10 Days Until I Turn 30

May Round-up

I've seen this on some friends' blogs and always mean to do it. It’s a succinct way to wrap-up the month. Share highlights that may not have made a post of their own… and yet I haven't ever done it… well, what better month to start!

1. What books and/or magazines did I read this month?
Books: A Change of Heart & Nineteen Minutes, both by Jodi Picoult. The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown [All Audiobooks]

Magazines: Real Simple (a few different editions brought in by my friend Kim from her local library). Body & Soul. Better Homes & Gardens

2. What movies, television shows, plays, etc. did I watch this month?

Our normal weekly viewing generally includes: How I Met Your Mother, Big Bang Theory (this is a new one. Dan didn't think I get the geek humor quite so much but I do enjoy it), Modern Family, Marriage Ref, Gray's Anatomy (me. not him. though he knows the characters and bits of their past. he chalks it up to osmosis… I often wonder). Weekend Nascar race.

I finally watched Food Inc (thanks to a free showing on PBS which I DVRed)- amazing movie; not much was new information to me since I've done a lot of reading but it was very well done.

The Hangover- it was finally released to cable. Dan was so excited. The beginning was slow, then it picked up a little, then I fell asleep. Not sure why all the hype; neither of us were thrilled really.

Up in the Air- another Library DVD free rental. Good movie- not "Oh my God, need to see it again great."

3. What fun things did I do with my family and/or friends? -

May 1st- We started off the month with Aila's first birthday party. A wonderful celebration for this little girl's first full trip around the sun. A sunny day, live music, lots of laughs, kids running everywhere, delicious cake and homemade ice cream. Everything a birthday party should be.


May 7th- My first Red Sox game of the season with Mom, Dad and Dan. It was the most perfect spring/summerlike night at Fenway I've ever experienced and even though the Sox played horribly.


May 9th- Mother's Day. We had a lovely low-key dinner at our house with Mom, Dad and Grammy. Jeff, Melissa and the kids came over for dessert, and Riley stole the show as usual saying "Happy Mutha's Day" to everyone- and making sure that included Pepere! Garret showed off his big smile! He's soo handsome with those chubby cheeks.


May 15th- We celebrated Aunt Nancy's visit from Florida with a pot-luck dinner at Larry & Leslie's. We had the whole crew- The Stenbecks and their boys; Uncle Charlie & Anna May; Uncle Thad; Aunt Lillian (Uncle Ray was home after being recently discharged from the hospital); Chris, Becky; Ray, Amy, Ben & Bella; Gen, John & Lilly, Kris, Matt, Willy & Aila; Fred & his daughter; Dan and me. We had dinner and dessert. The kids chased Bauer around the backyard until the poor pup was completely wiped! We all played Right, Left Center, which is always a blast! And for once, Brad didn't win! The funniest part of the night, however, might have been realizing that Uncle Thad drove back to the North Shore with Aunt Nancy's suitcase still in his trunk!!


May 22nd- My big Trivia Night Fundraiser! It was such a great way to spend our anniversary and Matt's 35th Birthday! All my favorite people were there to share in the fun!


May 29th- Chris Wilson's annual Memorial Day party! So much fun- even if it rained on and off. Lots of silliness as usual. The band was great. Dan and Carter even did a guest spot to sing "Creep" with the band!! Very very funny!

4. What gifts did I give and/or receive? - Even though Aila's birthday is April 27th, she received her gifts on May 1st, the day of her party. Uncle Dan and I bought her a Raggedy Ann doll and a couple books to go with her. A book called We Planted A Tree. And of course some clothes- beachwear for our trip to Florida and a 4th of July outfit.

5. What special or unusual purchases did I make? - Tickets to see Chelsea Handler this summer with Sheri!

6. What illnesses or health concerns did I have? - My back and shoulders are an absolute disaster. Nothing new per say... but its getting worse because I haven't been doing my stretches and PT.

7. What were my accomplishments this month? - Raising $1600 and surpassing the minimum fundraising goal for the Susan G. Komen 3 Day for the Cure!!

8. What were my disappointments this month? - Photography class was wonderful, but unfortunately my semester is through! And the summer will likely be too busy to make it possible for me to go back to classes right away.

9. How did I do on my goals for the month? (See 2010 Goals) -

I went and took a knitting class even if it was just a drop-in class. I learned better how to finish my knitting pieces which felt great. And I met the ladies at The Creative Stitch in Hingham who are great resources :)

I've also blogged a LOT more than usual this month :)

I raised my 3Day money EARLY! Check!

10. Anything else noteworthy to include? - Thinking about my Aunt Rachel who had a stroke recently, and Dan's Aunt Helen Ann who had knee surgery with some complications to follow. Wishing them both a speedy recovery. Love you!

I'm so grateful for the beautiful weather we've been having, and even more grateful to be able to enjoy it where we live. The deer visit the backyard constantly and even let me walk around (out to the compost bin and back) without even flinching. The birds chirp and make beautiful music all day. We're tucked away in our own little world, and yet close enough to the ocean that Mom, Dad and I could ride our bikes there and back without killing ourselves :) I'm feeling pretty good about this past month and looking forward to summer really beginning!

11 Days Until I Turn 30

Today was a great day...

I got to enjoy the peonies in my Dad's garden...

and then he gave me some to bring home!

Thanks Dad! They smell gorgeous!

12 Days Until I Turn 30

I was a week off...

Just last Saturday I was saying to Dan, "I wonder if the daisies will come back this year. I thought it was this time last year that they were blanketing the backyard." And yet there was nothing...

