monday listicles

Giving Thanks

Posted on July 15, 2012 Written by Tonya

All the items I included on my list last week as things I will miss when I’m gone (Ode to Nora Ephron) should be what I’m thanking this week. Instead, I have a different list (in no particular order):

1. Thank you, green lights. You instantly put me in a good mood.

2. Thank you, 8:00 PM. It’s not quite Lucas’ bedtime and as long as he’s not fighting it, he is all cuddles and snuggles.

3. Thank you, books. There is nothing like getting lost inside the pages of an epic saga, falling in love with the heroes and villains and letting my imagination run wild.

4. Thank you, first sip of wine after a very rough day. Sometimes a sip is all I need for that sweet release.

5. Thank you to the expression on Lucas’ face the moment he first sees me when I come pick him up from preschool. It is absolutely priceless. I love my son more than life itself.

6. Thank you to my husband who knows exactly when I need a break, a hug or swift kick in the ass. I honestly could not have a better partner.

7. Thank you to my parents for showing me the world (literally) and what it means to be a good, hardworking person. The honor was all mine.

8. Thank you, Dave Matthews. Your music has gotten me through some of both the best and worst times of my life and every time I hear your voice, I’m immediately calmed, hopeful or happy.

9. Thank you, writing for providing the best outlet I know for expressing myself. Starting Letters For Lucas and joining the blogging community has been one of the very best and most surprising things I have ever done for myself. I learn something new almost every day and I live for the interaction. My blog is my therapy. And WAY cheaper.

10. Thank you, brain for finally slowly down enough to let me rest each night knowing full well that my “To Do” lists and other craziness with be waiting impatiently for me in the morning.

******************************************************************************
On March 14 I stated using the app, Gratitude Journal and ever since, each and every night I list five things that make me smile and most of the time I post my lists on Twitter or Instagram. This simple exercise has become one of the highlights of my day because giving thanks and expressing gratitude is something I strive to be better at. It truly is a beautiful thing!

What are you thanking these days?

Linking up with Stasha of The Good Life’s Monday Listicles, a meme right up my alley, because I LOVE lists! This week’s topic is THANKS.

Memories Of Daddy

Posted on June 24, 2012 Written by Tonya

With Father’s Day just a week ago and mine and Lucas’ birthday this month, my dad has been on my mind a lot lately. There are so many big and little things that remind me of my dad, the time we spent together and what a great role model he was to me.

My dad and I had a very special bond and I was a Daddy’s Girl through and through. I miss our conversations, his genuine thirst for knowledge and his hugs most of all, but here’s what has been rising to the top of my memory bank and making me miss him a little more than usual (in no particular order):

1. Hearing my dad drop the F bomb the first time. It was directed at traffic and made me giggle like crazy.

2. A mortifying incident in which he yelled out the car window to a classmate of mine riding his bike after darting in front of us, “That’s the kind of thing that will get you killed.”. That was 18 years ago and recently my husband yelled the exact same thing as a biker crossed our path. I nearly peed in my pants.

3. My dad loved to dance, especially to 80’s music. Sadly, my dad was a terrible dancer, but you just had to admire his enthusiasm.

4. His roots. My father was born and raised in a very small town in Texas and while he grew to appreciate it, he did everything he could to leave that life far behind him. I wonder if he knew at 10 that someday he would work and live in Africa.

5. His loss. My dad lost his father when he was just six years old, his step-father when he was 21 and his mother at 32.

6. His steady grip and childlike humor as he walked me down the aisle. Twice.

7. Blue. His eyes were kind and the brightest shade of blue.

8. My father lived in Dockers and plaid button-down shirts, in varying degrees of blue, his favorite color. As a family, we lovingly referred to his shirts of choice as “Mike Adams” shirts because you could spot one a mile away.

9. His strong, capable rough hands. He was a nail biter and always wore both his wedding ring and his class ring (seen below).

10. His chicken scratch handwritten lists. He made lists for everything; things to do, movies to see, books he’d read, bills he paid, phone calls to make, etc., etc., etc. My love of lists comes directly from my father.

My dad on my wedding day – August 4, 2007.

Linking up with Stasha’s Monday Listicles, a meme right up my alley, because I LOVE lists! Thanks to Kim of The G is Silent for coming up with this week’s topic: celebrate your father with 10 happy memories. I could have gone on and on and on with this list.

Choose Kindness

Posted on June 19, 2012 Written by Tonya

I love Stasha. I love the fact that we are both mothers of boys (just one year apart) I enjoy her blog, The Good Life, her Monday Listicles (and try to participate as often as I can) and especially her gorgeous photography. I am so happy to have her here today with a message to her neighbor and in a way all of us: choose kindness.

