Weekend Dispatch

I'm settling into my first full week back at work, and it actually feels good. I took the holiday break slow and easy, just the way it should be. I didn't over commit or over exert and that meant coming back was something I actually looked forward to. I spent some time over the break de-cluttering and re-organizing (prior to Marie Kondo's series coming out on Netflix. Are you watching it?) I caught up on piles of old Sunday New York Times and got sucked into watching a fave from the '90s on Prime Video: Dawson's Creek (oh, teenage angst and love, how I don't miss you).

But now it's back to biz, and here are some of the ways I've been spending my time.

One of the items on my to-do list over the break was to unsubscribe to the tons of email messages that I no longer read. But doing so individually seemed incredibly overwhelming. So I took to the internet to see if there is an easier and automated way to unsubscribe from emails. Well, there is, and it will save you a ton of time! There are several sites that help you unsubscribe for free. I used Unroll and have no complaints. In a matter of minutes and with a simple click of my mouse, I unsubscribed from 200+ emails.

Everyone seems to be watching Marie Kondo's Tidying Up on Netflix. I haven't watched it yet, but I did the read the book, which didn't exactly inspire me to tear my house apart and donate every single possession in sight. However, maybe the TV series will since it's much more visual than the book. I've heard mixed reviews on the show. Some of my friends have found it to be very inspiring while others said it borders on cheesy as the participants are somewhat over the top and downright unbelievable at times. I'm definitely going to watch it, but I'll probably only watch the episodes that are applicable to me and my organizational dilemmas.

Speaking of cleaning up your act, this blueberry avocado smoothie makes for a clean and healthy breakfast if that's one of your goals in 2019. The avocado makes the smoothie extra smooth. This is one of my favorite post-workout smoothies. The recipe calls for agave nectar, but if you like a smoothie that's less sweet, eliminate or add less than the recipe calls for.

Last week, I came across this list of recommended podcasts. So you know what I did right away? Dove in! There are a lot of good ones on this list, but I decided to listen to Cover Up first. It's a podcast from People magazine and its primary focus is on Teddy Kennedy's accident at Chappaquiddick in 1969. This podcast dusts off the case and examines how Kennedy literally got away with murder and how authorities covered up most of the evidence in favor of Kennedy. The podcast also delves into the dynamics of the Kennedy family and how Joe Kennedy's sons were driven to success so as to not disappoint their father. I've long been obsessed with the Kennedy family for its scandals, tragedies, and successes. For anyone like me or anyone else for that matter, this is a must-listen.

I love reading any kind of "behind the scenes" content. It never disappoints to get a glimpse into something you never see on screen. When I came across this article of 30 Awesome Behind The Scenes Shots From Famous Movies, I couldn't get enough. I've seen so many of these movies, and it was fascinating to get the BTS look at some iconic scenes.

So, tell me. What do you have planned this weekend?