snippets of the weekend 9.11.2023

Friday my niece and nephew got dropped off and it was a whirlwind from then on including a trip to Friendly's, playing school, accidentally playing Forgot about Dre with the F word all over, living room fort, etc. I took them back home and was home myself by 11.

Saturday I ran errands including printing return labels and returning assorted shit and going to HomeGoods where I had the audacity to look at candles despite being overly familiar with my own busting at the seams candle collection. I purged and reorganized my home office which I have been meaning to do since June, and after a few years finally maximized the cabinet space which I just had shit shoved in since the original middle shelf is missing. We also tag teamed to wash the couches and reassembling them is the dreaded chore from hell. I lay down on one of said couches at 6:30 pm, turned on The Great British Baking Show, and fell dead ass asleep until 2:30 am. I let the dogs out and went to bed and read until 4:30.

Sunday I got up at 9:30, showered and donned the team apparel - not a huge football fan, even less of an NFL fan, but totally a fan of the Eagles players and culture and of course game day food. I got a pedicure, returned shit to Target and popped into ShopRite, cleaned the bathroom and wood surfaces, vacuumed, put shit away, etc. A quick reading and wooder ice break before loading the car up and heading back to the shore. 

Weekend renters left at 8, and I cleaned the main house until 10:15. In addition to the main floor air conditioner being down, one of the window units is dunzo as of this year too. 

weekending reels on Instagram - current favorite weekend look back mode.

I missed two family weekend snippets posts which my Type A made me go back and do, which are Aug 28 and Labor Day Weekend.

September 11, 22 years gone. How much has changed in that time, and how much has stayed the same. 

Thursday Thoughts - Within the glow that weaves a cloak of delight there moves a thread that has no end

Forever mood in tee form from yesterday

Forever mood in mug form from Tuesday

Forever mood in regards to Confederate flag and pride

Recommend: Colored Girls Bike Too doing work on the ground in Buffalo after the murder of Black people grocery shopping last week. Access their white supremacy culture resources here. We can either get comfortable being uncomfortable as we sit in the tension to destroy this or we can support white supremacy and racism. Those are the only two choices

Recommend: deprogramming and civics/government education. These people are from absolute hell and care not a fucking whit about what they have convinced you they care about. If you say anything like "Biden's FDA" you do not know not who is responsible for what in government and what actual agencies like FDA have domain over. 

Recommend: bar keeper's friend for so many things. This was rust on a tile floor. 

I'm partial to this photo from last weekend.

Partial to purple too, as you can see. 

Voters gotta vote. Turnout in the PA primary tells me people don't know we're sliding into fascism or do not care, which is going to be a shame when we are fully there. The Republican candidate for governor is for treasonous overthrowing of elections, suppressing the vote, and banning abortion. Why in the shit fuck would anyone vote for anyone of any party who has proven they would not accept the result of democratic elections? Do the recount or whatever, but if ya lose ya lose. Fascist treasonous anti-American anti-Democratic fucks who participate in stop the steal chicanery should not hold government office. For that reason and others, we'd all better vote for the democrat candidate Josh Shapiro, who is honestly republican lite in many ways but will absolutely safeguard the right to abortions. Abortion is healthcare and it is a private matter. If you don't agree with abortion don't get one, but stay out of other people's bodies. No matter who is the republican Senate candidate, the choice is Fetterman. He's not endorsed by democrat politicians because he's not establishment, he's for the people. Republicans allegedly value that so place that value in the box in the form of your vote for Fetterman in the November election. 

Pet pics of the week. It's the Billy and Ben show. This is why we will spend time and money tracking down a no longer sold BarkBox sheep. He got one from Treat Lady and I got him a backup. How cute is this. Ben also matches my car perfectly. The outside is white and the inside is Ben colored.

Huge congrats to our friend Frank who got his masters in Ed from Rutgers this week. You all know Frank from his annual birthday blogs in July, of course. Frank is going to kill it as an elementary school teacher! 

Happy birthday to Laura's MBD tomorrow! 

Second girls weekend this weekend with my original met you on the Internet friends of about 22 years now. Out of office tomorrow! Second four day work week in a row. 

