I started a movie today that apparently I'm the last person in the world to see – Beaches.  As soon as I posted on Facebook that I'd never seen it, everyone said it was “so sad” and that they “cried their eyes out”.  So … obviously I knew someone was gonna die.  I just had to wait and see which friend it was.

Oh my gracious did I cry my eyes out.   All alone in my bedroom.  I was at my desk doing all kinds of other stuff on the internet and watching Beaches and there it was.  Death.  UGH!  Add that on top of one of my greatest friends in the world finding out today that her dad has cancer.  Oh I'm a hot mess.

So, I decided what I need is a good friend to sit down with me and enjoy a glass of wine while we chat.  When I chat I like to talk about the favorite things I'm enjoying lately, so pull up a chair.  Pour yourself a glass of malbec and let's chat.

Here are my favorite five things lately.

1.  My new AVIATOR NATION hoodie and sweatshirt.  Oh my gracious it is like slipping heaven on my body.  Now, when you head over to their website and you see the prices that make you fall to the ground I want you to know that I did not purchase any of these.  They were given to us by a friend.  We first experienced this brand at ACL when they gave out shirts to the artist.  Oh yes, you know I snuck into that tent acting like I was actually in a band.  I mean let's be real, there is no Aaron Ivey without Jamie Ivey.  Right?

Anyhow, this hoodies is amazing and I never want to take it off.  If you have an extra $140 laying around (ha!  who ever has that?!?!) go now and get you this hoodie.

2.  EXODUS – yes I'm talking about the book of the bible.  This is what I've been reading this last 2 weeks and I'm pretty much blown away at God's plan for his people.  I keep thinking about Moses and what a great man he was.  He was also a very scared man and a very normal man.  YET, God did big things through him.  Y'all that should encourage your socks off.  God uses people that aren't perfect and all put together!

3.  THREE LITTLE WORDS –

I started this book a while ago and it's taking me forever to get through. Not because it's bad, but because some parts are hard for me to read. It's about a girl and her journey through the foster system and her eventual adoption. So many ways that she describes her behavior, I see Amos and that is hard for me. I highly recommend this book!

4.  Salty & Sweet M&M's.  I found these last week at Target on clearance and I scooped them up as soon as I could.  I claim to not be a sweet person, but I love me some M&M's.  I am much more of a salty person.  So, when you put these two together I'm one happy woman!  Last Saturday on my cheat day I ate half a bag.  I felt so gross and won't eat any more for another month, but that day was so good!

5.  Miranda Lambert & The Lumineers.  Lately there are two songs my kids request and when I play them we all sing the words as loud as we can!  A few Friday's ago we were jamming to The Lumineers “Ho Hey” song and I started crying.  The chorus … “you belong with me, I belong with you, you're my sweetheart” brought me to tears.  I kept thinking about how much I used to tell Amos that we were stuck together.  We are family forever.  I just asked a friend to create these words into art for me.  I'll let you know how it turns out.

Then there's Miranda Lambert's song “Mama's Broken Heart”, that surprisingly my kids love.  It's this anthem about not letting your broken heart make you go crazy.  It has a line in there that I've been thinking about a lot, and it's opposite of my life these days.  It says “you gotta keep it together even when you are falling apart” and although I highly understand what she's saying, I must say that in the past few years I have stopped living by this and it's so freeing!

So, I hope you enjoyed your glass of wine and now know 5 things that I'm loving these days!  What five things are you loving these days?