me&my: favourite things

1 The London New Year’s Day parade
2 Savill Garden
3 Running along the Thames River, even in the rain!
4 The Runnymede fields
5 Fruit, yogurt and All-Bran
6 Friday Night Date Nights
7 Friends made through the NCT
8 Photography and my GF1 camera
9 www.dailymile.com for tracking my workouts!
10 Afternoon playtime with Madeline
11 My Black Book system for task tracking
12 Itsu sushi
13 Freshly painted walls
14 PG Tips tea (white, skimmed milk)
15 Folding warm laundry straight from the tumble dryer
16 Frosty mornings
17 Our cat Sidney, even if she is a bit TOO needy sometimes
18 Vanilla Müller Light yogurts
19 My slow cooker!
20 My convertible Fiat 500c
21 De-cluttering
22 Books, books and more books
23 Reading stories before bedtime
24 Friday Night with Jonathan Ross show on BBC
25 My home office
26 TED talks
27 Windsor Great Park
28 My brown spotty socks
29 Family weekends with Richard and Maddie
30 An email inbox with few than 100 items
31 My job at Microsoft, which is challenging, fun and supportive of my schedule
32 Sunny winter days
33 Unexpected free time
34 Fridays
35 Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eye lashes
36 High Society
37 Positive feedback and recognition
38 My HTC Mozart Windows 7 Phone
39 Liz Earle moisturizer
40 The Time Traveler’s Wife
41 Silver white Winters that melt into Springs
42 Sushi Nara restaurant in Staines
43 National Portrait Gallery
44 Daffodils as a sign of spring
45 Riverside Vegetaria restaurant in Kingston-upon-Thames
46 Designing and facilitating workshops
47 Travel to places I haven’t been before
48 Italy
49 The smell of freshly baked bread
50 Coming home after being away
51 American Idol (long term fan, I have to admit)
52 Living in Europe
53 New Year’s Resolutions
54 My siblings—Stephanie, Raleigh and Samantha
55 www.moo.co.uk
56 Public footpaths
57 Marylebone High Street
58 Harvard Business Review
59 Brigidine School Windsor
60 March—it means February is over!
61 Facebook as a way to stay connected with old friends
62 Running
63 Beautiful Finland and my Finnish family (In loving memory of Eissa Nyfors)
64 Quiet weekends
65 The Finnish sauna
66 Eton and the Eton High Street
67 Homeland TV Drama
68 Finnish Rye Bread (Ruisleipä)
69 Pulla
70 My daughter, Madeline
71 Wisley Garden
72 My smart, handsome, supportive husband Richard Banks
73 My Finnish family’s summer cottage
74 Foggy morning runs
75 Holding my daughter’s hand
76 Motherhood
77 My mother, Sandy Peters
78 The University of Kansas Jayhawks
79 The large coffee cups provided at conferences in America
80 Tiffany & Company
81 Ice water
82 Free refills
83 Our riverside home
84 Infertility Network UK
85 Microsoft Lync and virtual working
86 Ahi tuna
87 it’s a small world ride at Disneyworld
88 Soarin’ at Epcot Center
89 March Madness
90 My nieces and nephews: Ari, Mackenzie, Gus, Dexter, Jennings and Sterling
91 Hubble 3D IMAX movie
92 Spring break
93 Sweet Tomatoes restaurant
94 The smell of homemade sugar cookies, baking in the oven
95 Coloring Easter eggs
96 My dad, an amazing minister, listener and father, Rodney Peters
97 Ken Follett’s historical novels
98 Borderlands on the Xbox
99 Radiolab podcasts (a show about curiosity)
100 Jenson Button
101 Six-year-old curiosity and imagination
102 Spring thunderstorms
103 Lilacs, which remind me of my wonderful years living on Lilac Lane
104 Watkins Scholarship Hall at the University of Kansas
105 Victoria & Albert Museum
106 Will power
107 Living near my English family, mother-in-law Meg and sister-in-law Sarah (and boys)
108 La Perla Mexican restaurant in Covent Garden
109 Windsor Castle
110 Virginia Water Lake
111 Driving by Windsor Castle and seeing the Royal Standard flying
112 Ginger Chicken Udon at wagamama restaurant
113 Our group’s Executive Assistant, Sarah
114 Nesting swans
115 Healthy cooking
116 Teaching the Certification for Action Learning Coaches course for WIAL
117 Lists
118 Carcassonne, the board game
119 Flowerz game for Windows Phone
120 Guernsey Island coastal walks
121 Getting a new pair of glasses
122 Childhood traditions
123 Strategy meetings
124 Goslings and baby ducks
125 My mother-in-law Meg
126 Vegetable gardening
127 Longer, brighter evenings
128 Sausage and Bean Casserole
129 My sister-in-law, Sarah Banks
130 A sense of belonging
131 Sainsbury’s Be Good to Yourself Beetroot Salad
132 Raindrops on roses
133 Achievement
134 Cygnets
135 Stress-free travel
136 Seeing a city by going for a run
