Inspired by my friend Dawn, I am making 35 resolutions to accomplish in the next 365 days.
1. Quit drinking soda
2. Plan Dramatic Lit class before the next school year starts
3. Accept more help
4. Save at least 1/3 more per month than I do now
5. Pack the entire week's worth of lunches for myself on Sunday night.
6. Plan the menu for the week's dinners by Sunday night.
7. Once and for all learn what position my son plays on football team.
8. Be more patient with my daughter.
9. Read at least one book for personal enjoyment per month.
10. Read at least 3 reading methods books.
11. Take on less volunteer positions at work.
12. Be more positive and less cynical.
13. Send out a positive note to at least 2 parents of students per month.
14. Start plants from seed.
15. Try to add a new veggie to my family's diet.
16. Make more whole food choices for my family.
17. Do more core toning exercises.
18. Eat less junk food.
19. Eat dinner at the table as a family more often.
20. Make grocery lists before I go shopping.
21. Buy less clothing just because I want it.
22. Declutter the storage closet
23. paint the deck
24. clean out the flower gardens
25. quit checking facebook more than twice per day.
26. Clean out the basement
27. Try a new recipe each month
28. make one of the ideas on my pinterest boards instead of just pinning them!
29. write an actual letter to a friend each month
30. finish the chair in the closet
31. organize my shoes and donate those I haven't worn in the last year.
32. redecorate K.'s room
33. weed through the toys and donate those that they don't play with despite my sentimental attachment to everything!
34. Either fit into those dresses or donate them already!
35. walk outside at least 3 times per week when its at least 40 degrees out!
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
How I Spent My Summer Vacation. or How pinterest is sucking up my time.
Every fall as I think about the first day of school and what I'm going to ask my students to do I chuckle to myself about having them write the "How I Spent my Summer Vacation" essay. There is value in that essay as cliche as it may be. It gives you a baseline on your student's writing abilities as well as a little insight into their interests and possibly their personality. Then I think, "oh, I should write my essay first so that they can see a model." Then, I promptly discard the idea for something that involves less grading on day one of the school year. But still, I consider it every year and this year I'm actually writing my version of the essay.
My summer vacation has flown by in a whirl of activities for my children, trips to the pool, waitressing shifts, summer school, and my attempt at expanding my drama program through the Berlin Park and Rec. Oh, and Pinterest. Thatdamn highly inspiring website has led me to redecorate my kitchen, dining room, and bedroom this summer. Already I've started a board for Kate's "big girl room". We plan on doing that for her birthday.
Today I thought I'd share my kitchen. We repainted the kitchen two years ago. Its a cheerful mango yellow with a mimosa accent wall. I have black cabinets. Phil replaced all the windows in our house and trimmed them with beautiful woodwork on the inside that I painted white. I fancy my kitchen is a little bit French Country and accented it with black and white accessories. Usually in that scroll pattern that is so popular right now. What I didn't love about my kitchen was the table. It wasn't tall enough to function as a work space for anyone but my children who used it as a craft table evidenced by the paint smears all over it. It was a catch all for stacks of junk mail, school forms, and Kate's toys. It was a constant source of bickering between Phil and I. I'd been asking for an island for years. Then one day I stumbled upon this idea on Pinterest:
We had torn up our dining room floor and there was a stack of 12" wide planks crying out to be used by me. I created my own giant rule to measure the kids. I wanted to put it in the kitchen but it didn't look right there, so now it is in the living room awaiting its final home yet to be determined, but it opened up a can of worms so to speak. That wood is just too beautiful to leave outside so I threatened to use the table saw and build myself an island out of it. I really wasn't sure how I was going to do this, but I'm a resourceful woman and started searching for Pinterest. I think Phil got nervous that I might actually do it and next thing you know I had an island built out of 100+ year old barn beams and my lovely floorboards.
Then I decided I needed curtains. We had not had curtains in our kitchen (or living room or dining room) since Phil did the windows. He didn't want me to cover up the woodwork and it was fancy enough to stand as a decorative touch on its own so I didn't make curtains. Then...I saw some on Pinterest that I wanted. Plus I'd always wanted a canopy over the sink so here's what I did.
I have a few more touches to add. I saw a suggestion on Pinterest to frame recipes in your grandmother's handwriting and hang them in the kitchen. I took it one step further and superimposed the writing on a photo of my grandma, but I'm still looking for handwritten recipes in my Busia's writing and Phil's grandma's writing so I haven't done that part yet. Then I found this chalkboard at my grandparent's farm that I want to do something with, but haven't quite figured it out yet. (Did I just hear Pinterest calling me over for some inspiration?) In the meantime the kids draw things on it. Yes, it is supposed to say "Bears". I'm working on that!
