I’m all out of whack with the Thanksgiving holiday, and somehow forgot that I was supposed to take the trash out today (it normally goes out on Thursday). So, we’ll have super-smelly trash for next week then. I blame it on my tryptophan-induced food coma. I hope you’re enjoying a shopping frenzy, or just enjoying time with your family – whatever makes you happiest. Let’s get on with this week’s Black Friday 5+1! This post contains some affiliate links.
Year of Yes
I don’t know if you watch any of Shonda Rhimes’ shows on TV – Scandal, Grey’s Anatomy, How to Get Away with Murder – but even if you don’t, her book, “Year of Yes” is worth reading. It essentially boils down to her agreeing to say yes to doing the things that scare her. It’s interesting, because despite her life of being a writer for some really successful shows, she’s essentially an introvert, and doesn’t want to be in the spotlight. Public speaking and tv interviews send her into nuclear anxiety attacks – so you can imagine what a challenge it would be to say yes to the things that come her way. It’s an amazing journey of personal growth and transformation, and it’s definitely got me thinking. It’s so easy to play things safe and not step out of our comfort zones – but what fun it is to see what happens when you take a chance.
I Am Watching You
I have been an audiobook Olympian lately, so bear with me as I share some of these good reads. I Am Watching You is another one that I just finished and thought it worthy of a share. It’s a great suspense/mystery that is told from the angle of several people involved in one way or another in the storyline.
Here is an Amazon description:
What would it take to make you intervene?
When Ella Longfield overhears two attractive young men flirting with teenage girls on a train, she thinks nothing of it—until she realises they are fresh out of prison and her maternal instinct is put on high alert. But just as she’s decided to call for help, something stops her. The next day, she wakes up to the news that one of the girls—beautiful, green-eyed Anna Ballard—has disappeared.
A year later, Anna is still missing. Ella is wracked with guilt over what she failed to do, and she’s not the only one who can’t forget. Someone is sending her threatening letters—letters that make her fear for her life.
Then an anniversary appeal reveals that Anna’s friends and family might have something to hide. Anna’s best friend, Sarah, hasn’t been telling the whole truth about what really happened that night—and her parents have been keeping secrets of their own.
Someone knows where Anna is—and they’re not telling. But they are watching Ella.
Moviepass.com
I love, love, love this idea, and I think you will too. Moviepass.com is a subscription service that allows you to see unlimited movies in the theater, for $9.95/month. What an amazing gift idea, right? Heck, if they had this back in the day before we had kids, we would have been all over it, and gotten our money’s worth and then some! The only catch that I’ve been able to find is that you can’t buy advance tickets. So, we bought tickets for the opening of Star Wars next month, and you wouldn’t be able to do that. But for the most part, we buy tickets on the fly, so this would totally work in most cases. What a smart idea!
The Stolen Marriage
I’m almost finished with The Stolen Marriage, and even though I don’t know how it’s going to end, I still think it’s worth a share. It’s a heartbreaking story that takes place in the 1940’s, and such an interesting contrast into how much life has changed in terms of social taboos and that sort of thing.
Here is the Amazon description:
One mistake, one fateful night, and Tess DeMello’s life is changed forever.
It is 1944. Pregnant, alone, and riddled with guilt, twenty-three-year-old Tess DeMello abruptly gives up her budding career as a nurse and ends her engagement to the love of her life, unable to live a lie. Instead, she turns to the baby’s father for help and agrees to marry him, moving to the small, rural town of Hickory, North Carolina. Tess’s new husband, Henry Kraft, is a secretive man who often stays out all night, hides money from his new wife, and shows her no affection. Tess quickly realizes she’s trapped in a strange and loveless marriage with no way out.
The people of Hickory love and respect Henry but see Tess as an outsider, treating her with suspicion and disdain. When one of the town’s golden girls dies in a terrible accident, everyone holds Tess responsible. But Henry keeps his secrets even closer now, though it seems that everyone knows something about him that Tess does not.
When a sudden polio epidemic strikes Hickory, the townspeople band together to build a polio hospital. Tess knows she is needed and defies Henry’s wishes to begin working at there. Through this work, she begins to find purpose and meaning. Yet at home, Henry’s actions grow more alarming by the day. As Tess works to save the lives of her patients, can she untangle the truth behind her husband’s mysterious behavior and find the love―and the life―she was meant to have?
I’m really curious to see how it ends, which keeps me reading. I’m going to be sad when this one is finished!
Paper Riot Peel and Stick Decor
Paper Riot Wall Decals are such a fun way to add a little pizazz to your home for the holidays (or any day, since they have other items that are for every day decor). Fun, easy and temporary!
My +1 for the week – Shopping on Black Friday
I’ll admit it – I’ve become an online shopper for the most part. Or if I do have to set foot in a store, I’ll do it during the week. When most people are working. I have developed a low tolerance for crowds, and I think I’ve gotten a bit spoiled being able to shop during low-traffic times. Bring on Cyber Monday! 🙂
Have a great holiday weekend!
Jenny
No Comments