Hey, friends! Happy March! Here’s to a good start to the month for us all! We had a pretty low-key weekend over here, and not much to report on.

Now, on to the post for today. I usually only write about books or shows after I’ve read them or watched them — so I can give you my feedback and thoughts. But this post is all about what’s on my list for the future. And I also crowd-sourced some recommendations from you, which you’ll find at the end. Let’s get to it …

Five things on my must-watch and must-read list for early 2021

Read: “Eat Smarter” book by Shawn Stevenson

My favorite podcaster, Shawn Stevenson, who is the creator of “The Model Health Show” and the author of “Sleep Smarter,” just released his latest book, “Eat Smarter,” which is all about food and nutrition. I have no doubt the book is absolutely amazing. Stevenson takes super-technical information and breaks it down for you in relatable and easy-to-digest ways. He also usually throws in some funny and real stories from his own life and learnings. I know this will be beneficial and enjoyable. A must-read. Find “Eat Smarter” here.

Watch: “Framing of Britney Spears” documentary on Hulu

I’ve been to several Britney Spears concerts in my life (and even met her during a meet-and-greet), and I’ve always loved her. It was so sad and strange how her life spiraled out of control and she got so much bad publicity. Because that’s just the way it happened, I don’t think any of us questioned why or how it occurred. But I’m so intrigued to watch the new “Framing Britney Spears” documentary on Hulu to find out more. I’ve read a ton of articles on the ways the media treated Spears, and it’s interesting that people are finally calling it out. We don’t have Hulu, but I’ll find a way to watch this documentary one day soon.

Read: “Atomic Habits” book by James Clear

I’ve heard so many amazing things about this book, “Atomic Habits.” I finally picked it up last week and am just a little bit into it so far. Here’s why I wanted to read it: I heard James Clear speak on a podcast all about how making tiny beneficial changes in our lives can lead to big improvements over time. His theory is that making big goals is worthless if you don’t have systems in place to get you there — and you get there with positive daily habits. I will definitely report back on this book after I finish it. Find “Atomic Habits” here.

Watch: “Bridgerton” series on Netflix

This show! I saw a million people post about watching this series, “Bridgerton,” on Netflix, and I want to devour it. I convinced Dave to watch the first two episodes with me a couple weeks ago, and he wasn’t into it, so we stopped. But I was all about it and will be taking it up on my own. It’s about a big family in London’s high society trying to find love. The costumes, scene and music are fantastic. I look forward to sitting down to watch it again.

Listen: “Archewell Audio” podcast on Spotify

To be totally honest, if I’m listening to a podcast, it’s almost always about business, health or wellness. But I want to branch out a little more with my topics this year. I happen to love the mission behind Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Archewell company, and they just debuted a podcast called “Archewell Audio.” The podcast will share stories and narratives to help build communities and uplift and entertain listeners. I’m all for those goals, so I plan to get into this one soon.

And here’s what you had to say …

I polled my Instagram audience for some recommendations on what’s worth adding to the must-watch, must-listen, must-read list, and here’s what you said:

Podcasts:

“Healthier Together” by Liz Moody — all about healthy living

“Dare to Lead” by Brené Brown — all about leadership and change-makers

“Dolly Parton’s America” by NPR — all about Dolly Parton

Books:

“The Vanishing Half” by Brit Bennett — a novel about twin sisters who lead very different lives

“Dear Edward” by Ann Napolitano — a novel about the sole survivor of a plane crash

“Less” by Andrew Sean Greer — a novel about a struggling writer traveling the world

“Born a Crime” by Trevor Noah — a novel about coming of age in apartheid South Africa 

Shows:

“Behind her Eyes” on Netflix — a thriller about a single mother trapped in strange love triangle

“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” on Amazon Prime — a comedy about a housewife turned stand-up comedian

And that concludes my must-watch, must-listen and must-read list for early 2021. Thank you for stopping by. And please add what’s on your list in the comments. 🙂 

Other posts you may like …

Here are some other posts you may like …

• Three health and wellness books that changed my life
• Interesting facts about food and the body I learned from reading “The Body Book”
• The best health, wellness and fitness podcasts
• The seven best books I read in 2020
• The five best documentaries I’ve watched recently

Questions of the day

What have you been watching or reading or listening to lately?

What are you excited for in March?

How was your weekend?

How often do you read or watch TV?