Movies We've Watched - Say I Do

 

I caught Say I Do browsing through Netflix.  I really liked it.  It's a little manipulative - which is how I feel with most reality shows.  I'm sure they cut a lot.  The stories were really touching though.  I love criticizing weddings.  It's a pasttime.  

So, it's by the folks that brought us Queer Eye.  Three men are in charge of wardrobe, design, and food/beverage each in the wedding, and I love all three.  They surprise one half of a couple with an extravagant wedding all the while giving some emotional support where needed.  Any kind of TW/CW pretty much apply to any of the episodes.  

My favorite unexpected joy is seeing the couples meet up in town.  And it's like when I see my favorite authors in a photo together.  It's like all the worlds colliding.  The show was what I needed to be in a happy space.

Movies We've Watched - Work It

 

On my trend of watching things aimed towards high school students, I watched Work It on Netflix.  Honest confession - I love dance movies.  I'm sure it has to do with the fact that I just can't dance and am possibly the least coordinated person on the planet.  Ever since I was little and watched movie musicals and then stage musicals and then dance films, I love almost all of them.  

This is pretty much standard fare.  Quinn wants to get into Duke University.  She's a typical brainiac and tells a white lie to the admissions officer that she is on the award-winning dance team.  So, she decides to learn dance and be in the big Work It tournament.  Easy peasey!  She gets former Work It champion, Jake, to choreograph her makeshift team.  Jake, of course, gives her all the feels.  There is a big popular bully of a dance team already.  They work really hard and are underdogs.  Pretty predictable conflict and ending which are my favorite type.  I can't say I recommend this movie, but it's better than some of the other fare on the platform.  Decent marks on representation, toe-tapping music, freestyle dance numbers.  I don't really understand the dance team because we didn't really have that culture where I grew up, but I'm on board for the sake of entertainment.

Movies We've Watched - Showbiz Kids

Showbiz Kids was on HBO Max.  I don't watch HBO Max as much as I should, but I've been giving it more of a shot.  This documentary interviewed (former) child actors and talked about their journey through the business while also spotlighting two current children trying to make a go of things.  

I found it kind of sad at how much these actors gave up as children.  Even in the best of circumstances, the families give up a lot, and I don't honestly know how you stay grounded or well-adjusted.  There were some happier moments in the documentary at least in showing Henry Thomas's audition for E.T. and seeing clips from Mrs. Doubtfire, but that was more joyful memories for me over maybe how the stars felt.  I think everyone who thinks they want to be in showbiz or wants their child to enter the industry should definitely watch.

Movies We've Seen - Blinded by the Light

Blinded by the Light was on Hulu, I think, and was as cute as it looked in the trailer.  I loved how Bruce Springsteen's songs were woven throughout.  This is about a young British boy of Indian descent who feels stifled in his small town.  He's under a lot of pressure, feeling a little isolated.  Then, he listens to Bruce Springsteen and feels completely understood for the first time in his life.  The music helps him rise above his small town and find his voice both within in his own writing and within his own community.  Maybe it isn't the most original story, but it was original in its tone and how the music is woven in throughout both musically and physically.  

Movies We've Watched - Crazy Delicious

Crazy Delicious is on Netflix.  I can't really say it's good, but I did watch the entire series.  It's too dramatic.  That said, I liked that the underdog occasionally won.  They seemed fair in their judging.  I think it's weird the winner only received an apple - and there was a winner every episode.  Basically, there were 3 people.  They cooked/baked a first, quick round to see who got a second round advantage.  Judging, winner of the round blah blah blah.

The second round had one candidate receive 10 extra minutes (except in one case), and all three would compete in another round of delicious, timed competition.  Then, final BIG round and a winner.  

I like these new types of competition shows where there is high or low stakes, but the candidates are malicious dingbats.  I don't mind snarky, but I don't like the backstabbing reality shows.  There's just enough of that in the universe.  I just want to feel good.  Overall, I thought this show was mediocre, but it was good in the background and worked for family viewing.

Movies We've Watched - The Baby-Sitters Club

 

OK, The Baby-Sitters Club is not something I normally would watch.  I did not read the series.  These are unprecedented times though, and I'm addicted to Netflix  It was definitely enjoyable.  It's kind of a bummer to be old enough to be their mom, and Kristi is definitely not my favorite type of character, but I liked that the girls called her out on it and accepted her for what and who she is.  At the heart of it, it's about friendship, and that is totally my bag.  I like that it wasn't too boy crazy which is sometimes where it is hard for me to get into teenage tales.  It is definitely entertaining for any age.  Maybe I can convince my actual (pre)teen to watch as the girls are more her age.  

