Six Word Saturday

When did they get so big?

Works for Me Wednesday: Angel Food Ministries

Our regular WFMW host is on her way to Kenya with Compassion, Int'l. Bloggers. This week, visit Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer for more WFMW posts!

In this economy it seems like everyone is trying to be a bit more responsible with their money. Budgets are cool. Couponing is the latest rage.

Frugal is the new black!

I suspect, that if our family and many of our friends are any indication, one of the largest parts of most household budgets is groceries. Fortunately, stores like Aldi are becoming more widespread, and help reign in the grocery budget without sacrificing quality.

Another option is a program called Angel Food Ministries. From their website:

Angel Food Ministries is a non-profit, non-denominational organization dedicated to providing food relief and financial support to communities throughout the United States. The program began in 1994 with 34 families in Monroe, Georgia (between Atlanta and Athens), and has grown to serve hundreds of thousands of families every month across 44 states.

For $30, you get a box of food designed to assist in feeding a family of four for a week. For example, the March 2010 Signature Box looks like this:




The items in the monthly box vary, but the food is always of high quality, no seconds or dented cans. In addition to the "Signature Box", a variety of special boxes are available. These packages range in price from $20-$35. You can find the full March menu offerings on their site.

We've been doing Angel Food for the past several months, using it in conjunction with our local Aldi and Walmart. We've seen significant savings in our monthly grocery bill, and my family actually looks forward to "Angel Food meals".

There is no income requirement to participate, and AFM accepts food stamps (LINK cards in Illinois) in addition to the traditional methods of payment. You can order online in most locations.

Angel Food Ministries has been a huge help to our family budget, and that really Works for Me!

Music Monday: No Worries!

Oh, I so need this today!

Works for Me Wednesdays

I don't usually participate in WFMW, but this was such a deal, how could I not?

I listen to my iTunes at work. I love it. It keeps me sane. I would love to be able to listen to streaming radio or Pandora, but our firewalls don't love those at all.

I don't have as much music on my iTunes as those who know me IRL would think. iTunes recently raised most of their song prices to $1.29, which can add up pretty quickly. A $10 iTunes gift card that used buy 10 songs now only buys 7.

And I downloaded all of my CD's already.

So when free music is available, it's like manna to my frugal soul.

Right now, you can go to Amazon and download LOTS of free tunes. Granted some of them are...well...let's just say that there's a reason some of them are free. But there are loads of good tunes if you have 20 minutes or so to sort through the nearly 1500 available.

Did I mention they're free?

And that REALLY works for me!

For more Works for Me Wednesday posts, go visit "We Are THAT Family".

Post-It Note Tuesday

It's a new Meme today! For more Post-It Note Tuesdays and How to Make Your Own, visit SupahMommy!

Ten on Tuesday

I tend to procrastinate. Unfortunately, the blogosphere, whether you're a blogger or a reader, tends to encourage such behavior. With ten days before Christmas and a hundred things few things left to do, I should most definitely NOT be hanging around cyberspace.

And yet here I am.

My only consolation is that you're here too. Of course, you may be one of those people of whom I'm insanely jealous really organized types who have all of your Christmas preparation done, gifts wrapped, baking done, stockings hung...

I have to stop now before I sink into a deep depression.

Anyway, back to procrastinating...

Here are ten of my favorite timesuckers blogs (in no particular order):

1. C. Beth Blog

Beth is mom to Chickie and Zoodle, and wife to The Engineer. The kiddos are darling, Beth is a wonderful writer. Love her. She also aspires to help others love to write at One Minute Writer. One of my New Year's Resolutions is to go to OMW more than 3 times every day a few times a week next year.

2. The Glamorous Life of a Housewife

Whitney is stay-at-home-mom to Weebie and wife to Husby, the med student. She is too cute for words and loves her life as a homemaker and mom. I love reading about her life. She's just so daggone cute.

3. The Ivory Hut

A new fave of mine, I found Ivory Hut through a perennial blogging fave, The Pioneer Woman. Ivoryhut's style is much like Ree's, and I'm really enjoying getting to know her world.

4. The Pioneer Woman

What? You've never heard of The Pioneer Woman? Oh, you've been under a rock in Siberia for the last three years! Oh, okay then. You're excused.

5. Mrs. O

While I'm SO not a fan of her hubby's politics, I love Michelle Obama's fashion sense.

Mainly because I don't really have one of my own.

6. The Vegan(ish) Experiment

This is the tale of one family's quest to go macro-vegan. While I'm not really sure exactly what constitutes "macro-vegan", I love this blog for two reasons. One, I'm a foodie and love finding new, family-friendly recipes. And two, Beckiwithani, who authors this blog, is C.Beth's sister, and I love her writing style as well!

