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The Friday of My Life

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Happy Valentine’s Day!! Happy Friday!! Happy Favorite Things Friday!! I hope that you will enjoy the day, no matter what your relationship status is, currently. Love abounds all around us, in all shapes and sizes, in all forms and mostly in the form of just being completely and fully alive. Love is what we are made of, so please make this Valentines Day all about celebrating Love. That’s all. Please just celebrate wonderful, beautiful, awe-inspiring, life-giving Love. Earlier this week, Think Smarter on Twitter posted a post that said, “Don’t tell anyone ‘I hate you’ directly – Say ‘You are the Monday of my life.’ ” I thought to myself, that could be made into a more positive statement. “Don’t tell anyone ‘I love you’ today, just say ‘You are the Friday of my life!’ ” Now that, my friends, is true love! Another good quote that I saw on Twitter today from FofF, “There are people you haven’t met yet who will love you.” Hold that truth close to your heart today. I love all of you. I cannot thank you enough for your support and validation. Please feel my love.

New readers, Fridays are reserved for favorites. Typically I list about three favorite things, songs, books, quotes, whatevers, etc. and I strongly encourage you to share your favorites in the Comments. Please see previous Friday posts for more favorites I have shared. Today, I am going to be in “cheesy Valentine mode” and list some all-time favorite romantic quotes from great chick flicks. Hope you enjoy! Have a lovely day and a fabulous weekend!!

“The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love, and be loved in return.” ~ Moulin Rouge

“You had me at Hello.” ~ Jerry Maguire

“I wanted it to be you, I wanted it to be you so badly.” ~ You’ve Got Mail

“It doesn’t matter if the guy is perfect or the girl is perfect, as long as they are perfect for each other.” ~ Good Will Hunting

“You make me want to be a better man.” ~ As Good As It Gets

“I don’t know if we each have a destiny, or if we’re all just floating around accidental—like on a breeze—but I think maybe it’s both. Maybe both is happening at the same time. I miss you, Jenny. If there’s anything you need, I won’t be far away.” ~ Forrest Gump

“It was a million tiny little things that, when you added them all up, they meant we were supposed to be together … and I knew it. I knew it the very first time I touched her. It was like coming home. .. only to no home I’d ever known … I was just taking her hand to help her out of a car and I knew. It was like … magic.” ~ Sleepless in Seattle

“You’re the first boy I ever kissed, Jake, and I want you to be the last.” ~ Sweet Home Alabama

“Listen to me, mister. You’re my knight in shining armor. Don’t you forget it.” ~ On Golden Pond

“So it’s not gonna be easy. It’s gonna be really hard. We’re gonna have to work at this every day, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, forever, you and me, every day.” ~ The Notebook

“I wish I had done everything on earth with you” ~ The Great Gatsby

“I love that you get cold when it’s 71 degrees out. I love that it takes you an hour and a half to order a sandwich. I love that you get a little crinkle above your nose when you’re looking at me like I’m nuts. I love that after I spend the day with you, I can still smell your perfume on my clothes. And I love that you are the last person I want to talk to before I go to sleep at night. And it’s not because I’m lonely, and it’s not because it’s New Year’s Eve. I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.” ~ When Harry Met Sally

And on a personal note, “Dear wonderful, amazing, incredible, awesome, kind, handsome, gorgeous, generous, smart, funny, athletic, dedicated, successful, husband, best friend, lover, life partner, father of our four beautiful children, love of my life ~ I am so incredibly grateful that you are the one I call My Valentine. Forever, I love you, with all of my heart!”

P.S. – Fortune for the day –“There is in the worst of fortune the best chances for a happy change.” – Euripedes

French Fry Friday

Happy Friday, friends and readers!!! Happy almost weekend! New readers, Fridays are dedicated to frivolity here at Adulting – Second Half. On Fridays, I typically list things that make the Material Girl side of me, sing. I strongly encourage you to list your favorites in the Comments section and please also check out previous Friday posts for more favorites to delight in.

