Five on Friday - July 13, 2018

Happy Friday - Friday the 13th!  This week has been so nostalgic for me.  We got a new filing cabinet and I cleaned out my 30 year old one.  Man - talk about memories slapping you in the face!  Some were happy and some were sad, but the task is done and I'm ready for the next 30 years.  Speaking of 30 years, that brings me to the first item on my five for this week ~

1.  BIG
This is the 30th anniversary of the movie BIG.  Have you seen it?  In a nutshell, a 13-year-old boy is transformed into a 35-year-old man (played by Tom Hanks) and becomes a successful executive.  I loved it when it came out and would like to view it again.  There's an iconic scene from the movie that takes place in FAO Schwarz that I remember being adorable. Several theaters are having special showings.   Is it playing in your area?

2.  The Good Fight
Danielle Steel's newest novel hit the stands this week.  I just love her romance stories!  Here's the summary from Amazon:

Against the electrifying backdrop of the 1960s, Danielle Steel unveils the gripping chronicle of a young woman discovering a passion for justice and of the unsung heroes she encounters on her quest to fight the good fight.

The daughter and granddaughter of prominent Manhattan lawyers, Meredith McKenzie is destined for the best of everything: top schools, elite social circles, the perfect marriage. Spending her childhood in Germany as her father prosecutes Nazi war criminals at the Nuremberg trials, Meredith soaks up the conflict between good and evil as it plays out in real time. When her family returns to the United States, she begins blazing her own trail, swimming against the tides, spurred on by her freethinking liberal grandfather, determined to become a lawyer despite her traditional, conservative father’s objections. She rebels against her parents’ expectations for her debutante ball and other conventions. She forges a lifelong friendship with a young German Jewish woman whose family died in the concentration camps. And while her grandfather rises to the Supreme Court, Meredith enlists in the most pressing causes of her time, fighting for civil rights and an end to the Vietnam War.

From the bright morning of JFK’s inauguration, through the tumultuous years that follow as America hurtles toward the twin assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Bobby Kennedy, Meredith joins the vanguard of a new generation of women, breaking boundaries socially, politically, and professionally. But when the violence of the era strikes too close to home, her once tightly knit family must survive a devastating loss and rethink their own values and traditions in light of the times.

Encompassing the remarkable people Meredith meets, the historic events she witnesses, and the sacrifices she must make, this is the story of a woman changing her world as she herself is changed by it. Beautifully told, brimming with unforgettable moments and characters, The Good Fight is an inspiring, uplifting novel with resonance for our own time.

Sounds like a great book to take on vacation!  Get your copy HERE.

3.  National French Fry Day
Guess what today is (besides Friday the 13th)?  It's National French Fry Day!  What do you like to dip your french fries in - ketchup, ranch dressing, honey mustard, cheese?  I'll take them plain or with any of those dippers!  Love me some hot fries! Found this interesting tidbit - "It is believed by some that the term “French” was introduced to the potatoes when the American soldiers arrived in Belgium during World War I and consequently tasted Belgian fries. It is suggested that they called them “French” as it was the official language of the Belgian Army at that time."

4.  Scented Postage Stamps
Ahhh, the sweet smells of summer.  Now the United States Postal Service is jumping on that bandwagon by offering their first ever scratch and stiff postage stamps.  My friend, Donna, was telling me about these and, I'm not going to lie, I hope I get some mail with this stamp on it just so I can experience the smell for myself!  If you would like to get some to adorn your letters, click HERE to purchase a book.

5. It's pool time....

Have a great weekend!  We are headed to the Muny tonight to see Jersey Boys.  Then tomorrow is our wedding anniversary!  We've agreed to hold off celebrating until we're on vacation in a couple weeks.  Then on Sunday it's wedding work day at my house - paper and glue will be flying around and magic will be happening!  Pop in next week to read all about it!

Linking up with:

The Peaceful Posse

Amanda at Meet At The Barre
Erika at Little Bit of Everything

Simply Sweet Home
High Five for Friday
5 on Friday

The Blended Blog
This post contained affiliate links.  I may receive a small commission if you click on the link and purchase.  Thanks

Friday Favorites Linky Party - July 13, 2018

Hello Friday the 13th!  Hope this day brings you lots of luck!  Enjoy all the links today ~

Please support and follow our lovely blog party hostesses:

Jerri at Simply Sweet Home - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst

Maisy at Becoming Alice - FB | G+ | Pin

Sheree at Stage Presents - Twitter | FB | Pin | Inst | Inst

Lisa at Condo Blues - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst

Amy at A Day of Small Things - Pin

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Going to the Beach on Thinking Out Loud Thursday

Hello there!  Welcome to Thinking Out Loud Thursday!  Today I'm thinking out loud about our upcoming trip to the beach and the thought of it alone puts a smile on my face.

