October is here. The ultimate month to get outside (in our humble opinion). 

If we were sharing a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, here are some books, podcasts, and stories, that I'd share...

On Reading:

• The Rules Do Not Apply by Ariel Levy: This memoir, about Ariel's struggles as a writer, with alcohol, and with fertility, was deeply touching. You really never know what someone else is going through unless you're living in their shoes (or reading their poignant memoir). 
• Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay: Our culture loves a good label, and one of the favorites I proudly use to describe myself is "feminist" – but like Roxane Gay, I'm an imperfect one. I felt like this book saw through me and the internal debates I have about some of my contradictory thoughts and behaviors. Examples? I love my independence but also crave security in my relationship. I find a lot of rap to be misogynistic yet dance to it at every opportunity. I think women are held to unrealistic beauty standards yet I shave my legs every other day. Gay acknowledges all of those (and more), and helped me understand that "feminist" isn't a single archetype – and to quote her, "I would rather be a bad feminist than no feminist at all."

On Listening:

• Work Play Love Podcast: Jesse Thomas and Lauren Fleshman are professional athletes, business owners, parents, and married to each other. Their conversations are always introspective and answer listeners' questions on the bridge between work, play and love.
• 10% Happier: Dan Harris is an ABC correspondent that dived into the world of meditation. His book 10% Happier was one of the first books that I read on meditation that made it click for me. He now has a weekly podcast where he breaks down the "lingo" from the best meditation teachers into actionable steps and information for the everyday person.
• Open: An Autobiography: Andre Agassi is a tennis legend and this book goes deep into his psyche and growth in the sport. For any parent looking to introduce sports to a kid or a tennis fan wanting to find out behind the scenes, this book is incredible to listen to as an audiobook.

On Food:

• Tiny Bits for dinner one night. A reader from Cup of Jo shared this concept to cut down on food waste: "We have ‘Tiny Bites’ once a week. The idea is a plate full of any leftovers. Favorites include: halved meatballs, three carrot sticks, a dollop of hummus, apple slices, a pile of peas, cubed cheese, raisins no one ate from their lunch, yogurt with leftover herbs, bits of chips from the bottom of the bag… Arrange it all together on a plate and it even looks a little fancy.”
• Easy breakfast: Frittata Egg Muffins
• Sheet pan dinner: Curried Sweet Potato and Chickpeas