Category Archives: 100 Things I Love

10 Famous Lines From Books/Movies

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As part of the 100 Things I Love series, here are 10 famous lines from books or movies that I love.

  1. “E.T. phone home.”  from the movie, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, who doesn’t remember that one, or hear it.  I’ve been known to text that to my kids now and  then as a reminder that mama does enjoy hearing from her babies now and then, even if those babies are now 22 and 28 years old. Continue reading →

6 Drinks/Beverages I Love

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As part of the 100 Things I Love, here are 6 drinks or beverages that I love!  Again, as with the other lists, no particular order is given.

Diet Coke - happens to be sitting on my desk at the  moment.  When it comes to sodas, I prefer diet as the regular stuff is just too sweet.  I also prefer diet Coke to diet Pepsi.  And a fountain version is always far better!

Coffee - another drink that happens to be sitting on my desk at the moment, a hot cup of pumpkin spice coffee.  I love coffee, especially flavored, and I drink it black.  In the winter I sometimes use a flavored creamer as a treat, but over all just plan black coffee is tops.

Beer - I am of mostly German roots, some Hungarian and a splash of Irish to keep it interesting.  Naturally my German side loves beer.  Of the many beers, I prefer Mich Ultra though it gives me migraines if I have one or have several.  Next up is Bud Select 55.  Yes yes, diet beer I know.  I also like Fireside Nut Brown Ale in the winter months.

Wine - I enjoy wine, though I know about nothing regarding quality, I either like it or I don’t.  I buy wines based on the labels.  The  more amusing the more likely I will try it.  One favorite to date is 7 Deadly Zins.  I kept that bottle, and the Middle Sister wine, Forever Cool, because the label is so on target with my personality.

Herbal Tea - Cinnamon Apple Spiced and Cinnamon Rose are favorites, as well as Peppermint.  During the summer I enjoy mint iced tea like grandma made.  Many of us in the family got hooked on mint tea, and some of my cousins have mint from grandma’s garden.  I need to get some from them to start my own mint bed.

Eggnog Shakes - UDF (United Dairy Farmers) makes the world’s best eggnog shake!  McDonalds doesn’t have too bad of one either, but it rates second in my book to UDF.  I LOVE these and they are only available during the holiday season.

When it comes to beverages those are the first 6 that come to mind.  There are likely many others but 100 Things list only asks for 6, so there you have it.

10 Writers I Love

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I am determined to finish the 100 Things I Love over the next week or so, I’ve left it hanging out there entirely too long!

So, 10 writers I love is up next.  As it doesn’t not specify book or blog authors, I’m going with both!  This is by no means an exhaustive list, and keep in mind that most of the things I read are not heavy.  I read for entertainment and to relax, it is one of my guilty pleasures in life.

  1. J.K. Rowling - yep, I am a huge fan of the Harry Potter series.  I started reading it back when everyone was having a fit about it because *gasp* it is full of witches, wizards and magic!! You know, church folks (not necessarily my church) were having a field day over it all.  My daughter wanted to read the books so like any good parent I decided to read the books first in case there was something I felt I needed to use as an object lesson.  It’s how I handled a lot of things while home schooling our kids.  I was hooked as soon as I started the series and could not wait for the next one to come out.  Frankly, it is harmless in my mind to enjoy a fantasy of a world where I can jump in the fireplace and land on the west coast.
  2. Jean M. Auel - I fell in love with these books, The Earth Children’s series.  Prehistoric man and her version of the story, centering around a character named Ayla.  I loved the first book, which was also my first introduction to herbal remedies etc. and couldn’t put it down!  While I don’t personally buy into the evolution of apes to men (why is it some apes did not evolve, was there a protest??), it was a great series!
  3. Bodie & Brock Thoene - The Zion Convenant Series was SO good! Historical fiction set during WWII, it was a serious page turner. 9 books in that series.  When my son was in high school studying WWII I got him started reading the series as the history is very well researched and I felt he would gain more that way than just from his history books.  He even loved the series.  I also loved their Galway chronicles series but only got through the first 2 books.  I need to find those in the library and start it again!
  4. Christine Feehan -  I’ve only read the books in her Dark Series but OMG would I love to be the life mate of any one of her male characters of the Carpathian race!  Steamy, racy and seriously great books.  I recommend starting at the beginning with Dark Prince as they do build somewhat on each other.  I once wrote a post, about wanting to be Mikhail Dubrinsky’s mate because I LOVED the words used in the Carpathian binding rituals between life mates.  *heavy sigh*
  5. Lori Wick - She is probably my favorite Christian fiction author.  I love pretty much all of her books, the best by far being Pretense and my second favorite, Bamboo & Lace.
  6. Martini’s Needed – I love this blogger.  She writes from her heart and about real life. Her blog is great and I highly recommend it.  She doesn’t write often but when she does, she is spot on.
  7. Cinful Cinnamon -  Her blog, Cinnamon’s Spicy Life is a personal favorite.  Not because I know her but because in knowing her I know she too writes from her heart and while we don’t always see eye to eye, more often than not she leaves me thinking!
  8. Sandi Kirk - another favorite blogger, she holds down 2 blog pages that I LOVE, Being Peachy, and Sometimes It’s Not Easy Being Peachy. Her sense of humor is off the chains and I am often laughing out loud.
  9. Amy’s Blam - is another outstanding blog!  Amy is hilarious and her life adventures are too funny.  She is the queen of bling too.
  10. Jenny Lawson - better known as The Bloggess, is probably my all time favorite of bloggers.  She has caused me to want to visit the taxidermist and buy up dead, stuffed critters.   And also to appreciate the art of large, metal chickens.  No home should be without one!

