I shared the above image recently on Instagram because this candle has been a winter favorite. Winter Ski Resort somehow captures the very best winter smells... and has the olfactory sensation of sitting by a warm fire*. It's woodsy and has a faint smoky smell that isn't overwhelming. At $5.00 (Wal-Mart), the candle is a steal.
*I realize March begins Sunday, and we will turn our attention toward spring. However, we had snow and ice here this week so we were channeling a ski resort vibe - sort of.)
Happy Friday, friends! We survived a week that included two snow days and a delayed opening, and we are now ready for the weekend. And maybe some wine.
Here are our thoughts this week:
1) CD's: Although we have not purchased a CD in almost a decade, we still have a rather mountainous stack of discs that are currently stored in our hall closet. For those of us who are still on the fence about discarding them, what is the best storage method? Since we have zero sentimentality about them, should they even be kept at this point, or should they be enjoyed in digital form?
2) Netflix: We severed our tie with cable television a couple of years ago. In its place we installed Apple TV and a Netflix subscription. There is an entire pro/con argument that can be waged against Netflix, but ultimately the inventory is enough to justify the negligible price. The arguments against all stem from the questionable movie selection, and perusing the site can leave one feeling as if she has just gone through the dollar bin movies. We tend to watch new releases elsewhere. I'm the last to know this, but Refinery29 can help alleviate some of that by highlighting the best offerings of each new month. See what they recommend for March here.
3) Downton Abbey: We binge-watched season five at the beginning of January, although Skip still declined to do any type of video recaps of each show for posting here on the blog. My brief thoughts on the season are these:
A. I was terribly disappointed in Mary's storyline. Am I the only one who thought it was a snooze-fest?
B. Edith should have stayed in London, managed the newspaper and steered clear of Downton altogether. I never like her at Downton, but I love her in London.
C. My favorite scenes involved Isobel Crawley and the Dowager Countess, the latter being my very favorite character (along with Carson).
On a related note, did you happen to see the photos from Alt Summit's Downton Abbey-themed party? Those images made me want to don my own Downton-inspired attire, but that would probably look foolish for trips to Target and the car pool line.
4) Opening Chord: Much has been made about the opening chord of The Beatles' Hard Days Night. Mathematician Kevin Houston has spent some considerable time analyzing the memorable chord, has rejected earlier theories but is still stumped by the actual composition. Read his full article here, and see the video below:
5) We live in the south where snow days are sacrosanct and take on the same importance as major holidays. Most of us love the snow days, the unexpected time away from work and the interruption of schedules. I like the quiet that comes along with those things (although my house certainly was not quiet for this week's snow holidays). In addition to the decrease in traffic/movement, here is a scientific explanation for why snow equals quiet.
That's it for us, friends. I hope you have had a wonderful week and are gearing up for a relaxing weekend.
School has been canceled for the last two days due to impending snow and icy conditions. After watching 5-6 hours of rain, the snow finally arrived last night, and we were out early this morning to make the most of our snow. We threw snowballs, played with our sweet new neighbor and watched Pixie romp around in the snow. Pixie was very excited about her first snow with us, although we know she must have seen snow at the North Pole with Santa.
In a concession to be on the "other side" of the camera more, I consented to a photo without make-up. Please don't judge.
The trio, plus Pixie, had a wonderful time playing and quickly scrambled inside to get under a comforter and watch Scooby Doo Mystery Incorporated.
In the absence of school parties, we usually have little family Valentine's party every year. We used to be really fancy about it and have our party in the dining room with china, crystal and the like, but then William George became, well, ALL BOY, and we made things a little more boy friendly.
We had a play date with some special friends about a month ago, and their mom asked me about the party. Apparently Lauren had invited them to our party, and I had to explain that it's a pretty simple affair. Of course, they were invited (the more the merry!), but managing expectations was key. Closer to Valentine's, we exchanged a few texts and made the most basic of plans. Our group of six ate, made some crafts and then played upstairs.
I'm loving that our simple tradition continues to be a hit.
Our sweet friends are not shown due to privacy/courtesy.
Lauren and Grace have participated in a lot of activities over the years, and the experience as a whole has been fun. When they received a brochure for basketball in kindergarten, we sort of put it off because introducing another activity into an already busy set of schedules seemed daunting. Last year when the brochures came home, we opted to spend the winter hibernating instead. This year, however, Grace really wanted to play so we finally signed them up. Lauren initially decided she wanted to cheer instead, but somehow Skip talked her into playing the game instead.
Still, I was in denial about spending our winter playing basketball. It would be fair to say I was prepared for basketball to not be my favorite... until I saw the team play.
Their infectious spirit and the quickness with which they learned and progressed each week really captured our - the audience's - attention. We looked forward to the games, and then we could barely watch the games because there was so much action and anticipation. These were real games we were watching, and our team, the Starzz (two z's, mind you), put up 30 points during the last two games, for the win.
William George was excited about "Valentime's Day," and he came home describing various art projects in the week or so leading up to the big day. Since George refused to complete any art projects last year, this is progress.
The celebration was supposed to be a "fancy party," and I was prepared to "Downton Abbey" the whole event with a coat, tie, hat, etc. My only regret was not having a top hat on hand. Although George wears his fedora around the house pretty much all the time, he refused to wear any of the recommended clothing items on the day of the party, opting for his tried-and-true Snoopy shirt from last year.
After a Valentime exchange and pictures in the church parlor, it was time to party. The class seranaded parents with song, and then William George chowed down.
