I grew up watching A LOT of television and going to A LOT of movies. I was an only child so I had time to fill and no siblings to help fill it. Some of my most vivid childhood memories revolve around media and popular culture.
Why I Throw My Kids Over-the-top Birthday Parties
It’s birthday party season in the Holland household. Griffin's birthday is May 16th and Amos's birthday is June 3rd so the party planning has begun in earnest. Every year I spend a ton of time planning (and designing and crafting and baking) for two big parties to celebrate these awesome little guys.
I go big and I'm not going to apologize.
My 2014 Summer Reading Guide
I've had several people ask me recently for book recommendations. Whenever more than about three people ask me a question, I immediately turn my response into a post. It's like blogger law, y'all.
There seems to be two approaches to summer reading guides. First, many share what they plan to read over the summer. I suppose that's fine but what if what you want to read turns out to be truly awful. No, I prefer the second approach, which is the approach my friend Anne takes on her blog The Modern Mrs. Darcy.
Side note: Anne basically writes the best summer reading guide EVER because she is a prolific reader and smart as a whip. I am an amateur at this. She is the real deal. So, after you finish with reading my guide, run on over and get her's. Seriously.
I read on average 2-3 books a month. Not exactly prolific, but nothing to slouch about either. This year I stumbled across some serious gems that I think you should add to your reading list!
My top 5 favorite YouTube videos of all time
It's been a little serious around here lately. So, it occurred to me it might be time for an old fashioned laugh. Most YouTube viral videos have a short shelf life. If you miss them during their 2-3 day rise to fame, you might miss them all together. This is really too bad because most of them don't stop being funny. In the interest of extending the hilarity, here are a few of my favorites.
Action Figure Therapy My friend Dylan introduced me to this little bit of genius. It is not safe for work, but it is hilarious.
6 Things I've learned from watching The Good Wife
I've been watching The Good Wife - A LOT of The Good Wife. I'm over on Salt & Nectar sharing my thoughts on this fantastic series.
Great minds think alike. Great minds also apparently engage in simultaneous binge watching. While The Other Sarah has been soaking in the Shakespearean melodrama of Sons of Anarchy, I’ve been catching up on The Good Wife. By catching up, I mean I’ve watched four seasons in about week. (Don’t judge! I’ve been sick!)
I’ve loved every second of getting to know Alicia Florrick and the cast of characters at Lockhart/Gardner. This show has taken the fascinating premise of a political spouse standing by her disgraced husband and turned it into so much more.
Of course my hours of television weren’t a complete loss. I learned several valuable lesson from these fabulous characters.
Life is full of gray. Alicia is constantly encountering situations that are a choice between something wrong and something else wrong. In other words, just like real life. Real life isn’t a choice between easy black and white choices. Life is full of gray where you just have to pick the choice that is the least offensive.
Dress for the occasion. Alicia and all her cohorts are always dressed to the nines. I’m not saying a new Ralph Lauren suit every day is in the cards for most of us but putting on your fanciest attire can help all of us get through the toughest of situations.
Marriage is a commitment. This is perhaps my favorite aspect of the show (by the way only to Season 4 – NO SPOILERS!). I love that the Florrick marriage is complicated, hits stops and starts, and has gone through its share of trials. Yet, it still stands. Alicia doesn’t even seem to know herself why she is still married and I find this to be the most realistic aspect of all. Sometimes we stay. Sometimes we commit. Not for a single simple reason but for a million complicated ones.
Religion is complicated. I absolutely love the way this show deals with religion. No grand ideologies or strong stances. Just characters having honest discussions with those they love about what they believe.
When in doubt, throw some shade. Sometimes I think this show should be called The Good Eyebrow because WOWZA are there some raised eyebrows and stern looks going around. Alicia, Diane, even Eli can give looks that stop even the coldest killer in their tracks. Really, sometimes that’s all you really need.
Be Kalinda. Ok, I’m still working on how to actually transform myself into a fictional character. I hope to have it figured out by the end of Season 5. Stay tuned.
Are you a fan of The Good Wife? Let me know!
My Favorite Television of 2013
The year is rapidly coming to a close but before it's over I thought I'd share my favorite things from the small screen this year. We cancelled our cable two years ago and since then my television viewing has changed (and decreased) dramatically. If I'm going to go to the trouble to find something on the Internet or hunt it down on Netflix, it's got to be good.
Here's what made the cut:
