Tag: favorite things Friday

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. 

Fuzzy Friday

I was going to share this picture with you, my readers, yesterday, but instead there was a fiasco in Washington DC that sorely needed to be addressed. I needed to get my feelings out about everything, in written form. That’s how I best process my inner emotional world – by writing. Anyway, welcome to Favorite Things Friday! On Fridays (in honor of my favorite day of the week), I typically list three favorite things, or songs, or books, or ideas, or websites, which have made my life a little more colorful and interesting and I strongly encourage you to add your favorites to my Comments section. Check out my previous Friday posts for more favorites. They can provide ideas for what to spend your holiday gift cards on. I usually use up my holiday gift cards almost immediately, every year. I tell myself that I am afraid of losing the gift cards, plus the sales are great, so I go all in. I am always amazed when people have gift cards left over from the previous decade. I am in awe of people who still have gift cards to places that already have new logos.

A few Fridays ago, I mentioned a favorite new app for my phone, called Marco Polo. In posting a video with a group of my friends, I caught the giggles and I couldn’t stop myself from laughing. I thought to myself, what a wonderful thing to have in my back pocket – a video of me, laughing. So on days, when it is hard to find something to laugh about it, I can watch myself laugh, as a reminder of brighter days. On to my favorites for today:

Chia Pets – My husband got the Bob Ross Chia Pet pictured above, for my daughter for Christmas (among other things). It has brought a lot of smiles to our family (and now hopefully to you, too). Bring back the wonderment of your childhood and buy yourself a chia pet. They grow really fast (obviously) and the chia pet will help you to make your own video of yourself, giggling, as you watch your pet grow.

S.O.A.R. – I read about this mindfulness technique recently and it has really helped me to deal with everything that is going on in our world these days. When you feel a turbulence of feelings, use this technique.

S. – Stop and breathe deeply. (deep enough to make your belly rise and fall)

O. – Stay detached and observe what your feeling feels like, in a physical sense. Where does anger land in your body? What is the physical sensation of sad or bewildered?

A. – Accept your feelings. What we resist, persists. What we try to disown in us, doesn’t go away, it just often shows up in other ways, like in the form of sickness, or in sleep disturbances, or in short fuses, etc. Feelings are just feelings. It is okay to feel whatever you feel. Just accept your feelings.

R. – Release and let go of that feeling. You will be surprised by how easily a feeling that has been observed and accepted, will pass on by. We experience thousands of different thoughts and a wide range of feelings every day. I always remind myself and my family, that our true essence is that of the steady blue sky. Clouds come, and they go. The clouds always, always pass on through.

Addison Weeks Jewelry – I have probably shared this designer with you before, but I keep going back for more pieces of this jewelry. (My husband bought me my first piece of Addison Weeks jewelry, as a gift, a few years ago. He probably rues the day.) This year, I have fallen in love with Addison Weeks’ chains and charms that are interchangeable and look so lovely, layered together. My favorite thing about Addison Weeks jewelry is that it always incorporates natural crystals and stones. I love to wear nature. It calms me. It grounds me. Wearing a piece of what has come from the earth, feels right and Addison Weeks allows me to do this, is a fashionable, eye-catching way.

Happy Friday, my dear friends and readers!! Have a lovely weekend! See you tomorrow.

Friday Presents

Merry Christmas, my dear friends and readers! It is funny to me, that this Christmas has fallen on my favorite day of the week, Friday. Typically I write about three favorite products or stores or songs or websites, etc. that make my material life magical. There is a nice pile of gifts, under the tree from Santa, so hopefully I’ll pick some favorites from that pile, to write about next Friday. Today though, I want to focus on you, because you, my readers, are a major part of one of my most favorite things in this world, my blog. Besides my family and my friends, this blog is probably the most dear thing, to my sweet little loving heart. Through this blog, I have rediscovered my passion for writing, I have found purpose, I have found my voice, and most importantly, I have been validated and “heard” by YOU. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Yesterday, I read the best little story about Weird Al Yankovic’s (the song parody guy) favorite 2020 experience. He said, for as bad as 2020 was for the world, there were real moments of “joy sprinkled in”. Al talked about being a strange, shy, nerdy young boy in the 9th grade, and having a crush on a girl named Patrice, who sat in front of him in math class. He decided to draw a portrait of her, but to keep her off of the scent of his crush, he drew a picture of every single person in that class, and gave it to them (although he said he spent the most of his time and his effort, on hers). No romance ever came of the portrait, but this year, Al saw on his Twitter feed that a woman was claiming to have sat in front of him, in math class, in the 9th grade. He messaged her, asking if her name was Patrice. She said yes. Al then asked if she remembered when he drew everyone’s portrait in the class. Two minutes later, she messaged him the picture of herself that he had drawn many, many years ago. She had kept that lovely, heart-drawn picture, all of these years!!!

