Favorite Childhood Games

This week's 10 on Tuesday list... my favorite childhood games! Being the youngest and only girl (by 6 years), I never really had my brothers to play with, luckily there were some neighbor kids that kept me entertained!

1. Colors -- in the pool at the Reheis Country Club, aka my bff's backyard pool. Someone on the diving board is turned around eyes closed, yelling out colors. When your color is called, you have to swim to the other side of the pool as quietly as you can. If the diver hears you, she jumps in and if you get tagged, you're it!

2. Tetris and Zelda on the original NES system. Heck ya! I was never any good at any of the other games (besides Mario that is) but I was lucky if I was ever able to steal some time on the Nintendo from my brothers!

3. Barbies. I had this sweet Barbie dream house, with an elevator and an awesome Jem car that even had a radio in the trunk. It was so rad.

4. Stuck in the Mud. Like tag, but you have to freeze until someone crawls under your legs to unfreeze you!

5. Bombardament. We only played this in Mr. Fink's gym class in grade school. Its dodge ball, but with a way cooler name.

6. Uno. We played all the time around the family table. I was usually the winner. Ooh, and Speed at the Reheis Country Club on our lunch breaks!

7. Heads Up 7 Up. Best school day game when there is a subsitute ever!

8. Red Light Green Light. You have to stop at the red light and can run on the green light. First to the end wins!

9. Pogs. I wasn't very good, but it sure was fun. Gotta love those fads. I think the comparable thing right now is Silly Bandz.

10. And of course my all-time childhood favorite: Basketball! In middle school, I was so sure I was going to play in the newly formed WNBA, marry Raef LaFrentz (I even created a website in his honor in 1997. Who knew there were websites back then!?), star on my high school team as a freshman.... of course all those dreams were slowly brought back to reality by a horrific diaper wearing HS coach who highly preferred the girls that practiced in their sports bras. I played on a travelling summer team for years, the Wichita Chaos later rivaled by the Wichita Elite (sheesh, what brats!) and made some amazing friends from all over town. Ah, memories.

10 TV Shows I've Been Obsessed With

So even as active as I am, I love me some TV time. The boob tube and I have a sentimental, turn my brain off and relax relationship. Here's the shows I've been most obsessed with and I'm pretty sure I've seen every single episode of the series for each...

1. I had a huge crush on Zach Morris. What girl didn't!? And I wanted to be Kelly Kapowski, even though I was way more Jessi Spanno. And seriously, Zach Attack shoulda been Billboard Top 40.

2. So cheesy and predictable, but a fun mind-numbing reality getaway.

 3. Always such great drama, always. You never know who will end up a murderer, liar, cheater, philanderer next!

4. Even though the finale totally sucked, this series was great while it lasted. I didn't get into it until late, but those first seasons were awesome!

 5. Got hooked on this in college, seating in the GCA at the Theta house and of course, had to go back and catch up on the earlier seasons. Never really liked Joey, but I was still hooked on her!

6. 90210 the original. Another college run. What else are you supposed to do in the dorms besides watch the SOAP channel!? I was too young to care when it first aired, but I've since seen every episode there's been!

7. 90210 revamped. Super cheesy again, but I still like it! They do talk about some pretty relevant issues in almost every episode.

8. Rewatched a first-season episode recently and WOW a lot has changed. Still going strong though it may be unrealistic. I'm wondering if marriage on a post it can be divorced by a post it?

9. Spin off, schpin hoff. I still love it.

10. My current obsession. I've just begun Season 4 and I can't stop watching!!! Kevin and Scotty are adorable. Nora/Sally Field I just love. Rebecca and Justin - what a story! Not sure about Ally McBeal, but I do enjoy watching Rob Lowe. :-)



10 Blogs I Love to Read

So I just joined this group, 20 Something Bloggers. A friend told me about it, and so far it seems like a pretty cool way to connect with other writers and to be entertained by their blogs.

Thus, I figured a good 10 on Tuesday list this week would be my favorite blogs to read. If you think yours should be on the list, be sure to add a comment!

