Thank you for recommending this! I've been meaning to respond since finishing a few weeks ago; It was super interesting seeing both the similarities and contrasts in their characters, storytelling, and how they navigate creating the tension of not knowing if a character that is being developed will last or not. Less mystery, but very similar tones and atmosphere!

Yess! The whole drop shipping orders/process is a bit atypical, and their brand identity is very bright and loud, but I honestly couldn't agree more- their decaf process is the best I've tried yet. It's as close I've tasted to higher end caffeinated roasts and my go to right now. I'm super happy you've enjoyed them!!

Zenshu super stands out to me! The perfect length, great progression, and high stakes.

I super liked Another. I watched it recently and was very quickly drawn in! I feel like it did a super great job presenting presenting multiple moments that built upon the overarching mystery while also creating new ones.

I personally like heat protectant creams over sprays; mainly because it's easier for me to tell I've spread it enough. I use the Redken Frizz Dismiss Rebel Tame Heat Protective Leave-In Cream. For affordable tools, I super like Wavytalk products! I use both their hair dryer (started with the normal but eventually upgraded to the pro) and their thermal brush! I feel like a thermal brush is super versatile (imo) since you can do a single pass without curling to straighten hair and then do a second/third pass with a bit of curl/twist to add a wave or bounce. Remember to always use heat protection when using hot tools 🌟 heat protection, blow dry, a bit more heat protection, styling tool. Some people have different heat protectants depending on the tools they use too!

Lasering facial hair will take you a good number of sessions, and you'll still need to go back for touch-ups/follow-ups. I initially had a full 6 sessions, and while they helped soooo much, I had to get a few more after for some stubborn areas. Even with all of my sessions, I still have hairs I have to shave/trim every morning. It's waaay less work, and is good enough for me to not feel too much dysphoria over. I didn't really notice major changes until the end of my initial course.

Ideally, once you've completed your laser course, I'd recommend finding a place for electrolysis; that's the only guaranteed way to fully keep hairs from coming back. They'll be able to get any remaining hairs and the ones that may eventually come back after/if your follicles repair. Laser is unfortunately not guaranteed permanent, but it is a quicker way to clear hairs.

For body - I also had a few sessions for my lower arms, upper and lower legs, and my armpits. Sooo recommend. I've paid for a few more sessions of each, but just haven't gotten around to them; however, it's still sooo much less work maintaining! Everything grows back slowly, thin, and sparse (I was quite hairy before 😅).

Razor/trimmer recommendation: Philips Norelco OneBlade 🌟 I loooove it so much! It gets a super close trim, is incredibly easy and forgiving, and can be used anywhere. I started with their cheap base model, but eventually upgraded to the Pro 360 model with the led screen that displays the remaining battery. The heads last quite awhile, can be used across models, and they have sensitive skin ones with a guard for areas that might need more TLC (armpits, bikini area, etc). It completely changed my relationship with hair maintenance. It can be used on dry skin, but I recommend cleaning your skin with warm water and using a shaving oil/cream. I super like Billie Whipped Shave Cream; I prefer their sensitive skin one that's fragrance free as my skin can be a bit sensitive.

Additional thoughts:

• If you're prone to ingrown hairs, I recommend applying glycolic acid to your dry, clean, post-shaven skin. I would honestly recommend using it a few times a week regardless, as it removes dead skin and clears clogged pores. You can get a biiiig bottle of The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Exfoliating Toner for super cheap. Transfer some to a little spray bottle and spritz it over your skin. Use your hands to spread and gently work it in. Make sure to apply a lotion/moisturizer after it dries!

• Before lasering my body hair, I used VEET hair removal cream a few times. It worked incredibly well, but you need to follow the instructions. It can be super harsh on your skin if you leave it on too long (chemical burns). Work in areas and not all over at once. I never had any issues, but I'm sure you'll see reviews with people who did (that didn't follow the instructions). I wouldn't recommend it if you do plan on lasering since you'll need to wait a few weeks for everything to grow back.

