Weekend List

Lists. I make them all the time. Because I think they'll help me remember stuff or keep me on a schedule or help me adjust to a new schedule. But they don't really. Not all the time. Nevertheless, I keep making the darn things.

My favorite list is Monday Listicles with Stasha at The Good Life. It's Monday and I have the day off so I have a minute to sit down and join in the fun this week!

10 Things to do During the Weekend:

1. During football season, plant yourself in front of the television and ENJOY.
2. When football season ends, sit and pout until August when preseason begins.
3. Take the pup down the nature trail to the marsh. Take the camera. 
4. If there's a wedding in the family, do wedding planning related stuff. Do it early in the mornings so you can be back home before the games start (college football on Saturdays you know). IF it's not football season, try to drag your depressed self up and don't worry about when you leave or come back.
5. Do the grocery shopping for the week And some of the cooking. WooHoo. What fun tasks.
6. If it's raining, do the dance of joy and watch some old movies, read a book, take a nap, play with the pup---anything that suits a rainy day.  
7. If it's snowing, I'm jealous and don't want to talk to you.
8. Take the pup over to the beach for a walk or run.
9. Write some blog posts. Work does tend to get in the way of this.
10. Go downtown Charleston and take pictures of the tourists. Which is way more fun than you might think. 

Ok, let's hear your weekend activities.

Linking to Monday Listicles!

What's Memorable about Summer?

In an effort to get myself back on track with Empty Nest, I'm joining in Stasha's Monday Listicles. The Listicles is such a fun way to make a list and laugh and share with others! 

This week, we're listing 10 Things To Remember This Summer By. Next week's list will be: 10 Things I Shouldn't Know.   

All you have to do to join in with this week's list is click on the button! 


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10 Things That Make This Summer Memorable

1. As usual- the heat and humidity. They are one because it's the low-country of SC and you can't have one without the other. UGH.
2. The desk from HELL. It took me three days to put this beast together. But it's done!
3. The rain. We finally had a wet summer! I loved it but my tomatoes did not. It was too much for them.
4. DoodleBug's birthday! She turned 22. Which was harder for me than when she turned 21 last summer. My baby is 22. Twenty. Two. 
5. The ups and downs of wedding planning for Birdie and thefuturesoninlawwithnonameyet. 
6. Running in the heat and humidity. Until I pulled a muscle. 
7. BacktoschoolHELL. Good grief but getting back into the swing of school is not fun. Especially when district wants you to implement a new program that you have to learn, install and figure out how exactly to implement it and they tell you this two days before school begins. But they don't give you the program until two days AFTER school starts. 
8. Publix organic ice cream. I lived on it this summer.
9. The heat and humidity. Ha!
10. NFL preseason baby! And the beginning of the college football season! It's all about FOOTBALL for me until February!

And that's my top ten! 

What's on your list? 

Ain't Life Grand?

It's time for the wonderfully entertaining Monday Listicles! 

This week, we're listing 10 Photos of Life With Kids. Next week's list will be: 10 Things That Are Completely Impractical .   

All you have to do to join in with this week's list is click on the button! 


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10 Photos of Life With the Lovelies

Life with the lovelies has always included fun and laughter---because we are crazy--

It's been about acting silly no matter our ages---

It been about getting all excited over Christmas---

And those Christmas Eve pajamas--

 It's been about having fun anywhere---

It's been about getting along---

But laughter has been key--

 And loving each other---

Hope y'all have a marvelous Monday!!!

Purchasing Listicles

It's time for the wonderfully entertaining Monday Listicles! 

This week, we're listing 10 Things You Buy Every Week- though I chose to list things I don't have to buy every week now that the nest is empty. Next week's list will be: 10 Photos of Life with Kids.   

All you have to do to join in with this week's list is click on the button! 


