October Favorites

Hello!

I am back with my monthly favorites. October has been one heck of a month and my routine has been a bit all over the place but I have compiled a list of things I have been loving for all of you, let’s begin.

October Favorites:

Food:

Dipping apples in yogurt

Apple season is upon us and during this time of year I make it my duty to try every single apple variety that I possibly can. I keep a list on my phone of all the apples I try and keep track of my thoughts on flavor, texture, etc. Since I am on a mission to try every variety I eat a few pieces of an apple every morning with my breakfast. A dip always makes things more interesting so I have been dipping my morning apples in yogurt. I started doing this when I was visiting New Hampshire at the beginning of October because there is a farm near my house that sells my favorite yogurt ever. It is the brookford farm maple greek yogurt. Idk what it is but the taste of this specific yogurt with an apple dipped into it has the most nostalgic flavor ever. Whenever I eat it I feel transported back to my childhood. Though I am not able to get this yogurt in New York because it is local to NH, I still enjoy dipping apples in a thick yogurt.

Bone broth

Kinda just love sipping on a little bone broth with a meal or if I have a stomach ache. I made homemade bone broth when I was in New Hampshire, froze it, and brought it back to New York with me in my carry on cooler. It is so delicious and unlike any bone broth I have bought from the store. I think making broth might be my winter obsession especially because it helps use up any leftovers from cooking meat or if you have veggies that are about to turn. It’s definitely a project but it's a fun one and yields a great reward. I also enjoy kettle and fire bone broth, you can get it at whole foods. I think my favorite flavor is the ginger turmeric. Something I also like doing is buying chicken stock from my local butcher and then I kinda jazz it up at home if im lazy and want something quick. Most butchers will sell house made stock in their refrigerator/freezer section. I also got these instant bone broth packets recently, they look like little liquid iv’s, ill use them if I’m on the go or in a pinch. To be completely honest they are not my favorite, something about their flavor is a little sour/off to me but if I just want a quick bone broth I will drink them.

Bagels

Idk what was up this month but I went through a bagel addiction. I think it all started because I decided to buy a ton of black seed bagels to bring home to my parents. I had never been to black seed before and was curious to try a few flavors. Half a bagel with my breakfast became a go to every morning. There is this really great bagel shop in New Hampshire called bagel alley that I grew up going to. This place is cash only, teeny tiny, has very interesting art work inside, and the bagels are legit. My favorite bagel from there is their cinnamon raisin. My bagel topping of choice has been honey or honeycomb with salted butter. Here is my bagel ranking in order, this may be controverisal:

1.pumpernickle

2.cinnamon raisin

3.sesame

4.poppy

I hate everything bagels

Sunny Tahini calabrian chili dip drizzled with maple syrup

I got sent some of the sunny tahini dip at end of September, you’ve probably seen this brand at the grocery store. I tried the regular flavor and it was good but before I could try the other two flavors I went to visit my parents in NH for a week and half. I left the tahinis in the fridge unopened to eat when I returned. When I got home I was like omg yes I get to try the green tahini dip which I was most excited about over the other flavor which was Calabrian chili. To my surprise the green tahini dip I received was not packed properly and didn’t have a protective seal so it was covered in mold, I was ticked. With no other choice it felt like it was destined for me to try the Calabrian chili one, luckily it was sealed and safe to eat. I tried it and my mind my blown, I truly thought I was going to HATE this flavor but I love it. Since i’ve been in a fall mood I was like wait a second what if I drizzled a little bit of maple syrup on top of this and I swear I really did something with this flavor combo. The sweetness of the maple syrup paired with the salty nuttiness of the tahini but then you get a kick of the bright/spicy calabrian chili, it’s so good. I highly recommend you try this, I like dipping sweet peppers or apples in it.

Cape cod dark russet potato chips

I went to my local convienent store while I was in New Hampshire as I usually do because I just like to walk around and take inventory of what they have. During my walk through I stumbled into the chip section. This must be a New England thing but I’m not kidding they had over 7 different flavors of cape cod potato chips, I was overwhelmed with the amount of choices. The dark russets caught my eye and basically they’re just a little more well done than a regular potato chip but they are spectacular. If you like things a little burnt or char flavor in general I think you would love these. They might be my new favorite flavor, I must find them in New York. 10/10 packaging as well the red bag sold me.

