Life Archives - Page 57 of 96

6 shows you should binge watch

January 27, 2015 by Jana 28 Comments

If you’re in the Northeast, you’re probably stuck inside because of the snow. If you live anywhere else and you’re antisocial/introverted like me, you’re probably stuck inside because people freak you out. And if you’re a normal person with normal attitudes towards others, you probably just like to binge watch TV shows because, let’s face it, it’s fun.

But maybe you look at Netflix or Amazon and get overwhelmed at the amount of choices you have for shows to binge watch. That’s where I come in. I, your friendly neighborhood binge watcher, am here to give you some guidance on what you should lose sleep over next weekend.

I thought about making this a comprehensive list, comprised of a number of shows from different genres but I don’t watch soap opera-y, overly dramatic shows like Scandal or Revenge and I’ve never seen an episode of Gilmore Girls (I tend not to watch most shows like that) and as far as documentary style shows, I mostly just watch anything with Morgan Spurlock as the host. So, as I mentioned last week, we’re going to stick with violent, gritty crime shows.

Except for the addition of Freaks and Geeks and Friday Night Lights. Watch those, too. Seriously. They’re two of my most favorite shows ever and you won’t be sorry for the time you’ll spend watching them and in fact, you’ll probably watch them each more than once (which is less time for Freaks and Geeks than FNL because F&G only has 18 episodes) and when you’re done with them, let me know so you can tell me that I was right about their sheer awesomeness.

Note: the shows on this list are culled from what’s on Netflix and Amazon, which is why previously mentioned shows like SouthLAnd are not on here. I want to make it easy for you to find them, not have to wait days for the library to find the DVDs.

That said, here’s my list of 6 shows you need to binge watch (that aren’t Orange Is the New Black):

Sons of Anarchy. On the list with FNL and F&G as one of my all-time favorites. If you’ve passed on this one, get yourself right and watch it. Sure, it’s graphic and violent and a bit over the top and you’ll find yourself wondering how Jax NEVER gets blood on his shoes but it’s a well written, engrossing show filled with weird, detestable and also likable bikers, racists, and gang members. Found on Netflix and Amazon

Charlie Hunnam bonus: Undeclared is also on Netflix and he's on that show, too. — Bonus recommendation: Undeclared is also on Netflix and Charlie Hunnam is on that show, too.

The Shield. I watched this after I finished SOA, so it was fun to see all the connections between the two shows (thanks to Kurt Sutter). Vic Mackey, the main character, is one of the most reprehensible, morally ambiguous, yet highly likable characters I’ve watched. The show is nonstop, edge of your seat drama and occasionally, you’ll have to remind yourself to breathe. Found on Amazon

Oz. This show is tough to stomach sometimes. It was on HBO so the graphic violence quotient is insanely high. So high it makes SOA look like a regular primetime network show. It takes place inside a prison and they use actual former inmates as extras and yes, things are exaggerated for dramatic effect but it feels so freaking real, it’s ridiculous. Also, once you watch it, you’ll never look at Christopher Meloni the same. Found on Amazon

The Wire. All I can say about this show is WATCH IT. I thought SouthLAnd was my favorite cop/crime drama of all time but nope. The Wire is. Every one of the five seasons is incredible and its portrayal of life in that world, both on the streets and the politics among the police and city officials, is dead on balls accurate. Season 4 kicked me in the gut especially hard (because kids) and I plan to rewatch all 5 seasons at some point. Found on Amazon.

