friday favorites #30: week of sept. 23, 2016 + giveaway

Happy Friday, everyone! It's officially fall, but it certainly doesn't feel like it here in Nebraska. That hasn't stopped me from enjoying a pumpkin spice latte or two :-)

So I was totally planning to make One Tree Hill one of my Friday favorites this week ... until I realized that it was one of my favorites last time! Suffice it to say, I'm still completely obsessed. So, in lieu of more gushing about OTH, here are some favorites that I haven't talked about recently:

1. This Is Us

Is one episode enough to know if I'm going to love a show? I don't know, but I absolutely adored the pilot episode. I'm not going to say anything else except you must watch it for yourself. It's available on Hulu.

2. The People v. O.J. Simpson's Emmy awards

I cannot believe that The People v. O.J. Simpson never made it into a Friday Favorites post. I loved it so, so much! I was in junior high during the trial, so I very vaguely remembered it. (I remember exactly where I was during the Bronco chase—on my way home from summer camp—and when the verdict came down—at school—but I didn't know too much about the trial). I was thrilled to see the show receive so many Emmy nominations in the "Limited Series or Movie" category. It won nine awards, including best limited series ... and Sarah Paulson (Marcia Clark), Courtney B. Vance (Johnnie Cochran), and Sterling K. Brown (Christopher Darden) won acting awards. The series will hit Netflix sometime in 2017, so if you missed it on FX, be sure to catch it then!

3. Trader Joe's dairy-free options

A couple weeks ago, my mom, sister, and I went to see my sister-in-law perform at an Irish festival in Omaha. She was amazing! (And this is from someone who normally isn't a big fan of Irish music!)

I tried to upload a video I took, but I couldn't get it to work, so here's a pic instead.

Afterwards, we went to Trader Joe's. And there, I hit the mother lode. I've been cow dairy free for over a year now. I don't know if it's making a difference with my Hashimoto's symptoms, but I am absolutely positive being dairy free has reduced my PCOS symptoms, so I'm ready to settle in for the long haul. I've discovered, though, that sheep's milk and goat's milk don't affect me negatively. Unfortunately, cheese made from sheep's or goat's milk can be expensive and hard to find. (Well, it's pretty easy to find a basic soft goat cheese, but I'd like variety!)

Anyway, Trader Joe's had goat's milk feta, cheddar, and gouda! They definitely have that goat's milk tang, but they're so tasty! And now that I have the cheddar, I'm dreaming of pizza.

I also found coconut milk ice cream that's about half the price of So Delicious, and it tastes better, too! I've already placed my cheese and ice cream order with Blendy, who is coming home next weekend.

4. Live on Forever by The Afters

About 10 years ago, I first heard of The Afters when a friend played "MySpace Girl" for me. If you'd like a hilarious flashback to the MySpace era (wow, that was long ago!), check out this video:

I really didn't know much else about the group, but I recently had the opportunity to review their new album. I loved it! I also have a copy to give away. If you'd like a chance to win, enter through the Rafflecopter below.

(Rules: Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win. Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification. Contest is open in the US and CANADA only. Winner will be selected at random using Rafflecopter.com and will have 48 hours to respond to email notification, or another winner will be chosen.)
a Rafflecopter giveaway

5. Wild Montana Skies by Susan May Warren

It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of Susan May Warren's writing. Her latest novel, Wild Montana Skies, releases next month, and I got to read an early copy. It's so good! (See my review.)

So that's what's been making me happy. As usual, I'm linking up with Erika, Christina, and Karli. What are some things you've been enjoying this week?

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received some of the products mentioned in this post free for review. The opinions expressed are my own. Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

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friday favorites #29: week of sept. 9, 2016 + giveaway

Happy Friday! Doesn't it feel like Labor Day was four weeks ago instead of four days ago? Maybe it's just me ... anyway, I'm thrilled that it's the weekend. I'm even more thrilled that I decided to mow my lawn last night after work, so I don't have to take time out of my weekend to do it!

Here are a few things I've been enjoying recently!

1. One Tree Hill
To say I've been enjoying One Tree Hill is a bit of an understatement. For years (literally), Blendy has been telling me to watch One Tree Hill, and, for whatever reason, I've resisted. But one night last month, I inexplicably decided to watch the pilot episode. I wasn't crazy about it, but Blendy said to give it a couple episodes, so I did ... and I basically haven't stopped watching since.

Now, probably 50 percent of our text conversations are about OTH. Usually, it's me ranting about something and Blendy laughing at me.

The show is so implausible: in the first two seasons alone, two juniors in high school get married, another junior runs off with his infant daughter because her mother is trying to take her away, the villain survives what should have been certain death not once but twice, a teen who had never before sung in public ends up on tour with Michelle Branch, and a laundry list of mid-2000s bands play at a club owned by the main character's mom. It would never happen. AND I LOVE IT.

