Five on Friday - February 7, 2025

The flu bug caught me this week and threw a wrench in my day-to-day activities.  Thankfully, I was able to pull together my Five on Friday.  

1.  Sweet Magnolias - Season 4

Thursday was the day we Sweet Magnolia fans had been waiting for.  All 10 episodes of Season 4 dropped on Netflix and I can't wait to devour each one of them.  The lifelong best friends Maddie, Dana Sue, and Helen are back to juggle relationships, family and careers in their charming Southern hometown.  

2.  Last Twilight in Paris

Pam Jenoff's new book was released this week and honestly, any book with the word Paris in the title goes straight on my TBR list.  Here's the summary ~

A Parisian department store, a mysterious necklace and a woman’s quest to unlock a decade-old mystery are at the center of this riveting novel of love and survival, from New York Times bestselling author Pam Jenoff

London, 1953. Louise is still adjusting to her postwar role as a housewife when she discovers a necklace in a box at a secondhand shop. The box is marked with the name of a department store in Paris, and she is certain she has seen the necklace before, when she worked with the Red Cross in Nazi-occupied Europe —and that it holds the key to the mysterious death of her friend Franny during the war.

Following the trail of clues to Paris, Louise seeks help from her former boss Ian, with whom she shares a romantic history. The necklace leads them to discover the dark history of Lévitan—a once-glamorous department store that served as a Nazi prison, and Helaine, a woman who was imprisoned there, torn apart from her husband when the Germans invaded France.

Louise races to find the connection between the necklace, the department store and Franny’s death. But nothing is as it seems, and there are forces determined to keep the truth buried forever. Inspired by the true story of Lévitan, Last Twilight in Paris is both a gripping mystery and an unforgettable story about sacrifice, resistance and the power of love to transcend in even the darkest hours.

Available HERE

3.  Harry Potter Fudge Stripes

Hey Harry Potter fans - Keebler has a limited edition Butterbeer Fudge Stripes cookies.  The Butterbeer-flavored cookie is topped with Butterbeer-flavored fudge that replicates the sweet and frothy combination of cream soda and butterscotch.  

4.  Valentine's Doormat

Our new Valentine's doormat offers a warm welcome to guests. I love how it sets the festive tone the moment they step onto our porch.

Available HERE

5.  Do you feel it too...

I'm so hopeful that I'll be back to normal by Sunday for the Big Game.  Even if I'm on my deathbed, I'll be cheering on our Kansas City Chiefs!  

What I Read in January 2025

Welcome to Thinking Out Loud Thursday where I talk about something on my mind and invite you to link up and do the same.  It's the first Thursday of the month, so I'm recapping the books I read last month.  

The Cinnamon Bun Book Store

This is the second book in the Dream Harbor series.  Don't let the innocent-looking cover fool you - this series has some spice to it!  Here the summary ~

When a secret message turns up hidden in a book in the Cinnamon Bun Bookstore, Hazel can't understand it. As more secret codes appear between the pages, she decides to follow the trail of clues… she just needs someone to help her out.

Gorgeous and outgoing fisherman, Noah, is always up for an adventure. And a scavenger hunt sounds like a lot of fun. Even better that the cute bookseller he's been crushing on for months is the one who wants his help!

Hazel didn’t go looking for romance, but as the treasure hunt leads her and Noah around Dream Harbor, their undeniable chemistry might be just as hot as the fresh-out-of-the-oven cinnamon buns the bookstore sells…

Available HERE

The Christmas Tree Farm

Immediately upon finishing book 2 I the Dream Harbor series, I cracked open book 3 in the series.  It's equally as spicy and fun to read!  Here's the summary ~

Kira North hates Christmas. Which is unfortunate since she just bought a Christmas tree farm in a town that’s too cute for its own good.

Bennett Ellis is on vacation in Dream Harbor trying to take a break from both his life and his constant desire to fix things.