10 Social Networking Sites/Apps

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As part of the 100 Things I Love series, here are 10 social networking sites or apps that I’ve come to really enjoy! If they are underlined it is a link so you can check it out online.

TWITTER – I am very much Twiddicted, I tweet a lot, and follow people that tweet some fun stuff I like.  Some are family, some news, mostly just people that struck me as interesting or amusing.  Twitter is a 140 character mini-blog basically, and it is harmless fun.  Online or as an app, both ways are awesome.

 Foursquare – I love this app.  You ‘check-in’ where you go and earn points, badges and if you check in the most, the Mayorship of the location.  I’ve stolen said Mayorship and had them stolen from me  several times.  It is absolutely pointless other than some places offer food or other specials when you check in or if you are the Mayor and check in.  Harmless fun for us easily amused types. This of course is an app.

Facebook – Facebook is kind of like an ongoing sitcom for me.  Or a never ending newsletter I can read on friends and family.  As busy as everyone seems to be it is one of the best ways to stay in touch with my cousins that I would really talk to otherwise.  Comes in online and app versions.

GetGlue – Another truly pointless site and app, you check-in when you are watching TV and earn stickers (glue).  I have multiple sheets of stickers for various shows and specific episodes of many of those shows…and not sure what I should do with them.  It’s fun to see how many others have checked in to see the same shows, but it is pretty pointless.  Online or app, whichever you prefer.

Pinterest – ERMAHGERD this is totally amazing.  Okay to me it is.  It is a pinboard for things you find online that you like and want to remember where  you saw them.  You categorize your pins to help you find them.  The best thing to do, if you are not familiar, is go look at mine by clicking the link.  I LOVE Pinterest.  I have all kinds of things pinned for crafts I want to do, room decor I like, even a dreamboard.  Online and available as an app for iPhone and Android!

Words With Friends – Available through Facebook online and as a app, it is scrabble against friends on your friend list.  I love it, but tend to forget that I need to go play it.  I’ve had numerous games going at once but I admit, I have a cheat site to help me.

Draw Something – Pictionary with your friends, also a great app, and one of my favorite ways to waste  time when I have nothing else to do.  Which lately isn’t very often.

HEYTELL – Basically it is voice texting.  I love it because I can talk a lot faster than I can type, and sometimes I just like hearing my kids voices rather than reading texts.  Especially useful when driving or busy and cannot type I can speak and send, then listen when the answer comes back. Rather cool if you ask me.

WAZE – I am new  to this one,  but I LIKE it!  Hard really to explain, but it will help you find your WAZE around town, bad traffic, speed traps etc. Best bet is to read the FAQ, as it seems you can find ‘treasures’ and win actual prizes. Go figure.

Texting – Last but not least, texting rocks.  I text a lot between my Avon team, family, friends etc.  Texting is my favorite, and easiest way to communicate with family and friends because calling, while far better, usually finds people busy, or like my brothers out on a fire run, it’s just easier if I text and they can return it when they have time.

By no means is this an exhaustive list, just the ones that come to mind.

