October Favorites

Happy November, everyone! Can you believe that we are nearly through with 2018? I sure can't - it's been a year of highs and lows, with plenty of wonderful experiences balanced with equally saddening events. As a world, we've experienced so many acts of hatred and violence and extreme natural disasters. But there have been beautiful things, too. Activists have been taking a stand for what they believe in all around the globe, the world of art and entertainment is ever expanding, and we are constantly working to spread love and abolish hatred. Personally, I've had the opportunity to meet wonderful new people at a brand new school, continue to work on my blog and spread a message of positivity and empowerment, and sprinkle kindness like confetti. Another highlight of this year for me has been connecting with my readers through Instagram.

When I first downloaded social media, I was actually super nervous. Since the ripe age of six, I've been sat down in school auditoriums and shown presentations about the dangers of social media; anecdotes about kidnap, cyber-bullying, and human trafficking generated a very negative connotation about Instagram, Facebook, Snap Chat, and their fellows. But so far, I've been pleasantly surprised! People have been so kind and supportive, I've had a chance to reconnect with some old friends, and I've made many more. My followers have also been extraordinarily helpful in regard to The Avocado and Me.

A while back, I asked my followers what they would like to see more of on my blog; wow, were the ideas fantastic! Some of you wanted more dessert recipes (they're on the way, I promise - I actually just uploaded a mug cake recipe on Instagram), and others were looking forward to future inspirational talks. One of the ideas that really stuck with me was the proposal that for each month, I post an article about 'favorites.' By illustration, for the month of October, I could tell you all about a wonderful recipe that I would recommend, a favorite candle, an activity or movie, a fitness routine... pretty much anything! And boy, did I love that idea. May I just say - thank you, thank you, thank you for suggesting this! I'm super excited to get started. So, here we go - this is my very first 'favorites' post, revolving around one of the best months of the year: October.

Maya's October Favorites

- Kerrygold Grass-fed Pure Irish Butter - this stuff is excellent for everything, from Bulletproof Coffee to sauteing fresh veggies. In fact, it is such delicious, rich butter that I could practically eat it like a candy bar. Don't worry, though - I didn't chow down on sticks of butter this Halloween. That would be a little extreme, even for me.

- Lucky Bamboo Plant. One of my best friends bestowed a tiny little Lucky Bamboo Plant upon me for my birthday, and I love it wholeheartedly. It is a lovely dash of green in my bedroom of grey paint and wood, and makes me smile every time I see it.

- Cinnamon Gum. I love coffee, but it does have a tendency to make my breath taste bitter for the entire rest of the day. Enter sugar-free cinnamon gum, stage left, to save the day! I also find that the cool psychology trick, where you chew gum while studying and while taking a test, works like a charm for me.

- Big Little Lies. Please note that this is definitely not a kid-friendly show. There is quite a bit of mature, and often violent, content. I recently finished the first season as a project for creative writing, and - wow. It was incredibly powerful, beautifully written, and executed by the actors with such brilliance. If you are looking for a good mystery, with wonderful character development, this is the show for you! (Seriously though, please ensure that you are comfortable with some of the topics explored in Big Little Lies - they may be triggering or disturbing).

- Fences by August Wilson. I have a bittersweet relationship with this play, as we've been analyzing it in English class for over two months, and it's beginning to feel a bit old. That being said, it is a subtly genius work, providing meticulous insight into themes of forgiveness, family conflict, and racial tension. A quick read, but one that is rich and has potential for deep analysis, I would recommend this screenplay in the blink of an eye.

- Pier 1: Warm Candied Pecans Candle. I'm actually not a huge candle person, but my mom's friend purchased this one for her birthday, and it's incredible. When I walked in the house and inhaled the aroma, I couldn't help but exclaiming, "What is that?" This candle smells like fall in a nutshell, sweet, gentle, and not too overpowering. Plus, it doesn't make me sneeze. That's a bonus for sure.

- Resistance Bands. The majority of my brisk October afternoons this year were spent in physical therapy; for those of you who don't know, I have patellar subluxation, which means that my knee cap does not fit in my femur and often pops out. It's not fun, but with diligent strength training, it's become far more manageable. My incredible physical therapist and exercise physiologist turned me on to resistance bands, which are excellent tools for engaging in body weight workouts. They make exercising that much harder, but are also quite fun! I am so grateful for them; with their help, I've now graduated from PT!

"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers." - Anne of Green Gables

That's all for today, everyone. Have a fantastic Friday tomorrow - what are you doing this weekend?

- Maya

Photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash, Photo by Carl Trapani on Unsplash

Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash, Photo by Gavin Hang on Unsplash,

Photo by Janko Ferlič on Unsplash, Photo by Maya