50 Wishes for My 50th Birthday

My 50th Birthday is Friday, July 11 and I'm assembling a wish list, including:

1. Good health and the continued good health of my loved ones

2. A spa date at the Ritz-Carlton in Key Biscayne

3. Financial security

4. Lower gas prices

5. More funding for public transportation and education

6. Sailing lessons and a sailboat

7. Peace & forgiveness from anyone I've upset, angered, annoyed, hurt...

8. Daily yoga classes with my favorite trainers

9. World peace

10. Hot, sweet Cuban coffee with cream every morning: A cortadito!

11. Time to see every game, play or after-school event featuring my children

12. Season tickets to Miami Heat games

13. Enough time and discipline to answer all comments on my blog --Time to write more posts and articles

14. Funds to pay back my parents for all of the support they have given to me and my children over the years.

15. More time to resume my (MFA) graduate-degree studies

16. Makeup/cosmetics without preservatives and other harmful chemicals

17. An afternoon with Toni Morrison, Angela Davis and Oprah

18. Great sales for my book: The Frugal Duchess: How to Live Well & Save.

19. Enough money to fund parenting workshops for teenage mothers

20. A new battery for my laptop

21. A complete collection of Sex and the City -- I just started watching that HBO series

22. A copy of every movie adapted from a Jane Austen novel

23. To be debt-free

24. Defensive driving lessons and the courage to finally start driving

25. A trust fund to launch a national billboard campaign in support of public transportation

26. A financial planning session with Warren Buffett

27. My own Frugal Duchess show on YouTube.

28. Teflon skin

29. Enough money to adopt or support at least five more children.

30. A weekly facial date.

31. To become very skilled at giving myself a french manicure

32. To be a better speller and proof-reader

33. To be more patient with myself and others

34. To allocate 10 minutes a day for meditation, no matter how busy

35. To become a third-degree black belt in karate

36. Te get seven hours of sleep each night

37. To keep my house neater

38. To take a cruise to Alaska

39. To let go of anger, depression and fear

40. To invest in stress-reduction classes

41. To be better about sending out thank-you notes

42. To be completely honest with myself

43. To be better and quicker at detecting the big and small lies I tell myself

44. To be kinder to others

45. To eat ice cream every day without worrying about my weight

46. To have more children in my life.

47. To be more appreciative.

48. To bake my own bread and eat only organic food.

49. To learn a few ballroom dances

50. To earn a spot on American Gladiator or Dancing With the Stars

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