Blog Every Day in May -- Day 30

May 30 -- Letting Go

Your past is what makes you the person you are today.  Don't look back, the future is right there in front of you.  Smile and laugh at the good memories.  You won't forget the sad times....but that's okay.  Learn from your mistakes.  Let go of the worries.  Love the person you have become.

Blog Every Day in May -- Day 29

May 29 -- Five songs or pieces of music that speak to you or bring back memories.

#1 Danny Boy -- This song will forever and ever remind me of my grandma

#2  Godspeed (Sweet Dreams) -- I used to sing this song to Ryker every night before I put him to sleep.

#3  Enjoy the Silence -- This song reminds me of Jr. High and LDS Stake Dances

#4  Joyride -- This song (actually the entire album) makes me thing of my husband.  Our first year together we traveled a lot and this album seemed to be the soundtrack of most of our trips.  We probably wore out that CD we listened to it so much.

#5 A Day Without Rain -- I don't know what it is about this song, but I love it.  It never fails to relax me and put me in a good mood.

Blog Every Day in May -- Day 28

May 28th -- Only Pictures

So this is just supposed to be a post of pictures.  I went looking through my old Photobucket account and here it a few of the gems I found.

Blog Every day in May -- Day 27

May 27 -- A letter to your readers

Dearest AWESOME readers:

I love you.  For real, you totally rock my socks off.  Thank you for reading about my life.  I know I'm not THAT important, so for you to take time out of your busy day means the world to me.

Also thank you...thank you for deciding to read my little rants and raves in this, my little corner of the blogosphere.  Thanks for coming back for more.

As much as I wake up each day and want to share with my readers, I blog for myself.  I have always been a creative person and I have always loved the English language and pouring myself onto a page.  I was always a diary or journal keeper.   This little space is my very own creative outlet -- I can writer and post whatever I like and it's very cathartic for me.  It makes me feel good and clears my head.  So thank you for reading and just letting me be me.

Most of my readers have their own blogs, and I thank you for these amazing daily reads.  I find great comfort and inspiration about reading other blogs.  I love that I can follow on your journey.

I hope that by reading my blog, I make your day a little bit brighter.  Be it because you think I'm ridiculous or because you just love to revel in the craziness that is my life, I just hope I make you smile.

Because smiling is important.  And you know what else is important???

Knowing your self worth and that life will work out for you.  It might not be on your timetable, but it will work out.

I am proof that random decisions can change your life and that things happen when they are supposed to happen.

Cheers to you my friends.  I love you all.

Blog Every Day in May -- Day 26

May 26 -- Something you read online.  Leave a link.

OK, so I don't do a lot of online "reading" per se.  I prefer my reading to be done in actual book form.  So instead I'll just share with you some of the websites I frequent.

Stumbleupon --  This website is the bomb if you literally just want to stumble upon anything and/or everything on the internet.  It can literally suck up hours of your life.

Awkward Family Photos - and - People of Walmart -- these two sites have pictures that will literally leave you laughing your butt off.....or just shaking your head and wondering what the world is coming to.

Upworthy --  This website is full of feel-good stories and uplifting things to share.  I mean really, if you have time to pass useless "chain letters" around the internet, you have time to share a few of these.

Songza -- The greatest music listening site ever.  It has a billion playlists and depending on what you give a thumbs up or thumbs down to, it will suggest playlists for you.  No matter your mood or time of day, this site has some awesome tunes.

Tend -- This is just like Pinterest, but specifically geared to moms.  So if you like mom blogs, but don't have time to read a million of them for decorating, recipes, home and family ideas.....head over to Tend.

Anyway, that's a few of the websites that I frequent when I just want to shut my brain off.  You're welcome.

Blog Every Day in May -- Day 25

May 25 -- Something someone once told you about yourself that you'll never forget. (Good or bad)

I'm not gonna lie....this challenge has been a real -- well, challenge.  I have to dig deeper, think back and do some serious soul searching to find answers, memories and anecdotes about myself, my feelings and my life.

Don't get me wrong, it's been an incredible experience.  But with this challenge, I am stuck.  Like seriously, stuck.  There really isn't one thing I've been told good or bad that has stood out so much that I could write an entire blog post on it.

But rather, I can tell you that there is one person who when he says something, I take it all in.  I listen (even when he thinks I'm not) and what he says matters.

That person, of course, is my super awesome husband!

