Oh my goodness! How on Earth are we already over halfway through 2024? Each year that passes, they seem to go by faster and faster. Growing up might be my least favorite thing ever, but it allows me to be able to experience new things and find more things I like! I thought that since we’re halfway through the year, it’s the perfect time to update all of you with some of my favorite things from 2024. I’ve got an updated In’s and Out’s list at the bottom, although my list from the beginning of the year definitely still stands. For a couple of my favorite things, I was dying to give in-depth descriptions of each, so I’ve got some amazing content for you below. Leave me a message and tell me about some of your favorite things you think I should try (& why you love them!!), I’d love to check them out!

MY UPDATED LIST: WHAT’S IN.. AND WHAT’S OUT!

IN:

• Coloring

• Sweet treats

• Matcha

• Camo Print (not in the “going hunting” way, think Chappell Roan Midwest Princess)

• Multiple cups of tea a day

• Diffusers

• Walking

• Disposable Cameras

• Veggies in every (or most) meals

• Telling people how you would like to be treated

• One reset day a week (for cleaning & self care)

• Saying no

• Activity dates (not just dinner!)

The first thing I’ve been dying to talk about is MUSIC! In particular - Chappell Roan. I’m sure you’ve all heard of her, seen her on a festival lineup, maybe even heard a couple of her songs, but the reasons I love her go far beyond the music she performs. While I do love her music, think she puts on an incredible show (I got to see her at Hangout Fest in the beginning of May!), and is just all around great at her job, I also think so many artists should do more of the work she does. She’s not just a performer - she’s an activist. She’s had shows where her merchandise sales go to aid in Gaza, she’s talked about a push for LGBTQIA+ rights at shows that thousands of people are in attendance at, and even called out the White House while in Drag of the Statue of Liberty at the Governor’s Ball, saying she turned down their invitation to perform at Pride, because, “we want liberty, justice, and freedom for all. When you do that, that’s when I’ll come.” She discussed the meaning of the Statue of Liberty to her in the same performance, saying the Statue of Liberty stands for “freedom in trans rights, freedom in women’s rights. And it especially means freedom for all oppressed people in occupied territories.” She teared up while talking about this. I think so many more musical artists should be following her lead and look up to her. In a country where capitalism is the #1 value, if more people who were influencing the economy so much were mobilizing their fanbases to create actual change, to call for a ceasefire, to advocate for rights of women, LGBTQIA+ people, oppressed people inside and outside of the United States, we might actually start to see real change. Of course, I’m also obsessed with her music, and love that each show seems to unite women and girls in a way that I’ve only experienced Taylor Swift do before (I’ve always loved her, but am disappointed with her lack of activism lately).

Next - the WNBA! I’ve never been a fan of watching sports at all, let alone basketball. I really hadn’t even known much about the sport in general until this year. Now, however, I’m totally all-in on women’s basketball. I love watching the games (specifically the Indiana Fever, I think Caitlin Clark is the coolest girl ever), and I love seeing so many people cheer on women and finally give them the recognition they deserve. Games that used to have less than a hundred people in attendance are selling out, and those tickets are going for hundreds of dollars. This rise in fame of the league is coming from a group of rookies, girls who were in college at the same time as me, makes this an even better experience for me. I watched the WNBA draft, and was crying in my living room. I was so incredibly happy for these girls. They’re getting to live out their dreams, and are going to finally experience the same type of energy, the same type of attention, and the same type of excitement as people have given men in the sport. Women’s sports have ALWAYS been looked down upon, and the girls are finally rising up, they’re finally grasping people’s attention, all because of 22-year-old rookies, who are some of the best athletes in the nation. I went to a Indiana Fever vs. Chicago Sky game back in the beginning of June, and I’m incredibly serious when I say I’ve never been more invested, entertained, or excited during a sporting event, as I was during that one.

OUT:

• Less than 7 hours of sleep

• Jealousy

• High-waisted fashion

• Alcohol (still!)

• Makeup for every outing

• Eating meat

• Skipping meals

• Excessive caffeine (energy drinks!!)

• TikTok dancing

• Clubs

• Not washing your hair when it’s dirty because it’s “healthy”

• Dirty bedsheets

• Getting my nails done

• White chocolate

• Filler (injections)