7. There's Always Room for One More

I love reading about Denise's family. Mainly because her stories make The Manimal's exploits seem almost normal. And I have this fascination and admiration for larger families.

8. Octamom

Speaking of larger families, this Octamom should not be confused with the Octomom. This Octamom has a normal life with her hubby and eight (hence the name) children. She's an awesome photographer and I love reading her kid stories (and ohmygranny she's got a lot of them).

Stories, that is. Eight kids is a lot too, but with eight kids, the stories multiply exponentially and...

Oh, nevermind.

9. Amy and Georgie

So this is a two-fer, only because I always think of these chicks in one breath. Like "amyandgeorgie". Just to be clear, though, these are two, unrelated residents of the blogosphere, who just happen to be soul sisters. I started reading them both last year when they organized the Secret Santa Soiree. They're mommy bloggers with hearts of gold.

10. $5 Dinners

Erin hails from the same part of the Buckeye State that I do, and when I procrastinate on her blog, I always feel I can justify my time because I learn a new way to save money on my groceries! She is the coupon/budget queen and actually saves more using coupons at chain groceries than I do at my beloved Aldi.

So there you have it. Go procrastinate. I won't tell!

Ten on Tuesday

Welcome to Ten on Tuesday!

While I'm hardly on Oprah's level (and certainly don't have the cash to be able to provide all four of my readers with an array of my favorites), I thought I'd share with you a few of my favorite things.

1. This past year I discovered Mitford, NC. The Mitford series of books, by Jan Karon is my favorite literary escape place. As a friend of mine said, "Father Tim is the only book character who ever made me want to be a better person."

2. Magic--or more accurately Avon MagiX Face Perfector. As far as I'm concerned, this little tube is pure gold. It is a fabulous primer and has a 20 SPF rating. Makes my mineral foundation glide on. And it's only $10, so it won't break the bank! Love it!

3. I've always been a bit skeptical of electric blankets. Somehow, sleeping under thinly veiled live electrical wires made me sure that I'd be baked alive in my sleep was a bit disconcerting to me. Then my husband introduced me to the warm snuggly goodness of the heated mattress pad. About 10 minutes before I go to bed I turn it on to Level 5 and when I get into bed, my sheets and blanket are all toasty.

4. Since I play piano for our church and help direct the Kids Praise Choir, I'm always on the lookout for sheet music. Most of the time, I'm only looking for a particular song, and don't need an entire book. That's where Musicnotes comes in. A must check site for every musician!

5. Postdated Blogging--it's a heckuva lot easier to post regularly if I can do some in advance and schedule it to post at a later date.

6. The instrumental version of "Sleigh Ride"--Best.Holiday.Tune.Ever. Especially as performed here by the Boston Pops.



7. "I love coffee, I love tea..." I do love a cup of coffee in the morning, but feel like a whole pot goes to waste. So on my Christmas list this year is one of these babies.



8. "I love coffee, I love tea..." While I love my coffee, I do love a good cuppa as well. My favorite place to purchase tea is Adagio. Their teas are delish, prices are reasonable, and customer service amazing. If you, like me, are a tea lover, leave me a comment with your email and I'll send you a link with a $5 gift certificate!

9. One of my favorite daily reads is The Pioneer Woman. While it's not like she's a newby to the blogosphere, if you haven't visited the ranch, you absolutely must go now. I'll wait.

10. Finally, since the holidays and gift giving are upon us, the tenth item on my fave list is a lovely little online shop that combines my love of letter writing with my love of personalized things with my love of tea (even if in name only).

Three little words: English Tea Paperie.

I came across this site a couple of years ago via a bloggy buddy, Chloe. Chloe is a British expat living in the USA, and a stay-at-home mom who funnels her creative juices into designing personalized stationery. Her designs are sweet

fun

classy
and sometimes a little naughty.
Prices are very reasonable and the quality of the notes is top-notch. She sends them to you in a ribbon-wrapped box, and her turnaround time is great.

And since you all know of my love for a deal, you absolutely will lovelovelove her current promo. For a limited time, Chloe is offering 40% off all orders! Enter code 40OFF at checkout.

This means that you can get 20 personalized notes for only $15...the price you'd normally pay for 10 notes! If you place your order by Friday, December 11th, she can guarantee Christmas delivery! The notes make great gifts (I've given them to several friends and family members!), especially if YOU are the recipient! :)

Happy Writing!

Six Word Saturday (a day late)

The Greatest Show on Earth? YES!

Tuesday Top Ten

It's not Letterman's Top Ten, but welcome to Ten on Tuesday!

