Fun at Home

Halloween is over and we’re settling into November. In the Sorkin house, fewer hours of daylight and colder weather means it’s a great time to binge watch some new shows! Who’s with me?

Have you already finished Season 2 of Stranger Things? Are you tired of bawling your eyes out only five minutes into every damn episode of This is Us? Me too! Check out my list below of the shows that I personally recommend. There are so many that they may even get you through until the final season of Game of Thrones comes out next summer.

1. Bloodline (Family Drama)– Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights) has aways been the glue that holds his family together, but after his older brother (amazingly played by Ben Mendelsohn) comes back into town and his father passes away, family secrets are revealed and things start to unravel. Sissy Spacek and Sam Sheppard also star.
2. Mindhunter (Crime Drama)– For me this show started slow, but, by the second episode, I was hooked. Set in the 1970’s the show stars Jonathan Groff (Whom I’m sure most of you know as Christof in Frozen) as FBI agent, Holden Ford. With a new wave of stranger killings, he is convinced that the FBI needs to begin to study the psychology behind why people become killers. He thinks the best way to do this is to interview incarcerated killers, but this idea doesn’t go over well with those in the FBI concerned with maintaining the status quo. This show is creepy and fascinating!
3. Ozark (Drama/Thriller)-Predictably, Jason Bateman plays the the family guy that gets more than he bargained for in his dodgy dealings with a Mexican drugs cartel, with Laura Linney as his cheating wife. Sometimes funny and always brooding, this series will fill the Walter White shaped void in all our lives.
4. The Killing (Mystery/ Crime Thriller)– I fell in love with this show when we still had cable and it was on AMC. The characters are so well-developed and raw that it feels like you’re a fly on the wall, watching their actual lives unravel.
5. Rectify (Family Drama)– This is another wonderfully acted, raw show with amazing character development. After being wrongfully convicted of murdering his high school girlfriend, and spending 19 years on death row, Daniel Holden has been released from prison. He goes back home to live with his mother and sister who never stopped fighting to prove his innocence. However, as you can imagine, his reintroduction into “normal” life is very difficult and not everyone is happy to see him out of prison.
6. The Five (British Mystery/Drama)– A 5 year old boy, Jesse, goes missing and then 18 years later his DNA is found at the scene of a brutal murder. The boy’s teenage brother, now in his thirties, along with three of his closest friends, has always felt responsible for the boy’s disappearance, and they work together to get to the bottom of what really happened to Jesse, all those years ago.
7. Jack Taylor (Irish Crime Drama)– This series, set in Galway, is based on the books of Ken Bruen. Iain Glen (Game of Thrones) plays the eponymous role of Jack Taylor, a former officer with the Garda Síochána (national police) who becomes a “finder” (private investigator) after leaving the service. The cases are really interesting and the accents are sexy as hell.
8. Paranoid (British Crime Drama)– I love the strong female lead in this show, Indira Varma (also from Game of Thrones). She is tough, smart, but still very human. The entire season is focused on solving one grisly, mysterious murder. So far there is only one season, but I’ve heard another one is in the works.
9. Scott and Bailey (British Crime Drama)– Another show with strong female leads, this one focuses on detectives Scott and Bailey as they rise up through the ranks of the department, solve cases and destroy their personal lives. Solid stuff!
10. True Crime (Australian Crime Drama/True Stories)– I love that this show is based on actual cases. At 90 minutes an episode, they’re a little long and drawn out, but well-developed and very detailed.
11. Father Brown (British Mystery/Crime)– Mark Williams, (Mr. Weasley from Harry Potter) stars as a catholic priest who is really good at solving mysteries. It’s not entirely believable, but very watchable and I love the characters in his small English village.
12. London Spy (British Thriller/Mystery)– This show is creepy and weird, but kind of addictive. I wish there was more than one season out right now! It tells the story of club kid, Danny (amazingly acted by Ben Whishaw), who meets the very buttoned up Alex on the street one morning. Danny is immediately infatuated with Alex who seems like such an innocent. However, he soon finds out that Alex might not be who he seems. Charlotte Rampling is so wonderfully frightening as Alex’s intense, controlling mother, and the super-talented Jim Broadbent also stars as Danny’s close friend and mentor.
13. Luther (British Thriller/Mystery)– Idris Elba. Enough said. Seriously though, this crime drama is full of passion and obsession, and just enough danger.
14. Jessica Jones and Luke Cage (Marvel)– I’m not usually into the whole Marvel Universe thing, but these shows are great. Jessica and Luke are two separate shows that are all tangled up together, and they’re both full of dark characters. My favorite was David Tennant (Dr. Who) as Jessica’s ex with deadly powers. It was so fun to watch him be so bad.
15. Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries (Australian Mystery/Comedy)– I love this show set in 1920’s Sydney. Miss Phryne Fisher plays an independent woman, way ahead of her time. She is a private investigator with very close ties to the local police and together they solve crimes. Her humor and wit make her different than anyone else on TV.
16. Master of None (Comedy)-Aziz Ansari writes and stars in this comedy, creating a humorous and sometimes painfully honest look into modern life. He is so sweet, self-aware and self-deprecating, and my favorite guy on TV right now.
17. Love Sick (British Comedy)– After finding out he has an STD, Dylan must get back in touch with every girl he has ever had sex with to let them know the bad news. The premise makes this show sound like a buddy comedy, but it’s actually a really sweet romantic comedy about finding love and the importance of friendship, plus the lead, Johnny Flynn, is freakin’ adorable.
18. Happy Endings (Comedy)– This is a show about six friends living and loving together in Chicago. Sound familiar? I know, I know; It’s been done. However the obscure, but hilarious pop culture references and modern spin make this show really fun to watch. DVD only
19. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Comedy)-This is a raucous and lighthearted comedy about a woman who escapes a doomsday cult, after living 15 years underground. Ellie Kemper manages to be both adorable and hilarious, but it’s her best buddy and roommate, played by Titus Burgess, who steals the show with his over the top antics. Be careful though, the theme song is so catchy that it will be stuck in your head, on a loop, for years, dammit!
20. The Great British Baking Show (Cooking Competition)–The Great British Baking Show is all about people being nice to each other as they attempt various baking challenges to win the title of Britain’s best amateur baker.  With the help of charming lead hosts Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins and thoughtful judges Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood, there’s plenty of humor and a surprising level of intensity as you anxiously hope the contestants’ baked goods can come to fruition.