I'm totally #TeamPeyton, which I did not anticipate, considering I haven't loved Hilarie Burton in the other things I've seen her in (except for Hallmark Channel's Summer Villa, which was adorable).

Anyway, I'm pretty much obsessed with One Tree Hill, and I wish Dan Scott would get hit by a bus. But he'd probably just survive ...

2. Blooming Gladiolus
At the beginning of the summer, I planted a couple gladiolus bulbs. Earlier this week, one of them began blooming. So pretty!

Once it was in full bloom, I decided to bring it into the house. One of my cats was very interested.

I like to call this look "goa'uld eyes."

So then I googled "gladiolus toxic to cats" and discovered that ingesting the plant could cause unpleasant symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea. So now when I'm gone or sleeping, I close the flowers in the bathroom. Just to be safe.

3. Football Season
Here in Nebraska, football season is huge. Husker football kicked off last Saturday, and it was definitely bittersweet, as it was the first game following punter Sam Foltz's death in a car accident. When it came time to punt for the first time, this happened:

Makes me tear up every time.

The Huskers went on to win the game in decisive fashion, and I hope it's just the beginning of great things for this team!

4. Having a Plan
I started blogging on MySpace in 2006. In 2008, I started Christian Chick's Thoughts, and I began reviewing books a few months later. Then in 2014, I decided to make Christian Chick's Thoughts all about books and move the life stuff over here to Coffee & Conversation. In my 10 years of blogging, the only "plan" I've had is to keep track of dates that reviews are due. That's it. So while I love doing things like Friday Favorites and Top Ten Tuesday, those posts often don't get written because they're not on my radar until other bloggers' posts start popping into my feed.

But that's all changing.

I spent a large portion of my Labor Day weekend working on blog stuff, and one of the things I did was download a blog planner. I almost bought one on etsy, but then I turned to my friend Google and found a great free one at Designer Blogs. It didn't have everything I wanted, but almost. I've only used a couple pages so far, but I'm in love ... and feeling so much more organized!

5. The Biggest Story

This week's book recommendation is Kevin DeYoung's The Biggest Story. I got an audiobook/short film combo to review. It's geared toward children, but it's totally suitable for adults. The best part is that I have a set to give away! Enter here:a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway rules: Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win. Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification. Contest is open in the US and CANADA only. Winner will be selected at random using Rafflecopter.com and will have 48 hours to respond to email notification, or another winner will be chosen.

So that's what's been making me happy. As usual, I'm linking up with Erika, Christina, and Karli. What are some things you've been enjoying this week?

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top ten tuesday: favorite 90's tv shows

Today's Top Ten Tuesday topic is one I couldn't pass up:  In honor of Fall TV, do a TV-themed topic! You know I love me some TV, and my love for television really developed in the 1990's, so what could be better than talking about my favorite 90's shows?

Top Ten 90's Shows I Watched in the 90's

1. Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman

I was completely obsessed with Lois & Clark ... as well as Dean Cain! The problem was that the show aired Sunday nights at 7, which is when we had evening church. We also didn't have a VCR during the first two seasons, so I couldn't record it. I remember once, as a 7th or 8th grader, telling my mom that I couldn't wait to be an adult so that I could choose if I was going to go to night church or not. Clearly, I had my priorities straight! 

2. Full House

Oh, how I loved Full House! Even though I'm pretty much exactly the same age as Stephanie, I always identified with D.J. (and I wished for a Steve of my own!). I can't really handle too much Full House these days, but I am loving Fuller House, and I can't wait for season two!

3. Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman

Saturday nights in our house meant Dr. Quinn. Loved, loved, loved it! It was one of the few shows that we all watched together (well, maybe Dad wasn't there ... but it's possible he was, as these were his pre-Hallmark Channel days).

4. Star Trek: The Next Generation

My dad used to watch Star Trek: The Next Generation every Saturday night after the news. As an older teen, he let me stay up and watch with him. As a younger teen, I used to watch through my barely cracked open bedroom door. This show was really my first introduction to science fiction, and I fell in love!

5. JAG

I love, love, love courtroom dramas, and JAG is probably what set that love in motion. Plus, without JAG, there'd be no NCIS, and that would be tragic.

6. Sports Night

My brother and I watched this sadly short-lived show together when we were in high school. (We actually watched lots of shows together—he was definitely my partner in crime when it came to watching TV on the sly.) I thought the show was so witty and different, and I hated when it got cancelled.

7. California Dreams

"Surf dudes with attitude ... Kinda groovy!" Most girls of my generation would probably list Saved by the Bell here. While I did enjoy that show later on, I didn't start watching the TNBC Saturday morning lineup until after Saved by the Bell ended. California Dreams was still in full swing, and I loved the mashup of teen comedy, romance, and music. I could also still sing the entire theme song for you. (If you were a fan, watch this. Thanks, Jimmy Fallon!)