What appears beyond the hyphen in Thursday Thoughts titles is what I'm listening to when I'm starting this - this week is All of My Love by Led Zeppelin

Friday Five 11.20.2020

1. If I wear something with pockets and don't wash it there is an 85% chance I will find a shell in it when I put it on next.

2. As we head into winter, I'm getting diligent about my body moisturizing again. Two of my favorites, both of which are cruelty free: Andalou Naturals CannaCell Botanical Body Lotion in Joyful. The scent is rosemary and lemon balm and, you know, joyful. I also like Scottish Fine Soaps Au Lait Body Butter - you can find this at TJMaxx (online for those not going to stores) and Marshalls too for great prices. Perfect stocking stuffer. 

3. It is my estimation that everyone has at least one thing they are never happy with the results of other people cleaning. For me that is my gas range top. This slippery little sucker can be difficult to find, but it is amazing: Weiman Gas Range cleaner. They make the stainless steel cleaners that are great too. 

4. Always, RBG.

5. I have loved kiwi since I was a child. I've subsisted on that, steamed asparagus, and various ravioli (toasted from Aldi's freezer section and cauliflower cheese boiled from Trader Joe's fridge section) this week.

I hope you have not slept on the High-rise ankle pants from Target (that link is an affiliate for Chelsea at The Girl Who Loved to Write, who turned me on to these, purchasing  through an affiliate link costs you nothing and the person benefitting makes approximately three cents on each transaction) from last week's Friday Five because Sunday I got showered and dressed to go for a bike ride and MFD asked me why I had nice pants on and when someone says that about your lounge pants I think you know you've made it. Order that shit for pickup and wear for Thanksgiving!

Happy birthday to Steph today!

I'm off next week and I cannot wait to exhale. Happy Friday. Wear a mask and be kind to each other out there, okay? 

Thursday Thoughts - Now where did you find her among the neon lights

1. I never realized until this year how much I love what I call the silver days. It's overcast but bright, and the sky and water are almost the same color. Sun peeks through and hits the ocean so it appears as glass. When the sun comes through, the water glitters like diamonds in some spots. Despite everything 2020 has thrown at the world, it has allowed me to live here full time without dealing with issues I’d have to address to do that in normal life. People keep asking if I’m still “staying” at the shore. I’m living here and I have since May and we might not close this house up this year. I have bottomless appreciation for that as well as the rest of the unexpected opportunities and joys this year has brought me while simultaneously acknowledging that it has done a number on me mentally and emotionally and wrestling with the frustration, grief, and rage I feel on behalf of those who have not faired well health-wise or financially this year and been left hung out to dry by their government.

2. I have moved my office upstairs this week in an effort to strike a better work/life balance and it's been great. I go up to start work, I leave to walk the beach at lunch or run errands or both, back upstairs to work, and then I go to my apartment after. This is where we are with the best friend dog's attachment to me. 

3. Show Us Your Books prizes still open, and Instagram books still up for grabs (can't get to the post office until Monday anyway). I read this this week, it was great. Thanks to my friend Mush for the recommendation!

4. One of my fall intentions is to make sure I'm out shelling at least three times a week. It's something I absolutely love to do and it doesn't involve screens and my velcro dogs can come this time of year. Shelling has been stellar this week. I'm not after only the perfect ones because how boring is that? After the storms rolled out some of the rocks I found were shorn in half. The power of the ocean is amazing. 

5. I also love seeing weird stuff. 

6. I made breakfast burritos to freeze for the first time since like February. It felt like my old self came knocking. 

7. Just some stuff from around the interwebs. Casual.

8. I have the very en vogue O-Cedar mop made so by GoCleanCo but I need a swiffer like thing upstairs and I'm giving this Promist Max a whirl. You can wash the microfiber mop and you just squeeze so it doesn't need batteries. I'll report back. Links are affiliates.

9. Reminder

10. ecards

Any thoughts to share from your corner of the world? 

The words following the hyphen are the song I am listening to when I start the Thursday Thoughts post. This week is Beautiful Girl by INXS

May Recommendations

Hello hello friends! You know the drill. Skimmers, recommendations are in bold (and typically clickable). My good friend Amanda from Voyage of the MeeMee is joining me for recommendations this month.

