4/30/2011 ~ Topic of the Day ~ Tenacity

What is your definition of tenacity?

4/29/2011 ~ Topic of the Day ~ Health

How is your health?

How can you improve it?

Gratitude

I am grateful for so many things.  At the top of the list are my family, my friends, my health.  All of which I could not survive without. 

I'm also thankful for the little things in life. A hug from one of my beautiful babies.  An unprompted "I love you".

I'm grateful for the job I have that allows me to have the things I enjoy.

I'm grateful to live in a wonderful community, with wonderful families and children.

My gratitude changes daily, but it is always there.

4/28/2011 ~ Topic of the Day ~ Gratitude

What are you grateful for?  Is it a person, place or thing?  Is it only one thing or is it multiple?

Friends

I don't think I have enough friends. I had my first child right after I graduated High school, and basically lost contact with alot of friends even my best friend. I gained alot of friends back when I started working but after 4 years of that job we had some issues and we parted ways and lost friends again. I didn't have anyone for awhile until I found the mommies network. I don't know if I can truly say I have true friends again (maybe scared to get hurt again) Ive met great woman and formed close bonds and potential long term friendships (hopefully).

4/27/2011 ~ Topic of the Day ~ Friends

Do you ever think you can have to many friends?  What qualities do you look for in a friend?

4/26/2011 ~ Topic of the Day ~ Reference

What do you reference most in life?  Is it books or specific websites?

Free post-top 5

Top 5 (thank you Jody for your tweet..the idea was inspirational)
The top 5 famous actors I'd like to be stuck in an elevator with..umm Ok stuck ANYWHERE. And no, I do not mean all at the same time!
5. Nathan Fillion-he's hot, he's funny, but he's #5 ONLY because he's Jody's and all I could do would be admire him and talk about Jody. SIGH!

4. Christian Kane-He can sing, he can act, he can cook, he's just a bad@$$- does all his own stunts, and my gosh just look at him! Then, wipe the drool. Oh, and he loves his momma.

3. David Boreanaz-This one is just one of those sigh and look at him ones...so really, look. I'm sure there's more, but I looked and forgot where I was going with this. Still looking. And drooling.

2. Timothy Hutton- I have had such a crush on him since I first saw him in TAPS when I was younger. Gosh, he still looks good! Really really good. And he is such a great actor and director (Directed Christian Kane's video for The House Rules and it's really cool!) LOVE him! Anyone seen Serious Moonlight? I might pull a Meg Ryan and duct tape him to a chair too! LOL!

1. Adam Baldwin-This guy is the entire package and then some. He's smart, he's funny, just a big bad@$$ (yeah another one) on screen, has the sexiest voice. He's just hot! Definitely worthy of my top spot.

Ok enough of that. I know, I'm not right!

Books

I love books. I'm kind of an addict. There. I've confessed. Isn't that like step 1 or something?
I like to read all sorts of things. I'm weird that way. I like to read more than one book at one time. Right now I'm reading Me Talk Pretty One Day which is our book club's book this month. Also reading Cutting for Stone, I have an interesting book on the merits of sabermetrics, and one called Pirate Coast about Jefferson's naval attack on Tripoli. So you see my tastes really run the gamut....

My husband works for the library so if books are my drug of choice if you will, he is my dealer! I order books and magically in a day or 2 they show up on my dining room table. And I always have to have books in reserve. I can't be without my "next book". I also have to finish a book. Even if I am HATING it! I have to read to completion (I'm like that with movies too).

Family

Holidays such as Easter usually include two separate meals, one with my mom's family and one with my dad's family. The two sides don't really blend well because they are complete opposites. My mom's side is the large, boisterous type who enjoys a few glasses of wine before the big meal, and my dad's side is the more religious and proper type of family... so combining the two is often difficult. Starting in a little over a year, I'll have the fiance's family to factor in to holidays as well... so it'll get a whole lot more complicated (although they'd fit in rather well with my mom's side)

Suspense

Movies. I love suspenseful movies.... but I hate it when things jump out at me in movies... or when there's just something that appears for no reason - like Paranormal Activity :-P

Meal Planning

My family is a fly by the seat of our pants family when it comes to meal planning. Hopefully, when I move back home for a year that will change because I like knowing what we will be eating (and I get SO sick of eating out all the time). Sometimes we can organize a meal, but that usually takes a lot of work in my household because some people are rather picky.

