25 Facts Link-up

11/23/2011

 
Linking up with Living In Yellow for this one.  We'll just call today "learn too much about Cat" day.  Right.  Here we go:

One
Before I was married, I didn't want any kids.  Once I got married, we had 3 kids in 3 years.  Woah.  But aren't they precious?
Two
I hate coffee.  But I like things that are coffee flavored.  And if I have any caffeine I am certifiably insane for a while, then crash and sleep for hours.  Not pretty.

Three
I had an eating disorder in college.  It did horrible things to my health, and I feel like a moron for letting it happen.  I'm hoping I'm better now.  This picture scares me.
Four
For most of my life I grew my hair to my waist then cut it to my shoulders (and donated to locks of love) in 4 year cycles.  Haven't done that since I had kids, though.

Five
I married the only guy I ever dated.  And I am so blessed to have him.
Six
I majored in drama in college and have barely ever used my degree.  Not a lot to do with it in my town.  I miss it a lot (here's me as Kate from Taming of The Shrew). 
Seven
I'm terrified of flying.  Like, sick to my stomach, want to cry every time I'm on a plane scared.  But I have seen some of the most beautiful sights of my life from a plane window. 
Eight
I have zero fashion sense.  90% of the clothes in my closet are hand-me-downs from my fashionable sister-in-law.  And I still can't figure out how to wear half of them.  

Nine
I would rather buy something for a super great deal than buy something with a super great brand name.  Function over fashion for sure. 

Ten
I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up.

Eleven
I have a complex where I really want to be good at everything.  So I try to do way too many things and then fail at most of them.  Some day I'll figure it all out.

Twelve
My favorite authors include: Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, Harold Pinter and William Shakespeare.  My favorite book is To Kill A Mockingbird

Thirteen
My writing style tends to very closely reflect whomever I'm reading at the time.  My playwriting prof hated my Eugene O'Neill phase (he was much relieved when I moved on to Pinter). 

Fourteen
I'm embarrassed by how much I don't know about the Star Wars and Star Trek universes (and, really, all things geek). 

Fifteen
I own 18 shirts from shirt.woot.com.  And I'm probably not done.  It's a problem.

Sixteen
I wish I were athletic.  However, every time I work out, I blow out one joint or another.  I probably have the lungs of an 80 year old.  It's pathetic.

Seventeen
I love air-hockey and I'm actually pretty good at it.

Eighteen
I can't eat gluten, but I'm learning to cook without it - mostly successfully.
Nineteen
I am seriously technologically un-savvy.  I wish I were cool like that, but I don't own a smart-phone, I only use Linux because my husband set it up for me, I don't even know the names of the video game systems that are out right now, and I only might be able to tell you the difference between an i-pod, i-pad, and i-phone.  Some day I'm really going to embarrass my kids....

Twenty
My taste in music is really eclectic.  I listen to everything from Christian hip-hop to Johnny Cash.  I don't like some oldies, some country, and really really heavy metal.  But otherwise my tastes are all over the place.

Twenty One
I think flannel is one of the best inventions ever.  Flannel pajamas, flannel sheets (and in the '90s I was known to rock those flannel shirts).  Hello cozy. 

Twenty Two
My kids have their own fridge.  Yup - after the egg incident we swapped the big fridge for two minis.  One for them, one for us.  So far, it's working beautifully!
Twenty Three
I am definitely one of those ladies who will freak out when I turn 30.  Probably because I still feel 19.  Apparently, my dentist still thinks I am 19.  Funny stuff. 

Twenty Four
I went to an all-girl's high school.  I moved a week before starting school there.  In my entire high-school career I knew maybe a dozen boys my age.  And in the end, I call it a blessing. 

Twenty Five
When I started this blog, I promised myself I'd never write entries like this.  However, my brain is in vacation mode this week and I can't seem to get myself to do anything that isn't 'fun and frivolous' (I'm totally ignoring that stack of Christmas gifts I need to finish).  I hope you've had fun reading this

I'm (blank) because

11/23/2011

 
It's going around the blogosphere, so I thought I'd partake as well.  I am _____ because:

I'm weird because...
I eat hamburgers, pizza, nachos and most other 'finger foods' with a fork.
I'm afraid of clowns.
I used to have a Yoda collection.
I'm terrified of talking on the phone.

I'm a bad friend because...
I get easily overwhelmed and bail on things I said I'd do (esp if I'm hosting)
I talk too much and sometimes interrupt.
I almost never get a birthday present in the mail in time.

I'm a good friend because...
I'll listen for hours if you really need to talk about something.
I really do care about everything going on in your life.
I'll watch your kids or bring you soup or help in any way I can. 
You can call me at 2 am and I won't get mad (hubby might, though...)

