Friday Archives - Page 12 of 15 - Adulting: Second- Half

Friday! Friday! Friday!

Happy Friday! Happy May Day! Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit!! (we’ll take all the luck we can get these days, right?) Happy Favorite Things Friday!! I’m so happy that it is Friday. Aren’t you?? As you know, I love Fridays. New readers, Fridays are light and on the surface here at Adulting – Second Half. On Fridays, I discuss three items, books, songs, beauty products etc. that have made my material life more special and I ask you to share some of your favorites in the Comments section. For more favorites, please see previous Friday posts. Here are today’s favorites:

“I Believe” by Moon Dog Mane – This song is my number one favorite for today. The other day I went for a mind-clearing drive with my convertible top down and this song came on and all at once, me, my car, my driving and all of my emotions became one with this song. I turned the volume all of the way up and I jammed. Yes, I jammed. Now, typically I think that it is a very obnoxious move when people play their music so loud, forcing everybody else to listen to their own musical tastes, and at high volume. But, at that moment, I was outpouring, and this song just felt like it was the anthem for everything that we’ve all been going through. And I needed to feel it, and I needed to share it. And happily, there were a lot of people who agreed with me, on that day. I got the thumbs up from a few motorcyclists, a couple of teenagers walking on the side of the road, some landscapers and even an old lady and her poodle. We were all jamming to this tune. I have unofficially named Moon Dog Mane’s “I Believe”, the anthem of the coronavirus situation. “I Believe” that it’s just the right song for what we are all feeling and what we are all going through. Play it right now. Bang your head, put your arms up in the air and feel the strength of the conviction that “Everything Will Be Alright!”

Lithops – These darling succulents look like tiny little colorful stones (kind of like Fruity Pebbles). Lithops originated in Africa, but I got mine from a seller on Etsy. They are tiny and they are so sweet and adorable. If you are a succulent lover, treat yourself to a little sprinkling of these little babies, to make your heart happy. I have purchased a few of my succulents from sellers on Etsy and I have never been disappointed.

How To Look Good on Video Calls | Zoom, FaceTime, Skype!

My third favorite is a great video from Angie of Hot and Flashy YouTube video fame. Hot and Flashy is a series of videos featuring helpful beauty tips, particularly for middle-aged women, and the above video is especially helpful and apropos for today’s times. Despite the fact that Angie, the creator and the host of Hot and Flashy is stunningly beautiful, she is so down-to-earth and real and honest about what she does to maintain her looks, that you can’t help but to love her and to appreciate her. With all of this time staying at home, it is a good time to experiment with your hotness and your flashiness. Own it, ladies. And have a great weekend!!!!

Not So Fun Friday

This is from a poster on Twitter under the heading #EverythingsGonnaBeOkay

What an adorable puppy!! A lot of people have been talking about how, despite the awful circumstances, it’s sort of nice to get back to the simpler pleasures in life. We are all appreciating the sanctity and security that we feel in our own homes, probably more than ever. New readers, on Fridays I typically list three favorite consumption things that I love, like products, or websites or music, etc. I call Fridays, “Favorite Things Friday”. I am not sure that I feel comfortable doing that tradition, today. It just doesn’t feel appropriate. So if you are wanting “favorites” suggestions, please see my previous Friday posts in the archives.

I have to admit, when this contagion first started happening, it felt like a giant over-reaction. I was angry, frustrated, bewildered and I was thinking of myself and my own immediate family and friends, and the plans which we had made, that were getting cancelled left and right. Not too long ago, I was thinking: “If getting infected with this new virus was only going to be like having a bad cold for most of us, why so much concern? ” Then I read this article written by an Italian doctor:

https://www.newsweek.com/young-unafraid-coronavirus-pandemic-good-you-now-stop-killing-people-opinion-1491797

This article really put it all in perspective for me. We all have a social responsibility to each other. We have a major social responsibility to not overload our already overly-taxed medical professionals and our hospitals. There are still plenty of ill people, dealing with other sicknesses and conditions. How will we be able to care for those people, if our hospitals are overflowing with people sick with COVID-19? What if all of our medical professionals and caretakers become ill and are not able to do their jobs? Probably the best thing to come out of this whole situation, it the in-your-face reminder that we are One. We are One global community. We must care about the whole of us, for any one of us, to have normal, healthy, comfortable lives. All for One, and One for All!

We are all sacrificing here (in no particular order of importance): wages, proms, jobs, projects, vacations, graduation ceremonies, reunions, sports events, theater events, feelings of security and safety and health for ourselves and our loved ones, conferences, church ceremonies . . . . the list could go on forever. Let’s be mindful of that, and look at our own daily actions, a little more carefully. We are all feeling disappointment. How are our actions affecting others? Are we behaving socially responsible? If you are elderly, fragile, and/or sickly, please stay in your homes. We don’t want to lose you and we all have made a lot of sacrifices, to try to change the tides. I am shocked at the amount of older, fragile people whom I have witnessed in restaurants, crowded stores and even coming out of nail salons. Seriously! This is the time, when we all come together, and hunker down and unite against this contagion.