137 Kissing Madeline good night
138 Mad Men
139 White Stuff clothing
140 “One hour completed” notification on Nike+
141 RAF Red Arrows
142 Queen Elizabeth II and the tradition of the British Royalty
143 This list of my favourite things
144 My stress-free school run
145 Daisy chain necklaces
146 Swans in flight
147 Monaco Grand Prix
148 Bupa London 10,000 10k run
149 Birds singing outside the window
150 Family dinner at the table
151 Balance bikes
152 Springwatch
153 White boards
154 War Horse on stage
155 Hunter wellington boots
156 Bunting
157 Hosting parties
158 Memories of my Microsoft Circle of Excellence experience
159 Work-free evenings
160 Our garden
161 My sister Stephanie’s music
162 Neal’s Yard Vitamin E & Avocado Night Cream
163 My sister Samantha’s poetry
164 My push puppet collection
165 Living on the bank of the Thames
166 Coincidental meetings
167 The Lakeland catalogue
168 My vintage 1940’s dining table
169 Fresh apricots
170 Parenting with Richard Banks
171 Cooking Light magazine
172 Breakfast
173 Helium balloons
174 Feeling of accomplishment
175 Seeing the Queen and Royal Family – such a thrill!
176 Research
177 Sirloin steak, cooked on the grill
178 A good night’s sleep
179 Clarity
180 My smart and reliable work colleagues
181 Fresh mangos
182 My homemade recipe cards
183 Summertime fairs
184 Neutrogena Ultrasheer 70 sunblock
185 Family bike rides
186 Madeline’s school performances
187 On-time flights
188 4th of July holiday
189 Hampton Court Flower Show
190 Parent-Teacher conferences
191 Summer holidays
192 Spending Fridays with my little girl
193 Hot Stone Massage
194 British 10K London run
195 Running through the streets of London
196 Making banana bread
197 Meeting deadlines
198 The soundtrack from Grease
199 Working Frocks
200 Outdoor theatre
201 Neil’s Yard Arnica Salve
202 The Long Walk to Windsor Castle
203 Seeing my far-away family
204 Freshly picked nectarines
205 The Neosho YMCA
206 Family vacation
207 Crapemyrtle
208 Stained glass windows
209 Crosslines in Joplin, MO
210 Tumbling River Ranch
211 WarGames
212 Blue Bunny Fat Free Frozen Yogurt
213 US Women’s Gymnastics Olympic Team 2012
214 Neosho Morse Park running trails
215 Murphy Orchard
216 Peters Family annual reunion
217 Avon Foot Works Therapeutic Cracked Heel Relief Cream
218 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
219 London 2012 Olympics
220 Team GB
221 Jess Ennis, Olympic Champion
222 Mo Farah, who ran in the Bupa 10,000 with us
223 Spontex Microfibre Kitchen Cuisine sponges
224 South Bank, London
225 Learning
226 My mentors–Dave, Ian and Holly
227 The wildflowers in the London 2012 Olympic Park
228 Dual nationality
229 Edamame
230 Olympic Park, London
231 London 2012: Closing Ceremony
232 Leadership development
233 Camping
234 Seeing old friends
235 My Microsoft LifeChat LX-3000 headset
236 Wizard card game
237 Newborn babies
238 Volkswagen Camper Vans
239 Our wonderful neighbors, Hilary and Phil
240 Flat caps
241 Outwell Hertford L tent
242 Beautiful Yorkshire (In loving memory of my father-in-law Malcolm Banks)
243 Our friends and parenting role models, Matt and Kate
244 Green woodpeckers
245 Freshly baled hay
246 Watching Madeline skipping
247 My marriage
248 Quinoa
249 Leaves in Autumn
250 Crisp Autumn air
251 New opportunities
252 Playing with LEGO
253 Camper boots
254 Jellycat soft toys
255 Blott
256 Annual Thames HospiceCare Santa Dash 5k
257 Jigsaw puzzles
258 Breaking Bad TV series
259 The Orla Kiely collection at UNIQLO
260 Early Christmas shopping
261 Listening to Madeline read
262 Running at sunrise
263 Black swans
264 Listening to Richard practice the guitar
265 Wedding anniversaries
266 Corn on the cob
267 Dar Williams
268 Featherdown Farms
269 Great Crested Grebe
270 Frank Rosenstein, Seattle photographer
271 My Flickr daily photos
272 London on a sunny, Autumn day
273 Our magnetic world map “puzzle” for learning geography
274 The Tech Link helpdesk at work
275 Catching fireflies
276 New challenges
277 Our annual pumpkin carving party
278 The Windsor 8K run
279 The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton
280 Built-in bookshelves
281 The used bookstore in Egham
282 Working at Starbucks
283 Alpen Light bars
284 Richard’s sketches
285 Borderlands 2 on the Xbox
286 Feeling competent
287 A smooth day of travel
288 Photographing street art
289 Vespa scooters
290 Time to think
291 Airstream Bambis
292 Achieving more than I thought was possible
