I've Got a List For That

Nice Day Morning Errands With R Yesterday

2012-02-02T12:58:00.002-06:00

1. To OK Hatchery in Kirkwood to get a multitude of heirloom seeds for my dad

2. Since we were already on Argonne, we HAD to stop in at Great Harvest and pick up a loaf of cinnamon chip bread for french toast. And a blackberry peach Savannah Bar.

3. Over to Penzey's for freeze-dried shallots, cinnamon sugar, Italian Herb mix, fajita seasoning, and Arizona Dreaming

4. Since we were already in Maplewood, we HAD to stop in at Kakao for vegan truffles to take to my sisters this weekend

5. To Bare Escentuals for makeup for me

6. To Whole Foods for a couple items- yogurt, tortilla shells, broccoli, sweet potatoes, grapes, and salsa

7. Schnucks for groceries- last night was fajitas with friends and we had to load up

8. To W's school for pickup

For My Brother-In-Law Ryan On His Birthday

2012-02-01T15:39:00.002-06:00

1. I like to call him Rhino.

2. Once he and I and my little sister Tracy (not his wife, that's my other sister) went to a Counting Crows concert and some people offered us a hit off what they were smoking. His declining their offer was as casual cool as it comes.

3. My son loves him and remembers often a fun day he spent with Ryan and his two sons just doing boy stuff.

4. He really loves our family, not just because he has to. He seems to genuinely enjoy our crazy bunch.

5. I think his Diet Coke addiction paired with his strict veganism is just too hilarious.

6. He is a huge Illini fan. I am a huge Razorbacks fan. My brother's a huge Mizzou fan. I like that.

7. He once had a strange interaction with a Tia & Tamara commercial that just killed me.

8. When the Lord of the Rings trilogy was coming out in theaters at Christmastimes, we'd go see them and for a time, and calling each other Orcs was a huge insult.

9. He's been around our family for like 18 years. That is crazy to me. I do feel like he's been a part of our family forever.

10. When my sister was pregnant with her firstborn, I rode back from Florida in their car with them. She slept the ENTIRE way home in the back seat. He and I talked the whole time and listened to the new Matchbox 20 CD on repeat.

11. He is my favorite person to watch get tickled and laugh. It's a riot!

12. He is very talented and good at everything he does.

13. Back before he was a big-shot in the wireless communications field, he was a third grade teacher. One year, I helped him set up his classroom.

14. He always drove the saddest grandpa-type cars, but now he has a cool car that suits him, and that makes me really happy.

15. I just asked W what she likes about Uncle Ryan, and she said, "I like that he's big and strong."

16. He indulges my sister in what the world might consider her craziness- her diet, her flamboyant parties...he loves it all and thinks it's great fun.

17. He is one of the hardest workers I know.

18. He is a good and patient and kind father. My husband and I often have "What Would Ryan Do?" moments in our parenting discussions.

19. My sister has a vegan blog and whenever she posts photos of him, strangers always comment on how hot he is, often to the point of inappropriateness. It's about the food, people!

20. I just asked R what he likes about Uncle Ryan, and he said, "Him's a fun man!" Perfect.

Yesterday's Every Hour

2012-01-31T11:38:00.000-06:00

1. 7:00- still in bed, but awake

2. 8:00- letting R type his name on the computer...over and over and over and over again

3. 9:00- folding laundry and watching a Wyatt Earp documentary while R watches Sesame Street

4. 10:00- making kids beds

5. 11:00- getting R's lunch ready (mixed nuts, cheese, crackers, and a clementine orange)

6. Noon- making some chai tea

7. 1:00- eating my lunch (Dewey's candied walnut & grape salad) while I caught up on the internets

8. 2:00- reading from a biography of Andrew Wyeth in the bath tub

9. 3:00- I actually fell in the sleep for about an hour and a half- I've not been sleeping lately

10. 4:00- cleaning the bathrooms

11. 5:00- texting

12. 6:00- making dinner

13. 7:00- with W, putting Valentine's Day themed things in the art center

14. 8:00- literally passed out across the foot of our bed

15. 9:00- watching Gossip Girl

Some Pet Names I Would Use

2012-01-30T08:24:00.004-06:00

1. Janice

2. Ron Weasley

3. Newman

4. Ben Fong-Torres

5. Emmylou

6. Lisa Turtle (if it's a turtle)

7. Jose Oquendo

8. Eleanor Rigby

9. Jordan Catalanno (if it's a cat)

10. Zoila

11. Chuck Bass (if it's a fish)

12. If we got two little pets at the same time, they would obviously be named Zack and Kelly. Or Joey and Pacey? Hmmm, decisions, decisions.

13. Crystal Gayle (this is from W...she thinks it's a beautiful name)

14. Speaking of, Loretta Lynn would be a great cat name. If I liked cats.

This Week

2012-01-29T21:15:00.003-06:00

1. Pack for an 8-day trip to Arkansas

2. Go by Penzey's to pick up a few things

3. Buy my niece a birthday gift

4. Make W's Valentine's box (her friend Eric's coming over to do his, too- second date!)

5. Start working on potty training R- first step was buying Mickey Mouse big boy undies and getting him interested in those...check.

6. Cook dinner for friends on Wednesday night

7. Bake a loaf of banana bread for my husband

8. Get my blood tested...I've been putting that one off as long as I can

Around the House Dislikes

2012-01-27T11:01:00.002-06:00

1. Dirty dishes in the sink that are filled with water. Hate it!

2. When the kitchen counters get littered with things. I like them to be perfectly clean. I blame my mother.

3. Fingerprints on the living room tables, but alas, it's a winless game I'm playing.

4. The dustbunnies that form and hang out along our hallway wall

5. When our middle blanket comes...nevermind. My bed rules could be a whole list in and of itself.

6. When A puts the dishes in the dishwasher the wrong way. For instance, I like to keep silverware handle up and I always start filling it up from the back.

7. Exposed cords

8. I don't like the setup of the kid's room, and am irritated that there really isn't another option.

9. When people hang their toilet paper the wrong way. Ha!

10. Lights off in the main living area during the day

These Days

2012-01-26T12:17:00.005-06:00

1. What I'm Eating- Almost every day, for lunch or supper, I eat a wrap that has tons of veggies and some kind of beans, and some kind of grain in it. Sometimes I add a scrambled egg. I affectionately call it a "Beans-n-Grains-n-Things," which is what Whole Foods in LR was called before it was called Whole Foods and before it was called Wild Oats Market.

2. What I'm Listening To- I'm really into Trampled By Turtles right now. Also Emmylou Harris. And Ricky Skaggs.

3. What I'm Reading- The Sistine Secrets: Michelangelo's Forbidden Messages in the Heart of the Vatican. I'm also finishing up Empire of the Summer Moon. It's so good and meaty and I re-read most of the paragraphs for retention purposes.

4. What I'm Doing- I'm trolling the library, my art book collection, art magazines, and my saved paper treasures for pieces to use for a board I'm making for a friend

5. What I'm Drinking- Tazo Thrive nearly 3 times a day. It keeps me warm and my metabolism going

6. What I'm Interested In- NPR. I don't love radio music, so mostly in the car if the kids allow me, I listen to NPR. I despise watching the news on TV. NPR allows me to feel connected intellectually to the world.

7. What I'm Working On- Making our loft livable for the time being. We've been organizing and planning and redoing things to fit our family needs.

8. What I'm Watching- I'm really into PBS right now. Downton Abbey, of course & R is at the perfect age for Sesame Street & I LOVE these American Experience biographies they do (Wyatt Earp, Geronimo, Annie Oakley, etc) & the historic love stories pieces they do.

Truffles I Sampled Last Night At Ka-Ka-O

2012-01-25T09:45:00.004-06:00

1. Lavender

2. Milk chocolate

3. Vegan coconut

4. Dark chocolate

5. Yuzu

6. Sea salt caramel

7. (They also sampled bacon pecan brittle, but I obviously passed)

8. Chai

9. Sour cherry

10. Marshmallow pie

11. Earl grey tea

12. Sour cherry pate de fuis

This Tuesday's Stay Home Day Activities

2012-01-24T14:39:00.000-06:00

1. Grocery store run

2. Me working on a project for a friend

3. Movie (The Rescuers) and banana-strawberry-chocolate milkshakes

4. Mommy and two kids all in the bath

5. Trip to the library

6. Collage making

7. Relay races and bike riding in the parking garage

8. Mommy night out

My Valentines Day, Birthday, Or Whenever You'd Like To Buy Me a Gift, List

2012-01-23T04:34:00.003-06:00

1. Size 7.5 please

2. Black jeans size 4

3. My favorite yoga pants, black size small

4. North Face vest in white (small)

5. iTunes cards

6. Chinos, size 4 in dark oak

7. Ginger tunic in small

8. Maxi skirt, small

9. Another maxi, size 2

10. Pizza pans

11. Sweet dress, medium

12. Amazon cards

13. The super-cute charcoal gray GapBody zip-up jacket that is an obvious lululemon knockoff

14. A new iPhone so that I can get this case

15. This bracelet

Changes At Our House This Weekend

2012-01-22T03:11:00.001-06:00

1. We are not going to put the loft on the market this spring.

2. We got rid of nearly half of the books in our bookshelf.

3. We bought black wire mesh baskets for one of the low bookshelfs and are turning that entire bookshelf into toy/puzzles/games central for the kids.

