August Goals

I always admire other bloggers who post their "goals" for the month. I did the ONCE. Yes. one time and it was like 2 years ago - and who knows if I even remotely came close to accomplishing them. Let's just go with probably not.  I've been really trying to push myself with writing so why not set some goals, right? 

My goals.. For August... 

This is the dirt pile in our front yard...

1. Landscaping.   We have been working on this landscaping since we moved in.  Last summer I pulled a ton of pavers out of the front yard with the hopes to plant grass by fall.  That never happened and this is what our front yard looks like now.  (I cannot wait for another year to show the ENTIRE progression of start to finish!).

2.  Running.  My running has been so limited because of my back injury. However, I can start running again (slowly) by adding some biking and other low impact activities.  I only have 1 race scheduled for August and it's a 5K this weekend (Gopher to Badger).  Last year I was in top shape and ran a great 1/2. This year I'll be cheering on all the runners looking forward to my next one! (Which I swore last year was my last... but hoping to do Grandma's in 2018 and MAYBE gopher to badger 2017?!)

3.  Cleaning/Organizing/eBaying. I am a clothes hoarder.  This has been a bit of a revelation as I've gained and lost (and gained) weight. I cover up with new clothes.  So I'm slowly paring down my closet and selling my shit high quality clothes (several with tags) that I couldn't live without and have never worn :)  Typical, right?

4. Weddings.  Not mine. HA HA HA.  Two of them.  One which happens to be on my favorite weekend of the year.  Adam is in one so we'll be doing wedding festivities all weekend the last weekend in August.  They will both be fun :)

5.  Pub Crawling.  Erin Adams's Hargrove's 10th Annual Polar Pub Crawl (North St Paul, MN) is this upcoming weekend.  I can't even handle that it's been 10 years since she started her pub crawl.  There have been a lot of fun memories, and some not so fun memories (headstands and card cheaters) okay that fits in both columns :)   We haven't made it to all 10 but are really excited about making it this year.  

6.  Pepper Fest.  See #4.  My favorite weekend of the ENTIRE year is in North Hudson, WI.  I grew up down the street from Pepper Fest and L-O-V-E going every single year!!  This year will be cut short by a wedding ...ahem... please be considerate and check a calendar next year folks... j/k.  Parades, Italian Food, Beer, Music, and old friends!  What more could you ask for?  (Pepper Eating Contest, Spaghetti eating contest, a 5k/10K race, rides for the kids, bags tournaments... ) Seriously, one of the best summer get togethers around!! 

7. Help Dad.  Dad is having knee replacement surgery August 15th.. So while he's pretty humble about his health and what's going on, he is going to need his army behind him for this one!  While I'll be covering most days and a few nights, the rest of the family will be helping as well.  So grateful for all that he has done for us and am so happy to be able to give back and help him :)  

Grandpa and George taking Sam for a walk

8. Unpack.  Seriously.  We STILL have boxes at Adam's parents... and we STILL have several unpacked boxes in our basement.  I think until we actually paint and get each room the way we like it, we will have boxes of stuff just waiting to make its debut!

9. Go to Church.  I am baptized and confirmed Catholic but have never felt as connected as I once was in Arizona (99-01).  I recently went to a funeral (good time to think about your Faith) and admired how connected the Pastor is to the community.  The following Sunday George and I went to service and the minute we sat down, the pastor walked over and introduced himself. I felt welcomed and knew that was where I needed to be.  George and I have been going to church the past few weekends there and plan to continue going. 

10.  Be in the moment.  That was last week's church message.  Just appreciate where you are when you are there.  Put the phone down. Put your tablet down.  Put any and all distractions aside and simply live in that moment.  How often do we meet a friend for coffee, or take our kids to the park only to find ourselves with our heads buried in our phones or thinking about something else?  I AM SO GUILTY!!!   I am trying to simply put my phone down and enjoy a few minutes of whatever it is I'm doing. Simply be.  

11. Live in front of the Camera.  I read a blog post another woman wrote, where she recognized that she was capturing all of her children's milestone moments but was never visible in any of them. She was behind the camera.  There was nothing to show that while the child blew out his birthday candles and opened presents she was there.  She was taking the pictures.  This hit home with me. I was looking for a recent picture of myself with George and my storage is maxed out but none of them have me in them.  So when I stumbled upon this it truly spoke to me. My goal is to post one picture a day for the next 365 on my Instagram Account.   Go check out my Instagram (shameless plug) @upnorthmama1 for my daily post of in front of the camera!

