Hello everyone! I’m back! Today, I’m sharing my updates on all my hobbies!
In case you noticed and were wondering where I was when I didn’t post on my usual days this past week and a half or two, well, I got COVID! More on that in tomorrow’s post (My July Life) but I am feeling good again and it wasn’t that bad for me. Stay up to date on those vaccinations!!!
Anyway, it’s been a crazy month, so here’s what I’ve been up to!
My Lively
Creative Fun
DIYs
I went to one DIY project at my library this month. We did a popsicle garland! We used those paint color strips of paper from the hardware store that the librarian picked up, glued on some popsicle sticks, then used a hole punch to string them up! It was a super simple and fun project!
Bujo
I have not had a shortage of stuff to add to my bujo this month finally! I had to much going on this month, that I actually used up all the pages allotted to July and even the pages that had been left over from past months! I had some travel, a page about my COVID experience, and more.
Entertainment
Books
As always, I’m listing all the books I’ve finished since the previous Lively post below with their star ratings. All thoughts on them are saved for future (or even past!) Mini Book Review posts but those will be linked below if so. I won’t include any books that I didn’t finish although I’ll be sure to add them into the review posts.
Also, I started a Bookstagram! Find me under @StarringPamelaReads on Instagram!
This month I read 18 books since the last lively.
- When We Cease to Understand the World by Benjamin Labatut, 3.75 stars
- Officer Clemmons by Francois S. Clemmons, 4 stars
- Wild Things by Bruce Handy, 3.75 stars
- Potato Pants! by Laurie Keller, 4.25 stars
- How the Word is Passed by Clint Smith, 4.75 stars
- Stuff You Should Know by Chunk Bryant and Josh Clark, 4.25 stars
- Cultish by Amanda Montell, 4.75 stars
- The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois by Honoree Fanonne Jeffers, 3.25 stars
- Midnight in Washington by Adam Schiff, 5 stars
- Watercress by Andrea Wang, 5 stars
- The Lost Summer of Newport by Karen White, Lauren Willig, Beatriz Williams, 4.5 stars
- Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, 4 stars
- The Guest List by Lucy Foley, 4.5 stars
- Priceless by Robert K. Wittman, 4.75 stars
- Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid, 4.75 stars
- A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham, 4 stars
- The Secret Life of Groceries by Benjamin Lorr, 4.5 stars
- Stage Fright on a Summer Night by Mary Pope Osborne, 4 stars
Movies
First up is the Ladies Night Live comedy special from the Netflix is Joke festival. I watched it because a lot of the comedians I really enjoy were participating. And it was honestly funny but the hosts were actually pretty annoying for me. I don’t know either of them and most of their jokes were references to their previous work, so it didn’t make sense to me. I still enjoyed watching it and laughed though!
I finally watched Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, the documentary film on Fred Rogers. I grew up watching Mr. Rogers, but it’s been years since then, so I actually found myself remembering random things from the show I’d forgotten! The Land of Make-Believe also took on a whole new meaning for me, and it was just a beautiful film. I read the biography on Mr. Rogers last year I think, and recently read the biography Officer Clemmons, written by a former cast member on the show, so it was really nice to tie that all together with this documentary.
I also finally watched Into the Woods on Disney+ right before I cancelled my subscription. I just wasn’t using it as often and felt it was a waste of money to keep paying for the subscription. I did really enjoy watching the film, and it was a really fun story to follow with great music. I am glad I watched it!
I managed to finish watching the older The Parent Trap film on Disney+ too. It was very similar to the Lindsey Lohan one, and it was pretty funny as well, but I do prefer the Lohan one. Probably because that’s just what I’m used to! But it was super fun to spot the differences and similarities of the two.
One more film, I watched Catch Me If You Can on Netflix. I remember watching this years ago but wanted something for background noise and hit play. It was pretty funny overall and quite entertaining. It’s crazy how much effort scammers will go into making their schemes work instead of, well, actually working honestly, but it was still interesting to see how that story came together.