I'm sad because...
My babies are growing up so fast.
My sister just moved far away.
I feel like I've wasted so much energy on things that just don't matter.
I want so badly to help the suffering, but just don't know where to start.

I'm happy because...
I am blessed SO far beyond what I deserve or could even imagine.
I have an amazing family who loves me just as I am.
My God has saved me and given me hope.
It's a gorgeous day today.

I'm excited for...
My daughter's first birthday tomorrow.
Christmas and all the 'magic' that goes along with it.
Seeing my parents for the first time in a year.
Watching my son sing in his preschool Christmas pageant. 

I'm blessed by...
Having more than I need every day of my life.
My loving family and friends.
A loving Savior.
All of you!!  I really do appreciate every one of you.
 
There's a growing controversy over the safety of crib bumpers for babies.  Traditional pillow-like bumpers not only pose a suffocation hazard for babies, but once a baby is mobile enough to need the bumpers, they can be used as an aid for climbing out of the crib.  For this reason, we initially decided to forgo bumpers entirely for our first baby.  However, as soon as he learned to crawl, he was continually getting his poor tiny legs stuck in the crib slats.  He was very squirmy in his crib, and loved to stand at the end and shout for Mommy when he woke up.  But 5 times out of 6, he'd get his knee wedged in the crib rails so badly that I often had to use baby oil to get him out. 

Finally, we found the Breathable Baby crib shield. These bumpers are made of mesh, so baby won't smother.  And, they wrap all the way around the top rails of the crib, so baby can't use them as a step (and it prevents chewing on the top of the crib rails).  These bumpers are sturdy (they've held up through three babies) and washable (we've had poopy incidents) and are easy to install.  Best of all, these bumpers now come in several stylish shades and patterns to match almost any nursery. 

If you've got a squirmy baby and are worried about safety, I highly recommend giving this site a look. 
 
I am so excited for the holidays.  In fact, we've already had our Thanksgiving celebration.  Which means that in my mind, it's time for Christmas!  I wanted to share a little of that holiday cheer with you, so here is the final giveaway of 2011!  I've got some things to decorate your house, some things to decorate yourself, some things to regift, and even some surprises!  One winner will receive all of the following:
A gingerbread man candle
A Christmas train candle
3 pairs Forever21 hoop earrings
A desktop water fountain
A set of erasable holiday gift tags
PLUS a couple of surprise items that aren't pictured here.

All you have to do is fill out the rafflecopter below.  Good luck everyone!!

Please Read

11/21/2011

 
I've been doing a lot of thinking recently about what things were like this time last year (pictured above).  I'll be the first to admit that I live a stupendously blessed life.  I do complain, but I know that in reality I have nothing to complain about.  That being said, the holidays last year were pretty rough.

When I was about 38 weeks pregnant with baby girl, I noticed a weird bump on my cheekbone.  After trying antibiotics, we realized it wasn't an infection and I was sent to the ENT.  He took a look at it and said "It's something in the bone, we need a CT scan, call me after the baby's born."  As in - don't worry, it's probably not serious and certainly don't make yourself crazy looking things up on WebMD.  Riiiiight.  Baby girl was born the day before Thanksgiving and I found myself smack in the middle of newborn care, holidays with family and, suddenly, medical stuff. 

After the scan the doctor said such things as "It's probably just a harmless condition, but we'd like to do a biopsy just in case" - what he meant was "just in case it's sarcoma" - but he didn't come right out with it at first.  So with a 3 week old baby, I found myself in the operating room.  And then trying to recover amidst night nursings.  And then battling an infection from surgery.  And then sick from antibiotics.  Not to mention my nasty little case of post-partum depression. 

To put things in perspective, it turned out to be nothing at all (something called fibrous displacia - aka random and unexplained bone growth).  My sweet parents dropped everything to stay a whole month to help with the newborn, then help with all the kids while I had my surgery.  My husband was a star about keeping the house cleaned and the kids fed and everything humming along while I was either bedridden or too 'sad' to get things done.  My precious babies are all healthy and happy and growing likes weeds.  The P.P.D faded around the time my kids all finally learned to sleep through the night.  So far, in general, we're all doing just fine this holiday. 

But I can't help thinking back to sitting in that doctor's office, reading between the lines and wondering if it were going to be my very last holiday with my babies.  And it made me think - none of us are guaranteed a tomorrow here on Earth.  We need to be making the most of every single day we've been blessed with. 

SO - that's my super long way of saying, I'm giving myself this holiday season off from the blog.  I have one more giveaway that I'll be posting shortly, and I'll keep up the regular posts this week - but starting next weekend I'll be gone until January.  Keep an eye out on the facebook page - I'll probably still update now and then with deals, sponsor posts (I have some great ones coming), and links, but I won't be posting regularly until the new year.

