READING
PLANNING
2025 TBR – it’s never too early, living room refresh with new paint this winter, new kitchen sink installation
WATCHING
Hargo Nature Preserve with new guests including woodchucks, skunks, and an opossum, hibiscus shrub blooming, praying mantis, 2024 summer Olympics in Paris, Toledo Rockets football
COOKING
smoking chickens, peanut butter and jelly cheesecake bars (birthday), chicken souvlaki, chopped salads, chili oil pork and cabbage stir-fry (DT), roasted red pepper Bolognese (HBH), spicy chicken madras (HBH), sun-dried tomato, pesto, and mint pasta (HBH), spicy basil beef bowl (HBH), chicken and dumplings, chicken piccata meatballs (DT), lemon rosemary chicken with forty garlic cloves (HBH)
EATING
Luckie’s birthday lunch with coworkers, Culantro in Ann Arbor (Peruvian eatery)
DRINKING
Wolverine State Brewing, Jolly Pumpkin, Pavlov’s Brewing Company, Earnest Brew Works, Inside the Five Field House, Encore Brewing, Quenched and Tempered
CREATING
thrifted 1st birthday gift, hosting for the Golden Bachelorette premiere, daily habit to drink at least 80 oz of water
HOUSING
continued white pain removal from the exterior of our home, renovation in sunroom painting and electrical, cosmos southern garden bed, standing herb garden
GOING
SIP, Goodwill, camping 1 night in Oak Openings, Black Kite, German American Festival, birding at Magee Marsh, Mudhens game, tons of outdoor runs in September (50 miles in total)
TRAVELING
none, sadly
LOVING
watching our niece grow (sadly from afar), audiobooks, break from summer heat
DREAMING
2025 vacations and travel including our 1st wedding anniversary, Rocky Mountain National Park September 2025
FEELING
overworked, clocking 40-65 hours every week since returning from our honeymoon including 60+ hours the week of my birthday, relief with the hire of a new PTA, too anxious while playing candy crush (LOL), proud having run 50 miles in September
LISTENING
The Tortured Poets Department by Taylor Swift, Brat by Charlie XCX, Golden Hour by Kacey Musgraves, Short n’ Sweet by Sabrina Carpenter, A Bar Song (Tipsy) by Shaboozey, Burning Down by Alex Warren
CELEBRATING
31st birthday, N & A’s wedding, D & B’s wedding
LEARNING
no non-fiction this month, whoops
BUYING
robot vacuum, coffee table and bird decor from the consignment shop, Cook’s Illustrated subscription, Birdie safety alarm, KOV hair clips, Sephora favorites kits, Merit holiday blush trio collection
BOHDI
Stink, Bubba, Boba, Boba Tea, Boba Fett, Stink Bug, Boogie, Boogie Board
MANTRA
“The happiest people I know are slowing down, not speeding up”
Until next time, Meryn
MERYN MADE 
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