Over the years, he has said the following; the good, the bad and the ugly.

*I would love to spend more time with you
*I really like you
*I love you
*I want to spend the rest of my life with you
*You can do it
*I believe in you
*I'm proud of you
*You're my best friend
*I value your opinion
*You make me happy

He has also said the following:

*I think you need to stop acting like that
*I don't agree with you
*Don't talk to me like that
*You were wrong
*You can do better
*Why did you do that
*You are being silly, unfair, unreasonable
*I think you need to take a step back

This man knows how to put me in my place in the most diplomatic way.  He knows how to build me up when I am weak or struggling.  He knows how to love and adore me unconditionally.  Everything he says.....I will never forget.

Blog Every Day in May -- Day 24

May 24 -- Your three worst traits

Wait, what?!?  I don't have any bad traits.

Bwah ha ha!  I'm sure my friends and family would disagree with that.  So let me ponder on it a minute.

#1 I put the PRO in procrastinator

I am definitely a queen procrastinator....and then HOLY GUACAMOLE something has to get done.  I sometimes look back on my life and realize how much easier I could have made things on myself.  From schoolwork when I was a kid to housework as a wife and mother.  When I am at work I am always the dutiful worker bee, the one who takes initiative, the one who works her a$$ off......but I find it hard to transfer that over into my personal life.  Laundry can wait for later, the vacuuming doesn't have to be done this second, I"ll scrub the floor after I do....well, something else.  I mean, even when it comes to this blog.  Today I'm trying to make up three days worth of posts, because I just didn't do it when it was supposed to be done.  I am definitely not your Type A personality.

#2  I tend to put myself down.....a lot

I don't know why it is, but I have never had a cup overflowing with self-esteem.  I have never tended to hold myself in high regard.  I was a sub par student that didn't have many friends, I lost in the school elections, I didn't make the cheer leading team.  Growing up with a tall, beautiful, athletic sister, it was difficult for me to feel attractive.  It made no difference to me that I had a beautiful singing voice that people have always raved about.  Or that I am a brilliant writer who really should have a book published by now.  I feel inferior and always have.  Even as a wife and mother I don't feel like I'm cutting it and will often tell myself so.  My husband deserves a thinner, prettier wife who keeps a nicer house.  Other people look at my children and comment on what a great job I've done raising them, how they are such polite, helpful, brilliant boys.  But in my mind there are sooooo many things I could be doing better.  I'm not smart enough, talented enough, good enough.  I don't do enough.  I honestly can't tell you why I've always felt this way.....but there it is.

#3 I Almost Always put Myself Last

I think a lot of moms are guilty of this.  We are so concerned with the running of the family, the raising of the kids.....everyone's needs, everyone's happiness, wants, wishes, cares and dreams come before our own.  And to a degree this is how it should be.  We brought these little people into the world, and until they can adequately care for themselves, it is our job to do it.  But that doesn't mean you should feel guilty about taking time for yourself or spending a little money on yourself.  I really need to remember this sometimes.  I mean, I haven't had a hair cut in almost a year because I think I could and should spend that money on something my kids want or need.  But sometimes what they really need is a happy, healthy mom who knows how to take care of her own needs.

Blog Every Day in May -- Day 23

May 23 -- Things you've learned that school doesn't teach you

Manners Matter

As far as I am concerned, please and thank you are still two of the most important phrases out there.  It's sad that so often people forget them.  As my grandma always used to say, "Good Manners and a clean set of clothes will take you a long way".  Knowledge of etiquette and how to act in certain social situations can be a saving grace.  I realize that a lot of the "stuffy" old manners of yesteryear are not things that are going to come back into fashion, but being polite and kind to others is something that will never go out of style.

Sometimes the Bad Guys Win

This is a truth that sucks, but it's a truth nonetheless.  In school (and usually in the movies) you are taught that truth and justice will always prevail, but sometimes they don't.  Sometimes the bad guys get off because of some legal loophole or technicality.  Sometimes the darkness triumphs over the light.  Often the big CEO's and presidents of companies have reached their status by being dishonest and cheating.....and they are never called out on it.  Cheaters often prosper.  But I take solace in the knowledge that MOST of the time the good guys win.

