Tag: favorite things Friday

Friday Shenanigans

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

Hi! Welcome to the best day of the week!! Fridays are light and airy here at Adulting – Second Half. On Fridays, I only discuss that tactile, sensory stuff that makes life fun to live! On Favorite Things Friday, I list three favorite products, songs, books, movies, etc. and I strongly encourage you to add your favorite things to my Comments section. I’m a lady who likes a lot of stuff (I’m relatively easy to please, and I’m usually game to try), but even I run out of ideas, having done this “Friday – full of favorites” post for a few years now.

Yesterday, we were about 45 minutes away from our home, in a different town, for one of my daughter’s tennis matches. My husband suggested that we stop off at their Trader Joe’s grocery store after the match, since we don’t have one nearby to us. My son had been going on and on about their Scandinavian Swimmers (Joe’s answer to Swedish fish) and I think that ever since that, my husband has been on a quest to get himself some, too. Now, I haven’t been to Trader Joe’s in years, so I too, was thrilled with the prospect of shopping there. I love novelty, especially in food!

I felt a little excitedly overwhelmed when we entered the store, not wanting to miss out on anything, so I looked up articles on “must buys” at Trader Joe’s. I cannot personally vouch for any of these items, because we just bought them last night and I have not tried any of them yet, but due to rave reviews, here are three things that I made sure were in our cart to buy, and then to try. Please let me know your Trader Joe’s favorites.

Three best sellers at Trader Joe’s which we purchased but I have no description to give because I haven’t tried them yet:

Trader Joe’s Mandarin Orange Chicken (bake and serve)

Trader Joe’s Everything But the Bagel seasoning blend (it’s a spice)

Trader Joe’s Creamy Cauliflower and Jalapeño dip (it’s a dip . . . obviously)

Have a wonderful weekend, friends!! This weekend was a little long in coming, in seems, at least for our household. May health and blessings abound for all of us! I’ll end with some funny Tweets, collected about shopping at Trader Joe’s:

“You think jumping out of an airplane is dangerous? Pfft…try going to Trader Joe’s when you’re starving to death.” – Stacey (Twitter)

“I was so close to fighting someone at Trader Joe’s just now but instead, I bought their snowflake-shaped pasta to calm down.” – Ella (Twitter)

“Trader Joe’s feels like if Jimmy Buffett were a grocery store.” – Sammy Rhodes (Twitter)

“We could go to Trader Joe’s – that’d be fun!” a glimpse into my social life” – Noah Sebastian (Twitter) I totally relate, Noah.

Emotional Support Candy

Movie Love Logo HD Stock Images | Shutterstock

Good morning, friends! Friday is here!! Whoop! Whoop! On Fridays, we don’t discuss anything deep or serious here at Adulting – Second Half. On Fridays, we keep the spirit light and airy and on the surface. On Fridays, I typically list three favorite things, or songs, or books, or TV shows, or movies, etc. and I ask you to add your favorites to my Comments section. Here are my favorites for today:

Favorite Idea: One of my aunts buys a couple of colorful bags of Easter grass and puts clumps of it, in her yard. The birds then take it and make their nests out of it and she ends up with pretty pastel birds’ nests, all around her yard. Just call her Auntie Snow White! Along these lines, I hang little lawn ornaments and such at the bottom of my magnolia tree, and one of the ornaments is an angel made out of sheep’s wool. I noticed lately that the angel’s flaming red hair is all wild and yet, thinning, at the same time. I tame it down and the next day, it’s a mess again. I was blaming the rain and wind for her bad hair days, until I noticed a little bird plucking away at the angel’s hair, probably to make a soft nest. My angel will be bald soon, but I don’t mind and I don’t think that she does either. It’s for a good cause.

Favorite Pickles: Grillo’s Pickles. We get a big tub of them at Costco, every time we go. These are the most fresh, crisp, delicious pickles that you will ever eat! And the great thing about pickles is, that you expend more calories chewing on them, than they cost you, in your daily calorie count. The tub looks huge, but you will go through it quickly, believe me.

