Happy Halloween!

I’ll post more sometime about our super fun costumes this year, but for now, Happy belated Halloween! =)

Trick of the Trade Tuesday–Put a Twist on Gifting Gift Cards

For those of you who know me, it doesn’t come as a shocker that I’m not the best when it comes to gifts (or thank you cards). I’m not sure why, I think I dwell on getting the PERFECT gift, and then just end up scrambling.

So when I recently attended a double baby shower, I again, waited too long to go pick out something super cute. Plus, it was the third and fourth for these two cute mommy friends. So really, while it’s nice to get new things, they NEED very little at this point.

So I thought what I might enjoy.

STARBUCK’S!!! What new mom wouldn’t, right?

But, how boring to just gift a gift card. So I came up with a clever little card to accompany said Starbuck’s card…

Here’s the front:

Really? You HAVEN’T gone through the Starbuck’s drive through to get your older child milk because you ran out and didn’t want to have to get out at the store?! Well, kudos to you for having it all together. hehe

And the inside:

Much more fun than just getting a gift card, right? Well, maybe a little. So, below is the free printable! If you just print it out on a normal sheet of paper, then fold like a card in fourths, you’re good to go. Hope somebody out there can use this in a pinch, too!

Friday Faves–Monty Python and the Holy Grail

If you’re unfamiliar with this scene above,

or with the title of this post…

RUN AWAY!! (you are unworthy)

If not, please click the picture above for a modern trailer of the ever nostalgic movie, ‘Monty Python and the Holy Grail’. Who would’ve ever thought you could make the hilariousness that is this movie, look like a legitimate feature? Trust me, you will not be disappointed.

In fact, I think I may have to watch it this weekend while I’m packing!! Yes, you read that correctly. We’re in escrow and if all goes as planned, we close September 30th.

Cue freak out.

That is all. Happy Friday!

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Seeing as it is Friday the 13th, I had to add one more Friday favorite memory. (And no! I am certainly not procrastinating from all the things that must be done when one is planning to move in 2ish weeks!!) Please leave a comment if you recall your school ever doing this.

Growing up, my classmates and I in elementary school thought we were SO hilarious when we collaborated to pull a Friday the 13th prank on our recess aides.

When the recess bell would ring, the entire playground either froze still, or fell down (as if we were dead).

I know, we were pure geniuses, right?

Happy Friday the 13th!

What I Wore–9/11/01

I don’t usually remember what I wore 12 years ago, let alone one week ago.

But I do remember what I was wearing 12 years ago today.

I had the amazing opportunity to do part of my student teaching overseas in Papua New Guinea. I worked at an international school and stayed at a base camp with the organization Wycliffe Bible Translators. Hence my more conservative attire.

Most Americans old enough to remember can easily recall what they were doing and where they were the day of September 11th, 2001. My circumstances were that much more unique in the sense that I was out of the country. But let me tell you, it made that day somehow even more memorable.

Similar to many, my roommate and I awoke to a phone call, her dad, calling to tell us of a major catastrophe in the states. He couldn’t talk long. Each phone call cost a fortune! And unfortunately, we did not have access to any form of media. That little TV pictured above was for VHS videos only.

But, when we arrived at our school that day, the principal had hooked up cable and nearly every teacher, certainly every American teacher, was huddled around a tiny TV watching the horror that was 9/11 play out in front of us.

The love and respect non-Americans around us poured upon us was unreal!! They all noted their condolences as every one of us walked around with heavy hearts. It was odd trying to process the events while so far away from home, and yet, so bizarrely encouraging to see people of so many different places and culture come together in sorrow.

Altogether I was out of the country for over 3 months total.

Our flight out of Sydney, Australia on September 21st was the FIRST international flight from Sydney to the states after the attack. Man was I thankful to be home. Many people question me about how terrified I must’ve been to fly. I honestly had no hesitation whatsoever. Really, it was probably one of the safest days to fly…ever, when you think about it. Talk about heightened alert!

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Below was my journal entry from that day….

9-12-01

(remember, we were half way around the world)

“We were awoken early this morning by a phone call from Jen’s dad informing us that 2 planes were hi-jacked by terrorists and flown into the world trade center twin towers within an hour of each other. There were also 2 other planes – 1 crashing into the pentagon and the other landing in a field in Pennsylvania.