Dinner selfie - no filter, unedited.

XOXO

Kristen 

6 Educents Must-Haves Cheaper than Amazon

I'd love to be able to shop around for the best price always, but sometimes there isn't enough time in the day!  

I received a list of items that are cheaper on Educents, (one of my favorite online stores for educational resources) than on Amazon. I was shocked to find some items were $100 cheaper on Educents than Amazon. So, of course I wanted to share this time-and-money-saving list with you!

Hot tip: Use code GETREADY to get free shipping on every order, no minimum required or WELCOME16: 15% off + Free Shipping with no minimum for new customers

Hooked on Phonics Learn To Read Kit for PreK-2nd - Save $170.00

     

 Hooked on Phonics is one of the most trusted brands in teaching children how to read. This set is for Pre-K-2nd graders who are looking to create a strong foundation in phonics. This set includes workbooks as well as access to the HoP online learning portal. Retail Price - $299.99 / Amazon Price - $265.00 Educents Price - $129.99

Maestro Classics Musical Stories Set - Save $112.00

     

 This 12 CD collection features perennial classics you'll remember from childhood like Peter and The Wolf, The Nutcracker, and The Tortoise And The Hare. Each disk also includes activities to complete for students after they have finished the story. Retail Price - $200.00 / Amazon Price - $93.43 Educents Price - $88.00

Times Tales Animated DVD - Save $10.00

     

 Times Tales is one of the best ways to teach kids multiplication - period. One mom said, "Best money spent on math. It really worked. Within a week my 9 and 11-year-old completed 110 problem text with scores of 99% and 100% respectively. Wow." Audio, visual, logical - what's more to ask? Retail Price - $29.99 / Amazon Price - $28.99 Educents Price - $19.99

Reusable Human Body Sticker Set - Save $9.00

     

 The Mona MELissa reusable sticker playsets are an amazing way to create a hands-on learning experience in your home, classroom, or anywhere with a wall. Teach kids all about anatomy - and make it stick (literally!) - with this scientifically accurate set. Retail Price - $28.99 / Amazon Price - $24.99 Educents Price - $19.99

Tegu Magnetic Building Blocks: 40 Piece Set - Save $27.50

     

 Tegu blocks are the wooden magnetic blocks that are captivating children's attention worldwide. Aside from being an outside-of-the-box toy, Tegu cares about creating social good, and hires workers in Honduras to create these wonderful toys. Plus they plant a tree with each purchase. :) Retail Price - $110.00 / Amazon Price - $110.00 Educents Price - $82.50

Hooked on Phonics Spelling Program - Save $20.00

     

 Spelling Bee here we come! The Hooked On Spelling program is no exception to the quality of Hooked on Phonics programs and teaches spelling in a way that's unique and fun at the same time.

Retail Price - $79.95 / Amazon Price - $130.22

Educents Price - $59.95

Staples: Back to School Supplies! Under $10!

It's that time of year again!  Wait... it's only July. Yes! It's time to start thinking about Back-To-School already!  School supplies are on crazy discounts right now at many of the major retailers.  Although I don't have school age kids, I am a teacher at heart and can't resist a fresh pack of new markers...crayons..notebooks... you get the idea :) (I'm also SUPER thrifty and love finding a good deal... you can read my post about other ways to save here and here).  This is not a sponsored post but may contain affiliate links.

One of my favorite bloggers is Collin over at Hip2Save.  If you aren't already following her, get on her email list. Yes, you will get daily emails full of amazing deals.  Trust me, it's the only email I religiously look forward to and read, every-single-day.   I was able to score an amazing deal on several school supplies.  I didn't grab all the supplies in her bargain, but I did get some.  Staples in Woodbury, MN has an AWESOME supply of all these items, so no worries about fighting to get them.  The sale is on through July 23rd. Don't miss out!

What did I get?