4. We ordered a conversion kit to turn R's crib into a toddler bed.

5. I took down some things I didn't love anymore from the walls and am replacing it with things I love but didn't have room for and have just been in storage.

6. We added another stacking shelf to the kids art center for more paper, etc. storage.

7. We pared down the Brio train track collection.

8. We bought Fishy Murphy a plant for his tank.

A Jeopardy! Game I Could Dominate

2012-01-21T14:30:00.003-06:00

The Jeopardy! Round

1. David Gray Lyrics

2. Fruits and Vegetables

3. Gangs

4. New Testament Verses

5. Arkansas

6. Bravo TV

The Double Jeopardy! Round

7. Native Americans

8. Gabriel Garcia Marquez Novels

9. Modern Art

10. Saturday Night Live Commercials

11. Capitols of the World

12. John Hughes Films

The Final Jeopardy! Round

13. George A. Custer

Things I Don't Like

2012-01-20T09:18:00.000-06:00

1. Chocolate chip cookie dough anything

2. Our "G" key doesn't work on the laptop. You have to aggressively press it a few times to get one. Then you get four.

3. Everything I really want to buy is really expensive

4. Gum

5. Wearing a coat

6. Exposed socks. I will only wear socks if they are hidden under boots.

7. The violent opposition my son has to potty training

8. This list blog lately

9. Toffee bits

10. High-fives

11. The white film on my car during the wintertime

12. Our tiled shower is really hard to keep clean

13. The month of February

What's In Our Refrigerator

2012-01-19T11:47:00.001-06:00

The numbering on this got all messed up, but I'm too lazy to fix it. Sorry!

1. Almond milk

2. 1% milk

3. Orange juice

4. Lots of Naked Juice- Mighty Mango and Red Machine

5. Lots of Odwalla Juice- Mo Beta and Mango Tango

6. One can of Coke

7. Cream cheese

8. Butter and Earth Balance

9. 3 kinds of jam- 2 grapes for A and 1 Fruits of the Forest for the kids

10. Horizon organic 1% milk boxes

11. Honest Kids juice boxes- very berry lemonade

12. Jar of minced garlic

13. Lemon and lime juice

14. Egg Beaters

15. Lots of bottles of Shock Top beer

16. 6 bottles of Woodchuck Hard Cider

17. Cheese (slices and block cheddar)

18. Deli meat- A's rotisserie chicken

19. Morningstar fake bacon slices

20. Whole wheat tortillas

21. Mustard, ketchup, pickles, BBQ sauce

22. Chia seeds, hemp seeds, wheat germ, and flax seeds

23. Maple syrup

24. Chocolate syrup

25. Kalamata olives

26. Eggs

27. Leftover beans

28. Leftover soy taco

29. Chai tea concentrate

30. Tomato sauce

21. Club soda

22. Vegetable broth

23. Chocolate chips

24. Apples

25. Strawberries

26. Blueberries

27. Tomatoes

28. Baby spinach

29. Beets

30. Red pepper

31. Avocado

32. Green onions

33. Broccoli

34. Red onion

35. Coconut water

Some Home Items I'm Loving From The New Catalogs

2012-01-18T10:28:00.000-06:00

1. My pouf obsession continues

2. Bedding

3. Pillow

4. Accent table

5. If you spend $400 on a pouf, you definitely have a problem. But I want it for W's room.

6. Sheets

7. Terraniums

8. I want that bunny. Okay, and the cow. And I wouldn't be sad if I got the hen, too.

9. Beautiful mirror

10. Duvet cover

11. Sofa

12. Pillow

13. LOVE IT! But I'll give you one guess who would hate it...that's right. My husband. Especially at $110/roll.

14. We need this for our record collection

What's In My Burrito

2012-01-17T13:19:00.000-06:00

1. Buena Vida whole wheat tortilla

2. Smashed half of an avocado

3. Garlic

4. Sweet potato cubes

5. Baby spinach

6. Curly kale

7. Shredded Imo's provel cheese

8. Pinto beans

9. Ground flax seed, chia seeds, wheat germ, and hemp seeds

10. Diced cherry tomatoes

To-Do This Week

2012-01-15T20:56:00.000-06:00

1. Finish W's sight word cards

2. Figure out and schedule our upcoming Arkansas trip

3. Make board for a friend

4. Take a painting to ArtMart to be mounted in shadowbox

5. Check to see if we were ever credited for some returned boots

6. Do a list for Golden Globes show

7. Buy a swiffer, because mine has just vanished

8. Exchange a tank from the Gap. The color of my current one is the exact color of my skin, and it's very disconcerting.

9. Make cinnamon chip french toast

Movies We Own

2012-01-14T03:33:00.000-06:00

1. Bottle Rocket

2. Rushmore

3. Snatch

4. Napoleon Dynamite

5. The Big Lebowski

6. Anchorman

7. Old School

8. Meet the Parents

9. Black Sheep

10. Office Space

11. Zoolander

12. Once

13. About A Boy

14. Little Miss Sunshine

15. Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

16. Good Will Hunting

17. Training Day

18. Man on Fire

19. The Last Samurai

20. X-Men

21. Matrix (all 3 of them)

22. Fight Club

23. Spiderman

24. The Italian Job

25. The Bourne Identity

26. In America

27. Radio

28. Remember the Titans

29. Rudy

30. Rounders

31. Gangs of New York

32. Les Miserables

33. The Manchurian Candidate

34. Shanghai Knights

35. O Brother, Where Art Thou

36. The Emperor's Club

37. Runaway Jury

38. L.A. Confidential

39. The Pianist

40. Batman Returns

41. The Dark Knight

42. When Harry Met Sally

43. America's Sweethearts

44. Mona Lisa Smile

45. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

46. I Am Sam

47. Love Actually

48. Grosse Point Blank

49. Hands on a Hard Body

50. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

51. Twilight

52. Romeo + Juliet

53. About Schmidt

54. The Terminal

55. You Can Count on Me

56. Say Anything

57. The Man in the Moon

58. Moulin Rouge

59. Chicago

60. White Oleander

61. The Bourne Ultimatum

62. The Bourne Supremacy

63. Chappelle's Show season 1

64. Arrested Development all seasons

65. Friends all seasons

66. Dawson's Creek all seasons

67. Charlotte's Web

68. Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas

69. Christmas Set (Frosty, Rudolph, Santa Claus is Comin to Town)

70. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

71. Alvin and the Chipmunk's A Chipmunk Christmas

72. Elf

73. Band of Brothers

74. David Gray Live From the Artist's De

75. Seinfeld season 4

76. The Kids in the Hall

77. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy

78. Alice in Wonderland

79. The Three Musketeers

80. He-Man all seasons

81. Spirit, Stallion of the Cimarron

82. Follow That Bird

83. Ice Age Dawn of the Dinosaurs

84. The Aristocats

85. Peter Pan

86. An American Tail

87. Home on the Range

88. Beauty and the Beast

89. The Little Mermaid

90. The Lion King 1 1/2

91. Angelina Ballerina Rose Fairy Princess

92. Piglet's Big Movie

93. Lady and the Tramp II Scamp's Adventure

Clothes I Want

2012-01-13T03:11:00.004-06:00

1. Denim shirt

2. I want this to be my summer suit

3. Light pink jeans

4. Black cropped skinny jeans

5. Dark brown leggings

6. A perfect A-line skirt to replace the one the dry cleaners "lost," i.e. stole

7. And leave it to me to fall in love with these

8. Boy-shirt style plaid top

9. A perfect, lightweight black long sleeve top- my current one is falling apart from overuse

10. A green fitted button-up cardigan

11. I am always in the market for a lovely dress

12. These pants. If you order a size up from what you'd normally wear, they are the perfect boyfriend fit ankle pants.

January Fun Stuff

2012-01-12T06:43:00.002-06:00

1. Going on a church women's retreat this weekend- so excited

2. Civil Wars concert

3. Out with girlfriends a couple times

4. Bowling with W's school

5. W Star Day- also pajama day

6. Chocolate tasting at Kakao in Maplewood with art fair team

7. Trip to Arkansas to meet my new nephew

My Cooking Goals This Week

2012-01-11T08:09:00.002-06:00

1. Because I almost caved and bought the always-desirable-to-me brown toaster strudels, I made these this morning and thought they were dangerously delicious

2. Our friend Stephen's coming to dinner tonight...I like to try out new things when he's here, so these will be on the side of whatever my husband grills

3. While the men eat grilled meat, the kids and I are going to try these cakes out

4. I think these cuties will be a hit with my whole family, so I'm making them as a special breakfast before I go out of town Friday

5. I am going to make some pureed fruit "ice cubes" for the kids on Thursday because W saw them while I was internet surfing the other day and thought they were magical

6. I need to finish eating the unreasonable amount of pinto beans I made on Monday

Every Hour

2012-01-10T00:17:00.000-06:00

1. 8:00- driving W to preschool, per W's request- listening to Gillian Welch

2. 9:00- was next door- I couldn't get one of my new boots off, my neighbor's mom had to help

3. 10:00- baking brownies for a friend

4. 11:00- making R, Teddy, and me lunch (roasted sweet potatoes, eggplant, and mushrooms, pinto beans, and cheese toast) and singing to David Gray

5. Noon- driving to pick up W from school

6. 1:00- online browsing

7. 2:00- going through stored artwork and seeing if I want to switch anything out

8. 3:00- helping the kids draw birds and elephants

9. 4:00- wrapping a birthday gift for W's sweet friend- this necklace (she loves hippos)- for a party this weekend and planning her outfit, a sticky sweet Hannah Anderson tutu and bow top

10. 5:00- looking around the kitchen, deciding what to cook for dinner

11. 6:00- serving dinner

12. 7:00- doing dishes

13. 8:00- piddling around in the bathroom

14. 9:00- watching an episode of Ken Burns: The West

15. 10:00- watching a Friends rerun- one of my favorites..."I'm Joey, I'm disgusting. I take my underwear off in other people's homes."

