September Blogging Challenge: Memory

This is the final post to finish up the September Blogging Challenge! I can't believe I covered every single one (almost) lol. 

Today's prompt asks us for a special memory. There are so many to choose from; there are smaller "insignificant" memories that really have a big impact to more significant ones such as the day I got engaged to my wedding to the day my daughter was born. The one I am going to share though I think is more of a "neutral" memory and really incorporates how much people cared about me and really signifies my growing up. It also made me realize just how small the world is! 

I don't have any digital pictures to go with this memory, although it takes up a good majority of one of my scrapbooks. I was 19, my daughter was 3 or 4 months old, hubby had just graduated from boot camp and was in California. We had not even been married a year yet so I didn't want to have to live apart from him any longer than necessary. Plus, I'd always wanted to live in California, so we decided to use what little money we had for me to get on a train with our 4 month old and come on our to Cali. Now mind you I'd never left my home state without a parent, so this was a HUGE deal! My mom and I had quite a fun time organizing everything I would need for four days of non-stop travel with an infant. My mom was a basket case (obviously, what mother wouldn't be lol) so my dad took me to the train station. I remember feeling like something out of a 1950's movie getting on the train. I also remember having to kick my father off as I was pretty sure the train was going to take off with him on it and not that I would have minded, but I was scared he'd be arrested for not having a ticket! LOL Oh the joy of being naive lol!

The train takes off and I spent a few hours just enjoying watching the scenery go by and exploring the train. I had never been on a train so that was super fun. There were a lot of interesting people to meet and talk to. At dinner I sat with an older couple in there 70's who had been married like 40 years or something insane and had quite a bit in common with them so that was really nice. After that evening I was walking through the train and saw a girl I had gone to high school with! She was going to Texas to meet up with her husband at the time. I was flabbergasted! I could not believe that was happening. I was grateful though because after 24 hours on a train with an infant I needed a small break so she kindly watched my daughter for me while I took a washroom break and cleaned up and reorganized my bag. We then met back up within the hour for breakfast together. It was so nice to see her and visit and catch-up. We were just acquaintances in school, but it still meant a lot. 

After a few days of travel and spending hours in the scenery car I arrived in Los Angeles, 8 hours behind schedule! I was so stressed out, but quickly learned that the train that went from Los Angeles to Lompoc was a commuter train so I got on one no problem. The older gentleman from the couple I had met lived in Los Angeles so they helped me gather my belongings and helped me to my next train. That was such a relief to have some help like that! I arrived in Lompoc and found my way to the AF Base. It was quite an experience and one that really helped me grow up. It also helped me realize the importance of community and how many different types of communities there are, permanent and temporary!

This sure was a fun month sharing quite a few things with my readers that I normally would not think to share! What is one of your fondest memories??

September Blogging Challenge: Four Favourite Foods

Four Favourite Foods:

(no, I couldn't resist an alliteration)

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I never said my choices would be healthy! Ha! But, those are my faves, what are yours????

September Blogging Challenge: Greatest Fear

I have to say, when I was in my '20's I probably feared everything lol As I have gotten older, however, I find I have much more peace about life and living in general. I try not to stress and worry over things, and things I thought I was "afraid" of....I'm really not, I was just being dramatic and immature! The only thing I can say I actually worry about is obviously losing my daughter. That and losing my husband are the two things that I would definitely need to be medicated for a period of time if they happened.

September Blogging Challenge: One Year Accomplishment

Today's prompt has us once again looking at the future! The first one was looking forward five years, now we are looking a bit more at the immediate future, which is something I can definitely do! In one year I would like to monetize my blogging. I am not quite sure how I am going to fully go about this, but I know it can be done and have been doing quite a bit of research on it, I think I can make it happen. If anyone out there has any suggestions I am 100% open to any and all suggestions! :)

How about you, if you have to pick only one thing to accomplish by September 2014, what would it be?

September Blogging Challenge: Most Influential Person in my Life

This topic is a seriously tough one. I have a lot of people who have influenced me. I have my mom, my dad, and my husband. These three people have really supported me and helped me in any and all my endevours. My mother and father since I was a small child, and my husband in my adulthood. But, I have to say the one person who has really driven me to set a good example, be the best I can be is this lil' lady: 

She is such a cutie, isn't she?! I wanted to set a good example for her as a child so I made sure to put myself through college, find a profession I would enjoy, and now to do the best I can to set a great example of taking care of our home so she knows what to do a long time from now when she is out on her own! 