Ten Things I'm Loving Right Now

1. Il Moscato

A delicious, budget friendly version of my fave sparkling moscato. Trader Joe's has it for $9.99 a bottle. Yum-O! An odd little quirk with this brand, which also has Il Prosecco, if you're so inclined, is that it doesn't have a cork. Rather, it must be opened with a bottle opener, so if you're the only one enjoying a bit of the bubbly, be sure to pick up one of these vacuum stoppers to keep it fizzy for next time.

Or you could just finish off the bottle. However, then next morning, you might need this.

2. Home Depot

While I'm not usually a big fan of superstores in general, I don't mind going to Home Depot to pick up the random item for Diva Husband. Last week, Homer and the gang ran this fabulous deal for $3 off LED Christmas Lights. Since DH does light duty in our home, he sent me to pick up lights for our new tree (See below).

3. Ginormous Christmas Trees

Our family room ceiling is 18' tall. For five years, DH has lamented the fact that our Christmas Tree, in all of it's 8' glory, was lost in the height of the room. Thanks to Craigslist, we are the proud owners of an almost-new 12' tree. And our pocketbook is $50 lighter.

Not a bad deal. Pics to follow.

4. Patient (If a wee bit dumb) Dogs

If you've read my musings for any length of time, you'll be familiar with Princess (the Wonder Dog)and her archnemesis, The Manimal. I had really hoped that, with Christmas coming, we could use the age-old threat: "Santa only visits good little boys."

It's not working. Poor pup.

5. Fall Weather

I love Autumn. It's my favorite season of the year. The gorgeous fall colors, crisp air, Friday night bonfires. The whole package. I enjoy the occasional Indian Summer weekend, but I especially love Autumn.

Particularly when Mother Nature remembers that Autumn weather should occur in October/November.

6. A Nine Year-Old Boy

I love SS#1 with all my heart. He's my first, my baby, my little Squirtle. I'm not loving this "I'm always right" stage. But I do love my boy. I love my boy. I love my sweet stubborn boy.

7. Finding the Perfect Gift

I found the absolute perfect gift for my parents. Unfortunately, I can't even give you a clue, since BOTH of them read my blog. I also found the perfect gifts for The Lawyer and my Wonderful SIL, and my nephews, Tex, Sir Falls-a-Lot and Baby Bean. Well, I haven't really found the one for Baby Bean yet, but I'm hoping my luck holds out.

I can give you a leetle clue on my gift for The Lawyer and Wonderful SIL. She actually introduced me to this company. Prices are reasonable and I found a 35% discount code which made my personalization and shipping FREE! :)

And that leads me to...

8. Online Discount Codes

I'm late to the party on this one, I'm sure, but did you know that you can Google to find discount codes for online shopping? They don't always work, and sometimes they bring up expired codes, but it's SO worth trying! I just enter the business name and "discount code" or "coupon" and it brings up the results.

Saving money AND finding great gifts. Merry Christmas to me!

9. Good Books

I've recently finished reading the Mitford books, by Jan Karon. When I was 7, I received the Little House on the Prairie Boxed Set for my birthday. I read them so many times that my mom had to put them away for awhile so I'd read other books.

Last year, she gave them back to me.

I've re-read them twice since then.

I'm pretty sure Mitford is becoming my grown-up version of the Little House books.

10. Vacation

I have exactly four days of work left before I'm off for A WHOLE WEEK. Three days if you don't count today. Then I work for fourteen days and I'm off for TWO MORE WEEKS.

Vacation/PTO days are one of the few best perks of my job! :)

Music Monday

Christmas is coming.

Yes, I realize that in past years, I've berated the jump the gun retailers who start pushing Christmas the day after Halloween.

But I'm actually looking forward to decorating for Christmas this year. I can't explain it, but because I'm an event planner, I have to seize that Christmas spirit when it hits.

Case in point: Last year, we had maybe 30 ornaments on our tree. By the time we put it up, I was so DONE with holiday decorating, that I just couldn't handle one more colored light, candy cane or styrofoam cup bell ornament.

Things are gonna be different this year.

We may be setting a new family record for earliest Christmas decorating, but by Jove, we'll have some spirit! :)

Which leads me (in a strange, roundabout sort of way) to Music Monday. Growing up, my mom had four Christmas albums that made the rounds during the holidays. My Christmas music teeth were cut on the classics.

Johnny Mathis, Bing Crosby, Boots Randolph and Andy Williams.

So it's no surprise that one of my favorite Christmas movies EVER is "White Christmas" with Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen.

Love it.

Happy Early Decorating.

Sunday Selah

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. One of my favorite bloggers, Octamom (note that she is the ORIGINAL Octamom, not to be confused with the Octomom) has a weekly Sunday post she calls "Sunday Selah".

