Just Ask! Life List

This is my entry in the Just Ask Bucket List Getaway Giveaway. Just Ask offers a breast and ovarian cancer screening and is encouraging people to share 15 things that I want to enjoy in my lifetime as a reminder to be aware of my health. Want to enter? Head over to TodaysMama.com to get the details.


I've been working on my Life List for a while now, updating as new ideas come to me, and crossing off a few things here and there. One dilemma, should I put things on my list that I've already done, but would have made it on my list had I begun it when I was younger? Not sure of that one!


Here are 15 random items from my list, in no particular order:


1. Learn Italian.
{photo via Pinterest}

2. Have a photo make it to "Explore" in Flickr.
{photo via Pinterest}

3. See Machu Pichu.
{photo via Pinterest}

4. Have a totally handmade Christmas.
{photo via Pinterest}

5. Make a family history cookbook.
{photo via Pinterest}

6. Hike the Pilgrim's trail to Camino de Santiago in Spain.
{photo via Pinterest}

7. Eat at Chez Panisse.
{photo via Pinterest}

8. Read all of Shakespeare's plays.
{photo via Pinterest}

9. Raft the Grand Canyon.
{photo via Pinterest}

10. Live in a modern home.
{photo via Pinterest}

11. Learn to grill a perfect steak.
{photo via Pinterest}

12. Set up a rain barrel.
{photo via Pinterest}

13. Visit the tea plantations in India.
{photo via Pinterest}

14. Buy a Coach purse.
{photo via Pinterest}

15. Live in San Francisco.
{photo via Pinterest}

Follow updates to my Life List on Pinterest!

Lists: Snacks, Breakfasts, Lunches

I know I posted some breakfast and snack ideas the other days, but today I'm posting a breakfast and lunch rotation schedule I've come up with for our family. As I've mentioned before, if it's not on the grocery list, it doesn't get purchased. Not that I don't make impulse buys, I just can't remember what I need if I don't write it down! If I pair my breakfast and lunch rotations with my dinner menu plan and check the snack list, I think we'll be set each week.

Breakfast Rotation:
Monday: oatmeal with toppings (this may be stove-top or baked oatmeal)
Tuesday: waffles (either homemade and frozen or store bought)
Wednesday: breakfast burritos (egg & vege-meat scrambled in a cheesy tortilla with salsa)
Thursday: scrambled eggs, toast, stripples
Friday: dirty rice (vege hot dogs, corn, seasonings, and rice, stir fried)

Other breakfasts we may add in as we like:
Bicher Muesli (a concoction of yogurt, oats, grated apple, strawberries, and ground walnuts)
cold cereal or granola
bagels & cream cheese
Egg McMuffins

Four-Week Lunch Rotation:
Monday: chicken quesadillas
Tuesday: baguette turkey sandwiches
Wednesday: bean burrito
Thursday: pasta shells with parmesan and peas
Friday: hot dogs

Monday: grilled cheese
Tuesday: turkey & cheese roll-up
Wednesday: refried beans & cheese with chips
Thursday: macaroni & cheese
Friday: chicken salad wrap w/ cranberries

Monday:chicken quesadillas
Tuesday: baguette turkey sandwhiches
Wednesday: taco roll-up
Thursday: pasta shells with parmesan and peas
Friday: falaffel in pita

Monday: grilled cheese
Tuesday: turkey & cheese roll-up
Wednesday: refried beans & cheese with chips
Thursday: macaroni & cheese
Friday: chicken salad wrap w/ cranberries

In the boys' lunch each day I also include: chips or snack item, yogurt, fruit or veggie, a sweet treat.


{photo credits: my own photo, tumbler, tumbler, family fun}

21 Things to Do This Summer

Every summer I like to get organized and plan various activities, both small and large, for our family. I am definitely a type-A, get-it-organized kind of girl, and even our down time is no exception! I do find that summers, like weekends and vacations, are best when there is some planning involved, otherwise time seems to fly by and at the end of the summer we look back and realize there were many things we had wanted to do that never got done. Plus, honestly, it's fun! I like planning out activities for us to do.

Here, then, is my list of 21 things we want to do this summer.

1. Go camping. There is nothing like a warm summer night spent in a tent.

{image from here}

2. Field trip to South Mountain Creamery. My husband is a huge ice-cream fan and would love a day trip to visit this working farm and sample some of the wares.

