A Feel Good Film, Bye Bye Blokes, Shopping Sidekicks, and Hormonal Help
Humpday Highlights
Well hello there!
I bet you're wondering why I've dropped into your inbox in the middle of the week, aren't you?
For some time now I have been wanting to share more with you than what’s going on in my little world.
I come across tons of interesting stuff – things I've seen, heard, or read – that I think you might enjoy. But by the time I have finished chattering about my week, there is often nowhere for me to squeeze them into my weekly post.
So I decided to introduce a short midweek newsletter called "Humpday Highlights"! Yep, you heard it right. It's a midweek pick-me-up tailor-made exclusively for my Substack squad.
A weekly post where I spill the beans on all the stuff I've been checking out lately – you know, things like TV shows that have me hooked, must-watch films, page-turner books, mind-blowing articles, podcasts that are worth a listen, social media gems, freebies that'll save you some dosh, and even some exclusive special deals.
So, drumroll, please... It's time for your very first dose of "Humpday Highlights"
📺 Friendship, Feels & Growing Up
I sat down at the end of last week and watched Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. My friend had recommended this film to me a while ago and because it wasn’t my usual horror, I had put it on the back burner.
The film is based on 11-year-old Margaret in the ’70s when her parents announce that they are moving from Manhattan to New Jersey. We see how Margaret deals with her moving to a new town, starting a new school and navigating the changes that come with being a girl at that time of life.
I adored this film! It has such a wonderful feel-good factor with one of my fave actresses Rachel McAdams (Allie from The Notebook and Regina George from Mean Girls) playing Margaret’s mum and the fabulous Kathy Bates as her vivacious grandmother, you’ll be hard-pushed not to love it.
At the time of writing you can rent or buy on Amazon Prime.
📖 Survival, Sisterhood and Unforeseen Heroes
I recently finished reading The End of Men. No, it’s not a handbook on how to eliminate the male species, but a novel that starts in the year 2025. The world is unknowingly on the brink of another deadly virus, one which is deadly only to the male population.
The book is told from the different perspectives of several women from mothers to wives and nurses to politicians. You feel their fear, their pain and their sheer determination to put an end to the horrific consequences of the seemingly unstoppable disease.
It got 5 stars from me.
👂🏻 Unlock Hormonal Mysteries
If you’ve read my latest post you will know that I have been talking a lot about Perimenopause. This podcast seemed to pop up in my Spotify feed at just the right time.
In this episode, Mel speaks with Dr. Amy Shah about the science of hormones. Taking you from the first period right through to menopause, it’s packed full of useful information and is explained in a way that’s easy to understand.
If you are a man reading this, don’t think it’s not for you, it may be very helpful when it comes to understanding and supporting the women in your life….it could save you a lot of pain!
📱 Testing TikTok Magic
As a self-confessed stress head, I saw this breathing technique to decrease cortisol on TikTok and thought I would give it a go. I wasn’t stressed out at the time but after a couple of minutes, I did feel slightly more relaxed. Was it all in my head? Who knows. If I can remember to do it during my next meltdown, which I’m sure isn’t far away, I’ll keep you posted.
If you give it a try, let me know if it works for you.
💰 Meet Honey, Your Shopping Sidekick
Want a discount but can’t be bothered to keep trying random different codes? Honey has got you covered.
I’ve been using Honey for a few years now and I don’t ever shop online without it. You add the extension to your browser and when you get to the checkout, Honey will automatically scan for any live discount codes and apply the best one at the checkout! So simple!
You can earn points for not only using Honey but also referring friends which can then be redeemed against gift cards.
They also have an app you can use for those of you who do everything through your phone or tablet.
🤔 Mood Swings With a Side of Monologue
When I am feeling stressed, overwhelmed or frustrated, I tend to write down how I am feeling. Recently with all the menopause mayhem, I wrote a series of what I call “Peri Poems” so I thought I would leave you with the first one this week.
If you enjoyed reading this post, why not share it with your friends?
I’d love to know your thoughts on my new Humpday Highlight post