The Nectar List

So I have been working really hard (ok so not really hard as of yet, but I plan to - I really do) on keeping a running gratitude list as I focus on becoming a better, healthier, more loving me. This is why I was so happy to stumble upon the blog Day dreaming in ink which featured a post on creating a nectar list. Author Sierra Vandervort describes it like this:

It’s a lot like a Bucket List, but instead of listing the things we want to do before we kick the bucket, we list the things that have been the nectar of our existence so far. It’s cheesy, I know, but urbandictionary told me sweet nectar was slang for “to live” like kick the bucket is slang for “to die.” So deal with it.

So here goes mine:

1. I have the honor of being the mom to the most intuitive and kind four year old I have ever met.
2. I've taken a road trip with some pretty fun ladies. Ashley and Holly - I still can't get over how much I liked the Yacht Club.
3. I convinced my mom and dad to send me around the world one summer which if you know my mom at all is some kind of miracle. That trip is hands down one of my most cherished of memories.
4. I have ziplined through the treetops in Costa Rica.
5. I have a knack for picking pretty amazing pets - R.I.P. Toby and much love Quinnicus.
6. My then boyfriend and now husband and I experienced the thrill of beating Super Mario Brothers on Nintendo in the same evening.
7. I surprise myself - often.
8. I get to take advantage of living in the biggest theater district outside of New York +PlayhouseSquare .
9. I've ridden a dolphin.
10. I got the chance to meet 'Reva' from Guiding Light.
11. I've been published.
12. I make friends easy and often.
13. I've gotten to inspire others in a classroom.
14. I'm not afraid to be vulnerable.
15. I've watched the wild Spanish Mustangs run in Corolla.
16. I've experienced the joy of tubing.
17. I have gotten to eat the best lobster risotto ever at +Nighttown Restaurant
18. I have been on work funded trips to Tucson and San Francisco.
19. I attended St. Patrick's Day activities in Savannah, GA.
20. I have a family rich in traditions.
21. I got a car when I was 16 that was good for then and an even better one that is good for now.
22. I get to attend cool professional development events such as the International Summit on Conflict Resolution Education.
23. I've had an amazing steak and equally amazing gin martini at XO.
24. My sister introduced me to Society.
25. Pinterest came into my life.
26. My first concert was TLC and Boys II Men.
27. Exploring Barcelona
28. Ordering a passport for my then two year old daughter to vacation in Punta Cuna.
29. Seeing one of the seven wonders of the world.
30. Visiting San Diego several times as a kid.
31. Experiencing what must have been high stakes bingo in San Angelo.
32.  Looking at miles and miles of beautiful smiles up and down the boardwalk.
33. Visiting those people with the parrots in FL.
34. Finding treasures at garage sales.
35. Camp Fitch
36. Getting married in a beautiful church
37. Attending the protest against School of the Americas and singing in that circle
38. Finding fellowship
39. Having an amazing starter home in a great neighborhood
40. Hosting many fun bags tourneys
41. Having a laughing attack in a bathroom in Russia
42. Dancing all night to Tom Jones in Norway and eating burgers with corn and cucumbers
43. Serenading John with a little James Taylor in Portugal
44. Skipping the tour and sipping sangria with one of my BFF's in Spain
45. Big Christmas celebrations  
46. My mom rapping at my 5th grade bday party.
47. My dad building a huge snow-painted dragon in the snow and awesome haunted houses in our basement.
48. Discovering how lovely tea is. 
49. Begging enough money off of stranger to buy a butterfly ring at a music festival
50. Buffett
51. Mickey's - 'this is ladies night' song is literally playing in my head right now 
52. Belting out Shania in Jen's Jimmy
53. Snowflake the pig
54. Amazing night when Joe docked at Ginger and John's house

 And if Sierra can have the following appear as number 38 on her list, I can certainly also add it to mine :). Looking back this does seem to have been extremely hard to do...lol. Tom and Lori I still feel horrible about this :)

Sierra: "I’ve puked out the window of a moving vehicle. Not exactly proud of that, but seems like an accomplishment" 

I would love to hear some of the items on your nectar lists so please share!

So many reasons why I love working at a college...here are a few highlights from this week

Reason 1 - Walking Taco Wednesday complete with caricature artists on hand and a funny t-shirt making machine.  If this brilliant idea is not on Pinterest yet it certainly should be. Open a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos and top with ground beef, tomatoes, shredded lettuce and cheese, salsa, and sour cream.

Walking tacos! Students really could eat them while walking to class!

I also think it says something about the institution that I work for when the campus president is the one doing the serving. Rock on East Campus! Rock on!

President J. Michael Thomson Helps Serve

Reason 2: Cafe 4250 - Restaurant run by our hospitality students. There is a standing menu for the semester along with a chef special which changes weekly and costs only $9. This week featured chef du cuisine Clifton Hairston which consisted of the following:

• Pancetta wrapped dates stuffed with manchego cheese and mint
• Braised pork osso buco with risotto milanese and asparagus 
• Key Lime Tart 
  
  I already have reservations made for the next two Wednesdays  - can't wait +Bridget Kriner and Lisa Dionisi. To read more about this awesome program visit: Tri-C Student-Staffed Dining Experience.

OMG! A pinterest pin that works like a charm!

My house is going up on the market soon and recently I noticed some huge stains on our office carpet. No idea where they came from and my usual go to cleaner which is Spot Shot seamed to just smear the stain this time around. I decided to try the ironing trick listed on pinterest mainly because it only called for 5 items all of which I generally already have at the house: white vinegar, water, spray bottle, iron, and white cleaning clothes/towels: Carpet Stain Remover that Works on Old Stains Too.

Below are the before and after pics. You can see how much better the carpet looks after. I actually think had I done it one more time I could have totally removed the stain, but I was running out of daylight and only have a single shitty lamp in that room with which to work so this was good enough for a first attempt:

I am so impressed with this that I sort of want to go around to the houses of my friends and families, pour some highly stainable substance on their carpet, and then perform my magic trick to their stunned ooh's and ahh's.