My summer vacation has flown by in a whirl of activities for my children, trips to the pool, waitressing shifts, summer school, and my attempt at expanding my drama program through the Berlin Park and Rec. Oh, and Pinterest. That
Today I thought I'd share my kitchen. We repainted the kitchen two years ago. Its a cheerful mango yellow with a mimosa accent wall. I have black cabinets. Phil replaced all the windows in our house and trimmed them with beautiful woodwork on the inside that I painted white. I fancy my kitchen is a little bit French Country and accented it with black and white accessories. Usually in that scroll pattern that is so popular right now. What I didn't love about my kitchen was the table. It wasn't tall enough to function as a work space for anyone but my children who used it as a craft table evidenced by the paint smears all over it. It was a catch all for stacks of junk mail, school forms, and Kate's toys. It was a constant source of bickering between Phil and I. I'd been asking for an island for years. Then one day I stumbled upon this idea on Pinterest:
We had torn up our dining room floor and there was a stack of 12" wide planks crying out to be used by me. I created my own giant rule to measure the kids. I wanted to put it in the kitchen but it didn't look right there, so now it is in the living room awaiting its final home yet to be determined, but it opened up a can of worms so to speak. That wood is just too beautiful to leave outside so I threatened to use the table saw and build myself an island out of it. I really wasn't sure how I was going to do this, but I'm a resourceful woman and started searching for Pinterest. I think Phil got nervous that I might actually do it and next thing you know I had an island built out of 100+ year old barn beams and my lovely floorboards.
I have a few more touches to add. I saw a suggestion on Pinterest to frame recipes in your grandmother's handwriting and hang them in the kitchen. I took it one step further and superimposed the writing on a photo of my grandma, but I'm still looking for handwritten recipes in my Busia's writing and Phil's grandma's writing so I haven't done that part yet. Then I found this chalkboard at my grandparent's farm that I want to do something with, but haven't quite figured it out yet. (Did I just hear Pinterest calling me over for some inspiration?) In the meantime the kids draw things on it. Yes, it is supposed to say "Bears". I'm working on that!
That's also a map of Italy and a plaque that says "Angie's Kitchen". It came from Phil's grandma's kitchen. I need to find a way to work it in, even if it is dated looking.
I've also hit the dining room and our bedroom and walk in closet with my Pinterest ideas. I'll share those soon. Enjoy the end of summer!
Monday, January 24, 2011
Christmas Card
Flourish Elegance Christmas 5x7 folded card
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Monday, July 19, 2010
Of Dragons and Dreams
Alright so the title might be a little grander than the reading but this time I've finished two books both of which I enjoyed. First up, The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo.
This one took me a long time to really get hooked on. It was somewhere around page 306 when I finally said, "Yes! This is what I've been waiting for!" Honestly if I hadn't been urged by at least three different people who's book opinions I respect I would've set this one down. The prologue has great promise with an elderly man reciving a pressed flower on his birthday, an event that has occurred for the past
40+ years. The interesting part is the supposed sender, his niece Harriet, disappeared decades ago. The gentleman assumes that its her killer taunting him. Then we get to chapter 1 and enough backstory to qualify as government reading! We find out all about a finacial journalist's downfall and a mysterious girl with a dragon tatoo who does security work. She's asked to investigate the journalist who was just convicted of slander and then the elderly man hires the journalist to investigate his niece's disappearance--a supposedly perfect crime. Somewhere around page 300 this tatoo girl and journalist join forces in the investigation. Before that there is more than enough sadistic behavior directed at tatoo girl (who is named Lisbeth) for me to cringe repeatedly. In the end that sadism helps solve the crime in an ending that I did not see coming. If you can stick out the backstory the novel is worth it. There was a teaser at the end of the copy I read for the next novel in the triology--again a lot of sadism seems to be the theme.
