31 lists: 5 things I would do if I won the lottery

List 4 of 31...still playing along even though I'm a few days behind...

Pretty sure you can't win if you don't play, right?!? But take a little trip to dream land with me will you?

5 things I do/buy if I won the lottery 

{no particular order}

1. Buy lots of land in Texas, maybe Colorado or Utah. Really just about anywhere with rolling hills warm summers but cool winters. Think horses, barns, endless miles of pastures, trees and trails for my boys and eventually grand children to enjoy.

{via}

2. Build my dream home. Years ago I pictured my dream home as being a small to medium sized modest home. But after 5 kids, I know that if I can control it, I want to have a large home to be my forever home. I need to have lots of space for the kids and grand kids to visit. I'd love to build a guest house or two or even a couple houses on the large property. Maybe I'll luck out and one or two of my boys will stay close to their momma.

3. Kids college. I'd lie if I say the idea of college expenses doesn't completely freak me out. 5 kids and {hopefully} 5 kids going to college within the next 16 years is going to be expensive. Ok...I'm about to pass out thinking about it...going to go breath into a paper bag while I panic a bit... Lottery day dream to continue in just a moment...

4. Charity and good deeds. I love giving and being involved in charities. I wish I could do more, be there more, But I know that with young kids this season of my life will pass all to quickly. I will do my part as I can, eventually I'll be able to do more. If I won the lotto, I'd donate to the American Cancer Society, the Make-a-wish foundation, the Ronald McDonald house,Autism Speaks...and anything else I can think of related to cancer, children or special education.

5. HUGE family vacation. My side, Jim's side, our "adopted" parents, everyone all in one place having fun. It'll be chaos but making memories together while we all have each other will out weigh the chaos...I mean if I ever win the lotto that is.

Do you ever play the lotto? What would you do with the money if you were to ever win big?

Follow along.

xoxo
Angela

31 lists: 5 things I want to be more knowledgable

Day 3 of 31...playing catch up...again.

I'm one of those crazy people that love school, love to learn and love to work at gaining knowledge and improving myself. I'd probably be a lifetime student if it wasn't for the cost of school. But I also feel like knowledge doesn't have to come from a college campus, I've learned so much about myself and some of my other interests through conferences, mini-conferences, and even my MOPS mom group. It's amazing what you can learn for free from others.

However of money and time weren't an issue I'd love to learn more about...

1. Foreign languages. I wish I was fluent in at least 1 other language. After 3 years of high school Spanish, I sadly can't speak it hardly at all. I can understand some, but when I speak it I sound like an idiot. Time for Rosetta stone...maybe?

2. Pre-teenage/teen age girls. Pretty sure I was just meant to be a mom of boys, and pretty sure if I did have a girl- one of us would not make it through alive. When I was teaching I taught all grade levels and one thing I learned about pre-teen/teen girls they can be sweet one minute and completely vindictive, controlling, bullies the next.

3. Instruments/music. I'd love to learn to play the guitar or the piano. I'd to have a piano in my house and have the boys play and eventually grandchild play. But I worry that it'd be something I love for a while then get bored...it happens with me a hobbies a lot.

4. Computers. I know enough to get by, but then there is the other 90% of the time when I want to throw the  on purer threw my window. 

5. Jim's job. Because he is a computer program analyst...well just refer back the #4.

What about you? If money and time weren't an issue, what would you like to learn more about?

Play along won't you?

xoxo
Angela

31 lists: 5 Jobs I've had

I'm back...I'm still behind, but I'm still here. Ok seriously, I shouldn't give myself too much credit, I'm only on day 2 of 31.

5 Jobs I've had:

1. Baseball concession stand server at a little league field - I worked for the same man from the time I was 14 until I was 20. Every season. By the time I was away at college, I would come home {2.5hours away} to work all weekend. With tips I'd easily go back to school with over $200 even after gas. Don't tell the IRS...gotta love under the table jobs.

