10 Things You'd Do If You Won the Big Powerball Jackpot

10 Things You'd Do If You Won the Big Powerball Jackpot

1. Pay off all of my debt.
2. Set up a trust fund for Princess Ivi.
3. Buy a fully-loaded 2013 Kia Sportage.
4. Pay off my sister’s mortgage.
5. Move out.
6. Figure out a better living situation for my mom.
7. Give my brother some money for nursing school.
8. Visit a financial advisor and put myself on an “allowance”.
9. Figure out what I really want to be doing with my life and do it.
10. Stress a whole lot less.  

10 Random Things On Your Mind

1. I have no idea what to do for Easter. 
2. I would do a lot for a piece of chocolate right now.  
3. I could really use a massage between my shoulder blades. 
4. I wish I was hanging with my sister. 
5. I wish I was watching TV with Princess Ivi. 
6. I wish I was snuggling with the boyfriend. 
7. I wish I could clone myself and be everywhere I want to be but still experience the memories and feelings of being in that moment.  
8. I have no idea what to make for dinner. 
9. I wish it was 5 so I could go home. 
10. My cell phone battery is dead.  

10 Reasons I Have Not Been Blogging

In honor of my 2 week absence from the blogging world, I have created this little list of reasons why I have been absent. 

1.  A new boyfriend. 

2.  Too busy hanging out with said new boyfriend. 

3.  A new job.

4.  Too busy getting new glasses. 

5.  Too busy hanging out with Princess Ivi. 

6.  Too busy spending too much money with Princess Ivi

7.  Too busy playing with my new Kindle Fire

8.  Too busy playing with my new Samsung Galaxy 

9.  Too busy trying new recipes (like Italian Sausage Goat Cheese Lasagna)

10.  Pinterest.  

10 Books on Your To-Read List

10 Books on Your To-Read List

• Topsy-Turvy Inside Out Knit Toys: Magical Two-in-One Reversible Projects by Susan B. Anderson
• Everyday Heroes: 50 Americans Changing the World One Nonprofit at a Time by Katrina Fried
• 1001 Children’s Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up by Julia Eccleshare
• Riding with the Queen by Jennie Shortridge
• Away: A Novel by Amy Bloom
• The Lace Reader: A Novel by Brunonia Barry
• My Only Story by Monica Wood
• The Cast Iron Skillet Cookbook: Recipes for The Best Pan In Your Kitchen by Sharon KRamis and Julie Kramis Hearne
• Unravelled by Robyn Harding
• Home: A Novel by Marilynne Robinson

10 Items in Your Ravelry Queue

Since I can never seem to get my act together enough to participate in the 10 on Tuesday by CaroleKnits, I am going to create my own little 10 on Tuesday list and post it on Tuesdays.

I missed last week because of work things (I changes jobs yesterday so I was busy wrapping stuff up and missed the 10 on Tuesday post last week).

Here is this week’s topic created by me.

10 Items in Your Ravelry Queue (in no particular order)

1. Cable Vest

2. Christine Bag

3. Oz

4. Ivy

5. Tomato

6. Giselle

7. Zoro

8. Quadrat

9. Pyroclastic

10. Shapely Boyfriend

You can find me on ravelry as SoccerMomKnits.

10 Ways to Beat the Winter Blues

10 Ways to Beat the Winter Blahs

1. Live in Florida – This year, we have had a very mild winter and unlike a lot of places, our winters are very short.  However, since not everyone can live in Florida, I will complete the list below: 
2. Splurge on a floral arrangement weekly to bring some freshness and color into your life.
3. Go outside.  Even when it is chilly out, nothing chases the blues away like the feeling of warm sunshine.
4. Paint your house with bright colors.
5. Use scent to activate your senses.  You could use citrus fruits, candles or essential oils.
6. Spend time with friends and family.
7. Plan for the holidays.  If the holidays get you psyched, you could start planning now.
8. Spring clean early. Open your windows and let in some fresh air.
9. Get out a notebook/sketchpad and start planning your garden.
10. When you start feeling blue dance, sing, paint, or get creative in your own way.

10 Things You Have to Do Before Christmas/Hannukah/The Weekend

Here is my top ten list of things to do before the holiday.

1. Make fudge and other goodies.
2. Ship gifts to my sister
3. Shop for my brother, sister-in-law and nephews
4. Wrap all gifts
5. Knit a pair of leg warmers
6. Drive daughter’s boyfriend home.
7. Plan menu for Christmas Eve.
8. Shop for food.
9. Go to work everyday and accomplish to-do list.
10. Sleep so I am not a grump on Christmas morning.

Of course, as I think, there are a lot more things I need to do in addition to this.  Bummer.  I need to find a way to clone myself.  I would like a knitting self, a working self, a cooking and cleaning self, a hang out with daughter self (the real me)...and I am sure there are more.  

