Old School Blogging – Pop Culture
I missed the Old School Blogging linkup last month, but I’m glad I caught it this month because you know who loves pop culture? Me.
1. What was one of your favorite shows as a kid? Why?
I can remember loving lots of shows as a kid – and I’m considering a kid pre-high school for this question. I’m going with some of the shows I remember being really into in middle school like Blossom and Roseanne, and my favorite, Wonder Years. I was so excited when Jenny watched some Wonder Years on Netflix a few months ago. Who wouldn’t love Kevin and Winnie? And the awesome music. Another show I remember loving that didn’t last long at all – so brief that I just checked IMDB to see if it was really a show or something I dreamed up – Rags to Riches. Does anyone else remember that show?
2. Which actress(es) do you see on the red carpet and kinda wish you could be for a day (or three)?
I have a slight celebrity gossip obsession, but even with my Us Weekly love, I never really feel like I’d want to be one of those celebrities. If I had to pick one, I’d probably pick Jennifer Garner because I’ve always related to her, so it’s kind of like living my life with a lot more money. And that would be fine with me! Plus I don’t feel like I’d have to start wearing a ton of makeup to be Jennifer Garner – she looks pretty relaxed.
3. Which actor do you wish you could, um… hang out with? 
I’ll just stick with the theme and go with Ben Affleck.
4. What is one (or two or some) of your favorite movies that you have seen in the last few years?
We don’t go to the movies very often. I have had two wonderful movie experiences the last couple years – midnight showings with my oldest girl. We saw the last Harry Potter movie (her reward for reading all the books by the time the movie came out) – her first midnight premiere experience. Then we went to see the Hunger Games at midnight when it came out. The most recent movie I’ve seen and loved though? Pitch Perfect. It’s exactly my kind of movie – and so much fun to watch with my girls!
5. Who is one celebrity out there now that you could totally do without? That you wish would just disappear?
Oh, there are several of these. Chris Brown. Lindsay Lohan (or she could just somehow de-age back to her Parent Trap days when she was young and good). Amanda Bynes (I don’t understand what happened to her). Gwyneth Paltrow. All the Kardashians. Just to name a few. I won’t add any pictures of any of them because I don’t want to look at them.
6. Have you ever met a celebrity? If so, who? What did you say/do when you met them?
Actually met a celebrity? I don’t think so. I was in an elevator with Rosario Dawson once, but I didn’t talk to her.
7. Which shows do you look forward to watching every week?
Right now at this point in the year: Nashville (the best new show of this TV season!), Grey’s Anatomy, Hart of Dixie, and Mad Men. While they’re not new right now, I also love Parenthood (yay for renewal!) and Breaking Bad.
Wasn’t that fun? Head on over to link up!
2:20 a.m.
Who likes to party in the middle of the night?
Me and Brinky. That’s who. It involves watching Grey’s Anatomy on Netflix and tickles and snuggles on the couch. Sound fun?
Magazine Day: Finally
I took an unintentional hiatus from my Magazine Day posts mainly due to the fact that the holidays were just busy and I sucked and didn’t manage to take the pictures and write the posts. But I decided to do a better job of it in the new year, so here I am, the first Saturday in January (while it is inexplicably about 70 degrees outside), with my US Weekly in hand, ready to share my opinions.
Both my girls were shocked by this news. I wasn’t really. Hasn’t he looked all crazy in the eyes forever? There wasn’t really any exciting information in the article, other than the fact that we learned that Katy Perry has a cat named Kitty Purry we’re assuming she’ll get to keep after the divorce.
So many things about this page get me. First, fake-face Fergie, who I never like anyway. That looks like one of the most uncomfortable dresses ever. And Jennifer Lopez? Not a good look. And that dude is too young and kind of gross. I know you like gross guys (see: Marc Anthony), but still. And finally, Jessica Alba? It’s not fair that you look like that after having two kids. I’m sure you worked at it and blah, blah, blah, but it still annoys me.
Vanessa Hudgens is like Kristen Stewart lately with her “I’m so bored all the time” faces. I think that movie Bandslam did that to her. That’s what her character was like. I may be the only person who knows that. I saw it in the movie theater with the girls (a not very full theater) and I loved it, so there.