But somehow fate finds Ben trapped by a blanket of snow at Kira’s farm, and, despite her Grinchiest first impressions, with the glow of the fairy lights twinkling in the trees, and the promise of a warming hot chocolate, maybe, just maybe, these two lost souls will have a Christmas they’ll remember forever…

Available HERE

Dave Grohl:  The Storyteller - Tales of Life and Music

I listened to this one and loved hearing Dave Grohl walk through his life.  Beware:  Dave drops a lot of "F" bombs.  If you listen to this one, listen to the very, very end.  After the credits, he has a bonus chapter.  Here's the summary ~

Having entertained the idea for years, and even offered a few questionable opportunities ("It's a piece of cake! Just do 4 hours of interviews, find someone else to write it, put your face on the cover, and voila!") I have decided to write these stories just as I have always done, in my own hand. The j

oy that I have felt from chronicling these tales is not unlike listening back to a song that I've recorded and can't wait to share with the world, or reading a primitive journal entry from a stained notebook, or even hearing my voice bounce between the Kiss posters on my wall as a child.

This certainly doesn't mean that I'm quitting my day job, but it does give me a place to shed a little light on what it's like to be a kid from Springfield, Virginia, walking through life while living out the crazy dreams I had as young musician. From hitting the road with Scream at 18 years old, to my time in Nirvana and the Foo Fighters, jamming with Iggy Pop or playing at the Academy Awards or dancing with AC/DC and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, drumming for Tom Petty or meeting Sir Paul McCartney at Royal Albert Hall, bedtime stories with Joan Jett or a chance meeting with Little Richard, to flying halfway around the world for one epic night with my daughters…the list goes on. I look forward to focusing the lens through which I see these memories a little sharper for you with much excitement.

Available HERE

The Comfort of Crows:  A Backyard Year

This Reese book club selection was our library book club book for January.  I can't really say I loved it, but there were some interesting things in it.  Here's the summary ~

In The Comfort of Crows, Margaret Renkl presents a literary devotional: fifty-two chapters that follow the creatures and plants in her backyard over the course of a year. As we move through the seasons—from a crow spied on New Year’s Day, its resourcefulness and sense of community setting a theme for the year, to the lingering bluebirds of December, revisiting the nest box they used in spring—what develops is a portrait of joy and grief: joy in the ongoing pleasures of the natural world, and grief over winters that end too soon and songbirds that grow fewer and fewer.

Along the way, we also glimpse the changing rhythms of a human life. Grown children, unexpectedly home during the pandemic, prepare to depart once more. Birdsong and night-blooming flowers evoke generations past. The city and the country where Renkl raised her family transform a little more with each passing day. And the natural world, now in visible flux, requires every ounce of hope and commitment from the author—and from us. For, as Renkl writes, “radiant things are bursting forth in the darkest places, in the smallest nooks and deepest cracks of the hidden world.”

With fifty-two original color artworks by the author’s brother, Billy Renkl, The Comfort of Crows is a lovely and deeply moving book from a cherished observer of the natural world.

Available HERE

Be Ready When the Luck Happens:  A Memoir

Ina Garten is one of my favorites and listening to her read her memoir was a treat!  The audio even comes with a PDF with pictures and recipes!

In her long-awaited memoir, Ina Garten—aka the Barefoot Contessa, author of thirteen bestselling cookbooks, beloved Food Network personality, Instagram sensation, and cultural icon—shares her personal story with those hungry for a seat at her table.

Here, for the first time, Ina Garten presents an intimate, entertaining, and inspiring account of her remarkable journey. Ina’s gift is to make everything look easy, yet all her accomplishments have been the result of hard work, audacious choices, and exquisite attention to detail. In her unmistakable voice (no one tells a story like Ina), she brings her past and her process to life in a high-spirited and no-holds-barred memoir that chronicles decades of personal challenges, adventures (and misadventures) and unexpected career twists, all delivered with her signature combination of playfulness and purpose.

From a difficult childhood to meeting the love of her life, Jeffrey, and marrying him while still in college, from a boring bureaucratic job in Washington, D.C., to answering an ad for a specialty food store in the Hamptons, from the owner of one Barefoot Contessa shop to author of bestselling cookbooks and celebrated television host, Ina has blazed her own trail and, in the meantime, taught millions of people how to cook and entertain. Now, she invites them to come closer to experience her story in vivid detail and to share the important life lessons she learned along the way: do what you love because if you love it you’ll be really good at it, swing for the fences, and always Be Ready When the Luck Happens.

Available HERE

Now it's your turn - what are you thinking out loud about today?  Link up and share!

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Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop - February 5, 2025

 

Welcome to the Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop!  We are so glad that you stopped by.

