Share Four Somethings - February 2026

Each month we're each invited to share things in these categories: something we loved, something that sustained us, something we're carrying forward from this month to the next, and something we're making space for. I usually like to include a little bit of a bonus: Some Things I  Read and a little of What's Coming Up Soon. 

Some Things I Loved:

Our weather was all over the place in February. There wasn't another huge dump of snow like we had last month, but we had snow, bitter cold, rain, fog, warming temperatures, and signs of spring, and it was almost a game to check my weather app and look out the window to see what iteration of February weather we would experience. I didn't envy the groundhog his job of predicting how long winter would last!

All that said, I actually loved most of it. Not the way way way below freezing days, but all the rest.

We paid an impromptu visit to Westcott House in Springfield, and I loved that. It's such a beautiful home, and it feels more "everyman" than some of the other Frank Lloyd Wright houses. This was our second visit there.

I was going to say I loved watching the Olympics, but I didn't actually WATCH a lot. Between the time difference and being at work while most events were live, I watched only a little, and that was the highlights afterwards. But I always enjoy the Olympics, especially the Winter Games. Full disclosure, of course we were cheering hard for Canada in the men's hockey gold medal game, so there was a sense of disappointment that they didn't win. However, once we got home and watched the highlights, I couldn't be in the least bit disappointed that the USA won. Their goalie was outstanding, and I especially loved how the guys included the Gaudreau family in their gold medal celebration, and that they were all unashamedly proud of America and honored to represent. That's patriotism, and I'm here for it!

Something That Sustained Me:

Having things to look forward to. When it was uncomfortably cold, it was good to remember that it wouldn't last long and spring would soon be here. When I was busy and frazzled, I looked forward to a break on the weekend or one of the things we're planning for vacation. When I was frustrated with the things in the apartment, I thought about the possibilities for an upcoming move to someplace new.

Something I'm Carrying Forward:

I was hoping we'd have definite dates and a deposit on a vacation home for our big family get-together by the end of February, but we're carrying that forward. We changed course a bit a couple weeks ago. We'd originally been thinking about Gatlinburg, but when I talked to my mum we realized it would be wonderful if she and Dad could join us, so that led to us considering the Niagara Falls area as an alternate destination. Family discussion followed, and we agreed to hunt up something in Niagara Falls instead. So that's where I'm looking now, and I think we know which week, so I'm going to try and get all of that nailed down in the next week so we can plan with a little more certainty.

Something I'm Making Space For:

We'd more or less accepted that we would look for a different property to rent when our lease here runs out, but after my husband met with our finance guy we are back to making space in our thinking for purchasing. The timeline is a bit more condensed if we want to buy, so we need to get moving on it. 

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Some Things I Read:

Finished and reviewed these since my last SFS:

A Certain Darkness by Anna Lee Huber

The Belle of Belgrave Square by Mimi Matthews

Lady Susan by Jane Austen

 

Here are the books I'm currently reading:

An Unsuitable Job by Bonnie Hardy

Life From Scratch: A memoir of food, family, and forgiveness by Sasha Martin

 

All of my reading news is at Just A Second if you're interested.

What's Coming Up Soon?

I have jury duty starting on Monday so that's the next thing on my calendar, although it's almost impossible to predict how that will work out.

I'm still working on taxes. Ugh. Turns out my W2 had an error so I've had to wait for the corrected version before proceeding.

The family vacation is months away, but the planning part has to be done very soon.

And obviously the appointments and everything we need to put on our timeline for a move within the next few months, and that may be one of the more important things coming up soon.

There's also the Sweet Adelines Regional Convention and Competition at the end of March!

Share something in the comments, or share four somethings with the rest of us in the link party!

This post will be linked at My Joyful Life in the Share Four Somethings link party.