Here's a couple other quick ones;

-  It's okay to outgrow friendships that aren't healthy for you

- Grandparents are a wonderful blessing

- Each stage of life is vital and important to God's plan for us.  Don't wish one stage away or be in too big a hurry to get to the next one

-  Mom (and dad) are still usually always right

Blot Every Day in May -- Day 22

May 22 -- Rant about something.   Get up on your soapbox and tell us how you really feel (a pet peeve, a current event, a controversial topic.

Oh man, could I get going for days on a topic like this.  But I think I've finally settled on one.....

I hate how lazy and materialistic this world is becoming.  It's an atrocity really to see where future generations appear to be heading.  I once saw a sign on the web that said something to the effect of "I'm afraid of a world that will be run by kids who were never spanked, handed everything they wanted and given a trophy just for showing up".  It's so TRUE!!

Our society is growing up to be so ME-centric and our children are growing up thinking they are entitled to everything and anything they want.  It drives me batty.  Kids today have cellphones in elementary school, every possible game system imaginable their own computers, cars as soon as they get a drivers licence.  It's just insane.

(Now granted my kids have 2 XBox systems and Andrew has his own laptop, but these are things that they have worked for and paid for on their own.  My kids know the value of hard work and the worth of a dollar.)

Kids don't know the value of REAL work.  They just expect things to be handed to them.  These entitled brats grow into entitled teens and then into entitled adults who don't want to work; they just want to complain.  And man do they ever complain, long and loud....from Twitter to Facebook to Instagram -- the whole mess.

But get people as a group to get behind something that actually matters and actually takes work?!?  Forget about it!

Can you imagine if this was the generation that grew up during the Great Depression?  The Dirty Thirties?  Being called up to war?  What if  the women were asked to give up their clothes and worldly possessions and asked to work in factories to help the war effort?

I think people would die!!  I think we would be a complete and utter failure!

Now don't get me wrong, I know that there are good people out there.  Men and women that work hard and value their addition to society.

But the bad apples are starting to outweigh the good and it makes me sad, sickened and scared.

We need to look to our past and remember what hero's truly are.  We need to be more like them.

Blog Every Day in May -- Day 21

May 21 -- Provide a list of links to all your most favorite posts from this blog.

OK, now we all know that I'm HILARIOUS!  So narrowing down to my favorite is going to be a tough task, but I've gone back to my very first blog post and am sharing with you my most favorite posts from the recesses of of my warped little mind:

Getting Older Sucks
Sex, Walmart and Videotape
The Little Things
Loud Noises
Serendipity
Darn You Extreme Makeover Home Edition
In Support of Soccer Moms
Legacy Revealed
Here Lies Erin's Fat Roll......RIP
What Dreams may Come
I'm Not Sure This is Sending the Right Message

Blog Every Day in May -- Day 20

May 20 -- Get Real!  Share something you're struggling with right now

I'm struggling with that TERRIBLE six letter word.............WEIGHT!

I know I've mentioned it a time or twice in the past, but I really would like to get back to the person I once was.  I'm not naive enough to think that I'll ever get back to my pre-baby weight, but I'd still like to at least get to be about 80 pounds less than I am.  That would make me feel thin, sexy, healthy.....all the things I want to feel when I look in the mirror.  I'm struggling to get back to that body and that girl, and it's driving me nuts!

I feel like every step forward I take -- in a few weeks or months I take a billion steps back.  Before having kids, I never had a problem maintaining my weight.  I could eat and drink what I want when I wanted and never gained weight.  I never understood those girls that had weight issues.  Well, I sure feel their pain now.  And the kicker is I have a really hard time with willpower when it comes to staying the course.  Even if I see results, it's so easy to fall back into bad habits.  I'd just really like to get back to a point that I can feel comfortable in my own skin.

Blog Every Day in May -- Day 18 & 19

May 18 - Tell a story from your childhood

Hmmmm....Wow!  There are so many fun memories that it could literally take years to recap.  Growing up in a large family with a whole schwack of cousins makes for a lot of good stories.  Like the time my cousin, Julie, and I got sent home from school in the 3rd grade for running under the downspouts during a rainstorm at recess and getting absolutely drenched.  Or my uncle Monte's 4 tone deaf sons singing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer at the family Christmas program.

There was also the time when we lived in Calgary and my Uncle Tim's kids stayed the night for a sleepover.  We built a fort in the basement for all us kids to sleep in.  We used a lot of my dad's free weights to hold the blankets onto their designated spots.  Anyway, somewhere in the middle of the night one of the weights slid off the deep freeze where it was holding up an edge of the blanket roof and landed right on my brother, Steve's, head.  It took about 3 seconds and then we all heard "Ow" and that was it.....he didn't even wake up.  It was hysterical......and also explains a lot about what happened to my brother.  LOL!