In no particular order....

1. Little Lady. This is one of my best friends, and who told be about 20SB, and she writes just about the crazy incidents of her life. Most of which I'm there to witness, but are even funnier in writing.

2. Steve in a Speedo. He's in MN and does a ton of triathlons and road races. Hilarious stuff here people. If you aren't an athlete you probably won't relate, but if you are - be sure to start reading! He also does a bunch of cool giveaways which is fun!

3. 50 J Dates. She was dating a non-Jewish guy, but her family didn't like it. So she promised to go on 50 dates with Jewish men to see if she could find someone else to be with. She's finally found someone, so she doesn't write as much, but its soooooooooooo entertaining to read the older entries. I've been on the same dates with some of these losers its seems like!

4. Molly on the Run. This is written by the Girls on the Run founder, Molly Barker. Great insight into the program, life of a girl and thoughts of a woman.

5. Walking in Wonder. My cousin and her fiance took the year off to travel the world. Last I knew, they were in Asia somewhere, having the time of their lives. I like to live vicariously through their blog.

6. Erin Leigh Studio and Erin's Thoughts. Another good friend of mine who is establishing her photography and design business. Her photos are great, and just continue to get better. Plus, BDR and I are in the top slideshow from time to time, so that's fun! :-)

7. Mollie Wetta Photography. Speaking of photos, here is another favorite photography site. She does tons of kiddos and her husband pitches in too. Gorgeous, sentimental, story-telling images.

8. Single Dad Laughing. He was made "famous" a while back for his post on bullies and I've come to read it fairly regularly. For a man, what insight on kids! Who knew men were so insightful!? Kidding, boys, I think you're great!

9. Chubby Chicks Run Too. Great runger (that's blogger and runner combined, duh) as well as mother, woman, professional. Check it out!

10. Run Like a Mother. These 2 women have written in Runners World and have their own book, plus they run, parent and make time for themselves. Great inspiration.

What else should be on this list???

Ten New Year’s Resolutions

1. Be Happy.
Have fun. Enjoy life. Enjoy work. Value my relationships. Don't let the man get me down. Take control of my happiness and do everything I can to make the best of each situation.

2. Be Healthy.
Work out. Eat well. Get rid of life's toxins, whatever they may be. Visit the doctor when needed

3. Live for Today.
Quit always looking for something better, something more. Enjoy what is happening in the here and now before its gone.

4. Be Grateful for All my Blessings.
Show my gratitude, inside and out. Remember all the gifts I've been given and take advantage of them at every turn.

5. Live Within my Means.
Don't spend what I don't have. Pay off my debts. Start saving.

6-10. Rinse and Repeat.

I think this video really sums up my feelings. No excuses. No regrets. Take control and be responsible for your own fate.

Ten Personal Highlights of 2010

1. My growing family! I absolutely love our new addition Stella and things with BDR couldn't be better. Plus, Peter is just about as perfect of a pup as you can get!

2. My great job. I started a new position with the Kansas City Mortgage Group in May and have learned a TON over the last 6 months. I've even done pretty well with my sales and am excited about the continued growth in this career.

3. Running the Kansas City Half Marathon with a smile on my face, after I got burnt out and quit training several weeks before the race. This totally proves to me that I can truly do anything I set my mind to.

4. Hosting a successful Thanksgiving dinner at my house for my family. I was a little nervous about it, but it went off without a hitch and without any empty bellies!

5. Getting my photo shown in the Hospital Hill Charity handouts. I ran in a girly cowgirl costume for the 10K in honor of Girls on the Run and now I'm almost a D-list local celebrity. Or not...

6. Regular date nights with my girlfriends. This didn't happen quite as often as we'd all like, but one friend and I had a few quality nights out and each of them helped us grow closer together.

7. Moving in with BDR. I know I sort of covered this in #1, but it deserves a second mention. Our relationship has grown exponentionally, and I'm so happy!

8. My nephews are moving to Kansas City, so I get to be super aunt more often (and in smaller doses!) in the coming months. Big Bro got a job at Hallmark so the move has begun, yesterday actually. I'm excited to have them closer so I can be a bigger part of the boys' lives.

