Winter Top 5

Happy winter! It's definitely winter here, as we're recovering from a below-zero weekend and woke up to an inch or so of the fluffiest snow ever this morning. I'm enjoying the hibernating, the fireplace, and the coziness. Happy hygge. :)

If you need some help to get you through these long, cold months, here you go. :)

1) Tank's Good News

@tanksgoodnews is a new Instagram account (and website) dedicated to sharing only good news stories. It's delightful and refreshing. He's also starting a podcast based on the idea, although I haven't had a chance to listen yet.

2) The Upside

My social media feeds were inundated with ads for this movie a couple weeks ago, so Dan and I escaped last weekend to see it. There was a time in my life when all January/February movie-watching was dedicated to only those nominated for Oscars. My how times change. :) This movie was so good! Bryan Cranston and Kevin Hart are an unlikely pairing, but they work so well together. Laugh out loud, but also very touching.

3) Cookie dough energy bites

I follow Pinch of Yum, and she posted these a couple weeks ago so I made them on a whim, and I love them. They're easier than baking cookies, and they keep well in the fridge. Here's the recipe if you want to try them. (I use sunbutter instead of peanut butter and skip the chia seeds because they just get stuck in my teeth and drive me nuts).

4) Podcasts
Do you ever have someone recommend a podcast, only to look it up and realize you have a million episodes to choose from, and you don't know where to start? These are all podcasts I've recommended in the past, but I'm recommending specific episodes in case you need some guidance. :)

To be honest, Jen's podcast is not one that I listen to every week. Mostly because her episodes are long (over an hour) and that just isn't always convenient. But here are two recent ones I enjoyed:
The Popcast's Knox McCoy and Jamie Golden: Binge-Watching with Our TV Soulmates (11/13/18)
Give Yourself the Gift of Done: Jon Acuff (1/15/19)
On deck for me is her interview with Hillary McBride from 1/8/19, which I heard amazing things about.

This one is a weekly favorite for me because her episodes are practical and a reasonable length. :) If you need somewhere to start, I'd highly recommend episode #46 (The Lazy Genius Loses Weight) and episode #81 (The Lazy Genius and Healthy Eating). Spoiler alert: they're not what you think. ;) So in the midst of New Year's resolutions that may or may not be working for you, I'd highly recommend Kendra's view on things.

This is another easy one to fit in with her short episodes, but I'm going to recommend episode #66: Don't Let the Ending Define the Whole Story. It's beautiful. (Also, Emily is releasing a BOOK! It's called The Next Right Thing and it comes out in April. You can preorder it here).

5) Books!

I joked with my friend that this book title perfectly describes an Enneagram 5. :) Anne Bogel's I'd Rather Be Reading highlights everything we love about books and why we can't imagine life without them. It was a very enjoyable read.

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones follows an African American couple after the husband is wrongly accused of a crime and incarcerated. Fascinating and thought-provoking.

I've enjoyed everything I've read by Rachel Held Evans, and Inspired was no different. The book itself was inspired by her own questions about the Bible, and she walks us through various types of writing found there, as well as what God is trying to teach us through it.

Knox McCoy is one of the hosts of two of my favorite podcasts, The Popcast and The Bible Binge, and The Wondering Years is his memoir. It's hilarious and heartwarming and I loved it so much.

The Overstory by Richard Powers details the lives of nine individuals and how they all come together around trees. Sounds weird, but it's fascinating and beautiful. Their stories run deep and it was fun to piece them all together.

And finally, I'll Be There For You: The One About Friends by Kelsey Miller. I'm a die-hard Friends fan, and Kelsey had some backstories and behind-the-scenes that I hadn't even heard before. It was so great! And it made me want to watch the series all over again. (I haven't yet, but do you know what I love watching? Friends bloopers videos on Facebook. Don't even start, because it's so hard to stop. Or do, because it will be the funniest thing you've watched all day). :)

Hope you're all surviving the winter and holding on to the promise that spring WILL come!