Books I've Read - A Fool's Gold Wedding

A Fool's Gold Wedding was a novella.  Maid of Honor and Best Man meet, get along like gangbusters, conflict and resolution.  Plus, you got tons of cameos from past Fool's Gold residents and subjects of previous books.  It is completely unnecessary to read the previous books, and I had definitely forgotten all of them.  This was a perfect, little summer book to ease me back into reading this summer.  Nothing like a happy romance.

Book Opinion - Me Talk Pretty One Day

Met Talk Pretty One Day is our book club pick for July in our work book club.  I've read David Sedaris a bunch of times, have seen in him person at least three times.  I highly recommend it.  His delivery of his written work is just everything.

I actually had this book already autographed.  I didn't remember much about it, but there are some really great stories.  His books, if you don't already read them, are a collection of essays of situations or people he knows - little slices of life.  Are they true?  Partly, I'm sure.  Are they entertaining?  Definitely.

This one is solid, but maybe not my favorite.  It's up there though.  I can't say it's a bad first outing if you've never read him before - good enough to be entertainment but leaves some of the great work still yet to come.

Movies We've Watched - Expecting Amy

We watched Expecting Amy on HBO Max.  Husband picked it out.  It was pretty much what I expected, but I did like it.  I have already read Amy Schumer's book.  I know she is extremely dedicated to her family.  She is a hard worker.  You see all this in this 3-part documentary.  It did drive home how it is nearly impossible for a "regular" woman to have hyperemesis gravidarum.  It is a luxury to have the ability to have someone take care of you and any dependents, to have health insurance and/or to afford IV fluids as needed.  With very minimal "morning sickness", there was such pressure and worry that I'd have to buy a new outfit at lunch (once with Little Miss) or find the nearest receptacle (once on a walk with Little Miss).  So, watcher beware, there is a lot of vomit.  I did not know much about her c-section which, even knowing she is good enough for Instagram and social media and interviews, was scary to watch.

I liked seeing her comedy process a lot and seeing the wedding and her friends and family.  I thought the series was interesting and honest, and boy, she didn't hold anything back.  I want to catch her Netflix special now.  

Movies We've Watched - Jay & Silent Bob Reboot

This past weekend, I watched Jay & Silent Bob Reboot on Amazon Prime.  I've been a Kevin Smith fan for some time.  While I may go so far as say this may be my least favorite, it was really nice nostalgia and great to see everyone back.  I did still laugh at some parts.  I will probably forget I even saw it by next year, but it was the movie I needed over the weekend.  I mean, it started with Jay doing his Silence of the Lambs bit which will never fail to make me laugh.  

The premise is that Jay and Silent Bob get arrested and lose their name to a production company who is doing a movie based on the Bluntman & Chronic comic?  The plot isn't important.  So, the duo take off from NJ to stop the movie from being made.  They end up at Shannon Elizabeth's house and find out Jay has a daughter.  Long story short, Jay hides the fact that he's her father, and the pair takes her and 3 other girls to Chronic Con in Hollywood.  Hijinx ensue.  Chronic Con is an excuse to bring in the cast of Clerks, Mall Rats, Matt Damon, and other cameos.  

If you're a die-hard fan, it's probably one you need to see to round out seeing them all. If you're not a fan, maybe skip this one.  If you've never been exposed to any Kevin Smith movies, definitely don't start with this one.

Movies We've Watched - The Umbrella Academy

I finished The Umbrella Academy on Netflix.  I was wary because it's not necessarily my type of thing, and I heard mixed reviews.  But, when you reach the end of Netflix and you only want something light to watch, you end up here.

I liked it.  I have so many questions which I suppose they'll get to eventually or maybe they're just there for those that read the comic books.  

It's only a little violent and relatively fast so that was good to me.  I think you have to suspend the usual superhero disbelief in the how are they the only people with powers and how did Hargreeves know when/where to scoop up these children?  How does it take place now yet they are still using pay phones and microfiche/microfilm (I never knew the difference between the two).  Still, I'm looking forward to Season 2 next week!