Earlier this year, my husband and I were out to dinner with another couple and I started bragging about the fact that I rarely catch viruses. The minute those words came out of my mouth, I wanted to bite my tongue off. I started crazily knocking on anything, within arm’s length, that even resembled wood. I knew that, in that moment, I had instantly doomed myself. So, of course, the chickens came home to roost, after my trip last weekend. (despite bingeing on zinc lozenges throughout the trip, as if they were Hershey kisses) On Monday, I felt that fun little tickle in my chest that kept insisting on popping out of my mouth, coughing style. I felt the familiar exhaustion that comes at the beginning stages of a cold. So, that’s when I doubled up on Vitamin C, continued with the zinc and also added Umcka ColdCare chewables and Trace Minerals Max Hydrate Immunity effervescent tablets to the mix, and I can tell you this, that virus didn’t stand a chance. It got suffocated under all of my supplemental bombardment. I can’t tell you what worked best out of all of the mix, but all that I can say is that the virus was very short-lived. Bye, Felicia! Don’t let the door hitcha on the way out, dumbass virus.

Today’s favorites (the cold remedies were an extra bonus. You are welcome.):

AKC breed beanies – I was perusing the AKC site, most likely for dog training tips, and of course, I quickly gave up and ended up at the AKC store. (story of my life) There, I found these wonderful beanie hats with embroidered patches that look exactly like our dogs (a yellow Labrador retriever and a tri-color collie). I bought the beanies for our entire family. It’s like we are our dogs’ fan club. (but they already knew that) The beanies are top quality, come in all different colors and the yellow lab patch looks so much like our dog Ralphie, that my family thought that I had the hats custom made.

Anthropologie Block Letter Monogram Necklace – I’m not sure why exactly, but lately I’ve been getting a thrill out of wearing my monogram. It’s like lately, I’ve given myself my own stamp of approval. These necklaces are particularly nice quality and the letters are HUGE. Your friends will not have to put their readers on to see your letter, hanging from your beautiful monogram necklace. Laverne from “Laverne and Shirley” would totally approve. My friends and I were watching the HGTV channel and we noticed that a house searcher had two of these necklaces on (perhaps she and her husband’s initials?), which could be a very nice Valentines idea. Buy yourself two necklaces as a romantic gesture for your husband. Win. Win.

Vivino App – My friend introduced me to this wonderful app. All you have to do is take a picture of the wine label from the bottle of wine that you are considering buying, drinking, giving as a gift, or even chugging. All of the information that you ever wanted to know about that particular wine will pop up, as well as users’ personal ratings. Apparently, the app will start to recognize which wines you seem to favor and suggestions will pop up, catered to your tastes. Cheers!

Fortune for the day: “The more one meditates upon good thoughts, the better will be one’s world and the world at large.” – Confucius

Friday Flights of Fancy

Fortune for the day – “In every human being, there is a special heaven whole and unbroken.” – Paracelsus

Happy Friday!! Happy Favorite Things Friday!! I am away from my normal routine, surroundings, resources. Last night we went to a wonderful restaurant that served Spanish tapas. Everything we ate last night was so wonderful. Spanish tapas is definitely my new favorite. Please don’t ask me to pronounce anything we ate last night. I group it all in one word . . . . delicious.

Today, since I am away on a trip, far from my pile of thoughts and research, I am not going to write my traditional blog post, listing three favorite things, songs, books, products, etc. New readers, please check out previous Friday posts for more favorites.

Recently, I read an article about the best small towns to visit in each state. Based on the fact that some of the towns that were listed that I have visited, and they are some of my favorite places that I have ever visited, I have put some of the other towns which I have never visited on my bucket list. Here are some of the towns on the list. At the very least, they are worth a little research if you are looking for a great, quaint, weekend getaway. The first eight I have visited and can vouch for, they are definitely “Favorites” worthy. The rest are recent additions to my bucket list.

Sanibel Island, FL

Carmel, CA

Sedona, AZ

Edgartown, MA

Whitefish, MT

Cape May, NJ

Williamsburg, VA

Berkeley Springs, WV

Magnolia Springs, AL

Eureka Springs, AK

Breckenridge, CO

Dahlonega, GA

Ketchum, ID

Bar Harbor, ME

Stowe, VT

Cannon Beach, OR

Taos, NM

Moab, UT

Spearfish, SD

Happy Friday! Happy weekend, readers! Happy travels! Happy everything!

