50 things...no. 13

"Every day is a new opportunity. You can build on yesterday's success or put its failures behind and start over again. That's the way life is, with a new game every day...and that's the way baseball is." ~Bob Feller


"My motto was always to 'Keep Swinging'. Whether I was in a slump or feeling badly, or having trouble off the field...the only thing to do was keep swinging."
-Hank Aaron

In our household you can tell that it's spring not when the flowers start to bloom in the yard or when we finally put away our winter coats..but when the baseball paraphernalia starts showing up in our garage. My son started playing baseball when he was 5 years old...and he's now 14. Besides playing the game, he also has a part-time job as an umpire. My husband coaches my son's team and is also one of the main volunteers for the rec league. Oh, and did I mention that my 16 year old daughter works in the snack bar at the baseball fields? It's safe to say that we are a baseball family...and I'm so grateful for all that the game has given us.

My husband gets to show the kids the importance of volunteering in the community. My son gets to know the importance of being a part of a team. He also is learning about sportsmanship and perseverance...and he gets to have fun too! By working, my son & daughter are learning responsibility and how to save money. And me...I get to sit in the stands with some of the nicest parents...and do many loads of laundry trying to get grass stains out of baseball pants...and fit in healthy meals between school & practice...and also play chauffeur. I wouldn't trade one second of the time that we've spent at the fields (except for maybe that one night the game went into extra innings on a cold evening in March)!

50 things...no. 12

"I could never stay long enough on the shore, the tang of the untainted, fresh & free sea air was like a cool quieting thought." ~Helen Keller

"The sea does not reward those who are too anxious, too greedy, or too impatient. One should lie empty, open, choiceless as a beach...waiting for a gift from the sea." ~Anne Morrow Lindbergh

The beach has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. The sights, sounds and smells of the ocean are engraved into my very soul.

To me the beach = happiness, heaven on earth, pure bliss, sand between my toes, the smell of sunscreen, colorful kites flying in the clear blue sky, glimpses of dolphins swimming by, sunglasses, trips to the boardwalk, salt water taffy, putt-putt golf, the sounds of the arcades, playing skee-ball, beautiful sunrises over the water, brightly colored beach towels & beach umbrellas, lifeguard chairs, reading a good book, the sound of seagulls, summer breezes, sand dunes, long walks looking for shells, watching the surfers, building sandcastles, steamed crabs, jumping the waves, banner planes flying by, flip-flops, lighthouses, a sense of peace & calmness, relaxation and joy! These are my gifts from the sea.

50 things...no 11

"Words are the voice of the heart." ~Confucious



The 3M company just celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Post-it note...and I believe that there are only a handful of times in the 30 years that I haven't written something down on a post-it. You can tell the story of our lives by the trail of post-it notes scattered around our house...and it's also the evidence of our love for each other.


If there's a school delay due to snow, I'll leave a little note by the side of the kid's beds (so they can go right back to sleep).

Since my hubby leaves for work very (very) early he'll leave good-luck notes for the kids.

There is a stack of scorecards from the time when my son & I would play basketball in his room...we would play just about every day (as you can see, I didn't fare too well). We have since moved on to ping-pong...where I can hold my own!

I still have the surprise message that I found on the inside of our pantry door from my Mom.

There are also some that just have "hi" or "miss you" or "love you" jotted down on them...and others that say "hope you feel better." Of course there are the typical "to-do" and reminder notes...as I'm typing this there is a post-it that has "sign up for new yoga class" written on it (which I'll do as soon as I finish this blog post)! Thank you to 3M and to the post-it note...they help me remember many things, but mostly they remind me of just how lucky I am.

50 things...No. 10

"I have to get inspired by something that touches my soul, or rocks my soul." ~Steven Tyler

"I am inspired by many mediums and use them to express varied aspects of my philosophies & life observations." ~Judity Anderson

I can't begin to tell you how happy & grateful I am for the internet. I love to learn...and the internet is a wonderful place filled with amazing teachers & incredible resources . I love to be inspired...and the web is chock full of creative people that inspire & motivate me. I love photography and nature & via flickr I can see some incredible sites. I love music...and with the click of a button I can listen to (or watch) just about any of my favorite artists. I love my family and friends, and the internet is a great way to stay in touch (whether they live 15 minutes away or on the other side of the world). I can't imagine my life today without having access to the internet. I know that sometimes it gets a bad rap, but it's all in how you use it...kind of like your life.

Without the internet I wouldn't be able to take the Indie Biz class and be part of "Blog it Forward". If you came here from Chelsea's blog...welcome! I don't think I've ever seen a better post about thrifting (love the cheat sheet & thrift list ideas). The next stop on the blog it forward train is over at Lauren's blog. She has gorgeous photographs...and be sure to check out her birthday post (it looks like it was the coolest birthday party ever)!

50 things...No. 9

"If man has no tea in him, he is incapable of understanding truth & beauty" ~Japanese proverb (my apologies to those coffee lovers out there...lol)

"We all need time to be alone; to think, to dream, to wonder" ~Billie Roark

One of my favorite times of the day is the morning. I love the "getting ready for school" routine...we try to get up early enough so it's not a crazy, madhouse rush to get out of the door.
The kids make their beds & get dressed before they come downstairs, we fix breakfast, my daughter & I make lunches, my son & I always watch ESPN top 10 plays together, we check the computers, I might throw a load of laundry in, and they get their backpacks & gym bags ready...it's alot to do, but I know that I'll miss it in 2-4 years (once they're both in college).

After they're on their way to school in the morning (and hubby's at work), I get to have that precious "me" time! Even if it's only for 10-20 minutes, it's priceless. Just to be able to sit down at the kitchen table, with my cup of hot tea (usually either Earl Grey or English Breakfast), reading the newspaper, with the Today Show on in the background...it's heavenly!