I’ve decided to ease back into blogging with a post all about my spring favorites. An as yet unidentified illness has kept me from working for the last two months, so I’ve been doing very little beyond sitting and watching TV. So you’ll have your summer watchlist set with this list of my favorites this season.
Music Education
- Midnight Music
- A reader asked me for advice about music tech, and I immediately thought of Midnight Music. Katie’s website is jam-packed with tech tips geared toward music ed. She has free trainings, blog posts, and a podcast to help “foster creativity, increase productivity and enhance learning outcomes.”
- The Secret Sticky Strategy for the End of the School Year
- This idea comes from my good friend Elizabeth over at Organized Chaos. If you’re struggling to maintain a positive classroom environment as the year draws to an end, then this post is for you. It’s a quick and meaningful way to keep students engaged and show that you care.
- Classical Rhythm Patterns
- Classical Rhythm Patterns is a graphic organizer with rhythm patterns from composers throughout Western Art Music History. Each slide contains a rhythm pattern from a well known piece, along with a recording of the rhythm, a link to the full recording of the piece, and time stamps indicating each time the rhythm occurs in the music. I started working on this series right before I got sick, so I only have one music history period represented. However, I plan to continue to add to this series throughout the summer.
- 3 Must Have Inexpensive Instruments for Music Class
- This post comes from my friend Melissa over at Mrs. Stouffer’s Music Room, where she shares three instruments that are both inexpensive and will last the test of time. I absolutely agree with her assessment, and I used these instruments frequently in my own classroom. If you’re looking to stock your new music classroom with fun and cheap instruments, these are the ones to get!
Entertainment
Again, I had a LOT of time while being sick to watch TV (reading wasn’t possible either), so this list is extensive. However, I’ll only be including shows that I would definitely watch again (and some that I’ve already binged twice). Click the links to see a short preview or description of each show.
- Ghosts (British Version)
- You may be familiar with CBS’ sitcom Ghosts. However, I’m recommending the original British version, which is far superior in my opinion. It has a wonderful mix of comedy and heartfelt moments as the ghosts learn to adjust to their new occupants. You can find this series on HBO Max and Britbox. I’ve already watched the series twice, and will definitely be binging it again in the future.
- The Gilded Age
- This show has an amazing cast (including Audra McDonald and Christine Baranski). It was written and created by Julian Fellowes (from Downton Abbey), and while his style is clearly evident, I prefer this show over Downton Abbey. The second season is currently being filmed and will likely come out sometime in 2023 on HBO Max.
- Taskmaster
- I don’t usually like game shows, but this one is fantastic. You can watch most of the seasons for free on YouTube. Comedians perform odd tasks for points using an extremely subjective grading system by the Taskmaster. If you watched The Great British Bake Off, then I recommend you start with series four, which stars Mel and Noel. Lolly (from Ghosts) is also in this series.
- The Flight Attendant
- I never watched The Big Bang Theory, and so I didn’t really have an impression of Kaley Cuoco. But her acting in this show has blown me away, along with the comedic timing of Zosia Mamet. It’s accurately described as a dark comedic thriller, and though I usually avoid this genre, I’m so glad I gave it a chance. You can find it on HBO Max.
- QI (Quite Interesting)
- This long-running trivia show mixes comedy with quite interesting facts. You may recognize the host as Sandy Toksvig from The Great British Bake Off. It’s been running since 2003, and there’s no sign of stopping, so you’ll never run out of material. You can stream the show on The Roku Channel or Britbox.
- Bofuri
- This anime first came out in 2020, and upon hearing it would have a second season this year, I just had to rewatch it. It’s a feel-good show about a novice video game player who finds herself doing unexpectedly well with her newfound friends in a virtual reality game. You can stream it on Crunchyroll.
- Ascendance of a Bookworm
- This anime is about a book-loving college student who dies and is reincarnated into another world as a five year old girl. In her new world books are only owned by the super-rich, and we watch as she struggles to create and find books to assuage her obsession. Oh, and there’s also a lot of delightful magic and politics thrown in the mix. You can stream it on Crunchyroll.
- Spy X Family
- This anime premiered this year, so it’s the newest of all that I’ve suggested. It involves a spy, an assassin, and a telepathic girl. Despite this odd combo, the show is a mostly light-hearted comedy and does a superb job of showing how children think and behave. Though relatively new, I can already tell it’ll become a classic. You can stream it on Crunchyroll.
Food & Drink
- Everything but the Elote
- I’ve been using this Trader Joe’s spice on my homemade egg and cheese burritos every morning. It’s smoky, cheesy flavor would be good on almost anything from corn to chili.
- Häagen-Dazs Caramel Cone Ice Cream
- It’s self-explanatory and it’s delicious. Häagen-Dazs never ceases to impress me.
- Jello Temptations
- I couldn’t eat much while I was sick, so these were a great treat to have on hand. The strawberry cheesecake flavor is my favorite, but the lemon meringue pie is also very good.
- Coffee Mate Golden Grahams Creamer
- Sadly I can’t find this in my local store anymore, but I’ll keep on searching because it was wonderful. It reminded me a bit of Starbuck’s Toasted Graham K-Cup Pods (back when I could still handle caffeine).