Stay well, my dear friends and readers! The clouds always pass. Everything is going to be okay!!!

I Love Me and Friday

Image result for it's finally friday stay calm

My heavens, it sure is easy to REALLY appreciate Friday, lately, isn’t it?! Sometimes getting to Friday, feels like rock climbing, on a very precarious ledge, with crumbling pebbles of Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday, falling to the ground way below, as we claw our way to the weekend. I hope that this Friday, finds you all well and calm. We’ve made it. We’re here, at the pinnacle of the week – Friday. New readers, Fridays are devoted to the outside pleasures of life, here at Adulting – Second Half. I call it Favorite Things Friday. On Friday, I list three things that have made my life a little snappier, such as songs, beauty products, books, websites, food items, desserts, etc. etc. I strongly encourage you to add your favorites to my Comments section and to check out previous Friday listings for more favorites. We could all use a “pick me up” these days, right? Here are this week’s favorites:

This is my first favorite. What a great, empowering video and song. Demi Lovato knocked it out the park with this one. This is a great one to share with our daughters, granddaughters, nieces, friends, ourselves, and maybe just anyone we know. Be warned, Demi does use profanity, but it definitely drives the point home. Demi is a rock star, in every sense of the word!

AHA Sparkling Water – This is the latest addition to the seltzer scene. No sugar, no calories, but great, interesting flavors, plus an added bonus of some electrolytes and 30 mg of caffeine. My son was complaining to me that there wasn’t enough caffeine in it, so I told him to just hush up and pour himself another can. No calories = no guilt. I feel like a traitor, sharing this favorite, being a loyal fan of Lacroix, but honestly, AHA is a great switch up. I recommend both brands, if you are a seltzer water fan.

Rock Your Hair Hot Curls Thermal Curl Spray – I’ve used hot curlers in my hair since the 1980s. I’m not coordinated enough, nor patient enough, nor skilled enough to use a curling iron/curling brush/flat iron, etc. I don’t feel comfortable wearing my hair entirely straight, but unfortunately, straight and limp, is my thin (and getting thinner) hair’s “go-to position”. Worse yet, my hair shares my totally stubborn streak in its DNA and goes to straight, almost as soon as I remove my curlers. This product is the first product which I have found to give me any kind of hope for keeping my hair’s curl for longer than 10 minutes. Like all hair styling products, a little goes a LONG way.

And finally, the Fortune of the Day: “Opportunities to find deeper powers within ourselves come when life seems most challenging.” – Joseph Campbell

Have a great weekend, friends and readers!! Stay well!!

The Spell of Friday

Hi friends and readers!! I’m ready for Friday. How about you? New readers, Fridays are dedicated to favorites here at Adulting – Second Half. Sometimes my favorites are songs or things or beauty products or food or whatever. I strongly encourage you to check out previous Friday postings for more favorites and please, please add your own favorites to the Comments section. Speaking of favorites, here’s a kindly reminder: McDonald’s Shamrock Shakes are back. They also have a Shamrock McFlurry this year. I can personally attest to the fact that both are delicious, as ever. No particular “things” are sticking out to me as favorites this week, so I’m just going to list some good words of wisdom, I pulled from my internet browsing and reading, this week:

“Difficult roads lead to beautiful places.” – f of f (Twitter)

“It’s okay if you don’t like me, cause not everyone has good taste.” – f of f (Twitter)

“You don’t have to change your life overnight, but try to add good things to each day.” – f of f (Twitter)

“Throw me to the wolves and I will return leading the pack.” – Tiffanie Seiler

“When you put someone on a pedestal, they will always look down on you.” – unknown

Effect – bring about a result. Affect – to make a difference. (good grammar tip)

“You can’t bring up my past to break me, that’s what made me.” – f of f (Twitter)

“Keep in mind that you don’t have to feel brave to do brave things. Brave is more of an action than a feeling anyway.” – Holiday Mathis

“You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading the last one.” – f of f (Twitter)

“True friends stab you in the front.” – Oscar Wilde

“Give a man a mask and he will show you his true face.” – Oscar Wilde (think internet trolls)

“I love this crazy, tragic, sometimes almost magic, awful, beautiful life.” – Darryl Worley

“Romantic love is a kind of spell. As anyone who has ever read a fairytale knows, spells have a way of being broken. That’s why it helps when you have many different kinds of love for the same person. The loyal love you feel for country and family; the compassion you feel for the young, old, or weak; the playful, competitive love that siblings and friends share_ if all these kinds of love are woven together in the same relationship, it can withstand the precarious ups and downs of romantic love and even out some of that drama.” – Holiday Mathis

Ana Rosa — In every sense of the word . . . . .

