First Friday Five {December}

It’s that time again. On the first Friday of each month, I share with you five things I’m loving or obsessing about. Here’s the December edition!

1. Local coffee shops. I spent a lot of time writing in November and on a few Wednesdays, a friend and I tried a couple of new-to-us coffee shops. Here’s something fun about the area in which I live: We are not overrun with Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts. Yes, we have some of those, but there’s a greater number of local coffee shops, and I have yet to find one I don’t like at all. This one to the right is a new favorite with a mint mocha to die for. 
2. The Duolingo app. As I continue working with refugees, I’ve wanted to improve my language skills but right now, I speak fluent English and that’s it. My husband told me about this app, and now we’re dueling on Duolingo, him with Spanish and me with French. I love the refresher and the chance to learn a new language at my fingertips.
3. Not having Facebook on my phone. After Election Day, I couldn’t handle social media, or not well. So, I took the Facebook app off of my phone and seriously, I’m a different person. It’s not that I want to avoid news or totally check out from other people’s lives, but now I have to sit down with my computer and open Facebook, and I’m less likely to use it as a distraction because it’s not so accessible. Sure, I’m missing things that people post, but I’m also forced to connect with people more intentionally and *gasp* face-to-face.
4. Cupcake Wars. The kids and I are working our way through a Cupcake Wars collection on Netflix, and even though I don’t bake much anymore, I still love to see the creativity that goes in to these cupcakes and the themes. Downside, my son drew me a picture of what he wants his birthday cake to look like, and he wants to help!
5. The Moth Radio Hour. While I waited in the parking lot for my husband to get off work one night, I turned on NPR and discovered this gem of a show that also is a podcast. Real people tell true stories in front of a live audience, and it does not seem to matter what they are talking about, but I am interested. It’s a good tool for learning storytelling, too. I’m noticing the details people include in their stories and how that enriches the whole thing. Can’t stop listening. Warning: Many of the stories are gritty and have content that isn’t suitable for children.

What are you raving about these days?