I left out some choices that I thought were too obvious, a la Breaking Bad or The Walking Dead, and tried to include titles that I loved, but that don’t get as much press. Hope you find something great to watch tonight!

(I originally intended to include show from all the streaming services we watch, but there are just so many good things to watch right now! Be on the lookout for Part 2: Amazon and Part 3: Hulu)

♥ Erin

Today was our first “Messy, Make Something Monday” and we decided to make edible slime. Now, just to be clear, this is safe to put in your mouth. However, that doesn’t mean that you should let your kid chow down on the stuff, unless you want a shit-uation on your hands. For real, it will get on your hands.

What you’ll need:

-Water- 1 Cup

-Any fiber supplement with Psyllium- 1 Tablespoon

–Koolaid mix or food coloring-This is really optional, but it makes the slime smell tasty and look cool. We put 1/2 of a small packet of Kool-aid into each bowl.

-Microwave safe bowl-I’d use glass if you have one on hand.

-Measuring cup, tablespoon and spoons for mixing

Directions:

1. Mix one tablespoon of fiber into 1 cup of warm water in your microwave-safe bowl.

 2. Add the Kool-aid/food coloring of your choice and stir.

3. Microwave for 3 minutes until  bubbling

4. Set aside until completely cool. It will solidify the cooler it gets.

5. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: This stuff is messy, so you’ll probably want to take it outside where you can hose your kids down afterwards. Also, this is what my kids hands looked like after thirty minutes of play. Worth it.