Daisies are my favorite flower and I love that they grow wildly through our backyard. No effort. Its nothing I can screw up-- because I can kill almost any plant.

Then this week I saw one lone daisy popping through... and by today we have dozens!! I was one week off!

Here's a peek at one.

A lot of the others had buggies on them which doesn't make for a nice shot.

So instead I'll post the photos I took last year and likely didn't take the time to post.

Kathleen Kelly: I love daisies.

Joe Fox: You told me.

Kathleen Kelly: They're so friendly. Don't you think daisies are the friendliest flower?

// Quote from "You've Got Mail" // My favorite movie!

Sigh. This is one of my favorites.

These last two really show you the duality that is our yard.

First, the beautiful fawns eating from our lawn. Spotted baby deer in the canvas of our lawn spotted with daisies. So gorgeous and natural.

Then move about 30 yards towards the woods, and there was an old piece of shop equipment [what it was, I do not know] rusted and old with the pretty daisies sprouting up in front. I love the contrast.

I love our yard! All the time there is something new to look forward to and admire. Such beauty right in my own backyard- literally.

13 Days Until I Turn 30

Knitting.

I love it.

Strike that-

I'm obsessed with it!

I think I knit at least a few stitches every day--

and frankly I probably knit far too much for my aching shoulders.

I'm trying to be better about that...

but its not easy

because knitting is FUN and PORTABLE.

a great combination.

I took my first lesson the first week of November last year and then flew the next day to Virginia to crop for the weekend-- and thus had my own tutors, Anya & Nicole, there to help me get the basics down! That first project was a scarf for myself in a beautiful shade of turquoise... which I then took out because the teacher failed to tell me that a rib stitch would curl// not the affect I was going for...

I put that project on hold and started a rib stitch scarf with a border- to prevent the curling- in a nice soft dark grey/ a Christmas gift for my very best friend Krissy! [need to take a photo of that!]

I then moved onto a Basic Sampler scarf- to learn some new stitches. This became a soft-off white organic cotton scarf for my friend Megg, again for Christmas. It looks like this but in a creamy, vanilla off-white color.

My third project was a much bigger one. For Aila's first Christmas I wanted her to have something from her Godmother that she'd always remember. And I made a blanket. AC Moore had the organic cotton yarn I love on sale and I was able to afford to buy a whole bunch of it in these very girly, fun colors.

Neither of these are great pictures, sadly. But you can get the idea. Its knit with 2 strands of yarn so its super warm and extra soft!! By the week before Christmas when I finished this I officially had the knitting bug in my system! :)

Then we had some more babies on the way- and so I started in on baby blankets. I used this basket weave pattern twice- once for Garret, in blue, and once for Isabella (whom we didn't know to be a girl), in green.

I've also finished another girl blanket and a boy blanket for some other little ones who are due this summer! I have so much fun trying out new patterns though, and with the latest blanket I even learned how to knit 2 together and slip stitches and pass over! I'm making progress slowly but surely.

The last project I finished was a scarf for my Breast Cancer 3 Day Fundraiser. Of course I forgot to take a picture of that, but you can sort of see it in the photo of Kris and me in this post.

What am I working on now?

A scarf for me-- the first item I might actually complete for myself, in the same yarn I used for the scarf Kris won. It matches my winter coat and my Vera Bradley Mod Floral Pink bags.

What am I working on next?

My next project will be another baby blanket!

But shortly thereafter I'm planning to hit my local yarn shop and/or AC Moore to learn more and do something that's not just a plain old rectangle :) Time to learn how to make a garment of some sort, or a hat or gloves. I also need to learn how to change out color within the same row- I did it in rows with Aila's blanket but that's a little different. Time for something more advanced.

So that's the state-of-the-state with knitting here these days. I'm still very much a beginner but I'm reading and learning more all the time. I just need a little guidance to get all the way there.

14 Days Until I Turn 30

Yesterday I started with the girls, because, well... ladies before gentlemen right? Today I'll talk about the boys. From oldest to youngest.

Williard Carlton

Willy is nearly 3 years old (his birthday is a little more than 7 weeks from today). Willy is all boy- trucks, trains, race cars, planes, tractors, backhoes (anything that moves really) fascinates this kid. He can't get enough. Since the time he could barely talk he'd ask you to play "beep beep" with him (aka drive your matchbox car with his and occasionally crash).

But Will also has a very passionate, caring, affectionate side. He's always glad to give kisses and hugs. He screams "I LOVE YOU" when people he loves leave the house. He'll ask for one more moochie before I leave on Tuesday nights. If your face changes for even a second he'll ask "Auntie Jen, are you happy?" aka- what's wrong??


He's a wonderful big brother. He loves Aila so much its heartwarming to see.



And he's a HUGE ham! One of primary reasons I have sooo many pictures of this kid- besides the fact that I get a little shutter-happy, is that ever since he could say the words he's been asking "Auntie Jen, can we take a picture?" which has graduated to "can I take a picture" and amazingly enough- I do now let him do that. Only if he's in a non-hyper mood and careful. At the age of almost-3 he knows how to work the shutter and how to press the play button to show the image once he's done. He knows how to hold it carefully so the lens doesn't tilt down. Mostly the images are still shaky but he does pretty well.

His favorite subject you ask? "I want to take a picture of Aila"





I love you little man! :) I hope to show you how to really use my camera some day. Grandpa Bill would be proud.



Oisín Thomas
Pronounced- "Ush-een"
Ois (read: Ush) was born in Ireland, making him the only one of the 5 kids I didn't meet within a day of their birth! In fact, I didn't meet him for a couple months, but it was worth the wait. Ois-man is the cutest little all-American boy, which I suppose isn't correct since he's so very Irish, but bear with me, the analogy really works here.