As we arrived to school, more and more people began sharing what they’d heard and all of a sudden, a spontaneous chapel was called. Dave Pederson shared, reminding us that our God is not a God of chaos – that He will prevail. Sort of in the dark to all that had happened, I finished teaching that morning and retreated to the AV room to watch an Australian channel covering the numerous plane crashes.

My jaw dropped at the images of the planes crashing into the twin towers, the heat from the explosions weakening its structure, causing the upper floors to collapse, the weight of these floors bringing down the remainder of the building. People jumping out of the windows, falling to their death, chaos as people scattered throughout the streets, escaping the crashing rubble. Then – bringing my amazement to a heightened degree, scenes of people celebrating in Afghanistan filled the screen. HOW – was all I could think as the news calculated the possible death toll to be near 50,000, mostly consisting of innocent bystanders!

The mood was somber for the rest of the day – I felt pretty detached from home.”

So…yes, I WILL NEVER FORGET.

10 Things I’ve Learned in 10 Years of Marriage–#4. Study Your Husband

Photo Link

My husband and I dated for 2 years before getting married, but one of those two years we spent halfway across the country from one another. So not much “studying of my husband” (well, boyfriend at the time) was going on (other than how hot he was – and seeing as it was long distance, not even a whole lot of that was going on). And let’s face it, when you’re newly married, you can’t help but get caught up in the excitement and fun of it all! While you’re head over heels in love with your husband, realistically, you’re not really, truly studying him for those first few years, unless you choose to be intentional about it.

Things I’ve learned about my husband by studying him…

1. To unwind, he plays video games.

2. He is a homebody. Socializing does not energize him.

3. He eats a light breakfast and lunch, and is famished when he gets home!

4. Simple ways are best when it comes to expressing that I love him.

5. He’s FOCUSED! And by that, I mean, he could literally go a month without realizing I swapped out pictures in our house. This doesn’t imply he’s not aware, he just tends to have a narrow focus on the task at hand.

Those just scratch the surface, but are helpful for knowing things like…

1. When (and when NOT) to have important conversations with him (for example – do NOT bring up anything important while he’s playing video games or right before bed)

2. How often (or infrequently as the case may be) I can book a “social agenda” for us as a couple

3. He’s SOOO interested in what we’re having for dinner (see #3 above)

4. Giving him a night to play games, or simply telling him how thankful I am that he works so I can stay at home with the kids are better ways to show him I love him than concocting some elaborate scavenger hunt date night. While he would gather that I loved him by doing so, it would not be necessary, so why I ask you, why?

5. I should not be offended when he fails to notice that I cleaned the kitchen, or added a new piece of décor. It’s not that he didn’t appreciate it, it’s simply not on his manly radar.

By studying your husband, you can learn to love him in a way that HE feels truly loved. So, for example, while I would totally melt if my husband were to randomly surprise me and take me out swing dancing (HINT HINT), he would be kinda irritated (social activity, not in the house).

So, to help maintain a strong marriage, study your husband and love him the way HE wants to be loved (not the way you think he should be loved, ‘cuz chances are, that ain’t it).

Trick of the Trade Tuesday–How to cut mango

This picture was taken awhile ago, with the intent to post this as a trick of the trade, and here we are, well…quite a few months later. Anyhow!

My good friend Mary taught me how to cut a mango. Remember my blog description? My journey of becoming comfortable in the kitchen? So yeah, I needed to be taught how to cut a mango.

My kids LOVE to eat mangoes this way! (YES! Even my picky eater Allie!)

Instead of shooting a video myself, here’s a pro to show you how. Just click the picture to take you to the link.

By the way, I use the second method he shows, and you don’t have to make quite so many cuts. If you see in the picture of my son above, I think I made 4 slices each way, but you can even get away with only 3 and just have some BIG bites too. Enjoy your mango!

Menu Plannin’ Monday–Happy Labor Day!

Monday: Oven Fried Eggplant (I may have gotten an obscene amount of eggplant in our Farm Fresh delivery this week, so…)

Tuesday: Zucchini Mac & Cheese (and, a wee bit of news…I may or may not have picked a zucchini while house hunting! The house was vacant, it would’ve gone to waste. Stay tuned for more info!)