What's In Our Art Center Right Now

2012-01-09T09:21:00.003-06:00

1. Paper- construction, little sheets, envelopes, big manilla sheets

2. Magazines

3. Glue sticks

4. Scissors

5. Markers and dot markers

6. Crayons

7. Old photo cards

8. Stickers

9. Stamps

10. Feathers and pom poms

11. Popsicle sticks

12. Pipe cleaners

13. Greeting cards

What I Want To...

2012-01-08T06:16:00.001-06:00

1. Go See- Melancholia and My Week With Marilyn. Both playing at the Tivoli, so I might pull a double-feature.

2. Go See- The Artist at Plaza Frontenac

3. Read- The Great Gatsby and Brave New World

4. Eat- Black Bean Enchiladas. My Mexican meter is dangerously low, as I haven't been to Mexican Villa in over a year. Feed me burritos, feed me burritos...

5. Do- take the kids to the science center

6. Eat- a broiled grapefruit. I saw it on Pinterest, and it's all I can think about.

7. Make- I need to get started on a piece I am making for our friend's dental office

8. Take the Kids to- the Penguin Parade at the zoo

9. Watch- House of Lies

10. Make- a little terranium

11. Plan- a mom's night out for W's preschool class moms

12. Buy- this dress

13. Buy- a medium-wash denim shirt that I have in my head but haven't found yet

New Births At The St. Louis Zoo

2012-01-07T10:17:00.004-06:00

1. An East African black rhino male named Ruka, the firstborn of parents Kati Rain and Ajabu. At four days old, he weighs the same amount as I do.

2. A female Asian elephant named Kenzi, born to Rani and Raja. The STL Zoo has three generations of this elephant family living there with the grandmother being the 40 year old named Pearl, who is Raja's mama.

3. Imani, an African lion cub whose name means "faith" in Swahili. Her sister was stillborn, and so Imani had to be bottle-fed at the vet hospital because she was becoming dehydrated (just one cub doesn't provide enough lactation stimulation for the mama).

Today

2012-01-06T10:11:00.000-06:00

1. Took W to school and stayed with her for Friday morning chapel

2. Came home with R and busied myself around the house

3. Went to my husband's office to take my new cactus to live there for a while. He has tons of direct sunlight to get the little gal going. Our loft does not.

4. Watched Ken Burns Civil War while the kiddies slept

5. Took the kids to Lafayette Park and met some friends from school there to play for 2 hours

6. Home for dinner- avocado and caramelized onion veggie burger and tater tots

7. Cotton Bowl! Razorbacks win!

8. Off to sleep- the game ended at 11:15, and I don't know how I managed to stay up that late. The last quarter was spent on the floor under a blanket.

Dislikes Of The Week

2012-01-05T09:52:00.005-06:00

1. Beer can chicken- nothing's as sadly disgusting as seeing them innocently perched on a beer can, looking like a fat little baby on the grill. Top Chef this week scarred me deeply.

2. Having pimple on your forehead that causes your two-year-old son to ask, "You have ladybug on your head?"

3. W being overly-dramatic and her new phrase being, "You're breaking my whole life!" which I assume is a variation of you're breaking my heart. Common phrases just aren't enough for my girl.

4. Losing one tiny itty bity little toy- I just can't let it go. I spent 4 hours trying to find the one-inch tall Chip (of Chip and Dale fame). Success came when I took the cover off of R's carseat and found it deep in the base.

5. Dairy yogurt. It has gone the way of milk, and I find it completely disgusting.

6. Getting a ticket for rolling a stop sign in the residential neighborhood behind W's school

7. Two sad and dead, naked Christmas trees still in my loft

8. Not being able to see my grandparents more

9. Not being able to go to Schnucks and have my children not scream and whine for a free cookie. A perfect example of doing something once and having to do it forever. Should have never went down the free cookie road.

10. Where, oh where, are Mad Men and 30 Rock?

11. TV shows thinking they're in college and taking these long winter breaks

12. No curly-haired Disney princesses- my daughter longs for Sleeping Beauty's long, straight, blond hair and doesn't appreciate how beautiful her hair is.

13. What a picky eater my daughter is

14. Homeless Christmas toys have taken over my loft.

15. W's teacher aide resigned to take on full-time cookie sales. I am so devastated, as I thought she was nothing short of the cat's pajamas.

R's Day So Far

2012-01-04T11:01:00.005-06:00

1. Breakfast- he had pumpkin chocolate chip mini muffins and a mixed berry and banana smoothie

2. He built a train track and played with his trains for a while

3. He and I worked with the bristle blocks and built a city and a couple abstract Buzz Lightyears

4. R watched today's episode of Sesame Street on my bed and snuggled with Puddy, our dog

5. He got out his horses and barn and played with those for a while

6. While I worked on cleaning out W's closet, he did a little art project with monkey and frog stickers and markers and crayons

7. Lunch- he ate quinoa and hemp seeds with olive oil, blueberries, Annie's cheddar snack mix, and a glass of water

8. Dance party with Momma- we slow danced to John Mayer's Free Fallin' and Garth Brooks' Night Rider's Lament and then busted out our best dance moves to Amy Winehouse's Rehab and ABC by the Jackson 5

9. He beat me playing our new Memory game- Princess Matching Game. I was not letting him win. W also beat me last night. They have really good memories, apparently.

10. Rode with me and Puddy to pick up his sister from preschool

11. A turn swinging

12. Naptime

What I'm Loving Lately

2012-01-03T16:41:00.004-06:00

1. Ready-to eat beets from Trader Joes

2. Pearl Jam Vitalogy- it's like an old, cozy friend

3. My new boots

4. W's new haircut

5. M&Ms- my whole family has given in to the addiction

6. A new year, new beginnings

7. PBS Masterpiece Classics

8. Mushrooms

9. Empire of the Summer Moon- the best book I've read in a long time

10. My new book gifted to me from my sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Domino The Book of Decorating

11. Annie's Organic Cheddar Snack Mix

12. Hot teas

13. Our indoor swing

14. Friends reruns

Randoms

2012-01-02T17:58:00.002-06:00

1. Cashews are my least favorite of the nuts.

2. I did used to love cashew chicken (Springfield, MO cashew chicken which is different and more delicious than other cashew chicken) when I was little.

3. I am really excited about Project Runway All-Stars starting this Thursday night.

4. Chai tea is keeping me warm this winter.

5. I am utterly disgusted with how awful the JCrew store is at the Galleria. Totally unacceptable. It's worse than the JCrew outlet in Alabama. I will only go to the one at Plaza Frontenac from this day forth.

6. My husband has a to-do list for today that contains 15 items.

7. My team came in a surprising last place in our STL scavenger hunt.

8. Today's lunch with friends was Imos pizza and Dewey's salad for the adults and pizza and their choice of strawberries, blueberries, carrots, peas, and sweet potatoes for the kids.

9. If we ever get a new pet, I want to name it Ron Weasley.

10. I wish the Harry Potter series had gone on, maybe focusing less on Harry's magical woes, and more on Hermoine and Ron...maybe "Ron and Hermoine Get a Flat."

11. My husband has to take my starter cactus to work with him because our loft does not get enough direct sunlight.

12. W is excited to cut up our Christmas cards to make a "friend collage."

13. R wants to wear his new Buzz and Woody shirt every single day.

14. Hoping we have a huge Cotton Bowl victory this weekend- Let's Go HOGS!

My Sad, But Glorious New Years Day

2012-01-01T15:35:00.003-06:00

1. Had a late night celebrating with friends after a NYE scavenger hunt

2. Slept until 11:00 because the kids are at their grandparent's house

3. Got up and cleaned out my junk drawer

4. Made myself some chickpea salad and ate it with Terra Chips

5. Back to bed to watch Pearl Jam Twenty and the second half of Legally Blonde

6. To the Galleria to return some items at JCrew

7. To Dewey's to pick up a salad to bring to

8. Dinner at my in-laws

9. Home to clean the house to make up for my day of lazy (well, that was planned, but I think I'm going to go back to bed)