Drink:

Apple cider

I am 100% apple cider pilled. In the fall I think I drink it more than normal water sometimes which is not good. I love a sparkling apple cider (non alcoholic) and my favorite is the one from a farm in my hometown. This apple cider is so much better than the majority of the ciders I’ve tried at the farmers market. Tbh I find a lot of the ciders sold at USQ greenmarket besides a honey crisp ciders are kinda earthy and they always separate and get chunky when heated. This cider is crisp, and has the perfect amount of carbonation and sweetness. I actually brought some back to New York with me, that’s how much I love it. I also fancy a cup of hot cider which I think is a drink more coffee shops should offer. Luckily I'll let you in on a little secret that foster sundry does in fact serve hot cider (they’re so real for that).

Music:

Resident Evil save room spotify playlist

This all started one day when I was having a crazy work day and I needed to go outside and just sit in the park. I think I had been going non stop for like 5 days and truly was hitting the state of delusion. I went to the park as one does and I was sitting there like what can I listen to right now that is chill and ambient. All of the sudden I thought to myself “I wonder if there is a Resident Evil playlist on spotify”. Back story behind this, as a child Resident Evil was one of my favorite movies, I was obsessed. I would always take my dad’s blackberry to play the Resident Evil game he had on there. Anyways back to sitting in the park, im scrolling through spotify and I find “Resident Evil save room playlist” and gasp. I put it on and was transported back in time, the most perfect ambient playlist to disassociate to while sitting on a park bench at 3:30PM. This turned into a daily listen on repeat in the morning when I was in New Hampshire. Every morning while I was eating breakfast or doing emails I would put on this playlist to tune out my dad blaring the news at 7AM (I’m sorry that is just too early for the news). I think this has become one of my comfort playlists.

Ilovemakonnen

Close your eyes, it’s 2015, you are driving around in your car listening to drink more water 5 on spinrilla, life is simple. I hope some of you understand this feeling like I do.

Ilovemakonnen is so October. I was obsessed with him in high school, truly a musical genius who did not get enough recognition. Sex, love, ecstasy (drink more water 4 verison) and tonight may be two of my favorite songs of all time. I also never listened to drink more water 7 until this month and its so good??? I did Martha makeup for halloween back in 2018 and I’m doing it again this year.

Pretty mama- lil uzi

I went down lil uzi rabbit hole for a day and this song came on. I loved lil uzi in highschool/college and I always liked this song but I was on a walk listening to this one day and it just hit different. You know that feeling when you listen to a song and something shifts, you just have this moment of realization of how good the song actually is? Well that happened to me. It has been stuck in my head ever since I heard it that day and I constantly find myself randomly singing it.

Cold Vision - Bladee

I am here to say I was a cold visions hater at first but I have had a change of heart. I find with a lot of artists that I listened to back in high school/college it is sometimes hard to get into their newer music and I often stick to listening to their older albums. I gave cold visions a chance for the first time this month and I am slightly addicted to it at the moment. I listen to it almost everyday while I am working or when I go on a walk.

Fashion:

Horizontal stripes

Not sure why but these have been so in for me this month, i’m really into wearing multiple clothing items at the same time that include stripes. This month ive been wearing a lot of striped socks, my favorite beanie made by my bestie Bailey Goldberg, and a striped black and grey Br*ny M*lville zip up hoodie. I think it looks really cool when you pair two striped garments together to add some interest and pattern to an outfit. I think I will be wearing a lot of stripes for the rest of fall/winter, they are a timeless pattern.

Beauty:

Saie lip liner in tease + Dior lip glow oil in mahogany

This is such a great lip combo, tease is a deep plum liner which I think has been perfect for October since it’s kinda dark and spooky. I like to do a really prominent line on my lips keeping the cupid’s bow intact (I don’t like to over line), then I add a decent amount of liner to my bottom lip to add some more dimension and make it look a bit more full. I finish with my favorite dior lip glow oil in mahogany which just has a slight reddish ting to it. This kinda creates an ombre effect with the liner but it just makes the most beautiful color combo and I think it suits my features. Discovering this lip combo kinda felt like I was mixing paints and created the perfect color.