Fortunate Friday

Hello and happy Friday!!! Happy Favorite Things Friday!!! This has been a productive, yet tiring week for me. I’m looking forward to some chill-time. How about you, friends? New readers, Fridays are for frivolous favorites. Typically I list three favorite items, beauty products, websites, songs, books, etc. that make my heart just sing. Please check out previous Friday listings for more favorites and please, please add to the favorites in the Comments section. Sometimes I feel like I am running out of favorites. (as if that was possible) Here are mine for today:

Basin.com Shower Bombs – I’m not a “bath girl.” I only enjoyed baths when I was pregnant and when I was three. I do love me a good, long, butt-turning-red hot shower, though. However, there is a part of me that always felt that I might have been missing out on the bath bomb thing. I even contemplated putting a bath bomb in our outdoor hot tub, but then I also started contemplating the service call price for stuffed up pipes, and I shelved that idea quickly. So, when I found these shower bombs at my local CVS, I jumped on them. They are wonderful! They come in many different scents and they kind of just “sizzle” when water hits them. My FOMO about bath bombs has now disappeared.

PlantNet App – This nifty free app for your phone allows you to take a picture of the plant you are questioning about (say in a random walk in the woods or perusing a beautiful garden), and it immediately sends you links to the name of the plant you are looking at, with all of the care information available at the click of a button. My daughter and I tested it at our local nursery (which had tags with plant names and care information) and the app was “spot on.” Very cool!

Dove Chocolates Valentine Candy (Dark Chocolate Almond Promises) – Okay, I love chocolate. All varieties of chocolate, I love. Typically though, if I am honest, I will choose milk chocolate and even white chocolate over dark chocolate. But, this particular concoction of dark Dove chocolate filled with chopped up almonds, all wrapped up in Valentine foil with the ever-wise Dove fortune printed on the inside, is the bomb! The total bomb! Milk, be gone! Which brings me to the fortune of the day. This fortune comes from the delicious Dove dark chocolate almond promise morsel I just unwrapped and devoured.

Fortune for this fortunate Friday – Find someone to accept you completely.

Love, Friday

Fortune of the day – “In pursuit of knowledge, every day something is acquired. In pursuit of wisdom, every day something is dropped.” – Lao Tzu

In case you are wondering how to say Lao Tzu, it sounds sort of like this, “Lout Za”. I always forget and I have to look it up all of the time. One of my absolute favorite features of the internet is the pronunciation videos.

Happy Friday, my dear friends! Happy Favorite Things Friday! New readers, Fridays are simple and on the surface. On Fridays, I list three favorites of mine and I encourage you to do the same in the Comments section. One can never have enough favorites. Please also check out previous Friday listings for more favorites that I have shared in the past. I’m sticking with my favorites!

Today’s favorites:

Viridian Bay – If you like interesting, eye candy objects in your garden, you will love this website. They have so many cool garden accent pieces, like statues, and wind chimes and lanterns. I think that their prices are pretty reasonable, too. Even if you are “just window shopping” the internet, Viridian Bay is a really nice, relaxing website to peruse.

Quaker Instant Grits – I love grits! One of my favorite dishes is shrimp and grits. (I also love Quaker instant oats.) I don’t think that the rest of my family are as nearly into grits, as I am. That’s why these individual packets are so great. I can get my grit fix and give the rest of the fam, the usual rice and/or potatoes. The jalapeno flavor absolutely pops! Get yourself a box, if you are hankering some southern comfort food, in an instant.

Naturium Multi-Peptide Eye Cream – I read an article recently that stated a good eye cream must have peptides, in order to help soften the wrinkles and to tighten the crepey skin that comes with aging eyes. I purchased this cream on Amazon. It is reasonably priced and while I am not seeing miracles, I do like how it makes my skin feel. Until I find something better, this has become my daily go-to under eye cream.

Friday: Well, hello! I’m right here for you. Right here. Right now. We are going to really enjoy the day together. We’re going to laugh, we’re going to have fun and we are not going to take anything too seriously. Let me wrap you into my big, warm, comfortable arms and you just sit back and enjoy the ride!

Love, Friday

The Shape of Friday

As seen in one of my favorite boutiques . . . Target.

