Tag: Friday

It’s Friday, Dog Gone It!

This was my wake-up call this morning. This is why I love Fridays! For new readers, the adorable lab on the left is Ralphie and the beautiful collie on the right is Josie. They are my fur babies, as my four babies are growing up and leaving me. 😉 There are a few funny fur baby stories in my blog. Search up their names and you’ll find the fun posts. New readers, I don’t probe the depths of my mind, heart and soul on Fridays. I keep it light and airy and list three favorite items that have added fun and delight to my life, therefore I call it Favorite Things Friday. Please check out previous Friday posts for other favorites and readers, please, please share your favorites in the comments. Nobody bites here. My readers are all really cool (like me 😉 )! Plus, as I’ve told some friends, I’m running out of favorites. Here we go:

No 7 Laboratories Line Correcting Booster Serum – Damn, I really like this stuff! A woman working at Walgreens used her male manager as an example and took some before and after pictures, after about 3 weeks of him using it. After seeing those pictures, I bought two tubes. I have really big smile lines. I like to think this is because I laugh a lot, but they look like parentheses and parentheses in bold, when I just have a blank stare on my face. I have noticed a definite reduction in these lines since using this serum. The great thing about this stuff is that it won’t break the bank (find it at Walgreens and Target), a little goes a long way and it looks scientific.

Mateo’s Gourmet Salsa (medium) – I love Mexican food! I love spicy food! I have been known to drink salsa that I like. Mateo’s is my favorite all-time, holy grail salsa. It’s not too chunky. It has just the right amount of spice, and you can buy it in bulk at Costco. What more do you want in a salsa?? Ole!!

Sprayway Glass Cleaner – This is an aerosol glass cleaner that works amazingly well, but that is not why I love it. I actually wish that it weren’t an aerosol, but I have done my research to see that aerosols have been regulated in the U.S. to stop their ozone depleting properties. Still, the reason why I love this stuff is that it smells fabulous! (and you regular readers know that the way to my heart is through my smeller) We have a glass top table in our kitchen that is always full of fingerprints, food residue and dog nose smudges. Sprayway takes this all away in one swoop, keeping the glass clear and mama’s nose in Heaven!

Have a great weekend! Thanks as always for your wonderful support!!

“I’m going to need Friday off for a reason I’ll think of by Monday.” – someecards

It’s a Feminine Friday!

“A woman should be two things: who and what she wants.” – Coco Chanel

“Here’s to strong women. May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them.” – Unknown

“When there is a woman, there is magic.” – Ntozake Shange

Happy International Women’s Day!!! Happy Favorite Things Friday!!! New readers, I keep it on the surface here on my favorite day of the week. I list three favorite items, songs, animals, foods, whatevers and I tell you why I like these favorite things. I encourage you to add to the list of favorites in the Comments section. Please also check previous Friday listings for other favorites. Without further ado:

Frontgate Pagoda Lantern – My very cool, interesting, intriguing, NYC dweller Great Aunt Alice loved a touch of Asian in all her decorating. I think that rubbed off on me. I love my foo dogs, my lucky cats, my three legged toads and my Frontgate Pagoda Lantern. Every time I look out at my pool area, I see the curly roof and the tall spire and it brings a little bit of glee to my heart. I have had mine for a few years now and it holds up well to the hot pelting Florida sun, and the torrential Florida downpours. Worth every penny!

Orvis Wine Barrel Lazy Susan – My mother taught me the value of a round table. It makes conversation flow so much better and no one gets “stuck” in the corner. My mother-in-law taught me the value of a Lazy Susan. I didn’t come from a big family, but she has five kids, so the first time I was introduced to a Lazy Susan was when I had dinner at my in-laws. You would never get the chance to eat hot food in a big family, if you were constantly asked to pass the salt, pass the mustard, pass the pickles, etc. The Lazy Susan eliminates the need for all of the pass requests. This Orvis model is particularly high quality and you can get your family’s name engraved on it, which makes it very special.