I hope that you all have a very blessed holiday, and for those of you who are having a rough time this holiday, please accept a most sincere *hug* from me.  See you all in 2012!
 
Our favorite book from the stack we brought home from the library this week is Bunny's Lessons by Harriett Barroux.  It's a simple story without much text, but the pictures are cute and, most importantly, it's a wonderful tool for teaching kids about emotions.  When Bunny's boy plays with other friends, Bunny learns about jealous.  When Bunny's boy leaves him behind, Bunny learns about lonely.  When Bunny's boy plays the tuba, Bunny learns about loud.  As Bunny experiences and deals with his feelings through interacting with his boy, our kids can learn how to describe and deal with their own emotions.  My kids asked to hear the story again, and I will gladly slip it into bedtime reading every night this week.  We talk about why Bunny is feeling the things he feels and remember times that we've felt the same way.  It's simple, but effective, and may wind up in our book pile again soon.
 
Please go check out the post on The Shine Project over at my shop's blog.  She is an amazing woman working so hard to help kids from her community afford to go to college.  See what you can do to help!
 
If you're a big Friends fan, like I am, you might remember the episode where Ross makes his "top 5" list.  i.e. top 5 celebrity crushes.  I have NO idea why I was thinking about it the other day, but I thought it would be fun to share my top 5, and have you all link up (or just comment) with yours.  I'm always amazed at the diverse grouping of people that my friends and I have liked, so it will be really interesting to see what you all come up with.  Today, I'm starting with top 5 actors (or actresses) and later on down the line I'll do musicians, etc. 

In order to make my list, a celebrity must be relatively attractive, a decent actor and not seem like a total weirdo in-real-life (sorry Thomas Dekker, you were so close).  So in no particular order, here we go:

1) Topher Grace
I'd like to say that I've been a fan since That 70s Show, but given my general ignorance of popular television, I first discovered him in Win A Date With Tad Hamilton - and I've been watching him ever since.  But I'm big on skinny guys with dreamy blue eyes (it's what I adore about my husband), so he makes the list :)

2) John Krasinski
Given the sheer number of Facebook fan pages such as Jim Halpert is The Perfect Man and I'm In Love With Jim Halpert, I can assume that I'm not alone in adding this fellow to my list.

3) Ben Barnes-
I was a big fan of The Chronicles of Narnia before the movies came out - but here's yet another reason to watch Prince Caspian!

4) Connor Trinneer-
I confess, I'm a big ol' Star Trek geek, and Enterprise isn't my favorite series (I think).  But head to head I've got to say I'd root for Commander Tucker over most of the other officers any day. 

5) Hayden Christensen-
I can't say a lot about his performance in Star Wars - whether it was the writing or the acting I won't try to speculate.  But Hayden first caught my attention in Life As A House (amazing ensemble cast - check it out) and earned himself a spot on the list. 

And I can't forget to mention the guy who's at the very top of all lists - my incredible and amazing husband whom I'm so blessed to have.  Ain't he cute?
So - who's on your top 5 and why?  Link up below or leave us a comment and let's see who's grabbing your attention!
 
I don't think I'm the only woman in the world with Supermom complex.  I want to have it all together.  I want to have the gorgeous, clean, tidy house.  I want to have the well behaved, sweet, happy children.  I want to look put-together and beautiful every day.  And if I can't actually pull that off, I want to at least give off the appearance of Superwoman.  And I know a LOT of women who really do seem to have it all together - so I know I'm not alone.  And sometimes I let myself get really stressed out about competing with these 'perfect' moms - about trying to "keep up with the  Joneses," as they say. 

Well I don't have it all together.  Not even close.  And, frankly, I'm getting worse and worse at keeping up appearances at all.  I have become "that mom," who's always late, always disheveled, always forgets to pack her kid's coat/backpack/homework/etc, and whose house looks like a storm blew through.   But you know what?  I'm ok with that!  Today, I'm going to get real with you.  Very real.  I'm going to give you a peek into what my crazy, messy, chaotic life actually looks like - and why I feel so blessed anyway. 

I know that many of the pictures I'm posting have been ripped from Pottery Barn sites and the like, but I am constantly amazed at the number of families I visit (yes, families with small children, even) whose homes really do look like they're straight out of a catalog - spotless, impeccably decorated, and very tidy.  And every time I visit a home like this I think to myself "what on earth am I doing wrong that my house is such a mess, and their house is amazing!?"  Well - here's a look at my dream house, my real house, and why the two are so disparate.  I hope that it can be at least a little encouraging to some of you.
I would LOVE for my house to look like this.  Built in cabinets, shiny appliances, and tons of storage and organizational tools.  Oh, and furniture.  Actual furniture. 