They may be finally engaged, but I don’t actually believe Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel will actually get married. Maybe they will, but I still think she’s just way too boring for him. Shouldn’t five years of on-again off-again tell them that they shouldn’t get married?
She should’ve known that Kelso would do it with anyone and everyone. This article pretty much says that she’s much more upset that he may have been having an affair with someone than that he was constantly sleeping with random twenty-somethings.
I know this is almost too blurry to read, but I can still make my point. I’ll recap previous points I’ve mentioned explaining that Up All Night is a show written for my family:
-The main character’s name is Reagan, like my daughter.
-Their last name is Brinkley, like my son. And you can’t say that’s a common name.
-She’s a working mom. He’s a stay at home dad. Like me and Lee.
-And now, the next episode is about their New Year’s Eve game night. What did we do New Year’s Eve? We played Trivial Pursuit.
And we caught up on Up All Night last night, so we’ll be ready for the new episodes.
That’s it! I’ll be back again next week. For real. And if you missed my celebrity post on Amanda’s blog over the holidays because it was, you know, the holidays, you can still read it now.
My Guilty Pleasures
I’m happy to be linking up with Stasha again this week for Monday Listicles. This week’s topic: guilty pleasures! I’m only a little embarrassed by my list. I think anyone who knows me knows about all of these anyway.
- Teen dramas on TV – I have loved teen dramas forever. Every once in awhile I think I may grow out of this one because I’m getting old, but no. I still love them. The biggest current example for me is 90210. I watch it every week and talk to my little brother about everything that happened (maybe he didn’t want me to out his guilty pleasure here – sorry!). This one also means that I’ll pretty much watch any of the ABC Family shows. My favorite one of those is Make It or Break It, which makes me a better gymnastics mom (in my mind) and features D.J. from Full House. Read more about some of my TV love, guilty pleasure or not, here.
- Dance movies – Sometimes this one coincides with my teen drama love because a lot of the dance movies are teen dramas. My love for these started way back with Girls Just Want to Have Fun, still one of my favorite movies of all time. And I will watch every dance movie that comes out. So Footloose is on my current to watch list. My favorite recent dance movie is most definitely Step Up 2. My sister-in-law, Charlotte, gave me one of the best birthday presents ever last year – three cheesy dance movies. And my husband gave me and my girls a day to waste watching them.
- Lindor truffles – I can always eat some chocolate. My favorite form is Lindor truffles. I love the creamy chocolate in the center. I try not to buy them too often, but sometimes I just NEED some.
- Blasting music in the car – I like to play my music really loud in the car. And if the weather’s nice, I’ll roll the windows down. And sing really loudly along with the music. Sometimes it’s some of my favorite Liz Phair or Rilo Kiley music, and I’ll sing the swear words even though I would never say them out loud in my regular life. Or sometimes it’s the Jonas Brothers or Hannah Montana even though the girls aren’t in the car and I shouldn’t listen to that kind of music without them. Or sometimes it’s Naughty by Nature because I still think Feel Me Flow is one of the best summer songs ever. Or sometimes the Jackson Five because they made some of the best songs of all time, period. It doesn’t matter as long as it’s something on my iPod that I love. I’ll listen to it at high volume and sing along. (Re-reading this I’m thinking I should have listed some of this music as my guilty pleasures, not just the fact that I like to blast the music.)
- Nora Roberts books – Sometimes you just need to read a Nora Roberts book and enjoy it and ignore everything else. Or at least I do. It’s a perfect escape. Especially if I’m reading one of these books on my Kindle while taking a hot bath. I love to read a lot of different books, but there’s a special place in my heart for a good Nora Roberts book.
- Funny websites – One of my favorite things to do is to force my husband to sit with me while we browse funny websites together and laugh so hard that I cry. My favorites right now are Awkward Family Photos, People of Walmart, and Damn You Autocorrect. And I love finding new ones on Pinterest…
- Pinterest – The most recent addition to my social media fun times. Facebook is too hard for me now. I don’t like the most recent changes. And of course, I can pass a bit of time just sitting on Twitter. But my favorite right now is Pinterest. It makes me feel somewhat productive, so I’m not totally wasting time if I’m finding new recipes for us to try or funny websites, right? And I’ve actually made several of the recipes, unlike the craft items I pin periodically knowing I will never, ever be craft enough to try any of them.
