Hey there, friend! Happy Friday and Happy [belated] New Year!

Like so many people, my family and I had a lovely Christmas—and then immediately got sick with the virus that shall not be named. (I kid. We can name it. It's what I am officially now and forever more calling "stupid freaking covid.") Over 10 days or so, the four of us were varying levels of sick, but thankfully, we've all pretty much recovered.

But while I was sick (or taking care of my people who were sick)? I watched a whole lot of TV and movies. So many things, in fact, that I had to move my running list from a reasonably sized Post-It to an actual spreadsheet. So buckle up! This email is the review-a-palooza you have been looking for! (And, as always, because I can't stay on topic to save my life or your sanity, I have a slew* of links to things I'm pretty sure you need to know about.)

I'm going to be honest with you. So far, I think I'm giving 2022 a thumbs down. Not an enthusiastic or angry thumbs down, but a reluctant, hoping to be convinced otherwise thumbs down. After all, in addition to my family and SO MANY others have Covid, here's what the last couple of weeks have looked like:

• At the gentle urging of my just-turned-eight youngest daughter, I deleted Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood from our DVR. Did I cry about this and sob-sing "Sunrise Sunset"? Oh yeah.
• That same daughter asked me what book I was reading on my Kindle (and by "Kindle," I mean just like I always do, "the Kindle app on my phone"). I tried to trick her into minding her own dang business and said, "Oh, it's a story about a man who inherits a castle." That, of course, did not satisfy her inquiring mind. She pressed me with questions until I finally had to admit that the first book I read this year was, in fact, called, "Cold-Hearted Rake." It was a proud moment.
• And we're all once again stunned by a trio of celebrity losses. (Go ahead and try to tell me things don't happen in threes. You will never convince me.) We're grateful for all you gave us and you'll be missed, Betty, Sydney, and Bob.

I'm still hopeful, though. I think 2022 can turn it around. The Blossom reunion in this year's first episode of Call Me Kat was a good start. And the thumbs up reviews below don't hurt either. Plus (just watch how casually I do this), 2022 is the year I have a Bible study and two devotionals coming out. SO THERE'S THAT IT'S FINE I'M TOTALLY COOL ABOUT IT.* If you want to go ahead and pre-order those (cool and casual, that is me), you will absolutely be my new favorite.

• ​Empowered: More of Him for All of You (devotional, February 15)
• ​Create in Me a Heart of Hope (Bible study, March 29)
• ​Prayers from the Parking Lot (devotional for moms, August 9)

Thumbs Up & Down (reviews of all the stuff I've watched recently)

Normally, I try to share my thumbs up and thumbs down for the week on Instagram each week. Like most things, it's weekly-ish, but you know. New year, new goals I might not meet but gosh darn it, I'm gonna try for a while. So keep an eye out for Thumbs Up Thursday on IG, eh? (If we're not already Insta-friends, you can fix that easy peasy over here!)

Let's get into these reviews, shall we?

• Christmas Again (Disney Channel) - My girls and I agreed that this tween holiday movie was pretty bad. The lead character and her choices got on our nerves, but we did love the diversity in the blended, multiracial family. Sad thumbs down.
• Hawkeye (Disney+) - My husband and I watched this and LOVED IT. It was fluffy and didn't make complete sense. I get it. But I don't even care and enjoyed the heck out of it. Thumbs up!
• With Love (Amazon Prime) - This holiday-adjacent series about a Latinx family and their many relationships was fantastic! It's definitely PG-13, but it's also funny and moving and just a really great time. Happy thumbs up!
• No Time to Die (Amazon Prime) - Oh my gosh, are you kidding me, James Bond? My hsuband and I have seen every James Bond movie since 1997 in the theater, so we were really bummed to miss this one. But then we rented it and LITERALLY FELL ASLEEP. Disappointed, bored thumbs down.
• 8-Bit Christmas (HBO Max) - Nostalgic, sweet, funny family movie about a group of kids in the 80s trying to get a Nintendo gaming system. This was a blast, and I can't wait to watch it again. Two big thumbs up!

