1. Well, let me just be up front and say that I voted for Obama, and since he was sworn in last January, it counts.
2. We sold our house and bought a new house we love.
3. We got to go to the White House Easter Egg Roll, Disney World for a week, NY for Thanksgiving, and a Bahamian cruise for 5 days. Not too shabby!
4. We’re all healthy and we have wonderful friends.
5. My husband turned 30 and I didn’t! Hahahahaha. 2010 is my year (gulp).
5 Things I Liked About 2009 December 31, 2009
5 Observations about Cruising December 20, 2009
1. You will NEVER be hungry while you are on a cruise. Bring your “fat jeans” to wear home.
2. 3000+ people of all ages, races, nationalities, and religion are on board the ship. Everyone gets along. If we can do it for a week at sea, we ought to be able to do it everywhere else, at all times. One morning I watched an Asian family, an elderly white woman traveling alone and a young-ish African- American couple eat breakfast together at the same table. And they were all perfectly happy.
3. You see the captain out and about posing for pictures and chatting with people so much you begin to wonder who is really in charge of driving the ship.
4. Towel animals hidden in your cabin every night are coolest.
5. You will feel like your shower is rocking the first time you take one after arriving home.
5 Great Gifts for Kids December 8, 2009
These are things my kids use/play with more than any of their other toys (not counting crayons or books):
1. A MagnaDoodle- they love drawing on it, so much so that I just bought a second one for Pepper for Christmas.
2. A tunnel- we got ours at Gymboree a few years ago, and it still gets a lot of use. Sometimes they play in it like it’s a tent, or fill it with stuffed animals, or roll around inside of it, or else they’ll roll balls through it. It’s worth the money.
3. CD player and CD’s- my kids adore listening to music and books on CD. They have their own real CD player in the playroom that they can turn on whenever and change the music and stories at will. It has been a huge hit. It is almost always on.
4. Dress up clothes- my girls are partial to princess dresses, but they also like to dress up as animals and cowgirls too. It’s usually the first area to be raided when we have other kids over to play as well. Fairy wings, cat ear headbands, fancy shoes, hats, and other accessories are in high demand.
5. Baby doll strollers. We have two, and they are both in terrible shape. Kids like to pretend to be grown-ups, and even if they’re not into dolls per se, they like to put things in the stroller and push it around. Boys too!
What are you getting your kids for Christmas? What toys do your kids love?
5 Reasons I am Thankful November 13, 2009
Since November is all about Thanksgiving (also known as Giving Thanks) I thought I would take a minute to tell you some of the things I am thankful for:
1. My wonderful, healthy, happy family, especially my kids and husband; but also my Mom, brother, Grandma, and many other cousins and nieces and aunts who make me smile.
2. My fun, funny, smart, supportive, caring, and giving friends.
3. A warm home, good food to eat, clean clothes for my children (even if I am the one who washes them!) gas for my car, money for Christmas gifts, etc.
4. Sunshine.
5. Comedy. I love funny movies, blogs, people, TV shows, whatever- laughing is good.
5 Big Things That Have Happened in the Past 30 Days: October 26, 2009
1. We officially sold our house after 9 days on the market. Well, official as of 10/28, anyway.
2. We looked at a million houses and finally decided on a new house. Also official as of 10/28.
3. My Gramma came to visit for a week, which was nice.
4. My in-laws came to visit for 4 days, which was not so nice.
5. We attended our daughter’s first kindergarten teacher conference, which went really well. Her teacher says that the Bug loves learning and is a “shining star”. I like to hear that.
We’ve have been really busy with birthday parties, Halloween activities, regular life stuff, and of course, packing and prepping for a move. And that’s what I ought to be doing now.
5 Things That Suck About Selling Your Home: September 25, 2009
1. You have to keep it clean 24/7. People can and will call and ask for a showing the same day.
2. You have to let strangers wander through your home even if the thought of strangers touching your stuff gives you hives.
3. You have to put up with a lot of judgments* about your home that may hurt your feelings. We actually received feedback that stated the buyer did not like “the location, layout, or colors” in our home. We also received feedback that we should update the kitchen when uh, we did that already. They should have seen it before.
