Friday 5+1 (5 Things I Love + 1 Thing I Don’t) – 8.17.18

We got back from an amazing vacation and jumped right into the school year, making the transition back to reality a wee bit more difficult than usual.  We’ve been running on California time, which means my kids essentially got up at 3AM for their first day of school. #momfail  But, it was worth it.  We saw some amazing things, and took our first “active” family vacation, as opposed to parking it on the beach for a week.  More on that in a separate post, we’re long overdue for a Friday 5+1, don’t you think?  This post contains some affiliate links.

Clothes Made of Flowers

We made a stop in Beverly Hills on our trip to California, and had to do the tourist thing and go down Rodeo Drive.  My boys were caught up in all of the luxury cars, but I was drawn to this cool display of mannequins dressed in flowers.  How fun is this?

Don’ts for Husbands and Wives

I spotted Don’ts for Husbands and Don’ts for Wives at a store in San Francisco, and thought they were to fun not to share.  A great idea for a stocking stuffer (since they’re about the size of your palm), or as a gift for a couple getting married.  It was written more than 100 years ago, and while some of the ideas might be considered outdated, much can be considered timeless marital advice.

Kutzit Paint and Varnish Stripper

I saw Kutzit Paint and Varnish Stripper in action on one of my painting Facebook pages that I follow, and I’m adding it to my paint product arsenal to try.  It really looks to do the job in getting paint off a piece of furniture, so keep it in mind if you’re refinishing something now or in the future.

Britex Fabrics

I just did a walk-by of this amazing store while in San Francisco, but since I was shopping with my family, I couldn’t go in and browse around like I would have liked.  Have you ever seen such a cool fabric store?

Recipe Platter with Grandma’s Handwriting

I swear I’m not rushing into the holiday season in any way, but when I see neat things, I feel compelled to share them!  And a platter with a recipe in your mother’s or grandmother’s handwriting falls into that category (and would make a great Christmas gift if the thought of holiday shopping is already giving you hives).  I know my grandmother had handwriting that I could identify anywhere, and I miss her handwritten notes, so this really stuck with me.

My +1 for the week – Taking your family on an “active” vacation and battling your teens and their cell phones

As much as I love cell phones, quite frankly, sometimes I wish they didn’t exist for all of us.  I think that’s why I found Mad Men so interesting.  Watching society function and flow without all of the modern day accoutrements makes me feel nostalgic.  I know some of this is just teens being teens, but it doesn’t make it any less frustrating.  (I may or may not have skipped out on the Van Gogh Museum when I was a teen, and chose to read a book instead.  This is a story my dad will never let me forget, I can assure you).  I guess it’s more of how teens are on their cell phones – watching Fortnite videos of other people playing is something I will never understand.  They’re noisy with their phones – I browse Facebook, Instagram and email.  Quiet phone activities.

Don’t get me wrong, it was wonderful spending real time with my family – and we did spend a lot of quality family time together, and made lots of memories.  People need downtime (especially when you’re all together 24/7 for a week).  I could just do without phones sometimes, that’s all.

Have a great weekend!

Jenny