The word "selah" is a Hebrew word that is often translated as "stop and listen". Sunday morning is a perfect time for Selah, which is a beautiful sentiment in today's go-go-go society.

Selah can be music or words, a picture or a thought, a point to ponder. Stop and listen, all who have ears.

I tend to be hard on myself. I joke that it's my Catholic upbringing...the guilt that never really goes away. I've had a lot of folks try to remind me that God never intended us to continue to berate ourselves for past or perceived sin. It's a tough lesson for someone who tends to harbor perfectionist tendencies and think in black and white.

"But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"

"No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin." (John 8:1-11)

I've heard that story dozens of times. Usually I think "well of course I wouldn't treat another person like that". But how about myself? Why would I treat one of God's precious children like that?

A dear friend recently introduced me to a new song. And since I love to know the stories behind the songs, I found it. Story first, then song.

Selah.

And Now for Something Completely Different!

Hey there campers, we're gonna try something new here on the ranch. Found this on my bloggy friend C.Beth's Blog. Cate over at Show My Face does this fun little thing called "Six Word Saturday".

Since I love words so much this could be a blessing or a curse. Certainly a far cry from My Sophomore English Teacher, who used to make us write TWENTY WORD SENTENCES!

Here goes nothing...

Laundry, laundry, laundry, laundry, laundry, laundry.

OK, not really. Although sometimes I feel like my life consists of laundry. And dishes.

Laundry, dishes, laundry, dishes, laundry, dishes.

OK, OK.

Sleep, Work, Home, Sleep, Work, Home.

Literally. That's my life lately folks. In a bit of a rut here. Hoping to be more creative next Saturday.

When I don't have to work.

Good Luck

I'm not superstitious. At all. I don't believe that Friday the 13th is a particularly unlucky day. Just the fact that it's Friday should be cause for celebration!

So in celebration, I did what any blogger worth her salt would do. I swiped this idea from a fellow blogger. Jenny from Chased by Children did a 13 blog today. And so I give you my Random 13.

1. I was 13 for 6 months in 1982 and 6 months in 1983.

2. 13 years ago I was teaching high school band and music appreciation.

3. I've never seen any of the Friday the 13th movies. I don't do horror and gore.

4. This was my 13th blog post.

5. Sweet Son #1 will turn 13 in 2013. I have a friend who always said she wanted to have a baby in 2000 so she'd always remember how old the kid was. She didn't. I did.

6. Many high rise buildings don't have a 13th floor. Floors are numbered sequentially "...11, 12, 14, 15..."

7. Mary Kay Ash started her business on Friday, September 13th in 1963. MK Corporate Headquarters is a 13 story building and has 13 elevators. She felt 13 was a lucky number for her.

8. Apollo 13 is one of my favorite movies. 2. The actual Apollo 13 launched at 13:13 CST on Apr. 11, 1970. The sum of the date's digits (4-11-70) is 13 (as in 4+1+1+7+0 = 13). And the explosion that crippled the spacecraft occurred on April 13 (not a Friday). Luckily, the crew all returned safely to earth.

9. There will be three Friday the 13th occurrences this year. February, March and November all have them.

10. Apparently, superstitious dining parties of 13 in Paris can hire a professional 14th guest, called a quatorzieme.

11. 13 of anything (not just bread) is known as a "Baker's Dozen". Henry III was serious about customer service.

12. The 13 letter of the alphabet is M.

13. If you were born on February 13th, 1996, today is your Golden Birthday!

What Have You Done Lately?

Found this on Deb's blog...

Copy and highlight the ones you have done!

