Hiya!
And welcome to our February round up! It's only been a short month, but Team Q+A has been busy packing in their favourite lockdown activities and trying some new ones too. I hope, that like us, you're optimistic for what the next few months hold.
We've been busy expanding to keep up with your love for Q+A, gearing towards some exciting new things coming soon! So without further adieu...
What are we reading?
From fiction, to non-fiction, to educational, Team Q+A likes to learn!
Cage of bones - Tania Carver
Nicola is onto the third book in the Brennan & Esposito series following a series of murders and their attempts to uncover the truth. Something for those looking for a little crime and mystery!
House of Leaves - Mark Z. Danielewski
Described as a "satire of academic criticism", this pick by Rich is both horror and romance, as Danielewski plays with footnotes, form and formatting for a unique narrative
Such a Fun Age - Kiley Reid
Isabella chose this compelling novel as her Feb pick, a thought provoking look at how racial and class divides can have ongoing effects
Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics - Dolly Parton
Looking back over 60 years of songwriting, Janet's read this month celebrates the singer's career, as well as a behind the scenes look at her choices and inspirations
Other notables:
Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones - Amy, eCommerce Coordinator
Hooked by Les Edgerton - Albie, Business Systems Manager
The Prison Doctor by Amanda Brown - Eliza, Sales & Purchasing Administrator
Saturday by Ian McEwan - Tim, Warehouse & Production Manager
I Took Chances by Percy N. Furber - Al, Director
What have we been watching?
There's always time to fit in an episode of your favourite show!
WandaVision
Patrick, like a lot of us, has been swept up in the hype around Marvel's WandaVision, and the titular characters as they journey through several decades in a tv show within a tv show, commercials and all
How to Get Away with Murder
Chloe spent February watching this thriller tv show which aired it's final episode in May last year. Time for a binge, anyone?
It's a Sin
Whether it was already on their list, or Kieran and I encouraged them with our submission last month, Rose, Faye and Andrew all tuned in to Russel T. Davies' drama looking at the lives of a handful of young adults as the AIDS crisis unfolded in the UK
The Fresh Prince of Bel Air
Albie sat back and enjoyed revisiting the 90's with this fun tv show starring Will Smith and some stylish looks we should definitely bring back in 2021!
Other notables:
The Handmaid's Tale - Eliza, Sales & Purchasing Assistant
The Drowning - Lucy, Brand Marketing Coordinator
The Americans - Kieran, Production Assistant
The Bridge - Tim, Warehouse & Production Manager
Firefly Lane - Isabella, Key Account Manager
The Durrels - Julia, Finance Director
What have we been listening to?
Classics, modern hits, and the indie songs all have a place in our heart!
A Little Bit of Love by Tom Grennan
Eliza
Heatwaves by Glass Animals
Lucy
Golden by Harry Styles
Isabella
Walking on Sunshine by Katrina & the Waves
Rich
Ticket to Ride and Blackbird by The Beatles
Al and Julia
Ain't No Sunshine by Bill Withers
Tim
The Message Continues by Nubya Garcia
Andrew
Bury Me by Huxlxy
Amy
What else have we been up to?
At risk of this becoming a baking, gardening and crafting spotlight series...
Gardening
Rich and Nicola are making good use of the weather warming up and plants emerging from the snow to improve their garden and allotment respectively
Cocktail Making
What's better than honing your cocktail skills in lockdown, ready for when you're able to host dinner parties again? Andrew has been perfecting his skills this Feb!
Baking
Lucy made these scrumptious looking Lemon & Coconut Fridge Bars, from Tanya Burr's cooking book, Tanya Bakes!
Crafting
I tried a new craft this month with Punch Needling, and have this little cushion to show for it!
Which Q+A products have we been reaching for?
Our hydration heroes are taking the spotlight this month, which is no wonder considering the chilly winds and snow we had!
Bringing it back to basics, Rose is loving her Hyaluronic Acid Facial Serum as her daily essential, and Chloe is happy with how hydrated her skin has been this month! Lucy, Rich and Julia are also keeping things simple without sacrificing moisture with their Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Cleansers. Glowing skin all around!
Tim and I are loving the Apple AHA Exfoliating Gel for keep our skin smooth and bright, and I am so impressed with how my hormonal breakouts have calmed down since I started using it. Following some advice from the team, Isabella has become stricter with her regular use of Apple, and has said this month her skin already looks and feels so much healthier! Nicola's go to for keeping her skin moisturised this month is the Grapefruit Cleansing Balm, Janet is loving her Chamomile Night Cream, and Eliza has been mixing Squalane with Zinc for skin which is both bright, and clear.
I think we can give the crown this week to our Hyaluronic Acid duo!
That's fin to Feb! I hope you're staying heathy, hydrated and thoroughly entertained, and March will be no different. We love that we get an opportunity to share a little more about how Team Q+A ticks, so thank you for staying along for the ride, and let us know if there's anything you got up to in February worthy of our March edition!
See you next month 👋
Amy Robson
Aspiring author, craft addict, and Q+A's eCommerce Coordinator
