Tag: favorite things Friday

What a Week Friday

I hope that by reading my daily blog, you get a little taste of what it’s like to live through a hurricane. There are several days before the hurricane of anticipation, concerns, worries, preparation, tough decisions, and battening down the hatches. Then you experience the lockdown of about 2-3 days of weathering out the actual storm. Finally, the storm passes, and luckily, most of us don’t have to assess too many damages. We can now breathe out, before we take up the task of driving home in heavy traffic (for those who evacuated), and putting everything back and away that we put up and brought in, to prepare for the storm. Hurricane Ian has literally been the focus of my life for more than a week. It’s been sort of a “lost week.” And I am one of the lucky ones, who didn’t even end up losing power. My heart breaks for the many whose lives are forever changed by this horrific storm.

My main point is, I am so happy that the storm has passed and I am so grateful that it is my favorite day of the week – Friday. Friday is devoted to my favorite frivolous things, TV shows, books, products, beauty items, foodstuff etc. on the blog. Each Friday, I discuss a favorite that has made my life better. It might makes yours a little more fun, too.

My favorite for today is a little snack I discovered when purchasing a coffee at Starbucks one recent afternoon, Starbucks Bacon & Gruyère Egg Bites. These delicious little treats are only 300 calories and are full of flavor. I think I even prefer them to the coffee, dare I say it? When you need a little pick me up in the afternoon, it is worth waiting in line, at your local Starbucks, for these delicious, hot delicacies.

I think the biggest lesson for the week, is don’t take your favorites for granted. When you see how easily one act of nature can wash everything away, your favorites are all that more sweet and satisfying. Have a restful weekend. That’s my plan.

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

Mad Respect Friday

John Cena has set a new record for most wishes granted through the Make A Wish Foundation. He has now granted 650 wishes to critically ill children — more than anyone else in history. (Tweet sent this morning by @Goodable)

Happy (Favorite Things) Friday!! Happy Best Day of the Week. Today, my favorite is John Cena. He is my favorite wrestler of all time and I have never even watched a full wrestling match in my lifetime. When my youngest two children were little, they were big fans of wrestling. They bonded over it. Earlier this summer, my youngest son showed me a news story where John Cena surprised one of his biggest fans, a Ukrainian boy who has Down Syndrome and is currently a refugee, by surprising him and spending a whole afternoon with him. When they had to leave Ukraine, due to the war, the young man’s mother told him that they were going to look for John Cena, as it was the only way to get him to leave their home. When John Cena saw this story on the news, he decided to make the young man’s mother’s words, the honest truth. What a wonderful, big-hearted man!! John Cena’s catch phrase is: “Respect: Earn It!” John Cena, you have earned our respect.

Have a fabulous weekend! Respect yourself. Respect others. Show respect and appreciation to those who have earned your respect. The way to make the world a better place is just to work on being a little bit better, ourselves, each and every day. Those little bits add up, sometimes even to Guinness World Records.

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

Frizzle Sizzle Friday

credit: @WakeUpPeople, Twitter

Friday is wonderful. It is a day so full of relief, yet excitement and anticipation. Friday is full of the world’s most fabulous feelings, even though technically, it is just another day in the work week. Happy Friday! On Friday, to keep those fabulous feelings flowing, I focus on my favorites. (Say that sentence, three times in a row, quickly. I dare you.) Every Friday, I list a favorite thing, or book, or song, or website, etc. that helps to make my life more interesting and fun. Today’s favorite is this:

This is “Curly”, a succulent plant known as Albuca Spiralis, or “Frizzle Sizzle.” I love this plant’s delightful curls! She looks just like curling ribbon. You can purchase the likes of Curly from sellers on Etsy, along with many other rare and unusual plants and succulents. Plants make amazing pets. This baby is the “poodle” of the plant world.

Have a wild and wonderful weekend, friends. See you tomorrow!

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

My Sweet Friday

Cauliflower. Albino broccoli. When did it become amazing? It feels like it was just in the last few years that we have truly explored the wonders of cauliflower. When I was a kid, I loved white chocolate. (Who am I kidding? I still love white chocolate.) Anyway, every single Easter, the Easter Bunny would bring me a big, white chocolate bunny which I would gnaw on throughout the Easter season. Once, when I was out in my yard, and my white chocolate bunny had become just a little white nub full of teeth marks, my snoopy next door neighbor yelled out to me, “Dear, what is that, that you are gnawing on?” I explained that I was feverishly gnawing on what was left of my white chocolate Easter bunny. “Oh silly me!” she exclaimed. “I thought that it was hunk of cauliflower.” That’s then when we both doubled over in hysterical laughter. Feasting on cauliflower! Was she crazy?!? If this had happened nowadays, versus in the 1970s, I would have better understood her confusion. Cauliflower is good! My favorites for today, on this Favorite Things Friday are two cauliflower crusted pizzas, and a delicious bag of non-potato “tater tots”, made of, you guessed it, cauliflower. These items are delicious. They are not quite as good as white chocolate, but I would put them right up there, and they are not full of sugar.

