Tag: favorite things

Celebrate Friday

Happy Friday Quotes | Best Motivational Quotes For Weekend

I like the perspective of the above meme. Friday isn’t just about anticipating the frivolity of the weekend, it is also about celebrating all that you have experienced and you have accomplished during a week in your life. When I have a day that I wonder where the time went, or I am feeling unaccomplished, I look for the “wins”. I look for just three things that I completed or I experienced that day, and I always am surprised by the fact that more happened in any one particular day, than I realized. With that in mind, by each Friday, you have at least fifteen “wins” by the end of the work week.

My regular readers know that Friday, being my favorite day of the week, is devoted to “favorites”. On Favorite Things Friday, I list three favorite things, or songs, or products, or places, etc. that have made my life experience even better. I strongly encourage you to list some of your favorites in my Comments section, so we all have some fun things to try and out and experience over the weekend. Anticipation is delicious. Here are my favorites for today:

DEVS – This Hulu series is fascinating. It is just eight episodes, and that is it. DEVS is all wrapped up in one season, which is comforting for me, a person who tends to want to binge on any TV series, which I find to be super intriguing and thought provoking. DEVS is an eerie science fiction show made by the creator of the fascinating thriller movie, Ex Machina. The only negative thing I have to say about this series, is that you are forced to watch intermittent advertisements throughout each episode. Interestingly, last night when my husband and I were watching the last episode of DEVS, we got to choose which Hills Science Diet commercial we wanted to watch – dog or cat. We’re dog people. It was kind of like, “Pick your punishment” but at least we felt like we had some sort of say in the matter.

Nestle Tollhouse Disco Chips – My local grocery store hasn’t gotten these in yet, but I can’t wait until they do. I look for them on my every trip to the store. (which is almost daily) Disco chips are chocolate chips with edible sparkles/glitter in them. How do you spell fun and delicious?! D-I-S-C-O-C-H-I-P-S I’m not sure if the chips are actually fun and delicious, because I haven’t even seen or eaten them yet, but as I repeat from above, anticipation is often the most delicious part of any kind of adventure, epicurean and beyond . . .

Ball Sort Puzzle – This is my new favorite phone game. I see that I have a theme going with phone games. I really enjoy the sorting games, mostly because I am pretty damn good at them. (It must be from all of those years of sorting laundry for a large family.) In this game you have to get four matching colored balls into each “test tube” which are filled with multi-colored balls, all mixed up. It’s sort of like a rubik’s cube in test tubes. It is a simple game, but not necessarily an easy one.

Okay, I am going to have to insist that you, my beloved and appreciated readers, have an amazing weekend! Anticipate, experience, devour, reflect, rest, enjoy.

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

Trippy Friday

Hello friends and readers!!! Welcome to the most fabulous day of the week!! Isn’t it wonderful?! On Fridays, we try to keep things light and fun here at Adulting – Second Half. On Fridays, also called Favorite Things Friday, I typically list three favorite things, whether they be products, or songs, or TV shows, or books, etc. Please add your favorites to my Comments section. Reality is, we live in a material world, and we should enjoy our things and experiences!!! Tonight, despite the mixed reviews that it is getting, I am very excited to watch the movie, Coming to America 2. Eddie Murphy finally made a sequel to his iconic Coming to America, which first came out in 1988! You can view the sequel starting today on Amazon Prime Video. Also, please note that the above meme was created by my favorite (and only) daughter, featuring one of our favorite dogs, our Boykin spaniel, Trip, whose look lives up to his name.

Today’s favorites:

Nonpareils candy – I bought a bag of nonpareils at The Fresh Market the other day and I got transported to Heaven. I bought them for nostalgia’s sake, and plus, they were beautiful pastel Easter colors, so I decided that I had to have them, thinking that the nonpareils would look lovely in a candy dish, for the upcoming spring season. Ha! I practically ate the whole bag of them on the way home from the store. I looked up the meaning of the French word “nonpareil”, and not surprisingly, it means “having no equal.” What are the nonpareils in your life besides your beloved family, friends and pets? Are you on the list of your nonpareils? You should be.