Hearing the sound of waves crashing on a sandy beach is seriously one of my favorite, favorite things.  Being located in the center of the county means a trip to the ocean requires a little bit more planning than a long weekend at a city where we can arrive after a couple hours in the car.  Eric and I decided that we needed a relaxing few days by the ocean, so in a few short weeks we will be off to Cancun!  To say I'm excited is definitely an understatement.

So today I'm thinking about a couple things I want to make sure gets in our suitcase.  Since this will be a flying trip to the beach (not the long drive in the car), most of my beach goods will be staying at home, but here's a few that will be tucked away in my suitcase ~

Yahtzee Game
When Eric and I were in Cancun a couple years ago, we really enjoyed hanging out on the side of the pool playing Yahtzee.  The game is small in size so it fits nicely in the beach bag.  It pairs nicely with a few cocktails because it really takes very little skill to play.  Perfect for the all-inclusive resort where we will be staying!  Need one for your beach vacation?  Click HERE.

Bananagrams
Have you played Bananagrams?  It's so fun!  This, too, fits easily in the beach bag and can be played almost anywhere.  This particular version has big letters, which we just might need after hanging out at the pool all day.

Lavender Eye Pillow
I've not taken my eye pillow on vacation with me before, but I plan on slipping it in my suitcase on this trip.  The other day I was in a meditation class and the feel of the warm scented eye pillow was so relaxing.  Immediately I knew that mine had to go with me to Cancun!  For the rest of the class, I visualized reclining on the balcony of our hotel room with the sound of the ocean in the background and a warm breeze blowing with my eye pillow draped across face.  Yes, this thing is definitely getting packed!  Need one?  They are available HERE.  The four pack is almost as cheap as a single, so get four and spread some love to your friends.

Pool Float

Usually as soon as we arrive at our resort, I'm in the gift shop buying a cheap raft to use for the week.  This year I'm planning on bypassing that stop and packing my own since a new one comes in such a compact package.  The resort where we will be has a lazy river and I plan on doing a lot of floating around in it.  This raft will be perfect for that because you can sit up, rest your arms and it has a drink holder!  At the end of the week, I'll scope out someone who looks like they would enjoy it and give the raft to them.  Win, win!  It's available HERE.

Thanks for letting me think out loud about things I'll be taking on vacation with me.  Now it's your turn - what are you thinking out loud about today?  Link up and share with us!

An InLinkz Link-up

Enjoy more Thoughts for Thursday at:

Home of Malones

East Coast Chic

Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop

This is How We Roll 

Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop - July 11, 2018

Welcome to the Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop where the most clicked on posts from this party will be featured next week!

We are so glad you are here! Before we start this week's party, let's take a look at what you viewed most last week!

Most Viewed

 Pecan Pie Cheesecake - Simply Stacie

   

Caramel Cheesecake Bars w Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars - The Kittchen

Smothered Chicken - Munaty Cooking

Editor's Pick

Low Carb Chia Cookies - Low Carb Delish

  So, let's get this party started!

If you have not already, please follow our hosts on Instagram this week:

Ducks 'n a Row - Instagram

Mom Resource - Instagram

My Life Abundant - Instagram

Engineer Mommy – Instagram

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• Please TWEET our party ♥ Use the hashtag #WWBlogHop
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Weekending - July 6, 2018

Oh Weekends - why do you have to pass so quickly?  This weekend seemed to go by in a blur.  On Friday as I was leaving for work, it seemed a bit warm in our house.  We had just had the air conditioner repaired a few days ago, so I thought it might just be my imagination.  As it turns out, it was definitely not my imagination!  Long story short - we had to have a new unit installed.  Luckily, we were able to get all the repairs completely on Saturday and had cool air flowing by late afternoon.  Hopefully our air conditioning problems are behind us and we won't have to deal any issues for a long, long time!

As soon as the repairman packed up and left our house, we packed up too and headed to my home town for a BBQ at my nephew's house.  I'm not going to lie, we had had a stressful couple of days dealing with our air conditioning problems, but seeing the faces of the little ones in my family melted the stress away.

When dusk fell, we watched the city's awesome fireworks display.  They were a perfect end to a great evening.

Sunday was my future sister-in-law's bridal shower.  The wedding is just a few weeks away and a group of us gathered to celebrate.  We started the shower with mimosas and followed those with games and refreshments.  What a fun day!

 
  

By the way - that dress I'm wearing was a fantastic Amazon deal (under $20!).  I didn't have time to go shopping for a new dress, so I took my chances on Amazon.  Thanks to Prime, it was on my doorstep in two days.  Check out this one and many option fabric options HERE.

Any spare moments I had was spent reading The Ocean Liner ($5.99 for the Kindle version on Amazon).  It had been setting in my Kindle for a while and finely bubbled to the top of my read list.  So far, I'm loving it!  Here the summary from Amazon:

Cousins Masha and Rachel Morgenstern board the luxury liner the SS Manhattan bound for New York, desperate to escape the concentration camps that claimed the rest of their family. America offers a safe haven, but to reach it they must survive a hazardous Atlantic crossing.

