October Recommendations

I thought it might be fun to start a new monthly series where I share a few favorite things/recommendations! This seems to be a common element of many of the podcasts I’m enjoying lately, and I always get great ideas when these hosts share their recommendations. So, dear reader, whoever you are, here’s what I’ve been enjoying and exploring this month of October:

1. The Girl Next Door Podcast. My favorite types of podcasts are the conversational kind. The kind of show that makes me feel like I’m listening to good friends chat over coffee (or a cocktail). Ever since becoming a mom this past April, I’ve found even greater comfort in my favorite podcasts. Being a part-time stay-at-home mom can sometimes feel a little lonely, and podcasts can provide a sense of comradery and company. The Girl Next Door Podcast is hosted by two former neighbors and friends, Kelsey and Erica. They are both moms and writers. They chat about motherhood, pursuing creativity, yearly goals, books, beauty—lots of topics! One thing I particularly love about this podcast is how devoted Kelsey and Erica are to creating—no matter what might happen to the things they create. It can be easy to think ‘well, who’s going to read this?’ or ‘Why write if I’m not making any money?’. Listening to The Girl Next Door Podcast has helped me inch past that voice of doubt whenever I sit down to write, and to remember that the value of creativity is in the act of creating itself. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter if 2 or 2,000 people read these words. What matters is: I enjoy writing them.

2. Exploring Verse Novels. My writing life began with poetry, way back in 10th grade English, so perhaps it shouldn’t be a big surprise that verse novels speak to me. I’ve never really considered them until this fall, as I began a new job as a middle-school librarian. Two titles I’d recommend: Alone, by Megan E. Freeman and Forget Me Not, by Ellie Terry. I’ll be completely honest: I could not finish Alone, a verse novel about a 12-year-old girl who finds herself suddenly left behind after her entire town is mysteriously evacuated one night. What I did read of this novel was intensely emotional and pressed deeply upon my own fear of being left behind or completely alone. For me, in this particular season of life, I just needed something a little less intense. Don’t let my own hypersensitivity scare you away from this book, though. Alone is a lyrical page-turner, and I did find out that it has a hopeful ending. Forget Me Not is another beautiful verse novel about a girl named Calliope June. Calliope is constantly being moved from town to town with her flighty mother. Calliope has Tourette syndrome, making her a mark for middle-school bullies. This verse novel explores what it means to be brave enough to be yourself and to go against what’s ‘popular’ in an effort to do what’s right.

3. Henry Rose perfumes. I treated myself to a sample set of Henry Rose perfumes at the beginning of October. These perfumes are cruelty free and EWG certified. It’s felt like a simple luxury to wear nice perfume each day. The sample sets range from $30-45 dollars, and will definitely last me a few more months!

Happy new month ahead!

Thanks for reading,

Beth