May 19 - Name your 5 favorite bloggers

I don't really follow enough different blogs that I could say I have a number of favorites.....I follow a couple of my cousins, a girlfriend from college, some friends from high school, but I can't really say I have any "favorite" bloggers.  Sorry to disappoint.

Blog Every Day in May -- Day 15, 16 and 17

UGH!!  So a nasty sickness has taken over my home and family this week and I have barely been able to get up out of bed and open my eyes much less conceive of and execute blog posts.  So I'm going to try and do a little catching up.


May 15 -- A day in the life

OK, so this post originally asked for pictures to post as you describe your day.  Well, due to the nature of my line of work, I can't really show you anything work related.  So don't judge the amount of other things that I talk about and think that I DON'T actually work.  Because I do work......and damn hard too.  I wish I could show you how awesome I am at multitasking, but my work is a little sensitive with privacy issues and whatnot.  So here we go:

6:00 am -- wake up, iron a shirt for Ross, shower
6:30 am -- get Drew up to shower
6:45 am -- get the littles  up, make sure they get dressed and eat breakfast, make sure the dog gets out
7:00 am -- get lunches ready, make sure everyone has books, keys, phones, etc....
7:30 am -- Out the door, commute to work
8:00 am -- Work, work, multitask, typing, answering phones, more wonderful work
12:00 pm -- Lunch (Usually with hubby or mom if I'm lucky)
1:00 pm -- Back to work, many things, busy, busy, busy girl
4:30 pm -- Walk home if weather is good (sometimes the only real exercise I get in a day)
5:30 pm -- Home, make dinner, start homework
6:00 pm -- Depending on the night and the kids there are music lessons, soccer, drama, games, friends, etc.....
8:30 pm -- start getting littles off to bed
11:00 pm -- after laundry, cleaning, putting kids down, and setting the house in order, I get into bed and watch TV until sleep hits me

Now of course, this is a VERY condensed version of my day, but it gives you the idea.


May 16 -- Something difficult about "your lot" in life and how you're working to overcome it

I'm going to be honest......I've got NOTHING for this topic.  Has my life changed?  YES!  Were there hard times? SURE!  But I was raised in a loving family with two amazing parents and three great siblings.  I had all of my grandparents until into my early 20s, and now I'm almost 40 and have only dealt with the death of someone VERY close to me a handful of times.  Amazing, right?!?  I consider myself to be extremely blessed.

To be honest, and maybe just a bit trite, I think the only thing that could really improve my "lot in life" would be $ More Money $.  I realize that sounds incredibly selfish and superficial, but if my family had more money, our life would be a little easier.  

But who's wouldn't?

Now, I don't want to throw a pity party.  We are a comfortable middle class family that is able to enjoy the fun things in life.  We just don't have the luxury of being extravagant.  I often talk about life with my mother, and how we grew up "poor" and lived on Kraft dinner, and bedrooms had to be shared because we couldn't afford a bigger house.  My dad went through school twice while we were growing up. 

I am sure when my parents were raising the 4 of us there were some sleepless nights, fears and times of feverish prayers.  I'm sure they wished they could have done more, given more -- but they made it and helped shape us into what we are today.  I would not be who I am today without their guidance and I think I turned out pretty damn good.

Even now, raising my own three boys, married to a man with a myriad of health issues I can't say I've had a "difficult lot in life".  There are times when things are very hard and stressful, and sometimes I think it would just be easier to run away or bury my head in the sand..... but in those moments I remind myself that I can do hard things because I am strong.  Because God doesn't test me above what I can handle, so he must think I'm pretty strong too.  And who am I to question the faith that He has in me.


May 17 -- A favorite photo of yourself and why

Now, typically I HATE having my picture taken.  I mean, seriously, I would rather be behind the camera instead of in front of it.  Ever since I gained weight, I have had a horrible self image and probably a bit of body dysmorphia.  But I actually embrace this picture of me because it is genuine.  My smile is not fake and I don't want to delete the photo.  I don't think I look like a fat tub of goo....I look like a girl content with who she is.....and I guess that's a step in the right direction.