Among their fellow passengers fleeing the war, each with their own conflicts, secrets and surprises, are the composer Igor Stravinsky, making a new start after a decade of tragedy, and Rose Kennedy, determined to keep her four children from harm. Particularly worrying to Rose is her daughter Rosemary, a vivacious but troubled woman whose love for a Californian musician may derail her family’s political ambitions. And then there’s young Thomas, a Nazi with a secret…

But, under the waves, the Manhattan is being stalked by a German U-boat. Will any of those aboard the ocean liner ever achieve their dream of a new life in America?

Click HERE to purchase

This is going to be a super busy week - we have a wedding work day at my house next Sunday for my September bride.  My July bride's wedding is in two weeks so I'm fast and furiously working on that one also.  Have I told you how much I love weddings?!?  Weddings are truly my favorite thing to work on.

Hope you have a fun week ahead!  See you back here soon.

Check out what others were up to this weekend.

B Loved Boston

Over the Moon

Hello Monday

This post contained affiliate links.  I may receive a small commission if you click on the link and purchase.  Thanks

Five on Friday - July 6, 2018

Happy Friday!  Hope you had a wonderful 4th holiday and are ready for the weekend.  We had a hot holiday here in St. Louis, but we made the best of it.  Enjoy the five for today ~

1.  The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
This is one of my all-time favorite books and it's now being made into a movie!  It will begin streaming on Netflix on August 10 and has a great cast (many from Downton Abbey).  I thought I'd mention this to you now in case you wanted to read it before the movie hit the airways.  You can purchase the book HERE.  Amazon sums up the book this way ~

“I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some sort of secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers.” January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’s never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb. . . .

As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends—and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society—born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island—boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all.

Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society’s members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever.
Written with warmth and humor as a series of letters, this novel is a celebration of the written word in all its guises and of finding connection in the most surprising ways.

Thought I'd share the trailer with you ~

2.  Nashville Hot Chicken Flavored Pringles

The temperatures are hot this summer and Pringles is bringing their own heat these days with their new flavor:  Nashville Hot Chicken.  For a limited time only Pringles is partnering with Dollar General to bring us this intriguing chip.  Wonder how hot they really are?  I might have to venture to a Dollar General to pick up a can and check it out for myself.  

3.  National Fried Chicken Day
Speaking of chicken, today is National Fried Chicken Day!  Fried Chicken is one of my favorite things. Word has it that Scottish immigrants brought their tradition of deep-frying chicken in fat to the southern United States.  Thank you Scottish immigrants! 



4.  Whitney
Whitney, the movie, opens today and I'm intrigued to see it.  I've so often wondered how someone who had so many positives going for them could let it completely fall apart.  Maybe this movie will shed some light on when the wheels completely fell off.  Here's the synopsis from Fandango:

Whitney Houston broke more music industry records than any other female singer in history. With over 200 million album sales worldwide, she was the only artist to chart seven consecutive U.S. No. 1 singles. She also starred in several blockbuster movies before her brilliant career gave way to erratic behavior, scandals and death at age 48. The documentary feature Whitney is an intimate, unflinching portrait of Houston and her family that probes beyond familiar tabloid headlines and sheds new light on the spellbinding trajectory of Houston’s life. Using never-before-seen archival footage, exclusive demo recordings, rare performances, audio archives and original interviews with the people who knew her best, Oscar®-winning filmmaker Kevin Macdonald unravels the mystery behind “The Voice,” who thrilled millions even as she struggled to make peace with her own troubled past.

5.  Pay attention to the weather...

Enjoy the weekend!  We are kicking around the idea of going back to Fair St. Louis to see the fireworks one more time.  They were so fabulous on Wednesday night we just want to take them in one more time!  Then on Sunday I'm headed to my future sister-in-law's bridal shower.  Fun times ahead!  Pop in next week to get the recap.

Linking up with:

The Peaceful Posse

Amanda at Meet At The Barre
Erika at Little Bit of Everything

Simply Sweet Home
High Five for Friday
5 on Friday

The Blended Blog
This post contained affiliate links.  I may receive a small commission if you click on the link and purchase.  Thanks

Friday Favorites Linky Party - July 6, 2018

Happy Friday!  Hope you've had a great week!  Enjoy the links today.

Please support and follow our lovely blog party hostesses:

Jerri at Simply Sweet Home - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst

Maisy at Becoming Alice - FB | G+ | Pin

Sheree at Stage Presents - Twitter | FB | Pin | Inst | Inst

Lisa at Condo Blues - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst

Amy at A Day of Small Things - Pin

Penny at Penny's Passion - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst

Kelly at Under a Texas Sky - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst | BL

If you are featured this week, be sure and grab a featured button for your blog!

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You can show your love for this week's favorites by going over and commenting on the posts and by pinning or sharing!

And if you love all of this week's favorites, please pin, share, and invite your friends to this week's linky party!