Merry Friday!!!

Image

Happy Friday!! Happy Favorite Things Friday!! Happy Holidays! HA! New readers, on Fridays, I am not serious. On Fridays, I keep it on the surface, in the material world. Fridays are called “Favorite Things Friday” here at Adulting- Second Half and that is when I list three favorite songs, books, products, whatevers that I have enjoyed experiencing in my life. I strongly request that you add more to the Favorites, in my Comments. This year, sometimes it is best to keep it all on the surface, as much as you can. The deep waters run really deep this year. Today, it’s Friday, so let’s just float! Floaty Friday! Remember, too, to check out previous Friday blogs to see more favorites.

My regular readers know that my family has three dogs. We have Ralphie, the Labrador, Josie, the rough collie, and Trip, the Boykin spaniel puppy. It has taken me a while to find just the right kibble food for our fur friends. I did research online, I asked friends for suggestions, and I checked in with my vet. For at least a year, I have been feeding a mix of three dog foods that miraculously, all three dogs like to eat. All of our dogs have healthy skin and fur and none of them are overweight. I can order all three of these bagged kibble foods on Amazon, and I can have them delivered right to my door, which is a total back saver. Here is my magic mix of my three favorite dog foods (and of course, I often add in some cheese or broth or chicken or salmon, on occasion).

Hill’s Science Diet Dry Dog Food, Adult, Sensitive Stomach & Skin Recipes – This one boasts prebiotic fiber and chicken meat. I think this is the food that has helped firm up the stools, which is a plus in anyone’s book. My lawn appreciates this dog food.

Victor Dog Food Grain-Free Active Dog and Puppy Beef Meal and Sweet Potato – This dog kibble is particularly suited to active, sporting dogs, which my dogs all are – unfortunately, we don’t count any couch potatoes among our fur family. This one also has a formulation to help with their immune systems, and who doesn’t need a good immune system, this year in particular??

Wellness CORE Natural Dry Dog Food Original Turkey & Chicken – This is another one full of protein and omega oils. This is the one that supposedly boasts a great taste. (I haven’t personally tried it, but my dogs do empty their bowls.)

I have a big container in my garage where I mix all three bags of dog food together and these three bags last me a good month of feeding our fur babies.

Have a great weekend, my dear friends and readers!! Start making out your Christmas/holiday lists. It’s good to have something to look forward to, in the near future!!!

FTFRIDAY

Funny Friday Images

Happy Friday!! Happy Favorite Things Friday!!! Doesn’t Friday just taste like a cool glass of icy water on a scorchingly hot August day?! New readers, Fridays are devoted to the material stuff in life here at Adulting – Second Half. I take off my serious, contemplative hat on Fridays. On Fridays, I list three favorite things, songs, videos, beauty products, food stuff, etc. and I strongly encourage you to list your favorites in my Comments section. Please see previous Friday posts for more favorites, and please check out today’s favorites, below:

Karen Adams stationery If you are a fan of beautiful old-fashioned paper cards, note paper and paper calendars, like me, you must go to the Karen Adams website. This stationery is some of the prettiest works of art in this genre, that I have seen in a long time. They have a stunning desk calendar that I just had to purchase for 2021, because frankly, 2021 can’t get here fast enough. I hope that 2021 ends up being as beautiful and full of quality, as is the Karen Adams calendar. These items are not inexpensive, because they have hand-done and well-done, discreet glitter accents, but considering how special and rare a handwritten note is these days, isn’t excellent, beautiful stationery worth the heartfelt sentiments being written on it?

Greenboxart.com Masks – Earlier this week I told you about the irreverent and delightful mask I purchased, depicting three angry birds. Well, I went to their website and I found that Greenboxart has four pages of delightfully cute and fun and vibrant masks, mostly depicting animals and nature. If we are going to make masks part of our daily uniform, for the unknown future, they should bring a smile to our faces before we even put them on, don’t you think? Smiley eyes are the best accent, when wearing a mask.