Dear Man in Black,

I have never been afraid of anyone in my life. I know there are many different people roaming this Earth and not all are destined to be my friends. Some I might even dislike. But you MIB, downright frighten me.

You pass by our house every day. You walk with your steady, fast pace, glancing over our yard, shooting a disapproving look. You mutter something to yourself and every single time I feel like you hate us just a little bit more. You stand there and taunt my dog until he stands up and barks at you.

You never greet us back when I or my son say good morning. You pick on the neighborhood kids and you fight with their mothers. About children riding their bikes too fast or too slow, sledging on the road or on the sidewalk, smiling or laughing, being little and having fun.

You offend us with your words, your gestures, your outbursts. You report us to the town officials for our grass being too short, too long or possibly just right. You report our dogs for barking even if they don’t. You are walking around looking for a fight, for a reason to make someone else’s day as bad as yours.

I want to understand. Is there something that is hurting your heart so bad that you became bitter? Was there a moment in your life when you turned so mean, so scary? Does my smile and my warm hello upset you? Can a four year old boy waving at you really make you mad? Is your heart made of steel?

I would like to help you. This neighborhood of ours is a wonderful place. Men in our street are good men, veterans of wars. They love and provide for their families. They take pride in their homes. Us wives, we are friends. We support each other when our husbands are gone.

Our children are friends. They play and laugh outside because this is a safe place.

Our pets are well behaved. We love living here. This is our home. We are good neighbors.

You are a blessed man. Living in this wonderful place, surrounded by breathtaking nature and kind people. Why is that not enough? Why do you pick on the smallest detail? Why do you choose to see all the negative. And why are you poisoning us with your swear words? Why is life so bad for you?

I refuse to believe that a man is born like that. I choose to think there is a reason for you to act the way you do. Something that is out of your control, prompting you to scare us so much.

If you ever reply to my hello, smile of even look our way with kindness we will open our doors. There is a warm cup of tea and a pair of ears waiting to hear your story. Please choose kindness. We are so tired of being afraid of you.

Your neighbor up the road,

Stasha

Follow Stasha on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest

$1000

Posted on June 17, 2012 Written by Tonya

1. Gas up.

2. First stop: Starbucks for iced Chai tea latte for me, iced latte with extra shot for my husband and a box of apple juice for Lucas.

3. Drive and hour and a half northeast and check into La Quinta Inn & Suites for one night.

4. Unpack and then head straight to the hotel gift shop. Purchase new swim suits, magazines, water toys, and sunscreen.

5. Head to the pool and enjoy a fun-filled family day complete with lunch, laughter and lots of water play, all while soaking up the hot desert sun.

6. After showers, greet babysitter, who has been booked for four hours.

7. Date night dinner at Las Casuelas, where the best chips, salsa, guacamole and skinny margaritas on the planet are served.

8. On the way home in the morning, stop at toy store for a Cars movie car Lucas has been missing for days, Max Schnell.

9. Return home rested, full and happy.

10. Have photos from the weekend actually printed (who does this anymore?) and the best one(s) enlarged and framed. Photos like this one:

No where near the desert!

Any money left over (yeah, right… hotel gift shops are highway robbery!!) goes into Lucas’ piggy bank.

How to spend $1000 in 10 steps.

How would you do it?

Linking up with Stasha’s Monday Listicles, a linky right up my alley, because I LOVE lists!

Things Overheard At A Toy Store

Posted on January 29, 2012 Written by Tonya

One of my least favorite places to go with Lucas is a toy store, for obvious reasons (especially when having to buy a gift for another child).

1. Okay, we’ll go in for a minute, but I’m not buying you anything today.

2. I’m not buying you that.

3. No, you don’t need it.

4. You have a lot of these at home already.

5. Maybe Santa* will bring it to you for Christmas.

6. Please put it back.

7. Do not open it, we’re only looking today.

8. Yes, it’s very cool, but I’m not buying it.

9. Crap, where did he go? Crash!

10. How about a catalog, would you like to take home a catalog?

The good news is I’m getting better at deterring, distracting and saying no.

The bad news? Our catalog collection is growing.

*The Santa card works all year long, doesn’t it?

This post was inspired by Stasha’s Monday Listicles, a linky right up my alley, because I LOVE lists!

Channeling My Inner Teeny Bopper

Posted on January 22, 2012 Written by Tonya

I adore music and do just about everything better with it playing in the background.

My musical taste is very eclectic (read an old post I wrote called My ipod Has Schizophrenia to get a better understanding).

Lately, I have been channeling my inner teeny bopper with some super fun, upbeat tunes that I just had to share.

