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Weekly six-pack, 2017, v9

March 3, 2017 by Jana 10 Comments

Reading. Finished A Head Full of Ghosts, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Nearly Gone. DNF Imagine Me Gone. Started Nearly Found. Requested a book from NetGalley and picked up nothing from the library.

Watching. Nothing, really. Got all up to date on Schitt’s Creek (I *might* have done a celebratory jig when I found that channel airing the current season) and other than that, haven’t turned the TV on. Except to watch 45’s address to Congress. I’ve always wanted to see how a tyrannical, misogynistic, xenophobic garbage human with terrible ideas would talk to legislators so I’m glad I can cross that off my list.

Worrying. About Barkley. He’s almost 13 and is definitely starting to show his age. He inexplicably hurt yet another one of his legs and if this keeps up, we’re going to need to carry him around everywhere. Which sucks because he loves his walks and his independence and gets cranky when he can’t do what he wants. And I won’t be around this weekend to spend every second watching him. I can 100% assure you I’ll be checking in 47 times a day.

Ranting. I’m not even sure this qualifies under a rant but I don’t know what other word to use. I could spend time talking about Jeff Sessions and Betsy DeVos’s inappropriate comments but I’d rather focus on something that’s hitting way too close to home for me. The rise of anti-Semitic incidents around the country. First of all, I cannot, with every fiber of my being, understand the level of deep-seated hatred that would cause people to shoot at a Jewish preschool or call in bomb threats to a Jewish community center or destroy a Jewish cemetery or vandalize a park with antiSemitic graffiti. Second of all, WHERE IS IT COMING FROM? I truly don’t get it. I mean, I get that anti-Semitism has been on the rise since November, and it’s been around forever and will mostly likely never cease, at least not in my lifetime, and that the president has made hate cool, but what the actual fuck is going on? WHY NOW? Did something happen and I missed it? If anyone knows, please clue me in because this is wholly and on every level unacceptable. And for those who don’t know, I am Jewish. My mom works in a temple, in their preschool. I should not have to panic every day my mother goes to work, or my sister, who works at a JCC. Just like the parents who send their kids there shouldn’t have to panic. This is bullshit fucking nonsense and it needs to fucking stop. (At least there’s some people in government willing to do the right thing. And please do not say anything to me that the president or representatives don’t have an obligation  or responsibility to condemn these acts or put measures in place to stop them or that he did make a half-hearted comment on Tuesday night. I’m not having that discussion).  See also: all the other hate that increasing in this country.

Wondering. Or maybe we can call this rant #2. So the child has another cheer competition this weekend. Fine. It’s a competition to earn a bid to Disney World. Also fine. But you know what’s not fine by me? The fact that it’s only been in the last week we’ve been told the cost for the competition and, should they get a bid, we have roughly 6 weeks to pay for the entire trip including our flights (I’m not driving to Orlando from Delaware. Not ever. I drove from Delaware to Florida one time only, in college, and that was enough). Now, for some people, coming up with roughly $2500 in six weeks or less isn’t an issue. For us, it’s a huge a bit of a challenge. Now, I knew this comp was the goal so I’m not complaining about going or even having to pay. But seriously, a couple of extra month’s notice would have been nice. Just sayin’…

Laughing.

 

Have a great weekend! I’ll be coming to you live from Richmond, VA where I’ll be suffering through supporting my daughter at a cheer competition. See you back on Tuesday with a topic I haven’t decided on!

 

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Filed Under: Life Tagged With: Entertainment, favorites, weekly wrap-up

February library diet results and March challenge

March 2, 2017 by Jana 16 Comments

As you guys know, I’m on a mission to change habits this year, one month at time. To do that, I’m giving myself monthly challenges and tracking my progress. In January, I did a spending freeze and those mindful habits did in fact carry over to February (except that one day I went a little nuts but you know. It happens) and in February, I put myself on a library diet. I was not allowed to put any new books on hold but was permitted to pick up ones that had been on hold prior to February 1. I also wasn’t supposed to get any new books from NetGalley, KindleFirst, or anywhere else.

Let’s visit how I did.

First, the failures. I got a few books from NetGalley but dammit if it wasn’t worth it. I’m not 100% sure which ones came in in February and which ones were January but if I had to guess, it was probably around 4 out of the 8 new ones I found on my Kindle. So, basically, my entire March reading list is from NetGalley. I’m fine with that. 