Ois is just like Willy in that he loves his trains and other moving vehicles. Balls and bats are good too! And running around! I swear, he and Willy could chase eachother for miles and never tire of it. He's got the cutest little voice and the sweetest laugh. And because I know he will grow out of it and it will be ok, I can still appreciate the fact that he still says "mees" instead of please! so sweet!

Ois was a little more shy with me than the rest of the kids but it makes sense since I didn't have a lot of time for him to get to know me when he was a little guy- but now we're cool :) We spent last Tuesday dancing all night together in the kitchen at the Cabaret Show- we had a blast!! I'm so glad to have this funny little dude in my life.

Love you Oisín.


Garret Richard Leo

Garret's the newest member of the tribe. Lucky #6!

Born in March, one month before his sister's 2nd birthday- he is such a joy! He's all cheeks and smiles, the rolliest polliest baby you've ever seen. And that, in my opinion, is exactly what little babies SHOULD look like! :)

Garret is still a youngin' and I am looking forward to a long time of getting to know him and love on him. I have a feeling he's going to grow up to have the infectious laugh that Bubba did, and I already think of him in my head as the new little Bubba! :) With a face and skin like that, how can you not?!

I love you Bubba!

Stay as sweet and happy as you are now and you'll do great in this world.

============================

So these are the kids that fill my life. I love them so much. Each of their personalities is so different and they are all still growing and learning new things all the time which is just fascinating for me to watch. There is always something to look foward to.

I don't know that I want to have children of my own... I have no immediate plans I can tell you that much for sure. A wise friend once told me "the moment you can't live without children for one more second is the time you should have them," and that feels very right to me. But I can tell you that my life is much richer having experienced all I have with these little buddles of pure, unadulterated joy!

15 Days Until I Turn 30

I must admit that I didn't think I'd be an auntie this many times over by the time I turned 30!!

But I'm loving every minute of it. Though technically I'm only a blood relative to Riley and Garret, those of you who know me well, know that Willy, Aila, Emelyn and Oisín are just as much my nieces and nephews and mean the world to me.

So since one of my favorite roles is as an aunt, I thought I'd share some of my favorite things about that... starting today with...

The Girls!

Riley Rose.

She just turned 2! Who can believe that?! She's so ridiculously smart- she must know 30 songs and all the lyrics to them, the whole alphabet, numbers in England and Spanish, lots of games, and she remembers absolutely everything! She can be bossy- "sit here" or "this is for Pepere" but I think part of it is that she's just so excited to have the people she loves around her and wants them to be close by. She has the most infectious laugh and can make me smile even if I was previously in a terrible mood. She knows where the toys are at my house and always heads behind the couch to get out her bounty, and then divvies up the books and other items assuming that everyone else wants to play with them just as much as she does. She LOVES serving anyone who will accept the plastic food she so meticulously prepares in her play-kitchen.

This photo was taken the night I celebrated her 2nd birthday with her. We had such a blast, being silly, reading books and eating cupcakes!

Riley loves being a big sister! She is so proud of Garret, and likes to be involved in everything related to him- changing his diaper, telling you when he ate, if he's sleeping or not. She's going to be a great Mommy someday. But for now she's a wonderful big sister.

This video is one that Melissa sent me today at work! Its really sweet- take a look if you have a minute-- and be sure to have the sound on.

Thanks for calling me Riley! I love you!

Emelyn Mae

This little babe just turned 6! Again- how is that possible?! The years just fly. I remember I was living in Boston when she was born. I walked from the North End to MGH to take the Partners Shuttle over to the Brigham to meet her for the first time, the morning after she was born.

Emelyn is another smartie- learning a lot at Montessori school, which she clearly loves attending! She loves her dance classes with Nanny. Emmy will try every trick in the book to attempt getting dessert or "a treat" without eating all of her dinner! The girl definitely has a sweet tooth. She loves playing games and doing puzzles, playing with her dolls and changing their outfits and trying new craft projects. She looks super cute in everything she wears from jeans to beautiful dresses. And she's especially sweet when she breaks out her "Irish" terms for things like "jumper" or "bin man."

Stop growing up so quickly Em! :) I love you.

Aila Grace

My Goddaughter, Aila, is the newest of the bunch and she's already a full 1 year old. Again- impossible, and yet its true.

Aila is a very tiny girl with a very big personality. When she doesn't get her way she grunts like she's going to explode! And yet, most of the time she's so absolutely loveable. She loves hugs and kisses. She follows around her big brother like he's the absolute coolest thing in the whole world. Willy loves to let her "escape" out of her room or his and he crawls after her making her laugh so hard you'd think she'll explode.

From the looks of this picture she'll be following after Riley very soon- since she already knows how to use her plastic cell phone.

She knows when something she does is funny and will do it again and again (like The Face). She's moved on from walking to nearly running and loves to climb things (watch out Mom!). She's all arms and legs, a skinny little thing who finally loves to eat but it took a long time to get there. Aila's still nursing and doesn't really sleep, the latter makes her mom very tired, so its a very good thing that Aila babe is extremely cute and loveable.

This little one is making a lot of noise but no real words yet. I can't wait to hear what she has to say because I know there's a lot waiting to come out!! :) I love you Aila babe.

