Kimberlee K.

We are back with another edition of Favorites, where I tell you all the things that I’ve loved over the last two months. You know the drill. Let’s get right into it.

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Podcasts

First up, Workin On It, a podcast put on by Meghan Trainor and her brother Ryan. I love podcasts that make you feel like you’re sitting in a room talking with (or eavesdropping on) some friends and this is one of those podcasts. Plus, it’s based around the concept that we are all works in progress, always “working on” something, and so it’s given me some great advice and encouragement along the way!

I fell in love with Toni Collier and the Still Coloring podcast pretty much instantly. The name comes from the idea that “broken crayons still color”, and so the podcast is all about finding beauty in brokenness. I am consistently encouraged and inspired by the honest, faith based conversations that take place, and the space that Toni creates for her guests.

I have no shame in admitting that I was a diehard Laguna Beach fan back in the day. So when I heard that Kristin and Stephen (if you know, you know) were doing a rewatch podcast, I was all in. Back to the Beach is fun and nostalgic, and also gives a lot of behind the scenes information. I’ve had so much fun rewatching the show and then listening to the recaps episode by episode. It’s hilarious to see the show with my 30 year old eyes, compared to my 14 year old eyes—they see a bit differently.

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Books

I’ve been on a bit of a memoir binge lately. They have been my go-to audiobook that I like to listen to in the mornings while I get ready for work, and in the afternoon on my drive home. I like memoirs in general, but I especially like hearing them read by the author because I feel like it lets you in on their emotions, and you can hear the exact intonation they wrote in.

My number one recommend would be I’m Glad that My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy, which I thought was incredibly well written and so gripping. I also loved Happy People are Annoying by Josh Peck, and No Happy Endings by Nora McInerny.

And if you’re not interested in memoirs, two other favorites from this month would be Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman and One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle.

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Movies

I saw Where the Crawdads Sing in theaters and loved it. I was so excited to see the story brought to life because I was such a big fan of the book, and I thought it was adapted really well. I’d recommend both the book and the movie!

I also liked Purple Hearts on Netflix, which tells the story of a singer/songwriter and a marine, who get married solely for the military benefits, not really taking into account all of the potential consequences. It was sweet, the perfect watch for a movie night at home.  (find it on Netflix)

And finally, it is both easy and hard to recommend Thirteen Lives. It’s easy because it’s an INCREDIBLE story. It follows the rescue of the Thai soccer team that got trapped in a cave in 2018. But it’s hard because, at least for me, it was almost overwhelming to watch. The trauma of being trapped in that cave for WEEKS, and the miraculous nature of the rescue. It was a tense watch. SO good. But tense. I knew what was going to happen and I still felt nauseous for almost the entire thing. (find it on Amazon Prime)

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TV Shows

I’m a big fan of Sally Rooney and I loved Hulu’s adaption of Normal People, so I was very excited to watch their adaption of Conversations with Friends. You definitely have to go in ready for a slower pace, because so much of Sally Rooney’s work is dialogue and complicated human emotions. It’s a quiet show, if that makes sense, but it was a comforting watch. Comforting in the way that it shows how flawed and complicated people are—how no one really has everything figured out and how everyone has a lot going on. I loved it. (find it on Hulu)

I heard about Claim to Fame and was not convinced it would be my style, but it has absolutely sucked me in and I look forward to it every week. The show started with twelve contestants, all of whom are related to someone famous, and the goal is to figure out who each celebrity relative is. There are challenges every week that give clues and then at the end of every episode there is a “guesser” who tries to reveal the identity of one of the other contestants. It’s fun and easy to watch and has had me saying, “oh my gosh WHO DOES SHE LOOK LIKE?” over and over and over. (find it on ABC or Hulu)

The Bear was a show that I didn’t hear anything about until suddenly it was the ONLY thing I was hearing about. It follows a chef who has to leave his prestigious restaurant to take over his brother’s sandwich shop in Chicago. It was unique and stressful and gave a cool look at the inner workings of a kitchen. (find it on Hulu)

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Music

Firstborn by Nicolle Galyon

Bad Together by Rozzi

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Misc

I read an article (that I can no longer find) that ranked the best ice cream sandwiches. It put FatBoy Ice Cream Sandwiches at the top of the list, so I immediately decided this is something that I needed to confirm or deny. I wanted to know what earned this sandwich the top spot, but I also wanted an excuse to try a bunch of ice cream sandwiches. So my mom and I have set out on a quest to find “the best” in our opinion. Though I’ll admit, these are the best so far…

Have anything you’ve been loving over these last couple months? Let me know!

See my previous favorites post here.