People never forget acts of love, acts of courage, acts of kindness, especially when these acts are needed the most. I think a lot about people who have touched my life, especially around this time of year. For some reason, a music teacher I had in elementary school, keeps popping up in my mind. I am sure that she is long gone. A Google search didn’t provide any answers. Anyway, Mrs. Nancy K was probably in her sixties when she taught me in elementary school. Mrs. Nancy K took her job very seriously. Our school’s musical Christmas productions were renowned. She had exacting standards and expected Broadway quality performances from us commonplace kids. Mrs. Nancy K insisted that we stand up straight and proper in our seats at all times (she had an iron rod posture herself). For some reason, I remember how important it was to her, that we pronounce “angels” correctly. “It is NOT anjewels . . .it is An-GELS, enunciate, children, enunciate.” One year I was cast as “a little doll” in one of her Christmas productions. I felt so special. I LOVED being that little doll.

I think that the point of my post is that we give and we receive gifts, to and from each other, all year long, many, many times, and often, these gifts are given quite unconsciously. There are so many people, many of them strangers, who have made a big difference in my days, in my weeks, and often even in my life. You, my readers, are people who have made a tremendous difference in my life. You are a blessing to me. Remember, always, that you are a gift. Your life is a gift to you, and it is a gift to others, not just on Christmas, but all year long. Your very presence is the present you give to the world. There is no better gift that you can give, and you can be, than your most authentic, beautiful self.

The Friday Conversation

Good Morning Happy Friday Christmas Quote | Christmas quotes, Good morning happy friday, Cute snowman

Hi friends and readers! My regular readers know that Fridays are devoted to the fluff in life. (Some of you are getting covered in a quite a lot of fluff (snow). I hope that you are staying safe and warm and are enjoying the beauty and stillness of it, all!) I call Fridays, “Favorite Things Friday”, here at Adulting – Second Half. On Fridays, I discuss my favorite stuff, whether it be books or products or songs or videos. I strongly encourage you to add your favorites to my Comments and please check out previous Friday posts. (you may even find some good ideas for Christmas presents, in the archives) Last night, I stayed up late, writing out my Christmas cards. I saw this post on Twitter this morning, and it resonates (deeply):

“I can’t use my brain every day . . . it’ll get dirty.” (iris – Twitter)

My brain is a little foggy today. So, today I am only going to add one favorite. It is my favorite SNL clip of this holiday season. I think when something is incredibly funny and relatable, and yet it also tugs at your heartstrings, well that is just about perfect TV for me. This is one of those creative masterpieces that I’m talking about. Enjoy and have a wonderful Friday and weekend!!!

Happy Fridakkah

Happy Christmas and Merry Hanukkah! Also, Happy Kwanzaa and Yule. (Miss Anybody?) | Legends of Windemere

Happy Hanukkah to my dear Jewish friends and readers! Happy Friday to all my friends and readers no matter what your spiritual leanings are, in this stage of your life! Happy Favorite Things Friday, friends! On Fridays, my regular readers know that I don’t go to any depths. I keep it light and material on Fridays. On Fridays, I list three favorite products, songs, foods, TV shows, etc. and I strongly encourage you to add your favorites to my Comments section. Please check out previous Friday posts, for more favorites. Here are my favorites for today:

“Keep the Butterflies Flying in Formation” – This is my new favorite saying. A dear friend of mine is having serious surgery today on her spine, and a mutual friend of ours, texted that her dad would always say this, when they were going through nerve-wracking experiences. First, please send out prayers for comfort and success for my friend’s surgery, and second, keep this awesome, “easy to visualize” saying in your repertoire. It is one that could probably be helpful a lot, until we come to the end of this damn pandemic. It is a good reminder that we can always be in control of our emotions, if we just take a few of seconds to breathe and to reflect.