Today's Food

2012-01-01T00:26:00.002-06:00

1. Breakfast- Cinnamon toast and chai tea

2. Lunch- Whole wheat orzo with broccoli, spinach, and green peas

3. Dinner- Black bean burger and mashed potatoes from Llywelyns

Goals For A New Year

2011-12-31T07:56:00.000-06:00

1. Learn the accordion

2. Get my hair long enough for a wavy side ponytail

3. Read more. I have a stack of books borrowed from my dad to get me started and a brand new Kindle Fire.

4. Try a new recipe once a week

5. Detox/cleanse in the beginning of the year

6. Start cross-stitching again

7. Put myself out there more- I'm signing up for two things to jump start this resolution

8. Reacquaint myself with the basics of sewing

What's In My Netflix Instant Queue

2011-12-29T10:09:00.002-06:00

1. Winter's Bone

2. The Kennedy's

3. Bleak House

4. Pollock

5. Precious

6. Exit Through the Gift Shop

7. The Safety Of Objects

8. Conversations With Other Women

9. Ken Burns: Civil War

10. Patton

11. The Wonder Years

12. Teen Wolf

13. All The Days Before Tomorrow

14. Crips & Bloods: Made In America

15. Reel Injun

16. Last of the Mohicans

17. Pearl Jam Twenty

18. The West

19. National Geographic: Aryan Brotherhood

This Week

2011-12-26T11:24:00.003-06:00

1. Figuring out where to put all of the kids new Christmas toys

2. Visiting with our friends Mark and Kara and his parents

3. Going to Crane to see my grandparents

4. Going to Branson to see my family and go to Silver Dollar City

5. Visiting with my friend Jaimie, hopefully

6. Buying some sort of multi-faceted, multi-basket/drawer toy organization system

7. Going out with friends for New Year's Eve

Christmas Morning Breakfast

2011-12-25T12:41:00.001-06:00

1. French toast bread pudding

2. Oranges

3. Scrambled eggs

4. Hot chocolate and chai tea and orange juice

My Unrealistic Christmas List

2011-12-24T11:37:00.003-06:00

1. There was a wooden piece of art of a Native American in Sierra Madre, CA at a tiny brunch place that I loved

2. A charcoal colored Audi Q7

3. An accordion

4. A Rimi Yang piece

5. A house

6. Maid service for a year

7. "Surprise! We are moving to Arkansas!" -my husband

8. A sectional that includes a chaise and a recliner

9. An at-home private David Gray concert

10. Razorback football season tickets

11. Disney World trip with my whole family

12. New laptop

13. A springtime trip to Portland/Seattle/Vancouver with Andy

14. A lake house on Table Rock Lake

My Gifts From Conway Christmas

2011-12-23T03:18:00.001-06:00

1. Skirts- this one and one almost like it but a different pattern and one long maxi skirt from Anthropologie

2. A wrap top from Anthropologie's sale room that I have loved for a long time

3. A tiffin stacker

4. Leggings from American Apparel in black, mud, and charcoal

5. A charm necklace with a couple letter charms to start me off (an "r" and a "w")

6. A Super Slurpee Shaker that we fell sucker to at a demonstration. It really is novel and fun.

7. This bracelet that I love

8. A bevy of more wonderfulness that would just be entirely too gratuitous to list and should have never been relegated as simply "stocking stuffers." My parents are definitely gift givers.

Who We Received Photo Cards From This Year

2011-12-22T05:20:00.001-06:00

1. The McClures

2. The Wrights

3. The Peters

4. The Langs

5. The Eoffs

6. The Sarvies

7. The Ewings

8. The Swanns

9. The Lacinys

10. The Moores

11. The McKinleys

12. The Blazers

What I Want To Accomplish Today

2011-12-21T10:51:00.002-06:00

1. Run down the street and get W's hair cut

2. Unpack

3. Order some boots

4. Watch an episode of Downton Abbey

5. Dinner and to the Fox to see Beauty and the Beast with W, Mis, and Sonya

6. Read a few chapters of my book

How The Plains Indians Relied On The Entire Buffalo

2011-12-20T15:14:00.004-06:00

1. Food

2. Lodging (their teepees made of hides)

3. Fuel-from dried dung

4. Tools (bone implements and water pouches made from the paunch)

5. Tack (bridles, thongs, and saddles made of hide)

6. Ropes- from twisted hair

7. Clothing (buckskins, moccasins, and fur robes)

8. Weapons (bowstrings made from sinews and clubs)

9. I also remember my Aunt Judy saying the kids probably used the eyeballs as marbles while we were visiting the Westward Expansion Museum under the Arch when I was little

10. The book I'm reading also talks about the Indians drinking the stomach contents of killed buffalo- that the curdled milk from a buffalo calf still nursing was an exceptional delicacy.

What R Received For Christmas From My Parents

2011-12-19T17:31:00.005-06:00

1. He-Man DVD set

2. A Mickey Mouse stuffed animal

3. Bristle blocks

4. A toy barn with little animals

5. A plane

6. Playmobil horses set

7. Playmobil motorcycle man

8. Razorback piggy bank

9. Dinosaur puzzle

10. A dress shirt

11. A sleeping bag

What We Gifted My Family

2011-12-18T09:10:00.000-06:00

(we don't buy for my nieces, nephews, or my siblings- except for Tracy, because she will always be my sweet baby sister)

1. We bought my dad this terranium from Crate & Barrel. He likes terraniums.

2. Mom received a small and medium cake stand from Sur la table.

3. My mom's birthday is Tuesday, so she got her annual wall calendar with photos of her grandkids

4. For Tracy's birthday, I bought her some lavender and geranium Mrs. Meyer's soy candles

5. For Christmas, I bought Tracy these cute little shoes

Our Christmas Italian Dinner At My Parent's House

2011-12-17T09:19:00.000-06:00

1. Cheese ravioli

2. Meat lasagna

3. Vegan lasagna

4. Garlic bread

5. Salad

6. Sauteed vegetables

7. Vegan stuffed manicotti

8. Stuffed manicotti

9. Chicken Alfredo

10. Pumpkin pies

11. Hello Dollies

12. Buckeyes

13. Thumbprint cookies

14. Chocolate macadamian meltaways

W's Teachers' Christmas Gifts

2011-12-16T04:13:00.002-06:00

A shortened version of 12 Days of Christmas because W only goes on MWF and I got a late start-one for every school day in December
1. Christmas tins filled with Hershey's Hugs and a note
2. $5 Starbucks gift cards
3. Cute little owl ornament for their Christmas trees
4. Fancy chocolate truffle bars from Whole Foods in their favorite flavors
5. $10 Bread Co. gift cards
6. Rosemary trees
7. A baking gift set from Penzey's

Today's Must-Do List

2011-12-15T11:35:00.001-06:00

1. Pack for a long weekend in Arkansas

2. Wrap my little sister's birthday present

3. Get an oil change for my car

4. Puddy to the groomers

5. Bake sugar cookies for W's school Christmas party. Thankfully my friend Lauren switched with me and took over the deli meat. I didn't even understand what to do. I'd rather make sugar cookies than cube meat or roll up ham or whatever.

6. Take my mom's birthday present to be done

7. Pack car bags for the kids and set up DVD player

8. Do laundry

9. Pick up the house

10. Wrap last of the teacher gifts

Sephora Wish List

2011-12-14T04:44:00.000-06:00

1. This body butter. I've adopted my little sister's moisturizing regimen. If you are familiar with it, you know what an undertaking this is.

2. Eye stick color in khaki and eye liner in chestnut

3. Laura Mercier eye repair serum My "around my eyes" area is definitely a trouble spot.

4. Lipstick in Hot Tango. Love the bold reds these days.

5. My favorite fragrance. I have a hard time spending money on perfume.

6. Citron de Vigne soap

7. Eye color in Black Karat

8. Clairsonic

9. I think this is something I need for my newly accepted curly hair

10. I love this stuff. Laura Mercier is the best.

11. I lost my big one and now all I have are my minis- these are the BEST

12. Cute little makeup bag. I would carry it as a purse.

13. This in the blue/gray "My Own Personal Serpent"

14. W would go nuts for these

My Second Day Of Jury Duty: My 5 Favorite Alcoholic Drinks

2011-12-13T06:01:00.000-06:00

1. Jack Daniels whiskey and Coke
2. Malbec red wine
3. Gin and tonic
4. Woodchuck hard cider
5. Margaritas

What's In My Bag For A Day Of Jury Duty

2011-12-12T08:19:00.002-06:00

1. Book about the Comanche Indians
2. Dental floss
3. Pineapple coconut water
4. Can of Coke
5. Lunch- Terra Chips, a wrap, (mushroom, avocado, red pepper, spinach, and carrot) and a whiskey brownie
6. Green tea mints
7. My iPhone
8. Burt's Bees lip balm
9. My glasses and contacts case
10. iPhone charger
11. Drivers license
12. A $20 bill

Things I Don't Like About Christmas

2011-12-11T11:22:00.003-06:00

1. Not being with my family
2. Those peel-off-back bows
3. Yule log- I don't even know what it is, but it just sounds off
4. Holiday ham
5. Egg nog
6. Cold weather and everyone wanting it to snow
7. Overly-glittered Christmas cards that dump everywhere when you open the envelope
8. "Santa Got Ran Over By A Reindeer"
9. Having to buy gifts for people you have no idea what to get for
10. That after Christmas, you have the long cold months of January, February, and March

Sweets I'm Planning On Baking Saturday

2011-12-08T22:23:00.002-06:00

1. Caramel apple bites

2. Chocolate caramel cookies

3. Hello Dollies

4. Whiskey brownies

5. Chocolate chip cheesecake bars

6. Banana pudding shooters

Today's To-Do List

2011-12-07T10:41:00.002-06:00

1. Drop off gifts at school

2. Whole Foods shopping

3. Organize teachers' gifts

4. Clean out car, which means really pay someone to clean it

5. Ask my husband to put away Christmas boxes, take Goodwill bags to the car, and take out the recycling

6. Wrap kids' stocking stuffers

7. Make cookies for art fair staff cookie exchange

8. Fold laundry

Last Night's Supper

2011-12-06T09:21:00.004-06:00

1. I was physically and emotionally drained from a long day of decorating, (2.5 hours on trees, 1.5 hours on house, and 2 hours of cleaning up and putting boxes away while also wrangling 2 toddlers) so my husband brought home Penn Station subs for dinner. God bless him.

