My Pretty Little Life!

Five Question Friday #28

2012-01-21T22:11:00.000-05:00

1. Where do you hide the reeeally good snacks?

I don't have a place that I hide the really good snacks. Not yet, anyways.

2. Do u keep your vehicle clean or am I the only one who has things falling out of their van?

We tend to keep our vehicles pretty clean. At least we try our hardest. Chris is pretty good at keeping the Camry washed. The inside is usually clean, except for the some days old workout clothes that Chris left in the Camry for two-four days. It can get SMELLY!

3. Have you ever been to Vegas?

Yes, I have been to Vegas. Not to gamble or anything. I have caught a few connecting flights from the airport.

I remember going to Circus Circus while I was in 9th grade after competing in a band competition.

4. Warm room light blankets or cold room warm snuggly blanket?

I like either.

5. What is the worst airplane/flying experience you've ever had?

I don't remember. All my recent airplane/flying experiences have been really well.

Wednesday Wishes #11

2012-01-18T22:41:00.000-05:00

{one}

Go to the Melting Pot with Chris.

{two}

Valentine's Day Cookies. I would love to learn to be a great baker! Just like Cake Boss!

{three}

Cut my hair... And...

Donate to Locks of Love

We Want To Know #28

2012-01-18T22:11:00.023-05:00

{1} Which of the following phrases characterizes how you live your life?
a. You only live once
b. test the water before jumping in
c. stability is the key to life

100% C. I love my marriage. I love my job (being a stay at home mommy), I love that Chris has a job and it is secure.

{2} What were you doing the last time you had a really good laugh?

I was watching Lyric play. She is always making me laugh by doing something while she is playing. The last thing that she was doing that made us laugh was she was leaning over like she was going to do a summer-sault, put her hand under her and behind her to grab one of her rings to her ring thingy and fell over and ended up sitting on her arm.

{3} Who is the last person you hugged?

The last person that I hugged was Lyric when I put her to bed.

{4} What song always makes you happy when you hear it?

There are many songs that make me happy when I hear them, I just can't think of one. I think of many.

{5} What's the first thing you thought about this morning?

The same thing I think about every morning... I love the thought of waking up and seeing Lyric smiling and playing in her crib.

2 on Tuesday #14 Red Carpet Fashion

2012-01-16T22:31:00.000-05:00

What celebrities do you think have the best red carpet fashion? What celeb’s closet would you like to raid?

I didn't watch the awards. I don't know who's closet I would raid. I love many celeb's styles.

Five Question Friday #27

2012-01-13T21:58:00.000-05:00

1. What's the last thing you bought for yourself?

I got a gift card for Christmas from Chris' grandma to Kohl's and with that I bought a pretty pale blues and purples robe, a pink nightgown, and a black leather wallet to go with the zebra print purse that I got while I was back home in Idaho in December.

2. What's your favourite meal on a cold winter day?

I love soup on cold days. I love my grama's hamburger soup. I can get everything cut and the hamburger cut and ready in less than fifteen minutes and put in the crock pot and it cooks itself and is ready to eat in 4-6 hours. Although, you could put it in a stockpot and I believe that it will cook just as well. That is how my grama cooks her soup.

3. Have you started looking at swimsuits for this year, and do you buy a new one every year?

Ew. No. I have not started looking. I love looking, but it is so hard to find one that I would actually feel comfortable wearing.

4. If you could be any candy what would you be and why?

If I could be any candy, I would want to be something that is chocolate. I choose chocolate because I think that it tastes good, and it is any woman's best friend. Mine especially when not feeling well or sad or stressed.

5. What are you most passionate about?

My family.

**What is your favorite thing to "pin" on Pinterest?

Do it yourself crafts.

Fill In Blank Friday #30

2012-01-13T14:26:00.000-05:00

1. The last thing I ate was macaroni and cheese.

2. The last song I listened to was "One More Time" by Brittney Spears .

3. Using the letters in my name I can spell {Morgan} ran, man, an, or, organ, rag, ram .

4. If I had to dress in one color for the rest of my life I would pick blue, because I love my blue jeans and couldn't live without them. Although, blue isn't so much my favorite color .