The Barbecue! Bible by Steven Raichlen – I mentioned that my husband has gotten back into barbecuing after a rather long hiatus. Decades ago, his sister bought him this recipe book and everything which my husband has ever made from this book, has been mouth wateringly delicious. There are some sauce recipes in this wonderful book that I would literally drink from a glass – they are that good. This would be a great Christmas gift for those people on your list who consider barbequing to be one of their crafts and passions.

T.G.I. Friday’s Potato Skin Chips – There is a little dive gas station by me which serves the best pressed Italian subs I have ever eaten. (Right next to it is Subway and I think to myself, how in the hell does that Subway stay in business?!) Anyway, any time that I decide to gorge on one of those glorious subs, I get these chips on the side. I adore these chips. They aren’t flaky. In fact, they are totally substantial and crunchy and full of flavor. The Potato Skin Chips are kind of like Bugles, in the way that they fly under the radar, but when you remember to buy them, you feel like you treated yourself royally, in a snack-y kind of way. Anything that has “Friday” in its name has got to be good, right?!?

Happy Friday, Friends!!! Have a wonderful weekend!!!!

60 Hanukkah Humor ideas | hanukkah, jewish humor, happy hanukkah
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Be Safe Friday

Hi friends! Hope you had a wonderful day yesterday and I hope you are having fun (and having it safely) today! I honestly have never shopped on Black Friday (in retail stores). I don’t really like crowds and I really don’t like crowds this year, in particular. Still, I love to shop and I know the thrill of a deal, so I hope you all are having a thrilling day. On Fridays, I don’t plunge below the surface. I call it Favorite Things Friday. I keep it light and fun and material by listing three favorite products, songs, food stuff, etc. that have made my life fun to live and I strongly encourage you, to add your favorites to my Comments section. Please check out previous Fridays for more favorites that could make could gifts for yourself and others. Here are my favorites for today:

Birthdate Candle – One of my most thoughtful, and most organized friends sent me one of these candles for my birthday already (my birthday is in December). She is having surgery and didn’t want to forget. These soy candles fulfill so much of my favorite things in one – good lighting, good scents and astrology. I love it, and I admittedly have been burning mine already (I’m an impatient, fiery Sagittarius). Each of these candles lists the unique qualities of a person born on that particular date. This is a great, fun, unique, personal gift idea.

Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu – This book just won the National Book Award. It is written in such an interesting perspective that I found it to be confusing and compelling, at the same time. The crux of the book, however, is an inside look at the Asian immigrant’s experience, in the United States. If there was ever a year that was screaming for us to look at situations through the eyes of others, this year is it. I learned a lot about my own false assumptions by reading this book. Any book which helps me to grow my perspective and my compassion and keeps my interest, deserves to be a favorite.

Amy’s Green Cleaning Products – I got turned on to Amy’s products when I was at the mountains a couple of weeks ago. I purchased some of her roll-ons and her room sprays at a lovely gift shop, and these are some of the BEST aromatherapy products I have ever used (and I have bought a lot of aromatherapy products over the years). I also put an order in for some of her cleaning products, because I figured if they smell as good as her personal products, I might actually get more incentivized to clean more often. I noticed her online shop is currently closed, but when I called about that fact, they explained that there had been an unexpected death in the family and they would be opening again soon. Give her website a look, in the next couple of weeks. And buy something. Your nose will thank you for it, and your nose always knows.

Have a great weekend, friends!!!

Black Friday Quotes and Sayings, Shopping Quotes | Real Simple

Heavenly Friday

200+ Friday meme ideas | friday meme, its friday quotes, friday humor

Good morning, my awesome friends and readers!!! Today is Friday! Friday is “Favorite Things Friday”. On Fridays, I try not to think and ruminate. On Fridays, I typically list three favorite items of mine, like food, books, songs, etc. I ask you to add your favorites to my comments section. You can also check out my previous Friday postings for more of my favorites. (could be helpful with the holidays right around the corner) Here are my favorites for today:

Pinch Me Therapy Dough – This is like playdough for adults. It’s a wonderful little tin of dough with all different aromatherapy scents available. You keep the tin in the refrigerator and when you feel the need to squeeze some stress out of your system, you take out a little reusable piece of peace, and you squeeze it and you roll it and you smell it. Aww, the relief!! I find that my hands get a little stiff in the cooler weather (aging sucks sometimes) and this really helps exercise the stiffness out of my hands. Pinch me, I get to mess around with playdough again?!? Awesome!