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1. Sephora Ultimate Oil-In-Gel Lipstick Remover: I'm a big fan of long lasting lip color (pretty and lazy at the same time = winning!) but I'm not a fan of having to scrub the top 3 layers of my skin raw to get it off at the end of the day. Enter: this stuff. Don't ask me how the science part works, but basically the oils dissolve the lip color with less time and effort than it took to apply it in the first place.

2. The Jenna & Julien Podcast: I adore Jenna Marbles. Her and her boyfriend, Julien, have a podcast (new episodes every Monday) and it's ridiculous and awesome and magical. The end.

3. Change.org: This is a global petition site that was created to raise awareness on a broad range of topics and inspire positive action as it relates to them. Through it, I've learned about issues that I never would've known existed otherwise. Knowledge is power, yo.

4. Starbucks' S'Mores Frappuccino: If you haven't had one of these yet, what are you doing with your life? Seriously. Sit down in a corner and re-evaluate your purpose. Don't come back until you've thought long and hard about it.

5. Swiffer 360° Dusters Extender: Because: oldness. I have terrible allergies and this bad boy works wonders on dust, without stirring it up in the air. I can even reach behind our washer/dryer with it. There are no words to describe my excitement over that. Am I a loser? Yes. But, I'm a clean loser.

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1. Make your corn on the cob in the microwave. Three minutes per piece. It peels like a dream. If you're just making it for yourself or you and one other, this is the way to go. You won't be sorry.

2. Kernel Cutter. Why no, I'm not finished talking about corn on the cob yet. Seasonal hazard. If you are like me and do not actually eat the corn off the cob, but in a bowl chock full of butter and salt, this tool will make your life easier. But where it really comes in handy is when I'm making a ton of corn and freezing it so I have fresh corn throughout the winter. Mine is Pampered Chef and they don't offer it anymore, but I'd definitely try one by someone else if something happened to mine. I think you can search Ebay for the Pampered Chef one. 

3. Extra Toasty Cheez-Its. Thanks to Laura at Oh Laura Darling for posting about these. They are the bomb. If you're a Cheez-Its fan, get on it. 

4. Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15 in Ruby. It's the lightest hint of color, very moisturizing, and has SPF. I use it in lieu of colorless lip balm and believe it's universally flattering. I have three other colors of these, but this is my daily and my go-to. 

5. Daily Sunscreen. Yes, daily. Not only when you're at the beach or pool. I use Coppertone Clearly Sheer SPF 30 for face and various for body, my latest is Sun Bum because the name makes me laugh and I like the smell. It's not greasy which is always a bonus. I like Coppertone and Hawaiian Tropic for the body also.

Thanks to Amanda or MeeMee as I like to call her for throwing out some recommendations this month.Let us hear yours! What are you recommending this month?

 Linking up with Shanna for Random Wednesday

Friday Five: Cleaning Your Makeup Brushes

We all know we should clean our makeup brushes. Dirt bags like me forget about this chore amid the places to go, people to see, and Extreme Cheapskates marathons to watch on TLC. Then I break out, wonder WTF is going on, and realize I need to clean my filthy brushes. I'm here to remind you to clean yours too. If you want to do it quick and dirty, I'm sure you have everything you need on hand right now.

You'll need:
Baby shampoo or Dish liquid (I would typically use baby shampoo, but I didn't have any in the house)
New sponge
kitchen towel
napkins or paper towels

1. Put dish liquid on your damp sponge. Run the bristles of your brush under lukewarm water with your brush angled down. Do not fully submerge your brush or get the barrel of it wet.

2. Work your brush against the sponge.

3. Run the bristles under water, massaging them with your fingers. Again, angle the brush down and don't get the barrel fully wet.

4. Dab it on a napkin or paper towel. If it doesn't dab clear, repeat the process.

5. Reshape bristles and lay flat to dry. I leave mine overnight. Before doing the next brush, clean your sponge and reapply dish liquid because this grossness is now on it:

Easy, right? I have no excuse for not doing it more often. Except getting immersed in weird TV shows on the weekend and general living of life.

Cheers to the freakin' weekend.

Linking up with Joy as always, and the Northeast Bloggers