Blog Every Day in May -- Day 14

May 14 -- Ten Things That Make you Really Happy

* Cuddling up with a cup of tea and a good book
* The sound of my kids laughing
* Music -- in just about every form
* Clean sheets
* Receiving random cards and/or goodies in my mail or on my doorstep
* Green tea frapuccinos
* Spending time with my family (and I mean my whole family)
* My job (well......90% of my job)
* Being outside in the perfect 80 degree weather
* Flowers

Blog Every Day in May -- Day 13

May 13 -- Issue a public apology (This can be as funny or serious or creative as you want it to be)

When I first saw today's writing assignment, I was a little perplexed. Quite frankly, I had no idea what I was going to apologize about.

Then I started thinking about the movie "Mean Girls", and the scene where all the girls had to apologize to all the people they had hurt in their lives:

"I'm sorry I called you a gap-toothed bitch.  It's not your fault you're so gap-toothed."

"I'm sorry I laughed at you that time you got diarrhea that time at Barnes and Noble and I'm sorry for telling everyone about it.....and I'm sorry for repeating it now".

Anyway, that gave me the idea to apologize for a bunch of little things, instead of one big  wordy apology.  So here goes:

*I'm sorry I don't post enough photos on my blog like I used to

*I'm sorry for all the times I've been impatient, moody or mean to my family

*I'm sorry to my Pinterest followers for spamming you all with a million images....it's just too much inspiration

*I'm sorry (but not really) to everyone who is annoyed at my anal retentiveness when it comes to spelling, grammar and sentence structure......oh, and my irritation towards people who use non words like "prolly"

*I'm sorry to my husband......I'm sure you didn't really how crazy I was when you married me, but you're stuck with me and all my insanity for eternity.  Sorry........but not really

*Also an apology to the world.  I am who I  am.....quirky, crazy, silly, happy me.  And for that I'm sorry that I'm NOT sorry

Mom's

I am currently taking an online course in leadership and emotional intelligence.  One of the assignments I was given was to talk about people who have influenced me in my life and made me what I am today; people that have helped me get to where I am.  My first two thoughts were those of my mom and my grandma.  And with Mother's Day being this week, I thought I would take a few of the things I wrote in that assignment and share them here.

The first great example in my life was my mother.  I credit her with teaching me how to have a strong work ethic, to never give up.  But she also taught me not to sweat the small stuff.  She taught me that family is more important than everything. She helped me know that life was meant to be enjoyed and to be an active participant in it.She helped me see that when relationships are toxic you can walk away from them without guilt.  She showed me how to be a caring, present and active mother.

My grandmother was another great teacher in my life.  She showed me how to love life.  She helped me see that having a larger than life personality was nothing to hide.  She was loud, she was happy and she was more dedicated to her family than anyone I ever met.  She showed me what grace under pressure truly was.


Happy Mother's Day to all the great mother's in my life.  I love you all.

Blog Every Day in May -- Day 12

May 12 -- What do you miss?  (A person, a thing, a place, a time in your life)

Wow, there are a few things I miss......I miss my pre-baby body, I miss YSA dances, I miss my Texas house with my awesome pool and the  great people I knew there.

But more than anything, I miss my grandma.  I think about her a lot this time of year....she truly was a one of a kind lady, and I feel immensely blessed that I got to be born into her family and have her with me for 22 years.

Blog Every Day in May -- Day 11

May 11  --  Describe yourself in 10 words or less

Family loving optimist who lives her life in song lyrics.

Blog Every Day in May -- Day 10

May 10 -- Your most embarrassing moment(s)

I'm a lucky girl.  I don't embarrass too easily and haven't had a lot of situations go horribly wrong.

There was this one time in college....I was walking down the stairs outside the building with my roommates, got distracted and totally missed the last 2 steps.  I twisted my ankle and fell to the ground.  My roomies made sure I was okay then started laughing at me (it's alright.....I was laughing too).  I looked around and didn't see anyone else.  I thought I was safe until I heard a guy from the landing above yell, "DAAAMN!"  So yeah, that was a little embarrassing.

Blog Every Day in May -- Day 9

May 9 -- Share a moment in your day.

A typical day in my house is me waking up at 6:00 am....showering, ironing a shirt for Ross.

At 6:30 I get Drew up so that he can shower and get ready for school

6:45 -- get the other boys up, dressed, breakfast, lunches made

7:30  -- everyone is out the door

8:30 - 4:30 work and an hour for lunch if I'm lucky

5:00 -- get home and start dinner

Tuesdays and Thursdays are soccer, Wednesdays are violin, Play practice is sporadic through the week as is homework.