Kirkland Signature Supreme Cauliflower Crust Pizza (a supreme pizza with meat) and Milton’s Craft Bakers Roasted Vegetable Cauliflower Crust Pizza (no meat) are both delicious brands of cauliflower crusted pizza that can be found at Costco. We get them every time we go to Costco (which is a lot, of course, because we’re a middle-aged married couple) and we haven’t tired of them yet! They come with two pizzas to a box. And you should be able to get Green Giant Veggie Tots Cauliflower, Cheese, & Bacon at any self-respecting grocery store. Try them, you’ll love them. And maybe, because of the pride that you’ll feel for yourself for eating healthier options, you might be able to add a little white chocolate in the mix, for dessert.

Have a delightful, holiday weekend, friends! So long, summer! It’s been real.

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

Friday Rising

Eruption at Mount Edna (Sicily) gives the illusion of a Phoenix in the sky (credit: @fastworkers6, Twitter)

What an amazing world we live in! In a matter of ten minutes (after studying this amazing picture above which was taken in May of this year), I watched a video of a newborn calf who was born at 3 a.m. last night, a lecture given about marketing by the late Steve Jobs, and a fabulous dancing video of the late Carmen Amaya, who is considered to be the greatest woman flamenco dancer who has ever lived. All of this greatness, arrived at the touch of my finger before 7:15 a.m. Why is this ability to see and to experience, and to learn about so much, so easily, so taken for granted? I remember the days of having to painstakingly research everything that I was curious about, utilizing card catalogs and microfiche. Don’t get caught in ruts, friends. Don’t watch the same news channels, droning on the same negativity every single day. Broaden your horizons. This world is incredible. Put your focus on what puts you into the state of awe.

Happy Friday!! Happy Favorite Things Friday!! What’s my favorite thing for today? I live in Florida. Hair and humidity do not mix. I finally found a hair product that helps to keep my hair in relative form. It’s not perfect, but it is better than any other product I have tried thus far. Paul Mitchell Fast Drying Sculpting Spray is effective, relatively inexpensive, and available in travel size at your local CVS, in order to try it before you purchase the large size. (that’s how I originally discovered this gem of a product)

Please check out my previous Friday posts for more favorites, and do something this weekend that will put it on the list of one of your favorite weekends of all time!

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

Friday Favs

Hi friends. I’m not in my usual light-hearted Friday mood. Sorry. We are having to deal with a loved one’s serious health issues in our extended family, and all of the emotions and fears and decisions that this entails. Prayers and good vibes appreciated. This, too, shall pass . . .

Following in the tradition of Favorite Things Friday, my favorite for today has been around for a while, but for some reason I just finally stumbled upon them. I’ve always appreciated that when staying in hotels, they give you make-up remover wipes in individual packets. The typical make-up removal pads which are sold in big plastic blocks, tend to dry out, and the blocks are certainly not a convenient item to carry around in your purse. It turns out that Neutrogena sells bags of Make-up Remover towelettes, in individual, single-use packages. They are perfect and fragrance-free! I am thrilled to have finally discovered them.

You can find the towelettes at Target or Walmart or at this link on Amazon:

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

Friday Frolics

Happy Friday, dear readers!!! Happy Best Day of the Week!! I just read this quote from tut.com:

“From where I sit, it is a mystery to me, how so many can look back on their past with pride, yet frown with disappointment at their present. Somehow forgetting that back then, they were just as self-critical . . . “

Just for this weekend, don’t allow yourself to be self-critical. Nothing is nearly as important as it seems. Last night at dinner, my husband, our youngest son and I were laughing so hard as we were recounting the different times in which he and his siblings had gotten into trouble with us, when they were little kids and the various “punishments” we served. I am sure, that at these times, our kids were probably literally sick to their stomachs, and I was my own judge, juror, and executioner about my mothering skills, but now these recollections have all turned into silly, funny, and perhaps even “fond” memories. As I have been told many times in my own life and I will now repeat to you, “Lighten up!” Friday is an easy day to lighten up.

On Fridays, I stay lightened up by sharing a material favorite of mine, whether it be a product, a website, a service, a game, a book, etc. and I ask that you share your favorites in my Comments. I used to list three favorites on Fridays, here at the blog, but that got hard on a weekly basis, so I have whittled it down to one favorite, although today I am going to share one favorite, plus a bonus favorite. Without further ado:

The Umbrella Academy (Netflix) – I typically avoid comic book/super hero/apocalyptic type movies/TV shows as if they were COVID themselves, but for some reason, my husband and I got to watching episode one of The Umbrella Academy and now I am hooked. I like the character development, the unusual story line, and the visuals. It’s a show that makes me want to be more imaginative and creative in my own life and thoughts. It inspires stepping outside of the box. If you are looking to shake things up in your own preferences and psyche and everyday life, I recommend giving this show a look.