• Encanto (Disney+) - Speaking of things I can't wait to watch again, this is another one! The newest animated movie from Disney, the latest musical from Lin-Manuel Miranda, the movie that looked deep into my perfectionist soul and spoke straight to me—this one has everything. Gorgeous animation of a community in Colombia, great diversity with South American culture, catchy (and no joke, so moving) songs, and a complicated hero. I! Loved! It! Jazz hands and thumbs up!
• Cinderella Story: Starstruck (HBO Max) - Oof. This was real bad. I have enjoyed every one of the Cinderella Story movies, friend. But this one was not good. Thumbs down.
• Tom & Jerry (HBO Max) - And another disappointment. If you're looking for 90 minutes of Saturday morning cartoons, go ahead and hit play on this one. But if you want a family movie with more to it than violent animals and dumb humans, skip it. Thumbs downnnnnn.
• Return to Hogwarts (HBO Max) - This is the main reason I subscribed to HBO Max for a month, and it was worth it! This reunion of the biggest players of the Harry Potter movies was so very lovely. I was on the verge of happy tears the entire team. Love. Thumbs up.
• Back to the Outback (Netflix) - Nope. Dumb. Skip it and watch any one of the Madagascar movies instead. Thumbs down.
• Free Guy (Disney+) - This was great! (Bonus review: It was better than Red Notice, which I assumed I would love but was actually a little bit bored by.) Ryan Reynolds is hilarious, and this movie was creative and interesting and funny! Just a ton of fun, and I give it two happy thumbs up.
• Mixtape (Netflix) - A coming of age movie about a mix tape and girls who are quirky and also wonderful friends to each other? Yes please and thank you. LOVED. This movie totally earned its 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Two thumbs up.
• American Auto (NBC or Hulu) - New sitcom, from the creator of Superstore. I saw someone compare it to Better Off Ted, one of my absolute favorites, and that feels accurate. I'm going to keep watching. Thumbs up.
• Abbott Elementary (ABC or Hulu) - Look. This is the sitcom, out of the several new ones, getting the best reviews. But I couldn't. I watched a few minutes and had to acknowledge that schools being a horribly difficult place to work just is not funny to me.
• Pivoting (Fox or Hulu) - Three friends make changes after their mutual friend dies unexpectedly. Starring Eliza Coupe, Ginnifer Goodwin, and Maggie Q. I watched the pilot and it was funny! I'm going to keep watching. Thumbs up.
• Alex Rider, season two (IMDb TV) - Have you heard of this one? Alex Rider is a British teen spy, and the series is based on a book series. It is intense but nothing graphic (could totally watch with your older kids), and I loved it! It's a little slow moving at the beginning of both seasons, but it definitely picks up. I binged season two instead of getting an appropriate amount of sleep. Two tired but satisfied thumbs up.

All right, whew! That was A LOT. But we needed to catch up, right? Before I wrap this up, here are a few things I think you'll like:

• ​The best and worst holiday movies of 2021​
• ​The Valentine's characuterie creation I am absolutely making​
• ​I have watched this so many times and have laughed so hard every time​
• ​Quit being professionally angry (or supporting those who are)​
• ​If you think I have not been glued to this mess, you are mistaken​
• ​My favorite new daily podcast​
• ​A fantastic planner to get and keep your year on track​

Friend, you made it to the end of this lengthy missive! (We're fancy now because we use words like "missive" when we chat.*) Now I would love, love, love to hear what YOU have been up to! How were your holidays? Have you stayed healthy? What have you watched or read lately? How ARE you? Hit reply and tell me all about it. I can't wait to catch up!

Sending you happy, healthy vibes and hopes that your 2022 is closer to a thumbs up than down. Talk soon!

*Official unit of measurement, right?
*Narrator voice: She was not, in fact, cool at all.
*These are affiliate links.
*Or weird. Fancy or weird. You pick.