Happy Friday! This week has been quiet and relaxed because it has mainly been Sean and I at home. (My husband Reggie and our oldest son Michael have been away at church camp as a counselor and camper.) After I finished my work each day, Sean and I would do something fun. Playing basketball at the playground most days was his favorite. We both also enjoyed seeing the Junie B. play, one of my free August NYC event picks for families. Below are some of my other “Friday Favorites”…
-Sweet Suite goodies: I already mentioned Blogger Bash 2016 in a recap post. Shortly after, I was sent a big box of toys and other treats from the Sweet Suite portion of the event. The timing was perfect because I was able to gift most of the “girl toys” to my nieces in Virginia during our family visit. My youngest son Sean helped me to take everything out of the box. (In “of course” mode, the bubble wrap was one of his favorite things!)
-(For Bloggers/Site Owners) The Social Warfare plugin: So many of my blogging colleagues have been singing the praises of the Warfare social sharing plugin that I finally purchased and joined on as an affiliate once the version 2.0 update became available. I especially like that you can set a separate Pinterest image for your posts without needing to hide images in the code of your main post. The paid versions start at $29 but there is even a lite version of Social Warfare available for free in the WordPress plugin repository.
-Side Hustles: Even when I was in corporate America, I had a side job. That’s why I was happy to read SUCCESS Magazine’s Tips for Joining the YouEconomy that their press company mailed me. If you are considering taking on a side gig for additional income, definitely check out their August issue about freelancing, consulting and more. You can also learn more on their Introducing the YouEconomy post.
–Pete’s Dragon: Sean and I went to see an advanced screening of this movie. I LOVED the Pete’s Dragon movie as a child so I didn’t know what to expect. The new 2016 version is really great and it made me cry in a couple of instances. It has great messages about faith (believing before seeing), friendship and family. I ordered the original 1977 Pete’s Dragon DVD so that Sean could do a comparison and contrast post so stay tuned…
-Food + Charity: For over three decades, the Food Bank For New York City has been providing meals for hungry residents. On Monday, August 15th, Manhattan’s I Trulli Enoteca e Restorante (I Trulli) and Barone Fini wines have partnered for a special celebratory menu for the Ferragosto Italian harvest celebration holiday . For every glass of Barone Fini wine that is poured, 100% of the proceeds will be donated to the Food Bank For New York City. If you like Italian food and wine, then this is the perfect opportunity to enjoy a meal while giving back to the community at the same time. (The four-course menu will be $58, plus $10 per glass of Barone Fini wine.)