Yesterday I wore a sweater dress for the first time since probably the 1980s. Given that it is only a couple of weeks after Christmas (which, for me, was a time of highly overindulging in anything the least bit sugary), I decided to also break out what was once called a girdle and is now more commonly called a “Body Shaper.” BodyShapers/Girdles should be damned to hell, for all of the physical and the emotional pain that they inflict on women. There is NO way ever that a Body Shaper will make the Friday Favorites list here at Adulting-Second Half. That’s a promise and a guarantee. To add insult to injury, I noticed that my Body Shaper has stretch marks. Yes, stretch marks to match the originals, the stretch marks on my skin. Garbage Can, open your mouth, I’m about to feed you a Body Shaper. Wow, even you, Garbage Can, spit the Body Shaper out. Yucky!

Welcome to Favorite Things Friday. New readers, Fridays are frolicking and frivolous here at Adulting – Second Half. On Fridays, I list three of my absolute favorite anythings and I would love for you to share your favorites in the Comments section, too. I am always looking for more favorites, in my life. Here are today’s favorites:

Body Shapers – HA! Go back and read the first paragraph, in case you decided to just skip to the favorites part. I caught you.

Pollo Tropical – One of the best and most underrated fast food restaurants known to man. If you ever get a chance to eat at Pollo Tropical, take it. It’s one of those fast food chains that kind of tricks you into believing that you are actually eating relatively healthfully and wholesomely. (kind of in the way of Boston Market tries to trick you, especially if you get the broccoli, as one of the sides) Pollo Tropical is chicken and pork served Caribbean style. Their Cilantro Garlic sauce is so yummy that it is drinkable, but don’t kiss anybody for three days after eating it. Their iced tea is probably the best iced tea that I have ever drank.

Dr. Teal’s Foaming Bath With Epsom Salt – This bath wash is incredibly soothing. It comes in different scents like lavendar and eucalyptus, but it just so healing to use a little bit of it on tired muscles and dry skin. If you don’t have time to sit in a bath full of dissolved Epsom salts, just rub a little bit of this wonder into your skin while taking your shower. So soothing!

T-Rex Postal Forever Stamps – Do you know what lenticular printing is? I didn’t either. I had to look it up. This is how the postal service describes these mailing stamps:

“The Tyrannosaurus Rex Forever stamps are available in panes of 16 stamps with four designs. Featuring lenticular printing, two of the four designs show movement when rotated. See the skeletal remains with and without flesh and watch as an approaching T. rex suddenly lunges forward. “

They look so cool. The postal worker who helped me, apparently was as equally unaware of these stamps’ special features, as I was, so she kept trying to separate the thick sheet, convinced that several sheets of stamps were stuck together. My mother always taught me to never settle for “just the flag stamps” in life. These T-Rex stamps are so much fun and will make any envelope truly stand out!!

Have a great weekend, friends! Here is the fortune for the day:

“Our real personality is all light, all love, always shining.” – Upanishads

First Friday

“After ecstasy, the laundry.” – Zen saying

Welcome to the first Favorite Things Friday of the new year and of the new decade!!!! This is the first time, in probably a whole decade, that I am saying to myself, “Wow, I can’t believe that it is Friday already.” The buzz that I have been hearing around with my friends and neighbors, has been a lot of “craving structure” and “getting back to a sense of normalcy.” That is one of my favorite gifts that we get every single year from the holiday season – a true appreciation of our normal, every day lives. New readers, Fridays are fun and frivolous. I typically list three items, songs, websites, etc. that make my world pop. I encourage you to check out previous Friday posts for more favorites and as always, please share your own favorites in the Comments section. It is kind to share.

Here we go:

One Hundred Fortunes – The above quote is from this adorable tiny, beautifully wrapped package of One Hundred Fortunes. I picked today’s beautiful paper fortune, out of the pile randomly and I think that I am going to try to pick one fortune out and put it on to the blog post every day, until I run out. On Christmas Eve, my family and I, each drew our own fortune out of the pile. We took turns reading our fortunes and saying what we felt that the fortune meant to us or was saying about the world. It is one of my most favorite 2019 holiday memories. It felt so intimate and warm to really hear each other’s thoughts and feelings and perspectives. You can find this and other wonderful delights on the creator’s (Ingrid Goff-Maidoff) website: www.TendingJoy.com

The Boy, the mole, the fox and the Horse (by Charlie Mackesy) – This is Barnes and Noble’s “book of the year” and all you have to do is to flip through it, to understand why. The illustrations are so whimsical and enchanting. I read it to my family on Christmas Eve, as if they were all little children again, and we all lapped up the experience. (either that, or they are all great fakers ;)) The story has a timeless message and I know that our copy will stay in our family forever.