Bonus favorite: Fresh Market’s Almond Amaretto Coffee – Even if you don’t drink coffee, buy a bag of this stuff and liberally sniff the bag all day long. I’m not sure that there is a better smell on earth, other than newborn babies. And if you do love coffee, this is taking coffee to a whole new level. If you drink black coffee, this is a calorie free dessert. What could be better??

Have a fantastic weekend!

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

Friday Props

Happy Friday, friends!!! Happy Best Day of the week!! My daughter starts college in a week, as she opted to start her university experience, during a summer session. (I keep telling her, and myself, that she’s really just going away to summer camp. 😉 ) I drive a teeny convertible and we went shopping for dorm stuff yesterday. If I showed you all of the stuff that we were able to cram into said convertible (with the top up, mind up – it’s been crazy hot here the last few days), you would believe that clown cars are real, and not a trick. Seriously. I now believe in clown cars.

On Fridays, here at the blog, I don’t delve deep. I don’t want to think deeply on Fridays. Do you? On Fridays, I stick to the superfluous stuff in life. I list a favorite thing, or place, or book, or website, or movie, or beauty product. Please check out previous Friday posts for more favorites and please share your favorites with us in the Comments section. Sharing is caring.

Today’s favorite of mine is for the beach. I am one who likes to lie on my towel versus always being propped up in a beach chair. I like to feel the firmness and the heat of the sand underneath my towel, contouring to my body. That being said, I’ve often thought it would be nice to sit supported, while still being able to feel the firmness of the sand underneath the towel. So I was delighted the other day to find a beach pad that folds up for easy carrying ability, but has a rod so that you can sit up, or lie flat on the sand. This product at Kohl’s is similar to what I purchased:

https://www.kohls.com/product/prd-640029/picnic-time-beachcomber-beach-mat.jsp?skuid=90987225&CID=shopping15&utm_campaign=SUMMER%20FURNITURE&utm_medium=CSE&utm_source=google&utm_product=90987225&utm_campaignid=9733267174&gclid=Cj0KCQjwzLCVBhD3ARIsAPKYTcRGzc5MqUwwEixfiudqckKSaY8jepvspVfV3qBScW7YpiDyADfePAIaAtisEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

That’s what I love about new inventions. They don’t have to be high tech and they always make you think, “Duh, now why didn’t I think of that?”

Hope you are enjoying a great summer, friends!! Stay hydrated!!

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

Safe Friday

Happy Friday!! Happy Best Day of the Week!! On Fridays, I stay on the fluffy side of life and I discuss any favorite item or book or song or TV show that has made my life more interesting, easy, fun, etc. Please check out previous Friday posts for more favorites and please let us know some of your own favorites.

Today’s favorite is perfect for those of us who do not want to own our own shredders. (I already own plenty of dust collectors already.) I have become more nervous about throwing away paper items with personal information on them, than ever before. I read in a magazine about Guard Your ID ink blotters, which is a simple tool that basically blackens out any information which you do not want shared with any identity thief who might come across your private papers. It works tremendously. It dries quickly, and it affords you peace of mind, so that you don’t have to allow piles of papers to build up, to warrant a trip to the shredder. It is small, easy to keep in a drawer, and I purchased the “Plus” version which is extra wide. It can be purchased from Amazon for around $10.00. Worth every penny. Can you put a price on your peace of mind?

Have an enjoyable weekend, friends! I’ll see you tomorrow!

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

Friday Gangster

RIP -Ray Liotta

During the pandemic, my family and I had a weekly “movie night”. On “movie night”, all six of us (including my eldest son who lives in another state) would watch a movie chosen by one of us (we all took turns picking out the movie of the week to watch) at the same time, and then we would talk about the film afterwards. My middle son chose Goodfellas for us to watch during one of his turns to pick a movie, and I remember thinking, “Why?? Are you serious?!? I’ve already seen that movie like a million times!” And then we watched it, and Goodfellas was, of course, amazing. In fact, in the end, we all ranked all of the movies that we had watched over those several, long months, during those never-ending days of lockdown, and Goodfellas turned out to be our universal favorite out of all of the movies that we had watched together. So today, on Favorite Things Friday here at the blog, I choose Goodfellas as one of my favorite classic movies of all time. Pop some popcorn, sit your bottom down on your couch, and watch Goodfellas once again tonight. You won’t regret it.

Today, we are still at freshman orientation at my daughter’s university which is the same university that her three older brothers attended. We are at our fourth freshman orientation of the same university, within eight years. My takeaway of this particular orientation is that the pandemic has made all of us a little rusty. This version of freshman orientation is a little more subdued, a little less seamless, and a little more jaded. This is the first time that we have had to watch a seven minute video on what to do in the case of an active shooter on campus. Watching this video was horrifying, terrifying and honestly, the most quiet and somber energy which I have ever experienced in a large ballroom, full of people. I believe that we are all trying to get back to a peaceful, comfortable, serene “normal.” It’s going to take some time and some patience and some compassion for us to get there. However, we will get there. We will. Believe it.

“To me being a gangster was better than being president of the United States.” -Henry Hill, Goodfellas

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