101 things in 1001 days--Winter 2020 progress

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Who can believe a new decade is upon us??!!

As my blog is new (and largely unread), I am still trying to work out how I want to organize it. I found myself writing up book reviews, future book lists, checking-in for my 101 in 1001 list, and more. Just writing up those posts alone was getting to be too much, so I've decided to synthesize them into quarterly check-ins instead! These will be the place for me to update my completed goals, share my reading list, and reveal my Make Nine progress!


101 Things in 1001 Days
My original lists came and went with 48 items completed. After one year of my current list, I have completed 23 goals, well on my way to surpassing my original completion numbers!

I have visited NYC at Christmas time as well as two new states (New Jersey and Pennsylvania).

I have visited 10 new restaurants, found a new job, and we finally got nightstands.

Over the next quarter I want to focus on SEO for my pinterest boards and some speech therapy products I sell. I'll also be throwing a surprise party, finishing my 5th knitting project, making pasta with a rolling pin (I usually use my pasta roller), and make puff pastry on a pot pie.


First quarter book list
Let me just say real quick that if you have a library card it's time to ditch Audible and get the Hoopla app! The free audiobooks have totally changed the game when it comes to reading! I'm going to crush my original 30 book goal from my 101 list, and have actually set a 36 book goal for 2020.

This quarter I'll be reading:

Make Nine
Before starting any of my Make Nine projects, I want to finish the projects currently on my needles. I am working on a hat (that I somehow lost) and a grocery tote, but after those I want to cast on a pair of socks! I'm still researching the best first-time pattern for sock newbies, but I'll be sure to share later!



I would LOVE to hear what books and projects you have on your horizon this year, share yours in the comments for me!

One Day in Philadelphia--a walking guide!

So you only have one day to see Philly? Well strap on your walking shoes and lets go!! Whether you take the train in for the day, or leave the airport during a long layover, there is plenty to do and see within walking distance in the City of Brotherly Love!

The majority of items on this list are closer in location to the 30th St. Station. If you take the train into town you can easily walk to these locations, just skipping a couple culinary outliers. If you take the aiport, you will need to Uber there and back, but at the remaning locations are relatively close together so you'll have no need to rent a car for the day!

The two outliers on this list are both food related. Food is a big part of travel for me, so there was no way I could visit Philly and NOT have a cheesesteak! We stopped by Pat's and split an extra cheesy cheesesteak. I don't like green peppers, but my half is definitely the one covered in onions. I'm not here to fight about the best or most original cheesesteak place in Philly, my father-in-law told us it was the right choice so we went. However, I will say that Geno's, directly across the corner, looked far too commercialized for me.




Next, we walked two blocks up to the vibrant corner restaurant, South Philly Barbacoa. The barbacoa restaurant came across my radar watching Chef’s Table on Netflix. If you haven’t yet seen chef Cristina Martinez’s episode, it’s a great place to start. The corner restaurant is small and unassuming. The line is long, the crowds are cramped, and it is worth every minute of waiting. The barbacoa is incredible! I’m not sure how my post turned into a restaurant review, but go! I’d suggest ordering by weight vs. just grabbing a couple tacos. Thank me later!

From there, continue north on S. 9th St., passing by amazing open air Italian food market stalls. A 13 minute walk helps you arrive at the nearby Magic Garden on South Street. It’s an amazing mosaic created by a Philly native inspired by street art in his travels around the world, Gaudi is a clear inspiration. It was so creative and joyful—poetry, playful additions (toilets!), people. The Magic Garden extends beyond the area you pay to enter, taking over nearby houses, staircases and driveways.

The longest walk of the day trip will be from the Magic Garden towards Independence Hall. If you don’t have your walking shoes ready for the 18 minute trek, you can hop a quick Uber across town, but walking will give you a nice respite while you cross the length of Washington Square Park! To tour Independence Hall you’ll need to get tickets (free for day of pickup, though tickets are limited, or $1 for online preorder). Tickets can be picked up at the Independence Visitors Center.

Congress Hall (next door) offers tours without tickets and you can simply walk across the street to wait in line for a chance to glimpse the Liberty Bell up close! Philly has so much history from America’s colonial history within a short distance. 

Just east of Independence Hall is Philadelphia’s current City Hall, which you cannot miss thanks to the gigantic statue of William Penn at the top! Stop for food along the way at Reading Terminal Hall. Push through the crowds at the indoor farmer’s market full of diverse food stalls. Everything from Amish basked goods and peking duck to Caribbean fare and fresh handmade filled crepes.