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10 Things I No Longer Have to Buy Every Week

1. Milk. I don't drink it and I rarely use it for anything. I do keep coconut milk just in case.
2. Ingredients for baking chocolate chip cookies. If I did, I would eat my weight in them every day. Every. Single. Day.
3. Sandwich makings. I don't eat bread anymore and no one is asking for sandwiches for their lunch boxes. 
4. Ice cream. I don't HAVE to, but I still do. Just not every week.Hey, at least it's organic. Ha!
5. Juice. It was always annoying to study the various juices in an effort to find the least sugary most organic. We didn't have a juicer while the kids were growing up. 
6. Yogurt other than plain or vanilla. The lovelies always loved strawberry or peach. 
7. String cheese. Or any other cheese for that matter. Though I do still grab the occasional raw milk cheddar.
8. Hot dogs. Funny, none of us eats these things anymore. But we used to love them wrapped up in biscuits with cheese.
9. Dog food. Because the dog I have now weighs ten pounds. We had a much larger sweetie when the lovelies were little. That dog could pack away some dog food.
10. Popcorn. The lovelies LOVED popcorn. I don't miss picking it up off the floor. Though it was fun to throw it up in the air and try to catch it in our mouths. 

Hope y'all are having a happy Monday!

What's Awesome About Your Family?

It's time for the wonderfully entertaining Monday Listicles! 

This week, we're listing 10 Little Things That Make Your Family Awesome. Next week will be 10 Things You Buy Every Week.   

All you have to do to join in with this week's list is click on the button! 


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I'm putting a little spin on this week's list. It will be a bit female oriented. Are you shocked? LOL

10 Little Things That Make My Family Awesome

1. Daughters! No offense to those with sons (I have three brothers whom I love dearly) but, DAUGHTERS RULE! 
2. No grudge holders.None of us girls hold grudges. I think it helps that there's someone within the extended family who does hold grudges and we've seen first hand how ugly that is.  
3. Comedians abound. If you need/want a laugh, come hang out with us when all 5 of us gals are together. You won't be sorry. But your stomach muscles will ache. 
4. Tight knit.We are a tight group of five women (I can't believe my children are women and not little girls). And I mean tight. We are all there for one another in every situation. We stick together- regardless.  
5. Supportive. I've never quite witnessed such support as we give one another. And encouraging as well. 
6. Loyalty. The five of us are loyal to one another. Probably to a fault. 
7. Creativity and talents galore! I don't even know where to start on this one. There's hardly anything at least one of us can't do from music to sewing to creating from scratch to painting to...you get the idea. 
8. Independent thinkers. Each and every one of us thinks for herself. We are not influenced by the opinions of others. Our beliefs are not based on other people's suggestions. 
9. Feisty. It's not wise to tangle with one of us. I pity the fool who gets all of us angry at once. Ha!  
10. Stubborn. Each and every one of us stands her ground. Vehemently. 

Some might think that some of these qualities are not exactly good or positive. I disagree. I love that we are strong, independent women who love life. I love that we stand our ground and support and encourage one another. I love that we laugh A LOT and have so much fun together. I love our similarities AND our differences. Being the mom to these four lovelies is the best thing I've ever had the good fortune to do! 

Ok, what makes y'alls family awesome?!  

Smiley Listicles

It's time for the wonderfully entertaining Monday Listicles! 

This week, we're listing The 10 Words That Make You Smile. Next week it will be 10 Little Things That Make Your Family Awesome.   

All you have to do to join in with this week's list is click on the button! 


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Ten Words That Make Me Smile

1. HOLIDAY (especially Christmas, for so very many reasons!).
2. DAUGHTERS (maybe because I have 4 and they're so freaking awesome!).
3. LEARNING (because it is always a good thing and something we should never stop doing).
4. GRANDMOTHER and GRANDDADDY (because mine were so wonderful!).
5. HONEY (because this is what I called my dad when I was a toddler.).
6. TUCKER (because he's my sweet pup and because of what my brother THOUGHT I said when I told him the dog's name was 'Tucker.').
7. FRIEND (because I have one who was MIA for a long time but we are back and because of the wonderful friends I have at school!).
8. YES (who doesn't smile when they get a 'yes'?).
9. CONNIPTION (because my grandmother always used this in reference to how someone might react to something. NOTE: a conniption fit is NOT to be confused with a hissy fit. A conniption is way more serious...LOL)
10. PO-PO (I can't even type the word without chuckling.). 

I've got a plethora of words from which to choose but we're only supposed to list ten. 

What words make you smile?

Summer Sizzlin' Listicles

It's time for the wonderfully entertaining Monday Listicles! 

