This is my way of staying connected - a simple monthly email. Feel free to forward.

Hi Friends! and welcome to my monthly newsletter!

Thanks to everyone who came out to celebrate my 31st birthday!

In this issue:

how a stranger helped me throw my 31st birthday, share a delicious korean bbq sauce, highlight some new Twitter accounts I'm following, my favorite eye mask (shout out KW for the rec), and cover my running stats from last month.

If you enjoy my newsletter, it'd make my week if you would forward it to a friend!

If we haven't met yet, welcome! Shoot me message, would love to connect.

A Stranger From the Internet Helped Me Throw My 31st Birthday Party

It had been far too long since we threw a party at our house. Really we haven't thrown a big party since we moved in March of 2020, for obvious reason. I decided to throw myself a birthday party and invite just a ton of people but I knew I needed some help. An entrepreneur/blogger I follow,Nick Gray, wrote an e-book on how to throw the perfect cocktail party so I decided to reach out for help. He sent me his e-book and gave me his personal number. We had a 30 minute phone on ideas around ice-breaker, name tags, and more.

Three best tips:

• Name tags for every guest - I wanted everyone to meet someone new and this helped

• Hire a photographer - got lots of amazing photos of our friends and their babies

• Hire someone to help setup/clean up the party - just saves a lot of headache after hosting all afternoon

I sent a post-party follow up survey and here are the results. (h/t NG)Stats:

• ~45 attendees

• 0 no-shows from those who RSVP'd

• 96.7% satisfaction rating

It's so fun to make friends online and hope to have more interactions like this in 2022.And yes I follow Nick because we share the same name. He's got a really great newsletter too. I am just copying his format.Want to come to my next party? Let me know by replying back to this email.

My Favorite Cooking Hack

I've been using this Korean sauce from H-Mart for the last 4+ years now to make quick dinners and the occasional meal prep.My favorite way to use this use:

• Boneless/skinless chicken thighs - salt and pepper

• Cut it into bite sized pieces and toss the chicken in this sauce

• Put into pan with oil and cook until caramelized

• Bonus: add some onions in while cooking for extra flavor

• Eat over brown rice w/ side of broccoli

Maybe Eric Kim will write an article on it.

My Favorite Recent Amazon Purchase(s)

This eye mask is perfect for: those with significant others that stay up past your bed time; those who like complete darkness when they sleep; those who are tired of uncomfortable eye masks.Highlights of this eye mask:

• total black out

• super comfortable

• doesn't get hot

• stays on my face all night

• comes with a travel case

MZOO Sleep Eye Mask

https://www.amazon.com/Contoured-Sleeping-Blindfold-Concave-Meditation/dp/B07KC5DWCC?th=1

New Accounts I Follow On Twitter

• Paddington: (yes the bear) https://twitter.com/paddingtonbear

• Val Katayev: (saw on a podcast) https://twitter.com/ValKatayev

• Shaan Puri: (hosts the podcast I saw Val on) https://twitter.com/ShaanVP

• Dudes Posting Their W's: (funny account) https://twitter.com/DudespostingWs

• Nik Mianovic: (another Nik. Has a great newsletter) https://twitter.com/NikMilanovic

Deals Curated just for You

Tesla - 1,000 miles free of Supercharging with the purchase of a new Tesla car. (affiliate link)

Aceable Agent- study to become a real estate agent at your own pace. (affiliate link)