Wednesday: Taco Casserole

Thursday: Loaded Eggplant Rounds

Friday: Black Bean Spinach Enchiladas

Saturday: Date night! Mac & cheese for the kids

Sunday: Teryiaki Chicken

Menu Plannin’ Monday

Nothin’ fancy this week, but I think sometimes it’s nice to show that some weeks are whatever you can throw together because it’s the end of the month and you’re trying to stay on a budget! hehe =)

Monday: Beefy Pasta (sorry, can’t find the recipe online)

Tuesday: Turkey & Cranberry Chutney Sandwich (carryover from last week)

Wednesday: Baked Potatoes, Chicken & Salad

Thursday: Throw Together Kidney Bean Burritos (from Real Simple)

Friday: Kung Pao Chicken

Saturday: Invited to dinner at a friends, lucky us!! =)

Sunday: Eat out – celebrate hubby’s 4 day weekend!

What I Wore Wednesday–Not Too Shabby

CONFESSION TIME…

I think I’ve not been posting any OOTD (outfit of the day for any newbs) pics lately partially because I’ve not been trying my best to look nice.

It’s hot. I’m tired. I’m trying to stay fit (i.e. sometimes I haven’t showered and am in gym clothes). And I’m chasing my kids at parks.

ALL THAT SAID, I’m glad I took this pic. I don’t look too bad.  

Shirt & Flip Flops: Old Navy

Shorts: Loft

Earrings: Gift from when I was a teacher

Sunglasses: Target

And one I took awhile back but never posted, just for fun…

Shirt & Flip Flops: Old Navy (I’ve since graduated to what I call “adult” sandals, but wasn’t there yet for this pic. Hopefully I’ll post a picture of those cute shoes soon)

Necklace: Charming Charlie’s

Shorts: Banana Republic

Bracelets: H&M

Menu Plannin’ Monday

Gosh, time flies! I’m too embarrassed to admit the last time I posted my menu plan. Not that I haven’t been doing it, just not posting. But, here goes…

Monday: Chicken, FB Broccoli Recipe & Salad (it was super healthy!)

Tuesday: Bite-Size Chicken Empanadas (new to me recipe!)

Wednesday: Chicken Fajita Melts (second time making it, yum)

Thursday: Greek Orzo Stuffed Peppers (second time as well, yum)

Friday: Artichoke Pizzas (This is an easy go-to for me I found a LONG time ago in Real Simple. It has almonds on it and is delish!!)

Saturday: Burgers, Sweet Potato Fries & Salad

Sunday: Turkey & Cranberry Chutney Sandwich (second time yet again, and yummers!)

Strawberry & Nutella Crepes

Short and simple post for ya!

I made crepes for the first time this morning…it will CERTAINLY not be the last or else my hubby will never forgive me for making these on a work morning when he has already left the house.

Clipped the recipe out of a Mother’s Day issue of Family Circle. (and yes, I’m just now getting around to trying it! – instead of being embarrassed about waiting this long to try the recipe, I will pat myself on the back for hanging onto a paper copy of said recipe for oh…4 or 5 months. BAM!)

SUPER EASY…AND SUPER DELISH! Too bad my daughter still chose to pick out the ONLY healthy part – the strawberries. *sigh*

strawberry & nutella crepes

1. In a medium bowl, whisk 2 eggs, 1 cup skim milk, 1/2 tsp almond extract, 1/2 cup cornstarch, 1/2 cup flour, 1 tbsp oil, 2 tsp sugar, 3/4 tspbaking powder, 1/4 tsp salt and a pinch ground allspice. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Stir.

2. Heat an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. With a ladle or 1/4-cup measure, add 2 tbsp batter to skillet. Tilt and rotate pan to coat. Cook 30 seconds or until crepe is browned on bottom and edges are dry. Lift with a silicone spatula and flip over. Cook 5 seconds, then transfer to a sheet of wax paper. Repeat with remaining batter, stacking crepes with wax paper in between. Spread with Nutella and scatter sliced strawberries on top. Fold, then dust withconfectioners' sugar and cocoa powder.

Enjoy!

10 Things I’ve Learned in 10 Years of Marriage–#5. Maintain Your Girlfriends

I clearly alluded to this same tip in my last marriage post, here, but indulge me in allowing me to provide further explanation as to how beneficial your girlfriends can be!

#1. You need a shopping buddy, and your husband is probably not the right person.  

