Three Things April 2022

Three things that make a lot of sense to me

1. Always having water and a book with me wherever I go

2. Reusable everything over convenience trash

3. Batch cooking

Three things that do not make sense to me

1. Eating meals off of paper plates in your home as the rule, not the exception

2. Being out here on Al Gore's internet and saying you are sick of hearing people's opinions about current events and issues, as if the internet is a place where only opinions on things you give opinions on are allowed

3. Why humans chose taxes and credit scores and 40 hour work weeks out of any damn path. We work more than medieval peasants. What the fuck are we doing out here, fam? Add onto this defending Elon Musk, as if he needs defending or as if you will ever be the same richness and need the same defending. This is not the way and he is not the one.

Three things I’d like to explore 

1. A long road trip, dogs in tow, in which I work remotely along the way

2. DIY YouTube

3. If I can/want to make it through a season using only five nail polishes out of the zillions I own

Three things I have no interest in 

1. Royal family squabbles

2. Side hustles

3. Self help/motivational books

Three things I have more than enough of but always want to buy

1. Hand towels

2. Pretty ceramics and unique dishes/glasses

3. Sunglasses

Three things I am always in search of

1. The perfect lip balm that has color that stays more than three minutes and is hydrating

2. Brown spot corrector that actually works

3. The perfect pillow

Things I've recently checked off of my To Do list

1. Deep clean using cool grout scrubber I got for Christmas 

2. Small spackle spots at the shore

3. Dentist appointment

Things I have had on my To Do list forever

1. Blog posts that contain actual writing. Almost everyone I talk to is not feeling bad, but definitely not feeling like themselves in this world right now, which we communicate to each other in an almost bewildered manner? If that's you, you probably understand why the blog posts sit there, unfinished. Managing existence continues to be more challenging and tiring than it was pre-Covid, and I'm pretty sure as we "return to normal" most of us have no fucking idea what normal should look like for us in daily practice anymore

2. Renew passport

3. Find someone to replace Philly doors

Three things I'm loving right now

1. Sleep

2. The look of everything in bloom - not the feel of it in my head/nose, but the look is on point

3. Back to 1-3 days a month in the office

Three things I'm hating right now

1. Passwords. MF'ing passwords

2. Contractors that won’t get back to me. Are you still in business, MFer?

3. Running for the train

You? 

 

Three Things March 2022

Three things I like about spring

1. No more heavy jackets

2. Flowers

3. No heat on in the house

Three things I dislike about spring

1. Cleaning up the flower bed and other assorted yardwork

2. Allergies

3. Bugs return

Three things I drink most often besides water and iced coffee

1. Barry's tea combined with Stash peppermint tea

2. Bubly - usually lime, strawberry, or blackberry

3. Iced tea

Three in the house projects I want to get done in April

1. Remove/store shore winter items and (related) sort all shore supplies sitting in the middle bedroom there

2. Move couch to MFD's office in Philly

3. Go through two bins in my room in Philly

Three things I eat for lunch or dinner when I don't feel like cooking

1. Cheese, crackers, banana peppers, olives, odds and ends - we call this a fun plate in my house

2. Cereal

3. Salad

Three things I've been putting off

1. Going to the post office

2. Sorting papers

3. Taxes

Three things I've been killing it at

1. Daily vitamins

2. Night face routine

3. Walking more

Three things I'm over

1. Reels on the main Instagram feed

2. Forgetting things when I go to the store/get things delivered

3. Wiping kitchen counters

Three things I'm looking forward to

1.Warmer days

2. Acupuncture tomorrow

3. Porch sitting

You? 

 

Three Things February 2022

It's been quite a while. Three Things is back. Hopefully monthly but this has been in draft since September 21, 2021, so...we'll see.

Three things that make me feel free

1. Leaving my phone on another floor for hours

2. Walking on the beach when no one else is around

3. Driving over bridges with the sun roof open

Three things I am inclined to forget when leaving the house

1. Wallet

2. House key

3. Gloves

Three nail things I recommend

1.Fully preparing nails and not skipping steps then complaining nails chip on day two: remove polish, attend to cuticles, file, buff, wash, dry well, base coat, wait a few minutes, color coat 1, wait a few minutes, color coat 2, wait a few minutes, top coat. Cuticle cream when dry. Aside from the two items below, happy to share any other items I use if you need a recommendation.

2. This nail file

3.Seche Vive Gel Effect top coat (affiliate link)

Three things I keep saying I should do and continue to not do

1. Stretch daily

2. Re-start Shit MFD Said

3. Purge my shoes

Three reading related things I don't do that you might 

1. Listen to audio books

2. Re-read books. I have re-read some, of course. And some I've read so many times in my teen years I could recite them. But that was definitely young me. As I get older, I don't do that much anymore at all. 

