Monthly REPORT: October overview
Monthly REPORT: October overview
ft. spooky szn favorites, cozy home upgrades, and more
Some tricks, some treats, lots of somethin’s good to eat—from moving to a new city in the Netherlands to our non-negotiable annual Halloween movie schedule and more, here’s the best of what I’ve been reading, eating, playing, obsessing over, recommending, and treating myself to this October.
Reading: A BIT MUCH
Between moving houses and our Halloween movie schedule I didn’t get the chance to read as many books as I’d typically prefer to this month. Thankfully, though, I did find the time to tear through perhaps the best poetry collection I’ve read this year.
If you don’t already know poet Lyndsay Rush by her Instagram handle @maryoliversdrunkcousin, or perhaps as , go follow her on both of those platforms and spend a few minutes scrolling through her recent musings.
Now, take how insightful, entertaining, and relatable Lyndsay is in those online spaces and multiply it by… 10? Or 100? 1000, maybe??? And you’ll have a reasonable estimate for the emotional toll her debut anthology A BIT MUCH is going to have on you once you read it—and I must insist that you read it.
I devoured this heartfelt and hilarious poetry collection in one sitting. From start to finish, I found myself oscillating between that I’m-feeling-raw-and-exposed-but-cautiously-hopeful kind of vulnerability I sometimes experience after getting out of a therapy session you really needed and that my-stomach-aches-from-laughing-and-my-cheeks-hurt-from-smiling feeling I often have after hanging out with a close, non-judgmental friend.
Whether you think of yourself as a “poetry person” or not, trust me, this is a book you’ll be glad that you read. I look forward to returning to it again and again at different seasons in my life—and I can’t wait to read whatever Lyndsay publishes next.
Eating: ALL PUMPKIN EVERYTHING
Basic? Sure. Delicious? You bet your sweet autumnal ass! This month we’ve been snacking, sipping, and savoring:
Playing: SPOOKY SZN CLASSICS
When it comes to Halloween movies, everyone has their own preferences—but for my partner and I, at least, these are the absolute must-watch movies on the docket come spooky season each year:
There are plenty of others that we love, too, but these are the ones that we really try to squeeze in time to see before spooky season comes to a close each year.
Obsessing over: OUR NEW HOME IN HAARLEM
My partner and I moved from our first apartment in Amsterdam to a small house in the nearby Dutch city of Haarlem this month, and we’re head over heels for our new digs!
Our top priority was to find a place on the ground floor with a fenced-in outdoor space for our dog, a Great Pyrenees mix who has been cooped up in a fourth-story walk-up for the past two years. We were lucky enough to find an adorable spot with a massive yard, a recently renovated open-concept interior, and a much lower rent than we were paying previously. Not to mention, it’s in a fantastic location—within easy walking distance of the train station and the city center, but still quietly tucked away on a peaceful and car-free residential street.
We’re still in the process of unpacking and organizing things, of course, but I look forward to sharing more about the experience of finding an apartment in the Netherlands and moving between Dutch municipalities, as well as how our gezellig little home is looking as we settle in, in the weeks to come.
Recommending: VOTING ASAP!!!
Remember, voting doesn’t start on November 5, it ends on November 5—so whether you’re planning on mailing in your absentee ballot from abroad or hitting the polls IRL in the States, now is the time! A few links to help you get started:
Review early voting dates by state
Check out election dates and deadlines by state
Find your polling place if you’re currently in the U.S.
Follow these steps to cast your ballot as a U.S. citizen living abroad
The 2024 election has the potential to shape the direction of the U.S. (and the world) for years to come. Our votes matter—perhaps now more than ever—because they represent not only our values, but also our hope for a better future.
Individually, it might not feel like our votes matter all that much. But together, we have so much power.
Now, it’s time to use that power.
Let’s make sure every vote counts!
Treating myself to: COZY HOME UPGRADES
The biggest downside of our new flat in Haarlem? It doesn’t have a tub.
As someone whose Instagram Story has been largely been dedicated to reading books in the bathtub for the past ten winters, I knew that meant I’d need to start thinking about other ways to warm up and self-soothe before SAD season rolled around this year.
Some of the cozy home upgrades I came up with to scratch that “I wish I were soaking in a bathtub right now” itch as temperatures drop:
A cream SMEG kettle (to match the cream SMEG fridge our flat came with) + cute handmade mugs from Dutch homeware brand anna+nina + some new tasty blends from our local tea shop
Shower steamers in spa-like scents (eucalyptus and peppermint! bergamot and rosemary!) from a Dutch brand we love called Dille & Kamille
A heated blanket from HEMA—basically like the Dutch version of Target—under which I can snuggle up with good books all winter long
The last thing I’m trying to figure out is whether there’s anywhere inside the house where we could hang a hammock so it wouldn’t be too in the way. If so, I could climb in there with my heated blanket and a mug of tea after using one of those shower steamers and still get that warm and cozy from the inside out, smelling like a spa, lying horizontally and sort of floating while reading a book feeling that baths usually give me. I’ll report back!
What’s in your October report?
Even if you’re not someone who enjoys “journaling” per se, this kind of guided reflection is a fun way to think about how you’ve been spending your time and energy lately. So, what have you been reading, eating, playing, obsessing over, recommending, and treating yourself to in the past month? I’d love to know!