New home
I’m offiically blogging at a new home now!! Check it out at …
Still working out some things, but I’m happy to be there. I’d love for you to take a look & let me know what you think!
Top ten tuesday … the to-do list
Ugh.
Going out of town is always so much work. But almost always well worth it!
And this out of town trip, is definitely worth it. On SO many levels!!! Girl time, no-kiddo time, blogging time … oh it’s going to be fun!!
But there’s so many things I need to do before leaving at 1pm on Thursday. So this one is likely more for my benefit than yours, but maybe you can help me if I’m forgetting anything!! And I can help you, if you’re forgetting something too!
1. Remove pictures off my camera – I’m horrible at doing that, but I want a fresh clean memory stick!!
2. Pay bills – Blah, blah, blah. Ugh. I hate paying bills!!
3. Pack my bags – which also means figuring out what I’m going to take, leave, wear, not wear, etc. The packing is the easy part!! It’s all the deciding that isn’t!!
4. Pack bags for the kids – they’ll be spending the night with my parents one night & then with Pepper the other two. But Lord knows what they’d be wearing or not wearing if I didn’t get all that organized before leaving!!
5. Get some dinners ready – I think they’ll only be home for dinner one of the nights I’m out, but still, it makes me feel better knowing I’ve left some of their favorites ready in the fridge. That probably means Chicken Casserole & Chicken Pot Pie!
6. Try to get my new site finished – yep, you read that right. I’ve been working (not really me, but rather someone’s been working on my behalf!) on a new site for a little while now & my goal is to have it ready tomorrow. I was going to wait until after Blissdom, and then went back & forth on what to do. So we’ll see! Lots of blogrolls & widgets still to change over. But I’m excited!!
7. Set up my poken – Eeek. I haven’t even opened it!
8. Look at the Agenda one more time – I need to remind myself of where I’m supposed to be, what classes I want to take, who I want to hear speak, etc. etc. etc.
9. Think about all the random stuff – Camera Charger, Laptop Charger, Phone Charger, Blog Cards, Chewing Gum, Spending Money, Pillow, Notepads … what else??
10. Try to remember everything I’m forgetting – Can you help me??
- Linked to Top Ten Tuesday at ohAmanda.
Cleaning out
The Great Clean Out!
Alot of things get neglected in the process of keeping up with and entertaining a four year old and a 1 year old. And recently it’s been our entire upstairs!!
All three bedrooms, the closets, bathrooms, nooks & crannies that go along with them … all neglected!!
This past weekend my parents kept both Megan & Evan overnight. And I spent the better part of 24 hours doing nothing but cleaning & sorting!!
A pile for a garage sale, a pile for GoodWill, a pile for trash, and alot of putting away!!
Oh, I feel so much better!!!
Thanks Mom:)
Brett Favre and blissdom
“Never throw the football across your body in the middle of the field.”
According to my husband that’s what every football player learns at the pee-wee level. So why did Brett Favre, one of the best of the best (and definitely one of the cutest), have to do just that on January 24th during the NFC Championship Game against the New Orleans Saints?
When he broke that very elementary rule, he changed the course of my life. Or at least a few hours of one weekend of my life.
You see Harry Connick Jr was set to perform at Blissdom on Saturday night. Harry Connick Jr loves his hometown of New Orleans. Harry Connick Jr loves his New Orleans Saints. And until Brett Favre threw that interception on January 24th, Harry Connick Jr. had no plans this coming Saturday night except to be at Opryland Hotel singing for 500 very excited women!
However that all changed when Brett Favre threw that interception. Because when Brett Favre threw that interception, the New Orleans Saints went on to win the game. And which ever team wins the NFC Championship game, goes on to the Super Bowl. And suddenly Harry Connick Jr had a little bit more than 500 women to be excited about … his New Orleans Saints were playing in the Super Bowl for the very first time in history!!
Now, Mr. Harry Connick Jr is being ever so gracious to still play at Blissdom; however, the schedule had to be rearranged a bit. And so thanks to Mr. Brett Favre, I (along with many others) were asking & tweeting the question:
“Harry or #savvyblogging??”
Never throw the football across your body in the middle of the field!
Friendships
Most Random Picture Ever!!
This time next week I’ll be at Blissdom ’10 with 499 other women!! I know I’ve talked about it alot this month, and I still have a week to go, plus recaps of the weekend so if you’re not into all the Blissdom talk, I’m so sorry!! But stick with me … please!!
But just as excited as I am about meeting a bunch of new, wonderful women I am thrilled with who I am going with!! On Thursday afternoon I’ll be hitting the road with 3 women that “I love”!
