TGIF, friends! Can you believe that January is almost in the books? Today’s Five Things Friday post has some inspiration for activities and some shopping finds to help you while away the cold winter nights.
This post may contain affiliate links. These links provide a means for sites like NattyGal.com to earn a small commission when a reader clicks through and makes a purchase at no additional cost to the reader. See full affiliate disclosure in Privacy & Disclosures.
Obsessed ❤️
A new paint by number coloring app hit my radar mid-December and I’ve become obsessed with it! It’s the perfect mix of simple, satisfying, and joyful. Happy Color can be downloaded on Android or iOS and offers tons of pictures to color ranging from super simple and quick to decidedly complex. Categories include holidays, nature, mandalas, animals, flowers, fashion, Disney/Marvel and so many more. The best part is watching the video recreation of the design once you’ve completed it!
Turn the Page
Oddly, I didn’t read as much last year as I would have thought. While the pandemic freed up some time, it also took away my ability to focus. At least in the short run. But this year I’m back in full bookworm mode. Recent reads worth noting include:
- I’m currently reading and just about finished with I’m Fine and Neither Are You by Camille Pagán. This book relays the stories of two friends, one, polished, privileged, and seemingly perfect, the other overwhelmed and hanging by a thread. As you might guess, nothing is as it initially seems. This book first struck me as a beach read but it’s getting a bit deeper as it goes along.
- The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid tells the story of fictional screen legend Evelyn Hugo. The aging actress gives an up-and-coming reporter exclusive rights to her self-absorbed, surprising, and salacious life story. But why? I found this to be both a unique story and easy to read although I did see a few of the “surprises” coming.
- This is an unpopular viewpoint but I didn’t enjoy The Four Agreements by Miguel Ruiz. I found the book simultaneously repetitive and chopped up. However, the agreements themselves are amazingly worthwhile. So much so that I’ve come up with a little graphic that you can print off and put in a frame to remind yourself of them daily. #1 is the toughest for me but I’m determined to keep working on it this year!
- You may recognize the name Penny Casselman as the author of several guest posts on Natty Gal. Her first book How to Get a Free Boob Job is a must-read for anyone struggling with a cancer diagnosis or life in general. Much like Penny, herself, this book is optimistic, insightful, and interjected with healthy doses of humor and charm!
For a full run-down of my reading habits, be sure to follow me on GoodReads!
Channel-Surfing
The cold winter months are prime channel-surfing time. While I’m sure you’re already aware of runaway hits like Netflix’s Bridgerton, I wanted to share a few shows we’ve enjoyed that haven’t gotten as much press.
Search Party on HBO Max just completed it’s fourth season but we only discovered it recently. It’s a dark comedy that starts with a group of friends from college searching for an acquaintance of theirs that has gone missing. The casting and characters are excellent and the show provides a perfect blend of (light) horror and dark comedy.
If you were a fan of Lost, the Amazon Prime Original series, The Wilds, may be in your wheelhouse. A diverse group of teens find themselves stranded on a remote island, unaware that they’re actually the subjects of a somewhat sadistic social experiment.
Lupin on Netflix, is a mystery/thriller based on the classic French story by Maurice Leblanc about Arsène Lupin, master of disguise and gentleman thief. Only the first five episodes of season one are available at this time, with the next set of five due to be released this summer.
I was somewhat skeptical about how much we’d enjoy the Richard Jewell movie on HBO Max but it exceeded our expectations. Those over a certain age will likely remember the 1996 Olympic bombing in Atlanta but may be a bit hazy on the details. This movie both fills in the blanks and takes you behind the scenes of this event. Produced by Clint Eastwood, it’s right on par with his other work. The casting (particularly of the main character) is excellent and we both walked away feeling a lot of empathy for what this naive/hopeful man went through.
Bright Idea 💡
We recently replaced some of our outdoor lightbulbs with dusk-to-dawn sensing bulbs. They come in both traditional and candelabra style and work like a charm! It’s a great extra security measure and so convenient not to have to remember to turn on the lamppost light each evening or the outdoor garage lights if someone is stopping over after dark. The only drawback in NE Ohio? It makes you super aware of just how many gray days we have! Am sorry to note how many afternoons I’ve seen the light post lit mid-day because it was so dark out even at noon. 🤣
New & Notable
The folks over at Cladwell, a favorite app among capsule wardrobe enthusiasts, have opened an accessories shop! Their reasonably priced and well-curated jewelry, scarf, and handbags are just the thing to inject new life into your classic pieces. The app is available on iOS (Android coming soon) and is a favorite for logging wardrobe pieces and coming up with new outfit inspiration!
NOTE: Text CAPSULEWARDROBE to 81493 to get 10% off any purchase and be the first to hear updates & offers.
Looking for more ideas? Check out this prior Five Things Friday post.
Thanks so much for your likes, shares and follows! Until next time,
A bunch of coworkers just recommended “Search Party” to me. I’d never heard of it! I think I’m going to have to check it out.
It’s really quirky but we took to it! Great casting and very unique.