Tag: favorite things Friday

Kick It, Cookieless Friday

This contains an image of: {{ pinTitle }}

Happy Friday!! TGIF!!! I love Fridays. I am so happy to be here at a Friday this week. Thank you for being so loving and supportive and understanding, readers. It’s been a tough week for me, but we are here, at the light at the end of the tunnel: Friday. On Favorite Things Friday, I usually try to keep it light, and I discuss products, or websites, or songs, or books, etc. that make my life fun. I strongly encourage you to add your favorites in my Comments section. Please also check out previous Friday blog posts for more good stuff to try!

Here are today’s favorites:

Cell Phone Kickstand – This is an awesome little gadget to stick on the back of your phone or phone case (as long as it is a flat phone case). I have noticed that I have gotten sore wrists from holding my phone too long. This is a quick and easy tool to safely position and hold your phone at so many different angles (lengthwise and widthwise!) And when you don’t need to use it, it folds right back into a simple silver bar at the end of your phone case. I got mine for $11 from Amazon. I think that I will consider this a standard necessary phone accessory from here on out! Treat yourself to this useful, and inexpensive gadget.

Cookieless Cookies – This is my new favorite dessert. I made it up recently, all by myself. Essentially Cookieless Cookies are a giant bowl of chocolate chips mixed up with chopped up walnuts. My current Cookieless Cookie holds butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips and Ghirardelli chocolate chips, with a dash of the walnuts, of course. (tough weeks call for a higher ratio of chips to walnuts) I figure that a Cookieless Cookie is “healthier” than eating cookies because it doesn’t have any extra butter or sugar. I also like to think of Cookieless Cookies as a form of trail mix without the icky raisins, and with a guarantee of always getting some chocolate chips when you throw a handful of it into your mouth. Happy Trails! Happy “Baking”! It doesn’t take long to mix up, nor does it require an oven – my kind of cooking.

Favorite Picture of the Week

My middle son was driving up the East Coast of Florida earlier this week, and he sent us this picture of what he saw. It is not a UFO. It’s not ET going home. It is the Space X shuttle being launched. How cool is this? What amazing and interesting times we live in!

Bonus favorite: I saw this quote earlier this week on Twitter:

“No snowflake in an avalanche ever feels responsible.” – Uncle Duke

I think that this goes both ways. We often think that what we do or what we don’t do, doesn’t really matter, but it does. It’s the individual snowflakes that create an avalanche, but it’s also the individual water droplets that make up a beautiful lake. What we do, good or bad, kind or unkind, thoughtful or thoughtless, does make a difference. It always does. Have a great weekend! Be a good flake!

Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.

Favorite Things Friday

Best Good Morning Friday Images! Always Updated Images! | Good morning friday, Good morning happy friday, Good morning friday images

Good morning, friends and readers. Welcome to the best day of the week!! My regular readers know that I typically keep it light and fun on Fridays. On Fridays, I list three favorite things, or songs, or websites or books, or life hacks that make my life more interesting and engaging. You, my readers, really like Fridays, at the blog. Interestingly, usually the most popular days on the blog are on Fridays, and on Sundays (the day that I devote to poetry. You never knew that one of your favorite things is poetry, did you? I caught you. ;)) So this tells me that you, my readers, are my favorite kind of people, a delicious mix of fun and frivolous, yet deep and soulful. It’s good to be well-rounded. Bravo!

As many of you know, we suffered another setback with my son’s epilepsy, this week. His new medications aren’t working out, which is deeply disappointing because the side effects of these medications were much more tolerable, than his last medications. We coaxed our baby to come home for the weekend, so I had the best sleep of my week last night, knowing that he was home safe with me, in my safely feathered nest. (I love sleep. It’s definitely one of my favorites.) My youngest son (the son with epilepsy) is obviously one of my favorite people in the world, and it is not just because he is my son. It is also because my son is funny, and smart, and ethical – almost to a fault; he is insightfully (and sometimes brutally) truthful – like no other person I have ever met, and so, so resilient. I admire him greatly. I love him beyond reason.

