When I was younger, I used to look forward to the end of the year – and don’t get me wrong, I still do, but growing up, I used to love receiving these cards in the mail from family members that essentially rounded up the highlights of their year all in one sitting.

I used to read those cards with so much thrill and excitement. It was the thought of putting together all of our greatest achievements over an extended period of time that made me feel like people were truly acknowledging the year and what it had done for us and that to me, was so cool. I didn’t know it then, but that is what we call highlights.

I’ve always loved time, loved it because of what it meant for us. Time gifts us opportunities and experience, growth and change, mental shifts and maturity; I mean, time is the embodiment of the phrase, the world is your oyster… though, not quite sure what that means, just felt right to say – what does an oyster have to do with this anyway?

OH, okay. So, I just checked, and it turns out the world represents an oyster because oysters have pearls, and the pearls represent our greatest potential, so it’s up to us to go out into the world and find our “pearl,” aka our greatest potential. Seems easy enough. Hey, don’t judge. At least I knew how to use it. And just like that, time made me 1% smarter. I wasn’t that smart yesterday. Now, I’m smarter. Ha.

Anyway, I digress.

Those cards don’t come in the mail much anymore but that’s something I’ve always found myself wanting to do. However, wanting to do it and actually doing it are two completely different things; something I hope to change in the coming months.

In fact, that’s actually what brings me here today.

Welcome to what I’m going to call, The Curated Drop, featuring two main categories: The Reading & Rhythm Report, as well as The Growth & Grind Report, the blog post to follow.

The Reading & Rhythm Report will be my cozy monthly round-up where I’ll share the books I’ve finished and the soundtrack that scored my days — whether or not the playlist was directly tied to the reading.

The Growth & Grind Report will recap any victories or milestones I achieved over the course of the month that directly impacts my mission to better myself and my environment (specifically in these areas: weight, productivity, stimulation, and finances). It will also provide sources of encouragement to potentially push YOU to be better, as well as any goals I have set for the month that follows.

It’s the end of Mei, and I’m only just getting started. There’s so much to do and fill you in on but before the month is out, let us dive into this Curated Drop.

Not me trying to be a written youtuber over here – is it working, though?

The Reading & Rhythm Report

the year of less by Cait Flanders
Summary: Flanders goes on a shopping ban, minimizes her belongings, and works through her life-challenges in real-time, sober.
3 star – I liked that this book was under 200 pages. I haven’t read a book in I don’t know how long and anything over this amount would have been too daunting for me to the extent that I don’t believe I would have finished it. I liked that the book cover had an abundance of color and that the title was under cased, as well as the fact that the synopsis centered around minimalism – something I gravitate towards and would like to embody someday. Flanders writing flowed with each passing page, and I especially give her kudos for being so raw. She offered, in my opinion, a few gems that I will take away and even continue to ask myself as I pursue my own form of declutter.

Top Lines
“I had to let go of the stuff I wanted the ideal version of myself to use and accept myself for who I really was.”
“I… asked myself a question I never considered the answer to before: Who are you buying this for: the person you are, or the person you want to be?”

I rated this book 3 stars because I liked three things about it: the way she structures her shopping ban, the flow of the work and her rawness, and the fact that she had a Your Guide to Less inside, allowing her readers to try it on for size, something I actually intend on doing.

This was the only book I read this month.

Now, onto the bops.

I’m a slow-tuned girlie here, ngl. I listen to a lot of lo-fi artists like Bon Iver, Novo Amor, and Hazlett; though you can also find me dancing to the bops of Chappell Roan, The Chainsmokers, and of course the one and only, Andy Grammer. However, you won’t find many of them on this month’s lineup.

Drop your favorites, and if you listened to any of mine, let me know what you thought!

Otherwise, big shout out to Mei. Although we butted heads at first, you proved to be a rather motivational month for me, and I look forward to seeing these hovering effects on my life a year from now.

Up next on the chopping board, The Growth & Grind Report

Stay tuned,
Now, on to Jöön.