The Group Chat Vol. 3
setting the tone for the weekend, embracing cozy hobbies & February favorites
Hi cozy readers!
Welcome to The Group Chat - a weekly roundup just in time for a cozy weekend in. Featuring a curated collection of cozy musings from home recommendations, reviews on current beauty favorites and self-care tips that elevate your nights in. Don’t be shy to share some of your current favorites in the comments.
Setting the Tone for the Weekend
Maximizing the Kick Start to the Weekend
After a long week, the one thing that typically pulls you through to the very end is the thought of enjoying the weekend. You think of all the things you can’t wait to do the second you clock off. I mean it's called Fri-yay for a reason - the last day of the work week known to kick starting the weekend fun. As a homebody myself, a Friday reset is the only pre-game I will be partaking in (the game being enjoying the weekend fully). I used to be a “do it all on Sunday” kind of girl until the internal battle of how do I balance rest and reset became a big ball of the “Sunday scaries”. When I was in college I typically had Friday’s off from class or only had a few classes leaving the evening open to whatever I wanted to do. The last thing on my mind was going out if I’m being honest. So, I started doing my resets for a few hours on Friday instead. Years later, it’s still a practice I continue to love doing.
We all deserve to fully enjoy the weekend - curating your off days to do whatever brings you joy. I check off the “most important” tasks that I know will loom over my head until it’s done, in order to have the mental space to enjoy time off (guilt-free). I’ll admit, sometimes it’s hard to get over that hurdle of having to be productive after an already long week. However, if you’re already planning on staying in, might as well use a few hours (and the last burst of willpower) to check some things off. The thing I love about maximizing a Friday is you can customize it how you see fit depending on what your schedule looks like and what you want to check off your to-do list.
Some Friday’s I have the willpower to knock out my cleaning tasks within a couple hours, and get my grocery shopping out the way. While other weeks I only have the will power to dedicate 45 min to cleaning tasks. Doing something to reduce the load is ultimately better than stressing to get it all done in one day. To help me stay on track I created a Friday Reset checklist that makes my space feel refreshed. Giving me the opportunity to fill my weekend with the things I actually want to enjoy. Give it a go and who knows, you might shift and be a Friday Reseter too.
*If you need some fun visual motivation I got you covered here on TikTok - oh and here on Youtube if you want some long form motivation
February Favorites
My Friday Reset Essentials
On the topic of cleaning and resetting I have a cleaning caddy of all my favorite cleaning essentials. These are items you will see me using quite often. I’m definitely someone who gets excited over finding new cleaning products and gadgets to use (I guess this is adulthood haha) but I will always have these on hand and for good reasons.
Scrub Daddy is one of my favorite cleaning brands. I made the switch to their sponges a few years ago and haven’t looked back since. They hold up great for indoor and outdoor cleaning tasks. You can even put them in the dishwasher to clean/sanitize them. I’ve also come to really enjoy their soft scouring paste, I use it on my stove top, bathroom sink, shower floor and to get pesky stains off my cookware.
I really like using multi-surface concentrates. I think you get more bang for your buck since you’re diluting a solution, making it last longer. Grove Collaborative takes the guessing game out of trying to figure out how to dilute products with their pre-measured concentrates. You just add the concentrate to a spray bottle with water and you’re ready to go!
For disinfecting surfaces I really enjoy the Everspring disinfecting spray and the OG of cleaners Pinesol (lemon scent preferably).
I will scream it from the rooftops “PLEASE protect your hands”! I use the Clorox ultra comfort gloves for washing dishes and cleaning the kitchen. For other cleaning tasks like cleaning the toilet and the shower I use disposable gloves for sanitary reasons.
Sprayway glass cleaner is one of the best glass cleaners! I used to work retail and that was the only cleaner most stores I worked at used to clean the fitting room mirrors. Streaks? - don’t know her.
Music and Media of February
Doechii is one word - Iconic. From her personality to her style and the way she expresses herself I’m in awe. Her recent win of Rap Album of the Year solidifies her talent in the game. Her album ‘Alligator Bites Never Heal’ is such a fun and unique listen, it’s been on repeat all month for me. Kendrick Lamar has been one of my favorite rappers for years and his newest album GNX is definitely one of my favorites. You can hear and feel his artistry in his music especially in this album. I love how much culture is embedded in his sounds. I also enjoy when him and Sza collaborate, they compliment each other so well!
Keke Palmer and Sza’s chemistry in ‘One of them Days’ was insanely good. Their on screen characters felt like an extension of who they are naturally as people. Ultimately making the movie feel like you’re watching two best friends navigate life together irl. It was a fun watch with a good laugh, that would be great to see with some friends. If you love a thriller movie with twists and turns I’d suggest checking out ‘Companion’. I was a bit skeptical at first but ultimately I thought it was a good movie with a eerie plot. It’s a rare blend of social horror, science fiction, and thriller. Without giving a spoiler I’m a sucker for a badass female character so I loved seeing how Iris developed throughout the movie.
This Month’s Obsessions
A lip combo that has single handily taken over my makeup routine and I don’t see myself changing it up anytime soon: makeup forever lip liner in limitless brown, benetint lip & cheek stain in rose and a glossy clear lip balm on top
KAYALI sparkling lychee parfum: If you love smelling fruity and floral this is for you - my most worn and complimented fragrance in February
RARE BEAUTY brow harmony eyebrow gel: I love a good laminated brow and this has a great hold. I scraped all that I could out of this so I will be repurchasing
Chunky sneakers: never thought I’d be into the sporty chunky sneaker trend but I’ve really been enjoying paring them with a casual outfit for my ‘running errands’ days
Recipes from ‘All The Healthy Things’: recently discovered Ashlea, a food blogger with amazing recipes that are balanced with nutrition and immense flavor. I made her Balsamic Slow Cooker Beef and a few other recipes over the month. I can’t get over how good they are!! I’m very excited to try some more recipes - safe to say I’m hooked.
Cozy Hobbies on the Menu
I was cleaning out my spare closet one day and found all my art and craft supplies, and wondered to myself why I had them hidden away. I used to color and paint all the time as a way to decompress but I kinda fell off from doing it. I dusted off my markers and spent a night coloring while listening to some music (in attempt to have a no screen night) and was quickly reminded how fun and relaxing cozy hobbies are. In March I really want to embrace more cozy hobbies and challenge myself to different activities.
On the menu to try we have:
more coloring time!!!
trying watercolors/painting - this looks like so much fun I’ve been itching to give it a whirl
crocheting - i’m on a mission to stitch together a cute little crochet stuffed animal (overly ambitious I know but hey who wouldn’t want a cute little crochet turtle or giraffe!)
junk journaling has consumed my fyp and I’m not mad at it! I think this could be a great way to not only be creative but have cute little momentos to look back on
I would love to know if you have any favorite cozy hobbies that you’d recommend to give a try! Leave a comment sharing yours
With Love…
I hope you had an amazing month! It was a quick one but overall for me it was a great one. I got to spend time with my not so little sister, went to a concert, tried some new recipes and spent some time exploring my own city along with some new local small businesses. So, with love I hope you have a great weekend! Remember to do something for yourself, pour into your own cup and find a moment to do something that brings you joy this weekend. Thank you for reading, until next time cozy readers…
See you in your inbox,
xo Tiana