{image from here}

3. Game nights. Finally no homework or evening activities. Let's play some games!

4. S'mores in the firepit. Why wait to go camping to enjoy this treat?!

{image from here}

5. Build a fort. The boys have wanted a tree house for years. I'd like to buy a bunch of supplies and let them see what they can come up with (on the ground, not in a tree!).

{image from here}

6. Visit the Calder exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery. Let's add some culture to our summer!

{image from here}

7. Hang out in the hammock reading lots of books. Enough said.

{image via Simple Lovely}

8. Plant and tend a garden. The boys have asked to do this for years.

9. Try out lots of Popsicle recipes. Haven't you heard? They're the new cupcake!

{image via Simple Lovely}

10. Watch movies outdoors. Drive-in theater, outdoor venues,  and by the neighborhood pool. Fun!

{image from here}

11. Learn to make a great cocktail. Got to use up all that mint growing in my garden.

{image via Everything Fab}

12. Lay in the front yard and look for shooting stars and fireflys.

{image from here}

13. Watch at least one season of a TV series from start to finish. Some possibilities: Curb Your Enthusiasm, True Blood, Burn Notice, Brothers and Sisters, The Killing, Walking Dead.

{image from here}

14. Take a family vacation!

{image via Flickr}

15. Practice making lots and lots of milkshakes.

{image from here}

16. Harry Potter movie marathon before the final movie comes out.

{image from here}

17. Go on a gelato tasting bender.

{image from here}

18. Check out Truckeroo. Food trucks in DC. Yum!

{image from here}

19. Jazz in the Garden at the National Gallery. At least one time. With a picnic dinner.

{image via Flickr}

20. Go to the Gaithersburg water park. With friends.

{image from here}

21. Enjoy a cool theater on a hot day. Summer movies!

{image from here}

What's on your summer list?

Ready for the Weekend

I found a post the other day that I thought was brilliant. Unfortunately I seem to have lost the link to the original post, but I will excerpt it here, with a few of my own changes.

So many times we look forward to the weekend all week, but when it comes, somehow it doesn't live up to our expectations, which then makes us feel bad because we feel like we're wasting our precious free time. In any activity in life I find that being prepared can make all the difference in our enjoyment of it, and really, the weekend is no different. Yes, the weekend is often great for relaxing and spontaneous fun, but ironically, it's often easier to be spontaneous when one has planned ahead! A few simple steps can make all the difference in how we go into the weekend and in our ability to enjoy it.

Here are some ideas:

1. Start with laundry. Gather up all the clothes, bedding and towels and throw a load in. Make your bed with clean sheets and clear things from your nightstand or dresser. A clutter-free, fresh space can be a lot more inviting and relaxing. And who doesn't love sleeping in fresh sheets?

2. Give your bathroom the once over. Clean the sink, tub, toilet and faucets so they shine. This is good both for your enjoyment and in case any unexpected visitors show up.

3. Clean your kitchen counters off. I like to start the weekend with a clean slate when it comes to the kitchen. Finish up any last minute dishes in the sink. It's so nice to start the weekend with full cupboards of clean dishes and an empty dishwasher so we can clean as we go.

4. Empty your garbage bins. Not just the main one in the kitchen, but also the smaller bins in the bedrooms, living areas, and bathrooms.

5. Clear the clutter. If you have young kids, pick up their toys and put them away. If there are too many out, put some away in storage. Clear off paperwork that is cluttering up the counters and table. Too many shoes out in the entry way? Put them away too. Sports equipment, kids' backpacks and musical instruments can be returned to their rooms or the garage. Your weekend will be much more enjoyable when you aren't tripping over toys or other clutter!

6. Give some thought to what you'll eat. Think about breakfast, lunch, and dinners. Defrost meat and run to the store for last minute essentials (milk, eggs, fruit). Try assembling ingredients for pancakes, muffins, crepes, or perhaps a breakfast casserole. Make some juice and cut up fruit. This can save you a trip to a restaurant or ordering take out.

7. Plan an activity for each day. You don't need to go out everyday, but having some plans in place for what you might like to do throughout the weekend can curb boredom. Round up whatever supplies you might need.

8. Check your schedule. Look over your calendar and note any activities scheduled for the weekend: kids' sports, birthday parties, get-together's with friends. Make sure you have the supplies you need. Fill the car with gas so it's ready for anything.

Now you're prepared to enjoy your weekend!

(above items excerpted from a blog post I read this week. If you know where this came from, please let me know so I can credit it.)