Favorite New Magic from M & M’s: M & M’s messages. I love all things M & M’s and I love that they always, always are offering up new ways to be M & Ms. They don’t sit on their laurels, even as good as those laurels are, in the delicious world of candy. Look at these:

M&M'S Messages :15 - YouTube

Some of them even have Spotify play lists that you can scan, like this one:

M&M'S Peanut Butter Candy Messages Sharing Size, 9.6 oz Bag | M&M'S - mms.com

Okay friends, you have some stuff to add to your shopping list: Easter grass, Grillo’s pickles and M & M messages! Enjoy your weekend!

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

On a Lark Friday

Virginia Woolf quote: What a lark! What a plunge!

If you are like me, and not quite as literate a person as you would like to pretend to be, you will find it helpful that I had to look up the meaning of Virginia Woolf’s quote. “What a lark! What a plunge!” are the opening words to Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway. I think that Tarn Wilson describes it best:

“Dictionary.com defines lark as “a merry, carefree adventure; frolic; escapade.” A plunge is “a leap or a dive,” “a headlong or impetuous rush or dash.” Today, take your life less seriously. See your undertakings as playful adventures. Approach them with curiosity, a willingness to learn, and an appreciation of fun.”

Friends, it’s Friday!! Time to plunge into a lark!!! My regular readers know that I try to take a break from overthinking on Fridays. On “Favorite Things Friday“, I typically discuss three favorite things, books, songs, movies, food stuff, etc. of mine and I strongly encourage you to share your favorites in my Comments section. Please see previous Friday posts for more favorites to try and to enjoy.

Today, I am going out on a lark, and instead of listing more of my own favorites, I am going to force you to think about your own favorites. The hobbylark article linked below, asks 100 questions, about your favorite stuff, experiences, people, books, etc. I’ve copied the first two sections from the article to get your juices flowing, but you must click on the full article, in order to get the full list of questions. What better way to add to that wonderful Friday feeling, than pondering your own very special favorites, that make your heart go zing?!? These questions make wonderful conversation starters to get to know anyone better, including yourself. Enjoy and have a wonderful weekend!!

https://hobbylark.com/party-games/100-favorite-things

Nature and Travel

  • Favorite color?
  • The coolest natural wonder I’ve ever seen?
  • The most fun road trip I’ve ever taken, where and with whom?
  • The best place I have ever traveled; where I’d spend my whole life if I could?
  • Favorite environmental sound (rain, thunder, etc.)?
  • The prettiest natural landscape I’ve ever seen?
  • My favorite type of wild weather?
  • The most scared I’ve been by a bug or critter?
  • My favorite flower, purchased?
  • My favorite flower or plant, personally grown?
  • My favorite flowers to receive in a delivery?

Food and Drink

  • Favorite meal out, ever?
  • Favorite food I’ve cooked?
  • Favorite food from childhood?
  • Favorite drink on a hot summer day (include event)?
  • Favorite drink on a cold winter night (include event)?
  • Favorite total meal that I cook (list all items)?
  • The best cup of coffee I’ve ever had?
  • The best dessert I’ve ever eaten?
  • Favorite junk food?
  • Favorite pizza toppings?
  • The one “splurge” grocery item I have never yet splurged on?
  • My favorite cooking or kitchen smell?
  • The one food item I can never run out of?
  • Favorite dinner my mom made?

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

Celebrate Friday

Happy Friday Quotes | Best Motivational Quotes For Weekend

I like the perspective of the above meme. Friday isn’t just about anticipating the frivolity of the weekend, it is also about celebrating all that you have experienced and you have accomplished during a week in your life. When I have a day that I wonder where the time went, or I am feeling unaccomplished, I look for the “wins”. I look for just three things that I completed or I experienced that day, and I always am surprised by the fact that more happened in any one particular day, than I realized. With that in mind, by each Friday, you have at least fifteen “wins” by the end of the work week.

