When I first began tinkering with ideas for the Create Cohort Blog, I wanted to include some elements of my old blog, Cat Ears & Coffee. Giving personalized recounts detailing local places and events with my own photos for visuals had, and continues to, set the format for my style of blogging. What else might I want to include in this new blog? Dave and I really liked the idea of revisiting some old haunts, parks, festivals, venues, etc. with the intention of a “Then vs Now” sort of approach.

As I continue tedious task of reviewing every. single. post. on the old blog, I have a stash of ideas brewing for said future posts. However, I didn’t want to just compare how X event/place physically/environmentally is now compared to however many moons ago, I really wanted to poke a little at the Blogger behind those earlier posts, and see what might have changed in my own person since then.

I decided to start with this post from March, 2016: A Day in the Life. A post dedicated to being fascinated by the habits, favorites, routines, etc. that aide in creating the character of a person. Here we are in July of 2025, documenting a day in the life of a Digital Creator, fabricating what is currently the digital creation you are currently reading. *Insert meta pun here.

It has taken me awhile to get a handle on a morning routine that my ADHD brain can function with, but also aides in getting my pokey-ass to work on time. It has been a struggle bus this past year, but over the last few weeks I have finally gotten the hang of it. As we all know, accomplishing such a feat absolutely results in the obvious: a little treat.

We reside in Islandview, Detroit, and our favorite morning coffee spot is The Red Hook on Agnes. It is also apparently everyone’s favorite in West and Indian Village, as it is always bustling. Dave is on a first-name basis with all of the baristas, and I, tend to forget every single person’s name I have ever met within five seconds of being introduced. I nevertheless partake in the friendly banter that almost always ends up ensuing. I don’t have a typical order perse, but I have been on an cold brew + oatmilk kick with lavender simple syrup (they make their own!) these days.

I then trucked off to work, where I am still greeted with truck-butts in the morning. Yes, I still work for the same company, however, I was moved upstairs to the Purchasing department a couple of years ago. I don’t think it is physically possible for me to not decorate any space that I have to spend copious amounts of time in, and my corner of the office is decked out in all sorts of decor. I married a chef, so, my lunches are pretty fantastic, and I tend to eat while I work, then take a lunch to practice either French or Spanish) crushing that Duolingo Owl is %100 a daily priority).

I then ventured out to the gym. It is funny, because I stopped going for years, and then I had a few weird flare-up issues that prompted me to try to be healthier. I like to bribe myself to go to the gym by bringing a book, and walking on a treadmill while reading is something my uncoordinated ass never thought were possible, but I haven’t broken anything…yet. I am currently reading The Spellshop, by Sarah Beth Durst as part of a summer-fantasy-book-read with a few other friends, my very first (informal) reading/book group thing!

I am learning how to navigate around the city on my own, so I stopped taking the freeway to and from Pfit. I am very proud to say that yesterday was the first time I made it both to the gym and home without relying on GPS, and, I managed to get a few red-light photos.

I then ventured up to Tocororo to work on some Spanish, transfer all of these completely unedited photos to WordPress, bribe Dave into making me food with the bag of salad mix I stashed in my purse, and to read some more.

We ended the evening with a little late-night walk around the block with Bella, as it cooled off enough for her, and that was the day!

It is apparent that I still love Romanizing the Mundane, as I have created many Tik-Toks and Reels over the last few years doing just that. I don’t think I will ever change in that sense, there is an importance in making the boring bits of the day have recognition as part of life. Driving to work, scream-singing Remi Wolfe is a million times more enjoyable than the feeling of impending doom of being a desk-jockey for eight plus hours. At least I like to think that it is.

What are some of the things you like to romanticize that could be seen as mundane or boring? I might steal an idea or five.

Home, post-gym: laundry (we just installed the dryer last week), and a few scritches for some of our current menagerie. I made it a point to use my Sony ZV-1F for all of the photos for this post, as I mainly only use it for video. Bella, and Elvis Catsello were feeling particularly modelesque. Trying out some of the lens filters and editing software that came in the camera kit is not a want, but a need that I have yet to accomplish. But when I do, coffee reward!

Until next post, xo.

📍Islandview , MI.

Sara Bellum