Hello friends,
It's been a second! I pulled a bit of a disappearing act on you earlier this year when things reached a crescendo in my personal life and my dedication to this newsletter was the first thing I had to chop.
Remember when I wrote a newsletter on asking yourself the question “is it still fun?” I had to follow my own advice this time.
Things are different for me now. I have a pretty demanding job which I love, I've been off of social media for the past 5+ months, I moved into a beautiful new home with my partner, and I'm finally on the upswing from some chronic fatigue issues caused by being anemic.
I'm introverted by nature (feeling pretty shy right now, tbh!) and have a squiggly brain that has made maintaining connections with the people I know and love pretty challenging.
I've let a lot of things fall by the wayside these past few months, but for the first time, I didn't deprioritize myself in order to keep things chugging along. My job and my health are what I've devoted my limited energy to, and now that I'm feeling my energy return, I'm ready to infuse intention into the areas of my life that have been less tended to.
I don't have a formal ADD diagnosis, but this year I've started to take a closer look at some of the things I continuously struggle with and I’ve found comfort and understanding in the ADD/ADHD community (like everyone else, I know I know).
I saw a TikTok recently where a psychologist said that he thought that people who have ADHD don't struggle with an attention deficit, but an intention deficit. They could have all the tools, knowledge, and intention to do something, but they can't make everything fire in a way to actually make it happen. Intention is not enough, the structure and scaffolding also have to be in place for those intentions to become reality.
That concept has been pretty eye-opening for me recently and has prompted me to take a closer look at how I organize my time and priorities. Thankfully, the company I work for, Flow Club, is one of the most effective ways I create structure in my life to accomplish what I intended. I'm actually using it right now to get back in the swing of writing my newsletter!
What’s next? This newsletter is going to be changing. I've got a new name and branding to share soon, but I wanted to connect with you first and check-in.
This space will always be a place of reflection. Where I share my own ruminations and the things that are inspiring and influencing me, so that they may be helpful or spark things in your own life. We're all just mirrors. Refracting and reflecting back to each other the things we both do and do not want to see. I’m forever practicing how to hold the gaze either way.
My monthly intention is to get back in the habit of writing this newsletter every week, so I’ll see you next Wednesday. Looking forward to exploring this new phase with you 🙃
🎵 Song of the Week
I love Lido Pimienta and this haunting remix is a new fave.
📚 Things to Read
I felt this article so keenly as a recovering “doing too many things” person. My slowing ambition was making me feel lazy until I realized that it’s been replaced by the desire to just live a good life. And not drive myself crazy trying to do so, either.
Beyoncé's "Heated" Makes Me Feel Like I Can Punch a Hole in the Sun
I, like all other human beings, have been fully obsessed with Beyoncé’s new album. This article captured how I feel about it better than I could ever convey myself.
Why Do So Many Recipes Call for So Little Garlic?
If you’re a garlic girl like me, you’ve probably also wondered about this (and then quadrupled the amount of garlic asked for in any recipe). The truth is, it depends on multiple factors. Including the little context that recipes allow for and how fresh your garlic is.
The Glorious, Almost-Disconnected Boredom of My Walk in Japan
Part travel story, part guide on how to modify your technology to make it work for you – this article was formative for me. And reinforced my decision to stay off social media until I can make it work for me.
Another formative article on using your calendar to view time as space and planning accordingly. As someone who is pretty time-blind, this has been really helpful for me to finally learn how long things actually take me to do (hint: it’s always twice as long).
🍴 Things to Cook
Cucumber Salad With Roasted Peanuts and Chile Recipe – NYT
The recipe I made non-stop this summer. Quick & easy with the perfect amount of crunch.
Shrimp Boil Foil Packets – Belly Full
Great for camping or when you just really wish you were at a seafood boil.
Chili Crisp Chicken Mango Cucumber Rice Bowl – Half Baked Harvest
A little more effort, but one of those recipes that will have you saying “DAMN THIS IS GOOD.”
Creamy Corn Pasta With Basil - NYT
A recipe I took a risk on making for dinner guests and it 100% paid off.
💪 Things to Try
Hot tip: a lot of places that sell furniture (UO, Wayfair, Target) are selling a lot of the same exact stuff but at different price points. This tool helps you match items across sites so you can get the best price.
Virtual morning pages with a word counter that gives you a satisfying check when you reach 750 words. This has been key in getting back into my writing habit.
August’s Period Subscription Box
I always end up running out of tampons at inconvenient times and buying from brands I’d rather not. I’m intrigued by this company which sells affordable subscription boxes of biodegradable pads and tampons.
How to clean the heck out of your house
A guide that I came across while browsing an ADHD subreddit. Cleaning is something that we’re all just “supposed to know how to do,” but I’ve never felt very efficient at it. This helps!
This summer was the summer of linen for me. I became absolutely obsessed with Quince and have their linen bedding bundle, button-downs, pants, and shorts. It reminds me of Everlane with their transparent pricing + sustainability practices but somehow it’s even more affordable. You can use this link to get $20 off.
Emails are difficult for me to respond to these days, so if you reply to this email, it might take me some time to get back to you. If you have something you’d like to share, I recommend dropping it in the comments!
Glad to read that you're on the up and up, Hannah. :)