16 Days Until I Turn 30

love/hate relationship

the T

some days i love it

a lot of days i hate it

i take it twice a day, 5 days a week

and here's my honest opinion

hate \\ that it costs me $7 per day to park at Braintree when it literally rains throughout the garage because there are so many holes

love // that i don't need to live by a schedule. get there and at any point and within 5-10 minutes of your arrival you're on the train

hate \\ that there are days like yesterday when it takes me 45 minutes to get from Quincy Center to Braintree because there is a disabled car ahead!

love // that i don't have to drive. i can read, knit, listen to my ipod, sleep// or all of the above
hate \\ that whenever it gets really rainy or cold or hot there are delays. you can count on it.

love // that i run into people like my dad or my cousin kara and we get 40 minutes of unexpected quality chat time

hate \\ that nearly every day i take the T to braintree but when I get to the Charles/MGH platform, the next train through is an Ashmont.. yet on the rare occasion when I can take either train, a Braintree is the first through.

love // that the masses of sweaty people on the train are doing a better thing for the environment than driving in their own cars by themselves

hate \\ that sweaty people on the train STINK something awful

love // the random person who wants to chat on the train and is actually an interesting person to converse with

hate \\ that people think its ok to snap their gum and scream into their cell phones while on the train... i don't want to hear you taking about your mother's goiter removal thank you very much

love // meeting a fellow knitter on the train and getting pointers (yes, that has happened!)

hate \\ waiting on the platform for ages when its cold and the signals are frozen and the trains are delayed

love // that i don't have to sit in traffic on the expressway

hate \\ the lack of temperature control. in the summer its inevitably stuffy and HOT and in the winter and its always freezing!

love // that i get phone signal/internet connection most of the way

hate \\ that people squash themselves into a seat that they clearly can not fit into and would need at least twice as much room to fit their body- yet they mash themself in anyways. i love when a stranger's thigh is squarely on top of mine. very comfy

love //that i usually get a seat on the train in both directions because of where i get on and off
hate \\ belligerent, drunk, smelly, screaming, fighting, vomiting, swearing people (or all of the above)

17 Days Until I Turn 30

My big fundraiser for the Breast Cancer 3 Day was this past Saturday. We had a little more than 50 people come out for a night of fun, prizes and trivia and I couldn't have been more thrilled.

Dan was the Quiz Master- and creator of questions- and the DJ too. He had so much fun and did such a great job with everything.

Dad was the bartender and was perfect at it! :)

And we had a bunch of really great raffle prizes! Thanks to everyone who donated!! :)

All tolled we raised $1600! Enough to put me over the minimum of $2300 (including the other donations that I already have banked). It is such a relief to know this portion is done, and that anything else I can raise is a bonus!!

Most of all, we had so much fun!!! My friends got babysitters and came out to celebrate. In addition to trivia night and raising money for a great cause, we were also there to celebrate Matt's birthday, our friend Eric's birthday and mine and Dan's anniversary!

This here is the winning table! Team "Size Matters"

And we got all of the Schlichte siblings and their significant others together in the same room!

One of my favorite portions of the evening was when Krissy won the scarf I knit for a prize. She had put all of her tickets in to win it and when she did, she was ecstatic!! She JUMPED out of her chair and ran over to me with her ticket. Then she realized my Mom was the one holding the scarf and charged over there and ripped it out of her hands and started wrapping it around her neck :) :) It was so funny! And I'm so glad to know my scarf went to someone who is really going to love it.

The Guinness Hat we got from my cousin Kevin was a bit hit too! Diana wore it well! :) Dan dubbed it the 'dunce cap' and had people pass it around if their table's score starting slipping.

All in all it was an amazing night! I think everyone had a great time, I know Dan and I did. It was a really great way to share our anniversary- doing something together that we worked so hard on :) So thank you again to all of our friends and family who came out to support me. I truly appreciate it.

18 Days Until I Turn 30

In and around town this week...

From top to bottom, left to right:

1. the turtle that was wandering across our driveway this morning... who was so fast in fact i was literally having a hard time catching it while turning on my point and shoot camera! dan thought that was hysterical.

2. the bounty of last week's farm share

3. a close-up of the rhododendron in the front yard. the one plant that has survived in our yard.

4. the light on the front porch

5. farm share boxes, waiting to be picked up and enjoyed

6. the Ford sign from my steering wheel

7. the inside of my new Vera Bradley wallet

8. a very clever license plate in the parking lot at the library on Saturday morning

9. the graffiti that appeared on the wall of the NESOP bathroom this week. that little bit of sharpie probably made a lot of people smile and/or feel better

10. my car in battery mode

11. library books on knitting and audiobooks by Ann Patchett

12. our driveway

13. a funky flower i spied on my walk on Saturday.

19 Days Until I Turn 30

A few things about Dan. Where is he is, how our lives fit together on this, 19 days before I turn 30 and exactly 6 years from the day we first got together. I can't even believe how time has flown. I never expected that Dan and I would have any connection but I gave it a chance-- I was nearly convinced after the first date when we walked the 4 flights up to my North End apartment after dinner only to reach the door and decide we should go out for coffee and avoid the ending of that first date.... We have been through a lot in 6 years- personally, with work and family and life in general and I can't imagine having to do the hard stuff without him and I can't imagine really enjoying the really great stuff without him there to share it.

Dan...