Swam with wild dolphin
Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
Been inside a Pyramid--Does the Luxor count?
Held a tarantula--not in a million years!
Taken a candle lit bath
Said I love you and meant it
Hugged a Tree
Bungee jumped
Visited Paris
Watched a lightening storm at sea--on Lake Mendota?
Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
Seen the Northern Lights
Gone to a huge sports game
Walked the stairs to the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa
Grown and eaten your own vegetables
Touched an iceberg
Slept under the stars
Changed a baby’s diaper
Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
Watched a meteor shower
Gotten drunk on champagne
Given more than you can afford to charity
Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
Had a food fight
Bet on a winning horse
Asked out a stranger
Had a snowball fight
Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
Held a lamb
Seen a total eclipse
Ridden a rollercoaster
Hit a home run
Danced like a fool, not caring who watched
Adopted an accent for an entire day
Actually felt happy about your life, even for a moment
Had two hard drives for your computer
Visited all 50 states--close, but only 37
Taken care of someone who was too drunk
Had amazing Friends-- still do!
Danced with a Stranger in a foreign country
Watched wild whales
Stolen a sign
Hitchhiked in Europe
Taken a road-trip
Gone rock climbing
Midnight walk on the beach
Gone sky diving
Visited Ireland
Been heartbroken longer than you were in love
In a restaurant sat at a stranger’s table and ate with them
Milked a cow
Alphabetized your CDs
Pretended to be a superhero
Sung karaoke
Lounged around in bed all day
Posed nude in front of strangers
Gone scuba diving
Kissed in the rain
Played in the mud
Played in the rain
Gone to a drive-in theater
Visited the Great Wall of China
Started a business
Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
Toured ancient sites
Taken a martial arts class
Played a computer game for more than 6 hours straight
Gotten married
Been in a movie
Crashed a party
Gotten divorced
Gone without food for 5 days
Made cookies from scratch
Won first prize in a costume contest
Ridden a gondola in Venice
Gotten a tattoo--not in this lifetime!
Rafted the Snake River
Been on television news program as an “expert”
Got flowers for no reason
Performed on a stage
Been to Las Vegas--got married there!
Recorded Music
Eaten shark--not bad, not great. Taste of Chicago 08
Had a one-night stand
Gone to Thailand
Bought a house
Been in a combat zone
Buried one/both of your parents
Been on a cruise ship
Spoken more than one language fluently
Performed in Rocky Horror
Raised children -Still at it.
Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
Picked up and moved to another city
Walked on the Golden Gate Bridge
Sang loudly in the car and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
Had plastic surgery
Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have
Wrote articles for a large publication--does a letter to the editor of US News & World Report count?
Lost over 100 lbs
Held someone while they were having a flashback
Piloted an airplane
Petted a stingray
Broken someone’s heart
Helped an animal give birth
Won money on a TV game show
Broken a bone
Gone on an African safari --the Disney World Version!
Had a body part below the neck pierced
Fired a rifle, shotgun or pistol--a BB Gun
Eaten mushrooms gathered in the wild
Ridden a horse
Had major surgery
Had a snake as a pet
Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
Slept for more than 30 hours over 48 consecutive hours
Visited more foreign countries than US States
Visited all 7 continents
Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
Eaten Kangaroo meat
Eaten sushi--every chance I get!
Had your picture in the paper
Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
Gone back to school
Parasailed
Petted a cockroach—who the heck PETS cockroaches?!
Eaten fried green tomatoes
Read the Illiad
Selected one important author who you missed in school to read
Killed and prepared an animal for eating
Skipped all of your school reunions
Communicated with someone without sharing a common language
Been elected to public office
Written your own computer language
Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
Had to put someone you love in hospice care
Build your own PC from parts
Sold your own artwork to someone that didn’t know it was yours
Had a booth in a street fair
Dyed your hair
Been a DJ
Shaved your head
Caused a car accident
Saved someone’s life

A Major Award!

I love "A Christmas Story". It's one of my favorite movies, and the "major award" scene sends me into hysterical laughter nearly every time I watch it.

This is not a major award, but I love it just the same! Meaghan over at I Kicked Cancer's Ass has bestowed the "Kreativ Blogger" award on me. She's so sweet to do that, and she's one busy lady lately, what with kicking cancer and kicking off her new coffee company and all! If you haven't yet, go visit!

Meanwhile, here are the rules of the award:

1. Mention the blog that gave you the reward and comment on their blog to let them know that you have posted the award.

2. You also have to list 6 things you VALUE and 6 things you Don't VALUE.

3. Lastly, you have to pass the award onto 6 other bloggy friends!

Six Things I Value:

1. My relationship with Christ... Although I was raised Catholic, I never felt a really personal connection with Jesus and never understood when people spoke of having one. Now I have a wonderful church home and am a fervent follower of The Galilean. My relationship with Him has truly affected every area of my life.

2. My family...We're scattered in different states, but when it comes to family, miles are no object. You never truly realize the value of family until crisis strikes, and when it did, boy howdy, they came running. I can't imagine living so far from family and not having technology around to make communication easier.

3. Respect... Earned, not demanded.

4. Love... Unconditionally given.

5. A really good night's sleep...I have young children and don't expect to get one anytime soon.

6. Education...Not always formal, but I respect those who choose to educate themselves. My grandfather didn't go beyond 8th grade, but he was one of the most intelligent people I've ever met. And I work in higher education, so that's saying quite a bit.

Six Things I DO NOT value:

1. Meanness...There is no reason for meanness. Ever. Be Nice and Play Fair.

2. Anyone who feels a sense of obligation...The world owes you nothing. It was here first.

3. Stuff...Lately I've been feeling the need to downsize. Since not everyone in my life is on board with that, I can't go to the extremes I probably would by myself, but I think Americans in general have too much stuff.

4. Dishonesty...Tell the truth. It will set you free.

5. CYA Procedures and Rules...Why can't everyone just be honest, do the right thing and be nice? Why do we feel the need to "cover our a$$es"?

