april 2025 in chicago
there’s a dog i’ve been seeing every morning while i walk to work in the morning. she is a huge fluffy dog who always wears a bib around her neck. i love her. she brightens up my already optimistic mornings.
i know that it’s spring when the sun feels so warm on my skin and i don’t have to wear a jacket, but then a downpour comes out of nowhere and i didn’t bring an umbrella because where was this rain in the forecast?
or, when i’m waiting at the bus stop and i don’t care that the bus is late because it feels so nice outside but then i get off the bus and i’m freezing.
or, when i smell the flowers of that one white tree that my friends and i think smells like a certain male bodily substance.
regardless… spring is here. and april was such a good month for me.
i am halfway through the artist’s way (and feeling more creatively inspired than ever), my family came to visit me, and i spent a lot of time with my friends.
experiments
taking notes
youtube vlogs
never being properly dressed
fart jokes
saying no
plantar fasciitis inserts
family
stars & spirals (as symbols)
keychains
screaming out loud
movies
the word “tasteful”
doodling
paperback books
slow productivity - cal newport. i like to read one non-fiction book at the same time as i read fiction books so that i have books to switch between if i ever get bored. this is the one i finished in april. i REALLY enjoyed this book. my #1 goal of this year is to slow down, and i have chronic productivity issues (i literally don’t know what rest looks like). this book laid out the benefits of slow productivity and listed tangible ways to put it into practice.
deep cuts - holly brickley. i bought & read this book with full intentions of going to a book club to discuss it, but didn’t end up going because i was too tired after my family’s visit. i kind of hated the beginning of this book - it read like a fanfiction and seemed very young? i thought i was going to hate the whole thing but i ended up enjoying the rest of it, specifically the parts where she was in nyc.
commonwealth - ann patchett. i heard such great things about this one so i had high expectations. i didn’t not like this book - i thought it was really well-written and intriguing, and i have been recommending it to my friends. however, it did not live up to my expectations. it was a good story overall.
nightbitch (2024): i thoroughly enjoyed this movie. i was entranced by it. i didn’t even want to hit pause or look away from the screen (which is rare for me when i watch a movie at home). i read the book, so i knew what to expect and the oddities didn’t throw me off. fun exploration of motherhood.
breakfast at tiffany’s (1961): meeeee being a spoiled brat with my pretty little boyfriend and little orange cat <3
sinners (2025): movies don’t normally have a physical effect on my body, but this one had me SAT still with my jaw hanging open 80% of the time. i usually find myself not liking blockbuster-type movies, but this one was amazing. i highly recommend you go see it in theaters, too, while you still have the chance. it was a fun experience.
middlebrow for saturday bagels. middlebrow pizza does sourdough bagels every saturday morning at 9 am… please go. they are so delicious.
loaf lounge. i went to loaf lounge on a saturday morning and got myself a slice of their princess cake to accompany my lonesome watch of breakfast at tiffany’s... luxurious.
bang bang pie. I LOVE BANG BANG PIE!! I LOVE THEIR GRITS!! THEIR BISCUITS!! THEIR PIE!! please try it if you haven’t yet <3
lao peng you. a classic. my absolute favorite food in chicago.
etta. i tried etta in bucktown and it was good, but i wouldn’t necessarily go back. it just didn’t stand out to me - you know?
club lucky. i love the vibe here, and the handmade pasta is so good. a bucktown classic. they also have a fully functioning jukebox which is so fun!!!
wrigleyville dogs. randomly the best chicago dog i’ve ever had.
harry potter store. go if you love harry potter. it was so magical, so fun, and so sweet to experience with my harry potter loving sisters :’)
big suda. their soup dumplings are soooo goooooddd!!!!
rudy’s ramen. 2nd best ramen in chicago. their spicy miso is the best option on the menu. their buns are really good, too. the pork melts in your mouth… mmm i actually want this rn.
beautiful rind. i want to gatekeep this but they do $5 grab bags where they put cheese scraps in a bag (often worth $15) and it is so fun to eat them throughout the week and try them in different recipes.
visual journaling: after sharing this collage i made on my ig story, it prompted a conversation with an old friend about this journaling method i do. i like to scroll pinterest and tumblr, make a collage, and then reflect on the photos i chose and how they relate to my life/headspace currently. she told me a few days later that she tried it out & loved it (hi farida). i encourage you to try!
switch up your routine: nobody talks about how important it is to switch up your routine! i’m just kidding, i know a lot of people do, but as someone that is extremely routine oriented, i often forget how important it is. if you’re lucky enough to have a somewhat flexible work schedule, trying starting an hour earlier or later than you normally do, then using that atypical free hour to do something fun. take a different route to work in the morning. switch up your hot girl walk path. idk, the world is your oyster.
document your spending: literally every single penny. do this for a month so you can see where you spend your money, then assess at the end of the month and decide if you are proud of where your money goes. i might write a whole post about this - intentional spending only!!
take a flower walk: i recently walked down mag mile to see the flowers they planted all along the street and it was BEAUTIFUL. it was a particularly dreary day, but they made me so happy. get outside and look for flowers. take some pics of them and make an album on your phone.
use the nice things: use the expensive perfume you have, and eat the fancy cheese you bought. wear the dress you’re saving for a special occasion. buy yourself flowers. just do it. we all deserve a little joy.
buy your mom/grandma/sister/aunt/cousin/girlfriend/wife a bouquet of flowers & write them a card for mother’s day. a sweet reminder :-)