My sister, Simply Staci, will be picking me up. I typically just call her Staci!! We had plenty of fights growing up, but I love hanging out with her now & am so blessed to have her as my sister. And my kids are incredibly blessed to have her as their Aunt (Oh – and on a completely different note, her students are so lucky to have her as their Science Teacher … Teacher of the Year at her school!!)
Then we’ll be meeting up with ohAmanda. I usually leave off the ‘oh’ when talking to her! I’ve known her since diapers – seriously!! She was probably out of them, but I wasn’t it. I was like 2 years old when our families started going to the same church. We’ve worked together, played together, ministered together, and now we’re both married, parenting, blogging & tweeting together.
And we’ll be meeting at The Violet Fig‘s house. And yep, you guessed we usually don’t go around calling her the Fig either! We typically just stick to Becky! Becky’s family was really smart when they moved from Florida to Georgia & started coming to the same church that myself, Staci & Amanda went to:) She came to us in the 6th grade! And I’m so glad she did!! She passionate, fun & keeps me on my toes:)
We’ll be really sad that our other girls Kristen and Mandy won’t be with us, but we’re hoping Harry will make us feel better – heehee!
But these five girls are my best friends. We have litterally ‘grown up’ together in every sense of what that means. We can laugh together, cry together, talk or not talk at all … and still be able to finish each other’s sentences. So, while I’m super excited to be at a conference with 499 wonderful women, I’m even more excited that three of them will be my Sisterchicks!
- Linked to Finer Things Friday at Amy’s Finer Things.
Oh – And if you’re thinking this is the MOST RANDOM PICTURE EVER … you’re right! So much so, that I named it that!! Normally there’s 6 of us in a group shot, so in order to get just four of us … you get random!!
What’s in the make-up bag?
What's in the bag?
When I think of my make-up routine, I think:
“low-key”,
“boring”, and
totally inadequate.
Seriously. I have the same face every morning! And I don’t think I’m very good at putting any of it together or any of it on!!
Case in point: On my WEDDING day, I forgot to put on lipstick. And NO ONE said anything!! Either because a) they are totally not use to seeing me in lipstick and so they didn’t know I wasn’t missing any or b) they just figured I never wear any so maybe I didn’t want to that day either. But HELLO!! It was my wedding! According to my pictures, I should have had some lipstick on!!! But, obviously, ten years later & I’ve moved on … sort of.
So while, I may be boring in my personal selection, I really do LOVE the little bit of make-up I use.
I have it narrowed down to 3 items. Yes 3. Do you hate me? Or think I’m just insane (and Staci, you can’t answer that!!)?
1. La Bella Donna Pressed Mineral Foundation – I’ve become a firm believer of good ingredients in skincare. But you can’t stop there. If I’m going to use good ingredients in my cleansers & moisturizer then I don’t want to ruin it by putting not-so-good ingredients on the first thing that hits my skin. This brand doesn’t have any FD&C dyes, oil, talc, alcohol or fragrance. Plus it has Titanium Dioxide which is a natural / non-chemical sun block (SPF 20). (Can you tell I’ve heard that &/or said that on more than one occasion? I think I’ve said before that my sister-in-law has an all-natural skincare business so she teaches me, and I listen!)
2. La Bella Donna Vision of Mineral Lights – this is a quad compact of compressed minerals – I use the colors as eye-shadow and as a bronzer/blush. I love it because of all the same reasons I do the Mineral Foundation, but also because it feels like I’m multi-tasking!!
3. Cover Girl Mascara – Yep, just the good old kind from the drug store. Because I can’t find any natural Mascara that IS waterproof. And I’m not going to mess around with non-waterproof mascara!!
Of course I have a couple of other little goodies in there, like tweezers, a couple of make-up brushes, a buki brush (which I love, love, love!), and a sample or two of lipsticks that I thought I might actually use but never did! But in my everyday make-up bag … that’s it!
So, what’s in your wallet, oops wrong saying. What’s in your Make-Up Bag? The girls at Chic-Critique want to know!
- Post linked to Chic-Critique’s “What’s in Your Make-Up Bag” Carnival.
- Post linked to Things I love Thursday at The Diaper Diaries.
The calm before the storm
Evan & Megan ~ 2010
It’s not really the calm before the storm. I actually can’t complain. They really love each other very much & play great together!
Top ten tuesday … winter olympic games
There’s only 16 days until I’ll be cheering on the US in the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver.
If you’re like me then you may not know that much about all the events during the Winter Games. Of course I like figure skating – Women’s the best.