Kind of surprising that I chose my child as the most influential person on my life, huh? What about you, who is the person who has most influenced your life?

September Blogging Challenge: Top 3 Worst Traits/Habits

Seriously, now this one I can do! We are all our worst critic right?! 

1. Procrastination: I am a horrible procrastinator. It's what prevents me from getting on any type of schedule! But, when I am sick of procrastinating hold on world....I'm doing ALL THE THINGS!!! 

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2. When I get stressed out, I tend to shut down and lash out! It's really quite terrible, but when something stresses me out and someone tries to talk to me I can go from sweet to way too sassy so fast it'll make your head spin! 

....you probably don't! ;) This is one thing I am majorly working on to change about myself though. I don't like it. 

3. Lack of passion. I am passionate about somethings and those things I am super passionate about. But, there are other things that I want to care about, but just can't seem to muster up the energy some days to really care enough about them to take action! This is another thing I am trying to change about myself.

Here is a funny to leave you with...this is one of my favourite "rotten" ecards ;)

September Blogging Challenge: What do you want to be when you grow up?

As a little girl I loved to play school. I would run a  school and try to teach my friends to write left handed! What a pip, right?! Who knew that was mostly a genetic thing?! Well, I do now and that's what is important, but as a child-teacher I was darn well determined to make my friends write like me! ha! So, in short, as a child I wanted to be a teacher. After a brief stint of majoring in political science and thinking I could change the world in politics I decided teaching would be the best career move for me! So, that is what I became, a teacher. Now, though I stay at home and do house wifery duties and raise the teen, but when I was teaching I sure did love every moment. It was so rewarding, even the crazy insane frustrating moments were well worth it when you knew everything clicked and the light bulb went on! 

What do you do for a living? Is it much different from what you wanted to be when you were little?

September Blog Challenge: Worst day or event of my life

I have to be honest here....I can't say I have one! My life up until this point has been amazing. I am truly blessed. I have an amazing family, amazing parents, an amazing sibling, amazing in-laws....I cannot think of a moment that makes me say, "that was the worst moment of my life". This could be attributed to the fact that I take most anything and spin it in a positive light....

If I have to pick a moment, though after giving it some thought, I'd probably say the day we found out my grandmother was ill. I grew very close to her when my family moved back to Jacksonville in 2008, where we grew up. As far as we all knew, besides her elderly aches and pains, she was healthy as a horse...then one day she wasn't feeling well and a few days later was diagnosed with stage four cancer. It was quite shocking. She died within three month's time. I know it really took a toll on my mother and due to circumstances beyond my mother's control it took her a while to deal with it. I think she dealt with it as best she could, but still it was a huge shocker to all of us! Heck, sometimes I still have to remind myself my grandmother isn't here anymore! So, if I had to pick one as the most awful I'd think that was it.

I just want to reiterate though, I am so fortunate, I haven't had to deal with a lot of the losses and issues others have had to deal with in their lives. What few hardships I have had, I've learned a lot from and have really made sure I use them to better myself/my life.

September Blogging Challenge: 10 Words

10 Words to Describe Me

1. Mother
2. Wife
3. Daughter
4. Sister
5. Loving
6. Involved
7. Crafty
8. Healthy
9. Goofy
10. Amazing (I couldn't come up with at 10th so I asked the hubs ;))

How would you describe yourself?

September Blogging Challenge: Five years in the future

Ok, I don't know what it is about some of these questions, but they give me heart palpitations. Almost like sitting in an interview and you get the inevitable 5 year plan question. I never know how to answer this one, especially in a stupid interview....how do you politely say well I'm sure I'll move in the next year, but I still see myself here! LOL Thank goodness I sort of gave up on getting a regular job these last couple of moves, I was tired of convincing myself we were finally "settled in a place"! ha! But, anyway, on to the real question.

In five years I have to be honest I have no idea where I see myself. I am sure we will be living in yet another new place. Our daughter will be turning 18 at that point and about to head off to University. I hope that in the next five years we can get to Europe and be living there, letting our daughter finish off her education over there, learning a new language, and getting to experience history in the most glorious way-hands on! 

