Opalite - Creating My Own Joy (February 2026 Recap)

I chose the word Opalite for 2026 because I love the meaning so much.  The word is the title of a song by Taylor Swift, and it means creating your own joy or happiness even when things aren’t going your way.  Life is full of ups and downs, so I thought this would be the perfect word to keep at the forefront of my mind as a constant reminder that there’s always something I can do to lift my own spirits.  And this manufactured joy doesn’t have to come from grand gestures or big events… most of the time it’s made in the small, everyday details. 

 

Here are some of the things I did in January to create my own joy…

 

-       February had quite a few warm days, and every single time it was 60 degrees or warmer, I opened my sunroof.  For whatever reason, an open sunroof has brought me great joy since I was a teenager, and I’ve had a sunroof in every single vehicle I’ve driven with the exception of my very first because it was a hand-me-down.

-       While said sunroof is open, it is pertinent to blast your favorite music (or whatever you feel like listening to that day) and sing at the top of your lungs!  Olivia and I did this many times on the way to dance, and it makes us both happy.  :o)

-       One of the songs I’ve been loving lately is Step Into Your Power by Manifestica Studio.  If you need a boost of energy, confidence, and positive vibes, I highly suggest playing that one on repeat and singing it out loud.  It’s SO good.

-       One day, I stopped what I was doing, and I basked in the sunshine.  I paid attention to the way it kissed my skin and how it warmed me from head to toe.  We had a long, cold winter this year, and feeling that warmth after so many days of bitter cold was like an extra special gift.  Sometimes making our own joy is just enjoying the little things that we take for granted every day.  (Although, I’m sure I’ll be changing my tune in about two months when the sun is way too strong and it’s charring my skin rather than kissing it.  Hahahaha.)

-       We had a full moon one day in February and it was still visible on the drive to school, so the kids and I stopped to ooh and aah over its beauty.  It was exceptionally big and bright and yellow that morning, and it was painted over a pink and purple and deep blue sky, and it was just one of those moments that make you realize just how vast the universe is.

-       One day, I was experiencing a ton of dizziness and tension from my retainer/jaw situation, so I bought myself some of my favorite banana chocolate chip muffins from the Walmart bakery.  Did those banana chocolate chip muffins alleviate my dizziness and tension?  No.  Did those banana chocolate chip muffins bring me joy.  They sure did!

-       Most of the days in February, I stopped working in the car line and I allowed myself to just read for pleasure.  I ended up reading five whole books in January and most of the reading was done in the car!  Reading brings me a whole lot of joy… especially when I’m into a really good book!

-       Another one of the days that my dizziness and tension was getting the best of me, I curled up and took a nap in my electric blanket.  Sometimes my body just needs a little reset like that when my neck is giving me trouble, and it brought me soooo much joy to allow myself to sink into my pillows and blankets and shut my mind off for a bit.  My electric blanket also makes me ridiculously happy on a cold day.

-       In the morning, instead of jumping straight out of bed when the alarm goes off, I’ve started laying for an extra 20-30 seconds and stretching all my limbs.  It always gives me a little bit of energy to get going and it makes getting up early a wee bit easier.

-       In February, I co-chaired the Daddy Daughter dance at the kids’ school, and instead of viewing it as another task to check off the to-do list, I looked at it as a way to have a little bit of fun. 

-       I made a little DJ request line sign, I sat on the stage all night, and I took requests from the kids and sent them to the DJ… all while dancing along to the music all night just having my own little party of one on the stage.  Haha.  Y’all know how much I love music!  My beautiful co-chair, Bianca, and I also had wayyyy too much fun with the photobooth!

-       I know I say this all the time, but a cup of tea always brings me joy.  It doesn’t matter if I have a cup or two every single day… I always look forward to my cup of tea just as much as I did the day before… I never get tired of it.

-       In February, I wrote a note to a friend and sent it in the mail.  I always love receiving happy mail, and being on the sending end of the happy mail also brought me joy.

-       Something I do every single day is turn on the twinkle lights in my office.  I don’t talk about them much here on the blog since they’re a permanent fixture in my office and in my life, but it never gets old turning those on.  I turn them on every single time I’m in my office.  Twinkle lights make me absolutely giddy.  My office is truly my favorite place. 

-       Olivia got an e.l.f. lip gloss for her birthday from one of her friends, and I loved it so much on her that I bought one for myself.  I have been wearing the same lipstick and lipstick shade for yearssss, but it was fun to refresh my lip color and try something different for the first time in forever.

-       I started a Lent study in the Hallow app in February, and I’m enjoying listening to it every day.  Jonathan Roumie (Jesus from The Chosen) does most of the meditations and his voice is the best.  It makes me feel calm and feeling calm makes me happy.

-       I started easing back into strength training for my upper body in February and I’m soooo happy that I’m finally back on the path of getting my arms back in shape.  I’m taking it very slow, but it feels good to be working those muscles again after a very long hiatus.

-       I walked a LOT in February because walking always brings me joy.  Usually, I avoid walking in January and February because it gets dark so early, it’s too cold, it’s too dreary, and many other reasons.  But this year, I decided to walk no matter what the weather was like, because you know what?  I always feel better when I walk… even on the cold, windy, or dreary days.  I ended up taking 16 walks in February for a total of 35.55 miles.

 

I was honestly not as good in February about documenting my little joys that I created for myself, so I know I’m missing some here today, but this is a pretty good overview!

Happy Wednesday, y’all!