Here you will find inspiration from dozens of bloggers including recipes, home DIY, gardening, decor, family fun, traveling, fitness, and so much more.

A friendly reminder to our guests that as a courtesy to the hosts, we ask that you follow every host on at least one social media channel.

If you are a blogger, then be sure to link up below. You may be our next feature! 

Before we get this party started, let’s meet the hosts and check out this week’s featured favorites.

MEET THE HOSTS

1. Bev – ECLECTIC RED BARN | FB | IG | PINTEREST
2. Penny – PENNY’S PASSION | FB | IG | PINTEREST
3. Sinea – DUCKS ‘N A ROW | FB | IG | PINTEREST | X
4. Tammy – MY LIFE ABUNDANT | FB | IG | PINTEREST | X | YOUTUBE
5. Denise – THIS IS MY EVERYBODY | FB | IG | PINTEREST | X | YOUTUBE

TOP VIEWED

Cozy Homemade Lunch with Cauliflower Soup and Beer Bread

VERY POPULAR

How to Create the Perfect Valentine's Charcuterie Board

Why Daily Planning is the Key to Staying Productive

EDITOR'S CHOICE

Easy Shortbread Bites

LET’S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!

Please follow all hosts on AT LEAST 1 of their social channels.

Add as many family-friendly posts as you would like to. NO Etsy shops, adult sites, or blog parties please.  Visit others. Caring is sharing. Like, comment, and pin posts.

Party entries appear in REVERSE. This way your entries 

will be seen no matter when you arrive. Please TWEET our party and invite others to join.

Let’s Party! 

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Recent Prime Purchases

Happy Monday!  It's the first Monday of the month and time to link up to Prime Purchases with Doused in Pink and Living on Cloud Nine!

I love seeing what others have purchased on Amazon lately.  There are so many wonderful things out there waiting to be purchased and delivered in record time straight to your doorstep!  Here are a few of the best things I've purchased recently ~

Valentine Doormat

Rechargeable Hand Warmers

12-Pack of 7 Quart Storage Boxes

Tunic Long-Sleeved Top

Maybelline Super Stay Ink Crayon

Fleece-Lined Joggers

Silicone Makeup Brush Holder

Sheepskin Shoe Insoles

This month’s Prime purchases were a mix of practicality and indulgence, from everyday essentials to a few well-deserved splurges. Looking forward to seeing what exciting things this month’s finds bring!

Five on Friday - January 31, 2025

Happy Friday!  Can you believe this is the last day of January?!?  This month has flown by.  I'm so glad to have one month of winter down and springtime is that much closer.  So, let's get to the last Five on Friday for the month ~

1.  2025 Grammy Awards

Sunday night we can watch the 67th Annual Grammy Awards!  This year's event will air on Sunday, February 2 on CBS starting at 7:00 pm Central.  In addition to all the musical performances, the show will highlight stories of heroism and community response to the wildfire crisis, with information about the Los Angeles Fire Relief Effort, a charitable fund created by the Recording Academy and MusiCares.  If you'd like to take a behind the scenes peek at how the night comes together, Inside The 67th Annual GRAMMY Awards will air tonight (Friday, January 31) on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.  

2.  New Coke Flavor

Tired of all the soda flavors out there?  Get ready - Coke has a new flavor coming to stores the first part of February!  Orange Cream Coca-Cola is a "delicious taste of Coca-Cola infused with refreshing orange and smooth, creamy vanilla flavors".  Hmmmm.  I'm not sure about this one.  Will you be trying it?

3.  Laugh Out Loud Valentine's Jokes for Kids

Searching for the perfect Valentine's Day gift for kids that doesn’t involve candy? Look no further than Laugh Out Loud Valentine's Jokes for Kids! With 144 pages of hilarious jokes, this book is guaranteed to spark laughter and provide endless entertainment for the entire family.

Available HERE

4.  Maybelline Super Stay Ink Crayon

I'm always admiring my friend Sherry's lipstick at work.  Somehow it stays on for hours and looks like it's freshly applied.  I asked her about it this week and she revealed it is Maybelline Super Stay Ink Crayon.  I immediately popped it in my Amazon cart and had it the next day.  This stuff is amazing!  The one I got was named 25 Stay Exceptional.  Love it! 