My Life as a Zucchini If you are one of my regular readers, I know that you were wondering about what movie I picked for the grand finale of Family Movie Night. I picked “My Life as a Zucchini.” This stop-motion, clay-mation movie is short, sweet, funny and poignant. It did not disappoint. You can see it on Netflix and I highly recommend fitting in some time to view it this weekend. The movie is French, and it tells the tale of children in a foster care home. “My Life as a Zucchini” is part comedy/part drama, but whole heart. The movie only runs a little over an hour, which makes a great deal of sense when you think about how painstaking it must be to make a stop motion film. I got us some zucchini fries from PDQ to go along with the theme, and I highly recommend those, too. We devoured them!

Have a great weekend, my dear true-hearted soul sisters (and brothers, too) and friends!!

50 Best 'Friday Quotes' to Kickstart A Happy Weekend — TGIF!

Orange Friday

Join me this morning at 9:30a for Finally Friday Hot Slow Flow with straps. Find your zest for Zen!! See you on the mat ♡ #yoginiwithpurpose #loveyourlight #thereikiingyogini #openheartyoga #balanceyoganj #hotyoga #reikirocks #reikichick #reikieveryday #reikilove #yogareikieveryday #reikieveryday #selfloveselfcareselfaware

Hi friends! Welcome to Friday!! Here at Adulting – Second Half, we call it Favorite Things Friday! On Fridays, I stay at the shallow end, and I list three things, stores, foods, music, etc. in my material world that just make my life snazzier, snugglier and all the way around, snipper-snappier. Please see previous Friday posts for more favorites and please don’t be shy about adding your favorites to my Comments section. Here are my favorites for today:

EWBA.net – This site sells really cool handmade wooden signs and artwork that is sure to bring a smile to your face. “EWBA” stands for Everything Will Be Amazing! It is good to be reminded of that fact, during this very tumultuous, dramatic year, isn’t it? The signs are reasonably priced and at the very least, it’s a happy site to peruse and to remind yourself to keep it light.

Sunset Boulevard – I’m not an old movie buff at all, but I watched this classic recently and I am so happy that I did. A mark of a good movie is to keep anyone’s interest, no matter how long ago it was made. Sunset Boulevard was made in 1950. It’s character development and rising tension, is what makes the movie so tantalizingly relevant, even by today’s standards. Go retro this weekend, with your entertainment choices. You won’t regret it.

Masks that Show Your Smile – I read an article recently that masks are now being created that actually show your smile (using clear ventilated plastic), to help deaf people, who rely on reading lips in order to communicate. These masks are becoming very popular with a lot of us, who miss seeing and sharing real, toothy smiles with everyone whom we encounter on a daily basis. I put an order for this style of mask on Etsy, where there are quite a few sellers who are making this kind of mask.

Have a great weekend, my dear friends and readers!!

Quotes about Your favorite things (35 quotes)

Friday Quirks

Quarantine-Coronavirus-Jokes-Memes

I was in the restroom this morning and I used up the last of the toilet paper roll. I started to hyperventilate. I could feel a panic attack arising. I ran to the garage and saw that we still had two packages of toilet paper rolls, and I could breathe again. Now I realize that right now, there is plenty of toilet paper to go around. We honestly, had enough toilet paper to keep us clean throughout quarantine. I didn’t even have to ration it. Today, I can actually find a wide variety of brands of toilet paper in Publix and Target. Still, I think that I may have a little bit of PTSD around the toilet paper issue. I wonder if a lot of us will end up with “coronavirus quirks”, like our grandparents had their own peculiarities from going through the Depression.

“Why does great-granny start shaking uncontrollably when we run out of toilet paper?”

“Oh, well, honey, she went through the Coronavirus Pandemic of 2020.”

