June: The Monthly Fluent

Happy Monday! As I talked about on Friday's episode, in an attempt to pull back from AI and bots online, I wanted to bring the practice of the "monthly roundup" email that I do with my friends here to Patreon as well.

Each month, we put together a monthly roundup of things that we've enjoyed from the past month: new habits we've started, products we've tried and loved, music we're listening to, hyper-fixation meals we keep making...you name it! We also have a section at the end called ISO (In Search Of) where you can put out a call to folks for something you're in need of (a good hairspray...a new TV show to watch, etc).

So without further ado, here is my roundup for June, and I would love it if over the next week you would join me in reflecting on your favorites from the past month, and jotting down your roundup as well in the comments!

For me...

Wearing: Mad Hippie Sheer Tint Sunscreen - last year there was one of those fundraisers in Denver where you pay for a ticket and tour the insides of people's rich homes in the area (FYI - look for one of these in your area because they are always my favorite events). In one of these incredibly chic mansions, I of course was being nosy in the primary bedroom bathroom and saw this sunscreen on the woman's side of the vanity. I didn't know who lived in this house, but the house was perfect so I assumed the owner must be as well, and I put rich chic women on such a pedestal that the next day I went to Whole Foods and bought this sunscreen. It is in fact perfect. The color is perfect for me (I have hundreds of tinted sunscreens that I can't wear because the 'light' shade makes me look orange) and it's great for those nights when you have evening plans, but know you still need sunscreen because the days are getting longer and the sun is out until 8. When I wear this I look fresh, evened out, and it's the only "sunscreen that passes as makeup" that has ever worked for me. 

Laughing over: This girl sfeeny on TikTok is amazing. She does a series where she matches celebrities with inanimate objects that they remind her of and it's perfection. Amy Poehler as a specific lemon italian ice pop, Michael B. Jordan as the gear shift on a luxury car...she has a specific type of synesthesia that is correct 100% of the time. Also, of course I have messaged her on Instagram and am hoping she will come on the podcast because my jaw is open and I'm applauding for each video of hers that I watch. 

Drinking: For the majority of May, I started off each day with green tea. I've wanted to do this for a while: experts (people in the comment section of TikTok) say that green tea helps with anxiety (l-theanine), and as someone who is too sensitive for coffee but still wants the ambient routine of a semi-caffeinating beverage in the morning, green tea sounded great. I unfortunately always hated the taste of green tea, but it is 2025 and flavored green tea exists! So I've been having cherry blossoms and citron green tea every morning and it's lovely. Extra Bonus: It doesn't make me shake and sweat drinking it after Adderall in the way that coffee does

Doing: Taking my digital camera out with me more. I'm on a mission to find my perfect everyday purse so I can bring my camera (and cards, and journals) out with me consistently, but I have the Canon G7X camera and it's a digital camera with a pop-out flash (and a pop-out viewfinder because I'm vain and also because I attempted to be a daily vlogger in the past) and it makes everyone look like a 10 in photos. In an attempt to be on my phone less, and lean into nostalgia more, I've been bringing the camera out with me and I love doing it. It is interesting though seeing how people react to a digital camera in 2025...so far I've found that the girls&gays love it, and straight men react like I'm pointing a gun at them???

Also doing: I recently got a career coach and one of his pieces of homework for me - in an attempt to get over burnout - is to start every morning with an hour of an activity that I enjoy. And it can't be related to work and it can't be related to productivity or any of those other things that I call "fun" but don't truly do for enjoyment. It's been insanely eye-opening to try and pick things that are purely pleasurable for me. So far all I have are crafting and video games...but I've been starting each morning with an hour of that (doing fun FIRST and not doing fun because I punished/pushed myself so much that now I DESERVE a bit of fun to keep the stress at bay). This has been mostly insane for me to do because I always think fun = reward you get and you only get it after you suffer so...my world is kind of being turned upside down

Watching: Hacks on HBO! My friends kept recommending this to me for months and I'm so glad they did. For fellow fans of 30 Rock and Veep...you gotta watch Hacks. I'm on Season 2 right now and loving it.

ISO: Background and ambient music/sounds recommendations for working. I of course listen to the LoFi girl on YouTube and I also love mynoise.net for ambient noises, but I'm looking for more of those cool YouTube ambient videos that are niche (like this for example: disney oldies playing in another room but you're in a dream) if you have any playlists/videos you love for background vibes let me know!