5. If you were to look in my bag right now you'd find lip gloss, gum, recipes, wallet, sunglasses, an mp3 player without the ear buds.

6. When I finish filling in the blanks I'm going to finish with my blog pages.

7. My all time favorite song to dance to is just about anything.

MilSpouse Quiz

2012-01-12T19:54:00.001-05:00

I saw this cute little quiz over at My Marine and Me, and figured that I would join in. So, without further adieu...

The Milspouse Quiz

1. How did you and your spouse meet?

I was involved in an organization known as The International Order of Job's Daughters also known as Job's Daughters. And Chris was involved in an organization known as DeMolay International. We were together with our organizations for an installation or something like that. And after the ceremony we went into the dinning room for refreshments and I sat close to Chris. While my youngest sister and her best friend sat right beside him. And they had to turn away from him so that they could eat their cake. Funny thing is, that Chris was trying to get with my middle sister before we got together.

2. How old were you when you two met?

I was 18 (almost 19) years old. And Chris was 16 (almost 17) years old. I am a little over two years older than Chris and I think that it bothers him. HaHa!

3. How long have you been together?

We have been married for a little over one year and we have been together a little over two years.

4. Where are you and your spouse originally from?

I was born in Pocatello, Idaho but raised in Nampa/Boise, Idaho area. And Chris was born and lived most of his childhood in Apple Valley/Los Angeles, California.

5. How did you feel about him joining the military?

I was scared and afraid. I was full of mixed emotions. But it was something that he wanted to do, so I supported him one hundred percent.

6. Where did your spouse go to Basic Training?

He went to Boot Camp in San Diego, California and then MCT was in San Diego as well. He then went to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina for MOS school.

7. Has your spouse ever been deployed?

No. Thankfully, he is in a non-deployable unit. Is it bad that I love that?

8. Ever been to his promotion ceremony?

Nope. Not yet.

9. How long have you been a military wife?

Since I have been married, according to my blog ticker, 1 year, 1 month, and 4 weeks.

10. Did you marry him before or after he joined?

We got married the day before he left for MCT.

11. How did your husband propose?

It was the night of my graduation/prom. On our way back to my place we stopped by the Boise Train Depot and were sitting near the pond. And he asked me if I would marry him. Although, we had already agreed to get married when the time was right.

12. Where did you get married?

We got married the afternoon before he left for MCT school. We went to the courthouse, just the two of us. We hope that later down the road we can have a ceremony where our family and friends can be there.

13. How old were you two when you got married?

Chris was 18, and I was 20.

14. Did he wear his uniform on his wedding day?

No, we both wore casual day clothes. When we have our ceremony for family and friends he will wear his uniform and I will wear a gown. (Hopefully my dream gown)

15. Where are you and your spouse currently stationed?

We are stationed in Norfolk at the Norfolk Naval Base. And currently, I love it. I love living near the beach. I just hate being so far away from my family and friends back in Idaho.

16. Do you live on base?

No, we don't.

17. How long were you married when you had to go through your first separation?

The only separation that we have had to go through so far is Boot Camp, MCT school, and MOS school.

18. What is your favorite base so far?

We have only been stationed at one base so far and that is here in Norfolk. So, so far, this is my favorite base.

19. Do you think your spouse looks good in his uniform?

Of course! I love it when he has a uniform on. Whether it be his cammies, his Blues, or his Alpha's. He looks good in Uniform. But who doesn't?

20. Do you think military life is more advanced than civilian life?

Advanced? How? I am still kinda new to the military life. There is still the drama.

21. Do you like the benefits you receive as a military dependent?

I do. I really do like the health benefits that we get. Although, I either don't or forget to ask whether or not they give military discount.

22. Do you have a lot of military wife friends?

Locally I spent a lot of time with a wife of a husband that my husband works with in the shop. That was until things went down hill all of a sudden. I do hope to start to hang out with another wife of a husband that Chris works with. We hung out a bit, then didn't. She moved to Florida for a little while. And is back again. Hopefully, we can become friends and hang out together.

