Since National Puzzle Day is next Thursday, the 29th, I thought I’d share this fun, offline snow day idea since so many states in the US are under a winter storm warning for this weekend. Now’s the time to find your puzzle stash and clear off a table before the winter weather arrives.
Happy Friday, dear readers. I’m excited to combine two fun and popular topics in today’s post. Friday's Faves and a look back on the top ten blog posts here on the blog for 2025. I’m thrilled to see that my film coverage had the most interaction and views, with four film posts making the top ten. Next was food and drink, with three posts, and a three-way tie with one each for books, home and garden, and Nashville.
Happy Friday, friends, and welcome to my January reset edition of Friday faves. We’re nine days into the new year, and I’ve spent the majority of those days offline resetting our home. Once the Christmas decorations are down and stored away for the year, I get busy. I enjoy cleaning, organizing, and adding decor to freshen up our home. Here’s what I’ve been enjoying so far this year.
It’s the last Monday of the year, which is really hard to believe, and this is my last film review for 2025. This is my fourth year as a Music City Film Critics Association member, and it's still an honor to be a member, share twelve or more film reviews here on the blog, and submit my Oscar nominations ballot. That’s up next after my final review is done. Today, I’m sharing my thoughts on The Fantastic Four First Steps.
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| Courtesy: Walt Disney Studios |
Things are really heating up for the upcoming awards season with “for your consideration” films arriving in my inbox, streaming queue, and mailbox, and I love it! I don’t take any of this for granted. It truly is my honor to be part of this industry. Today, I’m sharing my thoughts on After The Hunt, a psychological thriller set in a U.S. prestigious university.
Happy Friday, dear readers. I can’t believe we’re just six days away from Christmas and two days away from the official start of winter! I know in some parts of the country, the ground is covered in snow, so you are already in the thick of winter weather. We’ll be having a green and bright Christmas here in middle Tennessee, which is in line with one of my Friday Faves.
It’s been a while since I hosted a giveaway, so in the spirit of December giving. delighted to share today’s book review and giveaway for five copies of Akiko’s Quiet Happiness by Jan-Philipp Sendker. You may know him from his trilogy, The Art of Hearing Heartbeats, which I’d love to read now after experiencing Jan’s gifted writing in Akiko’s Quiet Happiness, The Japan Trilogy, Vol. 1.
Last week, I shared how much my husband and I enjoyed streaming Superman for our date night, and today, I’m sharing another film we enjoyed watching, F1 The Movie. If you like action and/or sports movies with a great plot, this one may be for you.
Over the long holiday week, my husband and I had a chance to catch up on some movies we’d been wanting to see. We both enjoy watching films, and while we still prefer experiencing them in theaters, we can’t make every screening, so being able to screen new titles at home is a huge plus and makes for a fun date night. Today, I’m sharing my thoughts on Superman.
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| Courtesy:Warner Bros. Media |
It’s that magical time of year when I share some gift ideas with my holiday gift guides. Today, I’m sharing four products that have previously appeared in gift guides on this blog. I’m excited to share them for the holidays because I really do use and enjoy each one.
Happy Friday and happy November. I’m happy to say I’ve managed to regularly post this segment for a year now! It’s getting easier to curate my Friday Faves lists to share with you, and it gives me a sense of accomplishment in doing them, so they will continue in 2026.
Over the years, I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing two of Linda Vater’s gardening books, The Elegant & Edible Garden and The Garden Journal. I loved both these books, so when I was asked if I’d like to review her latest book, A Year of Garden Inspired Living, which is available today, I happily agreed. And thanks to the generosity of Quarto Group, I’m hosting a giveaway for a copy!
One of the things I love about being a film critic, besides getting to watch lots of soon-to-be-released films, is that it requires me to step out of my comfort zone, watch films in genres I normally wouldn’t, and then share my thoughts about them with you. Such is the case with Last Days, which is based on a true story and is in theaters starting October 24, 2025.
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| Courtesy: Vertical Entertainment |
With fall break right around the corner for many families, I’m excited to share that as of October 7, 2025, Bad Guys 2 is out on digital, 4K Ultra HD, and Blu-ray. If you haven't seen this in theaters yet, this perfect time for you to grab your copy for family movie night.
If you’ve been around a while, you know I love hosting informal get-togethers, and in my opinion, this time of year reigns supreme when it comes to hosting. Whether it's a bonfire and cookout, or a fun game or card night, you’ve got to have quick and fun snacks, and I’ve got just the thing today, thanks to Crackerology.
Summer is slowly fading into fall here in middle TN, and I am ready for the cooler temps, apple picking, and all things harvesty. I was having a good chat about apples before pumpkins over on my Instagram recently. I’d love for you to join in the fun there, too. I hope you’ll enjoy my latest Friday Faves Book Edition. There’s a good mix of book subjects.
Happy September, friends. I love this time of year for many reasons, such as the late summer days with their crisp, cool mornings and warm, sunny afternoons. Another thing I really love about September is that parents, especially Moms, get a little break in their busy routines with kids back in school, making it the perfect time to host a coffee gathering! These whimsical Language of Flowers mugs are sure to bring smiles to your guests.
Golf is a popular sport for adults and kids in our area of Tennessee, with several high school teams, so it was wonderful to have a movie where teen golfers are the focus. If you have a golfer in your family, especially a teen, who loves golfing, why not add this film to your weekend plans?
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| Courtesy:Abramorama |
Happy Friday, dear readers. If you are among the many who sent their kids back to school in the heat of August, I’m thinking of you and hoping your school year is off to a smooth start. Our school days are behind us now as empty nesters, but today’s topic brought back so many fond memories of making food and drink content with my girls. I hope you enjoy my latest Friday Faves.
If you like rural lifestyles, horses, and gritty women you want to root for, then you’ll want to see East of Wall. This Sundance award-winning film is opening in theaters everywhere on Friday, August 15th. I was able to watch a screener of the film and will share some of my no-spoiler thoughts today.
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