Most nights I can get the kids to get their chores done before bed.  And I can usually get some laundry done in there  too.  I do groceries every other week, have flyer routes with the boys on Saturdays, make sure Andrew gets to work when he's scheduled.

Most nights I'm in bed by 11 and watching TV until I am ready to sleep ....typically about 1-2 a.m.


Sounds great, right?!?

Blog Every Day in May -- Day 8

May 8 - A piece of advice you have for others

Well, I think I would be remiss if I didn't bring up my wonderful grandmother for this one.  That woman was full of advice, and no matter her delivery I think her intentions were always good.

1.  Good manners and a clean set of clothes will take you a long way -- this one is great advice for everything from the workplace, to school, to church, to the gym......bad manners never go out of style and your clothing -- well, unless you want to end up on PeopleOfWalmart.com you'll think about what you where whenever you leave the house.

I think one of my most favorite people in the world is Dieter F. Uchtdorf......he is a wise and wonderful man and has an amazing way of speaking from his heart so that you feel his every word was meant for your ears.  He teaches with love and humor, and there is no doubt in my mind that he is a man of God.  

2.  "God is fully aware the you and I are not perfect.  Let me add, God is also fully aware that the people you think are perfect are not.  And yet, we spend so much time and energy comparing ourselves to others -- usually comparing our weaknesses to their strengths.  As a result, we never celebrate our good efforts because they seem to be less than what someone else does."

And in the same vein......an original from me

3.  Don't let the thunderclouds block out your sunshine!

Blog Every Day in May -- Day 7

May 7 --  What thing(s)  are you most afraid of.

1.  Death --  Thinking about death, well......it quite frankly scares me to death.  Now I know that this sounds weird, given my upbringing in the LDS church and my knowledge of the plan of salvation and all the great and wonderful things that the next life will bring, but I am afraid of dying.  Call it shaky faith I guess, but the thought of not being alive -- it's just not something I like to think about.

2.  Spiders -- My paralyzing fear of spiders is almost to the point of phobia.  Spiders give me the heebie jeebies.....and not just real ones.  Pictures of them, seeing them in movies or tv, even cartoon spiders scare the heck out of me.  My husband has spent many years trying to help me overcome this fear, but having me kill little spiders, but it has literally paralyzed me and brought me to tears when I've had to do it.

3.  The Dark --  I hate not being able to see, and so the dark is not my friend.  I mean, I know that for the most part I'm not in any danger, but it's a silly childhood fear that I've not been able to let go of.

Blog Every Day in May -- Day 6

May 6- If you couldn't answer with your job, how would you answer the question "what do you do"?

Since I work full-time outside the home, I feel it's worth mentioning.  I'm an administration clerk for Alberta Mental Health.  I have been with this branch of Alberta Health Services for almost a year and a half and I love it.  

I certainly don't define who I am by my 9-to-5 job though.

I'm a daughter, a wife, a mother, and a best friend.

So I do a lot of things.....

I love - I laugh - I explore - I read - I write - I dream - I create - I work - I hug - I play

I dream of the future - I dance with no music on - I laugh when it's inappropriate - I sing like I'm a freakin' rock star - I struggle - I fail - I plan - I do better - I over analyze - I think 

I try to live every day to it's fullest - I foster relationships with people I care about

Oh, and Pinterest.......I could make a career out of wasting time there, er......pinning.

I'm me.......and I'm still working on it.

I 

Blog Every Day in May

May 5 - Publicly profess your love and devotion for one of your blogger friends.
What makes them great? Why do you love them?

This one is kind of a difficult on for me.  I don't really have any blogger friends.  The only people who's blogs I read are people that I already know.  So, I'm going to stray a bit from the norm and give you a list of some of my favorite websites to visit:                     

1.  Pinterest --  Probably my favorite time waster on the internet.  Full of everything from home decor ideas, party plans, recipes...well, just about anything you can imagine

2.  Stumbleupon -- Another great time waster.  This website allows you to state your interests, and then "stumble upon" a zillion different websites that suite your interests.

3.  Think Geek -- A great website feature gifts for the "geeks" and/or "nerds" in your life.  My boys love practically everything on this site.