3. Give a synopsis of the book when I talk about the book. That's what the book jacket writer is for

Three places I am dying to go 

1. Budapest

2. Glacier National Park

3. New Mexico

Three things I do every day by noon

1. Drink at least 40 ounces of water

2. Drink iced coffee 365 days unless I'm traveling and it is unavailable/not easily accessible and there's no fridge for me to make and keep my own

3. Tell a dog to stop or, alternatively, to come on

Three fashion trends I can confidently say I will never do again

1. Stirrups

2. Big hair

3. Spaghetti strap cami tanks

Three things I'm over

1. Working five out of seven days

2. People acting like there is no systemic racism while examples fly freely around like farts on the wind

3. Exhausting shit and idiots. I am over so many things and this is a good catch all

Three things I'm looking forward to

1. Birthday month!

2. Being barefoot outside

3. Lots of quality time with friends and fam coming up in spring and summer

You? 

 I think the last time I did this was August 2019? 

Three Things August 2020

The last time I did this was February. Where has the year gone? Down a corona hole. 

Three things I like about August

1. Later sunrises

2. Some cooler nights and mornings at the shore

3. Tomatoes

Three things I dislike about August

1. Earlier sunsets

2. Jellyfish

3. I start getting back to school angst even though I am not going back to school and have not gone back to school since August 1998.

Three goals for the rest of August

1. Stop letting work day bleed out into personal time on both ends

2. Less scrolling

3. Move bed and clean under it

Three things I thought I'd use more this year

1. My car

2. The oven

3. The library

Three things I never thought I'd use as much this year

1. Our shore apartment

2. The air fryer

3. Bleach

Three things I'm into right now

1. Masks matching outfit, always

2. Reading actual books, not kindle books, which sucks because I have a zillion on the kindle to read but my eyes need screen breaks

3. Voting the White House squatter out

Three websites I landed on in unrestricted googling last night

1. https://teerextee.com/ (Googled Animal Crossing, despite people talking about it all Corona Life I have no idea what it is)

2. https://millenniumgeospatial.com/ (Googled shore network)

3. https://thezenconnect.com/ (Googled charcoal neutralizer. That is not this but this is cool too)

Three favorite fruits

1. Strawberries

2. Hard, tart plums

3. mango

Three foods I've survived on in Corona Summer

1. Caprese salad

2. Raw veggies & Lipton onion dip

3. Snickers ice cream bars

Now you.

Three Things February 2020

Three things I like about January

1. There's a lot of time to read and rest

2. Not many things on the calendar

3. Freezer and pantry clean out happens

Three things I like about February

1. 50% off candy on 2/15

2. We're close to re-opening the shore house and I dream of spring projects and plans  

3. It's the last full month of winter and it's short

Three vegetables I eat the most

Depends on the time of year but in general

1. Cucumbers

2. Broccoli

3.  Cauliflower or bell peppers 

Three grocery items I buy every week

1. A vegetable that's on sale

2. A fruit that's on sale

3. "Snacks" which is how MFD replies when I ask him what he needs or wants from the store - this can be cookies, chips, combos, fruit roll ups...eye roll

Three things we go through like crazy in my house

1. Dog treats

2. Coffee

3. Kerry Gold butter

Three things I always have time for

1. Reading

2. Coffee

3. Lipstick

Three things I never have time for

1. Bullshit

2. Lateness

3. Chipped nails.

Now you.

Three Things: November 2019

Things I'm looking forward to before the end of the month

1. Days off

2. Friendsgiving

3. Time with the fam

Things I’m happy with
1. My review being over. It was good and it has pretty much always been but reviews are not my comfort zone. 
2. Deciding to decorate the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. I am an after Thanksgiving decorator but we leave for the shore Thanksgiving night and I won't be back until Monday night or Tuesday morning. 
3. Extended weekends at the shore this weekend and next. Time is winding down there so I’m making the most of it. 

Things I don’t understand 
1. Republicans in Congress

2. People who go through the trouble to arrange to pick up an item posted on an online yard sale then disappear into thin air. Like, just don’t engage if you never plan on getting the item. 

3. Less energy in my early 40s than in my late 30s

Things I love to eat at Thanksgiving
1. The skin on the turkey
2. Sweet potatoes
3. Pumpkin Pie

Things I need from the store
1. Toilet paper
2. Yams
3. window caulk

Things I don't like to do
1. Throw food out - such a waste when people don't have enough and can't afford to eat
2. Clean out my work bag
3. Wash my hair - happy to have a hair appointment today so someone else can wash it LOL

Things I've said out loud to strangers this week
1. "Are you really going to stand there?"
2. "How can you make 60 people walk the length of two train cars instead of you walking one and opening the doors?"
3. "I like your coat."