Going Back In Time

I think I'd want to go back to 19th Century England. That'd be pretty neat - with the dresses and dances and all that.

Otherwise, probably the 50s in the US. Because it would have been awesome to see Elvis in person :)

Living Without

I could live without junk food and pizza... but you'd have to have it completely removed from the earth for that to happen. I really wish it would be removed so that I could lose the extra weight :(

I couldn't live without my phone, internet, or family though. I don't think that that would be possible for me.

Timeliness

I constantly feel like I'm letting time slip away from me. I sit down to check my email or Facebook, and the next thing I know it's two hours later. Or I sit down and read and look up and it's been house. It's ridiculous. I wish I was better with time management. I'm super organized when it comes to stuff and dates, but time itself isn't all that organized for me. Somehow, I'm never late for things though.

Except keeping up with blogs :(

4/25/2011 ~ Topic of the Day ~ Family

A lot of individuals just got done celebrating Easter with family.  How does your family work?  Do they get along, is there constant fighting?

**Sorry for the weekend delay in posts - for some reason the topics didn't post over the weekend!**

4/24/2011 ~ Topic of the Day ~ Doctors

Men and women view doctors differently - how do you view your doctors or the medical professionals in your life?

4/23/2011 ~ Topic of the Day ~ Books

What kind of books do you read?  Are you a reader?

Free

Ready for next week to hurry up and get here. Tuesday is pay day which will be super nice to see. I really miss getting paid every two weeks. Getting paid once a month is really forcing us to work out our budget better. That is on my to do list. Really should be done this weekend. I wish I was more of a organized person. I also wish the cleaning fairies would come out of hiding and clean my apartment for me today. This rainy weather is putting me in lazy mode today. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and a great time with family and friends.

Free Post

I really wish this weather would make up its mind on the temps. Wednesday it was upper 80s, Thursday barely 60. I hate this back and forth dressing my kids too.

4/22/2011 ~ Topic of the Day ~ Blooming

As some of us look around outside there are things blooming everywhere - what do you think when you see this?

4/21/2011 ~ Topic of the Day ~ Free Post

Write about whatever you want!!

4/20/2011 ~ Topic of the Day ~ Unwritten Rules

What are some unwritten rules that you have in your life?

Animals

I have a black lab. He is getting in his elderly years. But I've had cats, dogs, fish, hamsters at one point in my life.
I really would like to get a austrailian cattle dog for my hubby.

4/19/2011 ~ Topic of the Day ~ Animals

Do you have animals?  What kind do you have?  If you don't, why don't you?

Scaredy cat

Water. I am scared of water. Not rain, not pretty little babbling brooks, not a shower for crying out loud but oceans, lakes, rivers, and swimming pools. I'm ok with the little kiddie ones, though. I cannot swim, I do not own a bathing suit. I hate the idea of being out on a boat, I get sweaty palms and panic when I have to drive over large bridges and fear some sort of freak earthquake is going to hit the moment I drive over it and I will plummet to my death in the icy cold water. It is always icy cold water, even on the days it's 105 degrees. Not rational in any way shape or form but phobias rarely are

Then there's the fear of heights. (This of course compounds the whole fear of plummeting to my death while driving over a bridge) I don't even like the escalator at the mall. Oh, and those glass walled elevators? WHO in the heck thought of those? WHY do I want to see how high up I am?

Also not a real fan of creepy crawly bugs, spiders, snakes, etc. I think they're gross.

Scaredy Cat

It would probably be easier for me to list the things I'm NOT afraid of.  It would be a much shorter list.  There are so many things that scare me to so many varying degrees.  I'll just mention some of the major crippling fears I have.