8. Boy Meets World

Boy Meets World was great—it's one of the few sitcoms from my childhood that I still love to watch. I wish I could say the same about Girl Meets World.

9. Early Edition

Early Edition was such an interesting concept—every morning, a cat and a newspaper arrive outside Gary Hobson's door. The newspaper is tomorrow's newspaper, so Gary has one day to try to prevent whatever tragedies are found in the paper. This show ran for four seasons, but only the first two are on DVD, and it's not available to stream through legitimate channels. Tragic, especially considering how well Kyle Chandler has done recently.

10. Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place (aka Two Guys and a Girl)

Two Guys and a Girl introduced me to both Ryan Reynolds and Nathan Fillion. What I remember most about this show is the wild Halloween episodes. I'm no fan of Halloween, but those episodes were fantastic! Also, I just found out the series is (finally!) available on DVD. It's a little pricey, but it's now on my Amazon wish list!

Bonus: Top Five 90's Shows I Watched Later

1. Stargate: SG-1

My dad is responsible for my love of SG-1, as well. I'm not sure when I started watching, but I'm sure I was already in college. I watched most of the seasons in syndication and ended up buying the entire series on DVD. Plus, my cats are all named after SG-1 characters: Skaara (who was briefly named Ry'ac until Blendy informed me that was stupid, and now I have to agree that Skaara is a much better name), Hammond, and Isis. 

2. Friends

Friends premiered when I was in junior high, and everyone watched it. Everyone but me, that is. I watched it at first (I probably made it halfway through the first season), but then my mom caught me watching it and banned it. Being a "letter of the law" follower, I stopped watching Friends until college. (That didn't stop me from watching every other comedy on NBC—after all, Mom had only banned Friends, not Caroline in the City, Veronica's Closet, Just Shoot Me, News Radio, Jesse, or any other show that happened to be on. I definitely was an NBC girl back in the day. Now? I can't think of a single NBC show I watch!)

After I finally had cable, I caught up on all the seasons of Friends I'd missed. Friends is one of those shows that I could watch at any time—I could even jump in mid-episode and be perfectly happy!

3. Dawson's Creek

Growing up, we didn't have cable or a WB station, so Dawson's Creek wasn't really on my radar ... until the summer of 2012, which I like to call the Summer of Dawson's, when I watched all six seasons in three months. I'm currently facing a similar obsession with One Tree Hill, though no pairing on that show looks like it could possibly live up to Pacey & Joey!

4. 7th Heaven

I didn't watch this show in the early seasons because we didn't have the WB. Somehow, I caught a few episodes and fell in love—so I set up my grandma's VCR to record it each week and then swapped out the tapes when we went to visit. Desperate times and all that!

5. The West Wing

My mom watched The West Wing when it aired, and I thought it looked really boring. How wrong I was! A couple years ago, I finally watched it, and I loved it. I'm pretty sure I'll be making another pass through the series in the future.

Did you watch any of these shows? What are your favorite 90's TV shows?

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase an item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

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read with us: a book that intimidates us

Well, this is either incredibly easy or incredibly sad. Or both. Val is the only one of us who even attempted a book this month. She's been pretty anxious for me to post about it, too. See our conversation from earlier today:

Next month should be easier (what were we thinking, choosing an intimidating book for the month that school starts???)—our category is a book that's been banned. Practically everything has been banned by someone at some time, so surely we can all find something. In fact, Mom discovered today that Green Eggs & Ham was once banned, so I'm gonna keep that one in my back pocket in case I need something super easy. (See all of our previous recaps here.)

Since no one else has anything to say this month, I'll let Val take it from here.

Val says: For this month’s category, a book that intimidates you, I chose Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry.  This book has been on my To Be Read list for a couple of years, ever since a coworker mentioned that he considers it to be the Great American Novel.  This book is intimidating in its length – the copy I read clocked in at 821 pages.  This book was SO much more engaging than I thought it would be – for the first 50-100 pages, I was worried that I would be bored, and that the book would be a chore to get through.  This could not have been more wrong.  Around page 200, things really picked up, and from there on, I was captivated to the end.

The general plot is that two former Texas rangers decide to do their first ever cattle drive from South Texas to Northern Montana – basically traveling the entire length of the country.  Adventures ensue.  The book is set in 1876 (according to Wikipedia – I knew it was 1800’s post-Civil War, but didn’t notice if it actually said what year it was), so the West is still very much Wild. Also, a word of caution – because this is set in the old west, prostitution and violence were pretty much the order of the day. There was only once scene where I would call the violence graphic, but there is a fair amount of killing, and many of the characters are rough around the edges.  So maybe consider that if you’re deciding if this book is for you.  Personally, I am SO glad I read it and am strongly considering reading the other books in the series (Lonesome Dove was written first but is third chronologically). 5 stars.

Have you read Lonesome Dove? If so, what did you think?

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