Confession Session vol. 9

11.30.2017


You know the drill. This is all in good fun, so don't get your yoga pants in a bind. That is, unless we disagree, in which case you're dead to me. (Look! I'm a poet and...)

Does anyone watch the show Scandal? I don't think I've ever had a guilty pleasure that really was quite so guilty. I'm not caught up on the current season, but I've been watching on Netflix sometimes in the evenings while folding laundry or nursing J, and I really just can't even with that show. I have a serious love/hate relationship with it. It's totally ridiculous and so unbelievable, and all the characters are just too much sometimes with their highly questionable moral ethics. But on the other hand, it's totally ridiculous and unbelievable and that makes it kind of fun. I don't know.

Speaking of shows. Game of Thrones. Jordan and I are both really grouchy about this. OKAY. You people act like you've discovered something. Game of Thrones! It's the new hit happening show of the year. Except did you know the books have been around forever? Like, seriously Jordan read them in middle school so we are talking decades of waiting around for good ole Georgie to publish the next book in the series so we can find out what happens. And here you TV people come and swoop in with your advanced plot lines and your acting like you run the place and ruin everything.

I can count on one hand the number of times I go to Starbucks in a single year. I do like their chai tea lattes, and in the winter I enjoy the occasional peppermint mocha, but I think their drinks are outrageously expensive (nearly $5 for a tall that it takes me less than six minutes to drink!) and the line is always super long and they are always so slow good grief. I also think the online world is has an obsession with Starbucks that I will just never understand. If I had a dollar for every blogger who posts about their daily Venti-sized Starbucks, I would be able to quit my job and sit at home drinking chai while waiting for my groceries to be delivered.

Speaking of getting groceries delivered.... okay, I will just say this. Unless you have had some type of procedure wherein you are physically unable to move from your bed and/or you are blind and your caretaker has gone on vacation for a month and your bread is starting to mold, paying to have your groceries delivered is ridiculous. And I get that loading kids to and from the car and carting (pun intended) everyone through the aisles is an odious task for most, but still. Ridiculous. And I don't care if it's "really not that much extra." Ridiculous.


I said it last year, and I don't think I've changed my mind on the subject: pictures of babies screaming their heads off while being held by Santa are not funny. Raise your hand if you are shocked that a tiny baby is scared when suddenly handed over to a large man with a hat and white beard. And hi, who wants to put up a picture in their house of a complete stranger??? I mean, if they're at Disney World and you take a picture with the Easter Bunny who is wearing a fake head so you can't see the person's actual face that's one thing. Otherwise no.

Speaking of Christmas things I will not be taking part in this year. Elf on the Shelf. Is that even still a thing? No.

I successfully didn't eat any dessert in the month of November except for Thanksgiving (duh), and I gave myself one other cheat because Friendsgiving (obviously). But before you get too impressed, I should tell you that yesterday I had four cookies for lunch.

Speaking of cookies, I ate some for dinner too. Just making up for lost time over here.

p.s. More confessions here.
Maureen @ Maureen Gets Real said...

I am right there with you on the grocery delivery service!! It's really not that difficult to go to the store to buy them yourself.

Okay, I love GoT the show but I could not get into the books when I tried reading them a few years ago. I actually thought I wouldn't the show because I didn't like the books. So in my defense, I did try them which counts for something right?!

Unknown said...

I don't think we have grocery delivery over here, but maybe? I never thought about doing it. My beloved Aldi doesn't do it so therefore it doesn't exist. WE don't do Elf on the Shelf, yet. I may in a few years, but I'm not ready for that commitment. I do think kids screaming with Santa is funny, though, lol. Maybe not baby babies, but I laughed at Annabelle hahah. I know it is scary to just be handed over to this scary man, though. Oh well, they'll never remember. Except she is scared of Santa now.. lol. Starbucks!! Gahh I loved the Oprah Cinnamon chai tea latte (I'm pretty sure it was just a chai tea latte with cinnamon so now I just ask for cinnamon since they discontinued it) but like you, I can count on one hand how many times I get it. I just can't pay that much for a drink! Like, no. I'll make my own. Ok, off to feed the babe. Have a great weekend!

Michelle said...