Heights.  Second story balcony?  No thank you.  Top of the Empire State Building?  Absolutely not!   Flying in a plane?  Love it!  Wait, what?  Yes I love to fly.  Our do I just hate long car trips more?  Hmm.  Either way, flying is fine by me!

Bugs. Reptiles.  Rodents. Creepy.  Crawly.  Slimy. Things.  Yuck!  I'm getting the chills just thinking about it.

The thought of losing someone I love.  I can't imagine life without my wonderful husband or my sweet girls.  That scares the crap out of me.

I could go on and on, but I won't.  You get the idea.  I'm a nervous nelly.

;-)

Religion

We aren't very religious.  We try to go to church when we can and Noodle goes to Religious Prep class so she can make her sacraments.

Mostly though we celebrate the Hallmark version of the holidays, like Virginia said. 

We are getting ready for Easter dinner.  The table will be expanded.  The families will come over.  Waistlines will expand too.  There will be way more food than we could possibly eat.

The girls are happily hopping around the house talking about what the Easter Bunny is going to bring them, as if they need any more sugar.  We decorated with eggs, bunnies and spring flowers.

As with any holiday, we try to just have fun and be together.

4/18/2011 ~ Topic of the Day ~ Scaredy Cat

Are you a scaredy cat about something?  Anything?

Religion

I am not a very religious person. I haven't been for several years. But we do celebrate the "hallmark" version of Easter with our kids. Easter egg hunting, dying eggs, etc.

4/17/2011 ~ Topic of the Day ~ Religion

Right now is a religious time for a lot of people - what are you celebrating right now?  Is it Passover or are you preparing for Easter?

4/16/2011 ~ Topic of the Day ~ Weekend

It is the weekend - what do you do for fun?  Is it routine every week or something different?

4/15/2011 ~ Topic of the Day ~ Emotion

What do you consider life's strongest emotion?  Is it joy, sadness, elation, fear or maybe something else?

Adjectives

First hoping that I have the right meaning of adjectives in my mind.

1. confused
2. tired
3. creative
4. messy
5. excited

4/14/2011 ~ Topic of the Day ~ Suspense

What do you find suspenseful?  Movies?  Bills?

Meal Planning

I am not a meal planner. I've tried. Time and time, I've tried.  I really want to be a meal planner.  I want to shop the sales, with coupons and know what's on the menu for the week.  I just can't do it for some reason.

I am a meal planning failure.

I fly by the seat of my pants, not knowing what we will have for dinner, sometimes right up until I start cooking.  If we have nothing in or don't feel like eating or making what we do have, then we grab takeout. 

It's such a waste of money.  I need a meal plan mentor.  Anyone up for it? 

4/13/2011 ~ Topic of the Day ~ Meal Planning

Do you or or your family plan meals or are you a fly by the seat of your pants kinda group?

4/12/2011 ~ Topic of the Day ~ Adjectives

Pick 5 adjectives that describe you at this exact moment!

4/11/2011 ~ Topic of the Day ~ Kindness

When was the last time someone showed you kindness?  How did you react?  What did they do?

Faith

For me my faith is linked to my religion.  I have faith in God because my religion tells me to.  God has shown me the way when I have need it the most, so I think that has helped my faith along as well.  There are times that I struggle with my faith because I am struggling in life and not getting what I want out of it, but at the end of the day I know that if I pray and have faith in God that he will pull me through it.

I also define faith as what you have in other people.  I have faith in certain friends and family members that they will be there for me, do the right thing and be around when I need them.  When someone disappoints me or upsets me, I lose faith in them, and once that faith is lost, it is hard to be revived.

4/10/2011 ~ Topic of the Day ~ Faith

Define what faith is to you?  Is it your religion or is it something else?

Go Back Into Time

If I could go back into time and live in another era, I would say the 40's or 50's would be my style - with music becoming popular and the way that girls dressed and how people interacted - it all seems so perfect to me, I think that I would like to return to that era.  Anything prior to that seems so depressing and sad.  I am sure that it wasn't, but I wonder!!