10 Notebooks (5 College/5 Wide Ruled).   These were .17 each = $1.70 (limit 30)
2 Packs of Markers - .97 each = $1.94 (limit 30)
2 Packs of Crayons - .50 each = $1.00 (limit 30)
1 Pack of Erasers - .25 =  $.25  (Hard to pass up, but I think I have plenty of these on hand!) (limit 5)
4 packs of Pens (1 Black, 1 Blue, 2 Purple) - $.75 each = $3.00  (limit 5)
Colored Pencils - .97 each = .97 (limit 30)

My total BEFORE tax was $8.86.  I simply cannot complain!!  There are other great deals out there as well. I know Target has .50 crayons this week as well as ongoing school supply deals.

Here are a few other deals at Staples:

Purell Hand Sanitizer $2 (reg. $2.49) – (limit 30)  (.75/1 Purell Coupon here - making even less!)
Two-Pocket Paper Folders $0.17 each (reg. $0.55) – (limit 30)
Buy 1 Staples Composition Notebook $0.50 (reg. $2.29) – (limit 30)


Also, if you're in the market for a new backpack, when you purchase one you get an additional 25% off on your school supplies! 

Exploring: Downtown Hastings, MN

I had so much fun with last week's post about Hudson, WI that I thought i would try to make this a weekly series where I explore a small town and share some of the great adventures I have along the way.

Last Thanksgiving my friend Vicki asked me to run the Thanksgiving Gobble Gait 8K with her in Hastings.  I had never spent much time there and just figured it would be like any run.  Let me say, it was one of the most beautiful runs I have done!  All of the money from the race is donated to the Hastings Family Service which serves the local community.  What started as a small run has now grown to over 2000 runners.

Post Race Photo with Vicki (right) and her friend Stacie (center)

Although it was cold and went, it was SO WORTH it!  Just being able to say I did it and knowing my race fee went to someone in need felt pretty darn good!

The race started and finished on Main Street in Hastings and although it was cold and wet, I fell madly in love with Main Street!  There are tons of cute little shops and restaurants.  Its very quaint and a nice little day trip. From the Downtown Business Association of Hastings, MN, " The Historic Downtown Business District of Hastings, Minnesota. You'll find charming shops that feature; Antiques, Collectibles, Gifts, Fashion, Imports, Toys, Pottery, Jewelry and many one of a kind specialty items and services. Most of our shops are located in preserved historic buildings dating back to the 1800's."

Right now they are redoing some sections of Main Street so my photos may be a little limited in the angles as I was simply trying to photo without all the yellow tape and orange cones.   However, even though it was under construction we were still able to navigate to all the shops with no trouble.

My friend Jayme has super awesome taste and had told me about Eye Candy Refind, so I HAD to check it out.  (If you've ever been in the Loft at Viva Voce Salon in Hudson, they have several stunning pieces from Eye Candy!!) After a quick trip to their shop in Hastings, I was sold!!  First of all I LOVE the owners.  Super bad ass ladies who run a great shop with gorgeous pieces!  They are SUPER friendly and totally willing to help you with anything.  (and I mean anything, I'm still looking for my card catalog and they are too!).   I ended up buying a gorgeous buffet my first trip there and continue to get inspiration every time I go to their shop!

My buffet table from Eye Candy

I absolutely adore the signs, furniture and decor in Eye Candy Refind. They also do painting classes in the Hastings Store as well if you want to learn how to chalk paint.  Additionally they share TONS of new pieces on their Instagram (eye_candy_refind) and Facebook Pages.  If you're looking for a one of a kind, quality piece at an affordable price, check out Eye Candy!!!

If you're someone who wants to DIY your own furniture pieces then stop into one of the many antique shops in town!

Vintage Inspirations

The Emporium Antiques

A few others:

Second Street Antique Mall

Antiques on Main

If home decor isn't your thing, they also have cute little clothing shops as well!  One that is always a stop when we are there is Lah-Tee-Dah Boutique.  They have adorable clothes at very reasonable prices!  You will also find that unique piece you wouldn't find online or at a mall.  That's what makes small town shopping so special.  You don't look like everyone else and you're supporting a local business.  

Other shopping locations for gifts and goodies:

Gifts Galore

Tenacious K's

Mississippi Clayworks

Meyer Co

Let's be honest, after all that shopping I'm usually starving and (in my opinion) the BEST place in town is the Busted Nut.  We completely stumbled into the Busted Nut on a whim when we were picking up my buffet from Eye Candy.  It was the best decision ever!!  Fresh peanuts when you sit down and cold beers!  But better than that is the food.  I have been there several times now and I am never disappointed.  Last time we were there, a friend said "This is the best mushroom swiss burger I have ever had!"  I typically order the Chicken, Bacon Ranch Wrap with waffle fries and season sour cream and it's AMAZING!!!  (See below)

Although the Busted Nut happens to be my favorite, there are lots of other choices while in the downtown area.

