Some of my Favorite Things

I'm not terribly tech savy -- I have a phone, it works, I'm happy.  I have a tablet, it works, I'm happy.  Same thing with my car -- as long as it has 4-wheels, brakes, a radio and A/C, I'm good.  But today I thought I'd share some of my favorite apps / websites / social media accounts. 

First up is the Best of Nextdoor account on Twitter (@bestofnextdoor).  If you are not already on Twitter, get an account NOW.  Then, immediately start following this account.  And get ready to pee your pants from laughing so hard.  This Twitter parody account highlights some of the stupidest, moronic, idiotic stuff posted on the Nextdoor app (which is supposed to be a helpful on-line neighborhood community).  The Nextdoor app is often described often as "Twitter for old people."  My personal favorite is when an innocent post goes horribly wrong and people clap back with:  THIS.  IS.  NOT.  A.  DATING. SITE.

Texas heat is no joke.  I've always drank (drunk??) lots of water throughout the day but thanks to the Drink Water Reminder app I realized I wasn't drinking as much as I should be.  This is a very easy app to use.  Decide what measurements you'll be using (lbs./fluid oz. or kgs), enter your weight, sign up for reminders and you're pretty much good to go!  Keep track of your intake and hydrate away! 

My new favorite Pinterest account was actually brought to my attention by Coach.  Not surprisingly, it's also a parody account called "My Imaginary Well Dressed Toddler."  This account is the brainchild of Tiffany Beveridge, an Australian writer and blogger.  Her imaginary well dressed daughter, "Quinoa," is the coolest kid on the internet.  Why Quinoa?  Beveridge has said "it struck her funny that a grain had become trendy.  Like, so trendy somebody was probably going to name their kid Quinoa."  Quinoa also has very hip friends:  Ridley (he only eats free range chick nuggets), Twerk (the kid's philosophy?  "No shirt, no shoes, no drama, no high fructose corn syrup.").  She's in a coffeehouse band called "Smashed Cucumber" with her friends Rhapsody and Periwinkle.  Her friends Chevron, Eleven, Adderall, Pantone, Atlas, Pabst, Garamond, Hollandaise, and Vinaigrette make occasional appearances, too. 

Coach can fall asleep any where, any time.  I, on the other hand, have difficulty.  If a hot bath with plenty of lavender Epsom salt doesn't work, I use the Relax Melodies app for meditation, white noise, sounds of nature, Gregorian chants and yoga music. 









One of KJ's favorite Instagram accounts is @thebucketlistfamily.  If you haven't met the genetically blessed, absolutely adorable, incredibly photogenic, Gee Family yet, you can check them out at:  http://www.thebucketlistfamily.com/

I'm inspired and awed by @humansofny Instagram account.  The account highlights people interviewed on the streets of New York. You never know what kind of battle people are fighting. 

Do you like wine?  Do you sometimes get intimidated or confused at the liquor store?  Red?  White?  Rose?  Are screw tops tacky?  Never know which wine to bring to the dinner party?  Delectable is the app for you!  This app has label recognition which allows you to easily pull up ratings, reviews and tasting notes.  You can also keep a wine journal and follow top sommeliers, vinters and those in the know.  I also use this app if Relax Melodies doesn't get the job done.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Move it Along Folks

So crazy to think that at this time next week I'll be both homeless and unemployed! We've had a super busy week with parties, dinners and get-togethers saying good-by to friends. Cosmo came home last weekend and we had a huge blowout at the house. It was so good to see everyone -- neighborhood friends, lax friends, Hoover friends, volleyball friends, work friends, even friends from Cincinnati! All I wanted to do was clean-out the bar and get rid of our liquor. Somehow, I'm +6 bottles of wine which is amazing considering we threw away 4 huge trashbags of nothing but beer, wine, rum and tequila bottles. Say what you want about the Cos family but man! We can throw a party! Lots of toasts, lots of shots.

I had all the chicks in the nest last week which may not happen for a long time. T drove in Saturday morning and of course her daddy had to make her favorite macaroni for dinner and I had to make her favorite chilli cheese dip for the party. She had to be back in Oxford early Sunday morning so it was a quick, emotional trip for her. It hit her hard that she will never come home to this house ever again. We had a long talk Saturday night (morning???) and I told her it's just a house. It's just four walls. Memories are made any where and every where. It's what's you keep in your heart.

KJ had a ton of kids over Saturday night, too. Naturally it ended in a cake fight. Sunday she spent the day w/ her sweet friend Mo shopping and doing fun girly stuff (I think strawberry shortcake was dessert of the day). Monday KJ got her eyebrows waxed and we did some last minute stuff (shoe shopping), Tuesday we had a relaxing evening getting pedicures (hey! a girl's gotta look good for her first day of school!). Wednesday we met Jo and GW for dinner at the Mexican place and Thursday we had dinner w/ The W Women. Tonight KJ has a b-day party to go to, she'll probably have some friends sleep over and tomorrow she heads to BWI so she can start 8th grade on Monday! Whoop! Whoop!

When we lived in Madrid there was a group of gypsies that lived near our apartment complex.  I am too young to remember this of course but my mom and dad said they roamed across Europe.  I may have been secretly switched at birth and swear I have some gypsy blood in me.  I like to keep moving, I don't like to be stagnant or complacent.  I like to try new things.  I like to read about new places, different people.  I like a little chaos in my life.  It's fun to mix things up a bit. 

I am so absolutely awful at good-byes and totally dreaded my last day at the hotel.  I work(ed) with an amazing group of people and we always had fun no matter what.  Lots of laughs and a lot of silliness.  The girls and I had a nice quiet lunch, no fuss and I tried to sneak out as best as I could.  One of the ladies I work with said, "You and you're family always go on the best adventures!" and I kept that with me all day today.  This next chapter in our lives is definitely going to be an adventure and I'm really looking forward to it! 

"It's time to say goodbye, but I think goodbyes are sad and I'd much rather say hello. Hello to a new adventure." == Ernie Harwell