New Year, New (unnamed) Favorites!

Happy New Year loyal readers! And WELCOME to anyone who landed here by mistake. No matter why you’re here, I’m always happy you are!

I had a revelation the other day, you guys: Since we’re kicking of a brand new decade, why not kick off a brand new game plan for YMFT?? And by brand new game plan I mean actually committing to writing some content again. I know, no-brainer, right? But for those of you who actually read the previous reflection post (stopping for snacks and naps in between decades, I’m sure) you might remember that I’ve lost a bit of the passion I once had to tell stories, not to mention actually be able to think of stories to tell.

I will always pick favorites

But here’s the thing: no matter how uninspired I might be or how uninteresting I might feel, I will always have favorites. Be it books, TV shows, brand of snack food, one of my children — that well never really runs dry. So in the interest of achieving my goal of actually writing for the blog again in 2020 (and beyond), I think easing myself in with the old YMFT standard Friday Favorites is a good plan. Sharing favorite stories and things is one of the initial reasons I started the blog, so it makes sense.

However, I’m making a few changes that I’m excited about. Today it’s to the old Friday Favorites, in the near future it might be to — spoiler alert! — the design of the blog (I know you’ll all be sad to see the very filtered and verrry dated photo of me rocking some over-highlighted hair go, but say your goodbyes in the next few weeks) and to — spoiler alert #2! — the type of content you might be used to reading here.

Changes are coming!

Okay fine, I’ll let the cat out of the bag: You guys, I’m turning YMFT into a recipe blog!

Totally kidding. (But those of you who’ve been here long enough knew that, didn’t you? #willonlycookifittakeslessthan20minutes)

Settle down, I’m not going to tell you what the design and content changes are, mostly because I do not actually know what they are yet, but the changes to the Friday Favorites basically boil down to this radical idea:

The Friday Favorites will not always be on Fridays, which means The Friday Favorites will no longer be called The Friday Favorites.

Sure, I could keep the name, but I could see how that would either be confusing to you or just make me look like an idiot if, say, I posted a Friday Favorites list on a Wednesday. Because I’ll be honest with you, sometimes I don’t want to wait until Fridays to share some mind-blowing thing with you, so WHY SHOULD I?
Let’s not forget who makes the rules here.

The name game

So what should we call it? I thought about “These are a few of my favorite things,” but that’s too long and besides, I don’t want to get in an ugly battle with Julie Andrews. She may look sweet but I’ll bet she could kick my ass.

I then tried all kinds of alliteration ideas with F words, but other than the always hilarious combinations with the actual F-word (I kind of loved “My Fucking Favorites” but not sure I want to get into the word search mess that might lead to) came up with nothing.

I wish this would be the part where I tell you the brilliant, catchy name I came up with, but it’s not. I’ve got nothing, ya’ll.
YET.

So in the interest of time, today we are calling this list of favorites “_______ IS MY FAVORITE TODAY.”

Here are four things that I’ve been loving this past week — something to read, something to do, something to listen to, and something that’s good for you.
Whoa.
*pauses to write that down

SOMETHING TO READ:

Such a Fun Age is my favorite today!

I just started this book a couple of nights ago and am totally hooked. I swear I’ve read about 10 samples of books on my Kindle app over the past few weeks and this is the first one I immediately had to buy.
I’d give you my own synopsis, but neither one of us have that kind of time.

From Amazon:

A striking and surprising debut novel from an exhilarating new voice, Such a Fun Age is a page-turning and big-hearted story about race and privilege, set around a young black babysitter, her well-intentioned employer, and a surprising connection that threatens to undo them both.

Get it in hardcover or for your Kindle!

SOMETHING TO DO:

Obé fitness workouts are my favorite today!

Ya’ll, working out has historically not been my favorite no matter what day it is.
Until now.
I first heard about Obé fitness about six months ago (via Instagram influencers because I’m nothing if not easily influenced) and it sparked a definite interest.
Not an interest I did anything about, naturally. No, I did what I usually do when exploring new work out programs: I sat on my ass and watched.