I’m drained, friends. These setbacks with epilepsy are hard on our family. These disappointments bring all of our fears and uncertainties, back up to the surface. People who live with serious disorders, know better than anyone, just how fragile life is, and how quickly it can be taken. After experiencing a major health setback, and once you calm down from the anxiety, and you let your shoulders drop, you can sometimes find the gift that comes from these painful realities of living with a disease, or a disability that can take your life, at any moment. It brings clarity and beauty and gratefulness for every simple moment of living a life. I can’t tell you how much my heart sang last night, to listen to my husband and my son yell, in unison, at the football game last night, as they have done so many times in the past. I savored that sound like it came from Heaven above. Because it did. Heaven is all around us, if we open up our eyes and connect our watchful eyes to our hearts.

I’m sorry to get so deep on a Friday. You readers don’t like that, I know. You might be thinking, “Lighten up, lady!”, but it’s my blog, and I’ll cry if I want to . . . .

Please always remember that when you are considering your favorite things in life, it’s never really “the thing”. It’s always the feeling that you get from “the thing.” If you think of one of your favorite things, or people, or places right now, you will get those wonderful feelings that those things give to you, seeping into your consciousness right away. Try it. Do it often. Your favorites are really your favorite feelings, and you are capable of dosing yourself with your favorite feelings regularly. They are just a thought away. Stay aware. That’s the only way to live.

Happy weekend, my favorite readers of my favorite blog! See you tomorrow.

Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.

Favorite Things Friday

Hello!! Happy Friday!! Happy Best Day of the Week! This Friday is extra special since it is tied into the holiday weekend. Enjoy it!

My regular readers know that I don’t think too deeply on Fridays. On Fridays, I usually list three things that make my material world more interesting and enjoyable. I call it “Favorite Things Friday”. Please list your favorites in my Comments section. It’s always great to discover new products to try, or books to read, or shows to watch, or singers to listen to . . . . .

Today I only have a couple of favorite things to share:

Favorite New Author of Mine: Matt Haig. Matt Haig is a British author, whom I have just recently discovered his writings, and they are wonderful. I have read The Midnight Library, The Comfort Book and I am in the middle of How to Stop Time. I also purchased his children’s book, A Boy Called Christmas, which I can’t wait to devour. Matt Haig’s writing is concise, interesting, imaginative, empathic and full of historical references and personal insights. I love his writing style!

Favorite New Tip: If you have any games or apps on your phone, that are filled with advertisements that annoyingly interrupt and delay your play, put your phone on airplane mode. I only recently discovered this because I was actually on a flight and I was playing a game and while being on airplane mode, the game was still playable, but the ads couldn’t come through. I then tried it at home, and it was the same experience. Voila! If you aren’t expecting any important calls (the kids can call Dad, too, remember), then try this. Uninterrupted Sudoku is a much more enjoyable experience than having your concentration broken by ads for more games that you never have any intention of downloading on to your phone.

That’s all that I have for today. Please check out previous Friday posts for more fun favorites! Have an amazing day!!

Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.

Coy Koi Friday

Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.

Inlanta Mortgage on Twitter | Its friday quotes, Happy friday, Happy weekend

Welcome to Friday!!! Welcome to the best day of the week, in my opinion. My regular readers know that I try not to go too deep on Fridays. Facts are, we live in a material world. Our lives are all about experiences, and a lot of those experiences involve tactile things. So on Fridays, I typically list three favorite things or products or songs or books that have made my own life a little bit more intriguing and fun. Please check out previous Friday posts for more ideas about pleasurable things to try and to experience. Sometimes, I admittedly feel like I am being a little frivolous with my Friday posts. There’s a lot going on the world right now, and it gets a little overwhelming, doesn’t it?

40 Quotes for Coping with Things You Can't Control

I like this quote. Today, this is my favorite quote. The world was never hurt by positive people. Remember, you can be realistic and smart, and still be positive. Being positive doesn’t mean wearing blinders, or even wearing rose-colored glasses. Being positive means looking at the world, through your very own eyes, but just making sure that those lovely eyes of yours are connected to the deepest part of your harmonious heart, and to the immeasurable Mariana Trench of your own inner peaceful soul. Be positive. Be kind. It is the difference that you can make in the world, right where you are sitting.

