Our Favorite Things from 2025
Every year, we ask our Mend team to share the books, places, foods, hobbies, and local gems that brought them joy. As always, the list is heartfelt, quirky, community-oriented, and wonderfully eclectic. Here’s what inspired us, grounded us, and delighted us in 2025.
Dr. Brianna Livesay, DOM, L.Ac., Acupuncturist
Book: I wrote a book! Quantum Trinity!
After years of research and exploration, I finally brought this project to life. It weaves Asian medicine, science, and spirituality into a lens I’m genuinely proud of.
Mary Shock, Admin Manager
Video Store: Beyond Video a volunteer-run video library in Charles Village that’s become a weekly ritual.
Festival: New/Next Film Fest, the selection is awesome, so fun to see movies I never would have heard of.
Beyond Video. Their House Favorites shelf never misses.
Dani Hy Dennenberg, M.A.C.M., Dipl.Ac., L.Ac., Acupuncturist
Creative Hobbies: Handbuilding ceramics at Hinckley Pottery in Blues Alley, Washington, DC — where I crafted a guasha tool and needle tray for my future private practice. I also enjoyed veganizing recipes from The Splendid Table radio show.
Nature & Wildlife: Bottle-feeding squirrels has become one of the most meaningful parts of my year. It softens climate grief and reminds me, as Joan Baez said, that the antidote to despair is action. This season I did PT for a turtle hit by a lawn mower and released a rabbit and several birds back into the wild. Watching them hop or fly home never gets old.
Travel: A birthday road trip to Banff, Alberta brought unforgettable moments — spotting a mother and baby black bear, watching a full August moon rise, riding e-bikes along the river, wandering through a wildlife photography gallery, and finding some of the best vegan food I’ve ever had.
Book: Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume.
Reading this aloud to my mom was pure joy and one of my sweetest memories of the year.
Dr. Liana Macneill, D.Ac, Dipl.Ac, L.Ac., Acupuncturist
Album: Debi Tirar Mas Fotos by Bad Bunny
Local Shop: Modern World in Hampden.
Digital Finds: Free access to tens of thousands of audiobooks through the Libby app, thanks to an Enoch Pratt e-card.
My favorite fizzy drink from Modern World: Apple Marigold Sparkling Tonic by Fruitbelt
Sarah O’Leary, L.Ac., Acupuncturist, Founder & CEO
Food & Local Eats: Mi and Yu Ramen (Hampden)
Personal Wellness Insight: My trainer Donna at Arenal Fitness (Quarry Lake) gave me a new mantra this year: sore means you’re building muscle. At 45, if we aren’t building, we are losing!
Local Businesses & Community: Butterbee Farm flower CSA – easy pick up at Greedy Reads (Remington) or Hex Superette (near Belvedere Square).
Spicy kimchi broth, extra veggies, extra soft boiled egg, fried tofu, no noodles. Feeds me twice and never gets old.
Dyan Westerhoff, Admin
Local bars: Southpaw local spot known for smashburgers and Sisu Bar and Bottle (Little Italy) wine-focused, tiny, intimate neighborhood vibe.
Theater: Oh, Mary! For my birthday in June, my two best friends and I took a train to NYC and ended our trip with a pre-Tony win performance by Cole Escola in Oh, Mary!
TV Show: girls5eva on Netflix
Oh, Mary! It was truly the funniest thing I had seen in a while and I wish I could see every person they cast for Mary Todd Lincoln’s role.
Hannah Geiger, Site Assistant Manager, Quarry Lake
Art & Exhibits: Amy Sherald exhibit at the BMA — stunning work, with a special highlight: Denzel from Blacksauce appears in one of the paintings.
Food & Local Restaurants: Oleum in Fells Point, an all-vegan restaurant with delicious food, a warm atmosphere, and wonderful staff.
Outdoors & Adventures: Hikes at Pretty Boy Dam — beautiful views framed by trees and water. Looking forward to winter hikes when the sun glistens across the thin layer of ice.
Oleum in Fells Point. I highly recommend the biscuits and gravy for brunch.
Alexandra McElwee, L.Ac., Acupuncturist
Recipe: Roasted Carrots With Whipped Tahini this recipe is my new favorite! It incorporates a lot of my favorite ingredients and is quick/easy/low cost. This recipe is just so delish.
Community Wellness & Movement: Sparkle Space a heart-centered movement session at St. Luke’s on the Avenue. It’s an inclusive space where women and non-binary folks can move freely and fully be themselves—held by a community of genuinely kind, authentic people. Glitter included.
Yoga Class: $7 Saturday community yoga class at Union Yoga in Woodberry with Naomi Hurley. Can’t say enough about how amazing this teacher is. Naomi speaks with a gentle and calming cadence, as though she were guiding a meditation, and offers an abundant amount of nervous system support.