23. What is the hardest part of the military life?

Them not having a set schedule. It's hard to plan things in the evening because, I never know when he is going to be home for dinner. It's hard to know whether or not he is going to be home late or early.

24. Do you own military wife stuff?

Not really "wife" stuff. I have a sweatshirt, that's all. I do want a Marine Wife license plate border, sticker, lanyard, and maybe a few more sweatshirts.

25. Do you support your spouse as a member of the military?

Of course. I am so proud of him and I will always support him.

Thursday Five #1

2012-01-12T17:32:00.000-05:00

Blessed

Incredible

Productive

Elated

Happy

I'm blessed to have such an amazing baby girl. She is as perfect as could be. She is finally sleeping all through the night, isn't a picky eater, eats what is put in front of her, happy, healthy, perfect!

It's incredible that Lyric is finally sleeping all through the night! If she wakes up she falls right back to sleep. No more needing something half way through the night.

I'm feeling productive because I am finally, once again caught up on all our laundry. I don't know what happened there this last weekend. But I didn't do any of our laundry. So, it got kinda high.

I'm elated that Lyric is sleeping all through the night. If you can't tell... It's a BIG deal to me.

I'm very happy that my father-in-law's knee surgery went well yesterday.

Hannah Montana...

2012-01-12T12:56:00.000-05:00

This morning,
I turned on the T.V and turned on some Netflix.
And was debating on what I was going to turn on for Miss Lyric.
While I made our breakfast.

And I saw under children T.V shows and movies...
Hannah Montana.

So, I turned it on...
Starting with season one, episode one.
And as soon as the first song came on...
Lyric started dancing.

I think that we have found a new favorite T.V show.

I'll try and get pictures later.
Wasn't able to get a good picture of her dancing.

Bed Time...

2012-01-11T20:43:00.000-05:00

I wish I could have gotten the 'doing' part...

But,

Here is the after part...

Notice,

The toothbrush in her mouth?

We just got out of the bath.

She wouldn't let me finish drying her hair...

But look!

Look how curly her hair looks.

Or,

Is that just me?

She also looks like...

She's getting tired.

Yup!

She got off, (well, I got her off of the changing table)

And then got all her

Winnie the Pooh characters off of the bookshelf...

And decided to lay on Tigger.

Would you just look...

Tigger, is almost as big as her!

Looking out the...

Window.

Telling the world...

"Good Night."

Yummy!

2012-01-11T20:38:00.000-05:00

We tried a new food today...

Can you guess what it is?

Spaghetti-O's! With meat balls.

She's attempting to try to poke her finger...

In the O's,

Like they would be a ring.

But...

Every time she does that...

They break.

"Yummy!"

Just look at that pretty girl!

With food all over her face!

It's even in her...

Hair,

Eyebrows,

Neck,

And looks like...

Santa Claus!

We Want To Know #28

2012-01-11T18:39:00.000-05:00

{1} What is your most commonly used word or phrase when you are frustrated?

I think that my most commonly used word when I am frustrated is "crap" or "shoot."

{2} What random question do you usually get from strangers or casual acquaintances?

Usually when we are out shopping we get asked if Lyric is our first child or our only child. I mean how old do we really look? Do we have another child with us?

{3} Did you ever correspond by mail with anyone, who? Do you still have the letters?

When Chris was at boot camp we wrote to each other. Yes, I do still have my letters that he wrote me and I wrote him.

{4} Do you dance in public? why or why not?

Nope, I don't know how to dance.

{5} What is your favorite kind of chapstick/lip balm?

Anything! I'm not picky. I usually just look on the shelves at the store and see what they have and choose from what is there.

Wednesday Wishes #10

2012-01-11T12:33:00.001-05:00

{one}

for all of Lyric's many many toys

{two}

a red dutch oven

{three}

red cast iron skillet

Breakfast!

2012-01-10T20:32:00.009-05:00

Miss Lyric...

Loves to eat!

