Tag: favorite things

Frisky Friday

Yay! It’s Friday!!! It’s the best day of the week. How are you feeling? Things are a lot cooler here lately. It makes everyone “frisky”. So today, we’ll just call it Frisky Friday. Speaking of frisky, before I started writing, I had to pick up our three dogs’ matching nap pads, which they sleep on every night. (Honestly, Josie, the rough collie, doesn’t actually sleep on hers. She has a lot of fur, so she prefers the cool tile, but she likes to have her own pad placed near to her. With kids and pets especially, it’s important to be fair.) I don’t leave the nap pads out all day. In order to prevent squabbles, I only put the pads out at night. The dogs don’t sleep in our bed, because two of them are over 75 pounds, and the other one is a crazy, restless, full-of-himself spaniel, who likes to spread himself way out, in the craziest of contortions. Need I say more? The dogs used to disperse out all over the house at bedtime, when the kids lived at home, but now they all sleep in our bedroom with us. Our nighttime ritual is to layout the nap pads every night, and that is each of our dog’s “place” until it is time to get up in the morning. Recently, this ritual reminded me of the times when I was a little girl and I was in “nursery school.” (that’s what they called preschool in those days) They would hand out nap pads, and we would put our pads in a circle, in order to then take a nap. That was my absolute least favorite time in school. I’ve never been a good napper. Once I’m up, I’m up. I remember feeling quite indignant about “nap time.” “I am a “big girl” now. I don’t need a nap.” I also remember getting in trouble, more than a few times, for my restlessness during “nap time.”

Okay sorry for the digression, it’s Friday! Let’s get to the point. On Fridays I like to talk about my favorites. On Fridays, I write about the things, the places, the websites, the songs, the whatevers that have caught my eye and have made my own life more fun and interesting. Please share your own favorites in my Comments section so our Friday can be even more frisky!

Today’s favorite:

I read about the XCJ Chinese Street Food’s Soup Dumpling kit, in a magazine lately. Cooking for just the two of us, has become a new and interesting challenge for me. I ordered one of the larger kits that contains dumplings, sauces, plus a bamboo steamer from this cool company. We tried it out this past weekend, and my husband and I were thrilled with the meal! The dumplings were fun and easy to cook (on the bamboo steamer) and even more fun (and fabulously delicious) to eat! Here is their website:

Dumplings and More (Nationwide)

Have a frisky, fun, fabulous weekend! See you tomorrow!

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

Put a Ring On It Friday

Happy Friday!! Happy Best Day of the Week!! On Fridays, I don’t think deeply (thus, I don’t write about deep or meaningful things). Or if I do, I quickly shut it down. Here on the blog, on Fridays, I discuss my favorites: things, songs, products, websites, books, u-name-its. Please share some of your favorites in my Comments section, so we all can even more fun this Friday.

Before I mention today’s favorite of mine, I want to gift you iPhone users, a bonus favorite. Text “pew pew” to some of your favorite people who also have iPhones. Fun, right? If you hold down the send button when you text someone on your iPhone you will find that you have all kinds of options, to add pizazz to your text messages. (my favorite option is the “Invisible Ink” option) Thank you, my dear friend (you know who you are) for teaching me the “pew pew” skill. Have you come to regret it, yet?? Pew pew. Pew pew.

Today’s favorite is a time saver. Shinery Radiance Wash washes your hands and your jewelry, all at the same time. It adds a gorgeous sparkle to your engagement ring without you having to take off your rings to clean them, and risk losing them. It’s wonderful stuff, and it can be purchased on Amazon. Speaking of lost wedding rings, we are having to replace my husband’s wedding ring for the second time in our almost 28 years of marriage. (Thankfully, he only loses his wedding ring when he is with me.) When we were on our honeymoon, my husband lost his first wedding band when we were snorkeling, because it was too big for his hand and it slipped into the water. A trip to the jewelry store in St. Martin was the first stop of the next day, because as a young bride, it was important to me for my husband to “keep a ring on it.” Last weekend, we were boating with our daughter. During the pandemic lockdown, my husband had his wedding ring made a size larger, because, as you may intimately know, the pandemic and weight gain went hand-in-hand for many of us. My husband has since lost his pandemic weight gain, and the ring was too big. Guess what came off in the water, again? So today’s date excursion, is a trip to the jewelry store. Why? Because as a middle-aged bride, it’s important to me for my husband to “keep a ring on it.”

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

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.

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.

Fun Adventure Friday

Happy Friday!!! Happy Best Day of the Week!! For the fun of it, I googled “Why is Friday so great?” I like this answer the best, coming from an article published by Popsugar in 2015:

Why is Friday the best?

“You’re a bit willing to take more on: Fridays are the day for saying yes to anything, because you’re just ready for the week to be over. And sometimes you find yourself agreeing to something you might not usually try, which turns into a fun adventure. Friday night!” (credit: Sarah Lipoff)

Sarah had me at “fun adventure.” For some reason Fridays make you feel more open to “fun adventures.”

On Fridays, I am about the fun adventures that the stuff in our life creates for us. On Favorite Thing Friday, I list at least one material item that has made my own life better, more interesting and/or fun.

Today’s favorite I’m honestly still on the fence about, but for those of you who sleep with white noise machines, you will love it. It is small, has six different sound options, a sensitive volume control, and a timer function. I have never been a fan of white noise machines, but my husband and I recently stayed at a hotel that had one and we decided to try it. We liked it so much that evening, that we decided to purchase one for our bedroom. The rain sound is the one that I have found to be the most soothing so far. HoMedics White Noise Sound Machine can be purchased on Amazon for a little over $20. This same hotel had lofi music playing in the background at breakfast. It was a lovely way to start the day.