10 Restaurants I Love

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As part of the 100 Things I Love, here is a list of 10 restaurants that I just love!

  1. Chipotle Mexican Grill – this is the top of the food chain for me.  LOVE this place.  My all time favorite dish is the steak bowl, with white rice, black beans, corn salsa and cheese.  It must be eaten with chips, and a plastic fork.  Not sure why the plastic fork, it is an OCD thing with me, I cannot ever eat it with a metal fork for some reason. Go figure.  I cannot live anywhere that does not have a Chipotle.
  2. Holy Grail - West - LOVE this place!  Great place to catch any sport on TV, eat awesome food and drink a few cold ones. Love the atmosphere.  I prefer to sit outside on the patio so needless to say it is a favorite in the nice weather.  LOVE me some Goebel’s Reuben Wontons!
  3. Price Hill Chili – You cannot live on the west side of Cincinnati and not eat here.  If you move to the west side, you cannot be an official west sider (the best side of the city by the way) until you’ve had your first meal here.  They have way many more things to eat than chili.  Every political candidate that rolls through our town has to eat here, famous people come to town and eat here. Go figure.  It is THE place to run into someone you know, so it is not recommended if you are having an affair on your significant other.
  4. Dancing Wasabi – I only just became a sushi lover this year, thanks to my daughter.  OMG this is amazing. LOVE the atmosphere and the food.  She has me hooked on sushi now!
  5. Drew’s On The River – Nothing beats a few cold ones and whatever sounds yummy to eat while watching the river traffic or a live band.  Another great place to be outside when the weather is nice. Nothing fancy, just a fun place.
  6. Skyline Chili – If you are going to be in Cincinnati, the best chili ever is Skyline.  It is a Cincinnati thing and it is GOOD stuff.  4-way bean for me.  What that means to those unfamiliar, spaghetti noodles with the chili, beans and cheese.  Only way to eat it in my opinion.  Skip the onions, rude to talk after you have eaten it with onions.  Besides that would be a 5-way if you add onions and I’m trying to watch my hour glass figure.
  7. Sebastian’s is next on the list.  Simply the very best Gyros around, ever!  Trust me I have had them all over, and no one makes a gyro this good, that simple!
  8. Plaza Vallarta here in my township is the best Mexican around. Love this place, the chips and salsa are great and the service is pretty impressive.  My favorite place when I have a hankering for some steak fajitas.
  9. Nicholson’s Tavern & Pub – “Cincinnati’s First and Finest Gastropub” is amazing!  More upscale than the other places I love to eat, you’d want to go business casual, or at the least your best dress jeans.  I’ve seen  my fair share of kilts and bagpipes in there as well.  The food is amazing.
  10. White Castle – Not something I want often, as you can feel it clogging every major blood vessel and you will burp up the flavor the rest of the day, but they (sliders) are SO good.  I hear that they are awesome for a hangover too,  not that I would have any experience in that area.

That pretty much rounds out my favorite places to eat.  My top 10 anyway, as far as home town munching!

10 Websites I Love

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As a part of the 100 Things I Love series, here are 10 websites I love.  Not necessarily in any particular order, and by no means and exhaustive list! I am going to do a 10 blogs I love to read another time so this won’t include blogs.  It doesn’t include social media either, that is another category on it’s own. :)

  1. The Cincinnati Fire Department History site is one of my favorite. I have 2 brothers and 2 ex husbands that are fire fighters so I have an appreciation for the profession.  The webmaster of this site did a lot of hard work and still adds things to it.  If you are a fire history buff check it out, you won’t be disappointed.
  2. My favorite place to hunt for bargains is Woot as I have found some awesome deals there.  It has to be checked daily and most days I don’t find anything I necessarily want but every so often there is a great deal on good wine or electronics that I just have to purchase!
  3. My latest addiction is Pinterest, a virtual pin board for sticking photos that link me to fashion, food, recipes, quotes, decorating ideas etc that I want to keep track of for future use.  MUCH nicer than saving them in my bookmarks on my browser.
  4. At the moment my Avon site is definitely on top as it is my income aside from daycare and the key to my future.  I love this job and love the products.  Visit me, you can order on the site and have it shipped directly to you, and your business is very much appreciated!
  5. A proud westsider in Cincinnati, I love my local community paper to keep up on what is going on around me.  I can read the e-edition flipping ‘pages’ and seeing the actual paper itself.
  6. I also very much enjoy my township’s webpage to stay up to date on my community.
  7. While I LOVE my Kindle, there is still something that draws me to the library. The Cincinnati Public Library site is one of my top 10 because sometimes buying books for Kindle isn’t in the budget.  Not to mention there is no cluttering up the house, read ‘em and return ‘em. There are events held at the library so I use  the site not only the check for a book but to see what is going on at the local branch.  Or just go curl up in a corner in my favorite land of books to read.
  8. That brings me to my library’s downloadable site for those times when I just want to borrow a book on Kindle and not have to go out to get it or worry about returning it on time.  I need a line item in my budget for over due fees!  Free is always good!
  9. No top 10 would be complete without Google as I use it daily, multiple times a day!
  10. And last but not least Amazon is critical if I do wish to purchase a book for my Kindle, not to mention a bunch of other great things!

