Just another manic Monday (also, I hate February)

It's a rainy, nasty, dreary Monday here in Jackson, and I have had just about enough of February already.  Granted, I am thankful that we don't have snow or ice that other parts of the country have right now, but still, February, it's been nice, but bye-bye.

February is hard.

February is cold.

February is fickle (cold one day, warm another day).

February can't decide how many days it has.

February doesn't like the sun.

Yes, February has Valentine's Day, but give me spring over chocolate and flowers...

actually, give me spring, chocolate, and flowers! That's perfection.

To combat the February-ness of today, I decided to post about those things that help me through manic Mondays. And Tuesdays. And other days that end in "y", especially in February.

Coffee, preferably in a big mug and with endless refills

May I recommend Back Alley Roasters? We love this small company that is run by friends

Stress Away in the diffuser

(I'm not a crazy oil lady, but the Stress Away is my new favorite. So wonderful in my house. And hey, Young Living kits are 10% off this month. Let me know if you want more details)

A cracklin' fire

On gloomy rainy days, a fire in our fireplace is essential.

It warms both the body and the soul.

Fun music

When the kids are trapped inside and attacking each other, it's time for a dance party.

Awesome Mix, Vol. 1, from Guardians of the Galaxy is always a hit, as are songs byTaylor Swift, Black-Eyed Peas, and Fun. A current favorite in the house is also "Cheerleader" by OMI (thanks, Anita, for introducing us to that). 

If it's about ME needing cheering up, then I turn on Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors, or if I'm working/cleaning, Bon Jovi, as loud as possible. Yes, they are totally different genres, but oh well:-)

Books

Nothing soothes a rainy day like a good book. I highly recommend a diverting mystery or spy novel, as February really cannot handle heavy tomes of theology and philosophy. February needs to be distracted, so I would suggest a Daniel Silva spy novel, or a James Patterson mystery, or re-reading Harry Potter for the umpteenth time.

These are some of my ideas. How are you surviving this manic February/I mean Monday?

January notes

*The Finnlings' new favorite snack (and honestly, Nathan and I like it too) is this  fruit tape from Annie's brand. It's better than any Fruit Roll Up you've had, I promise. My grocery store doesn't carry it (Kroger), but my not-a-super-Target has it in their snack food aisle. Yum.

*The Farmer Restaurant in Memphis is quite possibly the most amazing food I have had since we moved to West TN. We spent part of a day in Memphis on the weekend of our anniversary--it involved shopping at Teavana, Whole Foods, and Anthropologie, and having dinner at this delicious restaurant. It will NOT be our last time there, and it honestly served for inspiration for our spring getaway trip to Memphis (more on that later, maybe:-).

*Sometimes, as a grownup, as a parent, when you do not have your children with you, it is fun to simply walk around a grocery store together. Hence, our visit to Whole Foods mentioned above. Yes, it is also where we spend our "whole paycheck", but still. I have rarely been disappointed by a visit there, or by something I purchased there.

*I have never owned a long cardigan, mostly because I have never seen one that I liked. I am not at all up to date on fashion, so they may not be in style that much anymore, but I found one that I love and I am wondering why it took me so long! It looks great over a variety of things, and the one I bought is super soft and comfy too. Go get yourself a long cardigan.

*Alan Rickman's death was so terribly sad.  I loved him first as Colonel Brandon, I will be honest, but his portrayal of Severus Snape through eight Harry Potter movies was brilliant. 

*We joined a wonderful church here in Jackson in late December (First Baptist Jackson TN ), and in January the kids started attending Awanas. We have never been involved in a church with Awanas before, so I must say it is a bit daunting for the parents! However, the Finnlings ADORE it. They have so much fun, they look forward to it weekly, and they count their Awanas bucks almost daily. I'm grateful for a ministry that seeks to pour biblical truth into my kids' hearts.

*Last tidbit: if you are desperate to watch a television show that you can't pick up with your antenna, purchasing it through Amazon Prime Video is cheaper than iTunes. Ask me how I know (Team Flash!).

November Notes

I love reading blogs that several different people write entitled "What I Learned in _________". I intend, most months, to complete a summary of the month and link it to the appropriate blog roundup and share it with everyone so they can be enlightened by my thoughts.  And yet, I have published all of one or maybe two of these actual posts. Whoops. I'm so far behind on blogging, it's just not even funny. In an attempt to catch up, here are my November Notes. Nothing fancy, just some randomness from my head:-)

*Planning to keep up your homeschool work when you're traveling is always a good idea...except for my part, it never gets done. We have made two different week-long trips this fall, and both times I packed schoolwork for the kids, and both times we did....maybe two worksheets total. So, here's the new plan: my kids are young, and their workload is such that they can easily make it up, so until that changes, time out of town is NOT school time UNLESS it is filled with field trips (and I am down with that, by the way. Zoos and museums are even more fun out of town!).

*Nathan and I started watching The Blacklist on Netflix. And oh my gracious, we were hooked. I have never been a James Spader fan until now, but as Raymond Reddington he is genius. However, about halfway through the second season, I really grew uncomfortable with the characters and the direction of the show (it's hard to find a good guy, and from what I understand, it only gets worse). My kind husband sensed my foreboding and suggested one night that we switch to something else. Bless him.  Enter....

*The Flash. It's so much fun, so lighthearted and not too frightening or gory and not filled with the typical CW "petty problems of pretty people. For a comic book show, it's uplifting and funny and light hearted. My husband knows me well, and he knows that I want at least one person to really be the good guy, and for there to be corny jokes, but without it making fun of stupid people or being truly painful to watch (I'm looking at you, Michael Scott).  So The Flash is our fun fix right now, no regrets at all.

*Speaking of a fun fix--Grantchester on Amazon Prime is wonderful. It's a period crime solving drama involved a young priest in England in the 1950s! Whoo- hoo! Now, this priest is flawed and makes some rather dramatic mistakes, but he feels the weight of those mistakes and grieves them. I loved the series, and wish it was more than 6 episodes (these British tv shows with their abbreviated runs!). I am reading the short stories that the series was based on, and the series is better!

*I HAVE been reading books this month, but I have nothing to show for it--i.e., nothing that I have finished. It might be because I am trying very hard to finish the expansive Warmth of Other Suns which I started in the spring. It is SO good and so so so long. Maybe I'll finish it by the end of the year?

*Fall is always busy for us. Add in a move, a new job, new responsibilities, and let's just say the fall is crazy. We traveled the week before Thanksgiving, our family came into town FOR Thanksgiving, and the week after Thanksgiving we had three Christmas parties. What does that mean? It means this week until Christmas is relatively quiet and peaceful and for that we are truly grateful. We have very few plans, and I do not mind that one little bit. Peace on earth, and good will toward men.

*Last--we finally bought tickets to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens the night before it opens ;-) We are now debating what time we should get in line beforehand. Ha!