TV Shows
Per usual I’ve been watching Gilmore Girls, Community, and Madam Secretary. Spoilers to follow for all of these! For Gilmore Girls, I’ve made it to season 7, which is honestly a hot mess. It’s nice that Lorelei and Rory are talking again, of course, but I just got to the part where Lorelei and Christopher arrived in Paris. I can’t stand Christopher so it’s so annoying he’s featured so much after they get together and will get married. This is always the part of the show (as if I’ve watched it so much, this is only my second time all the way through) where I wonder why on earth didn’t Lorelei just get married to Max! What was wrong with Max??? But I’m loving Paul Anka because his weird quirks remind me of my own pup’s quirks. I just started season 3 of Community, and I always forget just how many crazy and funny story lines are packed into this show. The paintball episodes don’t get old, the jokes still make me laugh, and it’s wild to realize that I connect with different characters in different ways over the years. All the characters (well except for Pierce) have personality traits or stories that are very relatable and it’s so funny to notice that. And for Madam Secretary I’ve just restarted it so I’m in the first couple episodes. It’s so fun to see how the characters start out, knowing where they all end up. I think it’s so wild how the staff is struggling to adjust to the new Secretary and she’s doubting her decision not to fire them all, only to end up keeping most of them through her campaign and her first administration. Even watching Elizabeth and Russell totally clash only for Elizabeth to invite him back to the White House as her Chief of Staff later is so funny now! I love it.
Okay, but I also watched a few other things too! As I mentioned earlier, I was traveling so I watched a few random episodes of stuff at my hotel room. My go to hotel show is Shark Tank. (I don’t get regular channels at home.) I LOVE watching entrepreneurs and rooting for them to get a deal. I also watched a few episodes of Warehouse 13. I watched this show back in college after a friend recommended it, but I don’t remember it anymore and so it was super cool to watch some episodes. No wonder I enjoyed it, it was so fun! I watched a few episodes of one of those Canadian towing companies, American Pickers, and a bit of a women’s gymnastics event as well. So fun!
I also started season two of Rebelde on Netflix. This suddenly dropped earlier this week and I’m already more than halfway through. I just don’t know how to explain how I feel about it. It’s not really love-hate because I don’t hate it but I just feel more, well, nostalgic? I shared a bit on how I used to watch the Mexican reboot of the show years ago, and while it’s not the same stories, it is such as silly and fun and wild as I remember. I still love watching each of the characters and seeing them evolve both as friends but as individuals, and it’s so fast-moving and crazy.
Music, Musicals, & Concerts
I totally thought I was going to have actual musicals to talk about but then I didn’t end up attending either show I thought I would. (I hadn’t bought tickets thank goodness.) For example, one event actually conflicted with a show I planned to attend while traveling so I went to the local event as it felt more unique to the city I was in (more on that tomorrow!). For the other, I planned to go to a musical, but then my puppy niece ended up coming for Camp Cuddles, and I ended up with COVID so I think I will end up missing that one entirely. Anyway, onto the one virtual musical I did watch!
I watched Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat on Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber’s YouTube channel. The reason I put it here instead of in the “movies” category like I did for Into the Woods is because this one was only available on that YouTube channel for one weekend so it was more “live” if that makes sense! Anyway, I really find this film to be very entertaining.
Podcasts/YouTube
I’ve been greatly enjoying The Morning Toast per usual! I can’t believe Jackie is already moved into her new home in Florida and, at this point, I’m convinced Claudia is just going to send Ben home to NYC to pack and bring their stuff down to FL to stay LOL.
I also started watching Do We Know Them? which is hosted by Lily Marston and Jessi Smiles. It’s like a gossip/tea channel but from the perspective of people on the inside as they are both YouTubers. It’s pretty funny and interesting, although I only watch the episodes I’m interested in, not all.
I’ve really been loving the Try Guys channel as well. They have new “Without Instructions” challenges which are so FUN! I also LOVE the Try Wives content. Plus, its so funny to remember that I met most of the Try Guys back in 2019 when I worked for a company that contracted with VidCon so I was there in the Featured Creators hotel. So wild!
Video Games
I’ve been playing quite a bit of Animal Crossing: New Horizons again! Right now I’m mostly trying to catalog all the colors of every item, and that’s been fun. It’s a lot of work too, but it’s nice to have a “goal” now that the museum is fully built and I’ve renovated the houses on my island too.
Cooking/Baking
Writing
Active Life
walks
There have been many, many walks. I walked everywhere when I was traveling, so that was a fun way to explore. I also have had both my dog and my puppy niece with me. My dog does not get along with my puppy niece, sadly, so they are both walked separately. My dog also doesn’t love walks, but my puppy niece does so she gets 2-3 walks per day!
ballet/Jazz
I did have to skip two classes of each dance. One because I was traveling and another after I got COVID. But I’ve really enjoyed both. I do like ballet because I am pretty good at it now! And for jazz I’m pretty dreadful honestly, but it is just so fun!
I’ve had a great time with my hobbies this month, and I’m so glad I was able to get so much done!
Thanks for reading!
Pamela
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