• shares his headphones with me even though I manage to yank the ear bud out of his ear at least twice in a very short sitting
• music really speaks to his soul. I love watching him play guitar.
• can be independent to a fault
• loves my long hair
• hates vera bradley and my obsession with it
• can always finish the Friends line that I'm quoting
• is still confounded by my lack of musical knowledge (and taste)
• appreciates my photography
• never cleans the floors or the bathroom, but always cleans the shower for me
• wears his slippers to parties with me and doesn't feel like a dork
• almost never uses the greeting "hello" when answering my phone call. I love guessing what sarcastic tid-bit I'll hear this time
• finally knows how to text
• is a jack of all trades
• always tucks me into bed if i ask
• knows if i randomly come over to him, even if his eyes are closed, to give me a kiss
• has a dishwasher system that i inevitably screw up ;)
• always kisses me goodbye before he leaves for work
• makes the best breakfast
• is the world's fastest grocery shopper
• made me "endure" listening to Howard Stern, anticipating (correctly) that I'd love it if I could just get that hook
• will say "no" to almost anything and then proceed to do just the opposite
• has a wardrobe that consists solely of Patriots, Lazy Frog, Indian Motorcycle and Jimmy Buffett/Bob Marley apparel
• dances with me in the kitchen
• is a great dj and trivia host!

I love you hunny!

Happy 6th Anniversary! :)

20 Days Until I Turn 30

Sometimes the writing really is on the wall.

Photo taken in the bathroom at the New England School of Photography.

21 Days Until I Turn 30

2010 Goals-- 5 month update

1. Photography: Learn more. Do more. Take a class.

Update: I am going to my 8th and final week of Photography class at the New England School of Photography in Kenmore Square. I have loved this class! I can now work my camera in manual mode and even use my flash without completely washing out my subject. Unfortunately I haven't had as much time to put into the last few weeks of shooting so I don't have any breathtaking photos to share but I know I have a better handle on how to get there which is an immense relief after the guessing game I've played the past 3 years.

2. Start a garden: Big, small or in between. I just need to do this. Even a small herb garden will make me happy, and I think the satisfaction of having some food items go from this land to our table will incentivize me to do more.

Update: there is no update. I've thought about it but haven't made any progress.Gardening scares the crap out of me only because I know nothing about it. But, we had dinner on Friday night with Perry and Rose and Perry mentioned he has a TON of tomatoes started and wants me to have some. I need to follow-up with them about that… you notice I'm not chomping at the bit over this!

3. Meet with a financial planner to plan for saving and paying down the 2 loans I currently have. I make enough to do this better than I am right now and I'm already making strides on my own but I do better with a plan and some accountability- and getting that from a professional should do the trick.

Update: I haven't made the appointment yet, but it WILL happen.

4. Knitting- I know the basics of knit and purl but there are scores of things I can still learn to make more intricate pieces. So this year I will take classes at the Creative Stitch, a local yarn store, and better my knitting.

Update: I put this on my list {for real} at the end of March… only to realize that we had from 1-4 events each weekend in April and May has been just as busy since I planned this Trivia Night Event. Needless to say, it hasn't happened yet. But I am working on a pattern that's far more difficult than anything else I've done to date and while I did have to pull it out and start over when I was about 6 inches in (3 separate times)… I learned a lot! And its coming out great-- now if only I can finish it in time to give it to the recipient!

5. Learn more healthy recipes to add to my weekly meal plan list (and get better at meal planning all together-- focusing on eating local and organic as much as possible).

Update: I learned how to make quinoa (read: "Keen-Wah"). I mixed it with eggplant cooked a new way, zucchini and tomato sauce. I haven't made a ton of progress yet but I have been eating a lot more from home now that the CSA season is in full-swing and I have fresh, organic veggies that need to be used up before they go bad. I do have 4 new recipes on my list to try and will put that on "my list" for next week (yes, I always have a running list. this is normal for me).

6. Blog more. I am going to add this to my calendar and set reminders to make sure I keep up with this. This year I want to write more and this blog is a great outlet for that. So it will permanently be on my to-do list :)

Update: Its otften hard to find the right combination of time, motivation and creativity. I usually have 1 of the three at my disposal but its finding the rest that makes it tough. A lousy excuse but that's life. That said, this 30 days until I turn 30 has got me blogging like a mad woman. Not a pace I can sustain indefinitely but it has stretched me to write more which I am enjoying.

7. Research new green items for the house- toothpaste, deodorant and hairspray being top on the list right now. I have already switched over many products to items I feel comfortable with. But others are tougher. This year I will make more progress in that area.

Update: 2 out of 3 ain't bad right? Dan and I are now both using Tom's of Maine Deoderant (he had switched out before me ironically). The lavender is much better than the unscented, ladies. Take it from me! I actually LOVE the scent!! And we're using the Tom's peppermint toothpaste too. I will admit I hated the taste every day for the first week, and then I can honestly say it got better (and I am PICKY about toothpaste). Now I don't even notice it. The hairspray is TOUGH. I like my hair… other people like my hair… its very vein when it comes to my hair I'll admit, but I want it to look nice… and since I don't currently own a working straightener I curl it. A Lot. And too keep those curls in tact all day- I use hair spray. The bad kind. That's all I'll say about that. I WILL research better ones though. I know there were some recommended in Sophie Uliano's book Gorgeously Green.

8. Write up all my notes from the various research I've done on Organics, farming, gardening, the Green Movement into something that's concise and meaningful. I have notes in my notebooks and on the computer... but I need a way to remind myself of all the things I've learned and to keep some sort of visual reminders handy when I'm tempted to buy stuff that I know is not good for me.

Update: Oooh wow, this fell off the list. I have started this. Just haven't finished. Silly. More to come very soon I promise.

9. Master my Mac! I've already taken 3 classes at the Apple store and have already signed up for another. I have learned a lot but there are so many more cool things I can do with this tool.

Update: I went to a number of different 1:1 classes at the local Apple stores. They helped immensely. I need to go back and do some more. There are still some fun things I want to learn.