10 Activities I love

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As a part of the 100 Things I Love series, here are 10 activities I love.  Not necessarily in any particular order, and by no means and exhaustive list!

  1. The Museum Center – I LOVE going to the Cincinnati Museum Center,  so much so that I purchased a single season pass for myself, with parking!  I enjoy looking at the various exhibits of Cincinnati’s history, as well as other parts of the museum.  I also enjoy the films in the Omnimax theater.  I could spend hours just looking at the model of this city from years gone by, each time I go I notice  something new.  When done, I enjoy the gift shop, I could spend hours in the book section!  If you go with me be prepared to spend time READING about things in the exhibits, I don’t like to just wander through, I want to learn!
  2. Moonlight Tour of Spring Grove Cemetery – This past year I went for the first time and it is a definite must do again.  I had no idea how much history is in that cemetery and under the moonlight it is just beautiful.  And yes a tad spooky but that makes it fun!  I toured the Civil War section and next year will be certain to sign up for a different tour (they offer a number for the moonlight tour night) to learn even more about those buried there.
  3. Picnics for two – A beautiful day, a good friend (male of course), a basket full good foods and some wine.  Laying on a blanket enjoying the shade and breeze.  Talking or silently napping on a sleepy afternoon, that to me is a great time.
  4. Small towns - I enjoy walking through small, historic towns like Aurora or Madison Indiana.  Shops, a little pub for lunch, just a lazy day of walking around enjoying the sights and sounds.
  5. Motorcycles – Nothing says de-stress like a ride on a motorcycle.  Wind in my hair, wrapped around a friend and riding like it’s what we are paid to do.  My best times with a dear friend have been days when we rode the entire day, a few hundred miles and some relaxing places along the way.  I’ve only really trusted 2 men to ride me, the ex and Mr. Wonderful.  Hoping for some warm days and LONG rides again in the Spring.
  6. Darts – as in throwing them.  I suck big time but I enjoy it.  I am the only person I know that can hit a trash can 10 feet away from the dart board and at floor level, but I did it!  I got into it while dating a friend, now my son tries to help me when we go out for a few beers to catch up.  It’s sad though very funny to watch.
  7. Walking – I love to walk, but really don’t do it enough.  Great time to clear the mind, work through a problem, or talk to a friend.  There are two parks near me that have walking areas.  One is just a track with a few hills but nothing major, next to the Ohio River so I can watch the river traffic.  The plus is the trains come through on the other side and I LOVE trains so it is a great place to walk.  The other park has trails, with gravel paths.  More than a few hills, some are serious butt-kickers, through the woods, over a creek…it is a wonderful place to walk if it isn’t wet out.  Good exercise.
  8. Watching TV – not many things I like to watch, but when I do, I have a select few shows that will land me on the couch to view:  CSI, CSI:NY, NCIS, NCIS LA, Blue Bloods, Criminal Minds and football.  These are about the only things I will take the time to watch on TV.  Usually this is a Diva gathering with mom, sis and the nieces, popcorn and some beer.
  9. Bowling – again, I totally suck at bowling but I enjoy it.  My sister and I were in a league for a while, with the ex-hubby and my kids.  It was a good time but haven’t been in one in a long while.  I think I might need to take that up again!
  10. Crocheting – My hook and some yarn are always a great way to relax.  Lately I have 8 projects in the works and none is close to complete (except for Mario’s Bengal blanket).  I am not sure why but I seem to have a touch of ADD of late and just cannot seem to get focused on them.  I need to get at it again, best way to watch TV without feeling like I’m lazy and doing nothing constructive is to work on a blanket.