Especially her breakfast!

She eats all of her breakfast.

Every time!

And after she is done eating...

She likes to...

Comb her hair with her fork.

Just like in The Little Mermaid.

"Mommy,"

"That was yummy."

We've Found Something!

2012-01-09T21:58:00.000-05:00

So,

A few days ago,

Miss Lyric found her...

Drum Roll, Please...

Her...

Belly

Button!

And...

If you can't tell from the above picture...

She loves to play with her belly button.

Orange Julius (But Better!)

2012-01-08T22:01:00.000-05:00

We made Orange Julius' this evening...

And Lyric ended up wanting some as well.

And guess what?

She took it from me!

And that's not all!

She drank it gone!

All gone!

And that's not all...

She wanted more!

So,

When I didn't give her more...

She went,

And started to play with her cup.

Now, you probably want that recipe???

I don't get credit for this recipe.

The credit goes to my amazing mother-in-law.

Almost Like Orange Julius (Better!)

3 oz. frozen orange juice concentrate

(1/2 of 6 oz. can)

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

6 ice cubes

Combine in blender, blend until smooth.

Makes 2 servings.

**Double the recipe for more servings.

28 Ways to Stop Complicating Life - Marc and Angel Hack Life

2012-01-08T16:26:00.003-05:00

Life is not complicated. We are complicated. When we stop doing the wrong things and start doing the right things, life is simple.

