OK, I’ve gotta make this quick. I’m participating in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) this month, so I have approximately 48,000 more words to write for my novel in the next…27 days. Yikes.
However, I thought I’d share a few of Mama’s Favorite Things while we’re rolling into the holiday season.
1. Bob Ross
Yes, the adorably permed, denim-shirt-wearing sweetheart who doesn’t believe anyone should be alone, even painted trees. I flipped on an episode two weeks ago, thinking I’d enjoy some quick, lighthearted entertainment. I didn’t grow up with Bob, so every episode is completely new to me. And every episode, I have a gasp-aloud moment as my eyes adjust and I can see the depth of his mountains. He paints a single white line, and the bottom half of his painting becomes a perfect lake, complete with reflections. I’m always left in awe.
Well, I decided to turn my children onto this wholesome, new friend, and they are enthralled. Every night, we hear “Can we watch Bob Ross?” It’s precious coming from the voice of my almost-3-year-old daughter. They love Bob. Can you believe he served in the Air Force for 20 years? And he still giggles every time he “beats the devil” out of his paintbrush. He’s just presh.
2. Publix Premium Peppermint Stick Ice Cream
Forget Hobby Lobby’s insanely early Christmas trees or Dollar Tree ditching plastic spider rings a week before Halloween (true story). The true sign we’ve entered the holiday season is this peppermint ice cream. It’s just vanilla ice cream with green-and-red peppermint candies swirled inside, but it screams Christmas. It’s limited edition, so be sure you stock up toward the end of December and fill your deep freezer. However, please don’t stock up at my Publix grocery store, m’kay? Y’all can keep your pumpkin spice. Just give me all the peppermint. And, yes, I’ll fight you on this.
3. The Office Ladies
Do you love to dish about The Office? Then you need to discover The Office Ladies like, yesterday. Apparently, actresses Jenna Fischer (Pam Beasley/Halpert, receptionist) and Angela Kinsey (Angela Martin, accounting) became real-life best friends during the eight years this fantastic show ran. Now, they’re rewatching each episode and giving behind-the-scenes looks, stories, and gossip during weekly hour-long podcasts. They come out every Wednesday, and they’re so fun, especially if you know the show fairly well. Of course, I then have to rewatch the episode to pick up on the extra tidbits I gathered during the podcast. Apparently, Steve Carell is legitimately the nicest guy on the planet. If that’s true, then he must be a great actor because…Michael Scott.
4. One-Punch Man
OK, this one is for the nerdier crowd. If you have ever watched anime and want a laugh, check out One-Punch Man on Netflix. Saitama is a hero for fun, not for glory, but when he realizes he gets zero perks from being unknown, he joins the hero league and struggles to climb the rankings. Somehow, he earns a disciple in the process. I don’t want to give too much away, but the parody on traditional anime and the self-awareness of this one is just hilarious. The art style changes between characters, which makes it even funnier. It is Japanese, so you do see some rear ends. Also, I recommend watching this one after the kids go to bed.
So, there you go! A quick four Favorite Things to tide you over. I hope everyone is having a fantastic early November. The weather in South Carolina is stunning, so I’m attempting to limit my kiddos’ screen time in favor of playground time. However, I’m not always successful, because…Mama is trying to write 50,000 words in 30 days! Yeesh.
What are some of your favorite things? Please share in the comments!
Currently Reading:
Ellie and the Harp Maker by Hazel Prior – Frankly, the cover art caught my attention during a quick, kidless trip to the library adult section. Ellie Jacobs stumbles across a secluded barn full of beautiful harps. Also inside that barn is Dan Hollis, the maker of the exquisite instruments. He’s a bit of an odd duck (though incredibly handsome…of course) who doesn’t easily fit into “normal” society, so he’s secluded himself in his barn. As far as I can tell, Ellie isn’t married to the best man and will find refuge playing a harp given to her by Dan. We’ll see how this goes.
I’m also chugging through The Martian, but with it’s continual string of cursing, my adult-only car time is quite limited.