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 ©2006-2026 HS Coffee Break/Just A Second/A Fresh Cup of Coffee. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. This post was written by a human. https://morecoffeebreaks.blogspot.com/ 

This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Fresh Cup of Coffee helps continue the coffee breaks and conversation. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Monthly Musings: An Easier Week

Patty at Good Better Best hosts this monthly sharing of tips, tricks, and conversation starters. We all like finding ways to make our everyday lives just a bit easier, whether it's streamlining the morning rush out the door or simplifying dinners and chores. This month's musings focus on tips for making the week easier. I could use some ideas, and I hope I have something useful to contribute as well. Maybe I just need the reassurance that I'm not the only one with a bit more chaos and disorder in my routines than I'd like!

1. Paper planner, digital calendar or other option? 

I mostly rely on my Google calendar to keep track of all the things, though I also have a wall calendar by my desk, and a weekly paper meal planning and grocery list calendar on the fridge. For appointments and schedules and when we have hockey tickets, that's on the digital calendar. Bills that are due are on the wall calendar. Birthdays are on both. 

2. Meal planning, meal prep or wing it?

This is another combination answer. I am lousy at prepping meals ahead of time, but I really need to plan the meals at least a few days out so I know what I'm doing when I get home from work, and what I need to grab at the grocery on the way home. The meal planning calendar on my fridge helps, and I also quickly jot shopping list items on it so they won't be forgotten. I use the Plan To Eat website and app to keep track of my recipes and plug them into a meal plan. I don't always use this feature, but it also can create a shopping list for me based on my meal plan. It is really handy to have my meal plan and the recipes right on my phone so I can refer to it while on the go!

(Disclosure: The link and the button contain my affiliate link, which means I'll get a small commission for the referral.)

 

3. Do you choose your outfit the night before?

Hardly ever. For work, I usually wear t-shirt and jeans, so no planning required. I do think on Saturday night what I'm going to wear to church on Sunday. 

4. Tips for managing laundry and ironing

Now that there's just the two of us, it shouldn't be that hard to manage, but I still tend to leave clean laundry in a basket and don't get it put away in a timely manner. Oops.

At this point, I basically do laundry three times a week. Often the clean laundry stays in the dryer until the next day before it gets put away. I do try to remember to hang up anything that might need ironing (pretty much just hubby's dress shirts) right away so that when I do the ironing, it's mostly touch up. I only iron once every two or three weeks.

5. Grocery shop instore or online?

I shop in the store. I have been saying for months that I need to just bite the bullet and place my order in the app and pick it up, but I haven't done it yet. I feel like it would take the same amount of time, just during my workday on my phone instead of in the store. 

6. Best tips for getting out the door in the morning without chaos?

Again, with just the two of us and no kids, my job is pretty easy. My husband gets up a bit before me and wakes me. I always get the coffee ready the night before so it is brewed by the time I get downstairs. I have a pretty good system for packing our lunches so most days that goes pretty quickly. I hand him his coffee and lunch and he heads out. Then I have about 40 to 45 minutes before I have to leave. I finish packing my lunch, then go back upstairs to finish getting ready. It's during this time that I listen to my morning devotional as well. (I have the First15 app on my phone for this) I have a little time drink a cup of coffee, check email, and sometimes even spend a few minutes doing something blog-related. I have an alarm set on my phone to count me down to the time I need to be out the door. Without that I would get sidetracked and "do just this one thing" for way too long. My preferred route to work is one that sticks to a "back road" for as far as possible before getting onto the highway. It takes a few minutes longer, but I consider it so worth it because the highway is so stressful.

7. Share your easiest dinners for crazy weeks

I try to keep burger patties in the freezer for a quick meal. We go with Breakfast for Dinner sometimes when I'm out of ideas or just don't have the energy to make dinner. 

8. Best tips to keep your house organized during the week

I've been failing spectacularly at this so far in 2026! LOL My plan is that I spend some time on Tuesday evenings whipping the kitchen and dining room back into shape, and some time on Thursday evening cleaning the bedrooms and bathrooms. Anything that needs more time has to be tackled on the weekends. But honestly, I've been getting only the barest minimum done lately and keep saying I'll catch up and give things a really good proper clean on Saturday . . . and when Saturday gets here I don't get everything done. That said, I find it does help me stay on track when I have a clear expectation of which job should get done on which day.

9. Share your easiest breakfast

We almost never eat breakfast so my easy breakfast is my cup of coffee! 

