The Weekend Recap

Signed Books, Summer Fruit, and Sweaty Home Workouts 🍒💪📚

It’s June 30th, and somehow this month managed to feel both chaotic and cozy in all the best ways. Between the end of school, garden struggles, and adjusting to home workouts (spoiler alert: it’s harder than I thought), this weekend felt like a little snapshot of everything I’m loving and learning lately.

🏠 Home Workouts Hit Different (and Not Always in a Good Way)

I’m two and a half weeks into working out at home, and I won’t lie to you — it’s a whole different beast. In a studio, you’re surrounded by other people, which means you’re less likely to quit halfway through a class (because, you know… social shame). But at home? The temptation to call it early and just say you worked out is real.

That said, the tradeoff has its benefits. Nobody’s watching. There’s no pressure to look cute or keep up with anyone. It’s just me, my mat, and whatever intensity I decide to bring that day. And the freedom to move in a way that feels good without any judgment kind of rocks.

Apparently, I need a reward system though, so I made myself a sticker chart!

👦 A Big-Kid Room for My Littlest One

My four-year-old officially moved out of the shared room with his older brother and into his very own space. Cue the tears. And yes, I made it Star Wars themed because of course I did. It turned out SO cute. I’ll be sharing a full post soon with pics and links to everything I used, but just know… the Force is strong with this room.

🍓 Eat the Fruit. All of It. No Excuses.

Let this serve as your official reminder: if you’re not eating massive amounts of fruit every day this summer, you’re doing it wrong. I’m talking cherries, watermelon, pineapple, raspberries — whatever you love. And pro tip? The right tools are non-negotiable. A cherry pitter, a pineapple corer, and a watermelon slicer = total game-changers. Prep it once, snack like a queen all day long.

🌱 Garden Girls, We’re So Back

After a weirdly chilly June, we finally got a heat wave — and the garden is officially popping off. The squash are thriving, I’ve started harvesting raspberries, and the tomatoes are acting like they run the place (and honestly, I’m not mad about it). Watching everything go from “vaguely alive” to “fully feral” in a matter of days has been deeply satisfying.

📖 A Fanfic Author Goes Mainstream — and I Got to Witness It

And last but definitely not least: I got to meet SenLinYu, the author of Manacled — one of the most powerful, soul-shifting stories I’ve ever read. It’s a Dramione fanfic (yes, really), and it got me out of a massive reading slump during the second week of the pandemic shutdown in NYC. It felt like it rewired my brain. Manacled is dark, stunning, and emotionally devastating in the best way — the kind of writing that sits in your bones forever.

To be able to meet her in person, have her sign my bound copy of Manacled, and celebrate her transition into traditional publishing with her new novel Alchemized? Bucket list moment. Fanfic-to-published-author stories give me so much life, and I’m rooting for her every step of the way.

Thanks for being here. I’ll be back later this week with that Star Wars room breakdown, a garden update, and probably a photo dump of fruit bowls. Happy almost July, my friends 🍉🌿

xoxo,
Maddy