Okay, back to why you really came here to Adulting – Second Half today. It’s Friday!!! Happy Friday!!! Happy Favorite Things Friday!!! On Fridays, I typically list three favorite products, beauty items, songs, websites, etc. etc. that make living in the material world, a lot of fun. I strongly encourage you to add your favorites to the Comments section and please check out previous posts for more favorite things. Here are mine for today:

Favorite Feel Good Story of the Week (possibly of the month) – If you haven’t read the story about six-year-old Bridger Walker from Wyoming, do it now. Here’s a link:

https://www.ksl.com/article/46777242/real-life-superhero-in-saving-sister-6-year-old-wyoming-boy-takes-brunt-of-dog-attack

This darling little Wyoming boy saved his little sister from a dog attack, and ended up having to get 90 stitches from being ravaged with bites! What a hero! And the “feel good vibes” from this story, just keep coming and coming, including the fact that the Walker family has forgiven the friends with the dog, and the Walker family turned down a Go Fund Me, asking instead that all donations go to a Veterans’ Association and finally, Captain America (Chris Evans) is sending Bridger an official and authentic Captain America shield for his heroism! It’s children like Bridger who make us all want to be better people! Heroes come in the most unlikely of packages, sometimes.

Kinder’s The Blend Seasoning – This dream come true in a bottle can be purchased at Costco. All that it really is, is salt, pepper, and garlic, but this spice concoction is blended to proportional perfection. EVERYTHING tastes better with this seasoning: meat, vegetables, salads – okay, I haven’t tried it on dessert, yet, but never say never. My jar of Kinder’s sits right by our stove, so I don’t forget to cook with it. Ever.

Supercook.com – When we were a young married family and on a tight budget, my husband used to brag about my pantry creativity and innovation. Somehow I would manage to make a box of corn meal, carrot straws, a packet of sweetener, and a can of soup, into some kind of edible dinner. Now, I have never been a great cook, but I think I did find it fun (plus it saved me a trip to the store) to try to make “something outta nothin’. ” This website now does all the mental work for you. It saves you the trip to the store and the strain to your brain. You list what ingredients you have on hand, and this website will give you a plethora of recipes to make something, with what you’ve got.

Have a great weekend, friends!!!!

Breaking The Chain... | Its friday quotes, Happy friday humour ...

Face Melting Friday

Pin on funny memes

Hello, my little crabcakes!! (there is a long story behind that one, but that’s for another blog some day. Just roll with it. 😉 ) Today is Friday and Fridays are the bomb. On Fridays here at Adulting – Second Half, we call it Favorite Things Friday. On Fridays, I list three favorite things, songs, websites, brands, etc. and I strongly encourage my little crabcakes to indulge us, with some of your favorites, in my Comments section. Thanks in advance and please check out previous Friday listings for more of my favorites! Without further ado, here are today’s favorites:

OPI Show Us Your Tips nail polish – This polish is what I imagine a mermaid’s tail color might look like. It is a beautiful, light, silvery violet color with an unusual glimmer to it. My nail technician once said that nail polish with glitter or sheen typically lasts the longest. It doesn’t show chips and cracks like solid polish shows on the toes. Considering, I’m mostly doing my own nails these days, this has become my new summer regular go-to color. It’s hard to screw up homegrown mani/pedis, with this versatile color.

Swirling Koi and Pebbles Rock image 0

CallThatArt – This is my new favorite Etsy store. I recently purchased one of Jan Smart’s (the proprietor of CallThatArt) painted rocks at a local pond store and I loved it so much that I looked her up on Etsy and I purchased some more. I have seen a lot of painted rocks in my life (I have even attempted to paint a few myself), but I don’t think that I have ever seen painted rocks as pretty as Jan’s works of art. Her paintings literally come to life. These are the types of little whimsical, knick-knacky things which bring a lot of joy to my life. If you are of the same ilk, check this Etsy store out for yourself and get yourself a lucky stone.

Disney’s Creative Innovations – Disney World is slated to open up this weekend. I do not want to use this forum to debate whether this is a wise idea or not. I am just relaying the facts. I did read that all of Disney employees and visitors will be required to wear face masks. What I love about Disney though, is that they always seem to have a creative, happy solution for everything. When they open, the Disney employees will be walking around with wooden sticks supporting either Mickey’s smile, or Donald’s smile or Goofy’s smile, to cover the employees’ masks, thus making themselves a little less scary and a little more magical for the children visiting the parks.

“Laughter is America’s most important export.” – Walt Disney

Let’s try to laugh a lot this weekend, friends! A smile is the easiest gift to give and to spread, even if it’s a cardboard smile held up by a wooden stick. Have a very happy Friday!!!!