So, allow me to teach you … Top Ten Tuesday Style!!
1. Biathalon – combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting. Really. I’m sure there’s a story behind that but that just sounds strange!!
2. Bobsleigh – Just watch Cool Runnings for a history lesson in this. I totally loved that movie growing up!!
3. Cross-Country Skiing – Oh my gosh. Have you ever done this? I remember making the mistake of taking a cross-country path in Colorado once … I mean that’s like walking with 8′ shoes! (I guess because it is!)
4. Curling – consists of two teams pushing 19.1 kilogram stones towards a series of concentric rings or circles on ice. Pushing stones? That seems rather Flintstones-ish to me, but it began 500 years ago so I guess it was!
5. Luge – Racing on an open, fiberglass sleds luge racers lay on their back & steer using their legs & shoulders. They brake by sitting up and all events are timed to the thousandth of a second. That means they’re going really, really fast!!
6. Nordic Combined – This sport combines a ski jumping portion followed by a free-technique cross-country race. Using pack-racing strategies, the athletes cluster into “trains” that chase down other athlete trains! That just sounds like a game my 4-year-old would make up!!
7. Short Track – Speed skating with tight corners that make it difficult to maintain control. Otherwise, skate at your own risk because the person next to you might very well take you out!
8. Skeleton – I’m sorry, but I don’t want any part of an event with a name like that!!
9. Ski Jumping – Athletes ski down a long ramp and launch into air at speeds up to 95 kilometers per hour. Or 59 miles per hour … through the air. Flying. Off a ramp!!
10. Figure Skating – Awe it sounds so peaceful & beautiful to watch … doesn’t it?!! I know it’s probably just as dangerous as the others, but it definitely sounds prettier!
So there’s the info at a glance. You’re officially ready for the 2010 Olympic Games … Go USA!!
- Winter Olympics is linked to Top Ten Tuesday at ohAmanda.
In this season
I’ve read Ecclesiastes 3 on many occasions over the years. You’re probably familiar with it as well.
There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven.a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot.
(Continue reading Ecclesiastes 3 from the NIV)
And I think I’ve heard the same message every time. I’ve always heard that we have seasons in our lives. There will be good times and there will be bad. Loved ones will be born and loved ones will die. There is a time to cry and there is a time to dance.
Today, in church we looked deeper at this verse. And for the first time verse 11 really stuck out to me.
It reads:
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
We will have seasons on this earth. And it’s ok if we don’t like the bad ones. Because we weren’t created for this Earth. God created us for Eternity. He put Eternity in our hearts … not a good and everyday perfect place here on Earth.
And I’m ok with that. Because I’d rather live in Eternity than
Blissfully blissdom links … part 3
We’re only two weeks away from Blissdom ’10 & it’s getting exciting!!! On Thursday night, my roadmates/ room-mates/ Sisterchicks – ohAmanda, Simply Staci & The Violet Fig (4 out of the 6) met up for a Pre-Blissdom meeting. It took us three locations before we found free WiFi and then another hour before we knew what time we’d hit the road!! After that it just became alot of chit chat & tweeting. Honestly I’m not sure if we accomplished anything, but it was still fun!! And at we at least know we’ll be hitting the road by 2:30pm!!
I am still reading some great posts each week to help get us ready. Here’s a few that I came across this week.
Going from shy to scintillating by Mom’s Travel Tales – this is a great post and reminder that really, we’re all in the same boat!
Blissdom Blogging Conference – What I’m Packing by Mom’s Travel Tales – This is fun, she lays out everything she’s packing (or planning to pack) and you have to look at the great dress AND SHOES that she’s going to wear for Harry!! And it gets better, she added a MckLinky so you can see what some other bloggers will be wearing too!!
Nightlife at Blissdom by Musings of a Housewife – If you’re worried about too many parties or didn’t even know there were parties … go here!!
How to Get Ready for Blissdom (Part 2) by Giving Up on Perfect – Love this information! She gives us five more tips with several more Blissdom-related links to make sure we’re “getting ready”!!
Conference Attire Do’s & Dont’s … Barbie Style by Linda Sellers – Really. You must go read this for the information … but especially for the visuals!! When she says Barbie Style, she means it – literally!!
Limitations, or not, of a niche (a guest post by MommySnacks) at ohAmanda – this is part 3 of Bliss*tastic Series … and a MUST read!
But I’m sure I’ve missed some. Have you come across any must-reads??
Be sure to read Blissfully blissdom links … part 1 and part 2 for more great posts!!
it's come to this ... 