10. Cut out soda. {so far so good! i have not had any soda yet this year}

Update: no soda has entered this body since the week before Christmas! (except a half of bottle of root beer Dan bought that was tempting me from the fridge for about 2 weeks). This has been easier than I thought. I drink more water. At home I'll mix some organic juice with water and drink that if I need some flavor. Sometimes I miss the soda, mostly at restaurants but I've been finding its easier to cut something that's bad for me out all together than to just say "you can have it once in awhile."

11. Form my 2010 3Day Team- start fundraising early. At this point I'm still finalizing a team name. Once I get that submitted I'll officially be recruiting for fellow walkers who will commit to this with me. Yes, the fundraising seems scary but we can totally do this! I have a lot of great ideas for this year and I'm excited to get the ball rolling.

Update: Team is formed. Its very small, but we'll do great, I have no doubt! My BIG Fundraising Event scheduled for Saturday May 22nd! It’s a Trivia Night and its going to be soo ridiculously fun! I can't wait! :)

12. PT Exercises EVERYDAY! {still haven't been great about this thus far} My shoulder is feeling better but in building my strength and retraining my muscles I hope I can avoid the chronic pain I've been having there.

Update: I totally lost my PT mojo and I'm paying for it! :( I was doing really well until February when we had a hospital survey take over our lives… I had to cancel a few appointments and didn’t go back until a few weeks ago. Now I'm getting back on the wagon slowly but surely.

13. Improve photo editing skills. My Mac classes should help me with this. Be it iPhoto or PhotoShop- I'll take advantage of every opportunity to learn what I can about editing.

Update: no update here. I hope to achieve this in my mac classes this year…

14. Plan out gifts to give throughout the year- PLAN AHEAD. I've already started the list. Now to organize and figure a way to easily track ideas.

Update: I did well with the 5 birthdays I had in April, but my tracking method was abominable. Notes in my notebook and drafts in email. It was shoddy at best. Need to work on that.

15. Purchase coffee (out) no more than 2 times a week. Its not good for me. Its unnecessary. But I really enjoy it. Still, twice a week is plenty. And it will help me to eat out less and save more money. It all comes together :)

Update: I suck at this. See my self-awareness in #10 and you'll realize why this isn't working. But I'm doing a cleanse this week and am not allowed coffee at all, so hopefully this will be the kick in the pants I need to get me off this bad habit. What's worse is that Dan has given up coffee. Don't get me wrong, its great for him, but it just antagonizes me that I can't keep up.

16. Make some of my own personal care products (organic, all natural and no artificial-anythings). I've got some recipes and once I price out some items I'll be ready to go. Homemade moisturizer here we come.

Update: No progress yet. I'm thinking this might be a good fall/winter indoor activity. I still have plenty of 2010 left.


Wow this is actually very refreshing. I was thinking I'd be much further behind than this. Its good to have recapped and refocused. I still have 6 full months to continue with the progress on this. Yes indeed I think 2010 is going to be the best one in a long time!

22 Days Until I Turn 30

A glimpse into my life right now via my To Do List for the rest of this week (keep in mind this list is always evolving. I'll add a lot more to it by Friday!)

• Call Themis again.
• Call Erika
• Mom & Dan for input on how much alcohol to buy and what kinds (for Trivia Night)
• Ask Mom re: Lin’s cake
• Make pink ribbon confetti for Trivia Night tables
• Decide on outfit for Saturday night (pink flower for hair?)
• Check for soda sales this week- add to shopping list
• Copy Trivia Q&As to email and send to myself
• Finalize Trivia Night Worksheets and print enough for each table
• Talk to Mom about stopping by Friday afternoon to pick up coolers for Saturday
• Photography Assignment (email to Amy by noon on Thursday)
• Bring Krissy's farm share portion to Zumba tonight
• Go to Library (Friday or Saturday)- return Chelsea Handler book due on Saturday
• go to Iparty to look for decorations and place balloon order for Saturday afternoon pick-up (coupon in notebook)
• copy knitting pictures from Mac and put on flashdrive (for upcoming blog post)
• Ask Krissy if she talked to Lynette about the condo rental in New Smyrna
• call Karen at Quirk Ford to ask about what service I'm due for and figure out a day to go in.
• RSVP to baby shower & bridal shower
• re-mail check to Jenni
• update ipod with new audiobook
• Send summer farm share application and check
• Go to Target: Seventh Generation dish soap x2 (coupon in notebook)

23 Days Until I Turn 30

A little questionnaire.

What is the best dish you can cook?
This is a toss-up. Usually my risotto is a hit. I really enjoy my vegetarian chili though the carnivores in my life always think its lacking...

Do you have any scars?
I have a small scar on the top of my right middle-finger where I almost chopped the whole thing clear off in a mandoline accent, making asian pasta salad for shawn and ellen's memorial day party somewhere around 2007. That stupid cut bled so badly that my mom had to come over and use steri-strips to finally close it up. OUCH!

I have another small scar on my left thumb that I got in college. I was volunteering (for extra credit or something), moving some of the History Department's old artifacts to their new home in the new library... About 20 minutes into the job, I cut a corner too close (nothing new as my depth perception is horrible and I run into things constantly)... and my thumb which was under the box slid under the metal that held up a shelf and it just kept bleeding and bleeding. Finally the teacher sent me to the nurse and told me to go home. I got out of that extra credit really easily- and still got the credit for showing up :)

Can you fake any accents?
Not well! I could take a stab at British or maybe Jamaican but I wouldn't likely fool anyone.