#2. Chick flicks! I don’t see them often, but every once in awhile, I get sucked in. The last one I saw was “Safe Haven”. I’m confident my husband would rather poke his eye out with a spork than to have seen this movie. Or worse yet (for him anyway) listen to 2 hours of country music.

#3.  Girl’s nights. There’s just something about kicking back with a group of your closest friends, laughing, sharing kid stories, etc. that simply makes the heart happy.

#4. She’ll tell you the truth. Not that your husband won’t, but if you ask him if you look fat in your new dress, and he were to actually tell you that yes you do indeed, look fat in the dress, you might punch him in the face (or worse, withhold sex! DON’T do this ladies, seriously…while you think you might be gaining an upper hand, you’re just leaving the door open for him to find that fulfillment elsewhere). Your girlfriends have that way of being honest, without damaging your ego too badly.

#5. You need a sounding board. Not if, but when you get frustrated with your husband, it’ll be helpful to have a girlfriend to process with, and gauge whether your emotions are legit, or totally out of whack. Word of caution, however, just as women run on love, men run on respect. So don’t go around bad-mouthing your man or saying such awful things your friend will never be able to respect him. Try to share your frustrations in a logical fashion. In other words, try to present the scenario in a way that is unbiased. She’ll also be able to provide better feedback/advice that way, too.

#6. It’ll make you a better person. It’s unrealistic to expect that your husband will provide you with everything you need. You need support from other people and not become completely codependent on your husband. That won’t be healthy for either of you. We should always go to God first, with everything, but God also intended for us to have support from others. And ladies, we need support from our fellow ladies!

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One more thing to note on this topic…

Notice the depth of the friendship described here, and the word “maintain” in the tip. In order to maintain girlfriends, you have to make an effort. You need to call them, email, text, plan play dates, plan girl’s nights, etc. Friendships don’t just magically happen (or rarely do). You have to show the person you care.

This is something that I’m working on, and need to. I’m blessed with some amazing girlfriends, that apparently love me faults and all, because I often get caught up in my own, silly, busy world, and forget to say “Hey, we need to hang, and talk meaningfully, instead of in between yelling at my kid and changing a diaper.”

So to my girlfriends…you know who you are…bear with me as I learn. And point it out when I’m failing, please, I’m giving you permission. I love you deeply and am thankful to YOU for helping me to be a better person.

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P.S. – Take pictures with your girlfriends! I went to find some with mine, and seriously? I have like 10,000 of my kids, and like 3 with girlfriends…maybe. So watch out friends, I may start making you take selfies with me! hehe

Okay, I’ll at least leave you with this gem I found of one of my longest girlfriend relationships from waaay back in jr. high. Love you Kel!

Oh my word! I just laughed out loud, with tears, for maybe like 5 minutes after giving this a good look over. My husband asked why I do this to myself and I said, “’Cuz sometimes you just have to laugh at yourself!”

10 Things I’ve Learned in 10 Years of Marriage–#6. Ladies, pipe down about “the nail”!

If you have yet to watch this video, or simply need a good laugh, please go watch it before reading the remainder of this post.

Man do I wish I had learned this one earlier on in our marriage! Not only would it have saved both my husband and I a LOT of frustration, but many of my problems would’ve been solved waaay sooner than they were!

Let me start with an example of something from real life…

I asked my husband to help me come up with an example, and surprisingly…we had to go a ways back to come up with one, but, here goes!

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Pre-kid days, I was a teacher and had an unfortunate situation in which the principal was not above moral reproach. The students, myself, his staff and many others paid a high price.

I would frequently come home complaining and needing to talk out some anger about the situation. Sweet hubby kept pointing out what steps I should take to fix the situation. “No, you’re not listening!” Sound familiar?

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So, let’s be real here. We’re women. We talk. A lot. Probably a lot more than we need to. And that’s partially just how we run! So I’m not telling you to never hash out your struggles and problems with anyone, I’m just telling you to not hash them out with your husband, if you can avoid it. He honestly DOES NOT GET THE NEED FOR PROCESSING and simply wants to FIX IT! I had an aha moment that finally helped me understand how LITTLE he comprehends your need to talk things through. I equated him listening to my long drawn out stories about my frustrations, to him excitedly telling me about his most recent battle against the troll and how he leveled up and received a new pet in doing so (sorry hun, I’m working really hard to care!!). “What does that even mean” you ask yourself? EXACTLY! They don’t get it, and don’t wanna hear your half hour long rendition of why you’re torn up (maybe if you could sum it up in 2 minutes?).

