Hey friends! In this Q4 newsletter: wedding planning, Jamcember, learning to do a handstand, training for a trail race, The Blender Contender, planning for 2026 and more. It's been a fun past few months and I really like rounding everything up and sharing it here. It's also a great way for me to remember what I did and what I've been enjoying!

Wedding Planning

Maddie and I are getting married in April this year, 2026. We're doing a lot of the planning ourselves with help and suggestions from friends and family.

It's over Arbor Day weekend which in my mind was perfect because I love trees and I've taken Maddie to go see a bunch of cool trees together. Missouri's largest tree is located on a disc golf course at Kessler Park. If anyone has connections to someone at the Park's Department, let me know because I'd love to have our ceremony there.

Maddie is working on finding a photographer (recommendations are welcome!) and I'm working on the playlist.

If you have must-play songs, send them my way. Right now, I have some classics that should appeal to everyone, a lot of newer pop music, some 2000s rap anthems, some newer rap, and a little bit of punk and indie rock. I'm having fun with Spotify's new 'Mix' feature which lets you blend songs together.

Here's the tree:

Simone Giertz 'Maker' Youtube

My brother turned me on to Simone Giertz who's a professional 'maker' on Youtube. She makes videos where she shares her building various things from start to finish. Anything from a custom bed to an automatic retracting patio umbrella. She's really fun to watch and has been great crafting inspiration for me.

Jamcember

This was my 3rd Jamcember, brought to you by Bonne Maman. They make a really great advent calendar where each day you get a new mini jam. It's really fun to have a little something to look forward to each day and I really like that it's been a light hearted way to engage with friends and family. This year, my Great Aunt Mary Lee tuned in and it made for a nice way for the two of us to connect.

My favorite jams were:

• Orange Yuzu Grapefruit
• Mango & Ginger
• Orange Guava Lime
• Apricot Lavender
• Raspberry Lychee
• Strawberry Passionfruit

My least favorite jams were:

• Pineapple Rum Vanilla
• Madagascar Vanilla Caramel
• Caramel Coffee

The Blender Contender?

Many of you know I used to run a chicken tender review blog called The Chicken Contender. Chicken tenders were my favorite food. My family made fun of me for eating chicken tenders at every restaurant. When I had my liver transplant, the doctors took my gallbladder out and these past few years it's been harder and harder for me to enjoy chicken tenders.

Nowadays, I'm way more into smoothies. I love them. I love trying different smoothie spots. If you have a favorite spot, let me know! Is The Chicken Contender pivoting into The Blender Contender? Who knows.

But I did have some great smoothies in Q4. Major shoutout to Ruby Jean's Juicery in Kansas City, REAP Mini Market in Philadelphia and East Village Organics in New York City! These were some of my favorites. Honorable mention to Juice Vitality in New York City too.

Planning an Excellent 2026

I really love to plan. It's been so helpful for me these past few years. I have so many things I want to experience in life and I'm becoming more and more aware of my time and how hard it is to make time for all these ideas and moments.

I've picked up some planning tips from Jesse Itzler. Essentially, each year you should plan 1 'Misogi' (a really challenging, year defining accomplishment), 6 Mini Adventures (one day, every other month where you do something exciting that you normally wouldn't do) and 4 habits (one for each quarter). Go map out all of these events on your calendar so that you make time for these before all the other stuff takes over. It's a great way to visualize your year and make sure that you prioritize what you want to do.

Here's a video walking you through it.

Handstand Goal

One of my bucketlist items is to learn to do a handstand. In December, I started working towards this. It's been really hard. For some reason, I've had a mental block about going upside down. My friend, Ben, has been coaching me at the climbing gym where they have soft padding and mats everywhere. I'm getting closer but I'm not quite there yet. I'm able to do a handstand pretty comfortably and hope that by spending a little more time at the gym these next few weeks I can get there!

 

2025 Favorite Album

My favorite album this year was from a band that wasn't previously on my radar, Geese. The album is Getting Killed. It's indie rock. I like every single song on the record and have listened to it quite a few times. I highly recommend giving it a listen!

 

NLNY 50K

The last two years I have organized an endurance challenge called LiverMan 100. This year, it'll be in New York City and will consist of two parts. Part 1 is a tip to tip adventure, taking you 16ish miles from the top of Manhattan to the bottom. Part 2 is a 15ish mile checkpoint race which starts at midnight. You'll be running through the streets of NYC, carving out your own thrilling, unique route. I'm working on finding a few sponsors and brand partners in the fitness, running sphere. If you have any connections, please reach out to me! I'd love to have you there. If you're interested in challenging yourself, looking for a misogi, and/or want to spend time with great people- you will enjoy this.

 

Misogi: 50 Mile Trail Race

Speaking of Misogi's. My 2026 Misogi is to complete a 50 Mile Trail Race. My brother Luke and I signed up for The Badger 50m in Wisconsin at the beginning of August. I'm terrified! We both ran our first trail marathon this past May and it was very challenging. The thought of nearly doubling that distance is pure insanity. But it can be done. And I'm really looking forward to training up to it. That's maybe the best part. Second, after the feeling you get at the finish line.

What's your 2026 Misogi?

Marty Supreme

I saw Marty Supreme last week and it was a really great movie! I was unsure it could live up to the hype with all the marketing that they did for it. Honestly, I really liked all the little stunts and whatnot that they did to promote it. You should go see it.

NY Botanical Garden Holiday Train Show

After years of us talking about it, my mom came in town and celebrated Christmas in New York City with Luke and I. We packed in as many Christmas activities as we could including:

• Dyker Heights Christmas Lights

• Brooklyn Botanical Gardens Light Show

• Macy's, Saks 5th Ave display, Rockefeller tree

• NY Botanical Garden Holiday Train Show

Out of everything, the NYBG Train Show was my favorite! It was packed and for good reason. The trains were cool but all the little structures were even cooler. Everything was made of found materials like twigs, acorns, seeds, etc. It's super impressive! I would definitely go back.

That's a wrap for 2025. I hope you had a great year. Thank you for tuning in!

Hi-five,

Ian