So starting today…

Stop berating yourself for being a work in progress. – Start embracing it! Because being a work in progress doesn’t mean you’re not good enough today. It means you want a better tomorrow, and you wish to love yourself completely, so you can live your life fully. It means you’re determined to heal your heart, expand your mind and cultivate the gifts you know you’re meant to share. May we all be works in progress forever, and celebrate the fact that we are!
Stop doing immoral things simply because you can. – Start being honest with yourself and everyone else. Don’t cheat. Be faithful. Be kind. Do the right thing! It is a less complicated way to live. Integrity is the essence of everything successful. When you break the rules of integrity you invite serious complications into your life. Keep life simple and enjoyable by doing what you know in your heart is right.
Stop meaning what you don’t say. – Start communicating clearly. Don’t try to read other people’s minds, and don’t make other people try to read yours. Most problems, big and small, within a family, friendship, or business relationship, start with bad communication. Someone isn’t being clear.
Stop wasting time and money trying to acquire more of everything. – Start focusing on quality. High quality is worth more than any quantity, in possessions, friends and experiences. Truly ‘rich’ people need less to be happy. Live a comfortable life, not a wasteful one. Too many people buy things they don’t need with money they don’t have to impress people they don’t know. Do not spend to impress others. Do not live life trying to fool yourself into thinking wealth is measured in material objects. Manage your money wisely so your money does not manage you.
Stop spending time with negative people. – Start spending time with nice people who are smart, driven and likeminded. Relationships should help you, not hurt you. Surround yourself with people who reflect the person you want to be. Choose friends who you are proud to know, people you admire, who love and respect you – people who make your day a little brighter simply by being in it. Life is too short to spend time with people who suck the happiness out of you. When you free yourself of negative people, you free yourself to be YOU – and being YOU is the simplest way to live.
Stop trying to change people. – Start accepting people just the way they are. In most cases it’s impossible to change them anyway, and it’s rude to try. So save yourself from needless stress. Instead of trying to change others, give them your support and lead by example.
Stop being lazy and cutting corners. – Start avoiding future headaches by doing things right the first time. Always put your best foot forward. Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment. Why give less than 100%? Life is too short to waste it by living below your full potential. If something is worth doing, then it’s worth doing well.
Stop procrastinating. – Start taking action and making changes. Action and change are often resisted when they’re needed most. Get a hold of yourself and have discipline. Discipline is choosing what you really want over what you want right now. Putting something off makes it instantly harder and scarier. What we don’t start today won’t be finished by tomorrow. And there’s nothing more stressful than the perpetual lingering of an unfinished task.
Stop worrying and complaining. – Start focusing on the things you can control and do something about them. Those who complain the most accomplish the least. And when you spend time worrying, you’re simply using your imagination to create things you don’t want. It’s usually only as good or bad as you think it is.
Stop being dramatic. – Start spending less time gossiping about problems and more time helping yourself and others solve them. Stay out of people’s needless drama and don’t create your own.
Stop trying to be everything to everyone. – Start focusing on being everything to someone. Helping or pleasing everyone is impossible. But making one person smile can change the world. Maybe not the whole world, but their world. So narrow your focus and be yourself.
Stop making promises you can’t keep. – Starting under-promising and over-delivering on everything you do. Period.
Stop blaming others. – Start accepting responsibility for everything in your life. Blaming others accomplishes nothing and prolongs the complications you’re facing. Either you own your problems, or they will own you. Your choice. When you blame others for what you’re going through, you deny responsibility – you give up your power over that part of your life.
Stop reacting without a plan. – Start planning and working toward specific goals. Make a list of your top 3 - 5 goals. What’s most important to you? What do you value most? What 3 - 5 things do you most want to do in your life? Simplifying your life starts with these priorities, as you are trying to make room in your life so you have more time for these things. Having a plan, even a flawed one at first, is better than no plan at all. There is good reason why you should wake each morning and mindfully consider what and who you will give your day to: Because unlike other things in life – love, money, respect, good health, hope, opportunities, etc. – time is the one thing you can never get back once it’s gone.
Stop confusing ‘being busy’ with ‘being productive.’ – Start tracking and measuring your progress. Being busy and being productive are two very different things. Results are more important than the time it takes to achieve them.
Stop over-committing and trying to do too much at once. – Start saying “no” more often. If you never say “no,” you will take on too much and get nothing accomplished. In the beginning, you need to say “yes” to a lot of things to discover and establish your goals. Later on, you need to say “no” to a lot of things and concentrate on your goals. Once your goals are established, focus on doing one thing at a time and doing it well. Also, leave space around commitments in your day. Whether you have appointments, or things you need to do, don’t stack them back-to-back. Leave a little space between things you need to do, so you will have room for contingencies, and you’ll go through your day much more relaxed.
Stop being inefficient simply because you’ve always done it that way. – Start opening your mind to making positive changes. If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting. Many times we live with unplanned, complex systems in our lives simply because we haven’t given them much thought. Instead, streamline your life by finding better ways of handling common tasks. Focus on one system at a time (your cleaning system, your errands system, your paperwork system, your email system, etc.) and try to make it simplified, efficient, and logical. Then, once you have it perfected, stick to it.
Stop cluttering your space. – Start clearing clutter. Get rid of stuff you don’t use and then organize what’s left. If you have a cluttered living or working space, it can be distracting and stressful. A clear space is like a blank canvas, available to be used to create something great. Getting truly organized and clutter-free can vastly improve anyone’s life.
Stop overloading your mind by consuming useless information. – Start unsubscribing from useless e-lists and news feeds, and keep the TV off. Limit your time on Facebook, Twitter, CNN.com and your other favorite websites, etc.
Stop obsessing over the past and future. – Start being present. Paying more attention to the current moment can make a huge difference in simplifying your life. It keeps you aware of life, of what’s going on around you and within you. It does wonders for your sanity and stress levels.
Stop waiting for things to be perfect. – Start thinking of how many things don’t get done in this world simply because people are waiting for the perfect time, place and circumstance. If you’re waiting for the perfect conditions, ideas or plans to get started, you’ll never achieve anything. A good idea without action is nothing at all. Keep it simple and just start. Focus on the next positive step forward.
Stop focusing so much energy on trying to avoid mistakes. – Start learning from your mistakes, then smile and move on. No matter how smart you are, you will make mistakes. Trying to avoid them will only waste time and complicate your life. There is a lesson in every mistake you make, and learning the lesson is how you move forward.
Stop making emotional decisions. – Start taking a few steps back so you can think things through. When you’re caught up in the moment and your emotions are soaring, you’re bound to make poor decisions that will lead to needless complications. The best advice here is simple: Don’t let your emotions trump your intelligence. Slow down and think things through before you make any big decisions.
Stop being unhealthy. – Start taking care of your body. Start sleeping eight hours every night. A tired, malnourished mind is over-stressed and rarely productive. Your health is your life, don’t let it go. Eat right, exercise and get an annual physical check-up.
Stop holding on to intimate relationships that make you unhappy. – Start looking out for yourself when it comes to intimate relationships. It’s better to WAIT, and give your hand to someone who will never let go, rather than holding on to the outside of a hand that has never fully opened for you. If someone wants you in their life, they’ll make room for you. You shouldn’t have to fight for a spot. Never, ever insist yourself to someone who continuously overlooks your worth. Remember, anyone can come into your life and say how much they love you. But it takes someone really special to stay in your life and show you how much they love you. So slow it down. True love is worth the wait.
Stop holding on to hate. – Starting letting hate go! Keep your sights set on the future. Holding on to hate and anger is like grasping hot coals with the intent of throwing them at someone else – you are the one who gets burned. If you want to forget someone, and move on, you must give up hating them. It’s hard to forget someone you hate, because hate takes pieces of your heart – thereby keeping this person within your heart. If you want to forget them, let go of the hate, and create peace in your heart instead. Also, remember that whenever you hate something, it usually hates you back: people, situations, and inanimate objects alike; which will only further complicate your life.
Stop pretending like you know everything. – Start accepting the fact that there’s a lot you don’t know. Nobody has it all figured out. Nobody knows more than a minuscule fraction of what’s going on in the world. Why? Because the world is simply way too vast for any one person to know everything well. And most of what we see is only what we think about what we see. The sooner you accept this, the sooner you will stop making the same unnecessary mistakes, and the sooner new doors of opportunity will open in your life.
Stop giving what you don’t want to receive. – Start practicing the golden rule. If you want love, give love. If you want friends, be friendly. If you want money, provide value. It works. It really is this simple.