Free Friday

Happy Friday, America! Thank God I'm Free | Patriotic pictures, I ...

Happy Friday!!! Happy Favorite Things Friday!! New readers, Fridays are devoted to my favorite material things. Fridays are devoted to the best things, songs, movies, books, etc. that make life so acutely real, tactile, sensual and amazing. Today, I’ve embedded three of my favorite renditions of patriotic songs, that still give me chills up and down my spine when I hear them played, every single time. Happy Fourth of July weekend, friends and fellow patriots. Despite all of our troubles, our mistakes, our setbacks and our foibles, our country is an incredible place, filled with AMAZING people. We ARE a beacon, and though we have been taking some licks lately, Americans stand proud, Americans stand strong, and most importantly, Americans stand FREE. I am very proud and grateful to be an American. The United States of America is a beautiful, beautiful country, filled with the most visionary, hopeful, resilient, generous people, who have ever existed. God Bless America!!

All I Had to Do Was This Friday

Image
(courtesy of Think Smarter on Twitter)

Happy Friday, friends. Happy Favorite Things Friday!! This week beat me up. I honestly haven’t been too focused on my favorites, this week. New readers, on Fridays, I typically list three favorite songs, foods, brands, websites, etc. that make my material world special, but I’m honestly not feeling it right now. Don’t get me wrong, it’s Friday! I LOVE Fridays!! I’m just not in a “gushing” mood and all of my favorites, deserve “gush”. If you want to read some “good gushing”, please see previous Friday posts. And please pick up my slack, and tell us about your favorites in my Comments section. The video below, sadly, turned out to be a game changer for me, an almost 50 year-old woman. I have to say that this is my favorite “Why didn’t I EVER think of this???? tip of the day/week/maybe even year”:

Have a great weekend, friends! The above video is a dramatic example of Einstein’s famous quote:

Insanity was defined by Albert Einstein as "doing the same thing ...

With a little self awareness, this quote can change your life for the better, every single time. (and in the case of the deodorant topper, it can save you some teeth)

Juneteenth Friday

If you must look back, do so forgivingly. If you must look forward ...

My friend just sent the above quote to our group chat. Maya Angelou will always be one of my favorite writers. What a gift of inspiration her words were to all of us!! Today is “Favorite Things Friday” here at Adulting- Second Half. On Fridays, I share three of my favorite anythings and I strongly encourage you to share your favorites with us in the Comments section. Please see previous Friday posts for more favorites. Here are my favorites for today:

Gevalia Mocha Latte Espresso K-Cup Coffee Pods & Froth Packets – My new favorite cafe is my daughter’s bedroom. I don’t have to wear a mask or wait in much of a line, at this delightful place. My daughter has a little corner nook in her bedroom where her Kuerig is set up and she is always trying new concoctions with her magic machine. These lattes are divine!! My daughter sprinkles a little bit of cinnamon on top and the result is Heaven in a coffee mug. She says the mocha option is amazing, as well, but I haven’t “ordered” one of those yet. But I will soon, and I know that it will be scrumptious!

Shovava Shop on Etsy – I have a thing for owls and I have a thing for shawls/scarfs and this Australian shop on Etsy marries both of my obsessions perfectly. These thin, beautiful, hand-painted scarfs drape around your shoulders perfectly, providing warmth and comfort and elegance, while still being very breathable. They are also able to be folded very compactly, so they are easily transported to airports and restaurants and theaters, when these things become part of normal life again. What I like best about the owl variety that Shovava makes, is that you literally get wrapped up into the wings of the owl. Mystically beautiful! Please note that the scarves take a while to arrive to the United States, since they are coming from Australia during the coronavirus.

Daily Peace Quotes – I have an email subscription to the Daily Peace Quotes from LivingCompassion.org. I usually find them among the most thought provoking items that I read throughout the day (and I LOVE to read. I read A LOT.) The quotes are typically short and sweet and yet, quite deep. For example, here’s today’s Peace Quote:

We are here and it is now. Further than that, all human knowledge is moonshine. 
– H. L. Mencken 

On that note, I read that people keep “moon gardens” which are gardens that only contain flowers that bloom at night, by the light of the moon. I think that is a fabulous idea, especially during summertime. Have a wonderful, celebratory weekend, friends!!!