This week, we're listing The 10 Things Summer. Next week it will be Ten Words That Make You Smile . 

All you have to do to join in with this week's list is click on the button! 


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Obviously, my summer activities have changed since becoming an empty nester. Long, hot summer days with kids are very different from the ones spent without them. But they are far from boring.

Ten Things Summer on an Empty Nest List

1. Shaving the legs weekly instead of monthly. Ok, seasonal. Sue me. I hate shaving my legs.
2. Do all outside activities before 8:00 in the A.M. Thaaat's right. You come on down here and try to spend the daylight hours in our summer heat/humidity. Can't. Be. Done. At least, not without developing a HUGELY unattractive attitude.
3. Stop forgetting that BEGINNING a summer project means it has to be seen through to COMPLETION. Sheesh.
4. Don't bother turning on the television. Pretty much everything on every network is stupid. 
5. Ceiling fans whirling and twirling nonstop until November. 
6. Damn mosquitoes.
7. Take at least two showers every day. No reminders needed. For most of us anyway.
8. Water! Ice! Air conditioning!
9. Go to the beach and enjoy the scenery. Wink, wink! :)
10. Try to avoid pastels because all fat rolls can be seen more clearly in them. AND, in pastels, they look about 4 times bigger.   

And that's ten things summer on my list.

What's on your summer list?

Photo Listicles

Summer vacay is still underway. I've got some home improvement projects to begin this week. But first---

It's time for the wonderfully entertaining Monday Listicles! 

This week, we're listing The 10 Top Photos I've Taken. Next week it will be Ten Things Summer. 

All you have to do to join in with this week's list is click on the button! 


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There was an undeveloped subdivision next to ours for about 8 years or so. I used to love to go over there to walk Tucker and take pictures of the wildlife--especially the birds.It's no longer undeveloped and the contractors/builders/home owners have succeeded in destroying animal habitats and killing off as much nature as they could. There are two ponds in the middle of the subdivision that are still there. But the birds that frequent them have dwindled. Significantly.

How glorious would it have been had the powers that be chosen to keep that area as a park or a nature reserve or something of the sort (it's not like we NEED another subdivision around here). But, sadly AND as usual, their greed for money won out over the flora and fauna. So typical around here. So very typical.

And all for what? For homes that START at $480,000 and take about a month or less to throw up. While there are structures sitting empty all over our town. Their love of money sure does rule over their lives.

10 Photos of the Wildlife That was Run Off by Nature Killers (if this was posted on fb, I would follow it with: #pultehomes; #constructionofhomesnotneeded)

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Anyone destroying nature in your neck of the woods?

Skin Deep Listicles

Summer vacay y'all! Woot! Woot!

It's time for the wonderfully entertaining Monday Listicles! 

This week, we're listing The 10 Beauty Products/Tools We Can't Live Without. Next week it will be 10 Favorite TV shows that were cancelled too soon. 

All you have to do to join in with this week's list is click on the button! 


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Ten Beauty Products/Tools/Tips I Choose Not To Live Without

1. Coconut oil. It's the only moisturizer I use. And yes, I use organic.
2. Black soap and/or Judy's homemade soaps at Homemade Soap n Such.
3. Organic Tea Tree shampoo and conditioner.
4. Spring water. It's all I drink and I do so all day long.
5. 7 hours of sleep every night.
6. Exercise. Daily walks, Sprint 8 three days/week, weight training and a run here and there.
7. Organic onion juice (NOT bottled). This one will become something I can't live without IF it works. I read HERE that onion juice can reverse the greying process. WHAT?! That's right. And, if it works, I'm sold. I'll let you know.
8. Hair brush and hair ties. Hair brush for obvious reasons but hair ties because I like my hair long but I don't like for it to touch my neck when I'm hot. Since it's hot here 10 months out of the year, I put my hair up every day.
9. Ttoothbrush/toothpaste. Must keep those teeth clean and bright.
10. Dry skin brush. I do so enjoy dry skin brushing and it makes a huge difference with my skin. 

What's on your beauty list?

Listicles: Apperarances

The final countdown has arrived! Two full days, two half days, one teacher workday and then SUMMER VACAY! Hallefreakingluiah!!!

