A Thank You Gift to Self

thank you gift to self

This thank you gift is for … me. I’m so generous. Thank you self! What a lovely surprise.

Do you read Reductress? I don’t read it all the time. But whenever I do, I literally laugh out loud. A recent article with the title, “Deadline Set by Self Graciously Extended by Self,” could not be better. Below is a snippet.

“Instead of freaking out and panic-finishing the project to meet the deadline I set for myself, I decided to email myself the night before,” you continued. “I very calmly said, ‘Hey, I’ve had some family stuff going on this week – is it possible to extend this deadline by 48 or perhaps 480 hours?’”

After reading this article, I decided to offer myself the gift of another very short post. I can see the NaBloPoMo finish line just over the horizon. And I need a little breather.

The Golden Bachelor

The Golden Bachelor

Are you watching The Golden Bachelor? When I first heard about this new spin on the series, I was intrigued. I watched the first show and liked it, but wasn’t sure that I’d keep watching. By the second episode I was hooked.

I’ve watched these shows over the years a few times, but had not watched it in several years. I wondered how most people would receive the show. I think it’s done a great job at breaking some stereotypes about aging. The Bachelor, Gerry Turner, is very likeable and seems to be a  genuinely good guy. He’s fun, kind and quite easy on the eyes.

Overall, I’ve liked all the women on the show, except for one. Theresa Nist has caused unnecessary drama and I’m not happy at all that she is part of the final three. I like the other two, Leslie Fhima and Faith Martin, and at first I thought they were the same person. They look so much alike! Or is it that they have a similar vibe? I hope that he picks one of them!

Tonight is the Women Tell All, episode of The Golden Bachelor and I will definitely be watching!

Pumpkin Spice or Peppermint Mocha?

This past Saturday, instead of ordering my groceries online and picking them up, I went into the store. This is how the man gets you! I fell prey to seasonal flavor temptations. But did I get the season wrong? Is it still all about pumpkin spice? Or has that ship sailed and peppermint mocha is now the favorite? Enter the battle of the seasonal flavors.

What did I buy? I got Kellogg’s Frosted Mini Wheats Pumpkin Pie Spice and Bolthouse Farms Pumpkin Spice Latte, with the tagline, “Made For Sweater Weather.” The tagline got me. It felt so cozy! Also, I like Bolthouse Farms in general, so I often get something from them if it’s new.

As I was linking to these items, I noticed that the pumpkin spice latte is no longer available. Now the season items are Holiday Nog and Peppermint Mocha.

When I was shopping, I kept noticing the Christmas items and peppermint mocha flavored goodies. But it seemed too soon and I still wanted my pumpkin spice fix. But today, I received a Starbucks Rewards email giving me some seasonal instructions.

“Have a very merry martini — Introducing the new Peppermint Mocha Espresso Martini, available exclusively at our Starbucks Reserve® Roasteries. Made with Starbucks Reserve® espresso and topped with peppermint-infused whipped cream and candy-cane sprinkles, this cocktail is perfect for holiday happy hours.”

Maybe my seasonal flavor consumption has gone awry. The cereal is really good. I haven’t tried the latte yet.* So pumpkin spice or peppermint mocha? I think it’s whatever you like. Both seasonal flavors are good, but soon pumpkin spice will be gone for the year.

Stores are ready for us to do Christmas shopping and want us in the mood. So they set the tone by switching flavors. It’s interesting that Starbucks created both flavors. Peppermint Mocha in 2002 and Pumpkin Spice in 2003. Then the rest of the world followed.

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* Updated 11/7/23: I tried the latte. It’s neither strong nor sweet, and I prefer both strong and sweet. So that is especially disappointing. I had hoped to taste a more robust coffee flavor and some nice spice. I didn’t taste much of either, so I don’t recommend and would not buy again.

Color Palette for Spring Using Astrology

color palette for spring with astrology

Here in New England, solar spring and meteorological spring have passed. The only thing left is the real deal. Astronomical spring (aka the true spring or vernal equinox) arrives in two weeks on March 20th. Yay! I am loving all the daylight now. It’s such a mood lifter.

On Twitter, I saw a meme that lets you create your own personal color palette for spring using your astrological placements. Since I love Pantone colors, spring and astrology, how could I not try it?

The meme uses the “Big Three” (your sun sign, moon sign, rising/ascendant sign) and Venus signs. If you want to find yours, you can easily do your chart for free on Chani Nicholas’ website. Generally our sun sign is considered our zodiac sign, but there is far more to astrology than that.

I’m a Virgo sun. Taurus rising, Scorpio moon and Venus is in Leo. The picture above shows my color palette for spring! I prefer the taste of peach and smell of lavender. For clothing, I have a lot of forest green and some of that shade of yellow. Not as fun (or frustrating) as Wordle, but I like it!

Will you try it?