My regular readers know that Friday, being my favorite day of the week, is devoted to “favorites”. On Favorite Things Friday, I list three favorite things, or songs, or products, or places, etc. that have made my life experience even better. I strongly encourage you to list some of your favorites in my Comments section, so we all have some fun things to try and out and experience over the weekend. Anticipation is delicious. Here are my favorites for today:

DEVS – This Hulu series is fascinating. It is just eight episodes, and that is it. DEVS is all wrapped up in one season, which is comforting for me, a person who tends to want to binge on any TV series, which I find to be super intriguing and thought provoking. DEVS is an eerie science fiction show made by the creator of the fascinating thriller movie, Ex Machina. The only negative thing I have to say about this series, is that you are forced to watch intermittent advertisements throughout each episode. Interestingly, last night when my husband and I were watching the last episode of DEVS, we got to choose which Hills Science Diet commercial we wanted to watch – dog or cat. We’re dog people. It was kind of like, “Pick your punishment” but at least we felt like we had some sort of say in the matter.

Nestle Tollhouse Disco Chips – My local grocery store hasn’t gotten these in yet, but I can’t wait until they do. I look for them on my every trip to the store. (which is almost daily) Disco chips are chocolate chips with edible sparkles/glitter in them. How do you spell fun and delicious?! D-I-S-C-O-C-H-I-P-S I’m not sure if the chips are actually fun and delicious, because I haven’t even seen or eaten them yet, but as I repeat from above, anticipation is often the most delicious part of any kind of adventure, epicurean and beyond . . .

Ball Sort Puzzle – This is my new favorite phone game. I see that I have a theme going with phone games. I really enjoy the sorting games, mostly because I am pretty damn good at them. (It must be from all of those years of sorting laundry for a large family.) In this game you have to get four matching colored balls into each “test tube” which are filled with multi-colored balls, all mixed up. It’s sort of like a rubik’s cube in test tubes. It is a simple game, but not necessarily an easy one.

Okay, I am going to have to insist that you, my beloved and appreciated readers, have an amazing weekend! Anticipate, experience, devour, reflect, rest, enjoy.

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

Trippy Friday

Hello friends and readers!!! Welcome to the most fabulous day of the week!! Isn’t it wonderful?! On Fridays, we try to keep things light and fun here at Adulting – Second Half. On Fridays, also called Favorite Things Friday, I typically list three favorite things, whether they be products, or songs, or TV shows, or books, etc. Please add your favorites to my Comments section. Reality is, we live in a material world, and we should enjoy our things and experiences!!! Tonight, despite the mixed reviews that it is getting, I am very excited to watch the movie, Coming to America 2. Eddie Murphy finally made a sequel to his iconic Coming to America, which first came out in 1988! You can view the sequel starting today on Amazon Prime Video. Also, please note that the above meme was created by my favorite (and only) daughter, featuring one of our favorite dogs, our Boykin spaniel, Trip, whose look lives up to his name.

Today’s favorites:

Nonpareils candy – I bought a bag of nonpareils at The Fresh Market the other day and I got transported to Heaven. I bought them for nostalgia’s sake, and plus, they were beautiful pastel Easter colors, so I decided that I had to have them, thinking that the nonpareils would look lovely in a candy dish, for the upcoming spring season. Ha! I practically ate the whole bag of them on the way home from the store. I looked up the meaning of the French word “nonpareil”, and not surprisingly, it means “having no equal.” What are the nonpareils in your life besides your beloved family, friends and pets? Are you on the list of your nonpareils? You should be.

Word Genius emails – Speaking of word meanings, you probably have figured out by now that I love the written word. I also love things that make me feel smart. Every day I get a Word Genius email with a word and a multiple choice question, as to the word’s meaning. More often than not, I get the word’s meaning correct and even if I don’t get the answer right, I learn a new word, or I am reminded of a wonderful word that I had forgotten about and need to bring back into my vernacular. The other day, the Word Genius word was “Hinterland” which means unchartered territory. I thought to myself, “There is a blog post related to this word. Being an almost empty-nester is certainly entering into Hinterland.”

