Friday Favorites - The Crack Is Back, Take Two (sort of)

Last year I wrote a Favorites post called The Crack Is Back.

This was the crack.

Right? I'm imagining all 300 (or 30) of you nodding your heads right now...understanding. Because WHO DOESN'T LOVE CHRISTMAS WRAPPING PAPER AND WRAPPING PARAPHERNALIA is what I'd like to know??? And if you do not, don't answer that question. I will have to put you on the naughty list.

Having now had this lovely little blog for a year and a half, I'm finding it a little bit tricky to be original when certain milestony times of year come around again (and yes, 'milestony' is TOO a word). Like for instance, I can't really bitch about the snow WE'VE ALREADY GOTTEN AND THAT IS STILL ON THE GROUND because those of you loyal YMFT-ers have had more than your fair share of my bitching over the GOD DAMNED WEATHER IN MINNESOTA for the past year. And then there's Christmas. You know I love it. You know I love to write about how I love it. Therein lies my problem. Do I risk sounding like I'm on repeat to all of you who've been around the block with me once already, or do I take into consideration all the new YMFT readers who missed out on all my wonderfully interesting observations last year? 

Huh.

What to do....what to do.

Aw, screw it. I repeat myself all the damn time, anyway, and lord knows my glee over Christmas and CHRISTMAS WRAPPING PAPER AND WRAPPING PARAPHERNALIA cannot be contained, and you know I can't keep from bitching about the GOD DAMNED WEATER IN MINNESOTA from now until April, so I'm just going for it. If you've heard it before, either nod politely and smile, or just do what Husband has learned to do over the past 20 years. Ignore me. 

Let's get to the Favorites, shall we?

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1. Snow

I know. I'm throwing you, aren't I? (Stay with me, I'll come back around to where you expect me to be, don't you worry.) This week we got our first snow. And it was a real snowfall; like the skies were pouring snow. It was absolutely magical. The fact that I had to drive in it at 8:30 p.m. to pick up Thing 2 from rehearsal and that I was holding my breath until Thing 1 navigated the slippery roads home later that night was definitely not a favorite, however. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

This is what made it a favorite.

Wednesday morning. 

The first snow always makes me catch my breath...and then about five seconds later exhale loudly and say, "aw, crap." I'm not the only one. Even the Things react the same to the first snow. Most kids are giddy with excitement. Not my girls. I thought Thing 2 was gonna cry when she saw this scene Wednesday morning. And like I mentioned before, when you have a kid who drives, the snow and the winter become a whole different beast.  So yeah, the snow was a favorite for about five minutes this week. But now it's Friday AND IT HAS NOT MELTED AS WAS PROMISED BY WEATHER.COM and I JUST WANT IT TO BE APRIL ALREADY.

See? I told you I'd come back around.


2. The Target Christmas Aisles*

*I just realized I have so much to say about this this year that I will dedicate an entire post to it next week. I know. I know. Cruel of me to make you wait. My apologies. 

3. Coffee Creamers

Not an interesting Favorite, I'm aware. But I'm nothing if not honest (and often times uninteresting) with you guys. However, because of the SNOW my Wednesday morning was thrown a bit for a loop. 

See, I'd already purchased the Peppermint Mocha creamer the very day it was put out in the cooler at Target (did you doubt that I would have?) but was saving it for a much more Peppermint Mocha suitable day...like I don't know...November 25th or something.  I mean, I still have an industrial sized Pumpkin Spice to get through (it's not my first...or my second). And then it snowed. And it stuck. And suddenly the festive packaging of the Peppermint Mocha seemed much more fitting for the morning. But opening it was kind of like putting up your Christmas decorations before Halloween Thanksgiving.  It felt wrong. Like I was cheating on Pumpkin Spice. But I did it anyway. And maybe it was wrong, but on Wednesday morning it felt so, so right. 

Oh, and since Thanksgiving is so late this year, I've decided to put up my decorations the weekend before. See what cheating on my PS coffee creamer has done to me??

4. The Mourning Hours

It's been a long time since I've read a book that I literally couldn't put down. I read this in three days. I'd go into the details, but in the interest of time and the fact that it's almost noon and I have chores to get to (holy crap I sound like I'm an Ingalls child) and errands to run, I'm doing a fancy cut-n-paste jobby. Thank you Amazon.com

Kirsten Hammarstrom hasn't been home to her tiny corner of rural Wisconsin in years—not since the mysterious disappearance of a local teenage girl rocked the town and shattered her family. Kirsten was just nine years old when Stacy Lemke went missing, and the last person to see her alive was her boyfriend, Johnny—the high school wrestling star and Kirsten's older brother. No one knows what to believe—not even those closest to Johnny—but the event unhinges the quiet farming community and pins Kirsten's family beneath the crushing weight of suspicion.

Now, years later, a new tragedy forces Kirsten and her siblings to return home, where they must confront the devastating event that shifted the trajectory of their lives. Tautly written and beautifully evocative, The Mourning Hours is a gripping portrayal of a family straining against extraordinary pressure, and a powerful tale of loyalty, betrayal and forgiveness.

5. The Way, Way Back 

It's also been a long time since I've rented a movie that's been worth the 'OnDemand' price of $4 (or is it $5?). Seriously, we keep renting snoozefests. Until last weekend. I knew I was gonna like this one based on the fabulous cast (Steve Carell, Allison Janney,Toni Collette, Maya Rudolph, Sam Rockwell) and because of the fact that it's from the same people who brought us the fabulousness of Juno and Little Miss Sunshine (which explains Steve Carell, Allison Janney and Toni Collette).  And if you liked those movies, I promise you'll love this one. Even Husband liked it. Well, his exact reaction was more like, "It was good. I mean, I was ready to turn it off the first 15 minutes, but then it picked up." Believe me, that's a rousing thumbs up from him.

~Things that were happening on the blog, not on the blog, and on social media ~

Monday I talked about my love/hate relationship with Daylight Savings Time, and how this year I'm making it my bitch. 

Tuesday I was over at MamaPop giving my opinion on the travesty of Charlie Sheen and Brooke Mueller's lack of parenting skills. *And sadly, this story exploded even more tragically as the week went on. 

Thursday I reminded you of my favorite pastime. 

On Facebook and Twitter I was saying some mildly amusing things that I CANNOT TAKE A SCREENSHOT OF BECAUSE FACEBOOK IS BEING A BITCH RIGHT NOW AS USUAL. So you'll just have to trust me. Or, I don't know...follow me on Facebook?? There's an idea! 

While you're at it, follow on Pinterest, too. If you do, you'll get treated to things like this. 

You're welcome...now get out there and enjoy your weekend.

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