Today, I only have one favorite. (I’ve been in a “less is more” mood lately. Don’t worry, this has happened to me before. It won’t last.) I was in an office this week, and my pretty little eyes spied this adorable koi fish (and koi fish have ALWAYS been a favorite of mine – It’s a good thing that I am not a thief, I was so tempted to snatch it):

This koi fish is an origami wonder, made with just one, one dollar bill. Now if you are crafty and ambitious, you can look up instructions on how to make one for yourself on the internet (supposedly it takes hours and hours), but if you are more of an “instant gratification” kind of a kid, you can buy ready-made dollar bill koi fish, on places like eBay and Etsy. They would make fun, “conversation piece” type gifts!

“Swim!” said the mama. “Swim if you can!” and they swam and they swam, all over the dam. – popular nursery rhyme

Swim, my loves! Your only other choice is to sink. Have a great weekend!! See you tomorrow!

Friday’s in the Bag

Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.

Happy Friday! Happy Weekend! On Fridays, I typically keep things on the “worldly” side. Usually on Fridays, I list three of any kinds of my favorite stuff: products, books, make-up, websites, songs, etc. Please check out my previous Friday listings for more favorites and please add your own favorites to my Comments section. I have had a busy week, and I still do have a lot on my plate, so for today, I only have one favorite to share.

The other day, when I joined my husband on a drive to his most favorite bike store, I found an adorable, old-fashioned, delicious little bookstore, right around the corner to peruse instead, while my husband was in the bike store. (He likes bikes. She likes books. He likes beers. She likes baubles and bags. They both like boats and bands and most of all, their babies. In short, they support each other’s B—S.)

In this little heavenly bookstore, I purchased this adorable tote bag:

Front:

Back:

I looked at the tag on the bag, and the tote is made by this company: outofprint.com

This website is truly a bibliophile’s dream come true. You’re welcome!! Enjoy and find some new favorites to treat yourself to, this weekend! See you tomorrow!

Spooky Friday

Friday the 13th quotes for work Friday the 13th funny quotes quotes mystiekevrouwen | Dogtrainingobedienceschool.com

Hi friends and readers! Welcome to the best day of the week! On Fridays, I keep it surfacey. I typically list three favorite books, products, websites, songs, etc. and I strongly encourage you to share your favorites in my Comments section. If you are curious about more favorites of mine, please look at my previous Friday posts. Without further ado, here are today’s favorites:

Safflower Seeds – If you are like me, and you really enjoy having all sorts of birds in your yard, but you could live without the squirrels visiting, (they torture my poor Collie, Josie), then fill your bird feeders with safflower seeds. According to the experts, birds loves these seeds, but squirrels can’t stand them. I have two “squirrel proof” feeders in my backyard, but that doesn’t stop the squirrels from doing all sorts of Olympics-level acrobatics on the feeders, trying to “break the code.” This really sets off Barky, I mean Josie. I am hoping that these safflower seeds will finally send the squirrels packing.

Adam on Twitter (@adamgreattweet) – This guy is a resident physician in Georgia, but he is also one of the best “curators” of funny on the internet. I love most of his own funny tweets, but he also has a knack for finding other really funny tweets from so many different sources. (I don’t know where he finds the time to practice medicine.) Warning some of the tweets are a tad raunchy, but many of them are just plain funny, especially the ones that comment on parenting. Here is a sampling from a few of his recent tweets/retweets:

do i struggle with gaining weight? no, i do that pretty easily thank you. (Dadman Walking)

Growing up in the 80’s made me believe I’d need to “stop drop and roll” a lot more (Midge)

And here’s one of Adam’s originals:

them: i’m tired

me: hi tired, i’m

them: of your jokes

me: oh

“Peace is a practice.” – I read this recently and it has become my new favorite mantra. A wise person once said to me that you don’t go into a gym, look at the really buff people and ask yourself, “Why are these really buff people here at the gym?” The buff people are at the gym because the gym is where they got buff, and the working out at the gym is how they maintain the buff. Our peaceful minds work the same way. You have to find the ways that help you to gain and to maintain your inner peace and clarity, and you have to implement these practices on a daily basis. Unfortunately, just like good bodily health is not a “one and done”, neither is good mental/emotional health. “Peace is a practice.“

Have a great weekend, my dear friends and readers!! See you tomorrow!

Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.