Do you have a five year plan? Do you find having these sorts of plans help or hinder you? If you aren't a planner do you have the same fear of this sort of question like I do?!

September Blogging Challenge: Guilty Pleasures...

I've never been good at saying what my guilty pleasures are. I think because I know many others share in my guilty pleasures that I don't think of them as that "guilty". I will say though after following a few conversations on different social media platforms I think my biggest guilty pleasure is watching shows like Total Diva's and Big Brother. 100% trash TV, but oh so very entertaining! 

So, what is your guilty pleasure?

September blogging challenge: Catch-up!

Well, I jinxed myself last week when I thought I'd fallen behind. Well, I am back and playing catch-up so...

Monday, the 16th's prompt was an embarrassing moment. The most embarrassing moment for me that really sticks out is a few weeks ago when I fell off a curb! Oh it was so embarrassing. I was walking and talking and didn't even see that I was coming to an area on the side walk that led to the street, thus it started to slant down....well, you can imagine what happened then...bam! Down I go. I wound up with two scraped knees. I was told by someone that it was the best fall they'd ever seen because he didn't even have time to get out his phone to put it on YouTube. I then gave him a small lecture on being a gentleman, as my hubby gave him the death stare. It was priceless. I really need to pay more attention here that's the second time I've fallen off a curb since moving here lol I can't think of any other embarrassing moments....I was pretty lucky in elementary, middle, and high school. I'm not saying nothing embarrassing happened, I just happened to block it out I'm sure! :)

Tuesday's prompt was if I could live at any other time when would it be and why? If I could live during any other time it would definitely be the '20's! What isn't to love about the roaring '20's?! All the glitz and glam, decent music, parties galore! I'd have been in heaven. Two of my all time favourite books take place in that time period: The Great Gatsby & another one about two best friends who sort of fall apart from one another but eventually find their way back...they also love shoes. I wish I could remember the name of it...I know I sent it to my best friend, I wonder if she still has it....

Wednesday's propt is one area of my life I wish I was better at....I know that one: time management and taking action! I need to start to pay better attention to my to-do lists and do thing in the order in which I want them completed. If I could do this, all my problems would be solved, problem is...I get lazy. :-/

Today, the 19th is something I am passionate about: Fitness. I love to be fit and active. It's so important for mental health as well as physical health. People are constantly telling me they don't have time for fitness, but you know why they don't? If you are really honest with yourself, if that is your excuse, it's because you don't want to. That's ok, just be honest with yourself. If you spend 30 minutes to an hour on facebook/pinterest/whatever everyday that is a time you could be exercising. That time you laid down after lunch and read, if you really wanted you could be exercising. I'm not saying it is for everyone, it just bothers me when people say they don't have time to exercise when really they do they just aren't working to make it happen. When I worked I was up at 4am every single day, worked out and then went about my day...sometimes I would even do a second workout when I got home. It is something that is super important to me and I love it! I also look for anything I can do to get active with my child. I run with her when she wants, I take her to the park and throw the frisbee, hike, etc. I am so passionate about being healthy.

After all that, what are you PASSIONATE about?! Tell me, I want to know! :)

September Blogging Challenge: Favourite Outdoor Activity

Hello! Happy Sunday! Lots of posts have gone up lately, make sure you go over to the homepage and check them out if you are joining me from a direct link!

Today's prompt is my favourite outdoor activity. This is a tough one because I love a lot of outdoor things: swimming, going to the beach, walking, running, hiking, going to the park and playing with my kiddo, and al fresco dining. My favourite, if I have to pick just one would be going to the beach. I will tell you why, it's because going to the beach can incorporate several, if not all of the other outdoor activities I love! 

• Usually I have to walk to get to the beach
• Sometimes, depending on the beach it could be a hike to get there (lol)
• I usually take a picnic lunch with me because I rarely stay for just a short amount of time
• I can swim in the water (well, I don't really here in Canada lol)
• When I go with a friend or my family we can toss the frisbee, fly a kite, or build a sand castle
• Take a walk and collect shells

So, there you have it, my favourite outdoor activity that includes all of my other favourite outdoor activities!