Things that smell good in this season
1. Turkey roasting
2. Burning leaves
3. Pre-snow air

Happy happy birthday Steph!

Now you.

Three Things October

Places I never want to go
-dentist
-hospital
-Old Country Buffet

Places I always want to go
-shore
-Marshalls
-library

Appetizers I will eat at any time
-caprese
-mozzarella sticks
-Calamari

Wall colors in my house

-purple
-yellow
-coral

Things I'm looking forward to this month
-OCNJ Fall Block Party with framily
-Making headway on some projects
-Investigating what my rules for a no spend year might look like

Places I enjoyed in my youth
-Every playground swingset (still enjoy those)
-Penny candy stores (would still enjoy but they do not exist)
-Used book stores (still enjoy those)

Things 10 year old me never expected to spend so much money on
-insurance of any kind - health, life, car, home, flood etc

-groceries
-water bills
-gas

Now you.

Three Things - August

Songs that make me think of high school
-Hey Jealousy by Gin Blossoms
-Stay by Lisa Loeb
-No Rain by Blind Melon

Things I like to give
-Compliments. I don't make them up to have something to say, but if I admire something I don't hold it in even if I don't know someone
-Encouragement, the world has enough critics
-hell to people who deserve it

Things I like to receive
-All the information I need if I'm doing something for you
-iced coffee
-recommendations on reusable/sustainable items

Things I hate that many people like
-Podcasts and audiobooks. And no, recommending one you really like will not change my mind. I've tried. I listened to the first season of Serial and while I liked the content, I had to force it. I've tried podcasts by people I know and like The Broad Review and Influenced: The Podcast. I even did a podcast with Jana that I never listened back to. I just don't like listening to talking when I'm not in conversation. I listened to Michelle Obama's book and while I loved the content and her reading it the whole time I was wishing I read it instead.
-Cheeseburgers. I love cheese, but not on burgers or on sandwiches in general.
-Baths

Clothes I find uncomfortable aside from jeans and heels which I have mentioned 4092348 times

-crew neck tees (all vee all the time)

-khaki/twill pants or shorts
-sandals that have straps (t-straps okay, ankle coming up from the back or across the foot no)

Things I love seeing other people post
-Dorm room move in & first day of school pictures
-Links to things they love (not necessarily things that have to be bought, more like recipes, ways of doing things, books)
-Anything socially conscious - a problem in the world and what they're doing to combat it in some small way

  You might also like Three Things July 2019, Three Things May 2019, Three Things December 2017, Three Things the original, Three Things November, Three Things August, Three Things September

Three Things: July

PIC VIA CAROL

Three movies I've watched more than 20 times 
Dirty Dancing
Sixteen Candles
The Breakfast Club

Three things I don’t do
1. Run
2. Stay silent about things that matter
3. Treat books like museum pieces

Three things I'm always up for doing
1. Painting my nails
2. Being alone
3. Being an encourager

Three good things that happened this month
1. Vacation
2. New sunglasses
3. Good work-life balance

Three things I wish everyone knew so well it was ingrained in their bones
1. It's not realistic to be happy or positive all the time, no matter what the inspirational quotes say
2. Not everyone is going to like you, people are going to hold opinions of you that have no basis in your reality, and both of those things are out of your control. Be about not caring what other people think.. Do the work internally and you will know freedom every remaining day of your life.
3. When and how to use apostrophes

Three things I'm tired of
1. Humidity
2. Being freezing inside my house
3. the entire republican party which has proven itself to be cowardly kowtowers complicit in child abuse, misogyny, pedophilia, racism, voter suppression, corruption, and a host of other unsavory shit as indicated by their silence

Three things I'll never tire of
1. Pink starburst
2. Reading
3. Checking out new to me libraries and independent bookstores

Three things I like to photograph
1. The sky
2. My dogs
3. Roadside things

Three things I can't resist
1. Staying up later than I should to finish a book
2. Perusing sunglasses
3. Poop jokes

And on that note....now you go.