The second novel I read was The Summer we Read Gatsby. I'm not going to lie--I was drawn to it by the title because I love The Great Gatsby. The book started off a little slow again--just can't seem to find that novel that grabs me from the start--but it picked up quickly. It winds up being a romance. Two half sisters who were raised on opposite sides of the Atlantic and have only met in person a half dozen times come together to sort through their beloved Aunt Lydia's things and sell the home they inherited from her when she passed on. Lydia leaves a mysterious message in her will urging the girl to find something of importance in the time it takes them to sell Fool's House--the name she has bestowed upon her home in the Hamptons. The girls--really they're women--spend their time looking for something material of value when its obvious that love and family is what Lydia is alluding to. The chase for material wealth does lead to a bit of a mystery, but all ends well despite an unfortunate end to Fool's House. Along the way you learn a bit about Jackson Pollock, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and the artistic traditions of East Hampton. It was a fun read that left me longing for a summer home on a lake and colorful neighbors to drink cocktails with in the sumer sun and shaded porches.
This one took me a long time to really get hooked on. It was somewhere around page 306 when I finally said, "Yes! This is what I've been waiting for!" Honestly if I hadn't been urged by at least three different people who's book opinions I respect I would've set this one down. The prologue has great promise with an elderly man reciving a pressed flower on his birthday, an event that has occurred for the past
40+ years. The interesting part is the supposed sender, his niece Harriet, disappeared decades ago. The gentleman assumes that its her killer taunting him. Then we get to chapter 1 and enough backstory to qualify as government reading! We find out all about a finacial journalist's downfall and a mysterious girl with a dragon tatoo who does security work. She's asked to investigate the journalist who was just convicted of slander and then the elderly man hires the journalist to investigate his niece's disappearance--a supposedly perfect crime. Somewhere around page 300 this tatoo girl and journalist join forces in the investigation. Before that there is more than enough sadistic behavior directed at tatoo girl (who is named Lisbeth) for me to cringe repeatedly. In the end that sadism helps solve the crime in an ending that I did not see coming. If you can stick out the backstory the novel is worth it. There was a teaser at the end of the copy I read for the next novel in the triology--again a lot of sadism seems to be the theme.
The second novel I read was The Summer we Read Gatsby. I'm not going to lie--I was drawn to it by the title because I love The Great Gatsby. The book started off a little slow again--just can't seem to find that novel that grabs me from the start--but it picked up quickly. It winds up being a romance. Two half sisters who were raised on opposite sides of the Atlantic and have only met in person a half dozen times come together to sort through their beloved Aunt Lydia's things and sell the home they inherited from her when she passed on. Lydia leaves a mysterious message in her will urging the girl to find something of importance in the time it takes them to sell Fool's House--the name she has bestowed upon her home in the Hamptons. The girls--really they're women--spend their time looking for something material of value when its obvious that love and family is what Lydia is alluding to. The chase for material wealth does lead to a bit of a mystery, but all ends well despite an unfortunate end to Fool's House. Along the way you learn a bit about Jackson Pollock, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and the artistic traditions of East Hampton. It was a fun read that left me longing for a summer home on a lake and colorful neighbors to drink cocktails with in the sumer sun and shaded porches.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
The good, the bad, and the ugly
It has been awhile since I posted about the books I'm reading this summer, but I swear I have been reading. I'm just finding it difficult to stick with a book. For instance, I started reading The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz. I had high hopes for it. It came recommended by a woman who's opinion I trust, but I just couldn't stick with it. It is written with a certain amount of sarcastic wit and heavily footnoted with equally sarcastic remarks that I would normally enjoy but it required me to invest too much energy for a summer read so I've abandoned it until another time.
Next I read Whistling in the Dark by Lesley Kagan. She's a Wisconsin author and the book is set in a blue collar neighborhood of Milwaukee during the summer of 1956. It's told through the point of view of a ten year old girl. This concept works in To Kill a Mockingbird but it is tedious in this novel. However I stuck with it mainly because of the setting. The book is about a neighborhoood that is sort of being terrorized by a serial molestor/murderer. The main character (who's name I've already forgotten) has recently lost her father to a fatal car accident. Her mother quickly remarries an abusive shoe salesman with a drinking problem. Then her mother has to go into the hospital for surgery. The mother winds up having complications and spending the better part of the summer in the hospital. The girls are left in charge of their older sister, Nell, who is more concerned with her boyfriend than her sisters. The stepfather is "getting some" from a woman at the corner bar and can't be bothered with the girls so they are left to fend for the themselves.
Throughout the book the narrator believes that a friendly police officer is the murderer, but it turns out she's wrong. She is right about the fact that the murderer is after her. I thought the murderer was her stepfather but he isn't. He does wind up in prison though. Just in case you have a love of tedium I won't tell you who the murderer is or why the police officer holds a suprise for the narrator that changes the lives of her family.