Reclaimed Wood furniture – My husband is reclaiming one of our bedrooms as a home office. By the time we are done setting the home office up, it will be time for him to return to his real office downtown, but still . . . . . . My husband has always fallen in love with reclaimed wood pieces which we have seen in various local, funky bars and eateries, so we went on a search to find him the perfect reclaimed wood desk. And we found it!! Friends, there is a whole other blog post story (which I will save for a later date), fully explaining how we found this gorgeous, one of kind piece. I am completely and totally in love with this piece of furniture. Sometimes, I just wander in and gaze at it. Nothing is more beautiful than nature, and nothing is more impressive than a devoted, passionate craftsman/artist who can coax out the natural beauty of the deepest center of a piece of wood, forcing you to pay awestruck attention to its divine, ravishing, unique qualities. Each layer of a tree trunk tells, a story right?? This desk tells an intimate story without using any words. Here it is:

Enjoy your weekend, my dear friends!! See you tomorrow!!

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

I Remember Every Friday

Good morning, friends. Friday is here! The best day of the week is here! On Fridays, I keep it light. On Fridays, I discuss stuff – products, TV shows, movies, books, songs, etc. I typically discuss three things that have made my own life’s journey, a little more interesting and fun. I strongly encourage you to add your favorites to my Comments section, so that we all have some delectable, new choices to try out this weekend. Here are my favorites for today:

Tarpon Tervis Tumbler – We all know that Tervis Tumblers are amazing quality and come in a huge variety of patterns and sizes. I purchased this Tarpon Tervis as one of my Valentine treats, for my husband. It looks like it is a baby tarpon. The “scales” on the tumbler are beautiful. This is a perfect gift for the fisher-people in your life. It is great for them to use on the days that they are fishing, and also to use on the days that they wish that they were fishing. Check out the Redfish Tumbler, as well. Both of these quality, beautiful tumblers are available on Amazon.

I Care A Lot (Netflix) – This movie is an attention-keeping (even comical, at times) thriller and refreshingly different than most movies that I have watched lately. Most of the characters in I Care A Lot are deplorable and evil, but the twists and turns in the plotline, are amazing. The main character is a complete sociopath, the kind you love to hate. Warning: Don’t turn the movie off until the very end, or you may not be able to sleep at night. (On an aside, the main character is a woman with a severely cut, perfect, razor sharp, bobbed hair style. She wears it with a perfectly symmetrical, middle part. I recently read that if you are a woman who wants to look young and hip, wear a middle part in your hair. I have never worn a middle part in my hair, in my entire life, so that is a non-starter for me, but if you can pull it off, it is something to consider.)

John Prine – I read something that said that John Prine’s music is the perfect music to play in the background when you are doing your daily chores like cooking or folding laundry. John Prine’s music is acoustic, mellow, quietly sentimental, and just plain lovely. It was a wonderful recommendation. Start with his “I Remember Everything.” (and make this weekend a memorable one!!! See you tomorrow.)

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

Son, It’s Friday

Image result for funny mother and son memes

Happy Friday, my dear friends and readers. It’s here. The best day of the week is here!! My regular readers know that Fridays are devoted to my favorite things, songs, books, beauty products, pet products, etc. I call Fridays, “Favorite Things Friday” and I typically list three favorites, here on the blog. And as always, I encourage you to share your favorites, in my Comments section. Friends, I have been doing this for a while now. This quest to find three new favorites a week, is no easy task (and I am relatively easy to please). This pandemic has made shopping more of a “get in/get out quick” kind of an adventure. So last night, during our weekly Facetime catch-up call with our sons, I asked them to help me out with some favorites, for today’s blog. I asked each of my three sons, what would their favorite thing be, that they use on a daily basis. (I’m going to paraphrase what they said. I didn’t record the conversation.) Here is the gist of what they said:

Eldest Son (almost 25-years-old business professional, who lives in his own apartment, in a different state) – “Okay, this is kind of embarrassing and cringe-y, but I LOVE my Instapot. In fact, I love Instapots so much that I have three of them! (He then zooms his camera over to the kitchen, on to his collection of Instapots, which looks like a counter at a church potluck dinner. He does love to eat.) “It is fantastic to wake up in the morning, to piping hot oats and they are done in less than four minutes!!”