2. He had the 10" Philly Cheesesteak with just the meat and cheese

3. The kids shared a 6" grilled cheese, and I warmed up tomato sauce for dipping purposes

4. They also had fruit- blackberries and a clementine for R and strawberries for W

5. The kids and Andy had Baked Lays

6. I had my favorite- an 8" Grilled Artichoke with added mushrooms, lettuce, and pickles. Delicious.

7. I also had Terra Chips- sweet potato and beet- which are the ultimate chip for me and ring in at a full serving of vegetables for 15 chips, so you'd better believe I ate 15 chips.

8. The kids drank Bolthouse Farms Green Goddess juice

9. Andy and I had Soarin' Strawberry Lemonade Kool-Aid (don't judge- we are in our 30s, don't let our kids drink it to be ultimate hypocrites- but it's my guilty pleasure in life to partake in the occasional 2 quarts of heavenly drink)

Numbers: Christmas Edition

2011-12-05T10:42:00.002-06:00

1. 3- trees in our house, 2 big and 1 small

2. 5- stockings hanging, because we don't leave out our sweet doggie

3. 70- approximate number of Christopher Radko ornaments

4. 20- days until Christmas

5. 11- presents under our trees right now

6. 5- people on my list I still need to shop for

7. 5- giant snowflakes hanging from my ceiling

8. 23- childrens Christmas books we have

9. 11- days until we celebrate Christmas in Arkansas

10. 5- "Chatham Angels" ornaments I have

11. 26- candy canes hanging on the trees

12. 3- gifts I bought for my husband

13. 16- actual Advent calendar things I put in, because I got a five day late start and we will be out of town for four days

14. 9- Christmas parties/events we have on the calendar for December

15. 0- days I would like for it to snow

16. 19- beautiful crocheted ornaments I have from my beloved, sweet great-aunt Mert

17. 53- balls I use decoratively around the house, not counting the ones on the tree

18. 2.5- hours it takes me to decorate the trees

19. 2- angels we have out made from paper plates

20. 4- members of our little snowman family on the bookshelf

21. 4- nativity sets we own

22. 3000- nativity sets a woman in Denton, Texas owns

23. 6- choices of wire ribbon for gift wrapping

24. 5- poinsettia plants I want to get- I miss working at the preschool that sold them as a fundraiser. They were inexpensive and huge.

25. 1- Christmas card we've received so far. Score one for the Swanns and their cute photo card.

26. 4- Christmas crafts I have planned for the kids

27. 3- lit evergreen garland strands I have used

28. 6- times I've limited the kids to pressing the play button in a row of the little dancing snowman/penguins thing from Hallmark that sing "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree."

29. 27- days until I take down the Christmas trees

30. 3- gifts we buy each of our kids

31. 1- little baby born a long time ago that often gets put in the background of all the craziness

Sunday

2011-12-04T12:41:00.002-06:00

1. Went to church this morning

2. I had baked eggplant and and seasoned, wilted greens for lunch

3. The kids broke in their new indoor swing that Dad installed

4. I am going to decorate the trees and wrap presents today

5. The kids are going to watch Mickey's Christmas Carol today

6. Quesadillas for dinner

7. Hot chocolate for dessert

Things That I Saw Shopping Today That I Liked

2011-12-03T19:02:00.002-06:00

1. These lounge pants

2. This tee

3. Jeans

4. Cute skirt

5. Plaid shirt

6. Sweatshirt

7. Interesting leggings

Smells I Don't Like

2011-12-02T10:22:00.001-06:00

1. Damp Cheerios. When I worked in the baby room at a day care, I thought I needed a gas mask during snack time.

2. The car after fast food

3. My clothes after Mexican food or coffee place

4. Coins or my hands after I've touched change...

5. Barbecue sauce

6. Lunch meat

7. My childrens feet when they don't wear socks

8. That plastic-y/chemical smell on some toys that I consequently do not purchase

9. Kentucky Fried Chicken

10. The Disney Store, which is really all of their perfumes and whatnot. It's horrifying.

11. Tires

12. Winter-believe me, it does have a smell, and I resent it.

13. Books you check out from the library

This Weekend

2011-12-01T09:46:00.000-06:00

1. The kids are spending the night out so I can go out with friends tonight. I really need a girls night out.
2. I'm going to use my free Friday morning to take a long nap.
3. Andy's work Christmas party. Never much fun, but at least I have a cute dress.
4. I am going to make some delicious buckeyes.
5. I am also going to cook cheesy quinoa patties.
6. Hopefully, we'll get our Christmas trees so that I can finish up my decorating.
7. Crafts at the Greentree Advent Workshop. It is such a fun event!
8. Christmas shopping with Missy
9. I have to get the advent calendar up and full of festive activities
10. I'll watch at least one Christmas movie- Love Actually, maybe?

This Morning's Baking a Pound Cake Playlist

2011-11-30T10:18:00.003-06:00

1. Grandpa, Tell Me Bout The Good Ole Days- The Judds
2. I'll Fly Away- Gillian Welch and Alison Krauss
3. Back in Baby's Arms- Patsy Cline
4. Lady Down in Love- Alabama
5. My Father's Father- The Civil Wars
6. He Stopped Loving Her Today- George Jones
7. Desperate Ain't Lonely- Whiskeytown
8. Roses in the Snow- Emmylou Harris
9. Little Maggie- Ricky Skaggs
10. Come Pick Me Up- Ryan Adams
11. Jolene- Dolly Parton
12. I Told You So- Randy Travis
13. Silver Wings- Merle Haggard
14. Why Have You Left The One You Left Me For- Crystal Gayle
15. Moonshiner- Uncle Tupelo
16. Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain- Willie Nelson
17. Molly and Tenbrooks- Sam Bush
18. Foggy Mountain Breakdown- Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs
19. It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels- Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, and Tammy Wynette

30 Days of Thankfulness For November

2011-11-29T05:16:00.003-06:00

1. My husband that loves me and indulges my passions and encourages me to get out and do things
2. My sweet and precious children who love me unconditionally and are always available for a good snuggle or eskimo kiss
3. Jesus and his saving grace and the giver of new mercies every morning
4. My brother is the best brother in the history of brothers. Just perfect. And my sisters are equally wonderful..."I could never love anyone as I love my sisters..."
5. A sweet dog who cuddles with me every night while I watch TV and cries for me when I'm not around
6. A beautiful home that is open and airy and easy to clean and great for parties or kids playing
7. My best friend Missy who teaches me every day what it means to be an amazing friend
8. A love of healthy eating
9. I'm finally getting the hang of my hair and am starting to love it
10. The summer. Just looking forward to it makes the winter at least 2% bearable.
11. Grandparents that are still living
12. My parents who remind me all the time through words and actions how much they love me
13. Psalm 62. It has stayed in my heart for year after year and is my comfort and my peace when I need it.
14. The Arkansas Razorbacks. No matter how often they break my heart, I will forever say "Woo Pig Sooie!"
15. My brother and his family that live less than 4 hours away and whose house is such a second home to my family. I love that they are at least a little bit close geographically.
16. My husband and his job allow me to stay at home with my kids.
17. My in-laws love my kids and are extremely supportive
18. Technology and how it allows me to stay in touch with people and keep my too-big world a little bit smaller
19. The Mooneys are bringing Lena home!
20. I truly have the best neighbors on the planet who are the dearest friends and know that it's okay to poke around my kitchen and swipe our Nutella while we are out of town
21. My cozy bed and Dwell bedding that beckon me a little too often
22. Having two healthy children
23. Rosalita's margaritas and spinach-mushroom quesadillas
24. Television
25. Relatively calm children who can rode trip well, entertain themselves when needed, sleep until 7:30, and appreciate drawing and creating
26. That God spared us from a horrible car accident
27. Living in a town that has an abundance of grocery stores like Scnucks, Whole Foods, and Trader Joes aplenty and being able to buy whatever we need
28. Beautiful art in my home
29. A car to drive and indoor parking
30. W's school- it has been such a blessing this year

Four Questions, For Amber

2011-11-28T09:55:00.000-06:00

1. Four States I've Been To- Massachusetts, New York, Georgia, and Colorado
2. Four Smells I Love- Lavendar, Honeysuckle, Paperwhite, and Hay
3. Four Shows I Like To Watch- other than the ones I listed last week, Mad Men, 30 Rock, Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team, and Gossip Girl
4. Four People I Think Will Respond- Missy, Greta, Jenny, and Sarah. Does anyone else even read this blog?
*comment with your answers to #s 1, 2, and 3!