2. Dairy Queen- seriously dangerous job. it was a good thing I was still playing soccer and running often or I could've easily packed on the pounds working there! I was just happy that I worked there for as long as I did without getting sucked into the drama of who's dating who after dating someone else. Pretty sure they all dated each other.

3. Nanny - right after I graduated HS I worked after school watching two sweet {most of the time} elementary aged girls. I've been so lucky to watch the two of them grow into amazing women, wives {or soon to be for one} and mothers.

4. Special Education teacher - love and miss my teaching days. I taught all grades and for the most part all subjects. I'd teach high school and elementary again in a heartbeat...but middle school, oh horrible hormone drivin' akward middle school...no thank you! Pretty sure those teachers need to get hazard pay.

5. My lowest {monetary} paid job, my longest {and never ending} hours job, my hardest job by far: yet the best "job" I've ever had and ever will have is being a mom to my 5 boys. They make me laugh, cry, smile and yell...sometimes all at once. Sometimes, I feel like a zoo keeper or a referee more than a mom....

and not this kind of referee...

Pretty sure this is what I'll look like when my boys are teenagers...

and this is pretty close to "the look" the kids get now. Maybe I should start carrying a whistle and red and yellow cards. {red card means your kicked out of the game and sometimes the next game too, yellow is a warning)

But in all honestly, those crazy boys are my world and I wouldn't change any of it. I mean, seriously...how lucky am I {especially when they are all smiling and getting along}?!?

Other than being a wife or mom, what has been your favorite job? Mine is a tie between the baseball concession stand and being a nanny.

Follow along...and keep making sure I post a new list everyday!

xoxo

Angela

31 Lists in 31 days

I'm a list maker. Sometimes they're on my phone, sometimes they're on paper, sometimes both. I can't say that I always cross off everything on those lists or even know where those lists are...but I do make them. Doesn't that count for something?!?

I've been wanting to do a daily blog challenge for a while, but in all honesty I hate when I start something and don't finish. I don't take failure well. I know it's just a blog post, but not finishing something I started...even if its later than the timeline allowed really bothers me. But here I am anyway. I'm hoping that because my friend Kellee at The Rambling Hermit is also doing it, that the two of us will kick each other in the butt to keep going. Be sure to go check out AJ at Oh Hey its AJ to find out all the details.

And if you are starting to think about writing a blog, this is a great way to get started...ahem...MORGAN...gotta love a friend that calls you out, right?!?

Day 1: 10 Things I do EVERY.DAY. in no particular order

1: hug and kiss my kids and husband, a lot
2: tell my family that I love them, a LOT
3: go to target...maybe not quite everyday, but Jackson (almost 4) at one point called target our big red house
4: let our 3 dogs in/out about 8 million times
5: change diapers, we are almost DONE! After 5 kids and thousands of diaper changes, I am almost done!
6: check my fb, instagram, blog feed and email
7: dinner with the family - we are busy with sports and other activites pratically daily, but we try to have dinner together every night even if its rushed or a easy throw together dinner
8: couch cuddles before bed
9: relax time with Jim, no kids, just us. Sometimes we talk, sometimes we are sitting next to each other spaced out in front of the tv or with our Ipads, but at least we are together
10: thank God for my life...it's crazy at times, frustrating at times {keeping it real here folks}, stressful at times, but it's amazing all at the same time!

Yes, I brush my teeth everyday, and {hopefully} sneak in a shower. Just figured I skip over the personal hygiene stuff.

What do you do everyday? Next time, maybe I'll do a picture challenge so you can see me in action all day.

*playing catch up...already behind, but I'm starting so that counts for something right?

{Almost} Wordless Wednesday : So blessed and Thankful

Jim and I are not only blessed with great families and friends but friends that are more like family as well. We cherish them so much and after the last few week or so, I saw this and knew I needed to post it.

                          

xoxo

Angela

Toddler Felt Tree Part 2

Thank you for joining me as I share of a few of my Christmas crafts this year. Yesterday I shared my felt tree from last year, and sadly I didn't keep it...kicking myself now, but I just can't find it or I didn't keep it.