Three Things: May 2019

Three things I lost my shit over this week
1. Abortion bans
2. People who came to a dead stop in the middle of walking to zone into their phones and got an earful from me*
3. The patriarchy*
*sort of standard from week to week

Three signs I'll never hang in my house
1. Live laugh love
2. Anything related to coffee or wine
3. Anything that says girl boss

Three things I neglected this week
1. Hydration
2. Food prep
3. Skincare

Three things I've tried recently
1. A new iced coffee method at home
2. Narutomaki
3. Listening to an audiobook (spoiler alert: I hate it. The listening, not the book)

Three house things I hate doing
1. Sorting and opening mail. I only do this once a week.
2. Taking the trash out
3. Putting laundry away

Three things I wear all the time
1. Cardigans
2. Old Navy pixie pants
3. eight year old yoga capris

Three things I never wear
1. Jeans. Jeggings yes, jeans no. I don't own any.
2. Heels. I don't own any.
3. Belts. I don't own any.

Three books on my kindle waiting to be read
1. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson - this has been sitting there since December 8, 2015
2. Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center (advanced copy from Netgalley)
3. Girls of Glass by Brianna Labuskes

Three things I have to do but don't feel like doing
1. Finding a new vet
2. Cleaning out my purse and work bag, both are a fucking disaster right now
3. Reorganizing the basement

Three things I'm looking forward to 
1. A few Fridays off
2. Girls weekend!
3. Having a working oven again

Now you.

Happy happy birthday to my sister-in-law Sarah today!

Three Things - December

Three food items I always have around in December
Prima Donna Gouda from DiBruno Brothers
Summer sausage or some type of not good for you dried meat
Shrimp

Three things that make me love people
When they follow their path and don't give a fuck about naysayers
Mass mobilizing to help strangers in times of duress, like natural disasters
Cleverness: making up wickedly funny memes or twitter accounts like Roy Moore's Horse or taking things like covfefe and running with them

Three things that make me hate people
Whining
When they stand at the top or bottom of stairs or block doorways/escalators/any entrance/egress point
When they think they have a say over someone else's vagina and what she does with it

Three Christmas songs I listen to the most
Last Christmas by Wham
Fairytale of New York by The Pogues
What Christmas Means to Me by Stevie Wonder

Three most recent Amazon purchases
Chalkboard contact paper
Spigen iPhone 8 Plus Case
Five metal wire stands

Three most recent book purchases
Last Breath by Karin Slaughter
Before We Were Strangers by Renee Carlino
The Crush by Sandra Brown

Three most recent e-book purchases
Comfort & Joy by Kristin Hannah ($2.99)
Next of Kin (Detective Buddy Lock Mysteries) by James Tucker ($3.99)
Christmizvah and Other Stories of Holiday Angst by Damien Galeone ($2.99)

Three things I'll do before the end of 2017 because I want to
Catch the Wanamaker light show
Figure out what size prints I need to redo some of the photos in frames around the house
Make my ritual 12/31 donations to charity

Three things I'll do before the end of 2017 because I have to
Clear out the spare bedroom
Reorganize my electronic files at work
Put an end to my See Food diet

Three words of the year for 2018 if I was a person who chose words of the year
IMPEACH
Action
Salt

Now you go.

If you liked this, you might like these posts: Three Things the original, Three Things November, Three Things August, Three Things September

Three Things - September

Three experiences I recommend 
Getting up early enough to see the sunrise every once in a while
A lot of alone time
Volunteering for something you truly care about

Three pieces of advice for everyone
Show up.
Say no when you want to say no. No excuses.
Know your strengths and never stop feeding them.

Three things I'd give up in a second
Commuting
Hot coffee since I mainly drink iced 365/yr now
Cleaning baseboards

Three things that are always in my fridge
Half and half, full fat  -  you can pry it from my cold dead hands
Organic pumpkin for my dogs
Sliced jalapenos

Three things that are always in my freezer
Broccoli florets
Power breakfast muffins
At least two meals I have made that can be thawed and eaten

Three things that are always in my pantry
An extra bottle of Simply Heinz ketchup
Peanut butter
Oats

Three most often used makeup products*
Mascara
Lipsense
undereye concealer
*most days it's just one and two or two alone

Three things I'll spend money on
Polarized sunglasses
Shoes comfortable for 80 year old lady feet
Dining experiences

Three things I won't spend money on
Cable, except at the shore where people expect it
Curtains
Movies

Now you go.

Happy happy first birthday to my goddaughter Libby today! 

