September was a work-work-work month. It wasn’t until the end of the month that I really got a chance to get out and explore West Palm Beach. I walked over to the warehouse district in 95 degree heat — everyone thought I was crazy — and checked out a few of the breweries in the area during an organized brewery crawl. I was quickly adopted by one group which was really nice, but then I think they didn’t really know what to do with me once I started speaking German to the guy making pretzels at Steamhorse Brewery and then declined their invitation for another pub crawl in October because I’m, uh, going to Guatemala. People are weird.
I also went to Louisville, Kentucky for my friend Julie’s wedding. Not only was it tremendously wonderful to see a good friend get married, but it was so nice to see all my London friends and Chicago friends together in one place. I may have teared up a few times and did the whole “I love you guys!!!” Louisville is a fun little town and there are tons of bourbon distilleries to check out. I did a tour of Evan Williams which for $15 was an extremely good value. I also ate a lot of cheesy grits because, well, Kentucky. Not sure why this was the first time I’ve been to Louisville. It won’t be my last!
I also finally joined a gym this month and have been going to kickboxing and spinning which has been fun. I may have a “gym friend” now. Slowly, slowly. I’ll get there. Here’s what I liked in September.
Recursion by Blake Crouch
After a tough couple of months of work, I finally had a chance to read Recursion by Blake Crouch. (My 26th book of the year. I’m really behind now on my 52 books a year milestone.) What a mind bender!! I have a lot of thoughts about the ending and I’m not entirely sure how Shonda will make it into a movie and series for Netflix, but if you are looking for a fast-paced sci-fi novel with a strong female lead, this is it!
Design Home
I don’t even know how I learned about this iPhone game but I’m sorta obsessed. It’s basically a home decorating game where you compete with thousands of faceless others to design the best possible rooms in imaginary houses all across the world. The kicker? You use real furniture from real brands like Apt2B, Serena & Lily, and West Elm. I have a new appreciation for poufs now. I currently have a 4.19 rating and have managed one 5.0 design. Unfortunately, Design Home has pushed me over my self-imposed 3 hours of phone time a day. Gotta scale back.
Old Navy Elevate Leggings
Because I don’t really know anyone in South Florida, I’m spending my free time at my new gym. This required all new workout attire so I didn’t look like a bum. (Gym styles have changed over the years, haven’t they?) After trying a few different options, I’ve decided I like Old Navy Elevate Leggings the best. They are thin enough to deal with the Florida heat, but they are not see through. They also have POCKETS which are essential.
Le Creuset Baking Pans
Last month, I wrote about my new nonstick Le Creuset frying pans. This month, I’m in love with my baking pans. They have a high edge and nice handles and I just love them. I actually haven’t baked any cookies or anything yet…using more for baking fish and chicken.
Aldi
I think I’ve been to an Aldi in London’s Lewisham before but I had honestly never been to one in the U.S. Until September when I visited one by my mom and one by me in West Palm Beach. I am obsessed. My mother thinks Aldi is “cheap food” but I find everything to be weird and wonderful. Also, I can get more European-style cheeses and meats. Never enough European-style cheeses and meats. For example, it’s hard to prosciutto in US supermarkets but Aldi had a ton. (American prosciutto but still.) Also, I got a bunch of smoked Gouda….yum.
United Mileage X Chrome Plugin
Not sure why I didn’t discover this sooner but if you download the United Mileage X Chrome Plugin, it will tell you how many miles per dollar you’ll get when you shop on different sites. So for example, if I type in Samsonite Luggage, the Google search results show me that I’ll get 2 miles per dollar on Samsonite.com but 5 miles per dollar on ebags.com. This is a super easy way to rack up more frequent flyer miles. Case in point, when I bought my Old Navy Elevate Leggings, I got some extra United miles.
Dr. Scholl’s Sandals
Growing up, I lived in Dr. Scholl’s wooden clogs. When I saw this plastic version on Amazon — in silver — I knew I had to have them. They are super comfortable and also perfect for the beach and/or shower. I love them. They also make me feel…like a robot? That’s not a bad thing. I like it actually.
Champion Sports Bras
I spent a lot of time this month looking for the perfect sports bra. After trying on a bunch, I bought two of these Champion sports bras and I love them. So much support. (My breasts are…not small. I need extra support.) Also, you can switch-up the straps if you want a tighter fit. (They can crisscross in the back if you want them to.) I am going to keep going on this quest, but for now, these are great. (The reviews on Amazon are not the greatest. But honestly, these are the best sports bras I’ve had in a while.)
Anker Charging Block
I knew I’d have two long travel days this month and didn’t want to spend a lot of time worrying about my phone dying. So I bought this charging block. This turned out not to be too much of a worry because two of my four Delta flights had at-seat power BUT there were no outlets next to the bed at my hotel in Louisville, Kentucky and my 10 ft long charging cable didn’t reach the wall outlet. So I ended up using the charging block every night and it was perfect! This is a great solution for hotels that don’t have outlets by the bed.
Bonobo
I’m trying to listen to and discover more music these days and I am in love with Bonobo. Nothing new — this song has been around for two years or so. But I can’t stop watching the video — all transportation and things that go! Very visually interesting. And now I’ve been listening to Bonobos on Spotify not-stop and I love him.
Over and out for September! Thanks for reading!