Middle Son (22-years-old, college senior, soon to embark on medical school in the fall, lives in a fraternity house) – “Hands down, my Leatherman Multitool. People ask to borrow it, Every. Single. Day. I have to track it down.” (he’s a gadget-y kind of a guy) “Well, what kind of tools are on it?” “Everything, Mom, everything. . . . . pliers, knife, screwdriver, bottle opener. (I imagine that this particular multitool has been like a butler, helping to create and to serve at, many a party and game day celebration, but I like to keep these things in my imagination, where things are still a little nice and tame.)

Youngest Son (20-years-old, college sophomore, business major, sitting on the couch next to his brother, in their shared fraternity house, with rainbow colored lights flashing on their faces and posters that we choose not to Zoom in on, in the background; my youngest son is somewhat of a gym rat) – “My Nutribullet and then my Blender Bottle.” “What’s so great about Blender Bottles?” (My husband then reminds me that these are the bottles with lids and with those little round springs that look like cat toys) “They look cool,” my son answered, obviously not too enthralled with this line of questioning. (He’s not a marketing major)

Image result for funny mother of sons memes

What are your family’s favorites? Please share, so that we all have good gift ideas when birthdays and other holidays roll around. Have a great weekend, friends! See you tomorrow and beyond!!!!

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

Now and Forever Friday

Image
(Drifter – Twitter)

It is easier to imagine being incandescently happy on Fridays, isn’t it? I was once told to never put LED light bulbs in crystal chandeliers. Only the incandescent light bulbs are able to bring out the highest form of all of the rainbows of color and beauty from the crystals. Shine bright, friends, it’s Friday!!!

On Fridays, my regular readers know that I discuss my favorites of the material world. I tell you about three of my favorite products, TV shows, food items, songs, etc. and I strongly encourage you to add your favorites to my Comments section. It’s good to have favorite things to look forward to experiencing in our every day lives! Here are my favorites for today:

Strawberry KitKats – My daughter wants to visit Japan one day, mostly because she is enthralled with their many flavors of KitKats. Would you believe that there are 40 different flavors of KitKats?? You don’t have to go to Japan to try them, either. You can find some of the different flavors on Amazon, or in stores like World Market. My daughter’s favorite flavor is the Matcha green tea KitKat. (not my favorite . . . at all) I am in love with the strawberry KitKats because they taste exactly like my favorite Good Humor Strawberry Shortcake ice cream treat, yet the KitKat is smaller, not as messy and it has less calories. It’s worth a bite. You won’t regret it!

In and Of Itself – I hesitate to mention that this is a “magic show”, because if you are like me, that might turn you off immediately. In and Of Itself is sort of a magic/mentalist show, but it is also an autobiography acted out on stage. In and Of Itself is a show that is incredible, emotionally charged, and one that makes you think. It is a rare show that makes you want to watch it again, in order to catch any of the nuances that you may have missed, but this is one of those shows. Best of all, In and Of Itself is not part of a series. It really is a “one and done”, so it won’t become a time-suck, couch magnet experience. Be prepared to be amazed!

“I’m Not a Cat” Video:

Enjoy your weekend, my wonderful friends and readers!! Get your laughs, however you can. See you tomorrow.

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

Friday’s Arrival

Hi friends and readers!!! Friday is here. Love it!! Here at Adulting – Second Half, Fridays are all about the light stuff, the fun stuff, or just plain stuff. On Fridays, I list three favorite things, or songs, or books, or movies, or food items, and I strongly encourage you to add your favorites, to my Comments section, so we all have a lot of fun things to buy, or to try, or to experience, over the weekend. A lot of our best ideas and inspirations come from outside sources. Creation is meant to come from collaboration! Please also check out my previous Friday posts for more favorites.

How did yesterday’s “luckiest day of the year” work out for you? Ours was amazing. Our middle son got accepted into medical school, which has been his dream, since probably middle school. We are beyond thrilled for him, and completely relieved. I had no idea how grueling the process is, to get into medical school, until he began this journey. Medical professionals, I have even more mad, mad respect for you now, than I ever did before. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Here are my favorites for today:

Match 3D – This is my newest phone game addiction. I am surprisingly good at it. Essentially, the premise of the game is that you are given a big pile of stuff to go through, and you can only make the pile go away, by finding the matches. I find it so satisfying to clean up a big messy pile of stuff, in the matter of a few minutes. (if only this could happen in real life) I am not one to pay for anything on my phone games, but I did break down and I paid a couple of dollars to get rid of the advertisements. It was worth it. Otherwise, you lose your concentration when they interrupt you in the middle of your game, to advertise another game which they think that you would probably get addicted to, as well. I think that phone games are a satisfying, inexpensive, harmless way to keep my 50-year-old mind sharp. They help to keep my mind clear of worries and distractions, and keep my fingers and hands out of the cookie jar, so I don’t snack so mindlessly anymore.