What's Coming Up In December

2011-11-27T09:04:00.002-06:00

1. Out for a friend's birthday
2. Andy's office Christmas party
3. Advent Workshop at Missy's church
4. Craft Sale at my friend Katy's house
5. Cookies & Carols at the Art Museum
6. Our Christmas Party
7. Cookie Exchange with the Art Fair staff
8. Jury Duty, not so fun
9. W's class Christmas party
10. A weekend in Arkansas to celebrate Christmas with my family
11. Missy and I are taking the girls to see Beauty and the Beast at the Fox
12. Christmas story reenactment in west county
13. Trip to Silver Dollar City to see the Christmas lights
14. Christmas here
15. Trip to visit my grandparent's at their nursing home
16. Advent Calendar activities

My Favorite Christmas Movies

2011-11-26T04:56:00.000-06:00

1. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation is my all-time favorite
2. Love Actually
3. Frosty the Snowman
4. The Holiday
5. Santa Claus is Coming To Town
6. Mickey's Christmas Carol
7. Elf
8. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
9. A Chipmunk Christmas
10. The Family Stone

Our Arkansas Trip

2011-11-25T19:05:00.002-06:00

1. On Saturday, we hit up Dazzle Days- the jewel of Conway's holiday season. I picked up some cute silver Christmas trees and hid from a guy I had a crush on in college.
2. I went Christmas shopping with Mom, Jenny, Remi, and W while R stayed with his uncle and boy cousins.
3. We had supper at Pei Wei. W was killing the rice noodles with chopsticks.
4. On Sunday, I went over to the McEntire's and visited with Billy and his family.
5. My little sister drove up to visit and spend the night. She and I later watched "Beginnings," which was quite good.
6. On Monday, I had lunch at Zazas with my sweet and beautiful friend Kate. W tagged along.
7. The kids and I rode around with my parents so they could run errands.
8. My sister, brother-in-law, and I went and watched Breaking Dawn.
9. On Tuesday morning, I went to pick up my husband at the Little Rock Airport.
10. We went to Laura's Toy Store and back to Zazas for lunch then a house-wide nap.
11. On Wednesday, we had breakfast at Stoby's, then went Christmas shopping at Dicks. Mom and I went solo for More Christmas shopping at the Razorbacks store and Wilkinsons.
12. Mom and I took my sister's kids and my kids to see Happy Feet 2.
13. We ate dinner at home and watched Duke win the Maui Invitational and I wrapped a lot of presents for my mom.
14. We drove to Branson on Thursday for Thanksgiving at my brother's house.
15. We stayed the night to watch the Razorbacks game with them- a heartbreaking loss.

What I Ate For Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T20:00:00.003-06:00

1. Corn casserole
2. Sweet potatoes
3. Green beans with almonds
4. Stuffin
5. Cranberry sauce
6. Broccoli rice casserole
7. Mashed potatoes
8. A carrot cookie
9. Sweet tea
10. I'm about to eat some blackberry cobbler- I didn't have room earlier

Today's Hobby Lobby Purchases (Christmas Stuff Was 1/2 Off)

2011-11-22T20:15:00.002-06:00

1. Gift tags
2. Maybe about 200 ft. of various colors of wired ribbon. I do love wire ribbon.
3. A small Christmas tree for the kids to decorate
4. Tiny ornaments for their tree- snowy wreaths, gingerbread men, and candy canes
5. 3 stamps for R's stocking- a robot, a dinosaur, and a Lightning McQueen

W's Stocking Stuffers

2011-11-21T16:02:00.001-06:00

1. A butterfly notepad she loved
2. A Melissa & Doug stamp set
3. OPI "Rainbow Connection" nail polish
4. A big hair bow
5. New underwear
6. A bracelet- making kit

My Text History Names

2011-11-20T09:16:00.002-06:00

1. My husband

2. Margie Mc.

3. Melinda H.

4. Tracy

5. Aaron R.

6. Mom

7. Dad

8. Matt

9. Chang

10. Missy L.

11. Blaine W.

12. Stephen B.

13. Ben A.

14. Lauren E.

15. Josh L.

16. Jaimie A.

Our Road Trip Snacks

2011-11-19T06:03:00.000-06:00

1. Bananas

2. Applesauce squeezies

3. Barbara's Snackimals oatmeal cookies

4. Organic Valley 1% milk boxes for the kids

5. Lychee coconut water for me

6. Mini Larabars

7. A pear for me

8. Trail mix- Kashi Heart to Heart cereal, raisins, mixed nuts, and chocolate chips

What I'm Excited About Doing In Arkansas

2011-11-18T01:03:00.000-06:00

1. Sleeping in

2. Cooking with my sisters

3. Going to watch Breaking Dawn with Jenny and Ryan

4. More Christmas shopping with my mom

5. Seeing Tracy- it feels like its been forever

6. My kids playing with their cousins

7. A Stoby's Tropical Storm

8. Going to visit the McEntires

9. Zazas Pizza...I think I'll have the Feta, Potato, and Rosemary

10. Shopping at Wilkinson's

If I Could Only Watch 5 TV Shows

2011-11-17T11:01:00.002-06:00

1. New Girl

2. Fringe

3. Parks & Recreation

4. Parenthood

5. Modern Family

Andy's Bucket List

2011-11-16T08:12:00.001-06:00

Not my husband, but Andy from Parks and Recreation- my favorite comedy on TV

1. Catch the winning touchdown at the Super Bowl

2. Make the most amazing grilled cheese ever

3. Win the lottery

4. Ride a unicycle

5. Invent something

6. Remake the movie Kazaam, where Shaquille O'Neal plays a genie, and get it right

7. Go skydiving

8. Outrun a hippo

9. Ride first-class on a plane and when people are walking by, go like this...(he makes a condescending face and gives a little snicker)

10. Hold $1000 cash

11. Be an action star

12. Drive to the Grand Canyon

W Lined Up Her Cakes For The Next 8 Years

2011-11-15T06:17:00.001-06:00

1. Her 4th Birthday party- a Princess cake

2. 5th- a Cowgirl cake

3. 6th- a Minnie Mouse cake

4. 7th- another Princess cake

5. 8th- a Buzz Lightyear cake

6. 9th -a cake with heart, stars, and dots candles

7. 10th -a cowboy cake

8. 11th- a Razorback cake

What I'm Loving

2011-11-14T04:59:00.001-06:00

1. R's new little gray cardigan. What a hipster!

2. Red red lipstick

3. The Fossil store at the Galleria

4. Christmas shopping

5. Kiwi Magazine

6. Bailey's Range restaurant downtown

7. Highway to Heaven reruns

8. Cranberry walnut bread from Great Harvest

9. The new charm necklace collection at Anthropologie

10. The new Disney Store at the Galleria. I'm just like a little kid in there.

11. The book I'm reading

About Plant-Based Proteins, Or A Vegetarian Defends Herself For Once

2011-11-13T05:02:00.000-06:00

1. Plant-based proteins offer almost as much protein as animal-based ones.

2. Plant-based proteins are easier on the environment than animal-based ones.

3. Plant-based proteins are often less expensive than animal-based ones.

4. Most plant proteins are high in fiber and low in saturated fats.

5. Also in plant proteins are a variety of vitamins and minerals like iron, calcium, and vitamin E.

6. Many nutritionists are now saying nearly 2/3 of your dietary protein should be derived from plant-based sources.

7. I know that I need about 43 grams of protein a day, but I don't remember the formula for figuring that out.

8. Some great sources of plant proteins: lentils, chickpeas, almonds, tofu, quinoa, whole wheat pasta, sunflower seeds, soybeans, peanuts, kidney beans, walnuts, flax seed, oats, corn, spinach, non-dairy milk, potatoes, broccoli, peas, and artichokes.

9. Basically, any bean or nut is a source of protein.

10. Your body cannot store excess protein, and an excess causes undue stress on your kidneys and liver.

11. Too-high protein consumption is linked to obesity, kidney disease, osteoporosis, and cancer of the colons, pancreas, breast, and prostate.

12. Dairy foods are another good source of protein, such as milk, greek yogurt, and cheese, but they are often high in fat and calories.

What I Want To Do On My Next Chicago Trip

2011-11-12T12:32:00.000-06:00

1. An afternoon at the Art Institute

2. Go to the Zara store

3. As always, shopping in Wicker Park- especially my favorite stores, Una Mae's Freak Boutique and Free People, and either a milkshake at Veggie Bites or a cone at iCream.

4. Visit Soul Vegetarian East, which is vegan on Saturdays, and features an entire room of baked goods.

5. Make sure to stop in Renegade Handmade (who started the Renegade Craft Fairs) in Wicker Park on Division St.

6. Stay at my favorite hotel in the city, Hotel Felix...perfectly situated between Whole Foods and Karyn's Cooked, another Chicago favorite and close proximity to the gallery district.

7. Another river cruise boat tour. We loved our last one!

8. High tea at the Peninsula Hotel

9. Browsing at The Chicago French Market

10. Ogling art at Melanee Cooper, my favorite gallery

11. Buying the kiddos a fun thing at Pearl

Fun Trivia About The Olympics

2011-11-11T10:16:00.002-06:00

I can't wait for the summer 2012 Olympics! I saw all of these facts on the London Olympics Website.

1. The word "gymnastics" comes from the Greek word for 'naked' because early gymnasts used to performed naked.

2. Hollywood actress Geena Davis competed in the US Trials for the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

3. America's Ray Ewry won 10 gold medals in standing long jump, high jump, and triple jump. As a child, Ray was confined to a wheelchair due to polio. He exercised his legs until he could walk, then strengthened them by jumping.

4. A Marathon commemorates the run of a Greek soldier from the town of Marathon to Athens in 490 BC, except for he ran 171 miles in two days then died after. I would probably experience the same fate if I ran a modern marathon.

5. The best shuttlecocks (badminton "ball") are said to be made from the left wing of a goose.

6. The world's largest shuttlecocks, 18 ft. tall, are part of a public art display in the yards of the Nelson-Atkins Museum in Kansas City, MO.

7. Our family favorite Mike Krzyzewski has been coaching the men's basketball team since 2005.

8. In Mountain Bike Cycling (I always like this event because of our old Kanakuk mountain biking cheers), Julien Absalon will be going for a hat-trick after winning the gold in 2004 and 2008.

9. St. Louis hijacked the Games in 1904 from Chicago, who had already won the rights to hosting. It was such a disaster and was overshadowed by the World's Fair, that the Olympic movement almost died that year.