This year, I knew that I wanted to change up the ornaments, I was very lucky that Stacy has a sizzix. Trust me when I say you do not want to cut all those circles by hand. I mean you can,  you just really don't want to. Not sure why I didn't ask Stacy last year...pretty sure my hands and wrists are still not recovered and I only cut out ornaments for 1 tree.

Here's what I used:
Sizzix with a circle die cut
several colors of felt
small buttons (optional)
hot glue gun
1 yard of green felt off the bolt or 36x36" green felt in package

After my trusty assistant and I cut out lots and lots of circles, I put them aside to draw my Christmas tree on the green felt. I folded it in half and used chalk. 

The tall skinny one is a little too skinny for what I wanted, but I certainly didn't want to go back to the craft store for more felt. Plus the boys loved them both...good enough for me. I used 3M strips to adhere them to my wall...super easy.

I love having a wall space wide enough for them to be side by side. I had to take my kids' art clipboards down for the holidays, but it's worth it. Now I get to watch the little boys play side by side {and hopefully not fight}. The little canvas basket holds their ornaments. I'm hoping that this will help keep them off the floor. 

For the ornaments, last year I spent a lot of time adding ribbon. This year, I simply hot glued different sized and colored circles on top of each other. For some of them, I added buttons - they are my favorites, but I did find that the larger buttons do stay up as easy so stick to the smaller buttons.

My sweet boy...pretty sure he loves it! 

And because it is fun to compare...check out last years picture. 

And this year...

Say it with me friends...awwww.

I just realized that I didn't make presents to put under the tree...lots like I'm not quite finished...a crafters job is never finished, am I right?

Hope you and your littles enjoy it as much as my boys do.

Happy Crafting!

xoxo

Angela

12 days of Christmas Crafts- Toddler Felt Tree

I originally wanted to do a 12 days of Christmas crafts inspired by the song, but lets be honest...that's a whole lot of bird projects or thinking to make it fit into the theme of the song. So instead I'm just going to get crafty; no theme {other then Christmas-y}, no rules, just me and my craftiness.

Here's a sweet little post from last year, that I'm pretty sure only my husband and a few others saw. I'll be posting our new tree and ornaments soon. I was lame and either didn't keep last years project or don't know where I put it. 

I'm always on the lookout for fun, easy, fast and inexpensive...who am I kidding...cheap crafts to not only enhance my house and decor but also to keep me busy during nap time. {I craft to avoid house chores! Anyone else have this problem?!?} But what makes me really excited, is when I find a project that will be as fun for my kiddos as it will be for me!

Toddlers and Christmas tree don't mix. I'm constantly having to worry about him "helping" to re-decorate the tree. After all, I'm sure in his little head he's trying to figure out why he was able to do it one night with the family and now it's not ok. This is were the felt tree comes in, he can decorate and undecorate all he wants.

Here's what you'll need, hopefully you're a craft supply collector hoarder like me, and you may not have to buy much at all!

Rotary cutter, ruler and mat- do NOT buy this for this project, it's handy but scissors and a regular ruler will work just fine;
Hot glue gun and glue sticks;
1 yard of green felt for the tree- Michaels sells it in a 36"x36" package, so go to your closest craft store
Several 8.5x11 sheets of various colored felt for the ornaments and presents
Circle lids or bowls to use as templates
Ribbon (optional)
3M command strips for attaching the tree to your wall of choice

Start by taking the green felt and cut a large triangle tree. You could cut a more detailed looking tree, but I wanted to keep it simple, plus my kiddo is totally into shapes right now. {sorry no pic of this step}

Using your circular bowls, cups or what ever you can find, trace on the colored felt until you have as many ornaments as you want for your tree. I did 12-15 or so, in different sizes.

Add ribbon to embellish the ornaments.

Now is a good time to cut some squares and rectangles for the presents. Remember they don't have to be perfect squares. I didn't measure them or anything. Make sure to add embellishments, ribbons, bow, etc. 

Then sit back and watch your kiddo have FUN! 

And hopefully share the fun with his baby brother.