Deep Sleep Pillow Spray by thisworks – I wouldn’t put this stuff in the Tylenol PM category, but the beautiful, refreshing lavendar scent is a wonderfully dreamy way to fall into a nice, peaceful, blissful slumber. The scent whispers comfort and peace. I got mine on Anthropologie’s website.

I guess that I am feeling a little bit more serious and sentimental than I typically feel on Fridays. I suppose this may be because I am in a reflective mood, with it being the end of the year, the end of a decade, the end of our winter break and yet also, the sweet and exciting start to a new year, a new decade, and a new chapter, in all of our lives. The photo below is the last page of The Boy, the mole, the fox and the Horse. I think that it says what I am trying to convey, the best. Have a great weekend!!!

I Know Friday

Happy Friday!!! Happy Favorite Things Friday!! In case you haven’t noticed, one of my favorite activities during the holiday season, is sleeping in. Late. Readers, Fridays are devoted to Favorites here at Adulting – Second Half. On Fridays, I list three favorite things, activities, beauty products, websites, songs, whatevers and I encourage you to do the same in the Comments section. Please check out previous Friday posts for more favorites to make your life fabulous, fun and fantastic.

Today’s favorites:

Smathers & Branson – This company is known for its needlepoint belts. They also carry needlepoint key fobs and sunglasses holders and wallets and dog collars. The items are pricey, but that is okay, because the items are priceless and top quality and can be personalized with a monogram. I got my husband a belt with our college alma mater on it, and he LOVES it! They are a perfect shop for a man who already has everything.

Awkward Family Photos 2020 Calendar – My husband buys this calendar for me every year, just so that he can hear me laugh every morning, when I rip off the old day and look at the new “photo of the day.” One of my close friends bought me Anne Wilson Schaef’s Pageaday calendar, too. I find Anne Wilson Schaef to be so insightful and inspiring. Go get your Barnes and Noble gift card that you got for Christmas, and go pick out your favorite Pageaday calendar or go to their website for all of their offerings. You are bound to find something that speaks to you there. My friend wants us to write just one thing we are grateful for that day, on the back of each calendar page and put them in a jar. On NYE 2020, we will then have a jar full of gratefulness to reflect on, as we bring in the new year.

Enchant Christmas – Every year, three cities get gifted with an opportunity to visit Enchant Christmas, which is a fabulous light show (thousands of Christmas lights), a walk-thru maze, with a Christmas market, professional carolers, a band, a bar and a winding ice skating rink. We were lucky enough to live near to one of these cities, this year. The event was housed in our baseball arena. Last night, our entire family plus our middle son’s girlfriend, enjoyed ice skating together through twinkly light tunnels, laughing, falling, and honestly, just feeling “simply enchanted.” Don’t miss this opportunity if it comes to your city next.

Well, we’re off to a family beach day. That’s one of my favorite things about living in Florida. I was ice skating last night and beaching it today! I hope you all are having a fabulous holiday season!

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Sausage Friday!

The perfect pack of sausages! Owner Liam Beach lined up the 17 sausage dogs. From top, left to right: Buster, Daisy, Ziggy, Wallie, Zac, Bonnie, Saffie, Duke, Diamond, Ruby, Kizzy Sammy, Kandy, Kiki, Lottie, Benji and Dudley

Happy Friday!!! Happy Favorite Things Friday!! A man in England got his 17 dachshunds to pose for this picture. He also has a Labrador retriever, but that dog would not cooperate. As someone who lives with a big old goofy lab, I understand. This picture just put a smile on my face and a giggle in my heart. New readers, Fridays are fun and fabulous here at Adulting – Second Half. Nothing is taken too seriously here on Fridays. Fridays are only for serious fun. On Fridays, I typically list three favorite household items, beauty products, songs, websites, pet products, etc. that just put the sizzle in my swizzle. I strongly encourage you to mention your own favorites, so that we can keep this economy humming along.