9. Being named to the board of directors for the Overland Park Rotary Club. This is a pretty big deal when you consider all the influential citizens in our group!

10.  Enjoying all the little things throughout the year, with no major stressors.



Ten Favorite Holiday Songs

In no particular order, since there is no way I could rank them...

1. Carol of the Bells


2. Oh Holy Night

3. I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas


4. All I Want for Christmas is You


5. 12 Days of Christmas (only this version by Straight No Chaser though!)


6. Emmanuel (The awesome 80s hair totally makes this video!)


7. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays


8. You're a Mean One Mr. Grinch


9. Christmastime is Here


10. Auld Lang Syne - my birthday song!!

10 Things You Want, but Wouldn’t Buy for Yourself

1. Diamonds, duh!!

2. A new car with a working heater! Well, I'll buy that at some point just not yet.

3. Big flat screen TV. It would be super fun to have, but really, is there a true need for that?

4. A sweet European vacation. OK, so this is more a "couldn't" than "wouldn't" but I really hope I can do this someday.

5. More Carolers and Nutcrackers for my holiday decor collection.

6. Health insurance with a lower deductible. Also, wish I could but alas, no can doozville babydoll.

7. Unlimited movie passes so I can go see whatever I want, whenever I want. That or the DVDs I'd see repeatedly to round out my library.

8. A sweet new road bike, tri bike and mountain bike. With awesome carbon fiber trimmings!

9. Subscriptions to People, US Weekly and other mind-numbing publications.

10. Awesome art for my walls. This is something I'd love to have but just can't justify right now. Someday I will have my own house, fully furnished and decorated to my heart's content and that includes some fascinating artwork.

Ten Things You Want for the Holidays

1. Fun, festive, fabulous days.

2. Warm, wonderful, wintry nights.

3. Lots of Christmas music!

4. Even more Christmas cookies!

5. A brisk jingle bell holiday lights run with my Pup.

6. A good turnout at our client appreciation showing of "Elf"!

7. On that note, I'd like Candy, Candy Canes, Candy Corns and Syrup!!

8. A visit from Santa would be nice.

9. Fun, family filled holidays, with BDR off the clock and all of us together!

10. And above all - Peace and Happiness - right Poppy?!



10 Things You’re Thankful For

1. My family - Blood relatives of course, but also my friends, BDR, and Peter. Family is a "relative term"!

2. Strength and growth - If we didn't have these, life would be a lot harder and a lot more boring.

3. Food on my table - particularly the delightful Thanksgiving meal I'm going to cook on Thursday!

4. Opportunity to give back to my community - I love the organizations I'm involved in and the way they allow me to help so many other people.

5. Pumpkin flavored almost anything - is there anything better for the season than pumpkin spice!?

6. Health - I'm blessed to be feeling pretty darn good right now and I know not all are so lucky.

7. Work - There's been a few times in the past couple years when I couldn't say this, but my job is wonderful and so are the people I work with.

8.Beary - Yes, the teddy bear I got from my Grandma when I was little still makes the list. He reminds me of all the blessings I had then and still have now. Plus it reminds me of her even after her passing this year.

9. No Ironman training - That was such a huge part of my life then, but I love all the free time I have now to do other things.

10. The holiday season! - I get to put up my Christmas tree and all my decorations in just a couple days!!!

10 Songs You’re Embarrassed to Like

Now, this is a tough list for me. I don't get embarassed by much, especially my choice in music. I might, on occassion, be embarassed about my horrible singing ability when I really jam out, but that's another list entirely. :-) There are a few songs that can really get me going, so here they are.

1. See you Again, Miley Cyrus: Most would be embarassed about this. Me, not so much. I totally jam out to this song and it's almost guaranteed to put me in a better mood.

2. Pussy Control, Prince or whatever he's called these days: In college, my sorority sisters and I had an official dance to this song. It would always bring us to the dance floor, sober or schnockered.

