Ten on Tuesday: Valentine's Day

10 Fun Ways to Celebrate Valentine's Day:

1. Give a gift

2. Make cards (especially with kids, or with good tools - not necessarily both at the same time)

3. Decorate cookies

4. Preform a service

5. Do an anonymous service

6. Decorate the house in pinks and reds and sparkles (which I don't do!)

7.  Give a hug

8. Give a kiss

9. Tell someone you love them

10. ...and of course, I wouldn't say no to breakfast in bed!

Ten on Tuesday:today

There was no Ten on Tuesday topic that went out for this week, so instead, you get ten things I did today: (disclaimer, tuesday is usually a crazy day, this list is not at all inclusive)

1. Ate half a bagel with cream cheese and raspberry jam for breakfast

2. Wiped down the kitchen and swept the main floor before co-op

3. Made sure one of the girls made the pb&j for the three kids today (I ate leftovers)

4. Listened to Noel read two fun stories

5. Facilitated a game of animal sound charades

6. Carefully lifted a kid into my garage through a window since the door was stuck, eventually figured out how and fixed the door

7. Listened to a report about Ocelots

8. Played 9 games of Spot it! Kindergarten style...

9. Started a batch of dough for bread

10. Put together two pots of eggplant beef stew

Ten on Tuesday: Pizza Toppings

Ten Favorite Pizza Toppings:

1. Sauce

2. Cheese

3. Pepperoni

4. Ham
 
5. Pineapple

6. Peppers

7. BBQ chicken

8. Basil

9. Feta

10. Mushrooms


Of course, not all of this on any one pizza....

Ten on Tuesday: Weekend

Ten things I love to do on the Weekend:

1. Sleep in (at least sometimes!)

2. Help others in the family cook

3. Knit and watch movies

4. Sit on the couch with my sweet husband while we both read

5. Go on Adventures with the family

6. Watch a marathon of movies (LoTR, SW, SG-1, ST - bonus to anyone who recognizes all of those)

7. Go on a bike ride

8. Have all our schoolwork done so I don't have to ruin anyone's weekend!

9. Go to church (especially when I do an assignment that week!)

10. Eat bagels and a chocolate covered cannoli with my sweetie

Ten on Tuesday: Sunday Dinners

Ten Favorite Sunday Dinners

Sunday dinners here are sometimes a bit fancier since there is more time and more helpers available usually, but often they are just what we'd have during the week...

1. Breakfast (Pancakes or Waffles, Eggs, Bacon or Beef Hash)

2. Beef Onion Strudel

3. Mustard Chicken

4. Chicken Potpie

5. Herb Pork Roast

6. Shrimp Scampi

7. Clam Chowder
 
8. Lasagna

9. Jambalaya

10. Minestrone soup with fresh bread

What sounds good to you?  One of these, or something of your own?

Ten on Tuesday:September

Ten Things you love about September:

1. Crisp Air

2. Cool Nights and Mornings

3. Warm days still!

4. School starting

5. Fall colors

6. a feeling of new beginnings

7. routine and structure

8. seeing good friends again

9. early bedtimes (for the kids)

10. starting to get in mood for the holidays (slowly)

Ten on Tuesday: Things on my board

Ten things on my bulletin board

1. Halloween Pictures

2. Christmas Picture we sent out

3. A signed Fablehaven bookmark

4. Movie ticket stubs

5. Stubs from our trip to 6 Flags last year

6. A Peacock feather that was a gift from 'Curly'

7. Postcard that says "Emily is Madd"

8. Some thank you notes from last summers baby showers

9. A fortune cookie fortune that says 'Your home is a pleasant place from which you draw happiness'

10. Pink Martini ticket stub

As you can tell, my board is more of a memory board than a working bulletin board.

Ten on Tuesday: Side Dishes

Side dishes are a vital part of a meal, and of course, will need to fit the main course, so not all of the following would be served randomly with any main dish, but here are my ten favorite side dishes.

1. Roasted Potatoes
2. Macaroni Salad
3. Pan Fried Green Beans
4. Corn Casserole
5. Side Salad
6. Grilled Zucchini
7. Potato Salad
8. Rice Pilaf
9. Three/Four Bean Salad
10. Raw Veggies

Ten on Tuesday: Tips on Moving

I know the blog has been quiet and a little slow lately - it's just crazy birthday and spring life-related stuff... hang out for a little while and the postings should pick up again!