Now, the successes. I put ZERO books on hold at the library. That’s eBooks and regular books. Let me tell you, after Show Us  Your Books this month, it was hard to do. I’ve said before that I have no FOMO except when it comes to books and when I read people’s enthusiasm for certain books I need to read them NOW. But I calmed myself down and, rather than head to the library app immediately, I made a priority list for books to put on hold as my situation fixes itself.  Also, I bought ZERO books. I have a couple I want to buy for the column I write but I might just reach out to the publishers for copies (hey, it can’t hurt!). And I got ZERO books from other people. I always feel pressure to immediately read books given or gifted to me and not receiving any made it possible to work through the library pile.

What’s next? Well, now that I know it’s possible to go a whole month without requesting books from the library,  I have no desire to permanently do that. I did learn that I don’t need to put all the books on hold at the same time and that I definitely need to space it out. Having a priority list is going to be key for me, as is culling my to-read list on Goodreads. There’s some shit on there that needs the boot.

I also learned that having a huge library pile stresses me out. I feel enormous pressure to get through all the books in the pile in a fixed time frame (thanks, due dates) and it makes reading them somewhat less enjoyable. To combat that, I’ve decided that there should be no more than 5 library books on my nightstand at any given time. I can do 5 books in 3 weeks.

And this might sound strange, but there’s a weird satisfaction in reading what I already have. I have a ridiculous amount of books on my Kindle and on my bookshelf and it’s feels good to just pick from those rather than waiting for the library to get around to giving me a book. Makes me feel more in control. Which is nice.

The library diet it accomplished exactly what I needed it to so we’ll deem it a success.

Moving on to March.

I struggled big time with what I wanted to do as a challenge this month. I know I wanted to do something around reducing decision fatigue but couldn’t figure out from what aspect. So after a ton of thinking, I decided to go with makeup. When doing my makeup and nails, I spend an inordinate amount of time deciding what to use and it’s frustrating because I always think I should have done something else. Which is fucking stupid. But that’s how my brain works and ordinarily, I roll with it.

For this month, though, I decided to pick one palette, one eyeliners, one mascara, two lip gloss/lip sticks, and two nail polish colors (visit my IG for which ones) to make it easier on myself as well as quicker (foundation and eye shadow primer are not included since I only have one of each). When I decide to put on makeup, I want to just do it and move on with minimal decisions to be had. Yes, I know that using a palette still provides a ton of options and involves decision making but it’s still less strenuous and less choices than I normally have.

Baby steps.

And to be clear, this is more of a can I do it challenge rather than a habit change challenge. I want to prove to myself that I can reduce the amount of choices I have and be absolutely fine.

And who knows? I might wind up with a signature color.

 

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Filed Under: Life Tagged With: challenges

Add it to my list: Book stuff

February 28, 2017 by Jana 11 Comments

Like I told you guys last month, I’m not a big recommender. I enjoy getting recommendations but really struggle with giving them. So this linkup, hosted by Lauren and Bre, really pushes me to think hard about what I think is worthy to recommend knowing that what I like isn’t always for everyone.

But you know what is for everyone? BOOKS.

Books are for everyone. Because books are awesome. And in what’s probably my worst kept secret, I love books. Which means that, today, I’m going to recommend some bookish things in no particular order and in absolutely no categorical groupings (which, incidentally, is how my at-home library is organized. I won’t bother with a picture because I don’t want my organized friends to freak out):