6. Laziness...Get off your tookus and get going. Do something. Don't wait for someone else to do it for you.

So now comes the best part where I get to give the award to 6 bloggy friends. Go visit them and spread the bloggy love!

C.Beth Blog...Go visit Beth. She's a mom, a writer and she's FUNNY! She also has this great Writing Blog with one-minute writing prompts.

Just Lisa, No Filler...Not only does she have a really cool first name, ;) she also has a beautiful little girl, Allie Cat, and a sweet little baby boy, Adam. Oh yeah, and Wylee (as in coyote), her fab hubby.

Oh My Stinkin Heck...Heather is a mom, wife, blogger and web designer. She has a very full house (1 hubs, 3 kids, 2 dogs, 2 cats, and a snake named Ringo) and a very full life, but still manages to write a great blog!

The Painted House...Now this is one "kreativ blogger". Angela is a wife, mom and ARTIST. She's very talented and I love visiting her house every day!

Mrs. Fussypants...She has SO much on her plate right now. In addition to being a wife and mom, she's started an online magazine called Blissfully Domestic. Bliss!

La Mia Cucina...I am such a foodie. I absolutely love to cook and plan meals, so I couldn't let go without one of my fave food blogs. She's real and down-to-earth and I love reading her every day!

So there you are, the Diva picks for "Kreativ Blogger". Go check them out, and Happy Monday!

I Am

Found on many blogs, Mrs. Decker's among them.

***

I am from books and potato fields, wallpaper paste and Norwegian painting.

I am from base housing and farmhouses, brick homes on the Cape and brick homes in subdivisions.

I am from the peonies and bird houses, hostas, roses and pine strewn forests.

I am from creamed herring on New Year's, octegenarian and nonegenarian women, from Hilja and Tuulikki, Alvin and Eugene, Justina and Sylvia.

I am from stubbornness and short legs.

From quiet Finns and sitting in the garage watching the thunderstorms.

I am from Schubert's "Ave Maria" and "Yes, Sister Mary Heliadora", May Crownings and "Remember, O Most Gracious Virgin Mary".

I am from Wisconsin and Germany, Bohemia and Finland, Switzerland and Minnesota, from pulla and kolaches.

From the saunas of Ely, Minnesota and the pride of the U.S. Air Force.

I am from painters and nurses, teachers and factory workers, and and a library janitor smarter than all of us put together.

I am from letters to a young mother from a father in Alaska and photos sent to proud family members hundreds of miles away, unconditional love and a German Mother's Medal stolen from the Nazis by my Great-Uncle during WWII.

I am love and life, music and silence, joys and sorrows, friendship and passion.

And me.

***

I am from _______ (specific ordinary item), from _______ (product name) and _______.
I am from the _______ (home description... adjective, adjective, sensory detail).
I am from the _______ (plant, flower, natural item), the _______ (plant, flower, natural detail)
I am from _______ (family tradition) and _______ (family trait), from _______ (name of family member) and _______ (another family name) and _______ (family name).
I am from the _______ (description of family tendency) and _______ (another one).From _______ (something you were told as a child) and _______ (another).
I am from (representation of religion, or lack of it).
Further description.I'm from _______ (place of birth and family ancestry), _______ (two food items representing your family).From the _______ (specific family story about a specific person and detail), the _______ (another detail, and the _______ (another detail about another family member).
I am from _______ (location of family pictures, mementos, archives and several more lines indicating their worth).

Don't worry about following form exactly. Can't wait to read everyone's!

Who are you?

Tag, you're it!

My chica Heather from Finding Me In the Madness tagged me (and several others) for a brand new meme. Be warned, though, this one is a bit long and requires some thought and reflection.

Favorite person (outside family)? Hmm..."favorite" is such a subjective word, and I've always had a problem making decisions, so I'll give you a few: Cindy, Heather, Jules, Angie, Sherry & Serina.

Favorite food? Good grief, people! I'm such a foodie, and there are foods I like to make and foods I like to eat. Right now, I'm a big fan of bread, on both counts.

Quirks about you? I never really thought of myself as "quirky". Ever since I was a small child, I've had this thing about bathrooms. I use them. Everywhere. Like in every store, restaurant, home, etc. As I've grown, I've learned to control my need to, well, "use the facilities" so often, but rest assured, I can tell you where the bathrooms are in nearly every place I go.

How would the person who loves you most describe you in ten words or less? Hmm...I hope he says I'm a good wife and mother. I'd like him to say that I am working to be the woman God wants me to be, but because of where he is in life, that wouldn't even cross his mind. Is that ten words or less?