4.  Songza -- A great website for listening to music and for finding new tunes that you've never heard of.  I have the app on my iPhone for listening on the go.

5.  Pogo -- A great website when you want to play games

Blog Every Day in May -- Day 4

May 4 -- Favorite Quote and why you love it

I love it because it's completely true, and something that I think we all need to be reminded of.

Blog Every Day in May -- Day 3

May 3 - Things that make you uncomfortable


* parents yelling at their kids, or people demeaning their spouse in public

* confrontation of any kind.....I avoid it like the plague and often will keep my feelings and opinions bottled up to avoid any sort of conflict

* psychotic sports parents who are so obsessed with the win that they forget to teach their children good sportsmanship and love of the game

* women who can't walk in heels (seriously, don't wear heels if you have to walk like a newborn calf in them)

* knocking on the door of a house I've never been to

* strangers invading my space

* people who mispronounce the words library and supposedly, and those who use the word "preggers" or "prego" to describe pregnancy, people who say "seen" instead of "saw" or "have seen".....basically anything that comes out of your mouth that makes you sound uneducated

* men in tiny jogging shorts of bathing suits

* wedgies

* beauty pageants featuring anyone under the age of 18......and the younger the contestants, the more uncomfortable I feel

Blog Every Day in May ----- Days 1 &2

OK, so I know I 'm a horrible blogger and I missed the entire month of April, including my oldest son's birthday and our adventures at the Calgary Comic Expo.....but I figured I would do a huge birthday post of all the boys at the end of May. 

Insted to get me back on track with my blogging, I've decided to join some fellow bloggers in the Blog Every Day in May challenge.  There are thirty-one prompts for all thirty-one days.  It's a way for bloggers to get back to basics. You know, writing without all the pressure. Since some of the prompts only require brief answers, I may end up combining some of the days.....we'll just see how I feel.

May 1 -- The Story of your Life in 250 Words or Less

I was born in Magrath, Canada in the fall of 1976.  My mom married the only dad I've ever known the summer before my 1st birthday.  I was a musical artist born into an athletic family, which was both a blessing and a curse as I both stood out and was left in the shadows.  I grew up with a younger sister and 2 brothers.  I entered school as a fantastic speller and reader, talked way too much and didn't study near enough.  I was a show choir nerd with motley assortment of friends from all walks of life.  I had the same boyfriend all 4 years of high school.  He was a year older than me and broke up with me in a letter 2 months after he left for university.  I met my husband the summer after high school when we both worked for the same resort in Waterton. We had our first son 11 months after we met and were married 6 months after he was born.  My second pregnancy ended in a miscarriage, which was difficult for a girl of 22.....but I had two more successful pregnancies and now have three wonderful, amazing sons.  Because of the nature of my husband's job, I have had the opportunity to live in 3 different provinces and 2 different states.  I met my biological father when I was 27 and found out that I had 4 more younger siblings.  I love to sing, get irritated by poor spelling and grammar.  I'm a voracious reader and a total night owl.  I love life.

I know it said 250 words or less, but that's exactly 250.


I win.


May 2 -- Educate us on something you know a lot about or are good at

I'm not going to lie. Today's topic really stumped me. I can't draw. I'm a medocre cook. I can't sew. I can sing but that's not really something you can educate people on.  What does that leave? I'm an awesome mom. I'm even a pretty darn good employee.

Those are all boring though, right? Then it hit me as I was reading various blog posts this morning...

You people are getting an English lesson.

1. their, there, they're

These words are used and spelled differently.

• Their is a possessive adjective.

• There refers to a place.

• They're means they are.

Examples:

• Erin and Mirra are fixing their hair.

• My purse is over there.

• They're watching The Vampire Diaries. 


2. to, too, two

Again, these words are used and spelled differently.

• Use to as a preposition before a noun or as an infinitive before a verb.

• Use too as a synonym for also or to indicate excessiveness before a verb.

• Use two to spell out the number 2. Duh.

Examples:

• I'm going to the movies. --or-- I really don't need to buy another pair of shoes.

• I'm going to the movies, too! --or-- I do not have too many shoes!

• I'll have two margaritas, please.

3. your, you're

For this one, I leave you an 8 second instructional video courtesy of Ross Geller.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=STYDAb_iCjg


Hey!


That's one talent I definitely have.

Give me a subject, any subject, and I can relate it to an episode of Friends.

Go ahead.

Try me.

That's a whole 'nother word, people