Word Genius emails – Speaking of word meanings, you probably have figured out by now that I love the written word. I also love things that make me feel smart. Every day I get a Word Genius email with a word and a multiple choice question, as to the word’s meaning. More often than not, I get the word’s meaning correct and even if I don’t get the answer right, I learn a new word, or I am reminded of a wonderful word that I had forgotten about and need to bring back into my vernacular. The other day, the Word Genius word was “Hinterland” which means unchartered territory. I thought to myself, “There is a blog post related to this word. Being an almost empty-nester is certainly entering into Hinterland.”

Reclaimed Wood furniture – My husband is reclaiming one of our bedrooms as a home office. By the time we are done setting the home office up, it will be time for him to return to his real office downtown, but still . . . . . . My husband has always fallen in love with reclaimed wood pieces which we have seen in various local, funky bars and eateries, so we went on a search to find him the perfect reclaimed wood desk. And we found it!! Friends, there is a whole other blog post story (which I will save for a later date), fully explaining how we found this gorgeous, one of kind piece. I am completely and totally in love with this piece of furniture. Sometimes, I just wander in and gaze at it. Nothing is more beautiful than nature, and nothing is more impressive than a devoted, passionate craftsman/artist who can coax out the natural beauty of the deepest center of a piece of wood, forcing you to pay awestruck attention to its divine, ravishing, unique qualities. Each layer of a tree trunk tells, a story right?? This desk tells an intimate story without using any words. Here it is:

Enjoy your weekend, my dear friends!! See you tomorrow!!

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

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

Image result for funny mother and son memes

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)

Image result for funny mother of sons memes

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.

Feeling Friday

Hello my dear friends and readers!! We made it!! We made it to Friday. In my life, a lot of “my people” have gone through some challenges this week such as crazy, busy workloads and deadlines, huge snow storms, and scary health challenges. Somehow, though, here we are at Friday, and everything feels like its going to be okay. I am happy to report that two of my dear friends got the vaccine this week. They had no reaction to the shot, other than big smiles on their faces. That makes my heart, happy and hopeful. My regular readers know that I love Fridays and I typically list three favorite products or songs or movies or food stuff that make life a little more fun and eventful. I strongly encourage you to put your favorites in my Comments section. Share the love, friends!! Here are my favorites for today:

Hunt for the Wilderpeople – This movie was written by Taika Waititi, the same man who created JoJo Rabbit and The Mandalorian. The movie features a young man who is a foster child in New Zealand, and his adventure with his “uncle.” What I love most about Taika Waititi’s creations is that he shows his stories through the innocent, hopeful, resilient eyes of a child. He makes it okay to laugh through extremely difficult experiences. I always fall in love with the characters (even the supporting cast) in his movies, and I always feel a little expansion in my heart and in my smile, after watching. I highly recommend this delightful film.

Mineral Fusion Lipstick – One of my favorite things in life, is to find an “old favorite” which I have forgotten about. I was cleaning out my little cross-body, dog walking purse, and underneath the poop bags (unused, of course), the dog whistle, the hand sanitizer, and a few random dog treats, was my metallic orange tube of Mineral Fusion Lipstick (shade – Intensity). I forgot how much I like this lipstick for its brightness and staying power. The older I get, the more faded out I seem to look, and a nice, bright lipstick always does the trick, to perk me up a little bit. Lately, one of my friends (a somewhat conservative English teacher), has taken to wearing red lipstick every day and she looks so gorgeous on our Marco Polo videos that we share we each other, in our friend group. Lipstick is our friend, ladies! (Peony is another shade that I like from this line.)

I was reminded of one of my favorite biblical verses today, from Tim Scott’s (senator from South Carolina) Twitter. Tim was raised by a single mother who worked sixty hour weeks as a nurse’s aide to support her family. Tim Scott has said that his mother always saw what he was capable of becoming, well before he did and he quoted this verse, as he wished her a happy birthday today. Those of you, who also believe in mystical numbers, can appreciate that this verse is number 11:1. Keep the faith, friends and have a wonderful weekend! (Go Buccaneers!!!)

Image result for hebrews 11;1

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. 

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.

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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