Ten Tips on Moving:

1. Gather enough boxes - your stuff will take up more than you think!

2. Pack away stuff first that you know you won't use so you can start the process ahead of time and do it a bit at a time.

3. Try to pack without the kids! Play dates or movies are both good for this!

4. Label where each box should go in the new place! If you aren't sure about the organization of the new place then be specific about what is in each box when you label.

5. ...or number each box and have a master list about what is in which box!

6. Towels or plastic grocery bags work well for packing fragile items - or out of season clothes would also work.

7. If possible, weed through and declutter before you pack. If that's not possible then accept it and just pack everything, knowing you will be moving things just to toss them. Don't try to unclutter and pack at the same time.

8. When moving into your new place, if possible, stand at the door and direct boxes to each room - piling them in each room against a certain wall so that beds/couches/etc can also be placed and used before having to move or unpack boxes.

9. Bribe friends to help - watch kids, pack the truck, move the furniture, etc. Pizza and cold soda often work.

10. My favorite: Just don't move

Ten on Tuesday: Songs for a Great Mood

Ten Songs that put me in a Great Mood
(I guess a Great Mood is kindof a subjective thing, but I do enjoy myself while listening to these):

1. Tubthumping by Chumbawamba You gotta love getting knocked down, as long as you get up again....

2. I'll Be Waiting by Adele I've been listening to this CD since Christmas and I think this (or fire to the rain) is my favorite on it

3. Keep Your Head Up by Andy Grammer Drop your worries and let your hair down!

4. True Colors by Phil Collins I prefer this one to the Cyndi Lauper version

5.Tonight's gonna be a good night by Black eyed peas just remember, any time you run out of words, just start singing the days of the week Sesame Street style

6. Something to Sing about from Buffy Although I wouldn't recommend this show to just anyone there is something about making it through 5 or 6 seasons and then getting a payoff of a musical show with fun music and funny lyrics that reference the previous seasons. I do enjoy thinking about the difference between someone giving you songs versus something to sing about.

7. King of Anything by Sara Bareilles I love the visual of a map planned out with someone's name on it in all caps

8. 100 Years by Five for Fighting This song remind me of both how long and how short life is

9. The To Do list and Favorite Things by Hilary Weeks there are just some fun silly songs - I should have put a real song of hers on this list, so check some out.

10. The French Revolution (to the tune of Bad Romance by Lady Gaga) My girls watched this recently for school and it's that catchy tune that you love from Lady Gaga but with historical words that the kids can actually sing... It's gotten stuck in my head a few times

Ten on Tuesday: Things in my Purse

10 Things you would find my in purse (well, my big stripe bag right now)

1. wallet
2. keys
3. little notebook and a pen/pencil
4. mp3 player
5. measuring tape
6. a kid toy (either for distraction or confiscated)
7. a book to read
8. at least one craft project of some sort
9. almonds and candy
10. small first aid kit

notice there is no cell phone (usually in my pocket) and no baby stuff (yes, my kids are finally all toilet trained and eating real people food).

Ten on Tuesday: Movies

Ten new movies I want to see:

1. The Hobbit

2. The Vow

3. Star Trek

4. The Avengers

5. Hunger Games

6. The Secret World of Arrietty

7. The Bourne Legacy

8. Brave

9. The Odd Life of Timothy Green

10. Skyfall (Bond movie)

Ten on Tuesday: Tips to Write a Letter

10 Tips for Writing a Great Letter:

1. Write a letter on paper (rather than email)
2. Make sure you spell their name right
3. Long is good, but quality is better
4. Send it! (don't just let is sit on your desk!)
5. Proofread! (and now I need to look over this post again!)
6. Double check the address
7. Make sure your tone is appropriate for your relationship with the recipient
8. Know why you are writing before you start and make sure you achieved your goal at the end
9. Reread the letter looking for any wording that could be misinterpreted
10. Date the letter - the future thanks you!