Instead, my house looks like this:
The couch cushions are always on the floor.  The storage bins I bought are emptied and used as toys.  My "office" is a laptop and overflowing letter-holder stashed on a shelf next to my kitchen, whose sink is always full of dishes and whose pantry is a disaster (though it is next on my list of 'things to organize').  We use an old fitted sheet instead of a tablecloth.  The walls are covered in fingerprints, crayon scribbles and pre-school art instead of store-bought decorative displays.  We have more baby gates than electronics, and if you could get a close look at the carpet, you'd be thoroughly grossed-out (we are also in the process of saving up for tile).   And this post here will explain why I don't even bother trying to keep things tidy most days. 

And while I would LOVE for my kids' rooms to look like this:
And I even wrote this post here about how to keep kids' rooms nice and tidy, my boys' rooms usually look like this:
Toys everywhere, mismatching linens, and no furniture (I've got climbers and I'd like to avoid the E.R.).

In fact, even when it comes to my own room, instead of this:
Yup, once #3 came along, we moved into our semi-finished basement.  No paint on the walls, no flooring on the concrete. 

And yet, I'm ok with all of this.  I don't mind my house the way it is (most of the time).  And here's why.

1) I am so blessed to have a home at all.  It's warm, it's cozy, it's plenty big for all 5 of us.  It's in a beautiful neighborhood and we don't struggle to pay for it.  It meets all of our needs and many of our wants just the way it is.  We don't spend lots of money on matching bedroom-sets or paintings for the walls, but that's money we can use to spoil our kids, help a friend in need, or, well, save up for our dream house - when the kids are older.

2) I have 3 healthy kids who are so energetic and creative that they turn this house upside-down.  They draw on the walls because they want to create art.  They drag food out all over the house because they want to be independent and feed themselves.  They haul furniture from room to room because they're making-believe.  They even spit their dinner out on the floor because they like to make each other laugh.  My parents continually remind me of the damage I did to our home when I was a young, creative and energetic child myself.  And while I'm continuing my efforts to teach them boundaries and discipline, I know that they will grow.  And I will be very sad when my house is tidy, and well decorated - and quiet. 

3) I am comfortable.  I have exactly what I need to stay warm, well dressed, well fed and well rested.  In fact, I have far more than I need (and am constantly trying to clear out the clutter).  My things might not always be tidy, my house might not always smell like roses, and I may not be the world's best decorator, but I'm well taken care of, well provided for, and well loved.  And I would much rather have that than live in a page out of a Pottery Barn catalog. 

I hope this little peek into my world might help some of you feel better about your own.  Our children are our priorities and everything else is just icing on the cake.  So I'll try to stop feeling bad because I'm not Supermom and I don't have a perfect house.  I'll just do the best I can with what I have, and spend all that extra energy seeking contentment instead.  And when those catalgos come in the mail, I'll take a look, daydream a little, and then put them tidily into the recycle bin. 

SIL: Postcrossing

11/14/2011

 
When I was a kid, I loved when my school would set us up with pen-pals.  I think most of the kids I wrote to were in Russia, and I just adored learning about the lives of other people from other cultures.  I also found receiving a letter in the mail to be the ultimate childhood delight.  I guess I've never quite grown out of it.  While I appreciate the convenience and speed of email, I'm still the adult who peeks out the window every hour or two to see if the little flag on my mailbox has gone down.

And this, I suppose, is why I love Postcrossing so much.  This website facilitates postcard exchanges between people all over the globe.  Once you sign up for an account, you are eligible to receive the profile to whom you will send a postcard.  Profiles contain a little information about the recipient (their occupations, likes and dislikes, etc) and what they are looking for in a postcard (both in terms of picture on the front and also content on the back).  Once you send your postcard, you are elibible to receive one from someone else.  You can have 5 postcards in transit at once, so if you were conscientious, you could be receiving fun snail-mail frequently!  So far I've received notes from Russia, Belarus, England and The Czech Republic.  The postcards are always beautiful and I love learning about the cultures.

Not only is Postcrossing fun, but it can be a good learning tool.  The site attempts to assure that you do not receive a card from the same country twice (you can opt out of this feature), and you are able to request specific information from the sender, so you could potentially conduct research through the mail.  I sent a postcard to one profile requesting information on how our country treats our elderly.  I also received a postcard from an elementary school class in England who wanted to know what sorts of celebrations take place in our country.  How special for that class to be able to learn first-hand about other cultures!  While most of the communications are simply one-way notes, there is an option to exchange address information to become more permanent pen-pals with someone whose card you particularly enjoyed. 

I've started a little notebook for collecting all of my beautiful cards (and their equally beautiful stamps) so that I can look back at them in time and see all the interesting new places I've discovered.  And when I know I might have a card waiting for my in the mailbox, well, I wait all the more impatiently for that mail truck to come. 
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