Blogging stopped being fun at some point. It became about metrics and making people sign up for your email list. (I've never had an email list because I literally hate all of them. If I accidentally get on some, because of trying to win a giveaway or something, I spend the next few weeks unsubscribing, because nothing is REALLY free. And yes, I get a bit salty about that. But I digress.)
So, anyway, phooey on all of that. Back to blogging like it's 2010 and I've never heard of blogging as a business.
So, without further ado, here are 5 things I am loving or appreciating right now:
1. XM radio. I love this so, so much.
Backstory: we went on a huge cross country trip this summer (Ohio to Washington State and various points in between). So we got a free trial of XM radio in our van to help make the road trip more fun.
And it was. Hundreds of stations! That you can get even in the middle of nowhere!
But all good things come to an end and our free trial ran out. I could not justify paying the money for the service on a monthly basis but I was the saddest family member because the music I love is not readily available on "normal" radio stations.
And then my husband got an extended trial. It costs a little bit of money (not free), but not the usual rate. It's in my vehicle because I drive up to 30 minutes one way to give piano lessons so I spend the most time in the car. (I guess this point could easily be, "I love my husband" but then I would be saying that every week because it is always true.)
So, now I can listen to my favorite stuff again.
These are my favorite XM stations:
73 (40's Junction), 5 (50's on 5), 6 (60's on 6), 7 (70's on 7), 8 (80's on 8) and 9 (90's on 9).
Those are in my presets so I can jump forward in popular music from the 40's to the 90's with single clicks.
I also love 18 (The Beatles Channel), 71 (Siriously Sinatra), and 72 (Broadway). Those (along with a few more) are in my 2nd set of presets.
This, obviously, is not a paid endorsement or affiliate link, but if you love music and you spend a lot of time in your car, you should look into XM.
2. Gifts for Growing Girls
We've had two birthdays recently. One daughter turned 11 and got her letter from Hogwarts. OK, it's was actually this Lego Hedwig:
She was as excited with this gift as if it had been an actual letter from Hogwarts.
The other daughter turned 17 and got concert tickets. Two sisters attended the concert with her. A good time was had by all, apparently. (And, hooray, I did not have to go because my research suggests it was LOUD and I am too old for that kind of "fun")
3. Poetry Tea Time
We do this once a week, on Fridays. We have a slightly nicer lunch. (I.E. we might cut our PB&J into cute shapes) And we drink tea (or for most of the crew, cocoa) and read poetry.
Favorite tools for poetry tea time:
- electric kettle (we have this model)
- Fiesta tea cups and saucers (strong enough to endure little boy antics)
- a mix of Mother Goose, silly rhymes, and one or two higher quality poems.
4. Chuck
This is what Philip and I are currently watching on Prime. (Warning: this would be rated PG-13 if it were a movie.) One part Alias, one part The Office, and one part something all its own. We missed out on this when it was actually on but we're enjoying it now. (Again, not necessarily endorsing it for everyone. But's it kind of like a love letter to Gen X at this point.)
5. Pride and Prejudice.
I miss old school blogging too! I have always enjoyed your blog. My son added me to his Spotify account so I listen to that in my car. I like music that isn't on the radio too, so this has been nice of him. Going to check out that show. We are always trying to find something entertaining!