Thank you for the update! I super enjoy your note descriptions; it sounds like a great roast and one I'll definitely be picking up soon. I've been craving some tartness! I was honestly considering their Gummy Sharks as well- I super like the name's they use for their beans 🤭

An update for the Luminous decaf - I think the previous batch of beans I had purchased were compromised in some way. I'm going to assume it was on my end; I repurchased them since they had a bogo deal a week or two ago and decided to give them another try. It's a night and day difference. Super sweet, a lot more body, and dynamic notes similar to a caffeinated cup. I would definitely recommend them if you're looking for a sweet decaf sometime!

Before switching to decaf, I bought from a roaster who offered customers the ability to create their own water in his water lab: https://www.memlicoffee.com/water-lab

It was something I had always been meaning to do but never got around to it- I am super interested in exploring this side of coffee eventually! I will say that the cups he brewed anytime I went to pick up orders were so incredibly beautiful and defined. I'm definitely saving your post for the future!

Thank you for this review! I'll be super interested to see how the flavor and experience changes after you've dialed in the grind size and the beans have rested a bit longer. Do you have a hario switch by chance? I've found that you can pull a good amount of sweetness from some beans by introducing some immersion pours.

It's honestly a challenge for me. I've also tried the extreme route of avoiding new things, but life becomes incredibly dull and an intense mental restlessness takes over... It then becomes hard to really get into anything and mutes the joy I feel across the board. I now welcome new fixations but do my best to keep my wallet uninvolved for as long as possible (super hard 😅). If I try too hard to curve the time and energy investment I put into something new, it ultimately disconnects me from the joy I feel exploring it at all. I've learned to accept that there will be many things that I'll love for a moment and eventually lose interest in. It doesn't always feel great 🥲; I'll make connections with people and enjoy my time with them surrounding a certain interest, but I'll become emotionally disconnected after the fixation ends. I try to set the expectation for people early on that I'll most likely just be a visitor in their lives.

As far as fitting fixations into my routine- I almost always have a list of tasks/goals I want to complete for a day. Once my tasks are done, I'll allow my brain to enjoy itself over whatever it wants. I think having organization methods helps. I use Obsidian to organize so many of my thoughts, interests, errands, lists, etc. I use a daily note to keep me on track; Once all my items are checked off, or at least slotted into a time, I don't have to worry about how much time I allow for an interest.

I take Clonidine ER which is very similar to Guanfacine for treating ADHD (blood pressure medication that is an alpha-2 adrenergic agonist). I also take stimulant-based ones on top of it during the day.

I requested Clonidine specifically to help me sleep and take it in the evenings; my dose is very sedating. It's my understanding that Guanfacine tends to be less sedating; it's not as aggressive on the c(p)ns.

Does it help with my ADHD? Yes-ish. It's calming and slows my brain and body down. My end of day crash can be pretty rough, and the Clonidine eases a lot of the mental scatteredness that I go through. If I'm stuck looking for something to watch, play, etc, it saps my brain enough and allows me to pick whatever it is I want to do to end my day. I would assume a less sedating version of what I take would be moderately effective for day time attention issues. I've seen people have success with both for their symptoms, but I've also seen it not click for people.

You will probably need to log your blood pressure for a few weeks when starting just to make sure it's not dipping you too much.

Made such a small change two weeks ago that had more of an impact than I'd imagine!

I use the Fellow Ode 2 as my grinder; I unfortunately still have the stock burrs but hope to upgrade eventually. One thing that had always frustrated me was its retention. It started out mild but began to retain full grams. I'd clean the burrs, the anti-static pins, use the knocker, bang on the sides... It just never seemed to make a difference. I finally looked into it and found out about RDT (Ross Droplet Technique)! I started slightly wetting my beans, stirring them with a metal chopstick dipped in water. I always preheat my coffee glass, carafe, and dripper, so I conveniently have water to dip into. Since doing this, I've had almost no measurable retention! Definitely recommend if your grinder seems to hold onto your coffee!

Next thing I need to address is my scale 😵‍💫 it has unfortunately become very unreliable.