  • Book Riot. Follow them on all the social media, read their blogs, listen to their podcasts. They’re my go-to source for all bookish news and it’s my dream job to work for them.
  • Flipster. Free library app for magazines. You can’t get all the magazines but you can get a lot and there’s a ton of variety.
  • Litsy. A hybrid of Instagram and Goodreads, and it’s exclusively devoted to bookish things so if you find yourself scrolling through IG just for book pictures or reviews, get on Litsy stat. I use it to keep track of my book reviews for Show Us Your Books and not much else but it’s a great community of book nerds if that’s your jam.
  • NetGalley. THE source for ARCs. They’re free, they’re eBooks, and the only thing you need to do is review the book somewhere. You won’t always get all the books you request but you will get most of them (HELP!: I’m currently stalking Amy Stewart’s, Julie Murphy’s, and Celeste Ng’s new books so if you see them there, please let me know).
  • BookOut. If you like tracking your reading stats, this is perfect for you. You set a timer and it’ll track how long you read and you can fill in the amount of pages and which books you’ve read and all that stuff. It’s a paid app but there’s a trial version. Confession: I loved this one but deleted it because I kept forgetting to start my reading sessions and it’s hard to go back and fill in what you’ve done.
  • Instagram accounts. Reading Quirks, Book of the Month, Books on the Subway, Harvard Book Store, and Liberty Hardy (from Book Riot. She also posts lots of cat picturs). I also recommend following the accounts of some of your favorite authors and publishing houses. I do, it’s fun to look at, and I learn about a ton of books that way.
  • Finding your local indie bookstore. And using it. Look, I love Amazon as much as the next person and I definitely use it to it’s (almost) full capacity

I’m not going to recommend any specific books or authors because it’s personal and confusing and I struggle big time with picking my favorites or ones that I think you must read but if you’re interested, here’s a few summary posts I’ve written:

  • Authors I’ll never quit
  • All the book recommendations from everyone who participated in my Interview with a Bookworm series
  • The Show Us Your Books archive, which has all the SUYB posts from the beginning
  • My favorite things about books
  • My quirky reading habits

Okay, so those last two aren’t necessarily recommendations but maybe you’ll like them anyway.

I’m 100% confident this is not at all a comprehensive list of bookish things I recommend so maybe I’ll dig a few more things out and do a part 2 in the coming months. But it’s what I’ve got for now.

So, tell me. What are some of your favorite bookish things that I absolutely must see/use/read? 

 

Linking up for Add It To My List

 

Eat, Drink, and Be Lauren

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Filed Under: Life Tagged With: linkups, recommendations

Weekly six-pack, 2017, v8

February 24, 2017 by Jana 11 Comments

Reading. Finished Thirteen Reasons Why and All the Ugly and Wonderful Things. Started A Head Full of Ghosts and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (TJR’s new book. It’s on NetGalley. Highlight of my week, getting that book). Still haven’t picked up anything from the library. Full rundown of the library diet next week.

Watching. Schitt’s Creek. I have no idea what compelled me to start this show but it’s so damn hysterical I can’t stop watching. I adore Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara together and everyone is funny, too. Even Chris Elliott, who I generally cannot stand. The show has a dry, sarcastic humor so really, perfect for me. It’s on Netflix and Amazon for those who are interested in checking it out.

Eating. Almond flour chocolate chip muffins. I think next time I’ll replace the chocolate with blueberries and possibly make it as bread but in their current condition, they’re my new favorite breakfast food. One of those with coffee and almond milk has become my go-to weekday breakfast (oh, and yes. I made a whole batch. Occasionally, I’ll do a weekly meal prep).

Listening. True crime podcasts, all day, every day except for when I listen to Show Us Your Books. I’m currently working through The Accused, which is about a murder in Oxford, Ohio in 1978. Fascinating stuff because the main suspect was acquitted both criminally and civilly and it still remains unsolved.

Ranting. I don’t even know where to start this week. The fact that, once again, we care where kids go to the bathroom? Or the fact that a Jewish cemetery was destroyed? Or the people who think the president doesn’t need to speak up or out about how fucking horrid it is? Or the new immigration policy that’s not really all that different from the one that was ruled against? Or oil being more important than land and clean drinking water? The level of hatred, and the need to continually institutionalize that hatred, towards anyone and everyone different is beyond what I can handle anymore. But at least that shitfuck of a human Milo Yiannopolis had his book deal revoked (because being a racist, misogynist pig wasn’t enough for Simon and Schuster to not give him the deal in the first place) and no longer works at Breitbart. You know you’re bad when you can’t work there anymore. It’s nice watching you go down in flames, motherfucker.

Celebrating. My daughter was inducted into the National Elementary Honor Society. I have strong opinions on the fact that this is a thing but regardless of those, I’m so proud of her. She works ridiculously hard at school and to be honored in this way is amazing. I never put expectations on her for her grades other than she try her hardest and she definitely does. The best part is that she’s proud of herself and is never, ever ashamed of being smart. I’m pretty sure that means I’m doing something right.