Performance & Live Arts: Baltimore Improv Group in Station North
Baltimore Improv Group. Free shows on Thursdays. Amazing.
Susannah Neal, L.Ac., Acupuncturist
TV Show: The Americas
Tom Hanks narrates this breathtaking documentary on the ecosystems of North and South America. I was astonished at every turn—the forests, oceans, deserts, the sheer diversity of life—and the film crew’s technical achievements left me in awe.
Photo by NBC
Kim Hennessee, L.Ac., Director of Operations & Acupuncturist
Wellness Routine: My weekly Friday morning wellness routine with my pal and colleague Sarah O’Leary which includes a workout at Belvedere Square F45 (shoutout to Coach Chris) followed by a Wake Up Wrap at Dunkin.
Book: Dream State by local author Eric Puchner
TCM Remedy: Trigger Point Acupuncture! I leaned hard into our medicine after injuring my back earlier this year. It was THE key to unlocking a locked up lower back.
Food: Spam Musubi at The Duchess, don’t knock it ’til you try it!
A good sweat followed by a treat with a friend has brought me a lot of joy this year.
Stacey Kargman N.M.D., L.Ac, Naturopathic Doctor and Acupuncturist
Book: Lessons in Chemistry
Music: Heard for first time in 2025, Nefesh Mountain
Cultural Hub: Third Space
Local Restaurant: Toki Underground
Third Space. Favorite entertainment, learning, artistic space in Baltimore.
NiNi Hyman, Site Assistant Manager, Remington
Local Event: Baltimore City National Night Out Parade. Lots of bands, lots of vendors, lots of fun.
Food: Chop’t salads
Sarah Humpal, L.Ac., Acupuncturist
Performance & Live Arts: Fluid Movement Water Ballet – After years of being a giddy spectator, I finally performed in Dive into Banned Books: A Water Ballet of Resistance and Joy.
Arts & Exhibits: Caroline Clark’s ceramics exhibition, Forgotten Garden, a tribute to her mother living with Alzheimer’s. Alongside Caroline’s beautiful ceramic work, the community contributed paper flowers, making the space feel connected, rooted, and blooming.
Music: Memorable in new-to-me venues – Brandi Carlile in the Riviera Maya, Meshell Ndegeocello at Keystone Korner, Kim Deal at the Stone Pony, and Mirah at a Baltimore house show with views into a secret courtyard.
Dr. Tamara Ferguson, D.Ac., L.A.c., Acupuncturist
Album: Yussef Dayes’ Black Classical Music, latest album from my favorite percussionist.
Food: Cilantro Lime Noodles
Tea: Mudwtr. Great for an energy boost and mental clarity without the crash. Perfect for people like me with caffeine sensitivity.
Fun: Station North Tool Library. Classes on everything from woodworking, tiling, sewing, and more.
Video games: Ghost of Yotei. A thrilling revenge quest balanced with playful elements: restore health in hot springs, follow the wind for direction, gain new skills by honoring alters, and discover hidden places guided by birds, foxes, or wolves.
Supplements: Wellness Formula, solid herbal blend to ward off seasonal illness. Cymbiotika D3 + K2 + CoQ10 as a nice daily boost.
Dr. Dexter Kendrick, D.Ac., L.Ac., Acupuncturist
TV Show: Dynasty on Tubi. Great storyline, and you don’t have to wait 3 episodes for it to get good. It’s drama right from the start!
Recipe: I’m perfecting my Chinese Takeout Chicken Wings recipe.
The secret is in the 2 hr marinade time!
Catherine Belleza, L.Ac., Acupuncturist
Herbs & Nourishment: Green tea with ginger for a morning boost, peppermint tea with goji berries
Albums: Hiding Place by Tori Kelly, Wicked: One Wonderful Night
Plant Nursery: Plants Alive! in Silver Spring, MD
Dana Robinson, L.Ac., Acupuncturist
Learning & Wellness: Brilliant and positive inspiration for the aches and pains of aging: I’m constantly referring my patients to watch Petra Fisher‘s courses and videos, as they offer whole-body training for pains in particular body parts like the rotator cuff or plantar fasciitis. If you feel like you are too stiff to move, start here!
Pet Wellness: The pool in the back of Pet Depot in Timonium lets me get my dog her therapeutic time in the water and there are also bathing sinks in the building if I want to wash her afterwards. And the store is super well stocked as well!
Food: Watermelon with feta or other salty cheese, nigella seeds, and a fresh green herb like basil or mint. Beautiful combination of colors and the flavor can’t be beat.
If you feel like you are too stiff to move, start watching Petra Fisher’s courses and videos.
