What WE'RE Consuming: June 2024

Wait, huh? What's Mario doing here?

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I’m back with another monthly post, except this time I thought I’d spice things up a bit. Drum roll please!

Today, I have my dear friend MARIO ESTEB featured on the blog. You may recognize his name from my content before, and that’s because Mario has an unbelievably awesome weekly podcast that I got to be featured on (check out our episode in my “creating” tab!). 

We thought it would be fitting to collaborate once again, since the first time was so much fun. Now that I have my blog and Mario his podcast, you can expect more posts coming your way with the two of us. So without further ado, here is what Mario and I have been consuming in the month of june. 

JUNE 2024

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MUSIC

Faith: The Elovaters

Anyone who knows me knows that this is my favorite band. I saw The Elovaters in the summer of 2022 at the Levitate Music Festival. I somehow managed to get front row out of pure coincidence, having only heard two of their songs and thinking they were a “pretty good” band to watch. I was blown away by the end - these guys ROCK. I even got sprayed by a water gun mid-show. That year I went to another concert of theirs in Boston with my boyfriend, and again got front row. It’s now not only a tradition to get front row when I see them but to also go yearly to the Levitate Music Festival. With the Festival coming up next week, I’ve been on a grind to ensure I know the entirety of their discography.

Mario: Photographs and Memories by Jim Croce

I’ve been listening to a lot of music in general this month. June has been filled with long car rides to work, road tripping, and my obsession with keeping up with my Spotify stats. When I looked up my stats for this month, Jim Croce’s album “You Don’t Mess Around With Jim” came up as my most played album. It’s an incredible album that I have repeatedly played this month. The song Photographs and Memories sticks out in particular and it reminds me of the best times that have passed us. He’s a great storyteller and though he died young, his music will live forever.

MOVIES

Faith: Air

My family and I have been and will always will be sports fanatics. Over quarantine, one of the shows I binged with my family was The Last Dance, a documentary featuring Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls as they fought for their sixth NBA title. When we saw Air come out, we knew we had to watch it immediately. The Last Dance briefly went over the birth of the Air Jordan Nike shoe line, but Air goes completely in-depth. It was a great movie and I recommend it to anybody!

Mario: Wham!

I’m usually better than this…1 movie this month is honestly embarrassing. But, the lone movie (really it’s a documentary) I did watch did not disappoint! Wham! was released on Netflix last July, but I never got around to it until this summer. I knew some of their songs going into it, like Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go and the best Christmas song ever–Last Christmas. But, despite their music being upbeat and cheery, the documentary was quite sad and you felt bad for both George Michael & Andrew Ridgeley. If you like documentaries, pop-stars, or feelings of nostalgia…I highly recommend it! 

TV

Me: Bridgerton

Everyone...I finished This Is Us. I didn't know what to do with myself for a few days. I thought they handled the ending beautifully. But, just as I finished the show and thought my life had no meaning, out came season three of Bridgerton. While this season was not quite as captivating as the ones before, I thought it was still very good, though I did not appreciate having to wait for the second half to come out. I thought they could have done more with Penelope and Colin as all the other seasons set them up well, so I was a little disappointed. Alas, I am still super excited for next season and am hoping it features a little bit more of my favorite character, (no surprise here), Eloise.

Mario: Brooklyn Nine-Nine

I watched this show in its entirety last year and it might be my favorite sitcom of all time. But, when I watched it last year, I was alone for most of the viewing. So, I decided to introduce this show to my dad and he has become just as obsessed with it as me. Also, watching it for the second time has made me realize how funny this show actually is. Every character is so well-written and has weird quirks about them that make them relatable and easy to actually like.

BOOKS

Me: My Own Words

As a political science major, I am pondering the possibility of becoming a lawyer, as it really does fascinate me and I would love the chance to help people in need. When this idea came about, my mom introduced me to On The Basis Of Sex and all of Ruth Bader Ginsburg's greatest work. She's since become one of my role models and this book has strengthened that feeling. I love it so far but have not yet finished!

Mario: Into The Wild

I’m not a big reader, I really wish I was though. Despite that though, I started this book that my dad has been telling me to read for years now, Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer. I’ve seen the movie and love the story, so I decided to finally pick up the book and start reading. And, what better place to start it then on my family trip to the beautiful Sun Valley, Idaho. It’s a beautiful place and we go every year and never get tired of it. I started it sitting beside a creek, with mountains in the background…I felt like I was into the wild as well.

FOOD

Me: Snap Peas

One of my friends, Rebekah, has a garden in her backyard with lots of fresh veggies. Last time I came over, she was very surprised by the amount of snap peas that had grown in her garden with nobody eating them, and so we decided to pick as many as possible and sauté them for dinner. They were very delicious!

Mario: Wings

I got really used to the wings in upstate New York because they are so much better than the ones in Minnesota. I never really was a big wing guy, but since the incredible dining hall wings at ‘Cuse, I’ve found myself ordering wings whenever I see them on a menu. Excited to eat more meaty, BONE-IN wings this summer!

DRINK

Me: Lemonade

Lemonade is always a staple for me in the summer months, epsecially because bubbly beverages usually hurt my tummy too much to enjoy on a daily basis but I still like to have a refeshing drink in the heat. Last week, my dad made a massive pitcher of pink lemonade, and that's been my go-to. I am also a big fan of raspberry lemonade and of course the classic lemon flavor.

Mario: Kiddie Cocktail

My east-coast friends are maybe confused to what this is, but this is what Minnesotans call Shirley temples. Their cocktails for kiddies, I enjoy this name much better. When you order this at a restaurant, people around you applaud and others look at their stupid drinks and wish they had ordered that.

PICK OF THE MONTH

Me: Coffee Shops

Lately for some reason I have grown EXTRA obsessed with coffee, even more so than I already have been. I have been learning the art of pour-over coffee as a substitute to my Keurig, as well as frequenting many coffee shops to try different types. A couple weeks ago was Slack Tide in Marshfield MA, and this morning was Sea Bird in Duxbury MA. Gotta love a good ice coffee on the way to the beach.

Mario: Gin Rummy

Whenever my family and I go on a trip, we always make sure we have a deck of cards. We’re a big cards/game family and I am the leader of it. I love playing games. The card game of choice has usually been King’s Corner, but this trip it shifted to Gin Rummy. A card game that requires strategy, decision-making, and a little bit of luck. My dad and I played multiple 7-game series in the condo and let’s just say…things got heated.

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And that wraps up another month of what I'm consuming, this time with a very special guest!

I want to thank Mario for his enthusiasm in working with me on this project, I can't wait to whip up more content with you! And if anyone would like to collaborate with me, either on a monthly "what I'm consuming" post or something else, just reach out.

Before I go, if you'd like to take a listen to Mario's podcast (I highly recommend it) then you can click the link below. You can also follow his podcast's instagram, @top10tuesday.podcast!

Click Here To Check Out Mario's Pod!

Until next time; Thank you for waddling onto my blog!