How many times can you use the phrase "favourite outdoor activity" in one sentence?! Seriously, what is your fave activity for the outdoors, anything new and fun I should get into?

September Blogging Challenge: Blogs I Love

I love a lot of blogs. I have been reading blogs for quite a while and that is actually what drove me to start blogging. I saw a lot of people like myself who were thrifty, crafty, moms, wives, teachers, etc., who were all blogging about their projects and lives. I also love to share my projects with people, but sadly they aren't always wanting to be the willing recipients of my "fun" tutorials. So, after our latest move to Vancouver, BC, Canada and once again being friendless I decided to start blogging about the things I am doing. So....these are the blogs that inspired me:

I love this site. Since moving to Canada many of the "deals" don't apply to me, but I love all the craft projects she posts and the link party she does on Thursdays, I look forward to it every week...even before I started blogging I looked forward to it, now as a blogger I am so grateful she offers the party so I have people to share my latest tutorials with.

This is another blog I followed long before I started blogging. I loved all of her ideas and she is really an organizing inspiration! Most of the organizing projects I have posted on here have been inspired by things I have seen on her blog, or by challenges posted on her blog!  

This gal over at Peas and Crayons helped when I first started blogging as I'd been following her for quite some time and her weekly link party "What I Ate Wednesday" gave me a solid foundation for one post I knew I'd write every single week. Plus, it gives me a feeling of a sense of community that there are other people who love (mostly healthy) eating as much as I do!

So, those are the blogs I love, leave a link in the comments to one of your favourite blogs!

September Blog Challenge: I suddenly (almost) fell behind! Oh my!

Well, I had been doing so good with the challenge! But, sadly I got a bit of writer's block and got "busy" and fell behind. What can I say...*sigh*

So the prompt from today was challenges you've over come. I have to be honest I feel like I've let a relatively easy life. I think the biggest "challenge" I've over come is being a young parent and trying to be a mom, wife, student, and full time employee all at the same time. It wasn't easy but I managed to do all of them and be pretty darn good at all of them at the same time! It was a bit like juggling plates there for a bit, but I managed. I made the bed, so I got comfy ;)

Challenges definitely make us who we are and I couldn't have any better challenges than these two:

Love these guys!

So, what are some challenges you've faced?

September Blog Challenge: Pet Peeve

Today we are asked about our biggest pet peeve's. I don't really have any but one...

I really dislike when people display rude behaviour. I say this because I don't think people are inherently rude, but I do think people tend to be very self centered and display rude behaviours. For example, when walking down the sidewalk and people are walking three wide, they see you coming knowing the sidewalk can't fit four wide and they don't move. It is so frustrating! Also when people don't say please or thank you, why not? Why is it so hard to say please when ordering or  thank your server or cashier after they've helped you? Why is it so hard for them to thank us for being a patron at their restaurant or store? It also bothers me when you are trying to get around someone in a store and they just don't move. You can say excuse me a million times, yet they don't budge! Seriously, people, what is wrong with you?! Also, when at a fast food or walk up order restaurant when someone doesn't know what they want and they stand at the front, not discussing it with the cashier or chef and just block everyone from ordering and then get mad at the cashier when they ask if they can help them decide or if they could step to the side. Seriously, again, what is wrong with people?! Have some consideration for others. I also can't stand it when people aren't punctual. It's rude. I give people a 5 minute leeway. I am usually always early so I try to remind myself that not everyone is, but when someone is 10-15 minutes late it's just rude. If I knew you'd be late I would have done something else with my 15 minutes besides sit and wait for you. 

Ok, that turned into more of a rant...

And then this, just because it is so true....

Saw a guy totally hit on a girl the other day, I mean he was laying it on super thick....she looked at him and said, "Man, I was just being polite, I think you are being inappropriate." Served him right. Politeness people, remember it!

September Blogging Challenge: Chores

Todays, prompt is your favorite and least favorite chores.....*sigh* I hate chores period really. I mean, let's be honest they stink. They are the few items in your life that never go away. They are always there, haunting you, taunting you needing to be done. There are daily ones, weekly ones, monthly ones, and yearly ones. They are always there, but, I suppose if you wanted to look at this positively you could see them as constants. They are always there for you, you can count on them needing to be done, I suppose if you have no other order, chores are the one thing you can bank on. So, we'll look at it more positively. Chores are our buddies, always needing tending to, they love us! ;)

So, my favorite chore I'd have to say is.....