It's time for the wonderfully entertaining Monday Listicles! 

This week, we're listing The Top 10 Things You Notice First About Someone NEXT week the list will be 10 Beauty Tool/Products You Can't Live Without.

All you have to do to join in with this week's list is click on the button! 


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Top 10 Things I Notice First About Someone

1. Facial expression. I'm probably not going to approach or be approached by someone who is snarling.
2. Odor. I have oversensitive senses and my sense of smell is ridiculous. Therefore, whether someone smells of perfume or BO, I can't take it. I will back off from them speedy quick. I've tried holding my breath but that just doesn't work Besides, if I pass out and it's a bad breath issue and they try to give me mouth to mouth---Ew.
3. Firmness, or lack thereof, of handshake. I always notice their handshake. And, unfortunately, I tend to judge their personality based on their handshake. If it's like holding a damp dishrag, I'm not really going to pay attention to much of what they have to say nor will I pursue a relationship. If it's too strong, same thing.
4. Their vibe. If it's good/positive/happy I'm good with talking with them. If it's not, forget it.
5. Whether most of their comments are negative or positive. I don't mind if it's a mixture but, if all that comes out of their mouth is negative, I'm moving on.
6. Where their eyes look while talking to me. If they are able to look me in the eye while talking, great. If not, I wonder what they are hiding or lying about. Or if some dude is looking at my chest instead of my face---let's just say that I'm not silent about it.
7. Their accent. Some accents I could just sit and listen to all day long. Others, not so much. If it's so thick, and I'm including redneck speak here, then I'm not really listening because I'm not willing to take the time to interpret what they're really saying.
8. Body language. Tells me a lot---is the person in a good mood, bad mood, sad mood, angry mood...absolutely determines whether or not I'll be conversing with them that day. 
9. Stature. Like posture---do they carry themselves with confidence or do they slouch.
10. Real or fake. It's pretty easy for me to assess the genuineness of people. If they aren't genuine, I'm out. 

 And I just realized that this is a list that makes me sound quite judgmental. In my defense, I just really don't want someone's bad mood or anger issues. I've got enough of those myself. I'm not going to be thrilled with their sad stories and pity parties either. I live with someone who has bad moods, anger issues and pity parties on a nearly daily basis. This, of course, excludes someone with a true need.

So, yeah. I might be way more judgmental than I thought. Or maybe we could call it protective??? Ha.

Ok, let's hear what's on your lists! 

Monday Listicles--Planning a Wedding

It's Memorial Day and a day off from school! Which means we are now down to only 9 school days left before summer vacay! WHAT?! WooHoo!

Monday also means Monday Listicles and THIS Monday marks Stasha's 100th listicle post! 

This week's list is all about free styling it! NEXT week the list will be The Top 10 Things You Notice About People.

All you have to do to join in with this week's list is click on the button! 

10 Tips for Empty Nesters on How to Keep Positive While Planning a Wedding

1. Regarding the money. Everything is overpriced. EVERYTHING. I swear it's a scam. But, so what? It's your daughter's wedding. It's going to cost money. AND, sometimes, the cost of something won't be near as much as you thought it would be! 
2. Tap into family and friend resources. There will be some who want to help- let them! With the understanding that this is your daughter's wedding so it's all about what SHE wants. If they want to do it their way instead- tell them NO.
3. The waiting sucks. We went out for the first time to get ideas for the bridesmaids dresses and start trying on wedding dresses. Which means we did a lot of waiting. All. Day. Long. BUT- if you take sisters/BFFs/relatives with you, you get to focus on the stories, smiles, laughter and tears instead of how long it's taking.
4. When you feel the need to vent, (you know, when your daughter wants something that horrifies you or a vendor totally pisses you off) do it with your Bestie (some of you might be lucky enough to have a husband willing to help in this area) or a close relative--someone who will keep it between the two of you. NEVER vent to/at your daughter!
5. Remember, you want to be the one your daughter can turn to for support NOT the one she runs away from because of your negativity.  
6. Remember that it's all about HER and HER day. Not yours. You had your chance YEARS ago. 
7. Don't let the list of things to do freak you out. Even though it may seem like there aren't enough hours in the day, there are! Everything will get done and it will all be well worth it!
8. Look forward to and totally immerse yourself in the wonderful girls' weekends you will host. Remember, if you are being all negative and controlling, you won't get to enjoy anything because they'll leave you out of as much as they possibly can.
9. Remember, it's just a wedding. If you start feeling overwhelmed/stressed/negative/angry---STEP BACK and regroup. 
10. Make up your mind that every single thing that goes into the planning is going to be fun and then embrace each task/meeting/event as such. 