10. Share your best overall tip not covered yet

I don't think I have anything. I'm not really known for my organization skills! I try to have routines that make the quick everyday maintenance things automatic. I don't always remember to do those things, but the house runs more smoothly when I do. And I might not get a detailed deep clean done as often as I should, but the basics are done as I go, so things are generally tidy and quite acceptable.

What are your best tips for keeping your home running smoothly? Leave a comment and let me know!

I'm linking up with Monthly Musings hosted by Patty at Good Better Best.

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 ©2006-2026 HS Coffee Break/Just A Second/A Fresh Cup of Coffee. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. This post was written by a human. https://morecoffeebreaks.blogspot.com/ 

This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Fresh Cup of Coffee helps continue the coffee breaks and conversation. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

 

Everyday Images #82

Welcome to my ongoing challenge and reminder to myself to take photos somewhat regularly. I'm not a photographer, but I enjoy taking everyday photos of things I find interesting or want to remember later, and I'm more likely to notice interesting things when I'm intentionally watching for them. Having some prompts that are open to interpretation has helped me pay a little more attention to what's around me. Here's how it works: Every two weeks I have a few words and phrases to focus on, and I try to find opportunities to take pictures of these things each week. The link-up post will be here every other Thursday, sharing my photos and offering a link-up for participants to share theirs. Right below the link-up is where you'll find the next set of prompts. 

February Prompts - Everyday Images #82

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pages

numbers

at home (monthly)

red

window view

selfie (quarterly)

architecture

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pages - I've amassed quite a lot of pages of sheet music

numbers

at home (monthly)

red

window view - the view from my car window (while at a red light!) one foggy morning

selfie (quarterly)

architecture - despite having visited a Frank Lloyd Wright house last week, I still chose the Delaware City Hall building for this prompt. Scroll down to the bonus section for the FLW photos!

 And a few bonus photos:

Our Valentines Day outing was a visit to the Central Ohio Home and Garden Show. A friend works for one of the vendors, and offered us passes for that day.

We especially enjoyed the garden/outdoor displays. One featured the National Parks, recreating miniatures of a few Parks scenes such as Old Faithful, and had student artwork showing Parks scenery as well. 

miniature "Old Faithful"

My friend Dee understood the assignment better than I did,
and posed as if taking a bite of the plastic burger

Lots of nods to the upcoming 250th birthday celebration for the USA too.

Ended the day by trying out Biggby Coffee, and will be back!

On the 15th, we met up with our kids in Delaware to check out a small art museum.

Featured works by an artist that uses found objects that would otherwise be trash. These large installations are mostly made from lengths of garden hose and electric  cables. I think these would be kind of neat in a backyard area, don't you? They are unusual.

Also wandered around town and checked out a couple of shops. Were really tempted to eat at Bun's Restaurant, based solely on their iconic neon sign over the street, but ultimately went to a little burger place.

This past weekend we visited Westcott House in Springfield. It was our second tour of this Frank Lloyd Wright house. 

Got a close up look at magnolia buds - never realized how much they resemble pussy willows, and I wouldn't have expected that.

And within hours of seeing those signs of spring, it was winter again:

This little spot of color is an example of why I try to do Everyday Images. I noticed it at my feet and wondered whether there was a story about how it got there. 

I am sharing my photos every other Thursday, along with my prompts for the next two weeks. You can use all or some of the prompts for your own photo posts, or none of the prompts and just link up a post featuring your photos. Simple rules: Your posts must be family-friendly; the photos must be your own; and the post must be mostly photos. If you do share I'd appreciate a mention and link to A Fresh Cup of Coffee on your post.

The Everyday Images link-up is posted every other Thursday, and is open for two weeks.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

February/March Prompts - Everyday Images #83

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colorful

moon

from above

river

delicate

neighborhood spot (quarterly)

minimalist

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©2006-2026 HS Coffee Break/Just A Second/A Fresh Cup of Coffee. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. This post was written by a human. https://morecoffeebreaks.blogspot.com/ 

 This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Fresh Cup of Coffee helps continue the coffee breaks and conversation. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.