Life, Lately - Entry No. 3

July recap: summer activities, new drink recipes, discovering new music, personal updates, and my cat Bubs' 5th birthday!

Aug 01, 2025

Life, Lately.

Documenting big and little moments of my life in a monthly recap to look back on when I need joy and the reminder that I do actually do things and have things going on, because sometimes I get that BIG overwhelming feeling of “what am I doing with my life! I never do anything!” It also encourages me to try things and I hope it does so for you, too!

1. outdoor concerts, county fair, and local outdoor markets

I hate hot weather but I can’t resist the county fair! It is such a nostalgic thing for me that brings back memories of the carnival I’d go to with my cousins as a kid during my summers in Mexico.

The carnival/county fair just feels like the quintessential summer activity: the neon lights of the carnival rides, the screams of enjoyment/terror from ride-goers, the big colorful cup of lemonade, the sweet funnel cake, the thrill of playing the games hoping to win a prize (even if you never do). The beautiful, romantic ferris wheel! Anybody else think the ferris wheel is romantic? Maybe I’ve just seen too many movies in which a couple goes on the ferris wheel and shares their first kiss at the very top haha. And you get a view of the whole fair! I think it’s cool <3

I attended a couple of outdoor concerts, one of them being at the county fair. It was an Allman Brothers Band tribute band and they were really good. The other was at a local park - it was a Selena tribute. I LOVE live music!!

One of my local night markets also had live music, but I already forgot their name which is a shame because I really liked their laid back vibe. And I got a henna tattoo there, too. My friend and I shared some mini donuts, one of which was chili mango. So. Good.

2. trying to create new drinks for the fun of it

A) Mexican mocha with a chipotle cinnamon chocolate sauce

I love a good Mexican mocha and Mayan hot chocolate with their chocolatey goodness, cinnamon sweetness, and a little kick in the Mayan hot chocolate. Usually the heat comes from Cayenne pepper, but I decided I wanted to play with the flavors and add smokiness, like I talked about in this post. I thought chipotle peppers would be perfect and I really enjoyed it.

Sauce ingredients:

2 chipotle peppers in adobo
heavy cream (about 1/4 to 1/2 cup)
sweetener of choice
unsweetened cocoa powder
cinnamon (I like a lot of it)
a little water if needed

Just combine everything in a pot
bring to a boil
simmer on low until sauce thickens a bit
Be sure to strain it first, then bottle it up (add a cute label, of course) and add to your latte!

I feel like maybe Jenna O'Brien of Feeling! Magazine would be proud? lol

B) Jasmine green tea with salted whipped cream

I first had this drink at Din Tai Fung and it was to die for! I started drinking a lot of Jasmine green tea this summer and I knew I had to figure out how to make this drink. Sure, it did not come out exactly like the one at the restaurant but it was still so good.

Ingredients:

Jasmine green tea, preferably the pearls (I like this)
heavy whipping cream
sweetener of choice, powdered or liquid (I actually used Chobani sweet cream zero sugar coffee creamer)
a good quality salt
matcha powder for dusting, optional

Brew your tea, let cool.
Whip or froth together your heavy cream, sweetener, and salt.
Pour your tea over ice, then top with your salted cream and dust with matcha powder for a pretty hit of green!

3. the first harvest from my small garden!

I’ve actually collected even more tomatoes than that first photo now. I made a sheet pan Italian sausage with roasted peppers & onions, and threw in some of these tomatoes. YUM!

4. my tuxedo cat Bubs turned 5 this month 🤍🖤

This little guy was a rescue (both my cats are). I adopted him at 6 months old in 2020 and now he’s 5! He’s a character and a half and just so, so sweet. He’s brought me so much joy.

Sorry but how could I not photobomb you with this cutie!

5. prosthetics update

I wrote a little about using prosthetic legs again in my June recap, but in case you missed it:

I lost my legs in 2017 and after getting prosthetics and doing physical therapy for a while, I eventually lost motivation and stopped altogether. The prosthetics never fit right, using them hurt at all times, and even just putting them on felt like a big chore. Not to mention all the weight I gained by being in a wheelchair didn’t help.

Anyway, I’m now starting to take better care of my health again and pursuing the journey of walking once more. At my last appointment I got to stand for the first time in a long time (a few years) and try out the new prosthetics. Much to my surprise it went really well and I didn’t need any help to stand! Even on one leg! Haha.

Adjustments still need to be made so I need to go for a second fitting. I’m sure even more adjustments will be needed, so it might be another couple of weeks before I start physical therapy.

6. apartment is allllmost done

I moved at the very end of December last year. While a bit stressful to have to basically start over with a blank slate (blank walls, empty spaces) and living out of boxes for a few days while I slowly unpacked trying to find the right spot for everything, it’s been a great opportunity to get to design my space all over again.

I love design in general, but interior design is something that has always been appealing. I’ve watched SO many makeover and interior design style YT videos and have learned a couple things along the way. Of course, there’s soooo much room to grow and I have to stay within my means, but I’ve started to nail down my style. I like to think of it as Organic Modern/Mid-century modern/a little Japandi.

If you’re into interior design or just in need of some ideas, watch Alexandra Gater!

some of my favorite little vignettes in my apartment (Btw, that gallery wall is still a work in progress!)

7. discovered new music

Ri-An - this Christian artist makes worship music that feels modern, but also vintage and jazzy.

Devan - she’s the girl and lead vocals of the band Wild Rivers. Did not know she had a solo career and I like it! I also highly recommend Wild Rivers.

Terrian - another Christian artist. I really like the vibe of her music.

And can we talk about how good Justin Bieber’s new song “Daisies” is?! I’ve never really been a fan, but I do like a couple of his songs, which happen to be co-written by Ed Sheeran so it’s no surprise I like them. Anyway, when this song came up on my Spotify I was instantly hooked. I’ve listened (repeatedly) to a lot of the songs on this new album and I really like them. Maybe I’ve been sleeping on Biebs?