Movies We've Watched - A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

I have been wanting to read A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood since it came out because I have always loved Mr. Rogers.  This movie is inspired by a true story, but it is so good.  

A journalist is instructed to make a small piece on Mr. Rogers, and it turns into so much more.  Tom Hanks really captures the spirit of Mr. Rogers though is always Tom Hanks a little.  I thought it was really touching and soothing.  Mr. Rogers is so timeless.  

On a lighter note, goodness, the puppet recreation is amazing.  They look so good!  It made me very nostalgic.  Nostalgia was helped along with a couple of chats with college friends while watching.  I felt like Lloyd represented a lot of us during this cynical time, and this movie came along to help us through.

Book Opinion - Variable Onset

Variable Onset is the latest by Layla Reyne.  I really like her suspense, and I'm not usually one who reads a lot of action in books because I have trouble visually picturing everything that's going on, but she's so clear and the suspense is so present.  I was pretty bad figuring out the mystery of this one, but it was a fun ride.  

Lincoln and Carter go undercover  as a married couple in a small university town to look into a serial killer.  It's definitely more suspense than, I felt, romance.  I prefer a little more sexy times, but they were super cute together.  I also loved Lincoln with his family, too.  I wish I had a little more time with them.

Maybe it's the fact that I used to read horror books, but I love how rough and violent Reyne's books can be.  Usually, there is some life-threatening moment where the heroes figure out their love for each other and then there's some regret for not declaring it, you know, before they die.  OR there's the old stand-by, I'm so glad I found this person before I died and now I can die fulfilled.  It's more artistic than the cliches, but I eat that stuff up.

Book Opinion - Xeni

Xeni is the second in the Loose Ends series by Rebekah Weatherspoon.  I recently read Rafe after having it in my TBR pile for a long time.  I do like a marriage of convenience story.  It's a trope for a reason.  I thought this tackled a lot of big subjects while still remaining fun.  Xeni is a great character.  Mason is super sexy.  This one is mostly stand alone.  I know this series has characters from previous series, but they are my first two books so obviously, you can pick them up in any order - and that is HUGE for me to say.

Xeni's aunt passes away, and she needs to marry Mason as part of the inheritance.  This sparks up a whole bunch of family drama for both Xeni and Mason who, of course, fall in love throughout.  I really liked the first one and, though this one didn't grab me right away, the characters pulled me in.  I may go back and look up some other books by Weatherspoon.  

Just a warning, this book gets a little spicy.  Mason is also bi so there's some explicit play that you don't see in every book.  It's quick and not a whole thing, but it's still there.  

Book Opinion - Silver-Tongued Devil

I read Silver-Tongued Devil by Lorelei James a little bit ago.  I liked it.  It's a prequel to her contemporary Rough Rider series which is a little on the sexier side if you don't mind that in your books.  Because a lot of the story is set points in the universe, it was challenging to make it a romance with a happy ending, but still keep the legend or oral history already told.  

There are two sets of twins, the Orphan Train, feuds, hot tempers, and two surprisingly sweet love stories.  I didn't mind the historical setting because my romance heart started with historicals.  I thought it was unique, and I'm glad the ending played out as it did, but it did make me sad for the brothers.  I don't want to give anything away, but it was a complicated situation.

I'm glad to be somewhat back to reading though and hope to keep it up even if it's slow getting back into the groove.

Book Opinion - The Summer Deal

I'm back reading! It's been helpful making myself read the book club books for work, and I switched it up with some summer romances. The Summer Deal, I guess, is technically Women's Fiction which is basically romance for people who don't want to read romance. They have the summary covers and some complicated FEELS in them. (OK, Women's Fiction is where the focus is on the women and less about the relationship and LOVE, but in some cases, there is still some romance and sexy times.) 

I really like Jill Shalvis with like literally one exception. I've met her a handful of times, and she always pretends to remember me. I have my doubts, but it's nice. I wasn't as excited to read this one as others mostly because of my mood, but I'm so glad I did. It is mainly about two women who were sworn enemies as children. From each perspective, you really felt something for both women. It doesn't hurt that both have a love interest who is perfect for them. The men may be too perfect actually, only making small misguided actions. 