Are you talking about groceries delivered to your house or ordering them online and having them load your car at the store? Because the latter has saved my life a few times when one of us has been really sick and can’t handle the store. But I would MUCH rather do it myself and know what I’m grabbing. We use it as a last resort.

I could write a book on all the ways I hate Elf on the Shelf.

Audrey Louise said...

I've never used the grocery delivery service, mainly because I live in a small rural town, but I'd probably try it once. Haha. Honestly, I ENJOY grocery shopping, so it's not a chore I'm looking to skip. Weird, I know.
I'm laughing so hard about your GOT rage :D I don't watch or read it so I'm completely removed from it. Hahaha.

Carolann Chambers said...

I love your confession sessions! You always make me want to write my own but I have never done one. So, I was not quite on top of Game of Thrones as Jordan but sometimes I feel like that about Harry Potter. My mom brought the book home randomly one day and then all of a sudden it was the next big thing. It's not quite the same because we didn't have to wait so long in between books but I'm always all high and mighty thinking, well I liked this before it was cool :)

Amie said...

While I don't have Starbucks every day I do consider it my one splurge because I am super cheap otherwise! haha Also, don't hate me I even have the app and order ahead of time so all I have to do it walk in and pick up my drink..no lines! I have never tried grocery delivery or even the order ahead thing, I like to pick out my own stuff. I have not taken Bowen (2) ever to get a picture with Santa because I know he will hate it and won't cooperate anyway. We did find Elf on the Shelf from one of my step-kids and Bowen just played with it, we aren't really moving him around and stuff like you would typically do.

I can't stop with the sweets, it's horrible!! haha

AnneMarie said...

I really enjoy your confession posts! So I'm not into GoT and can't relate personally to your sentiment, but I have friends who over the years have gotten very salty because they would be hardcore fans of different books long before whatever books were made into movies and suddenly became The Next Big Thing. I personally don't have a problem with grocery delivery options, but I don't think I'd ever want to use them just because I like picking out exactly what produce and meat I'm buying (I will stand at the produce bins for quite a while sifting through to find the pieces that look best).

The only reason I ever go to Starbucks is if I have a gift card (one of my friends gave one out as a prize during her baby shower! It nearly covered the price of the venti caramel frappuccino that I shared with my husband). It's expensive, busy, and I just don't get the hype. There are so many AMAZING local coffee shops (which have awesome drinks, have great environments, and are less expensive than Starbucks), so I don't know why-unless I've been given a gift card-I'd ever want to freely go into Starbucks instead.

Katie @ Live Half Full said...

I am on team grocery ordering, but I do the kind where you order online and pick them up. I get them on Friday during my lunch break since I WFH and that's one less thing I have to do on the weekend. Any hour I can save I'm all in!

Jenny Evans said...

We don't do Elf on the Shelf, either. Never will even consider it. Never will feel bad about that, either.

Angi said...

Ha, I'm with you on just about all of these! I started watching Scandal once and got through the first season alright, despite the "highly questionable moral ethics." After that, though, I just couldn't take it anymore. I just found Olivia to be a little bit insufferable. Fitz! No Fitz! Okay, yes Fitz!

Never could do Game of Thrones. I found it to have even more highly questionable moral ethics and I made it through 1 episode, but barely, before shutting it off. It's kind of telling that they hire LITERAL PORN STARS to do their acting.

Let me count the ways I hate Elf on a Shelf...

I have nothing to say about grocery delivery, because that's for newfangled 21st century grocery stores and we are living about 20 years behind here in Sitka, where our grocery store JUST got a rewards card about a year ago. #fancy

Angi said...

I forgot to add, I am from Seattle. Starbucks really is not all that...for the price, their coffee doesn't even taste that good and holy calories, Batman. Indie coffee shops are mucho better.

Ashley H said...

I've had Starbucks once in my life. I prefer my Keurig and to save the extra cash. I just don't get the obsession. I mean, partly because I'm not a coffee freak. Like I have a cup in the AM and that's it. I don't like tea. I don't like chocolate drinks (just chocolate desserts). I don't like cold coffee. Just one cup in the morning to get me going and I'm good.

On the other hand, the obsession with Scandal, I get. I binge watched two winters ago and caught up and I agree, the morals (or lack thereof) always shock me and I wonder at least once per episode if that is what real life is like? Is everyone in Washington hiding something or covering something up? Is it all black mail and mind games? It's exhausting sometimes.