Go back in time

If I could go back in time, I think I'd pick the 1920's. I'd love to be in the same period that inspired Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Stein, Ford. These are some literary giants. It seems to me that period, above all others, produced the best books. Ones that managed to stay relevant almost a century later.

I know, it's not a deep thought. But who doesn't like the Jazz Age?

4/9/2011 ~ Topic of the Day ~ Go Back Into Time

If you could go back to live in another time period what would it be?

Live Without

I can live without a phone, tv or computer, but I couldn't live without my family or friends...they are what keep me grounded and sane.

Living Without

I can't live without my family and friends.  They mean everything to me!  Without them I am nothing.

I can live without my electronics, but I also can't live without paper and a pencil - I love to write, doodle and be creative, so I also can't live without that!

4/8/2011 ~ Topic of the Day ~ Living Without

Is there something in your life that you could live without?  Pretend for a minute you didn't have a home, mobile phone, computer or family/friends in your life?  What would you do?  How could you live without?

Timeliness

Time gets away from me all the darn time.  I hate when I have to be on time with anything ~ why, because I just can't do it.  If I have more than one thing to do in a day I am screwed because I can't manage to get it all done.  I just can't balance my day/time appropriately!

Who knows what is wrong with me!!

4/7/2011 ~ Topic of the Day ~ Timeliness

I am one that lets time get away from them - all the time - what about you?

**On a side note, I am so sorry that topics haven't posted earlier in the day - I have been one to let time get away from me especially with kids home during Spring Break!**

Alone Time

I love my alone time. It's my relax time. Usually, it involves the tv on in the background and a good book. It's very peaceful. I love it. I can go through a book a day if given enough alone time. Sadly, that doesn't always happen...

Alone time

Alone time! Ladies, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that is the brief 2.5 seconds that I am in the bathroom before someone starts calling "MOOOOOOOMMMMMYYY! Where are you?" SIGH. "In the bathroom, why?" "I couldn't find you. I wanted to see where you are" Then they try to have a conversation through the closed door.

I exaggerate a bit. I do get time alone. I work out, I read, and if I'm really lucky and have remembered to lock the door, sometimes I even get a bubble bath!

Alone Time

What the hell is alone time?  I am never alone - there are always friends, family or even better - little children running around!!

When I do happen to get a little bit of alone time I spend it reading or being artsy craftsy!

Alone time?????

So I saw the title of this and was trying to figure out what it was...I was going to say the times I get to go to the bathroom, but even then I usually have an audience!!! :)

Ok sometimes I get out with out them...on the rare occasion that I do get alone time, I like to go to bookstores, or walk around the mall, or just go for a drive (you know, so I can listen to what I want, and not 100 Toddler Songs! :)

Of course when I DO get out for even 3 hours, I usually get the "when are you going tobe back" texts, so it is not always a relaxing time! :)

I think I like my alone/quiet time because I am an only child. So I got to shut my door and just chill whenever I wanted to!

Alone Time

I very rarely get alone time.  When I do its usually not that long, so I tend to do quick easy things like catch up on TV shows or do some reading.

On the rare opportunity that I get a few hours to myself, I like to grab my camera and go out to take pictures.  I can spend hours just roaming a park shooting flowers or landscapes, photographing old architecture or anything that catches my eye.

A mani/pedi would be nice too!

4/6/2011 ~ Topic of the Day ~ Alone Time

What do you enjoy doing alone?  Is there something that you only do alone?

Creativity

I am definitely the most creative at night.  Sometimes I can get things done in the afternoon, but it's mostly at night when the urge strikes.  It could be because the house is quiet and the kids are in bed.

I think nighttime is just my time though.  I am definitely not a morning person.  I could stay up into the wee hours doing things, come morning though I am not happy.

Creativity

My creativity comes in fits and starts. Last year, I was most creative in my European history classes. It was in those classes that I started drawing a comic series for my bestie, Laura... about our adventures as woodland creatures. Sadly, once I was out of those classes... the inspiration sort of disappeared. :( Hopefully, it will come back though and I can finish the series... it sort of ended in the middle of nowhere.