293 Shelling peas
294 Joseph Joseph measuring spoons
295 The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
296 The Spa at Pennyhill Park
297 Updated running music
298 Walking through fallen Autumn leaves
299 Yankee Candles, especially their autumn ones
300 Jack-o-Lanterns
301 Family hugs
302 Spaghetti Bolognese
303 Global Knives
304 The Lion King
305 Great Little Trading Company
306 Maddie’s half-term journal
307 My new Kindle Paperwhite
308 Getting lost in a novel
309 MUJI
310 Moleskine Daily diaries
311 Singing in the car
312 Waking early and refreshed
313 American Democracy
314 ASICS Gel-Nimbus Running Shoes
315 Origami
316 Watching Maddie swim the front crawl
317 School photos
318 An unexpected compliment
319 Prague (what a beautiful city!)
320 Daydreams
321 Snowboarding
322 FileSolutions® Home Filing System™
323 Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (Judith Viorst)
324 John Lewis Christmas Adverts
325 Parakeets in our garden
326 All-Bran Chocolate Crunch
327 Thanksgiving
328 Advent calendars
329 Wrapping Christmas presents
330 Remembering my reusable carrier bags at the supermarket
331 Getting my car washed and waxed
332 Transparency
333 NCAA Basketball Tournament
334 My utility room
335 Madeline’s school uniform
336 The Kingston 10K
337 First snow
338 Geese flying in formation
339 Watching Maddie’s Christmas Nativity
340 Parkrun
341 The smell of a real Christmas tree
342 Picking Christmas ornaments to put on the tree
343 Spider webs covered in frost
344 Christmas crackers
345 Fog in the Runnymede fields
346 Christmas cards
347 Carol services
348 Making snow angels
349 Singing Christmas carols
350 Listening to a cat purr
351 Christmas lights
352 Paris
353 Having Richard come meet me at the airport
354 Rearranging furniture
355 Our home’s proximity to central London
356 My Crate and Barrel Melamine nesting bowl set
357 Meg’s Sunday-before-Christmas tradition
358 Once in Royal David’s City, particularly when sung by King’s College Choir, Cambridge
359 The original 1964 version of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
360 Christmas morning
361 Having family come to visit
362 Visiting Dublin
363 The Porterhouse, Temple Bar, Dublin
364 Magnolias
365 Yo Sushi! New Year’s Eve Party
366 Auld Lang Syne
367 Joseph Joseph
368 Doing counted cross stitch
369 The Moomin Family
370 Cutty Sark
371 flow magazine
372 Genealogy
373 Moshi Monsters Guess Who game
374 Having Richard come back home after time away
375 A good quote
376 Japanese Kokeshi dolls
377 Finnish School of Kingston
378 The sound of a swan’s wings flapping in flight
379 Costa Coffee in Eton
380 Sledging down Runnymede Hill
381 Magna Carta Tea Room
382 Womens Balance essential oils from Neal’s Yard
383 Cassidys Hotel in Dublin
384 My childhood frog number puzzle
385 The company of my daughter
386 Eddie Redmayne
387 I Have Been Around the World, Dar Williams
388 Success
389 Friendship
390 FinnGo
391 Selkouutiset for news in Finnish
392 Cirrus clouds
393 Our Sonos music system
394 My new Surface
395 Running home
396 Disney’s short, Paperboy
397 Pixar’s short, Boundin
398 My White Nokia Lumia 920
399 Oxyal eye drops
400 Sibyl the Fortune Teller doll
401 Our weekly ironing service
402 Personal reflection
403 A tidy house on a Sunday evening
404 Black Mirror
405 Kats Kalma destressing massage bar
406 The blue support structures on Tower Bridge
407 Snow flurries
408 Picking blackberries in Ankerwycke
409 The Ankerwycke Yew
410 Canoeing along the Thames
411 Plants vs Zombies
412 My new running top from Richard
413 Our dressing room
414 Carola & Lasse – Mä lähden stadiin (1967)
415 Microsoft Front Lines
416 Run to Read 5K fun run
417 Teamwork
418 One Woman
419 3’s funny DancePonyDance ad
420 Easter egg hunts
421 Craft afternoons
422 First Direct bank
423 Pink cherry blossoms
424 My Dutch tulips
425 The Simple Things magazine
426 flow magazine
427 Baby geese swimming in a straight line
428 Studio Ghibli
429 Totoro!
430 Kansas wheat fields turning golden
431 The big blue sky in the Midwest
432 The Daily Muse
433 American parades
434 Beach huts
435 Crabbing in Southwold, Suffolk
436 Bruisyard Hall
437 Love’s Recovery by the Indigo Girls
438 True to My Soul by Stephanie Phillips
439 Homegrown tomatoes
440 I’m Moving On by Rascal Flatts
441 Stop the Cavalry by Jona Lewie
442 Icicles
443 Cardinals
444 American trains
445 Do You Want to Build a Snowman? from Frozen

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