Wellness/movement:

Walking

Love walking always but going on a walk in the fall makes me feel like im in a movie. There is something about going on my daily walks, looking at the leaves changing, and listening to dramatic music to romanticize the situation. It’s also not too hot anymore so I can walk for a long time without being stinky and sweaty afterwards.

When I visit New Hampshire I have a long walking route that I used to walk all the time over the pandemic. It goes through a neighborhood but also has a few paths through the woods. My favorite thing this month was going on a morning or afternoon walk and looking at all of the halloween decorations in the neighborhood. There is this one house that decks out their front yard every year with so many figurines and tombstones it’s a serious production.

Bike riding with my dad

There’s a rail trail close to where I am from that my dad and I always bike together when I visit. You start in New Hampshire and finish in Massachusetts. The trail is lined with farms and a few bodies of water, it’s really beautiful. I always look forward to doing this with my dad though it is kind of a strenuous and he’s always so far ahead of me. Love a nice outdoor father daughter activity. I also had a serious moment listening to Ilovemakonnen when we biked this trail during my most recent trip.

26&2 traditional hot yoga

Im still loving practicing this style of yoga, i’m not kidding I swear it cures me every time I have a busy work week and my body hurts from baking/standing for long periods of time. I always feel so alive after one of these classes and I think it’s my favorite form of exercise at the moment.

Miscellaneous:

Warm lavender neck wrap

My mom so kindly gave me one of those lavender microwavable neck wraps that they give you in the waiting room at a spa and this has changed my life as of recently. It is now an essential item for my night time routine. I love sitting and drinking my evening sleepy time tea with it around my neck. I will also position it on my lower back while im doing legs up the wall pose, this feels heavenly after a long day of work especially when I am having a sciatica flare. 10/10 recommend getting one these and I know I am going to love it even more once it gets colder out.

October trip to New Hampshire

Every October I make it a priority to go visit my parents in New Hampshire to have my New England fall moment, it is always such a special week. This year I actually lucked out and had a cake order for a wedding in Boston during my trip. The cake was originally going to be picked up in New York but I was like “why don’t I just align my October trip and bake in NH so they don’t have to travel so far with the cake” and it ended up working out! On October 9th I finished a cake pickup in NY, packed up my stuff, got on a train, and was in NH by 9PM. The next day I immediately got to work on this cake and let me tell you it was incredible working in a full size kitchen. The cake order was at the beginning of my trip so for the remainder of my time there I was able to chill. I really timed this trip perfectly too because the foliage was peaking. Every year when I go home in the fall I feel like I appreciate growing up there more and more.

During my trip I went to many farms, did lots of grocery shopping, drove around, and went to the mall (a necessary stop every time I visit, I had go to bath and body works to get a fall candle). My mom and I went to our favorite farm that we visit every year to pick out pumpkins for carving and decor. I made a really cool jack skellington pumpkin and not to toot my own horn but I kinda ate up that carving job. We also went apple picking which I look forward to every year. This year we went on a week day morning so there was barely anyone there, we basically had the whole place to ourselves. The farm we go to has so many different varieties of apples its nuts. I will say I was slightly devastated because they make these apple cider slushies but they are only available on weekends so I never got to have one (RIP). Something I also really enjoy doing when I go home is cooking for my parents. The majority of my day to day life I am cooking for just myself or I’m working a lot so I don’t have a ton of time to focus on planning fun meals. I love when I am able to cook for my loved ones.

My mom visiting me in NY

My mom and I basically spent the entire month of October together. After my trip to New Hampshire she returned to New York with me on a mission to help reorganize my apartment. I will admit I have neglected reorganzining my apartment for a long time. I never intended staying in the apartment I am in right now for as long as I have. Since I work from home my apartment has never felt cozy, it has also felt cold and work oriented. My mom and I worked together to reorganize though she honestly did most of the work. Everyday I would be working on cakes while she was doing projects in my apartment, when I had a break I would stop and help her. Let me tell you this woman knows how to optimize space, my apartment is now filled with baskets and I have at least 10 new shelves.