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

The First Five Days

But Friday is the easiest of those five days!!! Happy Friday!! Happy Favorite Things Friday!! New readers, it’s always casual Friday here at Adulting – Second Half. We stay in the shallow end on Fridays. I refuse to enter the inner depths of my indoor mind pool, on Friday. On Friday, I typically list three favorite things, websites, products, foods, songs, etc. and I encourage you to list your favorites in my Comments section.

I typically think of a favorite thing during the week, when I am using something, perusing somewhere, or snoozing, in my bed. Then, I write those inspirations on my calendar to remind me to share them with you, my beloved readers. Unfortunately, this is one of those weeks where I got “away from myself” and my normal routine. So, I have nothing to jog my memory to what to share with you. I decided I will write a list of some of my favorite things to do, to inspire you to write your own list of why life can be so satisfying. It really is the small things, sometimes, that add up to a good life.

A Sampling List of Some of My Favorite Things to Do:

Long, rambling, funny meals and conversations with my family and my friends.

Long, rambling walks with my husband and my dogs.

Cuddling with my husband in bed . . . . and other things.

Listening to my kids when they are in “excited, chatter mode” (even my adult kids still get this way, sometimes).

Writing.

Reading.

Getting really lost in a really good book or movie or TV series.

Discussing “what” I got lost in, from a really good book, movie, or TV series.

Watching SNL videos of skits, while doing stretches and planks. (I honestly just really like the SNL skit part)

Kissing my dogs on top of their heads. (I leave lipstick marks on our yellow lab)

Cuddling with my collie. She is such a cuddle bug! (Giant Pomeranian lap dog)

Crossing things off of my to-do list.

Making people laugh and feeling clever about it.

Trying out a new place, restaurant, shop, trail, skill, modality, amusement etc.

Taking the time for putting together a really cool outfit.

Driving aimlessly with the convertible top down, and the music blaring.

Doing and witnessing random acts of kindness.

Really connecting with someone and feeling like you have helped them reach a new insight that they were struggling to reach.

Flipping aimless through magazines and ripping out the pages that move me.

Laughing hard, loud and obnoxiously, from complete hilarity.

These are just a few things that popped right into my head, when I focused on the thought of “some of my favorite things to do.” It took me all of seven minutes to write down. Write your own list. Right now. It’s an uplifting thing to do. You’ll be happy that you did it. (I think that “bossing people around” might be one of my favorite things to do, but I’m not going to own that one. 😉 ) Have a great weekend!!!

40 Encouraging Quotes & Words Of Encouragement To Get You Through The Hardest Times In Life | YourTango

Keeping It Casual

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpHeEiVTALU

Meredith’s Casual Friday Outfit

Happy Friday! Happy Favorite Things Friday!!! New readers, I don’t get deep and reflective on Fridays. On Fridays, I keep it light and airy and I typically list about three favorite things, songs, books, websites, ideas, etc. that keep my life humming. I ask you to list your favorites in the Comments sections, because favorites are fun!! Fridays are fun!!! Please see previous Friday posts for more favorites. Here are today’s favorites:

Dove Lavender and Coconut Milk Whipped Body Cream – This product is one of Allure Magazine’s Beauty Best Buys. The way to my heart is through my smeller. (“The nose . . . it always knows.” – Toucan Sam) This concoction is amazingly good smelling and very emollient, which is key because I hate to break it to you, but Winter is Coming!

Bath and Body Works Brown Sugar & Fig Fine Fragrance Mist – Someone told me that fig perfume is very alluring. Despite having a shelf full of perfume, I couldn’t resist just one more. I started out cheap and figured that I could work my way up. Well, I don’t have to because the first day that I wore this scent, I received a compliment on it. Cha-ching! This is a lovely, light, fall feeling scent and it won’t break the bank.

CurlyGirlDesign.com – These cocktail napkins are one of the many products available on this wonderful, inspiring, fun and empowering gift boutique website. My book club friend gifted me these napkins, perhaps a decade ago and I have never used them, because I love them so much. It means so much to me that she “knew my heart.” When you give one of your friends a gift from this website, she will feel the same connection and care.

Listen, It’s Friday!

Hi all! Yay! It’s finally Friday! Happy Friday!!! On Fridays, nothing of any kind of a serious nature is discussed here at Adulting – Second Half. On Fridays, I typically list three favorite products, songs, websites, books, etc. that make my Material Girl life all of the more fun. I strongly encourage my readers to add their favorites to the Comments section, so that we all can have even more fun this weekend. Please see previous Friday posts for more of my favorites. Today I am going to list my favorite “kid videos” that make me smile and giggle out loud, again and again. Many of you will recognize the first video which is the inspiration for the above meme. Click on the videos and giggle away!