🙂 Erin

Recipe credit: growingajeweledrose.com

1. “Hurry up! We’re late for camp pick-up again!”
2. “When can I be done with learning time?”
3. “Penis is just a body part. It’s not that funny!”
4. “Can I have a playdate/sleepover? Please, please, please, please!!”
5. “What would you like for breakfast?” followed by V, the five year old saying, “What do we have?” every damn day! BTW, the answer is, the same things we’ve had every day for the last five years!!
6. “Everyone go watch The Magic School Bus and don’t talk to me for ten minutes!”
7. “Close the screen door! You’re letting in all the flies!”
8. “You guys are killing me!” followed by B, the 7 year old saying, “No we’re not literally killing you, mom.” Pipe down, smart ass!
9. “You have to at least put on some underwear!”
10. “Why must you wake up at 5:00 am every summer day, but struggle to get up by 6:30 every school day??! GO BACK TO BED!

Can anyone relate to these? What are your most commonly heard phrases right now? I feel like my kids have been home for months, not just weeks. This is why we need a schedule! As I type this, the big two are actually playing school peacefully! B is giving V a spelling test. He just had her spell the word penis. I’m picking my battles.

🙂 Erin

I don’t know about you, but since they finished school two and a half weeks ago, I’ve been allowing my  kids way too much time in front of the television, just to make it through the day. In past years, I’ve had a lot of luck creating a daily summer schedule for us. We don’t stick to it 100%, but my kids seem to do  best when they have some kind of structure and an idea of what is happening every day. I decided it was past time to do that this summer as well. My 7 and 5 year old are signed up for a few different camps, including a week of science camp that runs from 9-4 (Woohoo! Um, I mean, I really do love spending time with my kids. Hehe.), so I’ve included a schedule for camp weeks and non-camp weeks. In other news, am I the only one who has trouble spelling schedule? Apparently my kids aren’t the only ones who need to go back to school, but I digress.

Camp Week Schedule:

8:00-9:30: Drop off the big kids at camp

9:30-11:30: Baby N and I run errands, library story time, garden etc.

11:30-1:30-Baby N naps, I eat lunch ALONE! Living the dream!!

1:30-Baby N has lunch.

2:00-Pick up big kids from camp.

2:30-3:00-Learning choice time for big kids-They can read, write stories or do worksheets for 30 min while Baby N has play time.

3:00-4:00-Downtime/Screen Time

4:00-6:30-Dinner at the pool, Board games or crafts before dinner, etc.

7:00-8:00-Baths(on good days), Pajamas, Brush teeth, Books and Bed

No Camp Week Schedule:

9:00-9:30: Learning choice time for big kids while Baby N has free play.

9:30-12:30-Daily Activity-see below

12:30-1:30-Lunch

1:30-4:00-Baby N naps-Big kids read, free play and then have 45 minutes of screen time

4:00-5:00-Family exercise time-dance party, yoga, tabata, etc.-Right now my husband is on his 3rd month of P90X and the kids really enjoy attempting that together.

5:00-7:00-Dinner time

7:00-8:00-Bedtime routine

Daily Activities:

Messy, Make Something Mondays-Crafts, painting, etc., for Pinterest junkies, the possibilities are endless!

Tasty Tuesdays-Edible science experiments, kid-friendly cooking and baking

Wandering Wednesdays–Dollar movies at Regal Theaters, trampoline park, zoo, bowling etc.

Thirsty Thursdays-Lemonade stand math-We’ll use practical math skills to make and sell lemonade in front of our house and then add up our profits.  I may also need to make my own “special” lemonade by this point in the week.

Fiction and Family Fridays-Library visits, followed by reading together and dinner at the pool

To everyone with kids home for the summer, good luck and Godspeed to you!

🙂 Erin