Any regrets in life? Lately my regret is that I didn't really press the issue of being a stay-at-home-mom with my husband before we were married and had children.

Favorite Charity/Cause? There are so many worthy ones. Many of my recent fundraising efforts have been devoted to our church's Haiti mission, New Life for Haiti. We are working to bring hope to a small village in the Grande Anse River Valley on the Southern Peninsula of Haiti. I hope to one day be able to go with a work team and meet the wonderful people there.

Favorite Blog recently? Again, just one?! I guess Pleasantview Schoolhouse. I love to read about Anna's life and I've stumbled upon so many other good reads just starting with hers.

Something you can’t get enough of? The Manimal's laughter, SS#1's silliness and coffee. I've gone three days without a Diet Coke...

Worst job you’ve ever had? Between my freshman and sophomore year of college, I signed with a temp agency. I got a call to work in a factory, assembling cardboard fireplaces for Hallmark Christmas ornament displays. I was bored out of my gourd and nobody talked (had to make quota, you know). I lifted and pushed this press for EIGHT HOURS each day. I worked for two days and when they called and asked if I wanted to come in for a week, I couldn't decline fast enough. However, I had a new respect for factory workers and a certainty that I NEVER wanted to do that again. I also chuckle every year when the stores construct the Hallmark Christmas displays.

What job would you pay NOT to have? Ever seen the show "Dirty Jobs"? Pick one.

If you could be a fly on the wall, where would you be? I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you. :) Not really, of course, but suffice it to say, it has to do with work.

Favorite Bible verse right now? "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." Philippians 4:8

Guilty Pleasure? Orange Sherbet with Chocolate Syrup (don't knock it til you've tried it!)

Got any confessions? Hmm...If I didn't think my husband would kill me, I would pack all of the basement junk up and put it out by the curb. I'm pretty serious about this decluttering thing.

If you HAD to spend $1,000 on YOURSELF, how would you spend it? Goodness...I'd probably buy some new clothes that actually fit well, or maybe use it to buy a sewing machine and take sewing lessons to MAKE some clothes! :)

Favorite thing about your house? I love my kitchen. It's the only room in the house that is pretty much always clean, and I absolutely love to cook. I also love that it really is the center of our home and there's always kid activity nearby.

Least favorite thing about your house? Clutter, but we're working on that. Unfortunately, we're a family of pack rats.

One thing you are bad at? Saying "no", but I'm getting better. I'm also a terrible personal procrastinator. I make lots of plans and work out details, but when it comes to follow-through on personal things, notsomuch.

One thing you’re good at? Planning, cooking...Yes, I know that's two things. Maybe I should change my previous answer to "decision-making".

If you could change something about your circumstances, what? I'd sell our house and move into a smaller, more affordable one so we could save money.

Who would you like to meet someday? Well, the obvious answer is Jesus. :) But I'd also like to meet my grandmothers as young women.

Who is your real life hero? My best friend, who is an amazing mom and loyal, loving wife. She isn't perfect, but is really working hard to be a Godly woman, mother and helpmeet to her husband. She inspires me to be a better person.

What is the hardest part of your job? Bureaucracy, politics...pretty much the same as anywhere else.

When are you most relaxed? The 30 minutes after the kids are snuggled in bed and I haven't started any evening projects yet, I'm just vegging out.

What stresses you out? Not being in control of a situation. I work on this EVERY day, since I'm an event planner by profession. It is a constant prayer to remember that, in reality, I control nothing.

What can you not live without? My church community, my family and my friends. Music is also high on my list.

Do you agree or disagree with the recent article that reported that blogs are authored by narcissists? To some degree, I think so. The idea that one's thoughts are "out there" for everyone to read has a sort of thrilling quality about it. The degree to which that narcissism influences the author's writing choices is negligible.

Why do you blog? As a sort of journal therapy. I also enjoy the cameraderie of the blogosphere, as it reminds me that the world is really a very small place.

Who are you tagging?
New/Newer bloggers - Toni and Carolyn
Bloggy friends - Stacy and Sasha
Bloggers you’d like to get to know better - His Child and 50's Housewife
Bloggers who you don't think will respond, but you hope will - JourneyMama and Anna

Okay - rules:
1. Answer ALL the questions
2. Link back to whoever tagged you
3. Tag eight bloggers to do the same, 2 from each category.
New/ newer bloggers (since we want to share the love and send them traffic)
Bloggy friendsBloggers you’d like to get to know better
Bloggers you don’t think will respond, but you hope will

Have fun!

Wordless Wednesday (well, sort of...)

A friend recommended I do this on my blog, and since I'm not feeling especially verbose lately, I took her advice. It's fun to do, so if you want to steal it, feel free! :)

1. Go to www.photobucket.com (don't sign in)

2. Type in your answer to the question in the "search" box

3. Use only the first page

4. Copy the html and paste for the answer.

Here goes!