So when you feel the need to talk about “your nail”…

#1.

Talk to God first.

Often times, that’s all you end up needing! I mean, He did create the world, I’m certain He can handle helping you through your problems, right? But, God also understands our need for human interaction.

#2.

Find a girlfriend.

 A girlfriend ladies. Not a slew of them so you end up sharing your stories over and over again, reliving them exhausting your mental capacities simply for the sake of talking it out. Seek out ONE trusted girlfriend who understands your need to talk something through and share your feelings with them.

And on those very rare occasions when a girlfriend is not available, or simply nobody else will do other than your husband, begin your “storytelling” with the following words…

“HONEY, WOULD YOU JUST LISTEN?”

And proceed, knowing that if he answers yes, he loves you a gosh darn awful lot! Because he is solely listening for that reason alone – he loves you. Absolutely no other reason.

#3.

Consider taking action about your “nail situation”. =) In other words, fix it!

Once you get in the habit of sharing with your girlfriends instead of your husband, you might actually find yourself coming to your husband for…*gasp* actual advice and an answer! Yes, you might actually come to him in hopes that he will fix it. You’ll learn that it’s far less emotionally exhausting to just let him provide you with the answer, versus spewing all your emotional garbage before hearing said answer. And let me tell you how much more at peace and productive you will be in life! I’m still learning, I still hash things out, even with my patient sweet hubby. But I’m making progress, and that’s why my marriage is still flourishing, I’m WORKING AT IT! =)

So, in closing…

#6. pipe down about “the nail” and consider fixing it

10 Things I’ve Learned in 10 Years of Marriage–#7. Manage Your Mayonnaise Jar Wisely

Again, I like to share, so this post will be broken up into 3 parts.

1. Setting the stage for the tip (the mayonnaise jar story)

2. Further explanation of how the mayonnaise jar story pertains to marriage

3. Personal application

Most of you have probably heard the following story, but even if you have, read it again. We can NEVER have too many reminders.

The mayonnaise jar

A professor stood before his philosophy class, with some unusual items in front of him on the desk. When the class began, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly and the pebbles rolled into the small gaps between the golf balls. He asked the students again if the jar was full, and they agreed that it was.

Now the professor picked up a small box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up all the remaining gaps between the golf balls and the pebbles. Once again he asked the students if the jar was full, and the response was a unanimous ‘yes.’

Now the professor produced a cup of coffee from under the table and poured its contents into the jar, filling the remaining air pockets in the sand.

The students laughed.

When the laughter subsided, the professor said:

‘Now imagine that this jar represents your life:

• The golf balls are the important things – God, family, children, friends, favorite passions and your health. These are the things that, if everything else were lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.
• The pebbles are the other things that matter like, your job, house, and car.
• The sand is everything else — ‘the small stuff.’

The professor continued: 'The moral of my story is this: it’s important to get these things in your life in the right order. Here’s why:

If you put the sand into the jar first, there won’t be any room left for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you’ll never have room for the things that are important to you.

So take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. The rest is just sand.

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness:

• Play with your children
• Take your lover out to dinner
• Talk to your friends.

There will always be time to clean the house, do the dishes and fix the garage door.

One of the students raised her hand and asked what the cup of coffee represented.

The professor smiled and said, ‘I’m glad you asked: The coffee just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room to share a cup or two with a friend.’

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Worth the read, right?

Make room for the golf balls FIRST!

This includes your husband, ladies, and men…your wife.

Upon entering marriage, every couple endures some adjustments in that first year. Up until this point, you’ve pretty much only had to worry about you, and you alone. And while your significant other was definitely a significant “golf ball” prior to marriage, NOW….NOW he or she represents a golf ball you have get to keep for THE REST OF YOUR LIFE! Can you imagine keeping track of one golf ball for the remainder of your life? Not losing it? I don’t know about you and your chaotic life, but in my household? Keeping track of one golf ball would be incredibly difficult.

Think of the things you’ve lost over the years, that were crucially important and yet somehow, they just got lost…

Keys, wallets….children! *gasp*

Adding a “golf ball” to that list doesn’t seem completely out of the realm of normal. So now, you see, how fragile this thing called marriage can be. And how as a newlywed, adjusting to keeping your sights set on this brand new, incredibly important, sometimes hard to find golf ball, can represent a challenge.