I love a book that can make you like a character that is initially unlikable. Neither woman did anything that, to me, was unforgivable, but everyone knows what it's like to have a childhood bully and how that weight sometimes follows them through adulthood. Books are interesting because these characters went through such difficult times and worked very hard for their happy ending. I wanted to stay with them longer now that they're all happy and adjusted. I guess that's a good complaint to have.

New Foods 2020 - Pasta Primavera

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Farmers' market primavera #yum 🥕🍅🥦🥒

A post shared by April Moore (@princessapr) on Jul 5, 2020 at 11:23am PDT

This isn't really a new food, but we went to the Farmers' Market and picked up a bunch of veggies - carrots, yellow squash, cherry tomatoes, broccoli.  I roasted the cherry tomatoes and broccoli while I sauteed some garlic and red pepper flakes with the carrots (added the squash a little later because it cooks faster).  Then, I combined all the veggies, added chicken broth, a splash of cream, and some parmesan cheese.  I tossed in some linguini and called it a day.   I do these a lot.  Sometimes, I use wine or a dollop of red sauce or some lemon or onion.  It's just a good way to use up excess veggies and leftover odds and ends.  The fresh veggies made a big difference though. 

Book Opinion - Such a Fun Age

I'm having trouble focusing and finishing books lately, but I'm making myself read the books chosen for my work book cub.  Such a Fun Age is the latest.  It is an easy read.  I read it quickly once I decided to sit down with it.  Unlike last month's, it wasn't as much of a chore.  

This book opens with Emira out with friends and being called into watch a toddler.  It is an emergency situation in which the parents call her late, and she goes and picks up the toddler and takes her for a walk to the nearby market.  At the market, security is called as Emira and her friend raise suspicion from one of the patrons for holding a white child.  Another patron captures this incident on cell phone.  It all concludes when the employer comes to the market to verify.  That's the first chapter, and with our current climate, I spent the whole chapter on the edge of my seat/couch.

The book goes a lot of places after that.  It was a good book on its own, but it's such a good one to discuss.  I felt like a lot of people identified a lot of details I didn't (and I hope vice versa).  We were all pretty much on the same page and liked it a lot.  This is the first for our group.  We've been split for all the books before now.  Also, it's a great example of "just wait until the late page..."  

Book Opinion - Healing of the Wolf

It's funny because I am not a huge shapeshifter fan.  Healing of the Wolf is part of a series.  It is a romance, but it has some shapeshifting and involves some kidnapping and torture and some explicit scenes in terms of sexual situations and violence.  So, if you're still with me...

I don't know if this was my favorite in the series, but it wasn't my least favorite.  I think I like the wolves/cats more than the bears, but this is also the post-book to the big siege.  I liked the heroine quite a bit and glad to see the healer get his story after he popped up in the previous books.  It was also good to see more of his brother, too, who had previously not made a huge impression with me.

Basically, the heroine is kidnapped and tortured in captivity by these bad folks who are capturing all the shifters.  There is an entire universe created about this species, but I'm not going into it all.  So, a bunch of people are broken out and absorbed into separate communities where Margery traded one form of captivity for another.  She leaves and makes a nearby community her home and becomes neighbors (and more) with the two main male characters (one is the community healer and the other is a former city cop and security of sorts here).  

So, there is a little action, some friendship, and a happy ending.  These books aren't for everyone for a variety of reasons.  I didn't think they were for me, but I decided to try them out years ago and ended up liking them.  I kind of gloss over a lot of the shapeshifter terminology, and I don't feel like I'm missing anything.

New Food 2020

I haven't kept posting, but it's all on my Instagram for food.  It's @a4minimaleffort if you're going to manually put it in.

Since my last post, we've made muffins, cookies, roasted veggies with pasta, donuts, coffee cake, and vanilla cake with vanilla glaze in the Instant Pot.  I post the origin (and link if I can) to all.  We mostly use our Instant Pot for baking actually.  I use it enough to make it worth it, but I probably could use it more.   

Just a few thoughts below

• The coffee cake was for Husband's birthday.  It was a hit.  It's probably because it is 75% crumb/sugar topping and 25% cake.  
• The muffin recipe was pretty good actually.  No one would eat them but me though.
• We made both chocolate chip (just Tollhouse, but it's a classic for a reason) and Williams Sonoma sugar cookies for Father's Day.  We used the Sesame Street cookie cutters for fun.

I want to cook/bake more, but I'm indecisive so that's not helpful.  There are definitely more cookies in our future though.