Finally, the good. I love reading books set in the British Royal Court and I love theater so naturally I loved Jane Feather's novel All the Queen's Players which is about both. Historical fiction is fun for me as it sort of teaches me about historical aspects that aren't necessarily part of classroom study. The traditions and requirements of the royal courtiers are interesting. Imagine having an entire room of women who sit and wait for your command! And imagine being one of those ladies who sits and waits and sews tapestries while doing so. Then think about the fact that it is an honor to do so! I read The Other Boleyn Girl a few summers ago and then a couple more books by the same author. They were all concerned with King Henry's court. This novel concerns Queen Elizabeth I's court and the downfall of Queen Mary of Scots. Queen Mary is imprisoned for her treasonous behavior of remaining true to her Catholic faith in a Protestant country, but Queen Elizabeth refuses to execute her. Queen E's Secretary of State, Sir Francis Wallsingham, privately funds his own secret spy network to trap Queen Mary. It is through this network that Rosamund Wallsingham finds herself at court, but not before her brother Thomas takes her to the theater. It is at the theater that she meets Thomas' lover Kit (Christopher) Marlowe and a casual court acquaintance Will Creighton, an aspiring playwright.
Throughout the novel Rosamund learns to play the games of the court, disgraces herself, and is sent to serve Queen Mary in prison (even in prison a queen gets her ladies in waiting!). Rosamund's duty is to report everything she sees and hears to her cousing Sir Francis. Eventually she has a hand in the downfall and execution of Queen Mary. It appears that Rosamund will get to live her life and continue her secret affair with Will, but in a twist I did not see coming it all falls apart! I truly enjoyed this book.
Up next is The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo. Every review I've read said you won't be able to put it down, but I did. I put it down to finish reading All the Queen's Players however unlike Oscar Wao I will be picking it up again!
Next I read Whistling in the Dark by Lesley Kagan. She's a Wisconsin author and the book is set in a blue collar neighborhood of Milwaukee during the summer of 1956. It's told through the point of view of a ten year old girl. This concept works in To Kill a Mockingbird but it is tedious in this novel. However I stuck with it mainly because of the setting. The book is about a neighborhoood that is sort of being terrorized by a serial molestor/murderer. The main character (who's name I've already forgotten) has recently lost her father to a fatal car accident. Her mother quickly remarries an abusive shoe salesman with a drinking problem. Then her mother has to go into the hospital for surgery. The mother winds up having complications and spending the better part of the summer in the hospital. The girls are left in charge of their older sister, Nell, who is more concerned with her boyfriend than her sisters. The stepfather is "getting some" from a woman at the corner bar and can't be bothered with the girls so they are left to fend for the themselves.
Throughout the book the narrator believes that a friendly police officer is the murderer, but it turns out she's wrong. She is right about the fact that the murderer is after her. I thought the murderer was her stepfather but he isn't. He does wind up in prison though. Just in case you have a love of tedium I won't tell you who the murderer is or why the police officer holds a suprise for the narrator that changes the lives of her family.
Finally, the good. I love reading books set in the British Royal Court and I love theater so naturally I loved Jane Feather's novel All the Queen's Players which is about both. Historical fiction is fun for me as it sort of teaches me about historical aspects that aren't necessarily part of classroom study. The traditions and requirements of the royal courtiers are interesting. Imagine having an entire room of women who sit and wait for your command! And imagine being one of those ladies who sits and waits and sews tapestries while doing so. Then think about the fact that it is an honor to do so! I read The Other Boleyn Girl a few summers ago and then a couple more books by the same author. They were all concerned with King Henry's court. This novel concerns Queen Elizabeth I's court and the downfall of Queen Mary of Scots. Queen Mary is imprisoned for her treasonous behavior of remaining true to her Catholic faith in a Protestant country, but Queen Elizabeth refuses to execute her. Queen E's Secretary of State, Sir Francis Wallsingham, privately funds his own secret spy network to trap Queen Mary. It is through this network that Rosamund Wallsingham finds herself at court, but not before her brother Thomas takes her to the theater. It is at the theater that she meets Thomas' lover Kit (Christopher) Marlowe and a casual court acquaintance Will Creighton, an aspiring playwright.
Throughout the novel Rosamund learns to play the games of the court, disgraces herself, and is sent to serve Queen Mary in prison (even in prison a queen gets her ladies in waiting!). Rosamund's duty is to report everything she sees and hears to her cousing Sir Francis. Eventually she has a hand in the downfall and execution of Queen Mary. It appears that Rosamund will get to live her life and continue her secret affair with Will, but in a twist I did not see coming it all falls apart! I truly enjoyed this book.
