About Me Archives -

So, let me explain my reasoning for the title of this post a bit.

As most of you know, I work from home, and basically 95% of my life is spent in my home, in front of some sort of screen. When I am editing, blogging, or messaging, I almost always have Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Hulu playing in the background. Does that mean I sincerely watch all the shows I am playing?
Nope. Not at all.
In fact, I often have to ask Drew what is going on in a show if I am actively trying to edit while watching. He really, really loves that quality about me.
That being said, these are the shows that you HAVE to sit down and actually watch. Watch them twice. Three times. These are my absolute favorites.

These are in no particular order, but if you want to know my top three, they are definitely: The Handmaid’s Tale, Parenthood, and Jane the Virgin. You comes in a VERY close fourth.

Most of these have an amazing storyline that demands your attention, and most have really great casting. I will say that I am an absolute sucker for a great, dramatic storyline that actually keeps you watching- so if you are looking for humor or a show about purging, this list probably isn’t for you. (Although I was motivated out the wazoo by Marie Kondo.)

1. Parenthood (Netflix)

I’ll be real, there aren’t many shows I will re-watch. Parenthood I have seen five times all the way through. That alone should speak for itself. Any time I am looking for a show to watch, I will return happily to this one to watch again.
Funny, serious, and so so gut wrenching. Honestly after watching This is Us, I will still claim that Parenthood is better. Don’t worry, This is Us is on my list too.

2. Jane the Virgin (Netflix)

Ditto to the last description. I’ve seen this series three times all the way through, and it’s not even over yet. I re-watch all the seasons each time a new one is released.

But seriously- this is the only show that I put on my calendar for the release of a new season. I have never watched a series that had me switching between characters being my favorite and least favorite SO often, but this show has such a way of making you love all the love interests, and still hate all the love interests. The series is said to come to a close with the release of Season 5 this March. I can tell you what I will be doing March 27, and it will not involve leaving the house until I have watched the final season.

3. You (Netflix)

I JUST finished the first season tonight, and MAN. It’s incredibly well done. I love a series that is good without completely nude sex scenes or utterly explicit violence. You kept me watching the entire time, and I am very easily distracted normally.
Normally I am somewhat pissed when a show decides to continue on with a second season after a perfect first season that could have ended where it did. But I am definitely hoping for a second season of this one.

4. Black Mirror (Netflix)

This. Show. Will. Mess. You. Up.
Seriously, watch with caution, and I don’t recommend watching more than a couple episodes a day, especially if you don’t process creepy things well. Not quite a horror movie, but definitely super unsettling. We binged Black Mirror in like two days, and it is BRUTAL to your brain.

4.5 (ha). Black Mirror Bandersnatch (Netflix)

This is the newest spin off of Black Mirror, and it is interactive. Without spilling any spoilers, I will say not to JUST watch this once. When you make different choices, you will find different story lines. I watched the second time with friends, and it was so startling to talk about what each of us saw. (You can also let it play all the way through and it will auto-select choices for you, if you’re not feeling interact-ey.)

5. The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)

Maaaaaan this one is not for the faint of heart. This one is unbelievably dark, very rarely happy, and SO SO good. Deals with some pretty triggering issues, and definitely does not censor anything, so if you struggle with emotional topics and being especially weighed down by heavy issues like rape- you might read an outline of the show before watching this so you can be prepared. I can handle about 2-3 episodes at a time, and that’s it.

But seriously. Best show I’ve ever watched. If these were in order, The Handmaid’s Tale would probably be #1. DYING for the next season.

6. This is Us (Hulu)

I do think this one was hyped up a BIT more than it should have been, but I definitely did not stop sobbing through basically every episode. The further you get in, the deeper the story line goes, the more invested you become, and the more you sob…. like… a lot.

7. The Ranch (Netflix)

Here is the 10% that Drew agrees with. Ha.
If you loved That 70’s Show, you’ll be so excited to see the cast of this one. I love a show that can be rather hilarious, but still carry such an awesome storyline, and this one definitely does.

8. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon Prime)

So funny, and such a good story line. To be honest, I likely won’t watch this series more than twice, and this is probably #10 on my actual ranking list of these, but I do look forward to each new season being released. So worth a watch, and you will be hooked by the first two episodes.

9. Sex Education (Netflix)

Fair warning: the first episode of this is pretty raunchy, and the WOW-factor card is definitely played to get your attention pretty often during the show. Of course, being a series that totally focuses on sex, it definitely is an adult-only show, but does get less raunchy and revealing after the first episode. But the storyline is great, it’s really pretty funny, and I am absolutely watching for the next season to be added to Netflix.

10. 7 Seconds (Netflix)

This one is so good. I love a good standalone single season show that I can sit down and watch in one day. This one deals with a lot of issues plaguing America in the past few years, and it’s definitely one that I wasn’t able to look away from while watching.

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Annnnd here is my list of classics that you should have already watched because I feel like it may be some sort of sin to not include these. No long explanations needed, you have to make sure all of these are on your “watched” list, or unfortunately we can’t be friends. Lots of oldies, but goodies.