10 Things On Your Nightstand/Bedside Table

Well, first off, let me say that my nightstand is two Rubbermaid bins stacked on top of each other.  One bin is filled with yarn and the other is filled with fabric.  Some day, when I work through my stash, I will have the room to get a real piece of furniture. 

But what is on it?

1. Alarm clock
2. Lamp 
3. Carmex Lip Therapy
4. Carmex Lotion 
5. Basket of knitting needles
6. Hair clip that looks like a giant bug
7. Hair clip
8. Black Ball of yarn 
9. Red Ball of yarn
10. Pair of scissors.

Strange combination right?

10 Ways to Celebrate Halloween

1. Trick-or-treating, of course.
2. Haunted Houses
3. Jack O'lantern carving contest
4. Costume Halloween party. 
5. Halloween dance
6. Events at church (great for those who don't celebrate Halloween) -especially good if the church has a good youth group for teens
7. Pass out candy.  Especially fun to dress in costume while doing this so you can optimize the embarrassing effect on your children.
8. Hide in your house with your lights off because you didn't buy candy/forgot to buy candy. 
9. Go to your mom's house which is in the middle of the woods to avoid passing out candy. 
10. Make your fave snacky food and watch movies. 

10 Things In Your Freezer Right Now

1. Frozen bananas.  I always freeze my bananas once they start turning brown so then I have them for banana bread or muffins.
2. Ice cream.  A staple in my house.  I think the flavors we have this time are vanilla and coffee.
3. Potato soup.  Homemade and really yummy.  These will be used for lunches or quick dinners.
4. Shrimp.  A necessity in my house for Princess Ivi.  I can buy these buy one, get one free for $8.99.
5. Blue Bunny Peanut Butter Ice Cream Bars.  These were disappointing but I can't bring myself to throw them away. 
6. Chicken soup. Homemade.  Tasty.
7. Homemade chicken stock
8. One frozen pizza, 5 months old.  Given how old this is, I probably shouldn't eat this. 
9. Waffles, chocolate chip and cinnamon sugar.  Great since we don't have a waffle iron. 
10. Broccoli.  Green giant with cheese sauce.  Yummy. 

10 Things To Love About Fall

• Oranges, browns and other fall colors.
• Being able to wear “real” shoes with dress socks.
• Turning off the a/c and opening windows.
• Cooler weather for after-work walks.
• Halloween
• Being able to wear long-sleeve shirts and sometimes, even a sweater.
• High school football games without heat and bugs.
• Homecoming.
• Leaves changing color.
• Pumpkins (although not to eat..blah)

10 Things to Do Before the End of Summer

1. Go to the beach.
2. Get your feet wet.
3. Go to a yard sale or the flea market. 
4. Have a yard sale.
5. Have a cookout.
6. Eat a watermelon.
7. Drive with your windows down and the music playing.
8. Sleep outside.
9. Watch the stars.
10. Take a roadtrip.

10 Things to Bring on Vacation

I haven’t been on vacation in so long.  I could use one.  This topic obviously varies by season but the 10 things I absolutely have to bring with me on vacation are:

1. Camera. 
2. Yarn.
3. Knitting needles.
4. Easy projects.
5. Motion sickness medicine (especially if I am flying).
6. Book to read.
7. My daughter. 
8. Proposed itinerary.  I like to do all the research about where I am going and what stuff there is to do so I have a general budget for the trip.
9. Ipod.
10. Yarn money because I almost always go to a yarn shop. 

10 Things to Bring on a Camping Trip

1. Hotel Reservations!!!! (Ha-ha!!)
2. Well, if it were a real camping trip, I guess I would have to bring a tent but I wouldn’t be able to put it up.
3. Books.
4. Bug spray!!!!!!
5. Marshmallows.
6. Knitting.
7. Hot dogs!
8. If camping on the beach, fishing poles.
9. Potato chips (camping and chips reminds me of being a kid.
10. If sleeping on the ground, a foam mat so you can move in the morning is a necessity.

10 Things I Like About Where I Live

1. Sunny weather.
2. Mild winters.
3. Great produce for a long period of time due to a longer growing season.
4. My little house. 
5. Good schools.
6. My neighborhood which is great for walking.
7. Being close to so many state parks.
8. Being close to the beach.
9. Being far enough away from Disney and the other parks that it is not crazy.
10. Being able to work in Gainesville, Florida and watch the entire town get “Gator Fever”.

10 Ways to Enjoy Summer

10 on Tuesday, a day late, of course.

1. Take your kids to the beach.
2. Tube down the river.
3. Go yard-saling, flea marketing, garage saling, etc.
4. Go to the farmer’s market.
5. Pick your own blueberries or blackberries.
6. Read a book.
7. Lounge in a hammock.
8. Have a bonfire.
9. Go camping (if you live in a cool enough climate).
10. Go fishing.