YogaToes – I’ve had many inspiring yoga instructors over the years, but one wise older woman really sticks out in my mind. She said that we must place particular care and attention to stretching our feet. It does seem that I know a lot of elderly people with a lot of feet issues that I would prefer to avoid in my elder years. She had an exercise where she would make us pick up pencils with our toes. She also recommended these toe separators to wear on occasion to make sure our feet don’t become deformed in our old age. They hurt a little when you wear them for a long time, but a little soreness beats foot surgeries any day!

I hope that you noticed that all of my suggestions today came from inspiration and recommendations from women! Today’s a good day to reflect on all of the good wisdom every one of us has gleaned from the beautiful women in our lives. Happy Friday! Happy Weekend! Just Happy!

Show Me Yours

“Go and Rock Your Fabulous Oh So Feisty Self. It’s Feisty Friday. Own It!” – Feisty and I Know It

Hi friends!!! Happy Friday!!! Rabbit!! Rabbit!! Rabbit!! We keep it silly, stupid and delicious here at Adulting – Second Half, on Fridays. I typically list three items, websites, music sources, information sites, etc. that I find divine. Please check previous Friday postings for more favorites and as always, PLEASE add your own favorites to the Comments section. Please don’t hoard them to yourselves!! Sharing is caring. Here are my three for this Friday’s edition:

BUG ART greeting cards – These greeting cards are so beautiful, that I buy them with every intention of sending them and yet, I rarely do, because I can’t bear to part with them. I’ve even been known to frame some of them because they really are works of art. Most of the cards depict animals but in the most artistic, unusual, interesting of ways. I find mine at The Fresh Market grocery stores, but you can buy them online, as well. Bug out in a good way!! Feast for the eyes!!

Greenies Pill Pockets for dogs – Ralphie, our labrador retriever, got stung by some nasty thing Monday evening, and blew up like a balloon. Three steroid shots later and orders from the vet to give Ralphie fistfuls of Benadryl, made me buy yet another bag of Greenies Pill Pockets, which are lifesavers. We have been to the veterinarian so much in the last six months that my husband says that we’ve bought him a new car. It’s okay. We’ve got a great vet, our Ralphie is on the mend and Pill Pockets are the only way that I can get my dogs to take their meds. Every dog that we’ve ever shared our lives with, all seemed to have the special talent to separate pills from whatever cheese or meat I wrapped them up in, so that the pills would be unceremoniously spit back out on the floor, while the delicacy was devoured. This doesn’t happen with Greenies Pill Pockets. The whole treat with the meds stuck securely inside of it, seems to get devoured in one full swoop. They are lifesavers, literally!

Boudreaux’s Butt Paste – If you have a baby, a grandbaby, a sweaty, athletic teenage boy who has trouble with chafing, or a dog who swims so much that he’s always pink from chafing, you need to have a least one tube of this stuff. Nothing works better for the nasty rash that makes the above parties cry, lick excessively and/or walk funny. It seems to work in a day. It’s supposedly chemical free, but boy, does it do the trick! I buy it in bulk.

Okay, friends. I showed you mine. Now, you show me yours. Have a wonderful weekend!!!

Friday, Friends and the Freakin’ Weekend

“The only trip you will regret is the one you don’t take.” – unknown

“Cheers to the freakin’ weekend.” – Rihanna

Happy Friday, readers and friends!! I am writing this from afar today. I am on a weekend trip with my best friends from college. We do this trip every year since we graduated and sometimes it feels like we are still back in school. It is such a blessing to reflect on life – life’s adventures, life’s misadventures, life’s sorrows and life’s greatest joys, with people who have known each other since the dawning of each other’s adult lives. It makes today a very special Favorite Things Friday. For new readers, I usually describe three favorite things, websites, songs, products, etc. on Fridays. Please see previous Friday posts for fun and helpful ideas. Fridays are always light, pleasant and airy here at Adulting – Second Half. But today, I am going to do it a little differently, in honor of my dear friends who knew me in my Adulting – First Half.

Here are my favorite things about being with really good friends. I hope this list will spur you on to make your own list about your friends and you will carry those warm feelings with you all of the way into a wonderful weekend.