3. Hold On, Wilson Phillips: I know there's pain. Why do you lock yourself up in these chains?! Seriously, everytime I'm down in the dumps, I blare this song and sing at the top of my lungs, and occassionally make my dog dance with me. Then I'm better.

4. Lady Gaga, All of Lady Gaga: OK, so I am a little embarassed about liking him/her/it. But the more embarassing thing is that my boyfriend thinks she/he/it is hot.

5. Oops, I Did It Again, Brit-Brit: It's old, but it's fun. And I think I know the dance.

6. Step by Step, NKOTB: Not embarassed by this at all. This is the band of my youth! My first concert, my first crush. Oh Joey, you're so hawt. Embarassing: my brothers' liking the band when they were 13-15 years old!

7. So Yesterday, Hilary Duff: You'd think you must be a Nickoldeon regular to like this, but nope, not me.

8. Abba and the Mamma Mia Soundtrack: No need to pinpoint one song. Its all a little embarassing and its all something I love.

9. Wake me up before you go-go, don't leave me hangin' on like a yo-yo... take me dancin' toniiiiiiiiight!

10. Pieces of Me, Ashley Simpson: Definitely the less talented Simpson sister, but its just so darn fun to sing along with!

10 Best Movies You've Seen Lately

I think "lately" is a relative term, so here's some that I enjoyed "lately" and come to think of it, "best" and "enjoyed" are also terms I used loosely.

1. White Christmas: This might be the least Christmasy of Christmas movies, but I love the music and its a fun trip back in time.

2. Police Academy: This was one of the bf's Christmas gifts, fitting since he's a cop, it had been years since I'd seen it but I had a couple good laughs.

3. Up: Not at all what I expected, and not nearly a flick for the kiddos like I thought, Up was still pretty good and made me think.

4. The Hangover: Tigers love pepper. They hate cinnamon. I'm not gettin' a sig' on my beeper. Is this THE Caeser's Palace? I tend to think of myself as a one-man wolf pack. Okay, well maybe we should tell that to Rain Man, because he practically bankrupted a casino, and he was a ruh-tard.

5. Night at the Museum: Cheesy but cute. I liked seeing Dick Van Dyke again!

6. The Taking of Pelham 123: Interesting movie. Makes subways a little more scary and makes me a little more happy KC doesn't have great public transit. John Travolta is pretty scary, but I like him WAY more in roles like Danny Zuko in Grease.

7. P.S. I Love You: OK, so I haven't seen it recently, but I did have dinner at Raglan Road, the Irish place in Power & Light, so that kind of counts. Plus my roommate took it to watch with his girl the other day. I cry every time I see it. If only men could really have that much foresight... Such a great movie, with delightful eye candy.

8. Julie & Julia: Great story. Great writer. And of course, what blogger doesn't aspire to having a book or movie about their online dribble?! I know I sure do!

9. My Sister's Keeper: This goes on this list not as a movie, but as a book. The movie butchered the book, which was wonderful in every way. The movie wasn't bad by any means, but the book was just about 1,000x better. So the book makes this list.

10. Wicked: Ok, ok. So it isn't a movie. But the broadway show came through KC a few months ago and I. Loved. It. I wanted ot see it about three more times, but instead I came home and instantly downloaded the soundtrack and proceeded to learn it word for word over the next 2.5 days.

10 on Tuesday

I stole a cool idea from Yanowhatimean. Every Tuesday there will be a top 10 list, if I can keep up with it. Here goes #1....

10 Things You’re Looking Forward to in 2010

1. Taking a vacation with Daniel.
2. Tim and Chelsea's wedding.
3. Peter's 5th Birthday. Party planning has begun!
4. Setting a PR at a half marathon.
5. Enjoying whatever life brings to me, without stressing out about plans too much. (Wish me luck here!)
6. Warm weather. Its snowy and crazy cold right now and I just want it to be lake weather!
7. Success in my job.
8. Chelsea's bachelorette party. Heeheehee.
9. Watching my friends dominate Ironman Louisville and being there to cheer them on!
10. Getting out of debt!