Gotta give a shout out to BELLA BRIDESMAIDS (downtown Charleston, SC) and BRIDALS BY JODI (North Charleston, SC) for being so sweet and helpful and just downright wonderful! 

AND- Birdie found her dress! We had appointments at four different places (waitingwaitingwaiting) - she found two fantastic choices for bridesmaids dresses at Bella Bridesmaids and then, at our last stop of the (long) day, she found THE dress (thank you so much Betsy at Bridals by Jodi). 

See what a positive attitude can result in at the end of the day? 

Monday Listicles

I'm so glad to be back with the Monday Listicles! I've missed them! I'm also glad the A-Z Challenge is over. My heart just wasn't in it this year. 

But my heart is always in the making of the listicles.

This week's list is all about 10 Things You Love That Cost Nothing. Next week, 10 Real or Imagined Brand Names. Not quite sure what that means but I've got a week to think about it. Ha!
 
All you have to do to join in with this week's list is click on the button!

10 Free Things I Love

1. My morning walks with Tucker. Especially on the weekends when we take the nature trail down to the marsh. The sunrise is always so pretty. Yesterday morning, we saw egrets out there. And some laughing gulls. And hundreds of fiddler crabs.
2. Having DoodleBug move back home for a while. Wait. No. That has cost. It has cost my quiet time, an increase in the grocery bill, extra work when cleaning the house and cooking...Never mind. Of course, it has ADDED to my happiness. So, it works out.
3. Birdie's engagement! Of course, the wedding will be a completely different story. Ha!
4. Our nephew's baby boy! That kid brings us all such joy!
5. Running sprint 8s. I absolutely love doing this and it's FREE! Well, except for the week before Spring Break when Tucker darted in front of me and I fell and it cost me 4 weeks and 4 days of sitting before I could run them again.Torturous.
6. Sitting quietly. Sometimes I just love to sit and hear and say nothing. About two minutes later, though, I get bored and it's over. Which is one very good reason why I don't do Yoga.
7. Rain storms. There's almost nothing I love more than a good thunderstorm with pounding rain. Especially in the early morning hours. On days that I can stay in bed and listen and drift in and out of sleep. Marvelous!
8. Time spent with any one of or all of the lovelies. I love any amount of time I get to spend with my girls. They are the BEST! We sit around the table and talk/laugh/play for hours. And then there's the beach just 3 miles from our house. We never need to go out and spend money in order to enjoy ourselves. 
9. Gardening. I mean, after all the plants are purchased. The part where you spend every day looking at each plant closely, weeding, watering...time spent with in the garden is truly therapuetic. 
10. Time spent with my BFF. She and I don't get nearly as much time as we'd like but, when we do, we usually go to one or the others house and sit and solve all the world's problems. As with spending time with the lovelies, we don't need to spend money to have a good time. 

I'm pretty sure those are my TOP 10 things I love doing that don't cost anything.

So, what's on your list?

April Fool's

April Fool's Day means hi-jinx for most folks. We're no different in our family so we have to be very, very careful each April 1. Especially around DoodleBug and Birdie. They're the best at fooling everyone. But that doesn't mean that Breezy and Deanie don't get us too. It's just that DoodleBug and Birdie go all out in their efforts.

And school? Let's just say that I'm quite happy that spring break is upon us this week. Because the students have way too much fun with April Fool's pranks. Translation: I am a sucker and fall for the pranks played on me by the students.

There is one other thing about April Fool's Day in our family though--- it is also Deanie's birthday!!! That's right- she's my April Fool's baby.

I've posted about each of the lovelies on their birthdays before (Deanie's birthday posts are here and here), so I'll keep this one short and sweet. And pictorial.

Happy Birthday my sweet Deanie girl! I love you!