My favorite things about being with my friends:

  • Feeling like you never left off. Even if you haven’t seen each other all year long, you come together so easily and happily, it’s like you just saw each other yesterday.
  • All of the inside jokes. Long histories make for crazy stories that never seem to lose their luster and novelty for the people who have shared funny times and hilarious memories.
  • The feeling of total acceptance. Your long-time friends know almost everything about you and love you anyway.
  • Knowing that you have a big group of gals who “have your back.” The wonderful feeling of being cared for and supported and the good feeling of being that same source of support and caring for others, in their times of need.
  • Making more fond memories with new shared adventures, that will add to the cache of inside jokes.
  • Really good insights and ideas and perspectives about situations going on in each other’s lives, that come from people who know each other well and earnestly care for one another.

I could go on and on, but I don’t like to get sappy on Fridays. Let’s just say that this wonderful group of women are treasures to me. They were a huge part of my first half of adulting and I look forward to all of the fun, joy, tenderness, reflections and wisdom that we will share as we travel together on this journey through our second halves of adulting.

“It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

“A friend is a gift you give yourself.” – Robert Louis Stevenson

I Found Friday

“I found Friday. It was hiding at the end of the week this whole time!” – Clipart & Vector Design

Happy Friday, readers and friends!! Fridays are know as Favorite Things Friday here at Adulting – Second Half. We discuss nothing serious on Fridays, unless it is serious fun. Typically I write about three products or services of websites or songs, etc. that have added spring in my step (please see previous Friday posts), but today, I am going to shake it up a little bit. Below are just a few of my favorite occurrences. I hope that this list of some of my favorites, will jog you into thinking about some your favorites, which can only serve to raise your spirits! Add to all of our high spirits, and tell us some of your favorites, in the Comments section, please.

Happy Friday, again, my friends. 🙂

These are a few of my favorite things:

When you get the best advice from the least likely source.

When sometimes all it takes is unplugging the device and plugging it back in, to fix everything all up.

When you are snuggling with your favorite people and/or your pets, and the fit is just perfect!

When the schedule truly is totally free enough to do whatever you feel like doing right in the moment.

How amazing food tastes when you are really, really hungry.

My car’s seat heaters, even in warm weather.

A totally still, large body of water.

Everything going as planned.

Seinfeld re-runs.

Pleasant surprises.

Laughing uncontrollably.

Unusual combinations of colors that really are a “feast for the eyes.”

Actually liking a photograph of yourself.

Serendipity.

“If I had one wish, it would be to remove Monday and replace it with a second Friday. Happy Friday!”
Unknown

Have a great weekend, my friends! See you tomorrow!!

It’s Friday, Light a Candle

“Friday increases the happiness all around the world by 11%.” – Famous Quotes Daily

That’s just an average. I’m sure that on certain Fridays, that percentage is doubled, maybe even tripled in certain corners of the world. Happy Friday, my dear friends! This is the last Friday of the year of 2018! I hope that you have had a wonderful holiday season and an intriguing, exciting year with an even better year coming, in the future! New readers, I write about three of my favorite things or songs or books or websites, etc. every Friday, keeping Fridays what they should be – a break from all of the seriousness of life. Please look in the archives for other Friday suggestions if you are looking for ways to spend your Christmas money!

I’ve told you before about how much I like scented candles. I like them so much that I once lit our dining room table on fire (see July or August archives). I also like to float lighted coconut shell candles in our pool on special occasions. (you can order those from vendors on Etsy) Anyway, I have a closet full of candles and I love them all, but if I had to pick just three to keep, these brands and scents would have to be it:

Lollia Candles (out of Denver) – these candles come in lovely, colorful, cubed boxes that make them seem almost too pretty to burn. They make wonderful gifts for people and all of their scents are amazing, but if I had to pick one scent, it would be number 88 Velvet as Night. The scent is mysterious, sensual and exotic.

Blue Flame Candles (out of Stuart, Florida) – these candles are strongly scented in fabulous way. If you need to replace a terrible scent with a much better scent, this is your go-to candle. They have scents like I have never smelled before. My favorite of theirs is Golden Patchouli, but they are all very nice.

