valentine

February

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February is a month of transition, love, and quiet resilience. The shortest month of the year, it carries the lingering stillness of winter while hinting at the promise of spring. It’s a time for warmth in small moments—steaming mugs of tea, cozy blankets, and heartfelt connections.

Symbolically, February is tied to love and self-compassion, with Valentine’s Day reminding us to nurture not just relationships with others, but also with ourselves.

Nature remains in hibernation, yet subtle shifts begin—a slightly longer day, a gentler breeze, the first signs of renewal. February teaches us to embrace patience, self-care, and the quiet beauty of growth beneath the surface.

A Month of Self-Love & Sweet Moments

February is a great time to focus on heart centered thoughts and actions. For many this includes showering others with love. This is also a great time to love on yourself. This month, I intend to plan a lot of fun online offerings around what it really means to live a heart centered life.

What is Heart Centered Living?

Heart-centered living is a way of approaching life with awareness, compassion, and authenticity. It means making choices based on love, kindness, and inner wisdom rather than fear, external pressures, or ego-driven desires. When you live heart-centered, you prioritize emotional well-being, meaningful connections, and alignment with your true values.

Some key aspects of heart-centered living include:
 Self-awareness & intuition – Listening to your inner voice and making choices that align with your soul’s truth.
 Compassion & kindness – Treating yourself and others with understanding, love, and non-judgment.
 Gratitude & presence – Appreciating the present moment and cultivating a sense of joy in everyday life.
 Authenticity – Living in alignment with who you truly are, without pretending or people-pleasing.
 Connection – Prioritizing deep, meaningful relationships with others and the world around you.

Final February Thoughts

As we enter into this finally month of winter and focus on love, let’s remember these simple ways to practice self love.

Self-Love Reminder: You deserve rest. You deserve joy. You deserve to treat yourself the way you would a dear friend.

Have a Mindful Treat: Whether it’s a piece of dark chocolate, a homemade baked good, or a warm cup of cocoa, take a moment to truly savor something sweet—without guilt, just love.

Gentle Affirmation Practice: Try placing a hand over your heart, closing your eyes, and whispering:
“I am worthy, enough and I am loved.”

What is on tap for your February? Here is more inspiration and tons of recipes!

Heart-Shaped Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

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Valentine’s Day Heart Shaped Whoopie Pies are sure to bring a little love into your world. A heart-shaped red velvet whoopie pie is a soft, cake-like cookie with a vibrant red hue, sandwiching a luscious layer of creamy vanilla filling. The slight cocoa flavor adds richness, while the smooth frosting provides a perfect balance of sweetness. Rolled in festive Valentine’s sprinkles, each bite is a delightful mix of fluffy, moist texture and indulgent creaminess—making it a perfect treat for sharing love and joy.

Ingredients:

For the cookies:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp baking soda
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ cup buttermilk (1/2 cup milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice = buttermilk)
  • 1 tsp red food coloring (this is my fave natural food coloring)

Ingredients for the filling:

  • 4 oz cream cheese, softened
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract

For decoration:

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Whisk dry ingredients: In a bowl, mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  3. Cream butter & sugar: In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla, mixing well.
  4. Add buttermilk & food coloring: Alternate adding the dry ingredients and buttermilk, mixing just until combined. Stir in red food coloring until fully incorporated.
  5. Pipe heart shapes: Transfer the batter to a piping bag (or a zip-top bag with a corner snipped off). Pipe heart shapes onto the baking sheet.
  6. Bake for 8-10 minutes until set. Let cool completely.
  7. Make the filling: Beat cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
  8. Assemble: Spread or pipe the filling onto the flat side of one cookie, then top with another to make a sandwich.
  9. Decorate: Roll the edges in Valentine’s sprinkles for extra flair.
  10. Enjoy!

Self Love

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This time of year can seem like we are stuck in endless amounts of cold, dark winter days that go on and on. Also for some of us the holiday hype leads to a low-energy winter drag that sometimes can last months.

Many of us also dread the month of February because the influx of romantic love seems to be everywhere. I’m all for love but I have learned over the years that without self-love, there will be no room for love-love. It’s just doesn’t happen.

For many years I was a seeker of love outside of myself. In some ways we all are—we want validation and to be seen—that is normal human behavior. My trouble came when in the truth and quiet moments with myself, I really didn’t like who I was, and actually loving myself was not even in the ball park.

Then I woke up.

I realized that my kids needed a healthy mom. They needed someone who demonstrated self love. They required a mom who was no longer angry but instead developed an acceptance for life’s hard things and took them as lessons to grow.

I also became radically aware of self care. For decades I thought self care was selfish and totally for the elite. Wow, right? I came to realize that the only way I was to find pure unconditional love was to begin by loving myself unconditionally. You attract what you are.

Today I actually coach women (and men) on the power of a deliberate self care routine to help become the very best version of yourself. It’s not all about bubble baths, although those those do help tremendously.

I crafted this essential oil blend with the intention that it dives into the areas of our brain and heart that focus on positive self love and self image. There was a lot of thought and trial and error that went into finding the perfect combination to embody self love that is purely unconditional.

Unconditional Blend

Rose: Opens the heart chakra and allows you to feel unconditional love. Creates a sense of well-being and calmness while awakening your ability for self-compassion, nurturing, and love.

Lemon: Opens the heart chakra to self-love and self-nurturing. lightens while uplifting your spirit and bringing clarity into your life.

Neroli: A natural tranquilizer and regulator of the nervous system that opens the heart chakra, uplifts your spirit, and encourages confidence, joy, and peace.

Marjoram: Restores warmth, self-compassion, and self-nurturing when feeling lonely or isolated.

Lavender: Helps you to relax, let go of the stress, and release fear, which fosters connect with the heart center and opens you up to more love.

Jasmine: Uplifting and joyous oil that balances the emotional system, soothes anxiety, and helps with depression and apathy.

Geranium: This emotional healing oil restores confidence and trust in others. It can help to heal a broken heart and open one up to love.

Ylang Ylang: This is a powerful remedy for the heart and releasing trauma from the past. This oil helps to release bottled up emotions that weigh heavy on the heart which allows for a more playful, carefree, emotionally connected and loving experience of life.

Tranquility Blend: Includes Lavender Flower, Cedarwood, Ho Wood Leaf, Ylang Ylang Flower, Marjoram Leaf, Roman Chamomile Flower, Vetiver Root, Vanilla Bean Absolute, Hawaiian Sandalwood. Encourages individuals to first reconnect with themselves and discover peace that lies within, and then to reconnect with the humanity in others. This brings a calm, tranquil, peaceful, relaxed, compassionate and connection person.

Rose quartz: Rose Quartz is the stone of universal love. It restores trust and harmony in relationships, encouraging unconditional love. Rose Quartz purifies and opens the heart at all levels to promote love, self-love, friendship, deep inner healing and feelings of peace. Calming and reassuring, it helps to comfort in times of grief. Rose Quartz dispels negativity

Plus a sprinkling of rose petals makes this blend gorgeous to look at, too.

You can purchase this gorgeous blend here or invest in my self care package and it is included along with bath bombs, soothing foot salve, yoga and meditation.

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