Friday Partypants

(credit: Classy With a Kick, Pinterest)

Happy Friday!!! Happy weekend!!! My regular readers know how much I love Fridays. On Fridays, I take off my ruminating, philosophy pants and I put on my Friday Partypants. On Fridays, I typically list three favorite songs or products or websites, (basically anything that I really, really like) and I love it when you add your own favorites to my Comments section. I am always excited to have new things to try, or new movies to watch, or new books to read. Here are my favorites for today:

Uptime – This application for your phone is not cheap, (I think that it is about forty dollars a year) but for me, it is worth every cent. This app takes popular non-fiction books and documentaries and basically narrows them down to “the gist” of what you need to know about each source of information. I wish that I had time to read every book that I want to read, but that would take several lifetimes, and it would also create an extremely one-dimensional life for me. Uptime also works as a great tool to figure out what areas and books that I want to explore more about, and also figuring out areas, where settling for “the gist” is all that I need to do.

The Gift by Edith Eger – This book is outstanding. Written by an Auschwitz survivor who later became a successful psychologist (she got her doctorate in her fifties – it’s never too late!), The Gift is incredibly uplifting, inspiring and full of good sense. The theme of the book is to help people find freedom, which Edith Eger defines as “becoming who you truly are.” She says that freedom requires hope, knowing that all suffering is temporary, and staying curious about what comes next. You won’t regret the time you spend reading and soaking in this wonderful, empowering book.

Sharing Knowing Looks – This might be one of my most favorite human experiences. The communication that we share with others, without talking, and yet being able to feel that complete connection and understanding between each other, by just one knowing look, is totally priceless. Yesterday, I was in the middle of getting a pedicure in a part of town that I don’t know all that well. I was getting a pedicure in a shop that I had never been to before. And I was trying to reach my daughter by text, and then by calling her frantically, and I still couldn’t reach her. Thus, (this is the negative side of today’s instant gratification, “reach everybody and everything in one second flat” technology) I flew into a mini-panic attack. I yelled to my nail technician that I had to leave the shop immediately to get to my daughter. I flew out of the shop, dragging along a towel, as my technician was desperately trying to help me to dry my feet, and to help me put on my shoes, as I ran to my car, breathing heavily. My daughter turned out to be fine. It was all a big, scary misunderstanding, but after the fiasco, I knew that I needed to return the towel to the shop. I was horrified and I was utterly embarrassed by my previous “making quite the scene,” but I decided that the best thing, and the right thing for me to do in this situation, was go back to the shop, return the towel, and get pedicures for both me and my daughter, and to leave them a nice tip. The shop was filled with female Vietnamese-American workers and it seemed that many of them did not speak English, but the look of relief and happiness and kindness and understanding on their faces, when they looked at me, almost brought me to tears. Mamas know other mamas’ hearts, without ever having to say a word. Love is the real communication and connection between all of us. And this deep and wise communication doesn’t even require any words. Love and kindness is able to be communicated in a single glance. Love is. Love.

Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.

Little Spark of Friday

Image

Good morning, friends and readers! Happy Friday!!! Happy Favorite Things Friday!! On Fridays, I forget about delving deep, and instead, I list three favorite things, or songs, or websites, or whatevers, that have added some zest to my everyday life. I strongly encourage you to add your favorites to my Comments section. Isn’t life wonderful when we have a lot of wonderful things to experience and to enjoy and to celebrate?

Jeff Allen, comedian – I’ve been a little under the weather the last few days. (It’s nothing serious, don’t worry. I think that I’m just a little worn out from all of the atypical activity going on in my life, since about mid-April.) Anyway, I believe that laughter is the best medicine. So yesterday, I stayed in bed, and I watched comedians all day long. There are so many great comedians out there, but Jeff Allen makes me howl with laughter. He’s a clean comedian, and he is hysterical. (If you like to keep it clean with your comedy, check out any of the Dry Bar specials on YouTube.) If you need a big dose of laughter medicine, here’s a clip:

Evian Feed Your Mind Water – This is Evian water in a can! And yet the can is so sleek and elegant looking, you still know that you are drinking Evian. This mineral water is tasty, thirst quenching, zero calories and it is infused with both magnesium and zinc, which have been my go-to supplements since this whole COVID mess started. The Feed Your Mind collection features three different flavors of water. Splurge on this line of Evian. You won’t regret it.

Best Grilling Tip – I recently saw a clip on the internet about putting ice cubes in your burgers when you start grilling them, because it keeps the moisture all locked in and the meat is good and juicy, when it is ready to be eaten. It works! I even tried “the ice cube tip” on a tenderloin that I broiled in my oven and it still works!!! If you prefer not to break your teeth on your meat, get out your ice cube tray.