Ten on Tuesday: Chocolate Treats

My 10 favorite Chocolate Treats

1. Klondike Bars

2. Weight Watchers Frozen Fudge Bars

3. Lindt Truffles

4. Some of the chocolate Lara bars (I haven't been able to try them all yet)

5. Homemade Chocolate Cherry Cake (except I like to make it as a layer cake or cupcakes and have to cool the glaze a bit before I use it)

6. Frozen brownie bites (make them, cut them SMALL, and freeze them on plates, and then once frozen store them in a gallon bag, watch them disappear)

7. Chocolatel Scones (sorry, it's a ravelry link)

8. Flourless Chocolate Cake from Gus and Paul's

9. Molten Chocolate Cakes (also homemade, but available at many restaurants now)

10. Chocolate Cream Pie (especially with homemade whip cream on top!)

Ten on Tuesday: Things I Can See

10 Things I can see from my favorite knitting spot:

1. Windows (and therefore green, blue, and white if the curtains are open)

2. The TV

3. My oldest daughter's desk

4. My computer desk

5. The door to the upstairs (and kids' bedroom)

6. The living room couch

7. My yarn baskets

8. My pile of books

9. My spinning wheel

10. My bed

Ten on Tuesday: Super Bowl Party Foods

Since I don't usually watch the Super Bowl, I'm going to read this week's ten on tuesday as my favorite snack foods.

1. Chips and Salsa
2. Potato Chips and Shrimp Dip
3. Carrot Sticks or Sliced Cucumbers
4. Pigs in a Blanket
5. Apples and Peanut Butter
6. Popcorn
7. Pretzel Sandwiches (with kisses, but with rolos especially)
8. Homemade Pizza Rolls
9. Cinnamon Rolls (to counteract all the salty)
10. or almost any treat from Gus and Pauls (local shop)

Ten on Tuesday: Movies I Want to See

10 movies I want to see, in no particular order - if you are normally a person I recommend movies to, do not take this list as a recommendation, as I usually think hard about specific people and their tastes before I do that. This is just a list of movies I want to watch personally.

1. Crazy, Stupid, Love. - It's on my counter right now from Netflix, no clue if it's good or not but I am wanting to see it.

2. Down with Love - an old favorite that I purposely put in the middle of the netflix queue a while ago and it has almost crept up to its turn.

3. The Princess Bride - ever since an accidental reference to it during a spelling bee more than a month ago (marriage, followed by sword, come on, you have to make a joke) I've been meaning to watch it but haven't yet.

4. Anne of Avonlea - my youngest girl finally read the first book so we got to watch the first movie, but this second movie actually covers (kindof) the next two books - so I won't get to watch it with her soon, but I might watch it by myself some time before then!

5. Homeland - damian lewis and mandy patinkin in the same show? and I know it's not a movie, but when I get a disc from netflix (or give in and order it on amazon or something) then it is like a movie, and it would be hard for a show with that combo to be wrong...

6. The New Star Trek movie - the sequel to the most recent re-imagining of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy. It won't be out until 2013 but I'm interesting in how it turns out.

7. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - nothing more needs to be said.

8. The Hunger Games looks really good.

9. RED - can anyone see the trailer for the new GI Joe movie and then not want to rewatch RED?

10. The Vow - looks interesting!

Ten on Tuesday: Things to Do Inside

When it's too cold to go outside you can:

1. Read a book
2. Cook or Bake
3. Clean the whole house - or just one room
4. Knit, knit, knit
5. Spin some yarn
6. Play a game
7. Do Paperwork
8. Make sure the kids' schoolwork is done
9. Have a fire in the fireplace
10. Watch a movie

Ten on Tuesday: My own way

So, the ten for tuesday this week was something about throwing parties - yeah, so not me. Some of these topics have been borderline and I've gone with them, but this one... I just don't want to try to fake it, so... no ten on tuesday today. Thanks for reading!

Ten on Tuesday: Favorite Birds

Ten Favorite Birds:

This is kind of a tough one. I don't mind birds, in fact, I enjoy seeing them, but I usually don't tell them apart or look _for_ them. I do enjoy seeing different ones in pictures or museums or zoos. Hmmmm....

1. Flamingos - pink from the shimp - I love it.

2. Penguins - Have you seen this movie? If not, you should. Oh, and march of the penguins... wonderful stuff.

3. Chickens! Friends or food, chickens are good. :)

4. I have to make sure African Grey makes it on this list - my husband had one growing up, and although not always sweet he is a very cool bird.

5. Peacocks

6. Heron

7. Hummingbird

8. Ducks

9. Ostrich

10. Vulture - who can't love them after their performance in disney's robin hood.