Tag: favorite things Friday

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

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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)

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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

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(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. 

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