Once In a Moon Quotes - How Was Your Day?

Feel Good Friday

Sending Lots of Love on this Beautiful Friday – Commentwarehouse ...

My grandfather loved to garden and he had a gorgeous bleeding heart plant that I can still picture to this day. Isn’t it wonderful when certain things in nature remind you of people and places and things that you have loved along the way? New readers, Fridays are devoted to the “outside pleasures” in life. Welcome to Favorite Things Friday!!! On Fridays, I typically list three favorite anythings that have added joy to my life and I strongly encourage you to add your favorites to the Comments section. You can never have too many favorites. Please see previous Friday posts for more and more favorites. Here are today’s favorites of mine:

https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/11/health/orlando-hospital-coronavirus-patient-housekeeper-wellness/index.html

The link above takes you to a feel-good story in the news. (Those are hard to find these days, aren’t they?) The news story talks about how a cleaning person at the hospital helped save a COVID patient’s life, by talking to him daily and by giving him hope and inspiration by talking to him about their families and about their shared faith in God. This man was so ill that a priest had even delivered his last rites. Miracles are all around us, and this story is a good reminder of that fact and also about the power and beauty of human connection.

Trip Splitter App – My friend just mentioned this awesome app yesterday. This is an app that makes it simple and organized, for people to enter their individual expenses, when on a group vacation. It then makes it easy to divvy up “who owes who what”, at the end. (Does this wording remind you of anything? Who’s on first? That’s what I said. Who? Who.) I love simple and useful apps that make life just a little bit easier. This app sounds worth its memory space on your phone, for sure.

Finally, my favorite word for the day is a Korean word. The word is “son-mat” and it “describes the specific, irreplaceable flavor of someone else’s cooking.” (NY Times) My husband’s colleague, who lives in New York, only recently got his first take-out pizza since before the coronavirus crisis began. He told my husband that the pizza was the best pizza that he had ever tasted. Ever. “Son-mat” is a word that should exist in every language, in my opinion. There is something very special about something cooked by someone else. We all bring our own uniqueness and love, to even foods as simple as peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Happy Friday Quote Pictures, Photos, and Images for Facebook ...

Human – Kind Friday

Good Morning Happy Friday Have A Happy Day friday happy friday tgif good morning…

Happy Friday, friends!! On Fridays, we keep it very light and on the surface, here at Adulting – Second Half. I call it “Favorite Things Friday” and I typically list three favorite items, books, songs, websites, etc. that make the material girl in me, just a little giddy. Please check out previous Friday postings for more favorites. I strongly encourage you to list your favorites in the Comments section. We could all use a few little pick me uppers during these tough times, and good ideas are appreciated by all.

My first favorite for today is what is going to be happening in the Sunday papers, this very Sunday. Make a point of buying the Sunday paper, if you don’t already get it. Over 70 syndicated cartoons are going to put six hidden symbols in their columns to honor our teachers, medical workers, delivery people, grocery store personnel, medical researchers and food service workers. What fun! Read about this cool little hunt, here:

https://www.centralmaine.com/2020/06/02/cartoonists-to-thank-frontline-workers-playfully-this-sunday/

My second favorite was brought to my attention yesterday by a friend who plans to buy this shirt. You can find all variations of them on Etsy. This way, by wearing this shirt, you can say how you feel, without having to always “say what you feel.” Here is one example:

Human Kind Be Both Tee Shirt image 0

And my third favorite is this dumb little joke that I saw earlier this week, on the internet. My family all thinks that this is a very stupid joke, but I think that the joke is so stupid, that it’s hilariously funny. Plus, it’s short and those are the only kinds of jokes which I can tell to people, with any kind of success. Here’s the joke:

Two ducks were swimming along. One duck said, “Quack!” The other duck said, “OMG! I was just going to say that!”

Groan! I know. Have a great weekend friends!! Remember, the best is yet to come!!!! A little birdie told me to tell you that, so I repeat, “The best is yet to come!!!”