4. You have to take down all of your pictures and hide a lot of stuff that you probably had out for a reason.
5. Looking for a new home is stressful! Worrying about making the right decision, comparing schools, picturing what you’d do with each room, wondering about why people are selling, etc. takes a lot of energy.
*For the record we’ve gotten a lot of good feedback too, but still. Supposedly we have someone ready to make an offer. Their realtor emailed our realtor and asked where they could fax her an offer this evening, so my fingers are crossed.
5 Reasons I Love Fall: September 19, 2009
1. Gourds. They are sooooo neat. They make great cheap decorations.
2. Halloween. It’s the best kiddie holiday, in my humble opinion. We always trick or treat for Unicef instead of just for candy. You can too: http://youth.unicefusa.org/trickortreat/
3. Cooler weather. A major bonus is the much lower gas/electric bills, because we can just open the windows instead of running the A/C or the heat.
4. Hayrides to pick pumpkins. Carving pumpkins with my kids.
5. Shopping for new fall clothes, or just getting out packed away sweaters and things. By Christmas of course I’ll be dreaming of summer, but right now the changes are all fresh and new and fun.
5 Things I Want To Do Right Now: August 31, 2009
1. Take out my contacts.
2. Brush my teeth.
3. Put on my pajamas.
4. Get in my comfy cozy bed.
5. Sleep!!!!!!!!!!!
5 Easy Things You Can Do To Be Healthier: August 27, 2009
1. Walk. Sounds simplistic, I know, but walking is great exercise. You don’t have to have an expensive gym membership or fancy equipment to benefit from this underrated activity. You just need sneakers and sidewalk. Music not necessary, but certainly nice. You can walk with your kids or alone. You can take the stairs instead of the elevator. You can park further away from the store instead of driving around and around to find a closer spot.
2. Plan your meals ahead of time. Make sure you have what you need in the house to make a few healthy dinners at all times (frozen veggies, tomato sauce, etc.) so that you’re not tempted as often to order a pizza or go out for fast food. DON’T BUY JUNK. That’s right, I said it. Just don’t buy it. If it’s not in the house, you won’t be able to eat it. And neither will your kids.
3. Add fruits and vegetables to your diet as often as possible. Eat baby carrots with your sandwich instead of chips. Eat strawberries with your yogurt in the morning. Looking for a snack? Try an apple with peanut butter. Try new vegetables. Plant a garden. Sneak extra veggies into any dish you make (roasted red peppers in the lasagna, for example) and don’t assume your kids won’t like things just because you don’t like them. My kids love mushrooms even though mushrooms make me want to barf.
4. Make sure your kids play outside everyday. Put a hat and sunscreen on them. Play with them. Put sunscreen on yourself.
5. Go to sleep at a reasonable hour. The laundry can wait to be folded. You don’t need to check your email one last time. Your brain doesn’t function as well when you are sleep deprived, and over time not sleeping much can make you gain weight. Sleep is when yur body works to heal itself and refresh. You need sleep. It’s not something you can do without. You can live without food longer than you can live without sleep. Try to get at least 8 hours most nights. See how much better you feel.
Maybe if you’re not so tired so you’ll have the energy to get up in the morning and go for a walk. See how it works?
5 Reasons I haven’t posted much lately: August 15, 2009
1. I’ve been busy! To get into nursing school I have to take this 10 day long CNA class, and it’s been a lot of work- long days and many tests to study for. I have two days left next week and then I’ll be a tad bit freer.
2. I’ve been preparing my daughter for kindergarten. She started this week. We had to get supplies and attend orientation and fill out a lot of paperwork.
3. My husband was out of town last weekend for 3 days, Saturday morning til late Monday night. He had to attend a funeral. I was whipped at the end of each day, because I had no break from the kids while he was gone.
4. I haven’t had much to say, honestly. I thought thinking up lists would be easy but it’s not as simple as I had imagined.
5. I’m pretty sure only like 3 people read my blog anyway, so I’m not super motivated. I’m not mad about this, just stating a fact.