Then it got to be fall and the shit hit the fan with my baby going to college and me trying to act like I was fine which took up all my work out time, although I think acting like you’re fine 24/7 should totally qualify as a workout. But I digress.

Fast-forward to end of December and I finally got fed up with my ass and decided to take advantage of Obé’s free trial week, and guess what?
I. LOVE. THIS. PROGRAM.
Like, I’m obsessed.
I totally wish I was an Instagram influencer*, you guys, because I’d be pitching the hell out of it: “Swipe up and use code YMFT for 30% off your first month!”

*if any of you join, can you send them an email and let them know I sent you?Maybe I’ll get a free t-shirt.

Why do I love this program, and what’s made me keep doing the classes every day for the past week and a half and, more importantly, want to keep doing them daily?

• The variety of class types — for ALL ability levels
• The daily LIVE class options (they’ll actually call out your name during class which is mind blowing the first time you hear it)
• The replay (recorded) classes — hundreds! — for when you can’t or don’t want to do a LIVE class
• The short work outs (yes you do have 28 minutes in your day)
• The option to do 10 min. express classes when you convince yourself you don’t have 28 minutes in your day
• The motivational instructors who I swear are also therapists (and may or may not have made me tear up with their pep talks)
• It’s priced amazingly low for what you have available to you ($28/mo., unless we can get them to give me a code)

Here’s how I know this isn’t a program I’ll quit:
We are going on vacation soon and I already packed work out clothes to do Obé Express work outs in the hotel room.
That ass I’m used to sitting on is gonna be fabulous in 2020, you guys. Just wait.

SOMETHING TO LISTEN TO:

Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend podcast is my favorite today!

I’ve been a member to Team Coco for years, and first listened to this podcast when it first aired over a year ago, but then got completely caught up in Armchair Expert and forgot about it (sorry, Conan).

Recently I rediscovered it and am actually glad a year has passed because the list of amazing people he’s interviewed gives me so many great episodes to listen to! I actually look forward to getting in my car to drive somewhere lately, which is saying a lot in January in Minnesota.

Conan’s self-deprecating humor and his laid back interview style is totally refreshing, and I find myself laughing out loud multiple times during every episode (listen to Paul Rudd’s interview — hilarious!).

Check it out where ever you get your podcasts!

SOMETHING GOOD FOR YOU:

San Pellegrino and La Croix mocktails are my favorite today!

You guys, I know this might come as a shock but I’ve been really trying to cut back my wine nights lately. This fall I began to feel like I was drinking a glass (or two) of wine most nights when I really didn’t even want one (or two). It became a bad habit. Most nights it didn’t really even taste good, and I hated feeling headachy at bedtime.

However, most nights I’d still pour a glass, usually because I didn’t know what else to drink. Then I discovered this tasty San Pellegrino Pomegranate & Blackcurrant alternative, which (bonus!) looks an awful lot like Pinot Noir when it’s in a wine glass, which is the only way I drink it because even thought I might not want the wine, I still want to feel fancy, obviously.

I’ve also been loving Lime La Croix with a hefty splash of Cranberry Pomegranate juice (throw some cranberries to float on top and make it pretty!). I’m feeling really good about this major change for me and am curious to see how my too-snug jeans feel in a few weeks.

And I’m not going cold turkey or crazy, don’t worry — if I want a glass of wine I’ll have a glass of wine — but the thing is I haven’t even wanted one in over a week. Honestly, zero interest.

New decade = new me, I guess.
But I kind of like her and the choices she’s making so far.

Oh, and I couldn’t leave things without a quick mention of a huge favorite and something I’m ridiculously excited about this week (something to watch) —

Now that I’m done writing this, my reward is to go watch the first episode of the final season! Who’s with me?

If you made it this far, let me know if you’ve tried any of these favorites — and hey, if you have an idea of what I should call them going forward, let me know! 🙂