Orchidaceous – This my is my favorite word of the week. It is a real word. It means flashy and showy, like an orchid. I always fall for the orchids blooming in the grocery store, and then I buy them, and I bring them home and then they promptly lose their “orchidaceous-ness” and never bloom again. I had given up on some of my orchids as of late, and I ignored them and I probably didn’t water them in weeks, and surprise, they got me. They started blooming again! They are so orchidaceous, that way!

And finally here is my favorite quote of the week, from a great author, Anne Lamott. I washed every stitch of our bedding yesterday and this quote says it all:

“When you crawl between your clean sheets, after a hard day, you are saved. You feel like you are the best sandwich ever.”

Bonus: Although I wouldn’t put either of these movies in “my favorites” column, they are certainly good, worthy of your time, interesting films to watch this weekend. News of the World and The White Tiger are these films. I’ll leave it up to you to research them, to decide whether they should be part of your weekend repertoire of things to do.

Have a great weekend, my lovely, cherished friends and readers!!!

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

Friday Ride

90 Friday Memes That Will Supplement Your Friday Feels

Hi friends and readers!! Welcome to the best day of the week!! Do whatever you need to do to get into that Friday feeling. We had our weekly family Zoom chat last night, and my youngest son, a student, away at college, said that recently he had to remind himself to have some fun. We are supposed to have some fun in life. Actually, we are probably supposed to have a lot of fun, in life. For some sad reason, it is easier to forget to have fun during these strange times which we are living in. So, here’s your reminder. It’s Friday. It’s a great day to start having fun! Have a lot of fun!!

My regular readers know that Fridays are rarely deep and intellectual and thoughtful, here at Adulting – Second Half. On Fridays, I list three favorite anythings – products, songs, food stuff, etc. and I strongly encourage you to add your favorites to my Comments section. Please check out previous Friday posts for more fun things to add to you living experience. Here are my favorites for today:

Whimsical Alley Mermaid Tail Pen with Feathers – Here’s a link to buy one of these for yourself: https://www.whimsicalalley.com/mermaid-tail-pen.html

You want one. You know that you do. I don’t even remember where or when I purchased my mermaid tail pen, but I am guessing that it was on a Friday when I was probably desperately seeking some fun. I get that this pen is probably more marketed towards little girls and tweens, but it makes my inner child sing. Also, it is one the smoothest writing pens which I have ever used and I am addicted to pens. I have thousands of pens, yet this has become my “go-to pen”, on daily basis since the beginning of the year.

Revlon So Fierce Big Bad Lash mascara – This is my new holy grail mascara. I was reading some article about some celebrity who can’t live without this mascara, so I thought it was worth a nine dollar try. Ummm, I am now going to throw away all 20 of the other mascaras sitting in my makeup drawer. I looked in my car mirror yesterday and I was so enamored with my lashes that I didn’t even zero in on my dark under-eye bags and crows feet. That’s called magic in a bottle, ladies. Give yourself an inexpensive lift this weekend. Show those peepers off, in the best way possible!!

Manslipping – Supposedly, “manslipping” is now an official word, used in newspapers and magazines all around the world. It refers to the tendency for men to let their masks fall below their noses. I love new words. I think that there was definitely a word needed to describe this enormous phenomenon. Manslipping is my new favorite word.

It’s Friday. Get in. Get into your life. Get into something that feels fun and interesting to you. Get into yourself. Explore what makes “you” tick, like you would explore a new place or a new relationship. Leave judgment on the curb, and embrace curiosity and wonder and delight, in the back of the limo of your own life! Have a great weekend!!!

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