Restaurants:

The Onion Grille (I've heard this place is awesome too!)

Karl's Red Rock Cafe (Breakfast and Lunch)

Bella Vista

Spiral Pizza

While I was walking around taking photos, I saw the sweetest scene in Reissner's Meat and Grocery. I was transported back 50 years. (or what I imagine life to be like 50 years ago).  Two older gentlemen were standing in the business enjoying a conversation and a coke.  It was the most refreshing, simple moment they were sharing.  They didn't have cell phones out, they weren't distracted by anything but what the other person was saying.  It truly warmed my heart.

One thing that always catches my eye when I'm in town is the Meyer Company Sign (Carhartt, Levis, shopping).  It again, takes me back to a time before modern technology.  And while I don't know the history, I imagine it was put up in the early years of Jc Penney, Montgomery Wards, Sears Roebuck Co.  Just the lettering takes me back to flipping through catalogs at grandmas house.  

  

As you find your way out of town, take a minute to see the beautiful new bridge that was built in 2014.  It's stunning at night and beautiful during the day.  

Hastings is only a short drive from the Twin Cities on Highway 61 South, and about 45 minutes from Western, WI.  I love any excuse to get down here to shop and eat!  (and there may or may not be a casino stop or a stop at Ellsworth Creamery on the way! Pretty sure we'll be checking out Ellsworth in the near future so I can go back for more fresh cheese curds!)

I hope you are able to seek out new adventures in Hastings or any of the towns I mention along the way.  It's such a fun journey for me to check out new places and bring friends along for the ride!

XOXO

Kristen

Meal Planner and Grocery List Printable

A helpful printable I created a few years ago to help with meal planning and grocery shopping.  Plan your meals, scan your cupboards and make your list to take to the store.  I removed the customization from the top of the document but ours has "Adam, Kristen & George"  and then I date the week as well.   Since I'm new to printables, I thought I would share this one first and see what people think!

I'd love to hear your feedback and what you like/don't like and what would make this better.  If you also have other ideas for printables that would make your life easier, let me know as well!

XOXO

Kristen

Building Blocks - Building Fun!

Thinking back when I was growing up I absolutely loved to build with Legos, wooden blocks (remember those great blocks with the little letters on them?), and lincoln logs. Now that George is getting old, we absolutely have so much fun building. He LOVES building big towers and all sorts of other things (sometimes I think we have more fun building!). (Disclaimer: This post contains sponsored material and I am compensated for purchases).

One of the oldest and most reliable toys that children have played with for centuries is the simple wooden block. It's versatile, safe and most of all fun. While standard wooden blocks are still fun, there have been major innovations and advancements in technology to bring us to where we are now. The Tegu blocks are an awesome modern twist on a classic toy. These blocks may look simple at first glance, but only when you start to play with them do you realize truly how awesome they are. Tegu blocks come with tiny magnets embedded in the blocks, which means that kids of any can create structures they only ever dreamed of. And with plenty of options, there's a perfect Tegu set for any family!

What Moms are Saying About Tegu

Christina is a mommy of three who shares fun activities for kids on her YouTube channel, The Purple Alphabet. During her video review of the Tegu blocks, she says "It really encourages your child to think creatively... you're gonna get a lot of use out of these over the years." "Bought these for my 6 year old grandson for Christmas and we now call his creations "the work of a City Planner. " The different shapes and structures take on the look of city skylines with random items like trees, bridges, etc. Geometry was never so much fun." -Deborah F. "My first reaction was "these are pricey!" but they were highly recommended to me so I gave it a go. Now I can tell they will be loved for years. My 3 year old loves stacking them and clicking them together and a part. I even have fun playing with these and I'm an adult. They are high quality and the colors are great." -Summer H.

The Social Impact

Not only are Tegu blocks fun, but they have a social impact. The business was founded in Honduras with the idea of helping out a country with an unemployment rate of above 30%. Local Hondurans are regularly hired and receive opportunities for growth and leadership within the company. If that weren't enough, with every purchase of a Tegu product, the company plants more trees or funds a whole day of school for a child without access to education.