Santa

2012-01-07T23:09:00.000-05:00

While we were back home in Idaho...

My grama had a dancing Santa Claus.

And boy,

Has she fallen in love with it.

See?

After she has me or Chris turn it on...

She starts to dance with him.

And then she picks him up and holds him,

And,

Hugs him.

Poor Baby.

I think that she is getting tired.

Rubbing her eyes...

And now...

She's playing with Santa's eyes.

I don't think that this is going to be put away with all the Christmas decorations because, she likes to play with it. And I don't see why I should put it away if she is going to continue to play with him. So, he shall, when the time is right, be put upstairs in Missy's room with the rest of her stuffed animals so that she can play with him when she pleases.

Bright Flashes

2012-01-06T22:50:00.000-05:00

So, this evening...

I was taking pictures of Lyric.

Close up pictures of Lyric.

And,

I mean...

Close up.

She was practically in my lap.

See,

Really close!

Look at those little fly-a-ways.

Here,

Mommy,

Let me help you.

"Can I push the shutter button for you?"

I just can't get over her face.

I love it when she closes her eyes like this.

(Don't mind daddy's foot)

Five Question Friday #26

2012-01-06T10:29:00.002-05:00

1. What is the weather like where you are and do you like it?

The weather has been cold! Too cold! To the point where we have had to turn on the heater. I was liking the perfect weather we had. But now, I just want the warm weather to come back.

2. When you're sick what do you seek comfort from?

When I am sick, I crave Ben and Jerry's ice cream. I also find comfort in being bundled up in my blanket watching movies with Lyric.

3. What do you need to do before the end of the month?

I don't know what I need to do before the end of the month. But I know what I want to accomplish by the end of the month. I would like to get curtains made and hung up for all the rooms in the house if I can, if not then at least the downstairs. I would also like to get bath rugs or front door and back door rugs made. And start on getting our dinning room table and sofa started. Lots that I want to get done.

4. Have you ever served on a jury?

No, I have not.