The Office (Netflix)

Because if you haven’t seen it at least three times all the way through, I’m not sure I can associate with you.

How I Met Your Mother (Netflix)

I have seen this probably 6 times since high school. Never gets old. Forever better than Friends. (Like 4 of my closest friends will probably unfollow me for saying this haha.)

New Girl (Netflix)

Not a huge fan of Zooey Deschanel in New Girl, especially in the later episodes, but the rest of the cast by far makes the show worth it. If you like a good rom-com, this it’s for you.

Gossip Girl (Netflix)

Just a classic all around. I’ve seen this one 3 times all the way through. XOXO

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Okay, y’all. Here is a solid two weeks of watching (or like 6 months if you don’t watch as much streaming TV as me. Ha.) Go forth, be lazy, and binge away.

I have never received a ticket, and have never been in an accident. I started driving at 16, but didn’t get pulled over for the first time until I was 23 years old, and it was for driving without headlights on- which I didn’t realize because I was driving through a very lit town.
I have always had hope for becoming a foster parent in the future, and we have tentative plans to adopt when the kids are older. I think the foster system is incredibly broken at times, and I would take in all the little ones in the world if I could. We don’t want any more biological children for a few reasons, but for me it’s mostly because I really do not enjoy being pregnant.
I won homecoming queen my senior year. I was also yearbook editor, class president, and I graduated head of my class. Absolutely none of it has mattered since I graduated. Ha!

I also had very red hair during my senior year. Enjoy a couple of my senior photos below.
Coconut is my FAVORITE. Coconut milk is the stuff. I will drink coconut rum straight. Anything and everything coconut is my jam. My favorite thing I have ever tasted is a coconut boba tea from a food tent at a festival here in Japan.
I don’t make the bed every day.
We didn’t plan on having kids until we were in our late twenties. We had planned to live and work in the parks each summer for several more years. Henry was our biggest and best surprise.
Henry and I lived with my in-laws for almost five months while Drew was away for his job training. Yep, I lived with my in-laws WITHOUT my husband after they graciously invited me to do so, and it wasn’t weird at all. One of the best summers of my life, actually.
I graduated Valedictorian of my high school class, and I took every single math class that my high school offered- up to Trig, Calculus, and Math Analysis, and I haven’t opened a math book in the 6 years since.
I graduated with my Associate of Arts in Christian Ministry from a private Christian bible college but haven’t gone back to college to finish a Bachelors. Eventually I would like to get my Bachelor’s in Business Administration or Marketing. I would love to dive into Advertising, and so much in the business world intrigues me.
I have one tattoo on my wrist that I got my senior year of high school. Enjoy my terribly plucked eyebrows here, too. We all went through that stage, right?
I have watched basically everything there is to watch on Netflix. I am thoroughly addicted to Jane the Virgin, and I believe that Parenthood is the best series ever produced. Edit: Now that we have Hulu too, I am editing this bullet to say that The Handmaid’s Tale is now the best series ever produced in my opinion. (Releasing my binge-worthy shows soon- I’ll continue my ranting there soon.)
I get asked often what kind of false eyelashes/eyelash extensions I use. I have naturally really long eyelashes, but they are SO blonde without mascara.
I am married to my high school sweetheart, and we have been together since I was 15. We went on our first date at 16. I have known him since his family started attending our church around the time he was in 2nd grade, and he first asked me out in 6th grade. He used to tell me he loved me all through middle school and junior high. I didn’t give him a chance until the summer before my sophomore year.
We broke up for over 6 months during my senior year and had no intentions of getting back together. Life sometimes comes full circle, huh?
(If you want to know more about him and I, read more about our story in this post.)
I have one biological sister who is 12 years older than me. Our voices sound identical over the phone- when we were together, we used to like to trick our mom and not tell her which one of us was calling.
I worked in the Grand Teton Mountains doing a ministry for a summer during college with Drew, and we both absolutely fell in love with Wyoming during that summer. He proposed to me on a hill that overlooked these mountains.
I was known for my art in high school. I was actually offered a pretty hefty scholarship to Memphis College of Art, but turned it down. I won our district’s art show all four years of high school, and I designed the half sleeve my husband just got tattooed on his arm. (The artist changed it to be his own rendition of my design) Below is a charcoal drawing I did my junior year.
I really really love hosting people at our home, but our house is probably dirty if we don’t have plans to have people over. Toddlers don’t allow for clean houses, man.
I was actually heartbroken when I found out we would be moving to Japan, and I didn’t believe Drew when he called and told me. I thought I would hate every second of being here. Turns out I’ve fallen head over heels in love with the country.
My eyes are blue, green, grey, and yellow. They usually look green or blue in photos.
I’m a die hard Apple fan. Drew is a die hard Samsung fan. It’s the biggest conflict of our marriage. I kid. Although three years ago I hated him daily after he convinced me to get a Samsung, and he has hated me for a year now as he fights his iPhone. We balance each other.