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Yup, making the bed is my favorite. I just love how after you make it your room looks all beautiful and serene. There are lots of pillows on the bed, and it just looks fit for royalty. I also love how tight the sheets are when you go to crawl into it in the evening, it's like you cared enough to tuck yourself in, makes me feel very princess like with all my pillows and a nicely made bed. Makes me feel like I cared enough about my husband and myself to go the extra mile. Here's a graphic about making the perfect bed: 

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Here are 5 great reasons to make your bed every day:

1. Maintain order-I know if this gets done the rest of my room will remain clean and orderly.
2. Teaches responsibility-I had to make my bed everyday from a young age, I know there are certain things you just have to do.
3. Pride-it shows I care about my home and my room. Makes me happy to keep my door open and let anyone see how I care for my personal belongings. 
4. Thankfulness-There are many people who don't have a bed to care for, I am thankful I do and want to care for it in that manner.
5. Energy-if my bed is unmade that lets me know it's okay to crawl back in, I tend toward laziness and if I don't make the bed, I will probably not accomplish anything.

So, that was a long drawn out explanation on my favorite chore, but I was inspired! I didn't realize I loved making the bed so much and all the benefits it had for me! 

My least favorite chore is definitely...

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A few funnies about the dishes. I get a bit of help from my wonderful husband and daughter when it comes to the dishes because they know just how much I dislike them. They make my hands dry, they are dirty, plus they are never ending! We try to be as "no waste" as possible so I don't buy plastics and we try and keep track of our glasses so we aren't using a hundred of them and I try to reuse my breakfast plate for lunch when possible, but somehow they still multiply. Maybe I need to get my dishes condoms. LOL! 

But, I will say when they are done, I feel like a million bucks! I do love a glistening kitchen!

What are your fave and least fave chores?!

September Blogging Challenge: Dream Vacation

So, today we get to dream, and dream as big as we want! My dream vacation probably isn't like most people's. I don't want to go somewhere and just veg out on a beach all day....I did that every summer in my teenage-hood. When I vacation I want to get out and do stuff, experience things!!

So....here would be my dream vacation in pictures:

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So highlights that I have to get to in Europe: 

London

Paris

Venice

Madrid

So, those are just a few of the places I'd visit on my dream vacation. I'm sure when I get the opportunity to actually plan that dream vacation I will add more places to the list to visit. I don't really have a list of things I'd do in those areas yet, well that's a lie I know some things, but, I think those are enough to keep me occupied and dreaming for now! :)

Have you taken your dream vacation yet? If not, where would you go?

September Blog Challenge: Favourite Photo

Whew! Fairly busy day yesterday (unexpectedly when our cheer carpool let us know they weren't in the country lol), so I didn't get around to writing today's post! Well, here I am now, getting it done. My favourite photo this is going to be a tough one since I love pictures and have a TON!  Seriously, the amount of pictures I take is a little excessive. I have tried to tone it down in recent years, but with digital pictures I seem to be worse than ever lol But, here we go...

I'm going to go with a more recent photo. This isn't necessarily my favourite photo of all time, but my recently most favourite photo is this one:

It is from us kayaking over the summer (obviously given the paddle in the back lol). We were having a great time and we were trying to get a "selfie" of us together while getting some of the scenery in the background. I think it really embodies the two of us and just how goofy we are! :P

Here is another favourite:

I know I showed this one earlier in this same series, but it's the first photo of our little family and is so sweet! :) <3 p="">

I have others, but sadly they aren't digital lol Gosh, sometimes I think I sound so old! hahaha

September Blog Challenge: Best Piece of Advice I've Received

The best piece I've ever received is from my grandmother. Sadly, I don't think I personally have any digital pictures of her. I will have to look through my photo albums and get one though. Whenever I think of the best advice it was when I was pregnant and she said to get an "old fashioned" clock that ticks, wrap it in a blanket and put it in the crib near where my new baby would sleep. She said it reminds them of the mother's heartbeat and along with swaddling will help the baby sleep better, thus giving you more rest. I did this for about the first 6 months of my daughter's life. I felt like it gave her security feeling like I was there and I never had a problem with her sleeping.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received?