Currently, I get inspired at the most inopportune times. When I'm feeling scrapbooky type creative... I'm always at college, and my stuff is all at home (or I have no supplies and no money with which to purchase them). Sometimes, I get real creative when I see yarn at Wal-mart... then I buy said yarn, get home, and nothing happens. Other times, that happens in reverse: someone gives me a yarn idea, and I go crazy with whatever yarn I have around.

When it comes to creativity and writing papers for classes... that is always a struggle. :-P It's actually what I should be doing now... The mood will probably strike me in the middle of the night. Ugh.

Creativity

I love being creative, if I could I would spend everyday scrapbooking, taking pictures, making crafts, blogging, reading, writing and being artsy!!

I feel I am most productive during the morning and late at night.  In the middle of the day I find myself wanting to be more relaxing and a little less creative.

4/5/2011 ~ Topic of the Day ~ Creativity

When do you feel the most creative?  What do you do when creativity strikes?

Pain

What causes me pain right now, is seeing my husband feel like he has no family. His brother has taken advantage of myself and my husband and we are so tired of giving him chances. His mother basically left without telling anyone after my father in law passed but expected this to be the way they use to be. I hate to see him open his heart back up to just be shot back down

Pain

My biggest cause of pain, other than stress... which causes headaches... would probably be the weather. Although I'm only 21, I've dislocated both my knees (a few times each), severely sprained my wrist, and popped my shoulder out a few times. That being said, changes in atmospheric pressure or whatever... HURT! I get all achey and just want to stay curled up in bed all day. Not fun.

Pain

It causes me pain to see others suffer and when there are in pain.  I can't stand to see a friend upset or angry.  I never want to have to see that and I know that sometimes it is unavoidable, but when someone else hurts or is in pain it is just unbearable to watch.

4/4/2011 ~ Topic of the Day ~ Pain

What causes you pain in this world?

Movie of my Life

If someone were to make a movie about my life I'd want Amy Adams to play me. She is so talented and just so cute! Ok...she looks NOTHING like me, but if it's a movie why can't I be hot right?

I would want Brad Paisley to play Steve. I know he's a singer but he looks EXACTLY like Steve. I'd have that cute kid who played SJ in The Blindside play Tim. Everyone we know says the mannerisms just remind them of Tim. Stephen....I'd pick the kid who plays Brick on The Middle.

Thinking about it though, other than the "Timisms", this would be the most boring movie ever!

Movie of Your Life

If there was a movie of my life.... I would probably want Katherine Heigl to be me. She's pretty awesome.

I've never really thought about a movie of my life before. At this point, it'd be rather boring. Ask me again in about 20 years?

Movie of your Life

When it comes to my life I can't think of anyone that could play me better than Amy Adams.  I think she would be a wonderful Joelyn Morgan and would be able to portray the good, bad, happy and sad.

Movie of My Life

If someone was to make a movie of my life I would want Emmy Rossum to play me. I fell in love with her in the Showtime tv series called Shameless. She plays such a strong real world woman in this series. I also love her tough and take care of myself kind of attitude. I would cast Justin Chatwin as my husband, he has some hot scenes in Shameless, while I wouldn't mind being the female actress for those scenes. I believe Virginia would play herself. I don't think anyone else could master the energy and silliness she displays everyday.

4/3/2011 ~ Topic of the Day ~ Movie of your Life

If there was a movie about your life, who would you want to star in it?

Spring Cleaning

A little late on these! Busy weekend!

I LOVE cleaning when the weather is warm. Open the windows, clean the house! I actually do not mind cleaning. I was brought up in a house where you could eat off the floors, but my grandmother was never crazed about it! It just happened. So now I love  a clean house. And now that I have fallen in love with Scentsy (my consultant is also on TMN!!) it makes it nicer to clean with a house that smells like whatever scent I want it to!