Living with my mom for over a week was such a pleasure. It was so comforting to have her in my space with me (hopefully I did not annoy her too much). I made sure to make her coffee every morning, and dinner every night. I also took her to some of my favorite places in my neighborhood. Though this was more of a work trip over pleasure we did go out to dinner twice (to Diner and Rolos). We were always so tired at the end of most evenings from working all day that we did order takeout a few times which is something I rarely do and it was such a treat! She left on halloween and I think I will feel like something is missing for the next few days until I get used to her not being here. I am forever grateful for my mom and her generosity to come and help me reorganize my apartment. I think she had a lot of fun doing all the home improvement projects as it is one of her passions. I will remember this specific week and a half for the rest of my life, I love you mom.

Edward Sissorhands

I cannot believe I have never seen this movie until this October. I’m not the biggest tv or movie watcher but something about Halloween/Christmas movies really gets me going, I just love them. I am a big Tim Burton fan so I felt like this movie was something I needed to check off my list. It was a crisp fall afternoon in NH (one of the first cooler days we had) my mom and I were hanging out in the living room and I decided we should watch a halloween movie. After browsing through my parents many streaming services I finally decided on Edward Sissorhands. Everything about this movie evoked a feeling in me that I desperately needed. I think it might be my movie fixation this halloween season (last year it was the corpse bride). I am also a Danny Elfman fan so the soundtrack to this movie is everything to me, sometimes I’m just listening to it while I work or walk around and it makes me smile.

Brisk morning walk in NH

One of my all time favorite morning rituals I do while im in New Hampshire is going on a morning walk especially in the fall/winter. I love being outside when it’s cold, still a bit dark, and the sun is just beginning to rise. There is something about the feeling of being half asleep and cool fresh air blowing on your face. Whenever I go on this morning walk I stay off my phone, just look around, and think. It is not strenuous whatsoever, just 15-30 minutes with a little walk up a few hills. It is truly the perfect way to start the morning.

Wearing hearing protection

I know im about to sound like a dad but if you do not wear hearing protection when you go out you are making a huge mistake. I went out dancing multiple times this month (that is kind of rare for me) and I feel like every time I do this I forgot how loud venues are. Trust me I have been there when you leave a show and you’re left with your ears ringing for multiple days. I always have to have like three days of silence after I go out to recover. This month I remembered I still had the hearing protection my dad gave me many years ago when I first moved to New York. He told me so many times how he destroyed his hearing going to shows and he did not want me to do the same (he even has the decibel level app on his phone). I always keep my ear plugs in my purse and forget to pull them out but this month was different. I wore my hearing protection every time I went out and let me tell you it makes a serious difference. No ear ringing for multiple days after listening to loud music. I know I already have irreversible hearing damage but it’s better to protect what you still have. Mine have a little string attached to them so I never lose them, they are similar to this pair. Wearing hearing protection is cool and you’ll thank me in a few years.

October morning routine:

This month has been a bit hectic with work, traveling, and my mom visiting me in New York. I have been trying to keep up with my morning routine but it has looked a little different throughout the month. The first few days I was in New Hampshire I was working a lot and my morning routine was extremely structured. As the trip continued the routine became a bit more lax because ultimately I was on vacation. I did start every morning with a walk the second I got up which was nice. Now that I am back in New York my routine is somewhat back to normal except I have been working around my mom’s schedule as well. One thing I added to my routine while my mom was visiting is that I made her coffee every morning when she got up, it’s the least I could do.

Below is an outline of what my ideal October morning routine would look like:

-6AM wake up

-Complete tasks around my apartment or go on a walk for 30-1 hour

-7AM make breakfast

-7:30AM eat breakfast and answer DMS/text messages

-8:00AM morning emails 

-8:30AM bathroom/clean kitchen/make bed/feed sourdough starter

-8:50AM get ready

-9AM morning walk/home workout/stretching or head to exercise class

10:00-10:30AM actually get ready for day

11AM begin work day 

October night routine:

Whenever I visit New Hampshire I love to cook dinner for my parents which is a big part of my night routine there. I found almost every night I would go on a sunset walk, spend a decent amount of time making dinner, eat with my parents, and shower . I would then do my night time stretching and watch a halloween movie with my dad while we drank our sleepy time tea (with elderberry syrup). My parents and I usually went to bed pretty early each night. In New York my mom and I have been cooking dinner and eating together most nights. Usually after we eat I will clean up the kitchen and go on an evening walk. When I return home I will shower and get ready for bed. I physically cannot get into my bed unless I am clean and showered. After I shower I do my night time stretching my mom and I make sleepytime tea. Ive been working on this substack a lot before bed, it’s nice to write at night and it makes me really tired.

