Ok, so most likely it's a pipe dream that we'd ever get like a whole day to do nothing but watch emotion-inducing crap on tv that gives us all the feels while we lounge braless in our stretchy pants with some fancy coffee and a handful of mini-Reese's cups. Yeah, right.
Or, maybe we get the opportunity but feel too guilty to actually partake. After all, that cabinet with the good dishes hasn't been dusted out in three years and maybe I should do that instead.
No. No you should NOT, sister. Don't even think about it.
Anne Lamott, famous writer (if you don't know her, read her stuff. If you can skip over the overtly liberal jargon and get to the meat of it, you'll love her) has coined a phrase I love: "Practice radical self-care". It's important.
So IF, IF you get the opportunity for a solo day of lounging, practice some radical self-care and watch the things that will give you the feels. IF I got that chance, here's what I'd fire up on the DVR/Hulu/Netflix:
1. This Is Us.
Have you seen this show?! I have not made it through ONE single episode without crying. And usually it's not the tearing-up kind, but the mascara-running, makeup ruined, sniffling ugly crying. Not just me, either. My husband and I watch it together snuggled up at night, and he hasn't made it through without tears in his eyes! But the kind that makes you feel good, because life makes you FEEL. It's so so so so beautifully written. It's my favorite show in years. Head to Hulu and binge it.
2. American Housewife.
Another totally relatable show! It's about a mom in suburbia, fleshy, cute and self-conscious, in a sea of upscale skinny b*tches. Starring Katy Mixon (Molly's sister in Mike & Molly, with the dimples, booty and cute voice), it is sharp, witty and real. I haven't watched new sitcoms in a long time, but enjoy this one a lot. It gives you the feels on a lower level than This Is Us.
3. Veep.
If the feels you need after This Is Us is laughter, THIS. I've been watching Veep from the get-go, and oh, it's so good! You just can't go wrong with Julia Louis-Dreyfus as a salty, politically-incorrect and somewhat screwball of a Vice President. The surrounding cast is superb and their dysfunctional little VP family is so fun to watch. Plus, can't go wrong with Anna Chlumsky from My Girl, all grown up and sassy.
4. Snapped.
When you need to be reminded that those anger feels are best not being acted upon, head on over to the Oxygen channel for a Snapped marathon! Usually every Sunday is all-Snapped, all-day. I have been watching this show since 2007 on maternity leave. I was hooked. It's true crime, all women killers, narrated by a woman with the best voice, that makes you watch wide-eyed and wondering if this crazy got away with it or not. You'll spend the show trying to figure out in the interviews of the perpetrator if she's wearing a jumpsuit or normal clothes, to ease the suspense.
5. The Wendy Williams Show.
If you want all the feels of being judgy, throwing side eye at stupid celebrities and gaining a best friend (in your head, anyway), check out Ms. Wendy. First, you will want every single outfit and pair of shoes she wears. Second, you will want the hairstyle of whatever wig she's donned that day. Third, she calls people out without abandon, and she's an equal opportunity judgy gal. She really is my best friend in my head.
6. Orange Is The New Black.
I was late to the party on this one because I have an aversion to prison shows/movies, but at my husband's urging, I partook. I am SO glad I did. It's not a perfect show, but it hits you in the gut so many times. You love them, you hate them, you fear for them and you cheer for them. The complex setup in prison is fascinating to watch. And sometimes, you'll cry. You'll also laugh (especially if you love you some Big Boo). This is totally bingeable.
7. Four Weddings.
I love Four Weddings! I was addicted to it when I was planning our wedding in 2014, and then didn't watch it for a while because I was sad the planning was over, but now I'm back at it. Four brides are chosen in a city and they attend and judge one another's weddings (dress, food, venue, overall) and then whomever scores highest gets a dream honeymoon. The women are SO judgy! It's also just fun to watch weddings and judge them yourself. It will make you want to renew your vows in grand style and steal all of their ideas.
8. Scandal.
This show lost me for a season, after an episode that had the undertones of being anti-cop (I'm watching you, Shonda Rimes). But at some point, after watching the show for YEARS, I needed to check in with my characters. If you haven't seen it I STRONGLY suggest you fire it up on Netflix from the beginning. Olivia Pope is a Washington fixer, the scandals are hard-hitting and it's fun to watch the gladiators unravel the pieces and put someone's life back together. BUT the best part of the show is the relationship Olivia has with the married President of the United States. Clearly, there's a Clinton undertone to that, but you actually ROOT for them (especially when you realize what a power-hungry bitch the First Lady is). Oh. Yep, definitely Clinton undertones.
Too Soon? Ha.
9. Friday Night Lights.
Yes, it's been off the air for a few years. I didn't see the show until it was over and put up on a Netflix shelf. My sister in law raved about it, and seeing as I trust her judgment over my brother's (HE DOESN'T LIKE ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE) I gave it a go. It's another one, if you haven't seen it at all, it will poke you in all of your soft spots. You will cry and cheer and love every character. I felt like I was losing my family when I watched the last episode! And no, you don't even have to like or know football.
10. Bloodline.
A Netflix original series that just completed season two, and will only go for three total seasons. You will watch every single episode like this:
The pure family dynamics, the cover ups, the strained and weird relationships are worth watching in and of themselves. AND it stars Kyle Chandler too, the star of Friday Night Lights. He's one hell of an actor. BUT the best part of this show is the backdrop of the Florida Keys, where the family owns an inn. You will be willing to step into their precarious lives JUST to live right there. Bloodline is another show that will absolutely punch you in the gut and you will watch....and watch....and watch....until you cry because it's over.
So, go make arrangements for the kiddies to go bye-bye for 24 hours. Get your stretchy pants and hair tie and wash your face. No makeup. Throw your bra on the floor, get a box of Kleenex and a bag of Reese's mini cups. If you're PMS-ing, take some evening primrose oil so you don't want to burn the house down when something happens to a character you like. Just take time for you to get lost in someone else's stories. Because, in perspective, your struggles will seem a whole lot smaller when you've seen what happens to Olivia Pope.
Do you, girl.
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