Now this makes me want to clean something...but since it is 11pm I guess I need ot make a list of what to do tomorrow, and go to bed! :)

Spring Cleaning

I hate it. I hate cleaning. I only clean if I'm in an awful mood or I'm trying to put something off.

That being said... I really need to get things organized this month so I can move back home. And once home, I have to be able to sort things out so that I can function in my room this summer. Ugh.

I hate cleaning!!!

Spring Cleaning

I hate it - I don't do it and even if I live in a house I won't do it.  I figure I clean everyday and deep clean once a month so why in God's name should I spend my Spring time cleaning?  I am going to spend my time doing more fun and important things gosh darn it like be outside and enjoying time with my family and friends.

Spring Cleaning

I am not a spring cleaner at all. Even if my house really does need a spring cleaning. Most likely it isn't going to get done. I am lucky if I keep track of my cleaning week to week. Trying to get better, but I just hate cleaning. I have a 2 and a half year old daughter and it seems that as soon as I clean she destroys. If I did spring clean I believe I would just take it one room at a time. Make a good will pile, keep pile, and trash pile. And take a break every thirty minutes. I need a break to keep me motivated and get the job done. 

4/2/2011 ~ Topic of the Day ~ Spring Cleaning

Do you do it?

Do you like it?

How do you do it if you do it?

April Fools Day

I am not really a prankster, I don't really play jokes. I find I'm on guard all day for oddities in peoples' stories and actions. I look for petroleum jelly on the phone, plastic wrap on the toilet seat...

That said, this April Fools Day is Opening Day so I love it. I think the Rangers played a prank beating the Red Sox and so far it looks like the O's are fooling the Rays! We just may win this. Happy April Fools day Rays!

Sorry. Had to put that in, guys!

Favorite classes

I really hated school. I'll clarify that I was NOT a bad student. I graduated with honors, did most of my junior year and all of my senior year at the community college. Those were the classes I liked. I've always loved Lit classes. Shakespeare, the classics, and especially books from the Jazz Age (Fitzgerald, Hemingway, etc) are things I still like to read (yes, I consider this FUN). I even enjoyed analyzing and writing reports about these books.

I also loved history. I am Revolutionary War and Civil War buff. I took American History, American Government, Constitutional Law (yes that was for fun too!) and loved it ALL!

These classes really taught me something. I still enjoy literature of all types and have shelves full of books on the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and the construction of the Declaration of Independence. I still enjoy reading and learning so I guess I should thank the teachers and professors who were so great and had such vast knowledge that I just couldn't help but love it too!

April Fools Day

Thanks to the fiance, I got the chance to pass on a rather great April Fools Day prank. It's not really a plank so much as it was a joke...

Speaking of which, did you guys hear that they're relaunching Indiana Jones staring Hayden Christianson and Kristin Stewart?

So many people were upset. My one friend almost cried.

Happy April Fools Day!

April Fools

You know when I worked I used to play April Fools tricks on those I worked with, but now that I am not working I am just home we don't do anything for April Fools :-(

4/1/2011 ~ Topic of the Day ~ April Fools Day

So sorry it took me ALL day to post this!

Did you play any April Fools jokes on friends today?

Classes

My favorite class ever since I started school was always art class. I love creating new things and getting messy. I ended up going to UNCC and majoring in Art with a concentration in Graphic Design. But my all time favorite class was my African American Art History Class. The teacher was so passionate about the subject and teaching that it made the class a breeze and a joy to come too. The best part about the class was we focused on local African American artists as well as national artists. Each week we had the usual lecture hall class where we looked at slides and talked about each image. Then each week we did a field trip, where we visited local galleries and local artists. I enjoyed meeting the local artists the most because it was a chance to meet a real artist that was making a living doing their art. One artist that I enjoyed, and sadly can't remember their name. Was creating art work, but also had started a community program where kids could come after school to learn art and get help with their homework each day. It was a way to keep kids off the streets and out of trouble. By the end of the semester my eyes were open to a new area of art and also new ways to use my art to influence my community. And this class was the only art history class I made a A in.