I hope that you have a lovely, enjoyable, awe-striking, yet comfortable and peaceful weekend, my friends!

Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.

Friday Favorites!

Hilarious Friday Memes That Perfectly Describe Your Feeling

Happy Favorite Things Friday! On Fridays (my favorite day of the week), I am a material girl. I list three favorites of mine, such as books, songs, websites, apps, etc. which make life so sensual and sweet. Please see previous Friday listings from more favorites and please share your favorites in my Comments section. Here are my favorites for today:

Front Walking Dog Harness – Our two male dogs are pullers when we walk them. I am pretty sure my arms are at least an inch longer now, than before we obtained these young, robust male dogs. These dog harnesses have the leash clip on the chest of your dog. I cannot believe what a big difference this makes! If your dog treats you like an inconsequential, lightweight dog sled, when you are walking your pup, then go to your Petco and pick up one of these lifesavers!

Unstable Unicorns – This strategy card game is hilarious, fun and a lot more complicated that it sounds. It’s one of those games that is hard to get into your groove at first, but once you figure it out, it is a terrific and amusing game to play with your family and friends. My daughter, who loves playing games more than any of us do, insisted that I add this as one of my favorite Friday items. We were all up way past our bedtimes last night, hooping and hollering, playing this entertaining and thought provoking game.

Favorite Good Idea – My daughter gave me this tip. I love that my kids are at the age where I am learning more from them, then they are from me. When shaving your bikini area, just use a little of your hair conditioner. You don’t need any special shaving cream, and conditioner makes for a smoother, less irritating shave versus utilizing traditional soap. Try it. You’re all set for the beach or pool now!!

Have a fantastic weekend, my friends!!!

Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.

King Friday the Third

3D Number Three Red Gold PNG Clip Art Image​ | Gallery Yopriceville - High-Quality Images and Transparent PNG Free Clipart

Happy Friday!!! Happy Favorite Things Friday!! Today is the third year anniversary of me writing my Adulting – Second Half blog. I started this blog on a whim, on the day that we got back from dropping off my eldest son off at his first “adult” apartment. In a week, we’ll be dropping off my second son at his first “adult” apartment, in a city where he will be attending medical school. You have been with me throughout this strange, uncomfortable transition in my life, where I am having to pull myself back from everything that I poured myself into, for over twenty-five years. Your attention is an incredible gift to me. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

But that’s enough seriousness for a Friday. On Fridays, my regular readers know that I list three favorite things, or TV shows, or books, or websites, etc. that make living life just a little more fun, or comfortable, or interesting. I like to list things that give life to life! Please add your favorites to my Comments section. Here are my favorites for today:

Gossby Personalized Mugs – These are the cutest mugs and they are so fun to create! I recently got one for me, and for my son’s girlfriend, for her birthday. They have so many themes (dogs, sisters, friends, etc) and they arrive pretty quickly after ordering them. If I would change one thing, I would have purchased a bigger mug. Otherwise, I LOVE it. Go to gossby.com and let your creative juices flow. Here is mine:

Rooted Earth Farm Lavender Lemongrass Perfume Oil – A theme of my life might be summed up this way: “You had me at, “Wow this smells sooooo good!” I walked into a shop the other day and I thought that I would die of proboscis bliss. I said to the keeper, “What smells so amazing in here?” It turned out to be lavender lemongrass soap which I purchased, and put under the seat of my car. But that wasn’t enough for me. I did any online search and I found this incredible concoction that I just swill under my nose, from time to time, to remind myself why smelling might be my favorite sense. So ambrosial!!!!!!!! (look it up, it’s a good word)

Burned – This is a Korean thriller movie. Fair warning, it’s a long, drawn out movie, but it is one of those movies that you keep thinking about, long after you have seen it. I think that is the mark of an excellent creative product, whether it be a movie or a book or a piece of art. If you can’t stop pondering it, it has moved something in you. I recommend watching this movie. I enjoy foreign films, much in the way that I enjoy visiting foreign lands. I like to experience how other people live in their ordinary lives, in ways that are different than what I am used to doing. I find this experience enthralling, even more so than seeing museums or landmarks.

Have a wonderful weekend, friends!!!

Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.