- Lunch at a restaurant alone – Sometimes, if my day is particularly busy and stressful, I love to go to a restaurant (typically Panera or Qdoba) and sit by myself and read on my Kindle and relax. The rest of the work day is so much easier if I take that time.
- Dance games on the Wii – I typically don’t play a lot of video games anymore (because if I do I’ll get addicted like I did with Super Mario Bros. and play all the time), but I love to play dance games like Just Dance or Dance, Dance Revolution on the Wii. They’re good exercise, in my opinion. Plus, they can be family fun. I can play with my girls – and beat them, because I’m not the kind of mom who would let them win. Too bad the Wii’s broken right now because I could certainly use the exercise.
- US Weekly – This may be my biggest guilty pleasure. I love getting my weekly celebrity gossip fix reading my US Weekly. And my girls do, too. We chat about all the celebrities like they’re our friends. I’ve even been doing an almost-weekly post about it!
I’m sure I could think of several more guilty pleasures, but these are definitely the big ones. I love them all.
My Favorite TV Shows
This is clearly going to be my longest blog post so far, because I love TV shows. If I really think hard about it, I probably still prefer reading overall, but I definitely enjoy my TV shows. Like my comic book list, I can’t (or won’t) put them in order, but here are some of my favorites, heavily weighted towards the last few years since my lack of memory makes it difficult for me to remember my favorites from when I was growing up (I will try to name a few though).
Favorites from my childhood (through high school):
Wonder Years – I loved Kevin and Winnie. And I think it’s weird that Kevin grew up to direct It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. I do think his little brother was cuter on Boy Meets World than Kevin ever was.
Blossom – I really loved Blossom. Even though she wasn’t very pretty and Joey was really dumb. And what kind of name was Sixx? (Lee liked that show The Parkers Sixx was on later.)
Fresh Prince of Bel-Air – Fresh Prince was of course always funny, but the best part was the bloopers at the end of episodes. Really I would (and did) watch entire bloopers shows.
Cosby Show – Who didn’t like the Cosby Show? And isn’t it weird that Olivia grew up to be That’s So Raven?
Beverly Hills 90210 – Of course I watched this show in high school. And loved it. And then, even cooler, I watched the whole thing again when I was on maternity leave after Jenny was born because it’s just that good.
Those are the shows that jump to mind from that period of my life. I’m sure there are more that I watched. I must have watched Full House more than I care to remember or admit because Reagan watches it some mornings and I feel like I recognize every episode.
Teen Dramas (my not-so-secret favorite TV genre):
Dawson’s Creek – I loved it. I didn’t watch it originally, but I watched the whole thing when I was on maternity leave with Reagan. Is this how everyone spends maternity leaves? Thanks, TBS, for giving me that opportunity.
One Tree Hill – I didn’t start this one at the beginning either, but I got caught up around season 3, I think. And then it got worse and worse and I had to quit it. But I bet I’d watch it again if I got caught up. Or maybe it’s over now. I’m not sure.
90210 – The new 90210. I know it’s terrible sometimes, but I love how terrible it is. It just really goes for it every single week. And I love recapping it with my little brother so we can share our very important opinions about what’s happening.
Make It or Break It – Really, I’ll watch any teen drama. So ABC Family is perfect for me. I haven’t stuck with many of the shows, although I really want to catch up on Pretty Little Liars because I liked it. I have watched all of Make It or Break It. And so has Jenny. It’s great, and it’s about gymnastics and teaches young girls a lot of serious lessons. I think every episode is a very special episode. What’s not to love?
The O.C. – How great was The O.C.? At least for the first season. Marcus used to watch it with me when he was cool. I wish Seth were in more things, and I am going to watch the new show that Summer’s going to be in this fall. Have you seen what poor Mischa Barton looks like lately?
Greek – I’m calling this teen drama because they start college as teens, right? I watched it during my Brinkley maternity leave, too. Another ABC Family winner.And it stars Kelsey Grammar’s daughter.
Gilmore Girls – Probably the best of this genre. No, definitely the best of this genre. I love Lorelai and Rory. I want to be friends with them. I think I am. I think Rory’s one of the prettiest girls ever. (I wish I’d watched all of Gilmore Girls, and so many other shows, with you, Charlotte.)