Do you have a workout routine?
It changes all the time. I used to do a few days a week at the gym with my friend Kim. We'd do bis and tris one day, chest and back another, and the legs (always on Friday)... with some cardio and abs sprinkled in. But that gets all out of whack when training for the 3 day. these days its more like this: Monday- walk. Wednesday- walk then 1 hour zumba. Thursday-walk to photography class if its nice out. Friday, Saturday, Sunday- HOPE i have time to walk!


Have you ever been mentioned in the newspaper?
Yes. For honor roll and National Honor's Society and stuff like that back in High School. Dan's Aunt Lillian said my name was in the paper recently for something at MGH but I have no idea what it was in reference to... and I think my mom has said my name's been in the paper for a Partners In Excellence award I received here... no front page stories that's for sure.

What's your favorite animal?
Giraffes. They are so beautiful and graceful. I just love them.

What is your middle name?
Marie

What is your favorite seat on a bus?
I usually like to sit up front. Same with classrooms and meetings.

Do you own a digital camera?
Two of them :)

What do you have in your pockets?
This is random but interesting I suppose. In the jacket of the leather jacket I am wearing today is a post-it note that's been in there for a few years now (i thiink), that I had doodled "hello" on during a meeting or seminar... I know its there but I never manage to throw it away (mostly on purpose.

Ever been arrested?
Nope.

What's the first thing you notice about the opposite sex?
Build. Eyes. then Hair.

Most hated chore on the household chore list?
Mopping. It kills my back and takes longer than I like to spend on any one task.

Which bad habits drive you crazy?
Chewing with the mouth open!!! It makes me mental. I can't even describe how far it gets under my skin.

Name one thing you consider yourself to be good at.
Photography.

Name one thing you totally suck at.
Keeping my craft supplies in any kind of order. Even if things have a reasonable "home" I usually scrap or do whatever other crafty activity until my mental capacity (and usually physical capacity) are sapped... which lives no time for cleaning up. Things end up in a heap. It makes me mental... but I do it to myself.

Ever been in the mile high club?
No.

Is there anything you absolutely refuse to do under any circumstances?
Knowingly cause harm to someone.

Do you like children?
Yes! My nieces and nephews mean the world to me. I'm still not convinced I'd want to have one of my own, but I do enjoy their company in limited segments of time.

How much time do you spend on - Facebook, Twitter or Youtube?
Probably too much. I don't tweet... but I like Facebook for keeping up with friends and sharing info and photos from my life. And I have an app on my blackberry which makes it easy to check in on FB, so I'll do that waiting for a training or otherwise killing time. Youtube, usually only if I receive a link to check out-- or if I need knitting help of the visual variety.

If you had to live under the sea what kind of an animal would you be?
Seriously?! Me?! Living under the sea?! Probably not. I swear if a fish touched me underwater I'd have a heart attack and die on the spot... let's hope this is a question I'll never have to realistically think of an answer to.

Have you ever won a trophy?
Yes, at Terri's School of Dance. All different ones, Showmanship, Scholarship awards...

What do you like about your job?
Its something different every day. I can work at my own pace. I love my co-workers and the connections I have at this hospital (even though I hate when I'm in a situation to need to use them). I can leave early on days when there is nothing going on- and especially on Fridays (and especially in the summer). I love my boss and how he encourages me and respects me.

What do you dislike about your job?
My 2.5 hour daily roundtrip commute. The fact that sometimes I'm here way too late and then back again way too early. It can get too stressful... and I deal with a LOT of stupid people.

Name one thing that not many people know about you.
I didn't breathe for the first 7 minutes of my life!

What vacations do you have planned this year?
New Smyrna Beach for a week this summer- the second Litchfield family reunion to be held there. There are 30+ of us going. Its going to be a ridiculous amount of fun.
My friend Marta is engaged to be married in Spain, hopefully sometime in October. Once I get the word on an official date I plan to be booking airfare for 2 to Barcelona to show Dan the city I spent 3 1/2 weeks in almost 10 years and will never forget! :)

24 Days until I Turn 30

A glimpse into a semi-normal day in my life at the age of almost-30.

5:00am the alarm goes off- hit snooze twice. it took awhile to fall asleep last night and i'm feeling a little groggy.

5:15am shut the alarm off for good. turn the TV on-- Channel 5. there's no other station for me in the morning. i love bianca and randy, JC and cindy campbell-- but i still struggle to get out of the bed… that lasts about 4 minutes.

6:00am I walk out the front door. happy to be out in time to catch the beginning of the Stern show- he and Beth are just back from their weekend in L.A. and I'm excited to hear all about it

6:10am I tear myself away from the radio for a quick trip into Marylou's for some coffee!

6:30am I get to the train (traffic was fairly reasonable today. surprising). I listen to Jodi Picoult's Change of Heart on my ipod while knitting a scarf for this weekend's Trivia Night--it will go home with one lucky raffle prize winner. a few more train rides and it will be complete! i almost forgot how quickly a scarf comes togethers since i've been working on blankets for so long.

7:15am I arrive at my desk. Unpack my lunch and fruit to put in the fridge. Log into my computer… check a few emails. work day begins.

9:00am Do some work for this weekend's Trivia Night- send some reminder emails, make some signs that I'll need to print and bring on Saturday… yep personal stuff on work time. my schedule has been light here lately- which happens maybe once or twice a year so i'm taking advantage of the calm before the inevitable storm. then its back to work.

10:15am My friend Kim came to catch up on the weekend… we got to chatting so I figured I might as well run my errands while we did. A trip to the bank to drop off a deposit for my mom's boss and to get me some cash for the week (at $7 per day to park at Braintree I have to carry more cash than I'd like). A breeze through the gift shop where they have some new summer Vera Bradley patterns. Finally something I really like, in a style I really like. I have had a gift card burning a hole in my pocket for some time now so I finally broke down and bought this bag and this wallet. Thank you Dan! :) Then a quick stop to get some pita chips to go with my chili for lunch.