Betsy Transatlantically said...

We don't have to worry about this Christmas, obviously, but Jon and I have had *extensive* conversations about what Christmas traditions we do and don't want to incorporate into our child's interfaith upbringing. I was relieved that he's as anti-Elf on the Shelf as I am :P

Rach said...

Totally guilty of the Starbucks love over here. I discovered my love for Starbucks when I walked into one with a friend several years ago and the barista asked what I wanted and I said, "Oh, I can't have sugar and I don't like just black coffee." Then the magical barista said to me, "We have sugar free drinks. Would you like to try a sugar free mocha?" SUGAR FREE CHOCOLATE?! Yes, please. And thank you. I'm so high maintenance with coffee because it has to be decaf, has to be sugar free (or have no syrup) and I need an alternative milk because of a dairy sensitivity. Starbucks is a place that I know I can walk into and they will always have my decaf sugar free mocha with coconut milk. Granted, the chemicals in the sugar free stuff will probably give me cancer, but at least my heart will be healthy, ha! Plus, there for awhile we had tons of Starbucks giftcards so I was able to have free Starbucks all the time! It was a magical time. ;) In general I actually prefer to support local businesses so most of the time I try to get coffee from one of my favorite local places, but most local places I go to don't have sugar free options (or like the one we went to today - don't even have decaf). So that's my Sbux story. I will say, I feel like there is a social media push to have a Starbucks drink in hand for cutesy photos and I don't like that. I never like doing what everyone else is doing, haha! Christopher's hobby is making good coffee so I love weekends when he's home to make me my favorite drinks. They are way better than Starbucks anyway! Okay, I'm done talking about Starbucks now.

Laura Darling said...

I think the same thing about Starbucks! How do people afford to pay five bucks a day on coffee?! That's insane to me. I only get it when I travel for work because I can expense it! :) I actually prefer the coffee we make at home to anything else! Though I am a HUGE DD fan, but I have their app and only get it on 99 cent coffee day, or when the Philadelphia Eagles play and then it's free!

The Lady Okie said...

Yes, girl! That counts if you at least tried the books ;)

Bethany Carson said...

Ha! I love your sense of humor. I just had to cover three holiday open houses today for the paper--so I got to watch plenty of kids react to Santa. Fortunately no one forced the screaming kids to get on his lap...but just thinking of a picture of a stranger hanging on the wall is hilarious.

Kari said...

I frequent Starbucks, I admit. Why? (1) I'm from Seattle but live far from it, moving with the military. For me, Starbucks offers a little bit of the familiar in an unfamiliar place. (2) As a stay-at-home Mom, I need occasional breaks from chasing my toddler, and Starbucks is the one place she's content to sit still and "watch people." We sit there for a while, enjoying girl time, so I figure I'm not just paying for a drink--I'm paying for rest, peace, and snuggles. (3) When I worked outside the home, I found coffee breaks the fastest way for this introvert to bond with new coworkers.
(4) As someone once pointed out to me, while coffee shops may seem like an expensive way to quench your thirst, they make for relatively cheap dates and social outings. (5) Everyone indulges in something that others would consider extravagant--just not the same thing. (6) As someone mentioned above, local coffee shops (which I find often cost as much or more as Starbucks, though I like the atmosphere), don't always offer decaf drinks or aren't as conveniently located. (6) While I care about taste, I'm not a coffee snob, who avoids brands just because they're popular or make easy targets.

Ultimately we all have likes and dislikes that differ, and habits that are easy for others to judge. We also all have places of respite, and for me--right now at least--that's what coffee shops are. :)

Breenah said...

Quinn has started asking why she doesn't have an Elf on the Shelf. I'm blessed that my grandparents write letters to their great grandkids every year from "Herman the Elf" and "Santa". So I was able to tell her that some kids have Elves on their Shelves and some kids have Herman and his associates, they're just different levels and Herman is the supervisor so he doesn't have to stay every day. Not gonna lie, I swear I use my acting degree and improv daily while parenting.

The Lady Okie said...

That is genius! I love it.

The Lady Okie said...

