Double Shot of Espresso #2: September R.E.P.O.R.T.
What I've been reading, eating, playing, obsessing over, recommending, and treating myself with! Plus some fun journal prompts for October
Friends,
I’ve stumbled upon the section of Tik Tok where people do weekly reports and share what they’ve been reading, eating, playing, obsessing over, recommending, and treating themselves to. It sounded like the perfect rubric for our Double Shot of Espresso series every month. Below I share with you some of my favorite things lately from September and early October. What have you been enjoying lately?
September Reflection
September was actually a decent month. I got to go to the bookstore, texted some friends I’d been missing, and even tried something new I’d been wanting to do for a while. In terms of my goals for last month, I definitely set the foundation. I didn’t journal every day but when the mood struck I enjoyed blissful silence as I wrote about my day and how I was feeling. I didn’t wake up earlier every day but it’s slowly creeping into my daily routine the way I had hoped. My law school application journey went into full swing during the month of September. I haven’t made significant progress but I’ve taken the initial steps. I finally took the plunge and registered to take the LSAT, I registered for open houses and workshops to help with my essay writing and I finally fixed my resume after not touching it for an entire year.
(R) Reading
At the moment, I’m 80% into Flawless by Elsie Silver. For the most part, I’ve enjoyed this book but I think I’m going to rate it 3.75 stars because I’m missing the small-town vibe it promises and the enemies-to-lovers isn’t exactly ETL. I’ll be sharing my full review on Goodreads once I’m done so be sure to add me on there!
Once I’m done with this, my friend Will and I will be buddy-reading Lost in the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas. I spoke about wanting to read this for fall in my last newsletter and Will shared the same sentiment… hence BUDDY READS. Make sure to check Will out on Booksta and his website for his poetry collections!
(E) Eating
I finally went back to my favorite pizzeria in all of New York yesterday after finishing up with a law school event. I haven’t been there in years but I’ve been craving their delicious crispy pizza forever. Growing up my dad and I always hung around the Chelsea area and almost always stopped by 2 Bros Pizza on W 25th Street and 6th Ave. I ordered my favorite — pepperoni and bacon — and fell in love all over again. If you do anything when you come to New York, please go there! Not only is the staff super nice, but, every slice of pizza tastes like heaven and they’re incredibly affordable for NYC.
(P) Playing
Benito's album dropped on Friday the 13th and it’s been on replay ever since. My favorite genre of music is Latin trap/reggaeton so I’ve been living my best life since this came out.
I’ve also been returning to YouTube and trying to catch up on all the videos I’ve added to my Watch Later playlist. This one was absolutely hilarious and I can’t stop thinking about it.
This is one of my favorite Podcasts and they did an episode with Amoruso who I was unhealthily obsessed with in high school. I’ve read her book and watched her show— both of which I highly recommend.
Lit Chicks Read: “Happy Place” by Emily Henry
Another one of my favorite podcasts, I love the take these ladies have on stories and recently they reviewed one of my top 5 books read of 2023.
(O) Obsessing
Law school events equal pretty outfits which means endless shopping trips. Lately, my style has been casual comfy but still looking put together. I bought two bodysuits from H&M which at first, I was not a huge fan of. But, after wearing both and loving the feel of them, I will definitely be picking up many more. You can check out both bodysuits here and here (the second body suit is the same as the one I bought, only mine has stripes. I couldn’t find it on the website). I’m now on the hunt for some comfy bottoms and a trench coat!
(R) Recommending
Friends, I have not been a daily makeup wearer since in or around my sophomore year of college. Growing up I was OBSESSED with makeup, constantly playing around with it in the bathroom and watching way too many hours of YouTube tutorials. But with all these back-to-back law school events I’ve been toying with it a little and I’ve been obsessed with my new lip combo. I prefer very natural makeup because even half glam is simply too heavy and too time-consuming. I’d be happy to share with you my very easy, seemingly natural makeup routine but for now, my absolute favorite fall lip combo. I start off by lining my lips with NYX Long-Lasting Slim Lip Pencil in the shade Espresso. It’s so buttery smooth. I like to line a little thicker near the corners of my mouth and blend it upwards with my finger to create a slight ombre effect. I then apply L’Oreal Balm-in-Lipstick with Pomegranate Extract in the shade Ecstatic Mulberry. Lastly, I top the whole look off with Fenty Gloss Bomb Heat Universal Lip Luminizer + Plumper in the shade Hot Cherry. The combo is so beautiful and hydrating. It lasts for HOURS and doesn’t cake up on your lips.
(T) Treating
For those who have been following Booksta, you know I’m obsessed with the Being Frenshe wellness brand at Target. They have some of the most beautiful scents but because of how amazing they are, they’re always sold out. On my last trip, I stocked up on their Renewing and Hydrating Body Wash with Niacinamide in the scent of Fresh Cashmere Vanilla. What I love the most about this body wash is how smooth it leaves my skin feeling each time I use it. I also love that the scent alone calms my energy and spirit. Vanilla is one of my signature scents but there are some brands that make the scent unappealing. Luckily, BF takes a very luxurious approach to the scent profile that I find spa-like every time I open the bottle. If you’ve been considering giving Being Frenshe a go, I highly recommend it because it is quite literally on the top of my list of Target faves.
Brewing in October
I have two main goals for October and mini goals for different categories of my life.
my two main goals:
Decrease my screen time: I wouldn’t say I’m as obsessed with my phone as I was two years prior, but my screen time is still pretty high coming in at an average of 6 hours per day. Most of it stems from watching Tik Tok, Gilmore Girls, Housewives, and/or reading. This month I want to take some time away from my phone. Maybe read a little more on my Kindle or try out a screen-less hobby. Or, if I’m really feeling crazy, simply watch TV on my actual television instead of my tiny phone screen.
Sleeping earlier: they always say the secret to a good morning routine starts the night before. I’ve noticed that after spending the majority of my day at work and then rushing home to study, I don’t have much time to enjoy being me which results in staying up till late at night relaxing with some Gilmore Girls. I’m not going to set a strict bedtime, but I want to work on sleeping a little earlier each day whether it's an hour earlier or five minutes.
law school goals:
As application season is in full swing, I want to finally finish my personal statement so I can shift my attention to each individual school's application essays. I’ve been dreading this process as it’s so tedious but in an effort to not turn in my applications so late in the game, I need to hone in on knocking out these essays.
Once I start law school, I’ll be focusing all of my attention on my studies. This means I won’t have the luxury of a job to cover my expenses. I’ve decided that I need to start setting some money aside for those rainy days in school and bought a nice saving crayon to throw a bit of cash into each paycheck.
Journal Prompts for the Month:
Based on my daily routine, where do I see myself in five years?
What did childhood me need the most?
Where is my energy mainly going?
How am I complicit in creating the conditions I say I don’t want?
I had a ton of fun putting this little segment together and I think it’s the perfect blueprint for this series. As I continue sharing my R.E.P.O.R.T’s with you, I hope you find something new to binge or obsess over with me. In the meantime, I’m going to finally get myself a fall flavored donut from Dunkin! :)
With love & a cup of coffee,
Some links are affiliate links, which means at absolutely no extra charge to you, I make a commission should you choose to make a purchase via my link.
If you enjoyed this issue, please share it with your friends, families, teachers, dog, local coffee shop or even your mail man to spread the joy of reading!