February Favorites 2016

This is about the time of the month were I run down a list of things I enjoyed from the previous month. So here we go... 

Netflix

The Railway Man (R)

Eric Lomax (Colin Firth), a former British army officer and POW, discovers that the Japanese interpreter who tortured him is still alive. He and his new wife (Nicole Kidman) set out to confront the man who caused him so much pain.

The plan was to watch this movie passively one night while I was working. I continues to work, but this movie was better than I expected. I have always like Colin Firth as an actor, but I wasn't sure if I would like this movie because of the topic -- war. However, this movie is more about the humanity of the characters and what they endured. It's also about bravery, survival and most importantly forgiveness. While this movie is not for everyone, also it's rated R, I would suggest you give it a watch if your in the mood for something a little heavier.

Hulu

Superstore (NBC)

"The Office" producer Justin Spritzer returns with another workplace comedy, this time forsaking a desk-bound environment for the world of retail. The giant megastore where Amy works is staffed by employees with a wide range of time served under their company-issued smocks, from summer hires to committed-for-life managers. Together they all must face the daily grind of bargain hunters, the madness of door-busting sales and painfully boring training sessions, forging relationships along the way.

This show is hilarious! I'm not surprised that The Office producer Justin Spritzer is involved in this show. The cast of misfits is exactly what TV needed after shows like The Office and Parks and Recreation are no longer a thing (sad face). Having worked retail there are many situations that are true to life and just pure comedy. I'm a fan of both America Ferrera and Ben Feldman so it wasn't hard to immediately love their Superstore characters. I need more episodes of this show in my life! PLEASE DON'T CANCEL IT NBC!

Grandfathered (FOX)

"ER" and "Full House" star John Stamos plays a version of himself: a charismatic, longtime bachelor named Jimmy who finds his life turned upside down when he learns that not only is he the father of a grown man named Gerald, but also a grandfather to Gerald's baby daughter. This sophisticated coming-of-age comedy proves that not everyone grows up at exactly the same time as Jimmy must learn to adapt to the sudden changes in his life, connect with his newfound family -- and perhaps reconnect with Gerald's mother. Stamos also serves as an executive producer.

This show is also great! The story line might not be truly original but with John Stamos as the principle character there is just something you got to love about this modern family. I feel like this maybe FOX's version of Modern Family and I'm okay with that! Each characters struggles with find themselves and define their roles in the new family dynamic, which is perfect because they can get themselves into some pretty messy situations. I look forward to the next episode every week!

Electronics

Amazon Fire Tablet

My husband surprised me with the Amazon Fire Tablet for my birthday in February! I have been wanting to read more and found myself reading on my phone before bed more and more. I mentioned to him that I would have used my Motorola Xoom Table we got back in 2011 for reading but it's too heavy and large for me to hold over my head in bed every night -- so I was beyond exited when I got this thing!

It took me a little bit to get used to the Fire interface they have. While it is an android you only have access to the Amazon market place which limits your choice on apps and downloadable content. That's fine for me at the moment. I decided I was going to make this table just for leisure and not about business or social media. I have not downloaded Twitter, Facebook or even connected my email on my Fire Table -- I'll leave that for my phone. I have, however, downloaded a number of inexpensive books and even started a little book club with my mom (she reads more then I do). I'm looking forward to some new literary adventures and maybe more blog post about books!

Lifestyle

HelloFresh

A co-worker of my husbands sent us a code for a free week trial of HelloFresh and boy was it nice! Honestly, I'm not the one who does most of the cooking in our house -- my husband is a much better cook. However, even I was excited for this box to arrive! We got the three meals for two people option and selected the following meals:

Honey-Glazed Pork Tenderloin
Mazzarella-Crusted Chicken
Fusilloni Al Forno (Pasta)

Each meal was good and paired with a side of vegetables and potatoes except the pasta dish. The instructions for the meals were SUPER simple and gave me the confidence to cook 1.5 of these meals by myself. My husband helped me out for one of them. (Side Note: It helps if you have a fully functional kitchen with appliances that work properly. We live in an apartment with small appliances that cook unevenly, but we made it work). Each meal was yummy and I would have loved to receive more of these boxes but they are a little pricey -- so our week of HelloFresh was a highlight from February!