I'm linking this post to the first post of the April, A-Z Challenge!
Just click the badge below and see what everyone else came up with for the letter 'A'. 

And, it's also Monday listicles day!

This week, our topic is 10 Places You've Been Kissed. I hope Stasha will forgive me for taking liberties with this week's topic- instead of the mushy, I'm going to list 10 Things About Deanie that Begin With the Letter 'A' since it is her birthday.

  

Next week's list will be 10 Things You Did That Made You Feel Like A Super Hero.

All you have to do to join in with this week's list is click on the button!

1. Adorable. Not just in the 'cute' way but in her actions and attitude. 

2. Appreciative. She's always so grateful for everything and to everyone. 

3. Active. Without a doubt, Deanie's unending energy amazes me. She works as an interior designer with a huge firm in VA, bartends in DC and has a ridiculously busy social life. On top of that, she's training for her first half marathon. Ah, youth.

4. Amiable. That's putting it mildly. She's friendly and outgoing enough for all of us!

5.  Affectionate.Deanie is a loving person- giving and kind. She reaches out to those in need and cares deeply for so many. 

6. Ardent. Deanie is devoted to family and friends and to worthy causes and goes all out giving 110%.

7. Artistic. In SO many ways- her voice will blow you away, when she dances it truly is poetry in motion and her creativity in the craft and art areas are astounding. 

8. Articulate. Ha! By articulate I mean, talkative. All. The. Time. This child's mouth never tires. NEVER. But I love it- she still calls me every single day.

9. Aesthetic. Deanie sees the beauty in practically everything and everyone.

Have a great Monday, y'all! 




 

Spring Listies

It's Monday and time to join Stasha over at The Good Life for Monday Listicles! Each week Stasha gives us a theme for our lists. This week, our topic is 10 THINGS SPRING. 


Spring. The season of allergies. The season of ...wait, let's save it for the list! 

Next week's list will be 10 Places You Kissed. Oh my...LOL

All you have to do to join in with this week's list is click on the button!

TEN GOOD THINGS ABOUT SPRING:  

1. SPRING BREAK! Yes indeedy do! We are a mere 4 days away from one of my most favorite things about spring (well, it is now that I'm with elementary students five days/week).  Bring. It. ON. 
2. Deanie's birthday! WooHoo! Deanie will be 26 on April 1. Oh, and BestSonInLawEVER will NOT be 26 on May 30. AND my brother will be far, far away from 26 on the same day! Birthday season!!!
3. DoodleBug's college graduation! Another WooHoo! And, it's on Mother's Day weekend. What better time for a college graduation?! This Mother's Day will be a milestone for our family- all four of the lovelies will be out of college! Until grad school starts up.
4. Spring is NOT summer! The temps are not as bad hot as they are in summer. During the springtime, our low-country temps are tolerable. During the summer? They are not. 
5. Spring brings us Memorial Day which means A DAY OFF! WooHoo!
6. SPRING BREAK! Oh, sorry. I already mentioned it. 
7. We have a spring wedding to attend! My bestie's daughter is getting hitched next month and all of the lovelies will be home! 
8. Cropped pants and capris.I thought we were all ready for that last week so I shaved my legs. Then winter showed up. Go figure.
9. Toe exposure. I am not a fan of shoes which makes low-country living a good thing because the number of days we have to enclose our toes are few. In the spring, we expose them and keep them exposed! 
10. Garden time. It's time to get the garden going. This should be interesting since I have WAY less time to devote to the garden this spring. Even so, I'm looking forward to it! 

It's y'alls turn! Get those lists up and share your spring list!

The Partner List

It's Monday and time to join Stasha over at The Good Life for Monday Listicles! Each week Stasha gives us a theme for our lists. This week, our topic is 10 WAYS MY PARTNER IS AWESOME. 


Riiight. I decided the best thing to do with this one is just have some fun. Besides, I'm not in a mood to get all mushy and stuff. So I'm putting my own spin on it and I'm going to list the 10 WAYS MY DREAM PARTNER IS AWESOME. (All in fun).

Next week's list will be 10 Things Spring.

All you have to do to join in with this week's list is click on the button!