MVP Group Candles (out of Charleston, SC) – I have only bought this one particular candle of theirs because it has a neat, beachy look to me. The scent is fabulous. It is called Warm Beachwood. The container is a beautiful milky, light blue iridescent glass with an intricate carved, copper lid. I love it lit and unlit!

Feel free to tell me your favorite candles and scents. I can make room in my closet!

“It’s Friday! I haven’t been this excited since my phone got stuck on vibrate.” – Someecards

Friday’s My Favorite

Buddy the Elf’s Manager: Why are you smiling like that?

Buddy the Elf: I just like to smile. Smiling’s my favorite!

Buddy the Elf’s Manager: Make Work your favorite. That’s your favorite, okay? Work is your new favorite.

Ha! It’s Favorite Things Friday and there is no way, ever that work is going to make the list. Smiling can make the list on Favorite Things Friday, but not work. Nuh-uh, no way, no how. New readers, on Fridays, I keep things light and happy and smiley. There are no deep thoughts on Fridays. I typically list about three things, songs, apps, websites, twitter feeds, etc. that make the experience of my life just a little bit grander. I would love for my readers to get involved in the comments section and add to the favorites list so we all can have an even grander experience is this game called Life.

Today, I am going to expand my list a little bit because I’m only going to discuss nail polish colors. Now, I have hideous fingernails and I’m too lazy, impatient, cheap and rough with my hands, to get acrylics. However, I have always had pride in my feet. I think that I have decently pretty feet. I also love a good pedicure, even more than a massage. Even though “work is not my favorite”, if I had a dream job, I think it would be naming nail polish colors. I think those people are among the most creative people in the world, and I’d love to be part of that colorful crowd! Here goes:

In the brown family: Essie Partner in Crime (a dark, chocolate brown) and Essie Mink Muffs (a light, chocolate milk brown). Also, OPI Krona-logical Order (a greyish, earthy brown).

In the orange family: This is my only go-to in the orange family and I go-to it a lot! Essie Playing Koi (an dark, autumn-like, rusty orange)

In the green family: My skin tone looks terrible with light greens, but this rich, foresty, dark green is fabulous!! Essie Stylenomics

In the blue family: Blue is another tricky color with my skin tone, which bums me out, because I love the blues on other people. That said, I can get away with this light, sky blue version. OPI No Room For The Blues

In the red family: I know Russia is a touchy subject these days, but this is the only red that works for me. Dark, mysterious, maroon-ish and metallic. OPI Midnight in Moscow

My two long-term favorites of all time: Essie Smokin’ Hot (a fabulous milky, dark lavender) and OPI Nein! Nein! Nein! Ok, Fine! (a gorgeous, sophisticated grey)

To give you a frame of reference, I am a natural brunette with brown eyes and medium skin tone. I often have been asked if I am Italian (one very southern woman once asked me if I was in the EYE-talian Mafia, true story), Spanish (a lot of people just start talking to me in Spanish), Middle Eastern, and Native American (this one is more related to my maiden name). Truth be told, according to DNA tests, I’m not at all exotic, much to my dismay. I am mostly English and Irish and a little bit of German. Anyway, readers please share your favorite polish colors!!

Buddy the Elf answering his father’s office phone: Buddy the Elf, what’s your favorite color?

Come on readers, what’s your favorite color??? Happy Friday!!!

Friday Farkle

“Happiness is a day.  It’s called Friday.” – UpJourney

Ring the Bell!  An Angel has gotten its wings!!  Friday is the Angel of the Week, right?!?  Happy Friday!!!  One of my babies comes home from college today.  Yay!!  That makes it an extra special Friday!!  Life is good – especially on Fridays!  Readers, I keep it real surface-y on Fridays.  I call it “Favorite Things Friday” and I list three favorite things, websites, songs, beauty products etc. that I just love!  I encourage you to check out previous Fridays for other favorites and please also comment on your favorite things, that have helped make your life extra special.  Without further ado . . . . .