Happy Friday, dear readers and friends!!! I hope that you have a fabulous weekend!!

Dogs, Shells, Mimosas . . . Friday!

Today, we get to be like our dogs!! We always say that we want to come back as them, right?! Honestly, I want to come back as either my husband’s boss’ dog or my aunt’s and uncle’s dog. No doubts!

Happy Friday, friends and readers!! Today is Favorite Things Friday!! On Fridays, we stay away from deep thoughts and reflections here at Adulting-Second Half (unless you are pondering as to whose dog you want to come back as). On Fridays, I list three favorite things, websites, songs, products, anythings that keep my life going along in a fun way. Please share the love with your favorites in the Comments section (shout out to Kit, my most prolific commenter, so far! Kit, today you are my favorite!) and also check out previous Friday posts for more favorites. You can never have too many favorites!

Here are today’s favs:

Cherub’s Doses & Mimosas song – Please just ignore the nasty lyrics and profanity and just jam to this tune. My sons were annoying our neighbors with this tune blasting out of their waterproof JBL speakers (that they kept testing by throwing the speakers into the pool – you are impressive, JBL) this past weekend and I found myself not able to stay still, from its beginning until its end. (much to their chagrin) Try not to even bob your head, or lift your shoulders while this song is playing. See, not possible. Close your eyes and go back to your night club days, so very long ago . . . If you can pretend that you don’t understand English, this is the perfect Friday mood setter song.

Betta Fish – One of our pets is Big Dickie. He is the Betta fish who lives in a container in our powder room (you do the math). Big Dickie has lived with us for a few years now. He is a beautiful, gorgeous, giant red Betta fish. (all of the Bettas with huge, big, fancy fins are the males). Bettas actually have personality. Any time, any one of us uses the powder room, Big Dickie rises the surface to greet us. He thinks that it is feeding time. (circle of life moment). Bettas can’t move fast, because their fins are actually quite heavy for their bodies to lug around. So they just sit still and stare at you (if look closely, they actually have very interesting, expressive faces) Big Dickie actually has a little leaf perch, suctioned to the side of his bowl, so that he can rest. If you want a low maintenance pet that is really quite interesting, I highly recommend a Betta (two male bettas will kill each other in an aquarium – they are also known as fighting fish, so keep ’em separated.)

Shell Jewelry – I’ve always loved shell jewelry, even when I didn’t live in Florida. Right now cowrie shell jewelry is all of the rage. Cowrie shells are those white shells that look like a piece of macaroni, often confused with puka shells. Pukas are white shells that look more round and bead- like than cowries, but they are lovely, too. I love brown and white shells made into jewelry. One of my favorite pieces of jewelry is a wampum bracelet that my husband bought for me in Martha’s Vineyard. (my grandparents eloped there during World War II – very special place to me) Wampum is a purple and white shell that Native Americans used throughout history as a form of currency. The wampum jewelry on Martha’s Vineyard is made by the Aquinnah Wampamnoag tribe who have a reservation on the island.

There you have it! As always, thank you for coming by! I love you guys!!

Saucy Friday

Hi friends! It’s Favorite Things Friday here at Adulting – Second Half! Newbies, there is no sentimental, emotional writing here on Fridays. (although I sometimes do love my things, to tears!) On Fridays, I list usually around three favorite things, songs, makeup, books, websites, foods, etc. that just make my surface life sing! I encourage you to check out previous Friday posts for more of my favorites and I am always thrilled when my readers list some of their own favorites, to share, in the Comments section.

Today, you get gypped. Today I am only listing two of my absolute favorite sauces. You can get both of these at Costco. I just don’t have a third one to add, that I believe is in the same category of “delicious” that I place these sauces. I would drink these sauces. I would eat just about anything, if it were smothered in one of these sauces. Without further ado:

Kirkland Cilantro Lime Crema sauce – This sauce first appeared in a little white cup in Costco’s incredibly delicious street tacos tray. One cup is never enough. Six cups wouldn’t be enough. That is why, due to popular demand, Costco now sells this divine, green culinary delight in bottles, sold in twos. That should last you a week, tops.

Kewpie Creamy Deep Roasted Sesame Dressing & Marinade – This sauce had me at “hello” when I was handed a small sample from the sample lady at Costco. She knew what she was doing. Her quota was met within an hour. Supposedly this sauce was the 2016 Dressing of the Year, in case you missed the awards show.

I would love to have more deliciousness to add to my favorite sauces list. Please sauce me up in the Comments section!!

Enjoy a delicious, saucy weekend!!! Happy Friday!!!