Up next is The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo. Every review I've read said you won't be able to put it down, but I did. I put it down to finish reading All the Queen's Players however unlike Oscar Wao I will be picking it up again!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
The Help
This book by Kathryn Stockett was kind of, sort of recommended to me by a student. She had just finished reading it when we got to the independent book project in my Contemporary American Lit class and wanted to use it as her book of choice. I wouldn't let her because I hadn't read it yet, but now that I have it can definitely go on the list.
The book is about three women. Aibileen is a black woman in her 50s who's only son Treelore was killed in an accident at work. Treelore's father is long gone and Aibileen works as a maid for Elizabeth Leefolt, a member of the junior league.
Minny is a younger black woman--late twenties or early thirties--who also works as a maid for the junior league crowd. Minny has a tendency to speak her mind which often causes her to get fired and then beat by her husband. As the book opens Minny has been fired from her job tending to Mrs. Walters, a deaf old woman who couldn't hear when Minny sassed off. However Miss Hilly, Mrs. Walters daughter and the president of the Jackson Junior League, spreads a rumor that Minny was stealing the silver so Minny gets even with the Terrible Awful thing she does.
The third woman is Miss Skeeter, best friend of Miss Leefolt and the editor of the Junior League newsletter. Miss Skeeter is tall and awkward--not the classic beauty who goes off to college to find love. Instead Miss Skeeter has managed to complete all four years at Ole Miss and much to her mother's chagrin graduates with a degree rather than a husband. Miss Skeeter returns home to afternoon teas and friends with husbands, children and Old South beliefs. What she does not find at home is her beloved nursemaid, Constantine who has mysteriously disappeared under circumstances Miss Skeeter's mother refuses to discuss.
The three women's lives intersect in the midst of the civil rights movement when Miss Skeeter decides to tell the story of the maids and their lives working for white women. Despite it all being done anonymously Miss Hilly figures out who has done the writing and who has done the telling and spreads the news around Jackson until she reaches Minny's story at the end of the book. Minny has revealed the terrible awful and Miss Hilly backtracks to keep it quiet, but not before most of the damage has been done.
The novel was very good, but as is the case with rotating points of view there is one story that I wanted to read more than the others. There were also several incidents taht seemed too convienent. Miss Skeeter goes off to NYC in job all too easily won, Miss Minny finds a job guaranteed for a lifetime with Miss Celia all too easily, and Miss Celia's life is crafted with a certain amount of mystery that is never fully satisfied. I would happily read the sequel if it were to be written about Miss Celia!
All in all though it was a good read laced with historical events and authentic voices that I will add to the independent reading list. Thank you Anna Mae!
The book is about three women. Aibileen is a black woman in her 50s who's only son Treelore was killed in an accident at work. Treelore's father is long gone and Aibileen works as a maid for Elizabeth Leefolt, a member of the junior league.
Minny is a younger black woman--late twenties or early thirties--who also works as a maid for the junior league crowd. Minny has a tendency to speak her mind which often causes her to get fired and then beat by her husband. As the book opens Minny has been fired from her job tending to Mrs. Walters, a deaf old woman who couldn't hear when Minny sassed off. However Miss Hilly, Mrs. Walters daughter and the president of the Jackson Junior League, spreads a rumor that Minny was stealing the silver so Minny gets even with the Terrible Awful thing she does.
The third woman is Miss Skeeter, best friend of Miss Leefolt and the editor of the Junior League newsletter. Miss Skeeter is tall and awkward--not the classic beauty who goes off to college to find love. Instead Miss Skeeter has managed to complete all four years at Ole Miss and much to her mother's chagrin graduates with a degree rather than a husband. Miss Skeeter returns home to afternoon teas and friends with husbands, children and Old South beliefs. What she does not find at home is her beloved nursemaid, Constantine who has mysteriously disappeared under circumstances Miss Skeeter's mother refuses to discuss.
The three women's lives intersect in the midst of the civil rights movement when Miss Skeeter decides to tell the story of the maids and their lives working for white women. Despite it all being done anonymously Miss Hilly figures out who has done the writing and who has done the telling and spreads the news around Jackson until she reaches Minny's story at the end of the book. Minny has revealed the terrible awful and Miss Hilly backtracks to keep it quiet, but not before most of the damage has been done.
