Wednesday, December 21, 2022

13th Annual Bob's 99 Cent Store Holiday Shopping Trip (*Spoiler alert for immediate family)

Hard to believe we've been making this shopping trip for thirteen years, but believe it we shall because it happened. With Small Bob. Small Bob who's sixteen years-old. Small Bob who's 6'2" 

Enjoy!


Aunt Jill - Gray Infinity Scarf. It seems like most years someone gets an infinity scarf. Aunt Jill, this is your year. "She wears a lot of black and gray is good with that."


Pops - The Party Tube: A plastic tube filled with sparklers and those loud pop-it things. "Do you think Bajan will let him use these? Maybe on New Year's? Or maybe he should just use them all on Christmas at our house to be safe."


Jen - Small Green, Ceramic Bowl. "Do you think Aunt Jen would like this, Mom?" "I do." "You do think she'll like it or you mean YOU do like it?" "Both." "There's only one so we'll see what happens."


Me - Bamboo Print U-Shaped Travel Pillow. "Do not look, Mom." "Is it the bowl, or something else?" "I'm not telling you. Did you see?" "No." "Yes you did." (I saw. I couldn't help it.)


Bajan (Mr. Rosenberg's Mom) - Floral Stationery Cards. "Is this a thank you card, Mom?" "No, it's a set of cards." "The thank you kind?" "No, the regular kind." "Like to put gift cards in?" "You could, but they're just for writing in." "I don't get it." "Like when you write someone a letter." "Like a thank you card?" "You could write a thank you card but it doesn't have to be a thank you card. Was that a trick question? " "A little bit."


Meemee (My Mom) - Wooden Noel Sign. "So, Mom, what about this gnome Santa figurine for Meemee?" "It looks familiar." "Oh yeah. I think I got that exact one for her last year. They need to get some new stuff around here." (Said in the store with a million different items.)


Mr. Rosenberg - 12" Brown Vase in the Shape of a Dog. "Mom, do you think this looks more like Teddy or Levi?" "It kinda looks like both of them." "Perfect. He can put it on his desk." (It really is a foot tall. And it really does look like both of them. And he will really will for sure put it on his desk. And he really will 100% love it.)


Wishing you all a swell holiday season. 



Sunday, December 4, 2022

Sunday, November 27, 2022

Smacksy Sunday Links

How they're cutting costs.

Following a 1920s cleaning routine for a week. 

What you learn from eating alone.

Best holiday movies you can stream right now.

This upstate New York farmhouse.

Gifts for book lovers.

Fairytale houses around the world.

And cats in Santa hats.

Happy Sunday.


Sunday, November 20, 2022

Smacksy Sunday Links


There are six seasons not four.

In defense of a bland Thanksgiving.

Stop chasing happiness - choose joy instead.

10 Things you can do this weekend instead of online shopping.

Ina Garten's advice for a less stressful Thanksgiving.

The 100 must-read books of 2022.

The return of holiday season agita.

Amalfi by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

And polar bear cubs take their first steps.

Happy Sunday.


Sunday, November 13, 2022

Smacksy Sunday Links

Home is where your best friend is.

How a routine can help with the stress of the holidays.

The only email writing guide you'll ever need.

A sweet self-care quiz.

Creating a minimalist schedule you can stick to.

How Toni Morrison wrote her most challenging novel.

Looking forward to reading Ross Gay's new book.

The fascinating artist Beatrice Wood.

And a goat and a turkey are best friends.

Happy Sunday.




Sunday, November 6, 2022

Smacksy Sunday Links


Simple ways to take care of your self over the holidays.

How to nurture a personal library.

102 Random acts of kindness.

Simple ways to create good on the internet.

Complete lineup of this year's TV holiday movies.

In 1920s Berlin she was the pioneer of punk.

This stone cottage high above the wild Pembrokeshire coastline.

And a tapir enjoying a snack. 

Happy Sunday.



Sunday, October 16, 2022

Smacksy Sunday Links

The value of book clubs.

How to help someone going through a tough time.

The renewed art of letter writing.

What I imagine strangers think about me when they see me reading a book in public.

19 Punctuation marks you never knew you needed.

A small house near the sea.

Haunted forests.

And quokkas.

Happy Sunday.


Sunday, October 9, 2022

Sunday, August 28, 2022

Sunday, May 29, 2022

Smacksy Sunday Links




The newest member of the family, Martha.

Action items to end gun violence.

45 Pieces of advice for parents to pass down to their kids.

Is reading fiction a waste of time?

After tragedy, this mother feeds her entire community.

The bromantic power of two Mr. Darcys.

The power of doing it yourself.

How to make a useful and non-stressful to do list.

Starting a spending freeze.

Ready for a life change?

Unexpected treasures found in curious places.

And goats meet otters.

Happy Sunday.



Sunday, April 10, 2022

Sunday, March 20, 2022

Smacksy Sunday Links

Let This Darkness Be a Bell Tower.

Ideas for creating a spiritual practice - whether you're religious or not.

Jane Goodall and Margaret Atwood still have hope for the planet.

You don't need a promise you need a plan.

Timeless or trendy?

Inexpensive and powerful things you never regret having more of in your life. 

How to make time for reading no matter how busy you are.

Portrait of a place: Paradiso.

The smallest library in Maine is stocking its shelves with banned books.

And bunnies.

Happy Sunday.



Sunday, February 20, 2022

Sunday Links

Grow deep not wide.

Knowing your worth and where you belong.

Black woman authors whose books will better help you understand blackness in America.

How I freed up time to daydream.

Let's be lazy.

An indigenous Bolivian skateboard collective.

The 74 best romantic comedies of all time.

We can all go in on this together.

And Corgi puppies.

Happy Sunday.




Sunday, January 30, 2022

Sunday Links


5 Women on being jewish right now.

Criteria for culling a personal library.

My holocaust-survivor grandmother found happiness everywhere.

Your biggest dreams do not include a house full of stuff.

iPhone tricks.

F. Scott Fitzgerald's first love.

Gratitude mosaic made by freed slave in the 6th century.

Scenes from mid-winter.

And jumping dolphins.

Sunday Links.