 

With a product this fun and a company that is so caring, it's hard not to love Tegu, and the products listed here are only the beginning! Be sure to check out the full Tegu catalog to find out which one is right for you.

Classic 40 Piece

Create amazing structures and wonderful memories with the classic Tegu block 40 piece pack. Coming in four styles (tints, natural, jungle, and Nelson), the classic Tegu pack is the perfect purchase for kids who want to experience as many combinations as possible.

What's included:

• 40 Magnetized Tegu Blocks in seven shapes
• Large storage box
• The Tegu Story booklet filled with build ideas and the Tegu story

On-The-Go Sets

This Tegu pack is perfect for families who are constantly on the go. Available in four sets, these Tegu mini packs come with their own carrying case to make sure you don't lose any of the pieces.

What's included:

• Six magnetized Tegu blocks
• High quality carrying case
• Building ideas

Classic Wood

This set is perfect for more retro-minded families. The classic wood Tegu package includes 22 slick wooden blocks that can be used to create tons of different wooden structures and shapes.

What's Included:

• 22 magnetized blocks in four shapes
• Storage box

To celebrate, Educents is offering FREE SHIPPING with code DISCOVER16 through Thursday, June 30th. Note it's one time use, on orders over $49  educents.com/#upnorthmama

XOXO

--Kristen

A New Way of Living. #HealthyMama #HealthyFamily #HealthyKid

I gained 31lbs of baby weight that somehow didn't miraculously fall off when I left the hospital, so last year I started running.  I ran 5Ks, 10Ks, and finished with a half marathon.. and even after that I kept running.   But the weight still didn't fall off with all that running.  The reason?  Because I wasn't EATING properly. I have learned that 80% of weight loss comes from the kitchen and 20% in the gym. I do a majority of the cooking in our household which means that I am ultimately responsible for what we eat. (All opinions in this article are my own and I have not been compensated for them)

We started by making small changes in our house. We incorporated more fruits and veggies.  We drank more water and less soda.  And as we started to see our bodies change we also started to see our attitudes and minds change.   I also changed our recipes. We absolutely LOVE eating tacos in our house.  So we switched out chicken for beef, made salads instead of shells, and replaced our sour cream with Chobani Plain Greek Yogurt.  Greek Yogurt contains more protein and less calories than sour cream.  When I first told Adam I was fixing supper with Greek Yogurt he was less than interested.  This is the man who will eat ANYTHING and he refused.  So I did it anyway. And you know what?  He didn't know the difference.  So to my surprise when I was out of town, I found he had eaten ALL of our Greek yogurt and had to go buy more. I call that a win!

I also have a little yogurt addict in my house too! I thought I was being such a good mama getting up and making George pancakes and waffles in the morning.  Then one morning I was running late, gave G some yogurt and from that morning on he's eaten it every single day. Not because I'm lazy but because this child DEMANDS it!  And seriously, you can't be mad if your child demands yogurt, right? But I URGE you to read labels.  One brand has 26 grams of sugar in a 6oz container of yogurt. This is the same amount of sugar in 1/2 of a can of Mountain Dew.  Let's be honest, you'd NEVER let your kids drink a 1/2 can of soda, so why would you feed it to them?

George eating one of his favorite Chobani Greek Yogurts - Grape

After doing my research I found that Chobani has yogurt just for kids. YAY!   The sugar content is 7 grams lower (compared to a 6oz container) and they come in fun flavors like grape and watermelon.  They are easy to take on the go! And work great for breakfast or as a sweet dessert after supper. 

We are an active family so food is not the only way we try to remain healthy.  We take family walks and go on family runs.  We go outside and allow George to explore the grass and get fresh air.  I always keep the sliding door open to allow him to play on our deck and we make trips to the park.   I try to make sure that I keep fresh snacks on hand at all times.  We eat things like freeze dried fruit, frozen fruit (defrosts wonderfully!) and of course our handy yogurt pouches. 

After making several changes in our diet as a family I've seen the positive benefits.  We are a much happier family without all of the refined sugars and processed foods.  I am not a nutritionist but I am a mom and I feel it is my job to make sure that I'm doing the best for Adam and George to ensure they are both happy and healthy. Adam and I have both lost around 20lbs with our changes. Start small and you never know where it might take you!

My Before and After pictures taken during my healthy body transformation

Weekend in Review - Busy Mama!