Mandalorian – My husband and I are old-school Star Wars fans. We remember when the first Star Wars came out in theaters (1977, baby!). Truthfully, we were sort of disappointed when Disney bought the Star Wars franchise. However, our college boys insisted that we give the Mandalorian (Disney Plus TV Series) a look, and now, we have surpassed the boys by watching all of the episodes available (and we eagerly await more). One look at Baby Yoda, and you are hooked. Baby Yoda is a cross between an adorable baby, and a precious puppy, even though he is green. (kind of like Baby-Monkey-Puppy, but actually cute) The Mandalorian is fascinating. I keep wondering how I can read the emotions of a metal-helmeted man, whose face is never shown. Give the series a look and may the force be with you!

Orville Peck – Speaking of masked men, check out the music of Orville Peck, which is a pseudonym for a gay, masked country singer, who nobody really knows who the real man is, but that doesn’t really matter. His music, is old-timey, haunting Western style and his voice is mesmerizing. At the beginning of each of his songs, you expect the Lone Ranger to appear in your living room. Fascinating and unique and certainly worth a listen!

McDonalds Star Wars Happy Meal Prizes – Getting back to Star Wars, my regular readers know that I had a Christmas feast with one of my favorite friends this week, which included McDonalds Happy Meals. The prize in the meal was so cool, that my little flower insisted that she was going to hang it on her book bag to show it off. I thought that the prize was so neat that I drove back down to McDonalds and bought these prizes for my big kids at home. (you can buy the prizes separately from the food, $2 each) The Star Wars Happy Meal prizes are keychains, depicting the classic Star Wars characters, with a little button that makes a hologram show up, much like how the Star Wars characters communicate in the movies. These prizes are a big upgrade from Cracker Jack trinkets, I am telling you. They would make for fun stocking stuffers for the kids of all ages, in your lives.

Have a fabulous Friday!! Have a glorious Holiday Week!! I will post every single day during the holidays. I’m here for you, friends!!

Friday 13

I’m not really in a bad mood at all. It’s Friday, for goodness’ sake! I just thought that the meme was hilarious. The minions will always be a “favorite” of mine. Happy Friday!!! Happy Friday, the 13th!! (extra lucky) Happy Favorite Things Friday! New readers, Fridays are all about the material world. We keep it light and on the surface on Fridays. I typically list three favorite songs, downloads, gift items, gadgets, whatevers and I strongly encourage you to list your favorites, as well. Please check out previous Friday listings for more favorites. Favorites never go out of style. Here are today’s favorites:

Wsky Laptop Cooler – My laptop computer runs really hot. I need an oven mitt to move the laptop to a different location on my desk. This laptop cooling stand is quiet, only comes on when the computer is on, and is unobtrusive. I ordered it on Amazon and I truly believe that it is adding years to the life of my computer. I wish that they would make a person sized one, as it would be a wonderful way, to lay out in the sun. (shhh, I admit that I still do that, but I do wear sunscreen)

Derin Collection Coin Purses – I love small little bags to put all of my little minutia in. My friend once emptied out one of my colossal purses and counted 15 different bags, inside of the bag. (wallets, eyeglass cases, checkbook holders, makeup bags, you get the gist) No exaggeration. Hey, I own my idiosyncrasies. I love bags of every shape, size and color. I just found these Derin coin purses and I am in love. They look like tiny little Persian rugs for your purse. They are wonderful and the bottoms expand to hold all of our lucky pennies. Every purse needs a Persian carpet, right?!

Jillatay Etsy Store – I decided to add to my nativity scene collection this year. I typically like simple nativities that are only one piece (like Mary and baby Jesus) or a few simple pieces. (The larger sets are beautiful, but do not fare well in a chaotic household of six active people and two large dogs with long, wagging tails that tend to take these elaborate nativities out, in one full sweep) Anyway, I found some adorable nativity additions at this store and I fell in love with this ceramic artist’s complete whimsy and spiritually artistic viewpoint. (she makes art from many religious/spiritual/natural viewpoints) Check her site out. Eye candy! See an example below.

Have a great weekend, friends!!!! Happy Friday!!!