10:55am Back at my desk. More email. Editing some documents. Making a to-do list.

11:25am Reheat chili for lunch. Eat with some shredded cheese and the pita chips I purchased {dan's buying me corn bread tonight. that will make a better "jelly" to this proverbial peanut butter for tomorrow's lunch}

11:50am I am called over to my co-worker Carla's desk to help her with a slide deck she's presenting tomorrow about a project I'm facilitating- defining the role of the Operations Associate… what does it mean to do that job well? What values must the employees exhibit? What behaviors do we want to be able to observe to know they are doing well? Its a lot of details, but a really interesting project.

12:08pm Stephanie comes to get Carla and me. She and George are waiting in the conference room... we join them and spend until 2:00 in there, an hour longer than planned, but we got an enormous amount of editing done.

2:15pm I need a little mental break. 2+hours reviewing documents has my head swimming. checked out this blog shared by my friend amber earlier in the day via a link on facebook... then its back to work, editing the document I'd already lived with for about 3 hours today.

3:15p I pack up my stuff, pop in my ear buds and head to the T. I started knitting while waiting for a braintree train- of course an Ashmont came through first.

4:40p Driving down Grove Street. almost home. this might be a new record! kinda bummed that I'm not going out walking tonight. for the first time in a few weeks I'm craving it- but I'm looking forward to dinner with the Litchfield clan in honor of Nancy's visit from Florida

4:45p arrive home. Dan has most of the food prepped and the house clean. I change into comfy clothes and join in… clearing off the spare room bed, pulling out platters, cleaning the toilet, putting away laundry, opening curtains, washing the slider. email my friend mike who is trying to get me a gift certificate for a raffle prize.

5:30p still no one has arrived. dan's half asleep on the couch, taking advantage of a few quiet minutes. today's howard stern show is on in the background.

6:00p Aunt Nancy and Anna May arrive, followed soon after by Uncle Charlie, Uncle Ray and Aunt Lillian. We give the house tour for Nancy and Anna May who haven't seen the place. It’s refreshing to give a tour and see the house with new eyes, forcing us to remember what the place used to look like and how far it's come. We're coming up on 2 years in July (we moved in the first week of July 2008)-- hard to believe! Leslie came over after work, and then Chris. Brad and Karl joined us too.

7:30p Dan pulls the steak, chicken and veggie burger off the grill. The veggies, salad and pasta salad were all plated and ready to dig in! We tease Leslie that she should be sitting at the table with the "seniors" since she was closer to that stage than the rest of us "kids." She humbly disagreed ;) Us "kids" took to the couch and made good use of the tray tables Grammy bought Dan and I for Christmas (thanks again, Gram! they are so handy). We talk about Bob's adventures in Mexico, how Leslie had a blonde moment and thought Mexico was an island, debate who would make the best Trivia Team for Saturday night, and learn all the latest & greatest drinking games from Brad's freshman year education.

8:15p Dessert- leftover treats from Saturday night's celebration that we still can’t polish off - Karl and his roommates can work on that this week.

9:00p the troops make their way home, thinking ahead to early morning alarm clocks and another long day ahead. Karl and Uncle Charlie stay behind, finishing their coffee and chatting with us about how the owner of Steinway Pianos lives up on Second Cliff, the history of the Stenbeck home, and educating Karl and I about the "old road" that we always hear about in the Matt-"Big-Eyes" stories which was really just that stretch of road next to Uncle Ray's house (way different than I pictured). I knit while we chatted- every row counts!

9:45p Uncle Charlie heads out. I put away my knitting and said goodnight to Dan and Karl.

All in all it was a great day! A productive day at work without being overly hectic. I got to leave a few minutes early and didn't miss anything... I arrived home in time to get some quiet time with Dan before the dinner crowd arrived, and then we had a lot of laughs sharing stories and thinking ahead to our summer vacation. All weeks should start like this one did!

25 Days Until I Turn 30

From the oldest to the youngest...

I was born June 10, 1980. The first grandchild to my mother's parents, Jean and Leo Natale. Through the years my parents had one more child, and my Uncle Michael had three. Bringing our grandchildren count to 5. But this week all that changed. My Aunt Karen gave birth to this little miracle, Isabella May Gagnon on Thursday May 13, 2010 a little before 2:00 in the afternoon. Weighing in at 7lbs 11oz and a very long 22 inches, she's quite a beauty and even more importantly both she and Aunt Karen are healthy!!

So to spare you the math, Isabella and I are exactly 29 years and 48 weeks apart (exactly 4 weeks shy of 30 years difference).

I think there's something special about beginning with a girl and ending with a girl... and I love the fact that she's the 6th of us. Six has always been my favorite number.. as long as I can remember. So six is very special to me.

To think I'll be 4 weeks away from turning 36 when she's 6 years old is a little scary, but that's ok!! ;) And I'm sure with the difference in age it will feel more like I'm an auntie to her than a cousin when she'll have cousins like Garret and Riley to run around with, but that's ok with me. I loved all of the spoiling my Aunt Karen did for Jeff and I when we were little- care rides with Van Halen blaring out the open windows, sugarless gum and pixie stix, staying up late to watch television during Saturday night sleepovers. It was always something fun and different and if Bella and I get to do even half of that I'm sure we'll have an amazing bond.

I love you little one. Welcome to our crazy family! I can't wait to get to know you! :)