8. Greg Louganis hit his head on the diving board in 1988 and fell unconscious during the pre-lim rounds. He rallied to win the gold medal in that event.

9. Equestrian is the only Olympic event where men and women compete on equal terms. It's also the only event where humans and animals compete together.

10. Football is a summer Olympic sport. I had no idea.

11. Handball is considered one of the oldest sports.

12. George S. Patton, the General of the US Army during World War II, competed in the Olympic's first Modern Pentathalon.

13. Rowing is the only sport where the competitors cross the line backwards.

14. The US team recently won the World Championships and Russia (or whatever you call it these days) won the silver, so the Olympics are going to be good!

15. The Olympic motto is "Faster, Higher, Stronger."

Recipes Galore

2011-11-10T14:27:00.004-06:00

1. Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole I will make this on a Sunday, then eat leftovers the rest of the week. No one else in my family will try it. Maybe R?

2. Apple Cinnamon Toaster Strudels (I'm making these next week...I've mentioned my weakness for the real, unhealthy thing here before)

3. My friend Meghan swears by this Sweet Potato Oatmeal Breakfast Casserole

4. I'll make these Chocolate & Mascarpone Cupcakes the next time the situation calls for something special

5. I think I'll make this Vegetarian "Chicken & Dumplins" when I'm in Arkansas next week when there will be a family full of vegans and vegetarians to appreciate it.

6. My mom's making fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and corn bread for Andy on Sunday. This Cauliflower preparation will be my contribution.

7. These Apple Fritter Muffins might fill the hole in my heart when I dream of the heavenly apple fritter I ate in Pasadena at the awkward, yet delicious "Burgers and Donuts" restaurant located in an odd strip mall.

8. These Vodka Cocktails might be the signature drink at our Christmas party next month?

9. I make these Marinated Garbanzo Beans at least twice a month. The whole can's worth lasts about second.

10. Maybe these Mashed Potatoes and Gravy will be another Arkansas try. At least my nephew would be excited.

11. This is right up my ally- Carrot Slaw with Walnuts and Cranberries

My Current Favorite Snacks

2011-11-09T10:34:00.000-06:00

1. Toast with butter, garlic, and a slice of cheddar toasted again in the toaster oven

2. Terra sweet potato chips dipped in Green Mountain Gringo salsa

3. Whole grain tortilla chips with nutritional yeast sauce

4. Toast with butter and hulled hemp seeds

5. Blackberries and apples

6. Baby carrots

7. Mini Larabars

8. Graham crackers and Nutella

9. Cauliflower florets

10. Banana slices with cinnamon sprinkles

My Christmas List, First Draft

2011-11-08T04:30:00.001-06:00

1. Cropped chinos from Macy's

2. Dress from Fossil

3. Dress from Anthropologie- it would be perfect with my gold belt and boots

4. A new iPhone case

5. I always want iTunes gift cards

6. New pillow covers for our gray sofa

7. Fossil bracelet. I die.

8. Any of the New York Review children's books

9. Some Louis L'Amour paperbacks

10. This one's pretty, too

11. This wrap from Anthropologie that's in the sale room

12. A couple plaid button-ups

13. A new pair of slim, straight leg jeans

14. A new cleaning scrubber for vegetables

15. Doughmakers mini pizza pans (This is the brand of all my baking stuff- loaf pans, pizza pans, cookie sheets, etc. They are the best!)

16. A starter from my Aunt Mert's cactus

My Current Favorite Sandwich

2011-11-07T06:39:00.003-06:00

1. Mashed avocado

2. Red onion

3. Pea shoots

4. Sautéed shiitake mushrooms and garlic

5. Wilted spinach

6. Great Harvest's sunflower flax bread

Today's Agenda

2011-11-06T11:33:00.002-06:00

1. Sleep in, read

2. Christmas shopping and lunch out with Andy

3. Baking cookies

4. Constructing kid's art center

5. Hanging out and drinking wine with friends tonight

Today's To-Do List

2011-11-03T08:24:00.002-05:00

1. Clean out and carve our pumpkin- a little late, I know...I forgot about it in my trunk last week

2. Grocery shopping at Whole Foods and Schnucks and Great Harvest Bread

3. Cook brown beans and lentils and nutritional yeast "cheese"

4. Order baby gifts- I never did that last week

5. Manicures and pedicures for the kids

6. Have Andy teach me how to clean out the fish tank

7. Finish watching Mammoth

8. Wash dog bed

9. Work on Christmas lists

My Goals For My Kid-Free Morning

2011-11-02T08:48:00.001-05:00

1. Stay in pajamas until noon

2. Finish reading Hunger Games

3. Watch last night's Parenthood

4. Eat some halloween candy

5. Lay in bed while doing all of the above

Books I'm Using To Press My Tofu

2011-11-01T11:34:00.002-05:00

1. Tina Fey's Bossypants, a cute and funny read

2. Intelligence in War by John Keegan- this must be my husbands

3. Shadow, a book about the five presidents who served after Watergate and having to deal with its legacy, which is surprisingly mine

4. Bob Spitz's biography of The Beatles

5. The Greatest Generation by Tom Brokaw, which is a great book

6. Black Hawk Down, by Mark Bowden. We know the author's son.

7. A devotional book, A Year With C.S. Lewis

10 For Today

2011-10-31T13:36:00.004-05:00

1. Elf On The Shelf = Totally creeps me out

2. It's really cute to hear my two year old son say "Albert Pujols."

3. I bought marshmallows today for gas stovetop s'mores.

4. I also bought two books- The Hunger Games and Empire of the Summer Moon.

5. I can't find the kids winter stuff from last year, including their mittens, hats, Arkansas Razorback hoodies, and the like.

6. At the art museum halloween party, a printmaker was there making to-order Frankenstein monster and mummy prints for the kids to color. Of course, the art museum would knock the art activity out of the park.

7. Since reading an article concerning it a while back, I only single space after a period now.

8. I had a dream the other night that David Freese kept trying to walk off with my Target buggy with R sitting in the seat.

9. I stayed up the other night until nearly 3:00 am reading up on biodynamic farming.

10. I bought my first 2011 Christmas gift- something for my dad. He is the best person to shop for. I could buy him 100 things and he would love them all.

What R is Loving

2011-10-30T04:50:00.001-05:00

1. This huge book we have called The History of Animation that has great shots of He-Man, Mickey Mouse, and Lion King, which are among his favorites.

2. My tub of Cetaphil lotion. He grabs a walnut-sized dollop and just sticks it to his face or arm and walks off.

3. Riding on the tall and narrow arm of our daybed-style sofa and pretending it's a horse or BattleCat.

4. Nuts- they are his favorite snack. He likes 'em all.

5. Me scratching his back and head

6. Quinoa and blueberries. That is his favorite meal.

7. Watching Shaun the Sheep or He-Man or Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

8. Cowboy boots

9. Climbing out of his crib

10. His friend Teddy

11. The Super Grover stuffed animal that he has fly all over our house

12. Singing Ba Ba Black Sheep and The ABC's

13. Doing anything and everything his big sister does

14. Andy made him these little saddles for his Schleich horses- they are so cute- so they can have a rider

About Last Night

2011-10-28T23:51:00.003-05:00

1. Halloween party at the Martin's house...I didn't want to dress up so I said I was dressed up like an attractive woman.
2. I ate about 45 baby carrots from a veggie tray at the party
4. Watched the Cardinals win the World Series on both their living room TV and on a screen projected onto their garage in the back yard

5. We all went outside to watched the last inning and cheered together at the end

6. My friend Karin was dressed like a cowgirl and had two cap guns. She ran around us in the back yard shooting her guns into the air at the end of the game. It was hilarious and I'll treasure that memory of her for a long time.

7. We had to drive through the pandamonium and celebration to get to our loft downtown. It took an hour to get from Hwy 44 to our garage, which is really just about 1.5 miles.

8. People were coming up to our car to give high fives, people were dancing on top of their cars, a guy was skateboarding down 4th St with a 12 pack of beer in each hand, and a large woman got out of her car, screamed "Cardinal Nation!" then got back in and kept driving. It was all weird and wonderful.

9. We won the World Series! I fell asleep about 15 seconds after my head hit the pillow.

Today's Laid-Back Playlist

2011-10-28T01:27:00.000-05:00

1. Transformation- David Gray

2. The Curse- Josh Ritter

3. Five String Serenade- Mazzy Star

4. Like Rock & Roll And Radio- Ray LaMontagne

5. These Are Days- 10,000 Maniacs

6. The Only Living Boy In New York- Simon & Garfunkel

7. The Wind- Cat Stevens

8. The Last Time I Saw Richard- Joni Mitchell

9. Hip Hip Hooray- Margot & The Nuclear So-So's

10. Whiter Shade of Pale- Procol Harum

11. Alien- Bush

12. I've Got This Friend- The Civil Wars

13. Elephant- Damien Rice

14. Night Rider's Lament- Garth Brooks

15. Always On My Mind- Willie Nelson

16. I Fall to Pieces- Patsy Cline

17. All My Mistakes- The Avett Brothers

18. All The Right Reasons- The Jayhawks

19. Lies- Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova

20. Fly- Nick Drake

21. I Don't Know What It Is- Rufus Wainwright

22. Jacksonville Skyline- Whiskeytown

23. You Don't Pull No Punches, But You Don't Push the River- Van Morrison

24. Avalanche- Heather Nova

25. Kid Fears- Indigo Girls

26. The Ice Is Getting Thinner- Death Cab for Cutie

27. Holiday In Spain- Counting Crows

28. God Only Knows- The Beach Boys

29. Skinny Love- Bon Iver

30. The Funeral- Band of Horses

Our Busy Halloween Season

2011-10-27T01:10:00.000-05:00

1. R and I went to the Magic House's Halloween Party on Monday morning

2. Halloween Party at the St. Louis Art Museum last night

3. Harvest Party at Greentree Church on Thursday night

4. Sunday night Trick-or-Treating in our building. Five kids live in the building, so it'll be pretty low-key.

5. Trick-or-Treating with friends in Warson Woods on actual Halloween night.

Right Now

2011-10-26T09:39:00.004-05:00

1. W is at school

2. R and his friend T are playing in the living room- something that involves Lightning McQueen cars, hats, horses, and hollering, "WooHoo!" every 3 seconds. I love it.