The Killing. A warning. Season 2 sucked hard. But don’t let that deter you from this show. It’s dark and rainy and there’s all kinds of twists and turns that get you at just the right moment and unlike the other shows, the graphic violence isn’t always gratuitous. There’s usually a reason for it. However, like the other shows, the leads are completely flawed protagonists but it just makes them all the more watchable. If nothing else, watch it for Detective Holder’s one-liners. Found on Netflix

Justified. This show’s final season started last week so if you set your DVR now, you won’t have that horrible lag time between finishing a show and waiting for the next season. I can’t remember how I heard about this one, just that I did and it sounded like something I would like and, fun fact, it’s actually the reason I signed up for Amazon Prime (it’s on Netflix now, too). The show is based on an Elmore Leonard short story, is set in Kentucky and is about yet another morally ambiguous law person, Raylan Givens, and his sworn enemy, Boyd Crowder (played by Walton Goggins. He’s in 3 of the shows on this list. I’m trying to figure that one out). Found on Amazon and Netflix.

Honorable mentions: Hell on Wheels, Breaking Bad, The Sopranos, White Collar (a little lighter than the rest), Longmire, Rescue Me, and Prison Break (also a little lighter, and you can totally tell when it started going off the rails but Wentworth Miller).

What are your binge watching recommendations?

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This week in…: Inaugural edition

January 23, 2015 by Jana 12 Comments

When I was a kid, I spent many, many days and nights watching Mets games. One of the features of the pre or post game spots was something called This Week in Baseball (TWib). It featured game highlights and interviews with players and other stuff I can’t remember but it was a great way to get a comprehensive summary of all the stuff that happened during the week. Kind of like Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, only less funny and totally about baseball.

Because I like the idea, I’m declaring Fridays “This Week in Jana’s Life”. I had originally thought I’d call it “This Week in Jana” but that sounds kind of gross and leads to unwarranted, mostly pornographic search terms and I’m not really up for that because people are pretty fucking sick and disgusting so I changed it. That’s the power I have.

Here.

On my blog.

You can be jealous.

It’s okay.

What we’re going to do on Fridays going forward, or until I get bored with it and move on to something else, is recap what I’ve been doing, watching, thinking, reading, and other verbs ending in “-ing” during the week. Sort of like the old format of Friday Favorites but also kind of different.

Hope you like it.

This week in being an adult…I finally scheduled a haircut appointment that’s 3 months overdue and to quote my friend Mindy, my hair is so long I look like I belong on a compound (just to clarify, it’s not Kaling. Although I wish we were friends. No, this Mindy, who also, oddly enough, lives in Boston, is a friend of mine from WAY, WAY back when hair bands were popular, Will Smith was the Fresh Prince, and we all wore flannel). I also wrote a whole bunch of appointments in my calendar and on our family calendar, started getting my tax stuff together, and worked out my arrangements for the yearly conference I go to (it’s in Charlotte, NC this year. I’ve never been and I’m excited).

This week in reading…I’ve read 4 books this week which I think might be a new record for me but I also haven’t been sleeping much and reading is better than staring at the wall, listening to my husband snore, plotting his demise because he can sleep comfortably and soundly and easily and I can’t and he must suffer like I suffer. I’m currently reading The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace. You guys. Wow. I can’t wait to review this book for you next month.

This week in cooking…I’m having a love affair with my crockpot. Mostly fueled by my own laziness and a small budget, I use my crockpot no less than 4 times per week and at this point, I get ragey if I have to cook a meal using the oven or stove. If you have a favorite crockpot recipe, please feel free to share because I love trying new ones.

This week in listening…The best $10 I spend all month is on my Spotify subscription. While I enjoy making my own playlists and saving all the albums, I’m starting to branch out and listen to the ones that Spotify makes (or other users make and Spotify promotes them. I’m not sure how that all works). This week, I’ve been enjoying Rock the 2000s and Diner Jukebox (for my 50s obsession). Eclectic taste FTW!!!

This week in binge watching…The husband and I are still working our way through Rescue Me but I can’t watch it during the day when he’s not home so I’ve started rewatching all the seasons of SouthLAnd. It’s not on Amazon or Netflix (which is complete bullshit) so I’ve been getting the DVDs from the library. Homicide: Life on the Street was the gateway into my obsession with violent, gritty shows but SouthLAnd solidified it. I’ll have a rundown of my favorites in this genre in the next week or so because I know you’re all curious.