TEN WAYS MY DREAM PARTNER IS AWESOME:  

1. Never forgets to put the seat down. 
2. Always takes responsibility for his own bad decisions and never blames others.
3. Never fights dirty.
4. Always takes care of problems only he knows how to fix when they break instead of waiting until they become too big and too costly.
5. Never comes inside covered in dirt and sits on the furniture but takes the time to shower first. 
6. Always does what he says he's going to do when he says he's going to do it.
7. Never fails to listen quietly and respectfully to the opinions of others.
8. Always finishes what he starts. (Related to always gets started...).
9. Never leaves the bathroom sink dirty- this includes the soap dish.
10. Always cleans up after himself because he is organized, neat and tidy. 

 Am I living in a dream world or what???? LOL 

I'm sure there are plenty of the male of the species who have their very own dream list. And I bet I can guess what number one is.

Just having a little fun on a Monday because, if I don't, it's just a Monday. :)

Have a great one, y'all! 

What's That I Smell?

It's Monday and time to join Stasha over at The Good Life for Monday Listicles! Each week Stasha gives us a theme for our lists. This week, our topic is 10 FANTASTIC SMELLS. 

Coming up with 10 fantastic smells is not an easy feat for me. I used to not have a problem with smells- good ones--until about 10 years ago when I suddenly couldn't tolerate nearly every smell around me. Especially perfumes, lotions, cleaning products, etc. When I smell these things, I can immediately TASTE them and immediately following the taste comes the headache. It really sucks.

Anyway, I did come up with some smells that I can still tolerate. To be honest, there are plenty more that didn't make the list because they would have put me over ten. That wouldn't be FANTASTIC.  But it WAS FANTASTIC that I now realize there are many smells that I can still enjoy!

Next week's list will be 10 Ways My Partner Is Awesome.

All you have to do to join in with this week's list is click on the button!

TEN FANTASTIC SMELLS:

1. The ocean. We live only 3 miles from the beach and the air outside (on most days) is wonderfully beachy. This is one thing about living at the coast that I do not take for granted. It's FANTASTIC!
2. Puppy breath. I love to smell puppy breath! It's FANTASTIC!
3. Babies. When their diapers are NOT dirty that is cause when their diapers are dirty, well, that's NOT FANTASTIC.
4. Fresh, organic, ripe pineapples. So sweet and mouth watering! Unless I pick one up that's too ripe. Then the smell is overly sweet and that's NOT FANTASTIC!
5. Just about anything baking in the oven. When I'm baking the smells make our house seem even more cozy. It's FANTASTIC! You know, unless it's burning. Which is NOT FANTASTIC at all.
6. Pipe and cigar smoke. I know this is odd coming from someone who can't tolerate many smells and who finds cigarette smoke particularly offensive and far from FANTASTIC BUT, I really do love to smell pipes and cigars. It IS FANTASTIC!
7. Good bourbon. I don't drink it because it's just too strong for me, but I do love to smell it because it's FANTASTIC! 
8. Suntan lotion. I love the smell and the memories it invokes from the time I was a little girl to taking the lovelies to the beach every day of every summer when they were growing up! It's FANTASTIC! And you can add the smell of Noxema (FANTASTIC) to this one because my grandmother put it on us when we got sunburned (NOT FANTASTIC) because of the suntan lotion not having enough sunscreen in it. 
9. Coconut. Especially in cupcake form. The smell AND taste of those cupcakes is FANTASTIC!
10. Coffee. I've never really been a coffee drinker until recently- when I discovered Trader Joes' organic espresso blend--but I've always enjoyed standing in the coffee section of any store and just breathing in that glorious smell. The smell of coffee beans is FANTASTIC!

That concludes my list of 10 FANTASTIC SMELLS. What's on your list?

Puffed Up Listicles

It's Monday and time to join Stasha over at The Good Life for Monday Listicles! Each week Stasha gives us a theme for our lists. This week, our topic is 10 Things You're Proud Of. 

Now, every single one of you know that I am proud of the lovelies and of being their mom. So, I'm not going to go that way for this listicle. 

Next week's list will be 10 Fantastic Smells.

All you have to do to join in with this week's list is click on the button!