That sounds like such a fun time with your girl! I'm sure she loves that time with you. And that's nice you get to find some Seattle wherever you go :) I may not go to Starbucks often myself, but I do buy lots of gift cards for my family and friends!

Amy @ A Desert Girl said...

I love these posts. We usually see eye to eye. Hate crying baby Santa photos. Poor kid. And I was just thinking the other day that I want to unfollow the people who do Elf on a Shelf and post it daily to Instagram. Or worse - they forget to post daily pictures so I have to scroll through six of them when they play catch up. #firstworldproblems

I’ve basically eaten an entire box of chocolate teddy grahams over the past 24 hours. No judgement on the one or two or seven cookies.

Rachel said...

Sometimes I really think Starbucks must just be an internet thing. I don't drink coffee...or pretty much any "drink" sort of thing, but even my coffee-obsessed friends don't like Starbucks, they all go to snobby cafes or make coffee at home with special beans or something.
I don't think I'd do grocery delivery, but here, my Mom has done it a couple times, and I can definitely see why. For one thing, the grocery store is very terrible. Often smelly inside the store, often the aisles are mysteriously sticky, you have to go to a separate store if you want to buy beef or pork, they are always understaffed with long lines at check out, the bathrooms are so horrifying and so wet and muddy that I've refused to go grocery shopping for my entire pregnancy. Also, the delivery fee is ridiculously low, about $1 US. The real question is why don't we get groceries delivered and I think the answer is because the website is just about as terrible as the store. And we don't trust their ability to pick out produce. But my mom uses them quite successfully for canned/boxed items. I would never get groceries delivered in the US because grocery stores in the US are basically my idea of heaven. One of the first places I want to visit whenever I'm in country.

Ashley said...

Oh my goodness... Lol. This is my favorite confession session yet!

I'm with you on the whole Starbucks thing... I mean, I thoroughly enjoy Starbucks when I go, but I don't go very often and I usually get something less than $5.00... I can't imagine drinking it every single day. I actually kind of enjoy it being an occasional treat and I feel like if I DID get to have it more often, I wouldn't enjoy it as much.

As for groceries getting delivered... I can't even with that. Like... Just go to the store. It is seriously not that hard. Just do it. Lol.

Sarah @ Sweet Miles said...

Haha we do Amazon Prime Now Groceries quite often ;) You're hilarious!

Beka @ Sunshine to the Square Inch said...

I have no ideas what either of those shows are. We never really watch shows and the only time we ever did was when we were in Burma and didn't have anything to do.

I know you disagree but I think the babies being held by Santa are hilarious! I'd rather see that than some baby slimy fresh from the womb that everyone somehow thinks is grand to post on social media. Gag! So special for them but not for everyone else seeing it.

Don't even get me started on Americans and their lazy buy groceries on-line. I think every person that has ever done that should move to another country for one month and try and buy groceries. We are so so so lazy!

Beka @ Sunshine to the Square Inch said...

PS - I think you should start a linkup for this because it's fun and I want to do it!

Kate said...

So like... I don't love Starbucks except for how convenient it is. I may get it once a month. PLUS, I only drink lattes. Just plain lattes, so it's definitely cheaper than a lot of the other drinks. I went a few days ago because I was so cold after a race and ordered a grande latte )which should be 3.99 with tax) He tried to tell me I ordered a white mocha. I didn't. I laughed it off and said, "Nope. Not me! I ordered a latte." And he basically said, "Oh that's what I mean. Whoops." Handed it to me. I drove off. I got a venti white mocha latte with 2 pumps white mocha, 3 pumps cinnamon dolce. Uh. No? So I look at my Starbucks account because I had paid with their card.. It cost me 6.50. WHAT?! So I'm boycotting them for a while.

Also. We get a meal delivery service, which isn't quite the same as online grocery shopping, but kinda. I normally am willing to grocery shop, but it's my LEAST FAVORITE THING in the world. I hate it. Hate hate hate it. Luckily, Michael DOESN'T hate it. Plus, there are SO many days I leave the house at 6:45 AM and don't make it home until 10 PM because of ball games or whatever. I just have no energy left. So if it wasn't for Michael going to the store, I 100% would become the online grocery person. It is what it is. :P

Sofia said...

WOW! I'm so glad I came across your confession sessions! I can totally relate and you write with such humor. I love it! looking forward to more of these!

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