In other words, after marriage, it takes some adjusting to realize your spouse needs to be at the top of your “golf ball list”. So, while we might THINK we’ve got our spouse at the top, let’s address what sand represents…

Man, sand can REALLY get in the way, and can be SUPER tricky to get rid of.

I absolutely adore this picture of my daughter from only a year ago! See all that sand stuck in every nook and cranny of her adorable, michelin-man, chubby little legs?

While sand (i.e. hobbies such as running, surfing, scrapbooking, decorating, fishing, video games, etc.) can be relaxing and enhance our lives…

…it can also really become bothersome and interfere with all the fun being had.

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The hubs and I had some struggles figuring out how to give the “sand” less authority in our early stages of marriage.

Speaking more from my side of the story (there’s ALWAYS two sides to the story), one of the main issues for me was my husband’s love of video games. We knew it was going to be a struggle even before we ever got married. In college, he would have weekend long “gaming sessions” in which he and his friends would pretty much stop only to eat and use the bathroom (notice I didn’t mention sleep in there). Needless to say, he would play for hours (and hours) at night, completely losing track of time. I’d try and poke my head in and say, “Hey hun, how much longer do you think you’ll play?” But he was in “THE ZONE”. Any other girlfriends or wives out there that can relate with attempting to break your man out of “THE ZONE”? Pretty much, short of literally cutting the cord to the computer (or console), there’s no breaking them out of it.

Imagine how that left me feeling. He’d say, “Just tell me when I’ve played too much”. In girl world, “When I have to spend time with you, come tell me and I will”, like it’s an obligation. I know now that’s not what he meant, but it’s certainly how it left me feeling.

I’ll be honest, it probably took a good 6 years to break this cycle and find a balance. I had to learn that for my husband, video games is a type of stress relief, and it’s actually helpful for him to play. I also really did need to voice my opinion about how much was too much, and not let it hurt my ego feelings.

And my husband had to learn that video games was, in fact, in the “sand” category. Can I tell you how much that made me feel like a princess? That I am, indeed, more important than video games? Sounds silly, but it’s one of the many, many sacrifices he’s made for us in our marriage, and for that, I’m thankful.

So, what’s the “sand” that’s interfering in your marriage? Is it something you’re devoting too much time to? Is it something your spouse is, and you haven’t voiced your opinion yet? Whatever it is, put it aside and focus on the golf ball in front of you, cherish it.

Bloglovin’….a simple way for you to follow my blog!

If you just want a shot at the above, click the button to the right that says “Follow this blog with bloglovin’”, then click follow on the page it takes you to. If you want to know about bloglovin’, read on (and click the button!)

I’m alright with change, I don’t mind it. It’s just that, it takes time. Right? Most changes take time to adapt to. So, it’ll take some time for me to adjust to Bloglovin’ (instead of Google Reader). But really, it’s essentially the same thing, it just looks different.

For those of you unfamiliar with Bloglovin’, let me explain briefly how it’ll help you follow my blog (and many others you enjoy).

Bloglovin’ basically sets you up with a homepage of sorts, that lists any blogs you wish to follow (that are obviously connected through Bloglovin’) and a snapshot of their posts. Here’s a screen shot from my homepage today:

AND…if you have Google Chrome, you can add a button on your toolbar that shows updates you have. Below is a screen shot of mine (don’t judge the following: how many tabs I have open, and how many unread bloglovin’ pages I have, seriously? I’d NEVER in my right mind have time to read all those!!):

See the little blue button on the FAR right? With the white plus in the middle and the +99 (unread blog posts) it’s notifying me of?!

If you’d like to follow my blog, you can have that nifty little toolbar updater, too, that will notify you of my blog post updates. So, even if it’s only my measly little blog you wanna follow, follow me on bloglovin’! Click here, and click follow, it’s THAT simple!

And, to help encourage my teeny tiny little blog and the effort I put into it, let’s see if I can get 50 followers by the end of July. A very reachable goal (especially since that’s how many I had on Google Reader ). If I do, I’ll send a $5 Starbuck’s card to a random follower! Share the word friends!

And thank you to those of you that read my blog. It really, truly is, those of you that mention something you read that keep me coming back to write more posts. So thanks!