1. First name?

2. Favorite color?

3. Celebrity crush?

4. Band you're listening to now?5. Favorite movie?6. Favorite Disney princess?7. Favorite alcoholic beverage?8. Dream vacation?9. Favorite dessert?10. What do you want to be when you grow up?

Go Ahead, Make My Day!

Swiped this one from ClemsonGirl. Totally fun, and while Heather would argue (legitimately) that I read WAY more than five blogs every day, these five of my faves. You all make my day, girls!

1 & 2. Badger Meets World & Make Your Own Damn Dinner: OK, so I realize that this is actually two blogs, but if you're a mom who's ever been faced with the dilemma of children refusing to eat what you cook, you must read up on Badger's solution in "MYODD". Her regular blog is just as hysterical.

3. A Study of Schoolbooks & Shoes: Libby makes me want to pack up, move to Boston and go to law school. Hope Fate is kind to you this time around, Libs!

4. Barely Keeping It All Together: Sasha and I both have a Wild Child in our lives, and share many other similarities. Love reading her kiddie posts, as they remind me that sanity is relative.

5. JourneyMama: Rae is amazing. There are no other adequate ways to describe her, so go check out her blog before she heads off to India with her husband and three-soon-to-be-four children.

So girls, if you're reading this, and are willing to accept your award, please "pass it on" by doing the following:

Write a post with links to five blogs that make your day.
Acknowledge the post of the award giver.
Display the “You Make My Day Award” logo.
Tell the award winners that they have won by commenting on their blogs or emailing them the news.

Movie Mayhem

As indicated in my previous post, I don't get to see too many movies in the theatre. This does not, however, mean that I don't love a good movie. I've never been one of those people, though, who can quote chapter and verse from their fave flick.

So when I found this meme over at Badger's place, I was intrigued. It's fun, and here are the ground rules:

1. Pick 10 of your favorite movies.
2. Go to IMDB and find a quote from each movie.
3. Post them here for everyone to guess.
4. Strike it out (I'll be darned if I can figure out how to do that!) when someone guesses correctly, and put who guessed it and the movie.
5. GUESSERS: NO GOOGLING/using IMDb search functions. I mean, you can cheat if you want, but is it really that important?
6. One movie guess per blogger. Give people a chance to guess before you steal all of the awesome!

Here we go, kiddos!

1. Way to go, Cami! From "The American President"..."How'd you finally do it? Do what? Manage to give a woman flowers and be president at the same time? Well, it turns out I've got a rose garden."

2. Carrie Lea! Carrie Lea! Carrie Lea! From "Rudy"..."We're gonna go inside, we're gonna go outside, inside and outside. We're gonna get 'em on the run boys and once we get 'em on the run we're gonna keep 'em on the run. And then we're gonna go go go go go go and we're not gonna stop til we get across that goalline. This is a team they say is... is good, well I think we're better than them. They can't lick us, so what do you say men?"
3. Yay, TulipMom! From "You've Got Mail"..."Brinkley is my dog. He loves the streets of New York as much as I do. Although he likes to eat bits of pizza and bagels off the sidewalk and I prefer to buy them."

4. Let's hear it for our South African blogging friend, Hanlie! From "The Princess Bride"..."Hear this now: I will always come for you. But how can you be sure? This is true love - you think this happens every day?"

5. "Sure you didn't put booze in that? Something better. Perhaps you should give it to my daughter. Melt that chilly disposition of hers."

6. "They say you're the world's only living heart donor."

7. "Up until now everything around here has been, well, pleasant. Recently certain things have become unpleasant. Now, it seems to me that the first thing we have to do is to separate out the things that are pleasant from the things that are unpleasant."

8. Home Run, Kelly! From "A League of Their Own"..."Careers and higher education are leading to the masculinization of women, with enormously dangerous consequences to the home, the children, and our country. When our boys come home from war, what kind of girls will they be coming home to? And now the most disgusting example of this sexual confusion: Mr. Walter Harvey of Harvey bars is presenting us with women's baseball. Right here in Chicago, young girls plucked from their families are gathered at Harvey Field, to see which one of them can be the most masculine. Mr. Harvey, like your candy bars, you're completely... nuts."

9. "You think that mosquitos, monkeys, and lions are bad? That is just the beginning. I've seen things you've only seen in your nightmares. Things you can't even imagine. Things you can't even see. There are things that hunt you in the night. Then something screams. Then you hear them eating, and you hope to God that you're not dessert. Afraid? You don't even know what afraid is. You would not last five minutes without me."

10. "That's all."

Have fun!