We had a very busy weekend!  After being out of town last week (and being crazy busy while I was gone!) I returned home to a full weekend of George.  I was so happy to be back and my sweet boy was still awake when I arrived home on Thursday.  I worked on Friday but since I work from home (most of the time) I was able to keep him home with me.  Which by the way, I was approved to work from home 100% of the time starting in January.  YAY!

Saturday was a fun-filled day of baking cookies and visiting Santa!  George and I went to Grandma's house and Grandpa played with George while we baked.  We baked a ton of sugar cut-outs, Oreo Truffles, and Wreaths.  Grandma also made Peanut Butter Temptations on Sunday but had made up the dough on Saturday.



We also took a break from our baking and went to see Santa!  The Woodville Lion's Club also hosted a holiday festival.  Santa was there to take pictures and hear all the wishes of the good boys and girls.  George did so well sitting on Santa's lap! I was so proud of him. He didn't quite know what to think but didn't fuss - so I take that as a win!

Sunday, while Adam was finishing up a Tile Project, George and I went over to Pinstripes in Edina to celebrate our friend Jack's 1st birthday.  We had such a good time there.  We ate Macaroni and Cheese, tried a cupcake with frosting, and played with Jack's new toys.  He was so nice to share!

We are coming along on our December goals.  I plan to write an update by the end of the week.  Hope you are getting everything accomplished in December that you set out to do and that your holiday shopping is nearly complete!  Have a wonderful week.

-- Kristen

Christmas Cheer Box Reveal

Rachel over at Floral and Fudge co-hosted a Christmas Cheer Box Linkup and I decided to get in on all of the fun!  The goal was to send a box to a fellow blogger (whose name you were sent) and to spend less than $10.  It was suggested the items be "Christmas Themed" and sent by December 1st.  

Kaitlin over at Little Goodies (who by the way has 2 of the cutest little ones ever!) sent me this box of WONDERFUL goodies :)  She was also one of our lovely co-hosts for the exchange.  

First of all let's just talk about how cute the box is that she sent me. Apparently she must realize how miserable and dreary winters are around these parts because when I unwrapped the package I was brought back to happier (and warmer) days of summer!!

Clearly you can tell this woman is a mama and either stalked me (ha ha - right) or simply knows how OCD organized I like to be when it comes to making lists!  We love list paper at our house!!  So I was so so happy to more paper to make lists on. YAY!  And the chevron journal is lovely.  It will fit in my manbag purse just perfect- likely for me to make a few more lists on.  (I'm embarrassed to say that I use both "notes" and "reminders" for list making on my phone when I don't have paper to write on!)

And who doesn't love some incredibly amazing hand lotion for these dry dry winters!  This one smells sooo yummy!!   Another must for my purse.  (Joking aside, I did find my cross body bag in the mens section at Fossil - and I LOVE it - which is why I call it my man bag).

And to round out the bag, she sent me these cute little Christmas tags and glitter tape.  I love brown paper bag wrapping paper, so it will be so fun to add this glitter tape to the outside to add some excitement!  And these little ties are adorable too!  They are full of sparkle!!  Having longer hair I know I can add these to my hair, but they also work well for binding too!

What fun it is to send/receive Cheer Boxes!!  I know when I put mine together I had so much fun doing it and for under $10 -even better!!  Thank you to Katilin for being so thoughtful with the box you sent, I sincerely appreciate it!

I am also sharing the Christmas Cheer Box that I put together for Nelle over at Simply Love here.

Merry Christmas everyone!! 

What’s on | my bucket list

I like to read other blogs and found Rachel over at Floral and Fudge sharing her Bucket List as part of a series: What's On from Momfessionals.   It got me thinking, I made a bucket list a few years back...

One night Adam, Matt Mortel and I were all sitting around playing Sorry and decided it was time to make our bucket lists.  I had Adam dig mine out.. I was pleasantly surprised to see that I can actually check a few of these off! 

A view from Under the Eiffel Tower - 2010 - my photo.

1.  Visit all major league baseball stadiums... I have made it to 12 out of 30 stadiums!  Baseball has always been a great passion for me and I would love getting deployed to new cities and be able to see a different stadium.  I tried to get to 1 new park each year when I was younger.  Having a little one has slowed that process but I think as he gets older we might be able to travel to a few more.  