Matthew McConaughey’s memoir Green Lights – I love this book. I read a lot of it out loud to my husband, on our way home from the mountains (even tried the Texas twang, here and there). Matthew is a wonderful storyteller. He is also obviously, a smart and insightful man. I love his refreshing candor and humor. This is a very well done memoir.

Emily McDowell and Friends Greeting Cards – A good friend of mine from college just introduced these hilarious, yet poignant, honest and open (and even sometimes vulgar) greeting cards, to me this week. Here is an example of one, made just for 2020:

I love going to the website and just reading and laughing and relating to all of the greeting cards! Have a wonderful weekend, friends!!! 2020 is almost over! We’ve almost made it. One of my meditations yesterday said to be like a mountain goat. Take one step at a time, be scrappy and nimble, and don’t worry about what is in the future as you climb to the top of the mountain. Just focus on one step at a time.

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Throw some salt over your shoulder: All the best 'Friday the 13th' memes – Film Daily

Happy Friday the 13th, 2020! (don’t be scared – HA!) My regular readers know that I usually call Fridays, “Favorite Things Friday” and I typically list three favorite things or products or songs or websites, etc. which have added to the delight of my life. I love Fridays and I keep ’em light. This Friday, I happen to be with my all-time favorite people (and pets), my family. With the kids getting older and moving into their own adult lives, these times aren’t as prevalent as they used to be, so I feel the need to keep the focus and my attention on this precious time with my family. So, please forgive the short post. Please check out previous Friday listings for some good stuff to buy or to eat or to listen to or to consume. And please add your own favorite anythings to my Comments section. Have a wonderful Friday, my beloved readers!!!

I Vote for Friday

it's friday quotes with pictures | Thank God Its Friday Quotes Funny

Hi Friends! My regular readers know that I keep Fridays on the light side. On Fridays, here at Adulting – Second Half. I typically list three favorites of mine in “the material world” like products, foods, songs, movies, etc. I strongly encourage you to add your favorites, in my Comments section. Please also check out my previous Friday posts for more favorites. A little dose of a favorite something or other, is sure to cheer anyone up during this somewhat stressful and suspenseful week. Here are my favorites for today:

Tully and Young Adult – I think that Charlize Theron is a brilliant actress. These two movies are more obscure than some of her more blockbuster films. Still, I have seen each movie more than once and I get a little bit more from them, each time I have seen them. If you are looking for something a little off the beaten path for viewing pleasure, I highly recommend both of these films.

OPI’s In The Cable Car-Pool Lane nail polish (where do they come up with these names?!) This nail polish shade is the perfect fall purple. It is a beautiful plum shade, that’s not too bright, yet not too dark. It complements other fall colors like oranges and dark greens, just perfectly! Rarely, do I use the same color twice in a row with fresh pedicures, but this nail polish is worthy of “twice in a row” status.

The Last Kingdom – Our eldest son turned us on to this Netflix show. Imagine Game of Thrones without dragons. This historical fiction piece, about the early years of a developing England, is a very interesting and enthralling watch. As with all of these types of shows with castles and warriors, expect some gruesome violence, but still, the story line is fascinating. This show keeps you easily intrigued and willing to stay up an extra hour to watch “just one more episode.”

Keep the faith, this weekend, friends! Believe in the best of yourself, believe in the best of your families, your friends and your neighbors, and believe that loving beyond imagine, everlasting Powers, far, far greater powers than any one political office, have all of us, loved and cared for, on a much higher plane than we can see, from our limited and clouded viewpoints. There is a Master Plan. And it is a Good One.

“Somewhere inside of all of us is the power to change the world.” – Roald Dahl

“The most important office, and the one which all of us can and should fill, is that of private citizen.” – Louis Brandeis