No big plans for the weekend other than driving to the beach to check out a new (to us) sushi restaurant while the child is at a sleepover. I’ll be back on Tuesday with my bookish recommendations to link up with Lauren and Bre for Add It to My List.

 

 

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Filed Under: Life Tagged With: Entertainment, favorites, weekly wrap-up

Ladies of the 80s: A Jana and Erin Playlist

February 23, 2017 by Jana 18 Comments

We (Jana and Erin) told you last month, as we looked at the music from the Men of the ’80s, that we are unable to come up with any kind of sensible length of a playlist in the ’80s unless we broke it down for you.  There will be more to come because we will take a look at groups, and hairbands will probably get their own list, too.  So, you’ve probably figured out what today is all about…well, the title kinda gave it away…that’s right…it’s time for The Ladies of the 80s!




Awwwww the ’80s…when the ladies (and the guys) used Aquanet so our bangs could reach heights never seen before.  Spandex was king.  So were shoulder pads and blue eyeliner.  We saw Janet Jackson step out from behind the shadows of her famous brothers.  We saw her choreographer, Paula Abdul, step out from Janet’s shadow and become a pop star too.  Cyndi Lauper just wanted us to have fun.  Madonna wanted to feel like a virgin.  We had artists with established careers shine on the radio and in the movies (Dolly and Cher.)  The ladies danced, they sang, some yielded guitars, and most of them kicked ass. 

Erin’s note:  Before we hit you with our list, I have to give Jana props.  She came up with this ultimate playlist.  I just added a few touches to finesse it.  I wouldn’t have picked all the songs that she did, but as I looked at the total list, I thought she pretty much nailed it. Jana’s note: I really, really like 80s music. This was not hard to do. In fact, it was harder leaving songs off the list. 

As always, some of our picks are obvious ones and others are hidden gems.  We hope you enjoy!

Whitney Houston – I Wanna Dance With Somebody
Madonna – Dress You Up
Stevie Nicks – Edge of Seventeen
Cyndi Lauper – Time After Time
Janet Jackson – What Have You Done for Me Lately
Paula Abdul – Cold Hearted
Pat Benatar – Hit Me With Your Best Shot AND Invincible (okay, yes, we normally try to limit ourselves to only one song per artist, but Jana felt strongly about her choice, and Erin did as well, and Pat Benatar is awesome, so, yes, she gets two)

Dolly Parton – 9 to 5 (our mutual love of Dolly continues to shine)
Irene Cara – Flashdance…What a Feeling
Alannah Myles – Black Velvet
Bonnie Tyler – Total Eclipse of the Heart (always reminding Jana of “Old School”. Jana’s note: please tell me it DOESN’T remind you of Old School?)
Toni Basil – Mickey (Jana’s note: I’m the mom of a cheerleader. This is kind of a must-have)
Juice Newton – Angel of the Morning (Jana’s note: her song, Queen of Hearts? A friend and I sang that to the literal Queen of Hearts, right smack in the middle of Disney World. #noshame)
Kim Wilde – You Keep Me Hangin’ On

Donna Summer – She Works Hard for the Money (Jana’s love for Donna almost rivals her love for Dolly…almost.)
Belinda Carlisle – Heaven is a Place on Earth (don’t worry, the Go-Go’s will be represented in our groups post)
Taylor Dayne – Tell It to My Heart (the original Taylor)
Joan Jett – I Hate Myself for Loving You (Jana’s note: I Love Rock and Roll is too obvious and Bad Reputation is the theme song to one of the greatest shows of all time. This was a hard choice)
Cher – If I Could Turn Back Time

Lita Ford – Kiss Me Deadly
Sheena Easton – Morning Train
Debbie Gibson – Electric Youth
Tiffany – Could’ve Been (fun fact: Jana’s first concert ever was Tiffany and New Kids on the Block…….another fun fact: Erin forgot this song existed, but when listening to it for this playlist sang almost every lyric.  How do our minds remember song lyrics like that?!)
Laura Branigan – Solitaire (Jana’s note: my husband thinks Gloria sounds like the theme song to SportsCenter)
Tracy Chapman – Fast Car



 
Now, it’s your turn.  Tell us your favorite song(s) by The Ladies of the Eighties!

 

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Filed Under: Life Tagged With: music, playlists

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Jana

I'm Jana ...

A book reading, nail polish wearing, binge watching, music loving, dog owning, reluctant cheer mom.
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