This week in people hating…I don’t know what the hell is going on lately but it seems like every asshole under the sun is coming out of the woodwork. There’s one woman in particular I’m thinking of who I know in real life but wish I didn’t and holy hell, do I despise her and she’s the kind of person who makes you wish it was legal to, just once, punch someone in the face with absolutely no recourse. Also on my list, the people who made Steph’s life a frozen hell and anyone in Congress who didn’t stand up when Obama mentioned equal pay for women.

This week in blogging…This is me, apologizing for being a terrible blogger friend. I’ve been shitty about commenting and sharing, I’ve been shitty about responding to comments you all are kind enough to leave, and I’ve been shitty about all the other things I know I need to be doing. I’m hoping to get my act together next week, when I’ve finally had a chance to work though some of the personal issues I have going on.

This week in laughing…Or pinning, because that’s usually where I find most of the random stuff that makes me laugh.

Have a great weekend, y’all! See you Monday!

Linking up with Amanda for the first time in forever

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The one in which I’m way too cranky

January 21, 2015 by Jana 14 Comments

I don’t know if it’s the weather, my depression, the fact that I can’t get enough sleep or something else that’s been causing my crabby mood lately but for the last few weeks, everyone and everything has been getting on my nerves.

Here’s a sample:

The cell phone service in my house. It sucks a fat one. I have to get a landline now because #paranoid. I’m so afraid something is going to happen to me or the child and no one will be able to get in touch with me that I have to add this unnecessary service to my life. So now, when anyone asks you if you know anyone who still has a landline you can say you do because Verizon Wireless can’t get its shit together and work properly where I live.

Doctors. I’ve been going to a doctor to deal with some lady problems and this one ordered a test to check my Vitamin D level. It’s low. Really low. So low I’m on a prescription to bring it up to something even remotely reasonable. I’m livid that, after years of telling my primary doctor about some problems, she never bothered to order this test and if she had, I might not have some of the issues I do. I want to bring the test results into her office, wave them in her face and impolitely scream, “I told you something was wrong, bitch!”

My daughter’s cheer coach. Good grief, this woman causes more drama than an episode of Chicago Fire if the cast of Mean Girls showed up. I cringe whenever I see her and if her emails didn’t contain drips of important information, I’d delete them and pretend I never saw them. She has no business being around little kids like, at all, ever, and I cannot wait until March when this season is over.

The guy from the insurance company who showed up unannounced to take pictures of my house with no authorization from either me or my husband. Dude, you just don’t do that. And telling me the dog is cute does not make up for the fact that you are basically a creeper.

TV. Why are all the good shows ending this year? I don’t have the patience to scope out new shows for the ones that don’t suck and then commit.

People who don’t text or email back but post on social media. There should be a special prison for them.

Writer’s block. Specifically with blog posts. I have dozens of ideas, with many of them outlined, but when I sit down to write, they turn to shit. That’s how this post happened. It started as a rant on the pressure moms (and women, but specifically moms) have to be hot and perfect and then it started to make no sense. Maybe we’ll try again for Friday.

My dog. He needs to stop eating my child’s toys. Also my child needs to do a better job of picking up her toys so said dog does not eat them. It’s a vicious cycle.

The announcement that NKOTB will be on tour with TLC and Nelly. I don’t understand this pairing. My brain doesn’t know which of my past age groups should be excited. The middle schooler? The high schooler? The college student? #waytooconfused Oh, and it’s in the round. Because of course it is.

Anyone who puts me in a FB group that sells a product and doesn’t ask my permission first. Let me be clear: you’re all my enemies now.

What are you guys cranky about?

Linking up with Melissa for Humpday Confessions:

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I’m Having a Me Party: 8 activities to do alone

January 19, 2015 by Jana 32 Comments

Sing it, Piggy and Amy!