Across the street from City Hall is Love Park. Renovated in the past few years from concrete to grass, the “Love” statue is a great place to take in the downtown sites in the City of Brotherly Love. If you head to Philly during the holidays, there’s a lovely Christmas market in Love Park and at the base of City Hall. With local business stalls, ice skating, and even an indoor beer garden, it’s a lovely fun festive stop on your whirlwind tour of town.

 The striking architecture of the 30^th Street Station is a wonderful place to end the day and grab your train back out of town. Whether you Uber to and from the airport, or hoof it across from form the train station and back, Philadelphia has loads to offer historically, culturally, even culinarily.

Have you visited Philadelphia before? Whether it was a day or more, let me know in the comments below what else would be on your list of essential Philly stops!

My Favorite Books of 2019

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2019 was the year that I finally started reading again. If you've read some of my other posts, you'll know that I gave up hobbies when I went back to college and started my new career. Overtime I've shifted my focus and my time, taking up old hobbies, finding rest and peace. It's not like I hadn't read at all in the last 8 years, but I used to be a voracious reader and 2019 is the year I began making intentional time for reading again.

My reading time began on vacation in July, so I read only 14 books. Looking back, there were a few that really stood out to me.



Self-Compassion by Kristin Neff

I've spent my life being chronically hard on myself. If that really worked, it would have gotten me somewhere by now, but as we probably know, being tough on yourself is not an effective growth strategy. Kristin addresses the common miconceptions that self-compassion is weakness and uses scientific studies as foundations for the power of using self-compassion in your own life.

Mothers, Daughters, and Body Image by Hillary McBride

2019 was a big year towards self-acceptance for me. Through therapy, reading, podcasts, and lots of self work, I realized a LOT about the messages I believed about my body. If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen this book heavily referenced there. If you are a woman, I cannot suggest this book highly enough.

Woman Code by Alisa Vitti

Woman Code completely changed my understanding of my hormonal cycle. It makes me sad how little information women receive about their bodies through formal education, and that lack of knowledge is passed down generationally as well. I will be diving deeper into the lessons from this book another time, because it has revolutionized my out home work schedule, but you should definitely check it out! Alisa has a new book called In the Flo coming out at the end of this month that dives deeper into the biggest lessons I took from Woman Code, and I can't wait to add it to my reading pile!

Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb

This was my final book of 2019, and it was the perfect way to end the year. As a huge proponent of therapy, the title was all I needed to hear before adding it to my reading list. Coming in at 432 pages, this is the longest book listest and probably the quickest book I read all year. Lori weaves together her own life, the lives of her patients, and her own time with a new therapist in a way that is completely captivating. Each chapter is a different point so you never tire of the narrative. It was fascinating to watch her patients lives unfold in the winding (not straight) path of therapy through their own work and moments of realization. I couldn't help but wonder what my own tale would be written out, and which a-ha moments are still on my horizon.

Free watercolor calendar printable

I don't know what it is about them, but I love organizational items. Planners, calendars, notepads, everything!

I have multiple types of planners and calendars and each January I find myself looking for a new yearly calendar. Instead of dropping a couple bucks on a new calendar every year, I finally created my own editable calendar and I wanted to share it with you.

Print your free calendar and quickly fill in the days for each month or laminate them for yearly use.

Be sure to tag me on Instagram (@meganbmccarthy) if you use the printables!

My Make Nine for 2020

In early December I ran across a post on Instagram where someone was giving a year-end recap of how many of their “Make Nine” projects they’d completed. I did a quick search and found that Rochelle of Lucky Lucille had started Make Nine a few years back in response to all the Top 9 trends. I knew instantly that I’d be making one for 2020!

Years ago I made plenty of times for my hobbies--reading, nail painting, knitting, crafting. But then I went back to college to finish my degree followed immediately by jumping into my new career, and my hobbies were the very first thing to go. For years they lay dormant until I felt my life was moving too quickly, like my life focused solely on work was incomplete. 

My hobbies were the biggest part of slowing my life down. I recently took up my knitting again after my grandma passed away. The slow, methodical rhythm of counting stitches kept my mind engaged and at peace. I finished three projects these last two months so I’m so excited to work on the following nine projects in 2020!

My mom taught me knitting at Christmastime in 2010, however having let my knitting slow to a snail’s pace during busier seasons of life, my skills haven’t progressed much. This year I want to focus on two projects I’ve deemed too difficult and put off (socks and sweaters) as well as gaining some new knitting skills (colorwork and brioche).

So here is my Make Nine list for 2020!!

Over the last couple of months I have decided to put new clothing purchases (almost entirely) behind me, in favor of purchasing previously loved clothing. I don’t want to participate in fast fashion trends, and it’s important to me to constantly keep my consumerism in check. So instead I am opting for used (Goodwill, Thred Up, Poshmark, etc.), and I’m really excited to be able to add some of my own hand made pieces into my closet!