Below is an outline of what my ideal October night routine would look like.

4:30-5PM finish working 

5-6PM make and eat dinner

6:30PM clean up kitchen and vacuum

7:00PM evening walk or youtube yoga video

8:00PM shower

8:30PM get ready for bed 

8:45PM make sleepy time tea with elderberry, fill bink with water and a pinch of celtic salt, warm up lavender neck towel in microwave

9:00PM evening stretching in bed 

9:20PM relax 

10:00-10:30PM go to bed 

Habits I want to implement into my routine:

Keeping up with weekly organization of my apartment

Habits I want to let go of:

Going on my phone when I wake up in the middle of the night

Goals I want to accomplish next month:

Making a schedule for weekly organization and cleaning of my apartment

Doing a small cleaning or organization task everyday even if its just five minutes

October skin care routine:

My skincare has not changed since September, still following the same routine.

Morning:

daily cleanser: cerva hydrating facial cleanser

moisturizer: fresh rose face cream

terhartz gua sha

spf: cos rx aloe soothing sun cream

Evening:

oil cleanser: squalane cleanser the ordinary

cleanser: same cerave cleanser

elemis resurfacing facial pads

moisturizer: same fresh rose face cream

Wednesday and Sunday I exfoliate using this

Tuesdays and Thursday I use retinol, i like this one from the ordinary

Monthly morning coffee:

Americano with a sprinkle of cinnamon

Monthly favorite sandwich: 

Lowkey I haven’t been eating a ton of sandwiches this month ive been more into snack plates for lunch because they’re quick and I have been so busy with work/reorganizing my apartment. I have been loving a turkey, cheese, and apple combo with the Calabrian chili tahini I mentioned earlier.

Monthly favorite salad combo:

apple, cheese, lettuce of some sort, dates, toasted nuts, maple dijon vinaigrette

Apple of the month:

Granny smith, I neglected this apple for so long and then I ate one while I was apple picking in NH and I was taken back (in a good way). Why did I not eat these for so long? They are one of the most popular apples and for a good reason, so bright, sour, crisp, and refreshing!

Vinaigrette/dressing of the month:

My go to has still been the maple dijon vinaigrette from last month.

Favorite thing I ate or drank this month:

Flourless chocolate cake from Diner

It is not often that I am truly impressed and blown away by a dessert but this cake really did that to me. It was rich, fudgey, the perfect amount of bitter chocolate, not too sweet, it was perfect. The cake was so moist and just melted in your mouth. I loved the whipped creme fraiche that was served on top as well, it was such a chic dessert. I feel like I always gravitate towards a chocolate dessert and get disappointed but this one exceeded my expectations .

Favorite cake I made this month:

My favorite cake I made this month was a cinnamon cardamom brown sugar olive oil cake with ricotta, salted caramel, and apple raspberry jam filling, with ginger turmeric espresso buttercream dyed grey with activated charcoal.

Ginger turmeric espresso is the best buttercream I make in the fall in my humble opinion. The jam in this cake was so special because it was made with raspberries my mom and I picked over the summer and a wolf river apple which if you have never seen one of these apples they are HUGE. Apparently you can make an apple pie with just one apple that’s how big they are. I saw them at my local farm and was floored by the size I had to buy one just for shits and giggles. The decor of this cake was inspired by The Nightmare Before Christmas town where everything is kind of a muted black and white beige color. I decorated with zinnias that I brought back from New York in my carry on cooler. My mom has a thyme plant in her garden and it was so fun to be able to cut my own herbs the length I wanted. I was able to get a lot of really curly thyme and kind of caged the cake with it. I topped the cake with black seedless grapes. I think it came out really cool I just wish I had gotten a better photo of it.

Halloween costumes:

Ilovemakonnen Martha makeup

Eversince bladee

Playlist of music I frequently listened to

This month was… interesting to say the least.

Make my pumpkin muffin recipe

That’s all for this month, talk to you soon!