As I get older, and as I get crankier and possibly more introverted, I’ve become a lot less tolerant of other people. I find it frustrating to make plans only to have them canceled last minute or worse, stood up, and it’s gotten quite annoying to sit in my house more than I care to because people are assholes. So I’ve been practicing doing things by myself and you know what?

I LIKE IT.

It’s nice to just pick up and go and do what I want and not give a shit about other people’s feelings or agendas or even have to listen to their petty problems or complaints. Don’t get me wrong. I still enjoy socializing with friends and going on dates with my husband and planning family activities but sometimes, when I want to do stuff, I’m okay going at it alone.

There are still some things, like going to bars or walking on a dark, empty city street or meet anyone from Craigslist to buy anything, that I will not do alone mostly because I am paranoid and fear that I’ll, you know, be murdered, but the more I force myself to do it, the more I’m learning to do certain activities alone. Activities like:

Shopping. Sure, I like to bring a fashion conscious friend along when I do some actual shopping, mainly for necessity, but for regular things like books or yoga pants or shoes, it’s easier to go alone. I get to take my sweet time, look at everything and anything I want, without worrying if I’m boring my companion.
Manicures and pedicures. On the rare occasions I treat myself to one or both of these, I find it much more relaxing to do it by myself. No small talk, just pampering and eavesdropping on the other customers who have not been so smart as to go solo. Or those who have and talk loudly on their cell phones. They’re asking for it. #sorrynotsorry
Traveling. Specifically, long car rides. I do some of my best thinking when I’m driving (and by “thinking” I really mean “sing like a rock star very loudly and off-key”) and having others in the car really impedes my ability to do that.
Attend conferences. My husband does not understand blogging and having him along at a blog conference would ruin my ability to enjoy myself and catch up with friends I only see once a year.
Go to the movies. It is nice to go on movie dates with my husband. However, we have completely different tastes in movies and sometimes, I want to see something that he’d rather not. So I go alone. And it is glorious. Particularly in the middle of the day, during the week. I highly recommend it.
Go to the bathroom. Remember when you had to bring a friend with you because that was perfect gossip time? Well, I suppose that still applies in some circumstances but after the last 8 years of peeing with an audience, I relish in the chance to do my business without an extra set of eyes.
Eat in restaurants. This used to scare the shit out of me. Then I did it a couple of times and now, it’s totally fine. Especially when I bring a book. Because not only do I look completely unobtrusive, but the book scares of anyone who might talk to me and I can be nosy without looking like I’m being nosy. It’s basically a perfect situation.
Exercise. When I was in my Zumba obsessed phase, I learned to go to classes by myself because a) I didn’t know anyone at the gym and b) the people I did know outside of the gym wouldn’t go to the classes with me. But I wanted to go so I went anyway. And I survived and now, I actually enjoy working out by myself. Like driving alone, it gives me a chance to clear my head.

Having some alone time is great. It not only clears your head but it makes you appreciate the time you spend with others that much more because, now that you know you can be by yourself, it’s a choice to give that time to your family and friends.

It took me a long time to be okay with doing this stuff. Mainly because I suffer from low self-esteem and feared people would judge me or look at me funny but you know what I learned? No one actually gives a shit. No one is looking at me. No one is judging me. They’re there, wherever it is, for themselves. They’re not worried about me. And if you’re like I used to be, afraid to do things alone, don’t be. Just try it once. Start small and work your way up.

Trust me. You’ll learn to love it.

Especially if you have kids.

Then it’s like a vacation.

And it’s better than hiding in the bathroom faking a bout of diarrhea.

Not that I’ve ever done that.

How about you guys? Are there any activities you prefer to do alone or you’ve learned to enjoy doing alone?

