Hearts

Two things that made this Valentine's a pretty fun celebration:

Cupcakes with sprinkles. J and I ate them after dinner last night (yeah, a day early). Molly Wizenberg calls it a "far-from-disaster" cake recipe; it was close to perfection. And there were a million leftovers. Yum.

A card from darling sister L. We have a tradition of sending valentines to each other from our fake lovers, who try to persuade us to run away into the sunset with them. This year Rooster from True Grit asked for my companionship on the trail, while Julian Fellowes tried to woo L with his screenwriting skills. (Apparently this year's theme was old men.) It's a nice guarantee for some laughs in case the day is a lonely one.

Do you have any fun traditions?

Indulgences

As February drags on, I'm finding that I allow myself more indulgences.* Little things, like buying French vanilla coffee at the cafe by school instead of brewing a batch of plain coffee in my stained coffeemaker at home. Or baking scones one afternoon, just because. Or spending a weeknight watching the next Harry Potter movie on my list instead of grading. Or buying flowers once a week to brighten up the kitchen.

I used to worry about budgeting for things like flowers and breakfast out. You're supposed to save in your twenties, so I've heard, and it is good advice. I've even been guilty of over-budgeting, so much so that my mom will periodically call me and tell me to go out and buy some shoes, already. And while the little indulgences add up over time, they're just that: indulgences. As long as they don't take over your daily routine (as the Harry Potter habit is threatening to do), as long as they brighten up your day (or week), then they've done your job. You do what you can to get through February.


*My high school history teacher must really have made an impact on me if the first thing I think of when I use the word "indulgences" is not rewards, but the reason why Martin Luther decided the Catholic church needed reforming. Oh dear.