Some of you may be completely OVER these songs because they do get a lot of radio play, but I love them and as long as they keep putting a smile on my face and spring in my step, I’ll keep listening to them. Plus they make me feel young(er).

Incidentally, all of these put together make for a great workout playlist!

In no particular order, my Top 10 favorite songs this month:

1. What The Hell? – Avril Lavigne

Favorite line: All my life I’ve been good but now I’m thinking what the hell

2. Tonight Tonight & I Like It Like That (featuring New Boyz) – Hot Chelle Rae

Favorite line: I don’t know if I’ll make it but watch how good I’ll fake it

3. Who Says? – Selena Gomez & The Scene

Favorite lines: Who says you’re not star potential?
Who says you’re not presidential?

4. Good Life – OneRepublic

Favorite lines: Hopelessly I’m taking a mental picture of you now
‘Cause hopelessly the hope is we have so much to feel good about

5. Pumped Up Kicks – Foster the People

It’s all about the whistling!

6. Mr. Know It All & What Doesn’t Kill You (Stronger) – Kelly Clarkson

Favorite line: ‘Cause baby, you don’t know a thing about me

7. The Show Goes On – Lupe Fiasco

Favorite lines: Anybody ever wonder, when they would see the sun up
Just remember when you come up
The show goes on!

8. The Edge of Glory – Lady Gaga

This song will forever remind me of BlogHer ’11 and how I SHOULD HAVE participated in that awesome Flash Mob!

9. We Are Young (featuring Janelle Monae) – Fun.

Favorite lines: We are young
So let’s set the world on fire
We can burn brighter
Than the sun

10. Faster – Matt Nathanson

Favorite lines: You taste like sunlight and strawberry bubble gum
You bite my lip, you spike my blood
You make my heart beat faster

I’ve been known to make (and mail) CDs before, so if you are interested (and I can remember how to do it), let me know!

This post was inspired by Stasha’s Monday Listicles, a linky right up my alley, because I LOVE lists!

The Perfect Vacation

Posted on November 13, 2011 Written by Tonya

When I think of vacation, I picture quality time spent in a poolside lounge chair with a great book, a pile of magazines and being served too many cocktails.

I also associate vacations with letting my hair down, uninterrupted conversations, new experiences, sleeping in and room service.

Costa Rica, October, 2005

I envision escaping it all: laundry, bills, TV; the mundane of my every day existence at home.

Vacations are meant to be memory-making adventures sprinkled with a little more indulgence than usual and hopefully some decent photos to bring home and frame.

Cabo San Lucas, April, 2001

My perfect vacation [and only because it has been so long that I’ve had one quite like this] would be somewhere sunny and coastal and alone with my husband.

Grand Canyon, Summer, 2008

My perfect vacation would also include:

1. Someone to pack for me, first class tickets and a limousine ride to and from the airport would all be wonderful, but I honestly don’t mind shuttles or coach seats (just so long as I don’t get stuck next to a screaming kid or a stinky fat man).

2. The ability to enjoy the vacation without any mommy guilt!

3. Having been rained on, snowed in and caught in a hurricane, the perfect vacation would include perfect weather upon arrival and for the entire length of our stay.

4. The ability to pack everything I might need and nothing I won’t, in other words, as many shoes as I want without any questions from my traveling companion and no emergency stops at a mall or drug store for something stupid I forgot at home, like a bathing suit. Yes, I have done this before. More than once!

5. Souvenirs. In the form of a special trinket, new friends or the rekindling of an old relationship with a true BFF.

Visiting my BFF, Sophie in New Caledonia, May, 2010

6. The ability to truly relax. This is so much easier said that done, especially for my husband when confined to a lounge chair. For me, if in a beach or pool setting, I could hang out in the sun all day every day, breaking only to eat, sleep and shower, but for him, it’s not so easy. I’m open to water sports and boat rides.

7. The ability to indulge in sweet treats and pretty drinks without gaining a single pound.

8. The ability to NOT get sick. I have had some of the nastiest colds in my life while on vacation.

9. Spa services. Enough said.

10. Returning home to a clean home, fresh sheets on the bed, mail sorted and someone to do the mounds of laundry.

Hawaii, August, 2011

This post was inspired by Stasha’s Monday Listicles, a linky right up my alley, as I LOVE lists! This week’s topic: 10 Things That Make A Vacation Perfect (selected by Hopes@StayingAfloat)

Choose Kindness

Related Posts:

Channeling My Inner Teeny Bopper

Related Posts:

Related Posts:

Related Posts:

Related Posts:

Related Posts:

Related Posts:

Related Posts:

Related Posts:

Related Posts:

Related Posts:

Related Posts:

What I Write About