Weekend 5+1 (5 Things I Love + 1 Thing I Don’t) – 6.14.20

I hope you’re all starting to enjoy the summer weather a bit.  I went out to an outdoor patio restaurant a couple of times recently, and it was heaven!  Seeing friends in person is so good for the soul.  Its been a long time since I’ve done a 5+1 post, so I thought I’d share one this weekend.  This post contains some affiliate links.

Never Split the Difference

I am listening to Never Split the Difference for the second time to catch even more of the details in this book.  I have also been recommending it to anyone who will listen!  My oldest son is working his way through it, and we have already started using our negotiating skills against one another.  What’s so intriguing about this book, is that the author is a former hostage negotiator.  He figured out that his hostage negotiating skills also translated to business.  And really, they can be used beyond business – kids, buying a car, navigating a difficult conversation, you name it.  There are lots of takeaways to this book, and only wish that I had read it sooner!

Flipping 101

While I don’t watch as much HGTV as I used to, I have to say, I’ve really enjoyed watching Flipping 101 with Tarek El-Moussa.  He takes rookie flippers and helps them through the flipping process.  He offers advice, guides them through to avoid pitfalls and bad design decisions and then watches how the results pan out in his tricked out van/office.  I have found it really insightful and interesting in the sea of a lot of sameness out there.  I still miss some of the design shows – but this one has definitely filled a void that I didn’t even know was there.  Plus, I have always wanted to flip a house, so I appreciate the insight.

Bissell Vacuum/Carpet Cleaner

I spotted this gem when meeting with a customer.  They had a new puppy, and you know what that means – accidents are inevitable.  Sure enough, shortly after I got there, this excited little puppy had an accident.  She whipped out this Bissell Carpet Cleaner, and it kind of blew my mind.  All of the cleaner is premixed and can be left in the carpet cleaner, and it also serves to vacuum up the mess at the same time.  I can’t quite explain it.  But it’s not the carpet cleaner I’ve been using!

Navy Blue Built-ins

I shared this on Facebook, but am sharing it here in case you missed it.  I decided to paint the backs of my built-ins a cool, rich navy blue, and it’s so pretty!  The color is a new one for me – Sea Serpent, a Sherwin Williams color.  It’s a stunner, if you’re a fan of navy like I am.  Now I just need to do some bookcase restyling.  I can’t even tell you how many months it’s been since I’ve been to HomeGoods.

Alexa Sleep Sounds

My husband has a tendency to snore, and I recently discovered Alexa Sleep Sounds not only help to drown out some of the noise, but they’re really restful for helping me fall asleep.  I’m a big fan of “Heavy Rain” and the “Thunderstorm” sounds.  There’s just nothing like sleeping with the sounds of a rainstorm, so I have Alexa to thank for that.

My +1 for the week…

I went to Sam’s Club yesterday for the first time in a long time, and was irritated to find that they were rearranging the store.  Why?  I swear, for as long as I can remember, the layout has been the same, and it’s been fine.  I know where things are, I can get in and out of there quickly, without roaming around unnecessarily, and the layout made sense.  Now, it’s just a hodge podge, and it makes no logical sense.  

They even had a sign out, explaining themselves… apparently the home office is to blame.  Typical, right?

This seems to be a trend lately – our local grocery store has rearranged several times (after building a new store that we all were getting acclimated to), and it seems like they do it just as I get the new lay of the land.  

Just leave the stores alone.  2020 has been stressful enough on all of us already.

Have a great week!

Jenny

6 Comments

  • Reply
    Julie
    June 14, 2020 at 5:52 pm

    I will have to read that book, thanks for the recommendation!

    I think it’s safe to say that Sams Club has had many complaints and hence the sign explaining that it’s not their fault, but home office made them do it! 🙂

  • Reply
    Linda Smith
    June 14, 2020 at 8:28 pm

    Jenny, you are so right about stores changing things. We just want a little stability!! Quit changing the rules about everything. Love your blog!

    • Reply
      Jenny
      June 24, 2020 at 8:55 pm

      Thank you for your kind words, Linda. I agree – we need something to stay NORMAL right now. 2020 has dished out enough to last me a lifetime!

  • Reply
    Lauren Peege
    June 15, 2020 at 8:36 pm

    It looks like you have a corner fireplace. Could you show me your shelves? I want built in shelves but don’t want it to look lopsided with a corner fireplace. I would love to see what you’ve done! I need some help!

  • Reply
    Shari
    June 22, 2020 at 12:56 pm

    Just the other day, a family friend was talking about stores changing their layouts, especially grocery stores. He’s an engineer and knows everything (lol). He claims they switch things up to increase sales. They hope you will end up with more impulse buys in your cart if you have to spend more time wandering through the store looking for what you actually came in for. Makes perfectly good sense, I suppose.

    • Reply
      Jenny
      June 24, 2020 at 8:50 pm

      That’s exactly what I was thinking this last time I was there. I think a lot of people were in there, roaming around, looking for things and buying more in the process. In the midst of Covid, the last thing we all need to be doing is roaming around stores for long periods of time…

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