SNL Youtube “Turtleneck” skit with Dane Cook – This skit makes me laugh until I cry.  When we lived up north, I would always make my sons wear those adorable wool Christmas sweaters because they were, well, adorable.  And the boys were miserable!!  We would go to Christmas at my grandparents’ house and my grandparents liked to keep it real balmy, in their house.  Before you knew it, all three boys (daughter not born yet) would itch their sweaters right off and strip down to their undershirts, like they were auditioning for Chippendales.  Anyway, who couldn’t use a laugh at this point in the season??  Check it out. 

Cat Cosmetics Lip Gloss – Rich – Who doesn’t like rich?  Remember Catherine Hickland who played in Knight Rider?  Well, she still looks great and she has this fabulous make-up line!  I have bought this lip gloss for years.  I love the consistency and the fabulous sheen and color.  I’ve tried others and nothing compares.  I keep coming back to it.  It is sort of an iridescent, peachy, pinky shade, but there are all sorts of good shades to choose from.  Catherine also writes a fun blog and does great make-up tutorials.  Check it out.

Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark Collection – Why doesn’t Ghirardelli offer this candy crack all year long? Actually, it’s a good thing that they don’t.  I’d weigh 500 pounds and be severely malnourished.  Eating these chocolates (by the bagful) is perhaps on my list of 5 Top Holiday experiences, every year.  I try other peppermint bark, and it’s good, but nothing compares to this San Francisco sensation.  I mean, I’ll never turn down any peppermint bark, ever, but still this stuff is still the ultimate!  Check it out, but save some for me.

Okay, readers!  Give me 5 minutes to list your favorites.  A lot of us need ideas for last-minute gifts!! (I hope I’m not alone in this.)

“Shake Your Pom Poms – It’s Friday” – SoloQuotes

It Has Arrived – Friday

“Happy Friday!  Here’s to all of us who made it through another week of faking adulthood!” – Nanea Hoffman

Happy Friday!!! Woohoo!!!! I treated last night like Friday night.  That’s why I’m a little late to the game.  Plus, I miss my mega monitor.  The people who work at our beautiful, artsy little hotel here are wonderful suck-ups.  They told me and my husband that we were are like super fun, good-looking models.  We must be at Fantasy Island –  models for Cialis commercials, maybe.  I think that is one of the good points in aging.  Younger people start thinking that making you feel good could be “their good deed for the day.”

My new favorite flavor of cookie has to be Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Snickerdoodle.  I have sucked down three of them as I write this.  New readers, Fridays are casual here at Adulting -Second Half.  We keep it light and superficial.  I list three favorite items, songs, books, etc. that make my life even more of a good life.  I encourage you to do the same in the Comments section.  Also,  check out previous Fridays for other good ideas for ways to make your life even more of a good life, too!

I’m in a wonderful, cold Christmas-y location.  It got me thinking of my three favorite Christmas carols.  Now, Christmas music can get old fast.  After a few weeks of Christmas music wafting through the air of every space you breathe in, one can start to feel a little edgy and Scrooge-y, for sure.  However, these three renditions of Christmas songs are so good, I sometimes listen to them in July, with my convertible top down.  Ugh, I bet you are thinking “Don’t Be that Guy!”.  I know.  I know.  But I’m “That Lady”, plus I’m getting old enough that young people are starting to suck up to me, so I can get away with more now.

“Oh Holy Night” Martina McBride’s rendition – If you are tired of the crass commercialism that sometimes has a way that of wafting into the season and quickly taking over, take three big breaths and listen.  My Goodness, this woman sings so beautifully!!  This rendition still gives me shivers and makes my neck hairs stand up straight and tall.  I would put this up with Whitney Houston singing the National Anthem.

“Mary’s Boy Child” – Boney M.’s rendition – If you want to feel like you are in the Caribbean for Christmas, as you are scraping ice off of your windshield, pop this tune into your ear buds.  I heard this song for the first time ago, decades ago on an obscure radio station.  It made me feel instantly happy and like I should be dancing in a coconut bra.  Back then, we didn’t have a glimmer of services like Shazam, so I called the radio station, talked to the DJ and in the end, had to order the CD from Germany.  But it was worth it.  The song is that good.