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4 ways to use your smartphone for self-improvement

January 16, 2015 by Jana 15 Comments

Some time last year, I posted a link to an article that talked about having a decluttered iPhone (I can’t find the link now. I’ll share it on Facebook when I do). I fell in love with that idea and when I got my new phone a few months ago, I decided to take the challenge. I realized that my phone was starting to take over my life

While my phone isn’t as clutter free as it could be, it’s way better than it was. With the exception of Instagram and Goodreads, I removed all social media apps. Then I removed all news outlet apps (CNN, Huffington Post, etc), deactivated all push notifications, and set the do not disturb time frame. Next, I decided not to install any games except for a couple for my daughter. YouTube made the cut but that’s also more for my daughter’s sake than mine. I left Spotify because I’m borderline obsessed with it and I listen to music constantly, and a few other apps like MLB and my library and bank. Stuff I genuinely need and use.

Once I decided to declutter my phone, I also decided I would start using it for good instead of evil. So, when picking which other apps to add or keep, I felt that they needed to have a productive purpose. As in, stuff I can use to make me better instead of worse. To that end, here’s how I’m using my iPhone as a weapon for self-improvement instead of self-destruction:

Duolingo. If you want to learn a new language, Duolingo is the perfect place to start. I first heard about this app from my daughter’s Spanish teacher, which worked out well because I’d long been wanting to brush up on my French and I can do this for free, on my own time. You can choose from about 8 languages, how much you want to practice each day, it grades you instantly, the app tracks your progress, and even if you have zero knowledge of a language, you can use it. It has a game-type feel that makes it fun to learn and keep you interested.

Podcasts. Podcasts are sneaky little learning tools. My husband has long been a fan of them but they never did it for me. Then Serial happened and now I’m a fan. Rather than simply listening to entertainment-based ones, I’ve been trying to learn by downloading business-type podcasts from Michael Hyatt and Jeff Goins, Book Riot’s podcast, and also Criminal, which is short, investigative reporting episodes, all related to crimes, old and relatively new. The criminal justice nerd in me rejoiced upon discovering this one. Not into criminal justice? I’ve seen one for self-improvement, science, money management and personal finance, religion, and dozens of others.

Exercising. Use your phone and create a gym in your pocket! (I’ve also written before how you can use your smartphone to achieve your fitness goals if you want more information on that). As someone who doesn’t love exercising, I’ve had to find ways to keep it interesting. After a 4 month lapse, I’ve started workingout again using my T25 videos but as an alternative, I downloaded a yoga app and a workouts app (literally. That’s what it’s called. Workouts. And Yoga). There’s a free and paid version for each. I recommend the paid version because you get more options and longer workouts. I use this in conjunction with my Couch 2 5K app (that’s more of a springtime app since my basement isn’t finished and it’s fucking cold down there) and with this combination, I barely miss my gym membership.

Gratitude journal. Lots of people recommend keeping one of these so I thought I’d give it a try since it seems like a simple enough effort to improve my mental health. After looking through lots and lots of apps, and not really wanting to pay for one, I settled on one called Grid Diary. What I like about it is that you can set up as many questions or prompts as you want, either by choosing from a library of questions or making up your own. It automatically reminds you at a set time every day to write in the journal so there’s no excuse not to. It’s a quick and easy, something you can do during a commercial. I think I might upgrade to a paid app at some point but for now, this one is just fine.

I’m also starting to use iBooks a bit more, particularly while I’m waiting on the school pick up line or for an appointment, and I have a few store cards loaded onto my phone. I have the Disney app on my phone that my sister and I are using to coordinate our vacation to Disney World this spring so we can be clandestine and surprise the kids. And finally, I’ve taught my mom, sister, and mother-in-law how to use the photo sharing option so we can trade pictures without sending 2340832 texts.

I’m sure, if I wanted, I could pare down my phone even more but for now, I’m okay with the way it looks. And I can tell you that by removing many of the negative influences from my phone, it’s not only improved my state of mind but it keeps me more present and focused when I’m out and about.

Which is really the most important thing.

How are you using your phone for self-improvement? What should I add to my arsenal?

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6 shows you should binge watch

This week in…: Inaugural edition

The one in which I’m way too cranky

I’m Having a Me Party: 8 activities to do alone

4 ways to use your smartphone for self-improvement

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