TEN Things I'm Darn Proud Of (Other Than The Lovelies):

1. I'm proud that I hold the household record in Wii Bowling. Thaaat's riiight. I'm still beating all the men in the family. Ha!
2. I'm proud of my ridiculously HUGE (and somewhat obnoxious) competitive nature.
3. I'm proud that I have never run around outside naked (this does not include the beach...or the mountains...or swimming). 
4. I'm proud that I did not totally freak out when I saw the ghost called Slender man. Yep, I've seen him and so has Birdie. And he's a total creepster. DO NOT make the mistake I did and Google him or you'll be sleeping with your light on the rest of your lives too. Maybe this is 'delayed freak out'...LOL
5. I'm proud of the fact that I totally avoid things that I'm afraid of--snakes, heights, horror movies, bad love stories...maybe, in lieu of #4, I should add Google to this list.
6. I'm proud that I am a stubborn, opinionated, cynical (or, as I like to call it- being realistic) type personality. 
7. I'm proud that I've never smacked the crap out of someone who doesn't stay inside the white lines when they park. Trust me, this is quite a restraint on my part. Ditto with bad drivers and women who stop in the middle of the aisle of any store that requires the use of a shopping cart to chat or look at something so that no one can get past them. 
8. I'm embarrassingly proud of the fact that I enjoy watching Karma at work. 
9. I'm proud that I am skeptic. I question everything. I want PROOF. I'm not taking one person's word for it people. No how, no way. 
10. I'm proud of the fact that I did, indeed, see Santa's sleigh flying through the sky when I was a kid no matter what my parents maintain.

See? I can make a 'proud of' list without putting the lovelies in the mix. Though I couldn't have done it without announcing the fact that I'm going to leave them out on purpose. Sheesh.

Ok, let's see your Puffed Up List!

You Bought WHAT?

It's Monday and time to join Stasha over at The Good Life for Monday Listicles! Each week Stasha gives us a theme for our lists. This week, our topic is our 10 Dumbest Purchases. 

This one is going to require some major thought because, for the most part, my purchases are not spur of the moment but, rather, researched and thought out. So, I decided to sit here and look around the house for things I wish I had never bought because it's just taking up space or didn't work or wasn't what someone claimed it to be and I discovered that maybe I don't research and think as much as I thought I did. Go figure.

Of course, if I had gone with the 10 Dumbest Purchases made by the husband, this would have gone a lot quicker. And WAY over ten. :)

Next week's list will be 10 Things You Are Proud Of.

All you have to do to join in with this week's list is click on the button!

TEN DUMBEST PURCHASES:

1. Just about every gift I've ever given my dad who goes out and buys everything he wants/needs when the spirit moves him leaving very little left for the rest of us. Though he really thought the slippers with the LED headlight in the front I got him the Christmas after he rammed his toe into the lounger one night was funny

2. Nothing that I've ever bought from the Dollar Store! How I LOVE that place. L.O.V.E.

3. That one exercise video that was made by the spawn of Satan Amy Bento- Hi/Lo Xtreme. Nobody wants to workout that hard for any reason EVER. Not to mention that nobody is truly THAT coordinated.

4. Nothing that I've ever bought at Michael's. Another store that I ADORE!

5. Those organizer thingies that go on the back of the front seats of the car. Really dumb. Cause nobody in this family ever put anything inside one of those.

6. I haven't bought one of these BUT I'm pretty sure that Rollie Eggmaster thing would totally suck.



7. These 12 x 12, three-ring scrapbooks that I really liked but didn't think it through as they do not fit on any shelf in our house.

 Besides, I really wanted these:

Only NOT in pink and blue. How trite. Anyway, now I'm stuck with the wrong ones and trying to justify spending the money on the ones I want. Sheesh.

8. Shoes for the lovelies when they were babies. How dumb. Babies don't walk. Duh.

9. All those little trinkets that sit on the shelves because I like them or they look so pretty. Yeah, well, you have to dust those darn things.

10. O,O,O!!! Remember the Veg-o-Matic? Well, I don't remember whether it was the ACTUAL product or a reasonable facsimile BUT, I got one and I used it like twice before the darn thing broke into a gazillion pieces! Just use a knife. Or a food processor. LOL

What's on your list of dumb purchases?