“Last Christmas” – George Michael –  When George Michael first came on to the scene, everyone fell in love with him – men, women and children.  I was a kid and my friend’s mother couldn’t stop swooning over the gorgeousness of this man.  This is the Christmas song that my kids love washing the dishes to – it really does add to the productivity of our household and nothing brings a bigger smile to my heart than hearing my kids singing along to this song and knowing that I will be walking into a clean kitchen soon after.

Okay, time to be getting back to my wonderful adventure.  May you have wonderful adventures this weekend, too, my beloved readers and friends!!

“If showing up in a robe and a tiara with a box of wine is wrong, then maybe I  don’t fully comprehend how Casual Friday actually works.” – Abby Has Issues

The Friday Happy Dance

MONDAY Y U NO FUN FUN FUN LIKE FRIDAY? – The Joke Cafe

Friday’s back!!!!!!!!!!!  Isn’t she beautiful?!?  It’s Favorite Things Friday here at Adulting – Second Half!  Before I get started on to describing my three favorite things for today, new readers, I try to keep in light on most Fridays, by describing three things/apps/websites/songs, etc.  that I find just adds to the deliciousness of my life.  I encourage you all to mention your own favorite things in the Comments section and please check out previous Friday posts for other good ideas for a Friday uplift.  Come on now, share the love!!  It’s Friday!!

Reminder, the Salvation Army bell ringers are back in full force.  I know that a lot of us don’t carry around cash anymore, but if you find the Salvation Army to be a good, worthy cause, start collecting your extra change and throw it into your purse to later throw into those red cauldrons.  I’ve worked very hard on my “addicted to pleasing” personality this year, but I’ve learned that I still have a long way to go, when experiencing a Salvation Army bell ringer this week.  I did have change and I did give on my way into the store, so on my way out of the store, I felt the need to LOUDLY remind the bell ringer, as well as all of the other shoppers within earshot, that I had given already on my way into the store.  Okay.  Was everyone supposed to stop and applaud for me?!  Was I supposed to all of the sudden sprout some wings?!  At least I was very self-aware in that moment and I most likely turned as red as the Salvation Army cauldron.  As I’ve said before, I’m a work in progress.

On to the reason why you stopped by today – Favorite Things Friday!!!  Here we go:

The Body Shop Satsuma Body Butter – I was at the airport this past weekend and I got a glimmer of Christmas past.  Years ago, I was at the airport and I glanced down and stared at my bare legs, aghast!  They were a dry, scaly mess!  So I popped into The Body Shop and asked for an emergency solution.  They recommended a tub of this stuff and it is amazing!!!  So I scooped some up again this weekend and I was lucky enough to catch it while it was still on Black Friday super sale price.  This is another one of those items that smells so incredible, you have a hard time not dipping a spoon into it.  The consistency is dream-like and it makes you feel so smooth, amazing and it makes you smell citrus-ly clean!  Love it!!

CoolSnowGlobes – Now, my northern readers might want to hit me for recommending these snow globes.  I currently live in Florida, so I actually miss the snow sometimes.  I bought a Winter Evening Snow Globe from this website a couple of years ago.  This snow globe is so lovely and peaceful, I keep it out all year to remind of the good, quiet, peaceful parts of a snowy night.  There are so many cool snow globes to choose from on this site.  These are NOT cheap, plastic-y globes.  They are keepsakes.  This site will even make you a custom snow globe.  Embrace the globe.  Shake, rattle and roll!

Nature’s Lovers twitter feed – If you can look at just three images on this site and not smile, I’m seriously worried about you.  If you want to be reminded how amazing our world is and how incredible God’s creations are, just spend five minutes scrolling through this feed.  This is like going to the best zoo, the most amazing safari, the most gorgeous farm, the lushest gardens and jungles, all at the scroll of your mouse.  This is a guaranteed smile and gasp of awe, every single day.

“I just cannot imagine my week without Friday.” – WishesGreeting

Have a wonderful weekend, my friends!!!