Other Shows I’ve Enjoyed On My Own (past and current):
Friday Night Lights – The best show ever. For real. I love Coach Taylor and Tami. And Julie and Matt Saracen, even though Julie can be kind of annoying and why did she have an affair with that college professor? Stupid Julie. And I though I wouldn’t like some of the new characters later in the series, but I did. I liked Vince. This show is on instant Netflix and everyone should watch it. And don’t stop just because the second season isn’t the greatest. And I’ll go to the movie theater to see a movie if they really make one.
Parenthood – Speaking of Vince, he was on Parenthood this season. It’s such a good show. It has Peter Krause, who’s always been good in any show he decides to be on (I think I’ve watched them all – Sports Night, Six Feet Under, Dirty Sexy Money – all good). And Lorelai Gilmore. And Coach. Watch it!
Dexter – I watched the first season with Lee, and we realized it wasn’t really his kind of show, but I kept watching and I’m so glad. The end of the season that creepy John Lithgow was on had the most amazing season finale, and I can still remember just how I felt watching it (and tweeting about it) live because I was so excited that I didn’t want to wait and watch it later.
Six Feet Under – I almost forget about this one until I mentioned Peter Krause, but it is great because of Peter Krause and Michael C. Hall and so many other cool people. I definitely didn’t watch it with the kids though.
Weeds – Loved the first few seasons, but last season wasn’t as good, and I’ve already quit this season. The early seasons are definitely worth watching though.
Mad Men – This was my Brinkley maternity leave show. And it was perfect. I think I would say every show on this list was my favorite show, and mean it when I’m saying it because I love them all so much when I’m watching them. I can’t wait until there’s a new season on and I can be watching it with all the cool people who were already watching it way before me. I love Don, and Betty’s crazy.
Shows I’ve Enjoyed with Lee:
Murder One – This one goes way back, but it’s one of the shows I remember us watching together in our early days. Stanley Tucci is awesome. Season one was amazing. I’d rewatch it.
Lois and Clark – When Lee and I were first dating back in high school, I remember that we’d sometimes talk to each other after we watched Lois and Clark each week because we were so cool.
Sports Night – Starring Peter Krause again! I loved this show. I just watched the first episode again recently on Netflix, and I swear it’s still good.
Star Trek: The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine – I didn’t think I’d ever enjoy Star Trek, but TNG is good, and we enjoyed Deep Space Nine, too. I prefer TNG, but Lee prefers Deep Space Nine. We just started forcing the girls to watch TNG since it’s on instant Netflix, and they actually like it.
Battlestar Galactica – We watched this together a couple summers ago, and it was so good. Except when it wasn’t. But it was an awesome TV watching experience, and I’m glad we watched it. And we see people from BSG on so many shows now!
Eureka – We tried out Eureka just for fun, and that’s what it is. Fun. Always. We still watch it.
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia – The first three seasons are some of the funniest TV episodes ever. I think we forgot to watch most of last season, but maybe we’ll watch this season again for Fat Mac. (We had the girls sing Dayman for Mario’s birthday once.)
Shows We’ve Enjoyed as a Family (don’t judge us):
Buffy the Vampire Slayer – This was a perfect show for all of us. Jenny didn’t want to watch it with us originally because she was scared, but then she got over it and it became her favorite TV show ever. Reagan was always into it, enough that she cried when Angel died, which made me and Lee cry, too. Once More with Feeling is awesome. We moved on from that to watching Joss’s other shows, Angel, Firefly and Dollhouse.
Friends – Last summer we watched every season of Friends with the girls. They loved it so much. They can pretty much relate anything in life to a Friends episode. That’s cool, right?
Smallville – We watched all of Smallville over the last year, leading up to the series finale in May. There were so many fun episodes of that show, and I think Tom Welling is Clark Kent. I loved the finale.
Glee – This one is really for me and the girls, not Lee (I think he likes it sometimes though). It’s just our kind of show – teen drama, great music and dancing.
Modern Family – We didn’t start Modern Family until halfway through the first season, but we got caught up all in one weekend and have watched it ever since. I think it’s definitely the funniest show on TV right now (or in the fall when there’s actually anything new on TV).
Chuck – This is another one we watched last year. Chuck is always so much fun. I love Chuck and Morgan. And Casey (who was also great in Firefly). And so many fun guest stars. I would shop at Buy More.
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