Have a fun, adventurous Friday, and a soothing, soulful night of sleep! See you tomorrow!!

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

Artsy Fartsy Friday

Good morning!! Happy Birthday to my second eldest baby, whose amazing curiosity and intellect and talent is only overshadowed by his huge, caring heart. I love you, G.

Friday is here!! It’s my favorite day of the week. I only discuss superfluous stuff on the blog on Fridays. We all need just one day of the week to just “Let it all be and just have some fun!” On Fridays, I mention one of my favorite things or songs or products or books or websites, etc. and I ask you to share your favorites in my Comments. (You guys tend to be a little stingy with your favorites. What gives? 😉 )

When I was in college, my sorority would hold a yearly event called Destination Unknown. I loved it. It was one of my favorite events of the year. We would all get into a travel bus and head out to an event, not knowing where we were going to end up. The social chairs were excellent at keeping the destinations top secret. My husband and I are going on a road trip, starting tomorrow. Completely against our typical Type-A style of going about things, we haven’t even made hotel arrangements. Where we end up landing, will be up to our divine intuitions (hopefully our intuitions will be in sync). I can’t wait for the adventure! Try to do a Destination Unknown sometime soon. (even if it is just for a day trip). Destination Unknowns actually tend to help you to get to know your own self, a whole lot better. The seat of your pants is stronger and more interesting than you ever thought to explore. Trust me on this.

My favorite, for this Friday morning, gave me the lovely image posted above. I follow Gregorio Catarino on Twitter, and he posts absolutely beautiful and fanciful artwork from all sorts of artists every single day. He makes my Twitter feed look like an Art Gallery. I highly recommend that you check him out. Interspersed with so much interesting, thought-provoking fodder and written brilliance that work as writing prompts for me, I also make sure that my Twitter feed has plenty of artwork and animal videos to keep me even, and mystified, and full of awe.

Have a wonderful holiday weekend, friends!!!

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

Another Favorite

credit: Seagram’s Escapes

It’s here!!! The best day of the week is here!!! Who doesn’t love Friday?!? Fridays on the blog are devoted simply to my tactile, sensory favorites: favorite books, songs, items, websites, beauty products, foodstuff etc. Please check out previous Friday posts for more favorites. (I used to list three favorites a week, but that got to be too much, so now I narrow it down to one favorite a week. I would be thrilled if you would list some of your favorites in my Comments section, though – 1, 3, or 8000 of your favorites. We all need to add to our lists of Favorites!)

Today’s Favorite:

Frances Valentine’s Small Ruffle Crochet Hoop Earrings – I think that they had me at “crochet”. My beloved grandmother loved to crochet. Actually, I lucked into getting Frances Valentine catalogs sent to me, and they are beautiful catalogs – like pieces of art. I love the overall style of Frances Valentine. These earrings are honestly the first items which I have ever purchased from this beautiful retailer, though, and let me tell you, the earrings are so gorgeous and full of quality and uniqueness. I love these earrings!! They are hoop style, colorful and fun. Perfect summer jewelry!

Okay, now it’s your turn! Share a favorite!! And more importantly, have a fabulous weekend!!

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

Squisito Friday

580 FRIDAY ideas in 2022 | its friday quotes, happy friday quotes, happy friday

Happy Friday!! Happy best day of the week!!! On Fridays, I give “the deep feels” a break, and I just try to have some light-hearted fun. On Fridays, I discuss “favorites” – the tactile, sensory things in life which make our lives such an interesting experience. Please check out previous Friday postings for some more of my favorites, and please share some of your own favorites in my Comments section.

Today’s favorite comes from another favorite of mine, which also comes from another favorite of mine. The Fresh Market (one of my favorite grocery stores) creates a $25 dollar family dinner deal (one of my favorite bargains) every single week, and this week’s meal featured a delicious dessert. Matilde Vicenzi Tesoro Chocolate Cream Filled Puff Pastry (they also come in vanilla cream) is incredibly delicious. I could eat a whole package in one sitting and still beg for more. Supposedly the Vicenzi family has been making pastries in Italy since 1905. Obviously, to be in business this long, they know what they are doing. If you don’t have a wonderful Fresh Market around you, I feel sad for you. Still, you can order these delicious Vicenzi delicacies on Amazon, or you can find them at the World Market. Squisito!!!!

Have a wonderful weekend!!!

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

Ring, Ring, It’s Friday!

Sunflower Happy Friday Quote Pictures, Photos, and Images for Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, and Twitter | Its friday quotes, Happy friday, Happy friday pictures

Good morning! Happy Friday!! Happy Favorite Thing Friday!! I’m not going to write a lot today. I am currently with one of my favorite people in the world, my daughter, and we are adventuring, which is one of my all-time favorite things to do. Last night I experienced one of my favorite feelings – the giddiness of happy people from all over the world, convening happily together. (We are currently at one of the “happiest places on Earth.” 😉 ) Whether or not it truly is behind us, the pandemic felt like a giant afterthought last night, and it was wonderful. It was a healing moment.

Today’s favorite of mine is a phone game which I play all of the time when I need to get my mind off of things. I usually go to sleep after playing it for a while and it helps to lull me into a peaceful, healing sleep. The game is called Rings, and it is a mix of tic tac toe and color matching and for some reason it is one of the most satisfying games which I have ever played on my phone. It is the only phone game that I haven’t bored of yet. Download it today. You won’t regret it.

Have a wonderful, free spirited, happy weekend!!!

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