely brief window of time. Iced coffee can be hard though without remembering to brew it the night before, cooling it, etc. So this Nuvia Cafe product is perfect. It’s basically “healthy” instant coffee. I combine it with oat milk, a few stevia drops, cocoa powder, a bit of maca powder, pour it over ice, and once again I feel like a human being.
3. Claudia: I really jumped on the bandwagon that is the Netflixes “Love is Blind” bandwagon. I can’t. Stop. Watching. As a Bachelor fan this show has really filled a void in between Monday night episodes. It’s a completely crazy concept, but when you’re looking to unwind into some good old reality TV - I highly recommend it. The entire dating process is sped up (not to mention they can’t even see each other when they first meet). They go on a vacation together, meet their families and friends, and have bachelor & bachelorette parties. I’m on the edge of my seat to see if they go through with their weddings!!
4. Meg: Do you follow the Instagram handle @ThingsIboughtandliked? If not, you should check her out. Things I Bought and Liked is an anonymous woman from Houston who posts about well - things she buys and likes - to her almost 300k followers. She doesn't participate in any sponsored content and doesn't accept any products for free. Her tone is honest, funny and relatable, and her recommendations range from beauty products, to Target finds (like the fluffiest towels), to fashion and home decor. Pro-tip - I like her Instagram stories even better than her in-feed posts and I find myself frequently clicking through to her suggested products. Great for discovery, bad for my wallet.
5. Tory: Over the last year, I’ve gotten in the really sad habit of not eating a good breakfast. I know there are people out there whose core belief system is rooted in not eating breakfast - my husband is the founding member of this passionate bunch. But I’m not one of these people - I love breakfast. But mornings are hectic, and it’s been a lot easier to cobble together a few bites of my daughter's breakfast than to make my own. About a month ago, I stumbled across Kelly LeVeque (@bewellbykelly) and her book Body Love Every Day. Her approach: focus on the fab four - protein, fat, fiber, and greens - for an overall healthier life and better relationship with food. My favorite part of the book is her Fab Four Smoothie. She includes a bunch of recipes but the core elements in all of the smoothies are protein, fat, fiber, and greens. They are super easy to make, really yummy, and the perfect breakfast to keep you full until lunch. Here’s my fav combo:
- 1 cup Almond Milk
- 20g Vanilla Protein Powder
- 1 tbsp Almond butter
- 1 tsp flax seed
- 2 handfuls of spinach
- ½ frozen banana
Happy breakfast eating, friends!
6. Sarah: My favorite thing this month is my Sand + Fog candle. As the dreary winter drags on, I’ve been less inclined to spend my free days or nights out and about and more inclined to snuggle into bed. The fresh, calming, scent that I’ve been loving this month is called “Sandalwood cotton.” I am that girl who goes to HomeGoods just to spend way too much in the candle aisle trying to find the perfect scent. I love that the Sand + Fog candles are big enough to last through many long Netflix and scrolling (social media) sessions.
ALERT, ALERT! WE HAVE A NEW TEAM MEMBER!
Before we continue, we HAVE to introduce, Peter, the newest addition to the STIK Team. Peter joined back in January as our COO. He comes to us from New Balance and has been an amazing addition to our team (and has been SO patient with our Love is Blind vs. Bachelor conversations). So everyone - here’s Peter!
7. Peter: I have become obsessed with the New York Times crossword puzzle app. I find it both challenging and a great alternative to checking my instagram feed constantly. I’m also convinced that it will help me keep my mind active, functioning and ready to learn. My mother carried several crossword books with her wherever she went. She passed away 3 years ago and I feel like this new obsession of mine is somehow a connection to my mom too! I am very good at Monday and Tuesday puzzles, starting to tackle Wednesday puzzles, but not ready for Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday yet. In time though!
8. Tessa: This is more of a winter "fave" since it's been a few months since I've officially jumped on the Melissa Wood bandwagon. I signed up for a free trial for her workouts back in December, and haven't been able to bring myself to cancel quiiite yet. Her workouts are all pilates-based, low-impact, and super accessible - most of them are 20-30 minutes and can be done anywhere. She really emphasizes mindful movement and has the most soothing voice, so there's a therapeutic element to her workouts as well. If you're looking to feel strong, calm, and refreshed, Melissa is your girl!