10 Favorite Children's Books

In no particular order:

1. The Poky Little Puppy – This was the first “gift” I received from a boy.  I got it from Richard in Kindergarten.
2. Bear Snores On – I bought this for my daughter when she was little because the pictures are adorable and so is the story.  I have since passed it on to my nephew.
3. All-of-a-Kind Family – This was my favorite book when I was a kid.  It made me want to have lots of siblings and to “visit” the city like they did.  It also made me curious to eat a roasted chestnut which I have and the book makes them sound so good but they really aren’t.
4. Seven Alone – Although this is more of a young reader’s book.
5. Any of the Value Tales books.
6. One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish – Gotta love Dr. Seuss
7. Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? – This book is great to sign the animals to. 
8. The Greedy Python – Love this book.
9. Goodnight Moon
10. Encyclopedia Brown books – Again, more for young readers but a great series of books.

10 Easter Traditions

1.    Sheep cake on coconut grass (green dyed coconut).

2.    Chocolate rabbits.  Mine usually including some kind of peanut butter.

3.    Easter egg hunts which include finding and re-hiding the eggs multiple times until either the children or the parents collapse in exhaustion.

4.    Church.

5.    Plastic eggs.

6.    Big family dinners.

7.    Being teased by my family members with the story of the time I insisted I had seen a 6 foot tall Easter Bunny wearing a straw hat with his ears sticking through and a purple vest and carrying a big Easter basket.  (If you must know, I was NINE at the time and of course, if asked now, I would still insist that I saw the Easter Bunny.)

8.    New Easter duds for church, or just whatever.

9.    Buying the first pair of flop-flops for the season.

10.  Driving to the beach. 

10 Signs of Spring

10 signs of spring
1. Pollen starts to cover my car everyday.
2. My allergies kick in full force.
3. The redbud trees turn purplish-red.
4. The dogwoods and magnolias start to have little white buds appearing.
5. Our landscapers start coming back to the office park where I work.
6. Walmart, Target and other retailers start putting their summer clothes out. (Which I never understood. I mean, who wants to buy a bathing suit in March?)
7. Purple shrouded crosses start appearing at all the churches.
8. Controlled burns start popping up all over the place as the Forestry Department tries to lessen the risk of forest fires before the dry season.
9. The heat gets turned off at work.
10. I have to start sleeping with my ceiling fan because it gets a little bit too stuffy without any a/c running.

20 Questions instead of 10 on Tuesday

Since this week's 10 on Tuesday is 10 ways to celebrate St. Patty's Day and I only celebrate one way (with corned beef and cabbage, of course), I thought I would skip it and instead participate in Carole's 20 question meme. So here goes...

20 Questions (typed on Monday)

1. Explain what ended your last relationship?

My estranged husband is addicted to prescription pain medicine. I got tired of him being wasted all the time and not working so he could get more medicine. And being willing to spend money on filling his prescriptions instead of paying bills.

2. When was the last time you shaved?

My legs, probably about a week ago. Underarms was last night.

3. What were you doing this morning at 8 a.m.

I was driving to work and of course, I was running late since I woke up 45 minutes late this a.m. I hate daylight savings.

4. What were you doing 15 minutes ago?

Umm...putting together a package for work to send to the state attorney's office.

5. Some things you are excited about?

Being able to move out of my mother's house. My daughter's 8th grade graduation. Spending the summer doing fun stuff with my daughter.

6. What is your favorite flavor of JELL-O?

None. I don't like jell-o gelatin but I love jell-o pudding, vanilla.

7. Your prom night, what do you remember about it?

Nothing. Didn't go.

8. Do you have any famous ancestors?

Well, my dad's family was one of the first settlers in Quebec. And I have a female ancestor that got flogged at all the crossroads in Quebec because she dressed up like a man.

9. Last thing received in the mail?

Bills. A package from a swap partner.

10. How many different beverages have you had today?

Coffee, water, Sprite.

11. Do you ever leave messages on people’s answering machine?

Yes, of course.

12. Do you draw your name in the sand when you go to the beach?

No. When I go to the beach, I usually walk, collect shells, or take pictures of my daughter.

13. Any plans for Friday night?

Not that I know of but I am the mom of a teenager so that could change.

14. Do you like what the ocean does to your hair?

IDK. I rarely go to the beach and I DEFINITELY do not swim in the water.

15. Have you ever received one of those big tins of 3 different popcorns?

Yes. My daughter sold some for a fundraiser once. I think they are pretty nasty. When I eat popcorn, I want it to be fresh.

16. Do you re-use towels after you shower?

Yes.

17. Describe your keychain(s)?

Umm, Black tab that matched a purse that I don't use anymore.

18. Where do you keep your change?

In a canning jar on my dresser until it gets full, then I roll it and put it in the bank.

19. When was the last time you spoke in front of a large group of people?

Last year, they were threatening to close our local middle school and I went to the rally to stop it.

20. What kind of winter coat do you own?

I live in Florida so I don't really have a "winter" coat. If it gets really cold, I will wear a sweater, hooded sweatshirt or a leather jacket.