I forgot to do an Endorsements post last Friday, so I will endorse two things today.

First, the best wakeup song ever. I use my phone as an alarm clock, as I’m sure lots of people do. And recently I remembered that I don’t have to use one of the stupid ringtones or alarm sounds that came with my phone. I could use music! And as I was scrolling through the songs on my phone, I found the perfect song. It’s really, really perfect.

It starts off really quiet, with just birds chirping. Then, the song quietly starts with a few strums of a guitar and the words,
“It’s six o’clock
the birds are singing.
I’m wide awake
But you’re still fast asleep”

Really, my alarm goes off at 6:09 (hey, every minute counts) but close enough.

By the time the song gets into full swing, about a minute in, you should be good and awake. Though it’s such a good song, it’s very tempting to hit snooze just so you can hear it again in nine minutes.

My second endorsement is for Parks and Recreation. I know, I’ve documented my love for it before. It’s the best show on TV. Why aren’t you watching it yet? Here are a few favorite clips…

It’s time for another endorsement, and I was trying to think of what to post about, and I decided to do something food-related. So I’m going to endorse some of my favorite food blogs. I have to be careful about reading them only when I’m not hungry, because even though the food is not unhealthy, it’s not generally on my diet plan.

Smitten Kitchen – I’ve been reading this for years. Even before she had a food blog. But you probably already knew about this one. I haven’t made a ton of recipes from her site, but I did make this cauliflower soup a few times. Oh, and a few Christmases ago, I made these faux Oreos. And one day I will make this cake.

The Way the Cookie Crumbles – Love the writing and the recipes. She isn’t afraid to make make four versions of the same dish, just to see which recipe is the best. As a fan of America’s Test Kitchen, how can I not admire that? This recipe for roasted tofu is a good Dukan-friendly one, but I’m looking forward to trying these scones in the future.

Joy the Baker – It is impossible not to smile when you read her posts. That is all.

Just because I’m out of town is no excuse not to post this week’s endorsement. I’ve been in New York City with my best friend, and that’s what I endorse. Traveling with your best friend somewhere. Particularly without any kids if you have them. It sure was nice to feel like someone other than a 37 year old mom.

More details later!

So last week, one of my endorsements was turkey bacon, and the reason I alluded to was the Dukan Diet. So yeah, that’s why I eat a lot of turkey bacon.

This week I want to endorse the basic Kindle. I love my Kindle. And you know what I love most about it? I love that it doesn’t do anything else. I have no desire for a Kindle Fire or even a Kindle Touch. I love that the screen is so readable, that I can read anywhere, and that if I need a new book, I can get one instantly. I love that I can get books from the local libraries for free.

Now, I do have an iPad, which is probably mostly why the Kindle Fire holds no interest to me. But I have to say, I love being able to read in full sun.

I also love that I can read the same book on my phone, my iPad, or my computer, if my Kindle happens not to be with me at the moment.

Thank you Amazon!

So I’ve been listening to this great podcast lately (I’m going back in the archives, and I’m listening to episodes from mid-2010 now, which is kind of weird since it’s about current culture) and at the end of every show, the three hosts “endorse” some of their favorite things. They might not be timely (could be a book they loved as a child, or a TV show that is great or some random product) but generally, just things they recommend. So I think I’m going to start doing Endorsement posts on Fridays. Just because I need to start posting things other than just photographs!

So without further ado…

Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson.

I would actually endorse all of Bill Bryson‘s books, but this one in particular is my favorite. I don’t know if it’s what turned me into an Anglophile, or if it just fed my obsession, but I’ve probably read this book a hundred times since I first got it in the late 1990s.

My other endorsement for this week is turkey bacon. I will explain more later, but I’ve been eating a lot of turkey bacon lately. And I like it. Butterball Lower Sodium Turkey Bacon is my top choice. I’ve become somewhat of a turkey bacon connosseiur lately.

Until next week…

Losing a parent is hard. This I know. But losing two, when you’re an only child, is devastating. Claire Bidwell Smith lost both of her parents to cancer when she was a young woman, and her new memoir, The Rules of Inheritance, follows her through her life as she deals with these tragic losses. The book begins at the age of fourteen, when first her father, then her mother are diagnosed within weeks of one another.

The book is not chronological, but instead uses the five stages of grief to illustrate the emotional journey her parents’ deaths take her on: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. She deals with her grief in self-destructive ways, via emotionally abusive boyfriends, drinking, and dropping out of school. It seems like it would be difficult to keep track of the narrative when you’re hopping back and forth in her timeline, but once you get a feel for what she was going through at each point in her life, it’s not too hard to follow along. And the book pulls you along, through those five stages. You know the last stage is coming, and the ending of the book does not disappoint.

As one might guess from the subject of this book, it’s not terribly uplifting. I had to read the book in small doses, just to keep from being too affected by it, but the compelling story and beautiful writing kept me coming back for more.

If you’ve read this memoir and want to talk about it (or go read it now so you can join in the discussion!), we’ll be discussing it over the next few weeks at the BlogHer Book Club.

This is a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own.

I’m very excited to announce I have found IT! The perfect lip product!

Not only is it the perfect tint, the perfect texture, the perfect level of color…it was only $3.99!

Isn’t she beautiful? I was making a very fast trip to Whole Foods today after getting my legs waxed (OUCH, by the way) and lingered for a second by the lip balm display. And my eyes fell upon the word “tint” and I had a closer look. There were no testers, so I just went with my gut, colorwise, and I couldn’t be happier.

(Thank goodness I didn’t shell out the $20 or whatever the tinted lip balm was at Aveda. I know it’s not perfect, but I almost got some anyway.)