Available HERE

5.  I can relate to this...

Have a fantastic weekend! We’re excited for dinner with friends on Saturday and spending time with our son and daughter-in-law on Sunday—fun times ahead! We’ll also be keeping an eye on the groundhog’s prediction Sunday. If he sees his shadow, it means six more weeks of winter, but if not, we can look forward to an early spring!

New York in December!

Welcome to Thinking Out Loud Thursday where I talk about something on my mind and invite you to link up and do the same.  Today I'm looking back to my last trip of 2024 and sharing some of the details!  

Last year was an amazing year of travel for me! I managed to take a fun trip almost every month. My final trip of the year, in December, was with two of my current work friends. None of us had ever seen the Rockettes perform at Christmastime in New York, so we decided it was the perfect time to change that!

We boarded a plane early on Saturday morning bound for the Big Apple and arrived starving around lunchtime.  

We dropped our bags at the Airbnb apartment we rented and headed out to find food.  We stumbled into a pizza joint not far from our place called Mama's and decided that was going to be lunch.  Best decision ever!  The pizza in this little hole-in-the-wall restaurant was so, so good!  The price was also remarkably cheap.  I would seriously seek it out on future trips to have that pizza again.

With our hunger tamed, we headed to the subway, boarded a train, and arrived in Times Square.

Times Square on this Saturday evening was hopping!  We took in the carolers singing, the lights and of course we had to see the tree on Rockefeller Plaza!  

After visiting some Christmas street markets and taking in the sights, we made our way to Osteria Delbianco for our dinner reservation.  It felt good to sit down in the warm environment, enjoy a cocktail and relive our adventures from the day.  

Sunday was a whirlwind of activity, and we were constantly on the go! Our day began with a reservation for tea at the iconic Russian Tea Room. I absolutely love high tea, and this venue was nothing short of breathtaking. We were seated on the second floor and treated like royalty. With Christmas music softly playing in the background and gorgeous holiday decorations all around, the atmosphere was pure magic.

After an amazing time at the Russian Tea Room, we hurried over to the Lena Horne Theater for our tickets to see SIX. Watching a Broadway play was on our must-do list, and this one was an excellent choice!

After the show, we hopped into a rickshaw and sang and laughed our way to St. Patrick's Cathedral. Little did we know what we were getting ourselves into when we climbed aboard! Despite asking the driver several times about the cost, he kept saying it was nine dollars. Turns out, it was $9 per minute! Lesson learned! Even so, it was such a fun experience and one we’ll always remember.

We arrived at St. Patrick’s just in time for the 4:00 pm Mass. Once we had settled in and the service began, we realized it was entirely in Spanish! While we didn’t understand much of the language, the music was absolutely incredible, and simply being in the church made it all worthwhile. The building’s beauty is truly breathtaking!

When the service was over, we spilled back out onto the streets of New York.  We had just enough time grab some dinner and make our way to Radio City Music Hall.  Seeing the Rockettes was the reason for the trip and we were about to fulfill that mission!

The show was stellar and did not disappoint!  It was worth the trip to see them!  It was the perfect way to end the day and something we will always be glad we had the opportunity to see.

Monday morning we were up before the sun so we could go to the taping of the Today Show.  It was a last-minute decision that we would try to get on the Plaza for the show and we were able to do it!  

I had asked Eric to tape the show so I could see it when I got home and, luckily for us, there was an adorable lady from Iowa who had huge face posters of Al Roker.  She had faces for us to hold and it made spotting us in the crowd extremely easy!

When the show was finished, we stopped one more time to see the tree at Rockefeller Center.  Then we headed straight for breakfast!  A staff member of the Today Show recommended the Tipsy Bakery in Rockefeller Center.  We were able to get a great breakfast and warm up.

We had just enough time to swing through the Christmas market at Bryan Square before we needed to get to the airport to head home.  

What a way to celebrate the season!  When I left my job of nearly 30 years a few years ago, one of my biggest concerns was leaving behind the friendships I had built. I worried I wouldn't be able to form the same kind of connections in a new workplace. But this trip has completely erased that fear. I've been fortunate to develop meaningful friendships in my new role, and it makes me feel incredibly blessed!

Now it's your turn - what are you thinking out loud about today?  Link up and share!

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