THE MONTHLY PAGE 👩🏻💻 February 2025
Resources to help you focus for the month ahead.
Hello and welcome to The Monthly Page for February 2025 — these are a special edition of my weekly newsletter that is sent before a new month starts to provide you with resources and a little encouragement for the month ahead!
If you’re in a location that is dark + cold this time of year then it’s a perfect time to plan fun at-home date nights (with yourself, a partner, a group of friends — whatever!). It’s always nice to have little things to look forward to when we’re in the thick of winter’s mundaneness.
One of our favorite themes for cozy nights at home is to pair a movie with a meal/drink that fits the theme or is eaten in the film. Here are some of our favorite pairings:
🌮 Tacos, margaritas + 🎬 Chef
🥪Croque Monsieur, wine + 🎬 It’s Complicated
🌭 Hot dogs, cheap beer + 🎬 A League of their Own
🥧 Savory Pie, Tom Collins + 🎬 The Help
🏕 Tinfoil dinners, s’mores martini + 🎬 The Package
🍝 Pasta, Negronis + 🎬 The Italian Job
🍕 Homemade Pizza, beer + 🎬 Mystic Pizza
🥖 Bruschetta, dry martinis + 🎬 Julie & Julia
🍔 Hamburgers, Long Island iced teas + 🎬 Waiting
If you have a Dinner + Movie pairing to suggest, leave it in the comments! I’d love to add some new ones.
I also saw this adorable idea for hosting a Girls Night + making “Habit punch cards” which is soooo up my alley if anyone wants to invite me over 😄
Cheers to a good February,
📅 IMPORTANT DATES: Here are some important dates (mostly U.S.-centric) you might want to add to your calendar while you’re here:
✊🏾 February is Black History Month
🐭 February 2 is Groundhogs Day
📆 February 3 is our Monthly Review Day
🎗️ February 4 World Cancer Day
🏈 February 9 Super Bowl Sunday
🏮 February 12 Lantern Festival
💝 February 14 Valentine’s Day
🫱🏼🫲🏼 February 17 Random Acts of Kindness Day
🦅 February 17 Presidents’ Day
🎶 PLAYLIST: In case you take me up on the at-home date night idea for Valentine’s Day here’s a playlist with some of my favorite date-night tunes:
🥗 RECIPES: Below are recipes that were featured in The Weekly Page over the past few weeks. Add them to your meal plan if you haven’t had a chance to try ‘em yet!
Creamy Smoked Salmon Chowder with Bacon & Corn
Kale Salad with Chicken, Caramelized Onions, and Hot Bacon Dressing
Ground Turkey Korean Rice Bowls
Spicy Tomato Basil Shells with Whipped Ricotta by Half Baked Harvest
Maple Roasted Sweet Potato & Carrot Soup
Last week I published a post that organizes all my favorite tools and resources for staying informed. It includes:
💆🏻♀️ 3 ways to calm down and stay focused
🚨 The Exercise We All Need to do RIGHT Now
✊🏻 Three Strategies for Sustained Activism
✅ 3 things I’m doing differently from 2016
✍🏻 The Substacks I subscribe to
📰 News sources I rely on
📚 The books I’d recommend reading in this moment
📱 Helpful (and realistic) digital safety tips
💡 Additional thoughts, ideas, and resources that might be helpful
🤝🏻 EVENT: Join me this coming Monday, February 3, from 9-10:30 AM CST for our Monthly Review Day! This is a designated time each month to check in on your digital systems, update your habit tracker, and set goals for the month ahead. There’s also a 45-minute co-working session and a LIVE Q+A. Would love to see you there!
💻 WALLPAPERS: Update your desktop and mobile devices with some fun wallpapers! Visit the post to check out the free creations for this month:
☑ SYSTEMS REFRESH: Prep yourself for the month ahead with my quick 15-minute routine:
📅 3 MINS - Review your upcoming schedule to assess where you are spending your time. Does it align with your priorities?
✅ 3 MINS - Look at your projects and tasks and make sure everything is up to date. Anything you need to update or delete?
🗃 3 MINS - Curate the files on your computer and phone (including photos you took this month!). Delete things you don't need. Does your information feel organized and accessible?
📝 3 MINS - Look through any paper notes or random bits of info you collected last month. What digital system could you move it to so it doesn't get lost?
🧼 3 MINS - Clean your work area, wipe down your desk and monitors, and when you're ready — update your phone and computer wallpapers (see above for files!)
👀 IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
Throughout January I published a series of posts introducing you to The PIES Method for digital organization. It will help you establish strong systems to organize four key areas of your life and two simple habits for sustainable productivity. Learn more here:
✍🏻 WRITING PROMPTS: This month I want to feature a specific writing exercise described by in this article, “We’re Heading Into Dark Times. This is How to be Your Own Light in the Age of Trump”. She suggests taking time to do the following:
Write about who you are, what you have experienced, and what you have endured.
Write down what you value; what standards you hold for yourself and for others.
Write about your dreams for the future and your hopes for your children.
Write about the struggle of your ancestors and how the hardship they overcame shaped the person you are today.
Write your biography, write down your memories. Because if you do not do it now, you may forget.
Write a list of things you would never do. Because it is possible that in the next year, you will do them.
Write a list of things you would never believe. Because it is possible that in the next year, you will either believe them or be forced to say you believe them.
HOW I CAN HELP:
💻 Bring me on board as your go-to collaborator with my Hourly Project Packages.
📞Spend a power-packed hour planning and talking strategy with a Call Package.
📝 Visit my Paper Goods Shop for planners, calendars, and more.
📊 Visit my Resources Page for free downloads, spreadsheets, and eBooks.
🙋🏻♀️Ask me a question, submit feedback, or suggest a topic right here.
💬 Comment & chat! What was the best thing you Read, Watched, Listened to or Enjoyed over the past month? I’d love to hear about it in the comments and might feature it an upcoming edition of The Weekly Page.
That last writing prompt makes me really sad especially because it could happen now. 😢😢