If you liked this, you might like these posts: Three Things the original, Three Things November, Three Things August

Three Things - August

Three things I've enjoyed lately
1. Drinking iced mint tea in the afternoons
2. Getting lost in books, one after the other
3. Seeing Americans rise up

Three things I dislike participating in
1. Exercises in futility
2. Trash removal
3.  Traffic

Three things I don't feel like doing anymore
1. Engaging with people who don't understand how the world works
2. Weeding
3. Commuting

Three reading behaviors I hate
1. When people have to be contrarian about books, like they hate every popular book just because other people like it or because they will not admit they've taken everyone's opinion as fact and hyped it up to a level of greatness it absolutely could never achieve. Sometimes I don't like popular books. Sometimes I do. Neither makes me special. The same applies to you.
2. When people say they don't have time to read. If you have time to watch TV or type on your phone, you have the time to read. It is not your priority and that's okay but it is not a lack of time issue unless you literally have no time to do anything that involves leisure. If that is the case I feel terrible for you.
3. When books are treated like museum pieces. I consider them living, breathing things. That gets a little messy.

Three books I’ve loved this year
1. The Kate Burkholder series by Linda Castillo and the most recent installment of the Fina Ludlow series by Ingrid Thoft: Duplicity
2. A Million Junes by Emily Henry
3. Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley

Three books I'm looking forward to reading
1. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
2. Cocoa Beach by Beatriz Williams
3. This is How it Always Is by Laurie Frankel

Three things I'm excited to do this year
1. Attend the Pennsylvania Conference for Women
2. Get a runner installed on the stairs at the shore
3. Hunt for a piece of replacement wood furniture in thrift stores

Three things I’m glad I did this year
1. Cancelled our vacation in April
2. Went to DC for the Women's March on January 21
3. Updated the tattoo on my back

Stole some of Jana's prompts and added some of my own. Now you go!


If you liked this, you might like these posts: Three Things the original, Three Things November

Three Things November

I did this last month and liked it, so as long as I can come up with some different prompts, I'll keep it going since I'm a fan of the Q&A games, of lists, of the rule of three. As always I'm curious about how you'd reply to these, so if you feel like playing along please do so in the comments, for all of them or cherry pick your favorites.

Three things I frequently forget
Power breakfast muffins when I'm bringing them for a snack to work, they often end up on the counter and MFD has to put them back in the freezer
Ages of other people and sometimes myself
Keys

Three errands I love to run
Library day!
Bank - a block from my office, it couldn't be easier
Anything that is a quick drop off or pick up and requires no time spent in an establishment

Three errands I hate to run
Produce Junction - just navigating the parking lot makes me sweat
Post Office - everyone is a miserable dick at the Suburban Station post office
Sam's Club - the eternal lines and hideous music from some speaker they're trying to sell = hell on earth

Three restaurants I want to try
Abe Fisher - it's been on my list for over a year
Mr. Martino's Trattoria
Fork

Three famous people I'd like to meet
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Michelle Obama
Judy Blume

Three famous people I'd like to avoid
donald trump
Russell Brand
OJ Simpson

Three things I recommend
Theshold Performance Sheet Sets from Target - they stay ON the bed and believe it or not I actually like 400 thread count over the higher thread counts.
Mixing cucumber mint sparkling water from Target with a bit of cranberry juice.
Golden turmeric paste for dogs with joint or arthritis issues.

Three books I loved in the elementary/junior high days
Christopher Pike's Final Friends trilogy
Judy Blume's Forever
Irene Hunt's Up a Road Slowly

Three things I always look forward to
The weekend
Starting a new book
Coffee

Three things I always dread
Dentist
Taking the trash out
Encountering a million legger

Now you go. 

Three Things

I'm a fan of the Q&A games, of lists, of the rule of three. Of three dogs, obviously. So I made these prompts up. I'm curious about your answers, so if you feel like playing along please do so in the comments, for all of them or cherry pick your favorites.

Three things I'd never give up
My independence, sunglasses, painting my nails

Three favorite vegetables
Cucumbers, asparagus, cauliflower

Three shows I watched faithfully from beginning to end
Beverly Hills 90210, LOST, The Wonder Years

Three places I want to visit inside the US
Zion National Park, Seattle, New Mexico

Three places I want to visit outside the US
Iceland, Paris, Moscow

Three things I always have with me
Water, book, camera (phone or real)

Three things that are always in my car
Extra pair of sunglasses, dog poop bags, Totes bubble umbrella

Three most recent phone calls were to/from
Dad, MFD, shore contractor who is capping the windows at the house down there

Three books I read and loved in college
I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb, Trinity by Leon Uris, Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Three most often used makeup products
Sugar Fresh Lips in Ruby, YSL multi-action concealer, Too Faced Better than Sex mascara

Three things that make me laugh
Poop/fart stories, Funerals/weddings (nervous laughter counts, yes?), falling

Three things that make me cry
Thinking about my dogs dying, when I'm proud of something or someone, frustration

Now you go.

Happy happy birthday to Aunt Carrie today!