3. I am listening to David Gray and Annie Lennox sing Full Steam- it's been about 3 times on repeat. I am always practicing Annie's part in case David ever calls me up on stage.

4. Apple crisp is baking in the oven- made with Murphy's Orchard in Marionville apples, which I swear I could pick out of a lineup. They are so delicious.

5. My eyes keep wandering over to W's SUPER cute school pictures

6. Puddy is sleeping upside down on the sofa

7. I need to clean out the toaster oven then order diapers, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and 2 baby gifts.

8. I am wearing gray sweatpants, my brown house slippers, and one of A's long-sleeved thermal shirts.

9. I've moved on to Fleet Foxes- He Doesn't Know Why.

10. R and T have added sunglasses to their get-up.

11. I just was called away for a stinky diaper change.

12. T keeps coming up to ask me to push the horse's ear to make him neigh. I keep telling him how he can do it himself, but he prefers me doing it. He's so cute that I oblige.

13. I've moved on to my first listen of the new She & Him Christmas album.

14. I am snacking on some Chia Pudding. A lot of you ask about it- just chia seeds and some milk (I use unsweetened almond) and some fruit (today is blueberries) and let that sit in the fridge. My sister blogged about it on her vegan food blog.

15. The boys are now standing on the sofa looking at the window.

16. I am going to take the crisp out of the oven.

Shows I Am No Longer Going To Watch

2011-10-25T19:00:00.003-05:00

1. The Bachelor
2. The Bachelorette
3. The Bachelor Pad
4. CSI:NY
5. Law and Order:SVU
6. Real Housewives of (anywhere)
7. Dina's Party (I don't know why I even started this one. It's pretty dull.)
8. CSI
9. Watch What Happens Live
10. Grey's Anatomy
11. Ringer is circling the drain. I'm giving it two more episodes.

What I Love At The Magic House

2011-10-24T16:34:00.003-05:00

1. My favorite is the room that plays music and projects your dancing image in an awesome, psychedelic, cheap-music-video kind of way.
2. The bubble room
3. The toddler sand table- R could stay there for hours
4. That thing that displays some scientific principle (clearly, I don't pay attention to the scientific facts) where the balls float over the blown air. I think it's amazing!
5. The "grocery store"
6. They really know how to put on a show. I love all of their members events. We went to the Halloween morning today; It was so fun! And W swooned over their Beauty and the Beast Tea Party last year.
7. The St. Louis Blues bubble piano. So cheesy, but fun.
8. The little creek and fishing pond

Today

2011-10-23T19:46:00.002-05:00

1. Woke up in Branson
2. Silver Dollar City with my parents and my brother and his family
3. R is finally tall enough to ride most of the kids rides
4. I ate French fries and cinnamon bread for lunch
5. Andy and R went through Marvel Cave with my dad, brother, and niece.
6. I found a bracelet I want for Christmas
7. I rode the roller coaster, butterflies, and the elephants. Way too much for me.
8. Back to Matt's house for some family football and Big Wheel riding for R.
9. Stopped at Subway for some supper on the way home
10. Listening to the World Series on the way home- Go Cardinals!

W's Christmas List

2011-10-22T09:45:00.001-05:00

1. Belle doll and Beast doll from the Disney Store

2. White and blue Cinderella dress

3. Ariel and Prince Eric dolls from the Disney Store

4. Sparkly nail polish

To Do Before 3:00 Tomorrow

2011-10-21T16:08:00.003-05:00

1. Hand wash shirts and cardigans

2. Watch Fringe! It's going to be a good one.

3. Still need to eat dinner. I feel like a beany, cheesy quesadilla.

4. Pack for Branson

5. Go to the Tower Grove Farmer's Market Harvest Festival in the morning

6. Clean out my car

7. Bake some Pumpkin Bread and Maple Cinnamon Cream Cheese Spread to take to Branson

8. Make something to take the the Reinberg Bonfire

What's In My Purse

2011-10-20T19:12:00.002-05:00

1. My Hobo wallet

2. Two pairs of sunglasses in their cases

3. Two pens from the Sheraton in Clayton that write really well

4. A few Organic Valley suckers

5. My art fair badge lanyard-R loves wearing it, so it comes in handy in pinch.

6. A jar of garlic salt. You thought I was kidding when I said that before.

7. A cloth zippie with baby wipes in it

8. Four mini Larabars

9. A calculator because it will pacify W if I need something

10. Dental floss

11. Cough drops

12. A blood work order for me- I'm having my thryoid tested

13. Several loose bobby pins

14. A crumpled up Target receipt

15. My small camera

16. A Say Yes to Carrots carrot flavored lip balm

17. iPhone ear buds

My Great Monday and Tuesday

2011-10-19T08:46:00.002-05:00

1. Monday morning, both of my kids went to school, so I spent the morning with the birthday girl Missy
2. We went to the Chesterfield Mall to go to H&M Kids and had lunch at Bread Co.
3. Back to the boys school for Mommy & Me music time
4. Stephen came over for dinner. Of course, W was thrilled.
5. Tuesday morning, the kids spent the morning with Grandma, so I spent the morning with Aaron
6. We went and got pedicures then did a little shopping
7. I bought W a Snow White dress and R a cape and mask- both huge hits
8. W and I took a snuggle nap together
9. We spent the afternoon/evening at the Reinberg's house for a movie
10. Aaron made delicious strawberry mint slushies and quesadillas for dinner
11. Fringe 3-episode marathon with Andy last night to catch up to our queue. That show couldn't get any better!

Cards For Our Super-Cute Advent Calendar

2011-10-18T19:56:00.003-05:00

1. Go on a Christmas Lights drive

2. Make hot chocolate

3. Read our Christmas story books

4. Make a special treat to give to our neighbors

5. Watch a Christmas movie and eat popcorn

6. Read the story of Jesus' birth from the Bible

7. Make Christmas cookies

8. Write Christmas cards and letters for our out of town family

9. Make homemade Christmas ornaments for our little tree

10. Make S'mores

11. Make Santa faces with construction paper and cotton balls

12. Make Christmas trees with popsicle sticks and pom-poms and glitter

13. Drive around looking for Salvation Army bell ringers to give money to

14. Make Christmas doggie treats for all of Puddy's friends

15. Go to the Nativity Play

16. Get out your nativity set and act out the story from your Jesus Storybook Bible

17. Go Christmas shopping for the family who needs help buying gifts for their children

18. Scavenger hunt in our house for a little Christmas treat

19. Make paper plate snowmen

20. Christmas party with the Reinbergs

21. Unwrap a new Christmas book

22. Christmas Jammy Day

23. Put together teachers' Christmas gifts

24. Attend Gardenland Express at the Botanical Gardens

25. All-day Christmas music dance party

Top 10 Legal Addictions

2011-10-17T17:10:00.004-05:00

1. Prescription drugs (I could hook someone up with this one...we've got about 20 bottles leftover from the accident that I don't want to flush into the water system.)

2. Cigarettes (I wish. My husband would disown me.)

3. Alcohol (I don't drink much. Usually only when I go out for margaritas and Mexican food or red wine when we are out fancy)

4. Pornography (Not really a struggle, but the male kind isn't too tempting.)

5. Gambling (I've been to a casino twice in my life. Once with my friend Josh somewhere around Lake Providence, LA and once with some friends in STL. Kinda depressing places. I did have quite the addiction to the computer poker on our cruise ship once, but only because my father-in-law was financially supporting my addicition.)

6. Fast food (Because of my vegetarianism and distaste for fried foods, I steer clear of fast food. I do partake in veggie burgers from Burger King and Subway veggie subs on road trips. They'll do.)

7. Celebrity gossip (I don't like the gossip that's negative or speculations. I do love hearing who is dating who, reading about celebrity weddings, and hearing what celebs name their babies. And I like all the fashion and fancy dresses at award shows.)

8. Online role-playing games (Well, I just mastered the Apple N, Apple A, etc. functions, so I don't think I have the computer skills for any sort of online gaming. Maybe Pinterest is more of a temptation, although lately, I've been mostly annoyed with it. Or annoyed with myself when I judge peoples weird and not-cute pins.)

9. T.V. (Um, yes, I watch a lot of TV. However, I have in the last month deleted about 10 shows from my Season Pass Manager. I'm taking steps.)

10. Shopping (I would shop and buy things every day if I could, but I guess that's no surprise to you, list blog readers who have combed through scores and scores of my "things I want to buy" lists.)

This list, besides my commentary was originally taken from listverse. Sorry if I put the periods in the wrong place in regards to the parentheses. I don't remember all those rules.