Great American - Cinicinatti, OH

Sharidy Johnson and Ashley Garner at Marlins Park, Miami FL

Adam, George and I at Miller Park

Adam and I at Target Field 

My college roommate Sarah Cheeseman at Busch Stadium, St Louis MO

Sara Ragsdale and I at "old" Yankee Stadium

2.  Buy an RV.  John Nesse if you're reading this I do NOT mean one like Farrah Revcon!  I am thinking BIG and fancy.  One that you could live out of and travel across the country potentially accomplishing #1 on the list.

3.  Adopt a child.  I once watched a documentary on the orphanages in Russia and the poor conditions the children are raised in.  Since that I have had this passion to adopt a child.  In Russia boys live in much poorer conditions than girls, they don't have any sort of plumbing and children as young as 5 have to do manual labor to keep the orphanage up and running. It simply broke my heart and I knew that I would want to adopt some day.  Even after having my own sweet boy, I still carry this passion in my heart and hope to be able to do it some day.

4.  Decorate a room that is magazine worthy.  I have some pretty talented friends (Jen Bourget!) who have homes that could simply grace the cover of a magazine.  My house is currently in shambles, undecorated for any type of season/holiday and looks more like something you would see on a different kind of TV show or magazine.... maybe not that bad, but it just feels like it lately. 

5.  Learn to LOVE Christmas.  Growing up Christmas was always a hustle and bustle and my mother and I would usually end in some kind of fight.  I never had a passion for Christmas because of the stress that would go into it.  After my folks divorced, I had the task of making sure that Christmas was still wonderful for my brothers which meant that I had to shop for all of their gifts from dad and even make Christmas dinner - it just became more of a chore than a passion for the season so every year I dread it.  Now that I'm older, have George and celebrate with Adam's family I hope that we can re-light that spark of what the season is about.  

6.  See the Eiffel Tower... ACCOMPLISHED!

7.  Spin a Globe and go where it stops.  Anyone who knows me know that I am a complete control freak and type A.  This is me letting go of where I am traveling and simply just go.  There are places I absolutely LONG to travel to (Italy, Ireland, Germany, Norway) and others I have ZERO desire to travel to (Pretty much anywhere in the Middle East, India, Asia, etc...)  So wherever it stops is where we go!

8.  Own a house.  COMPLETE!  I bought my house in March of 2011 and have lived here since.  With Adam's help we have made many changes to this little box.  We have added a deck, patio, finished the garage, added new flooring (laminate/carpet), painted, put in a backsplash, currently remodeling a bathroom and SOON we will be adding a fireplace w/built in bookshelves.  I am blessed to have such a talented boyfriend and lucky to be able to save for the upgrades we want.

9.  Go see a movie in a park.  I see this in movies all the time and think it would be so fun to spread out a blanket and watch a movie in the park.  It would be very sweet for us to do as a family.

10.  Have plastic surgery (This is me being 100% honest and transparent with my blog).  I have been self-conscious of my nose my entire life. I hate profile pictures and when I'm captured in the wrong angle in photos with my nose.  We each have our own fixations about what we don't like about ourselves and mine is my nose.  As I get older I start to look at my face and am growing more okay with it... and if I could update this one, I would have plastic surgery to tighten up my mama belly.

11.  Run a half-marathon.  ACCOMPLISHED!  I signed up to run Grandma's 1/2 back in 2009 and wasn't selected in the lottery system.  I was COMPLETELY okay with it because I didn't think I could do it.  So when a friend challenged me to join her this year I committed.  I have never stuck to a workout program like I did for my 1/2 training.  It was one of the most physically challenging things I have done but am so grateful to have done it.  Thank you Jennifer!!

12. See Garth Brooks in concert.  I have been dreaming of the day I could see him live since I started listening to country music my senior year of high school.  Back then I couldn't afford going to a show so was never able to go.  I am thankful to a few guys (Mike Anselmo and Tony Stanek) who shared country music with me.  I have never looked back...   And I GET TO SEE GARTH BROOKS next weekend!!  We have tickets to the 10:30 show on Saturday Nov 8th and I am BEYOND excited. Pretty soon I can say this one is accomplished!!

I love to dream of all the things we will do and places we will go.  These are the ones I took the time to put down on paper. I know that this list will grow and likely swell as I continue to get older and dream more.  

...So.... What's on your Bucket List?