The novel was very good, but as is the case with rotating points of view there is one story that I wanted to read more than the others. There were also several incidents taht seemed too convienent. Miss Skeeter goes off to NYC in job all too easily won, Miss Minny finds a job guaranteed for a lifetime with Miss Celia all too easily, and Miss Celia's life is crafted with a certain amount of mystery that is never fully satisfied. I would happily read the sequel if it were to be written about Miss Celia!
All in all though it was a good read laced with historical events and authentic voices that I will add to the independent reading list. Thank you Anna Mae!
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Material Girl
It goes without saying (although I try to say it often in word and deed) that I am thankful for the health and presence of my family and friends. I am thankful that God blessed me with two beautiful children and a loving husband. I am thankful that my parents, sisters, and extended family are still with me and appear to be sticking around for a while. So when it comes to naming what I'm thankful for this year, I'm going with a list of material possessions who's invention I am thankful for. Here are my Top Ten things that I couldn't live without.
10. My crockpot--perfect for getting a hot dinner in the bellies of my babies, I rely on my crockpot in the winter months. However, in an unfortuante accident involving breakfast and my impending dinnertime meal my crockpot cord caught on fire last year and I've been without one. It will also make the top ten list of things I want for Christmas.
9. My walk in closet--Listed as a fourth bedroom on the appraisal statement of our home, my closet is roughly the same size as my children's bedroom. It is becoming a bit crowded though. I may need to add on.
8. Internet access at work--how better to waste time? Without it, my desk would be clean and what fun is that?
7. Facebook--Piggybacking off of number 8, facebook has led to many instances of catching up with friends, playing games, and just plain ole time wastin'!
6. The DVR--what a wonderful invention--I can record two programs at the same time making it unecessary to sacrifice my t.v. viewing for my husband's programs. Yeah!
5. Project Runway--Another piggyback off the previous item, P.R. provides me with a never ending supply of reality drama as well as projects for the costume/makeup units in Intro to Theater. It also inspires my creativity which is fun until I remember that I'm not a designer, pattern maker or draper.
4. Take out--The kitchens at Lakeside Bar & Grill and Christiano's pizza have saved me from slaving over the stove more than once.
3. The Lodge at Cedar Creek--A waterpark hotel just perfect for our family. Slides that are kid friendly and fun for adults too. Not nearly as crowded as the Dells and far enough to feel like a "real" vacation, The Lodge at Cedar Creek is my favorite "bucket hotel" as the kids call it. Now if they would just add a bar poolside, I'd never leave.
2. Heated seats--Wisconsin winters require heated seats, especially at 6:45 AM! They keep me warm and help when my back is achy!
1. The DVD player in my van--generally it stops the fighting and the never ending rattling on about football and baby dolls. It saves my sanity on a regular basis.
There you have it. My top ten material things I'm thankful for. What are yours?
10. My crockpot--perfect for getting a hot dinner in the bellies of my babies, I rely on my crockpot in the winter months. However, in an unfortuante accident involving breakfast and my impending dinnertime meal my crockpot cord caught on fire last year and I've been without one. It will also make the top ten list of things I want for Christmas.
9. My walk in closet--Listed as a fourth bedroom on the appraisal statement of our home, my closet is roughly the same size as my children's bedroom. It is becoming a bit crowded though. I may need to add on.
8. Internet access at work--how better to waste time? Without it, my desk would be clean and what fun is that?
7. Facebook--Piggybacking off of number 8, facebook has led to many instances of catching up with friends, playing games, and just plain ole time wastin'!
6. The DVR--what a wonderful invention--I can record two programs at the same time making it unecessary to sacrifice my t.v. viewing for my husband's programs. Yeah!
5. Project Runway--Another piggyback off the previous item, P.R. provides me with a never ending supply of reality drama as well as projects for the costume/makeup units in Intro to Theater. It also inspires my creativity which is fun until I remember that I'm not a designer, pattern maker or draper.
4. Take out--The kitchens at Lakeside Bar & Grill and Christiano's pizza have saved me from slaving over the stove more than once.
3. The Lodge at Cedar Creek--A waterpark hotel just perfect for our family. Slides that are kid friendly and fun for adults too. Not nearly as crowded as the Dells and far enough to feel like a "real" vacation, The Lodge at Cedar Creek is my favorite "bucket hotel" as the kids call it. Now if they would just add a bar poolside, I'd never leave.
2. Heated seats--Wisconsin winters require heated seats, especially at 6:45 AM! They keep me warm and help when my back is achy!
1. The DVD player in my van--generally it stops the fighting and the never ending rattling on about football and baby dolls. It saves my sanity on a regular basis.
There you have it. My top ten material things I'm thankful for. What are yours?
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