5. If you could be any animal, what would you be and why?

Hmmm... If I could be any animal I would want to be an animal that is graceful, peaceful, smart, and pretty. I think that I would choose to be a feline of some sort. I don't know why I would choose a feline. I guess it is because I love cats!

Big Kid Shoes?

2012-01-05T22:52:00.001-05:00

While me and Lyric were playing this morning,

She found her daddy's shoes...

First she tried putting her hands in his shoes...

But then,

She...

Did...

This...

She put her foot in her daddy's shoe...

And...

Look at the look on her face!

She looks...

Oh,

So,

HAPPY!

She tried...

Tried to walk...

But...

She fell...

She fell backwards.

But that didn't stop her!

She got right back up,

And,

Went about her day.

Fill In Blank Friday #29

2012-01-05T13:59:00.032-05:00

1. One of my favorite things to do when I have free time is lay down, get comfy and read a book or watch a movie.

2. When I have free time I tend to be more lazy than motivated.

3. If I had an entire day completely to myself I would have no idea what I would want to do.

4. I would prefer to spend my free time (alone or with others...) a little bit of both. I love doing things with friends and family, but I will also need alone time, even if I'm not doing much .

5. Most of my free time happens during the week, but can also be on the weekend.

6. The best thing about free time is that time is in your hands.

7. The next time I have free time I should probably vacuum the downstairs but instead, I'll probably be lazy and watch some t.v with Chris and play with Lyric.

Happy Birthday, Popa!

2012-01-04T23:10:00.000-05:00

I'm a little late at writing this post. I was hoping to have it finished this morning, but I didn't know what to write. So, I searched the internet and found a few poems/quotes that I liked and am going to use to dedicate to my popa who would have turned 81 years old today. He fought hard to try to make it so that he could meet Lyric, but just couldn't make it. Although, I know that he would be so proud of me and the woman that I have become and the mother that I am to Lyric.

I love and miss you so much Popa!

-Says MORGAN JANAE WITH LOVE, OOMPA

A grandfather is someone with silver in his hair and gold in his heart

given by God to guard my way and guide my steps.

Grandfathers are for loving and fixing things.

Grandfathers are just antique little boys.

Who needs Santa...I got Grandpa!

You listened to my childish talk,

found time to take me for a walk.

For memories both old and new,

Grandfather, I say, I love you!

You put the "grand" in grandpa!

Gramps is another name for love.

A perfect grandparent; loves them, spoils them...then sends them home.

A grandfather's wisdom and love reach beyond all measure. They are a special treasure!

Grandpa, thanks for teaching me about life and being my friend!

You're the bestest Grandpa in the whole, wide world!

-unknown

-Me and Lyric putting down a Poinsettia at my Popa's grave

A Grandfather's Love

I love you dear Grandfather, for all you mean to me,

I think of you each day, as I pray and wonder how you've been.

This day I make especially yours, as I just want to say,

I thank God you're my Grandpa, for all the joy you give away.

Of all the grandfathers in the world, the most special one to find

Is the only one that I can see, because you're truly mine

Thank you for the faith you live and how wonderful you are,

I am guided by your footstep and the love within your heart.

So I send you this card with a love that is sincere,

No other Grandpa in the world could ever be so dear.

-Soft Whispers for Grandfathers from Derry's Heart Poems

-Me and Lyric putting down a Poinsettia at my Popa's grave

Remembering My Grandfather

God gave me someone special who would love me for all time,

My most beloved Grandfather, a treasured friend of mine

His soulful beauty very deep, inside his loving heart,

To cherish me with all his love, even when we are apart.

Blessing me with unseen gifts, of kind and thoughtful words,

Praying for me everyday, with continual concern

And when I have a worry, that I really need to tell,

Listening quietly, then advising, he always does so well.

In all that life would bring, his example's what I view,

A life of steadfast faith, that God will see us through.

God chose for me a grandfather, the one He made for me,

I'm glad that you are mine, none more loving could there be.

-Soft Whispers for a Grandfather from Derry's Heart Poems

-We Love You, Popa!

Just A Pretty Face!

2012-01-04T21:53:00.000-05:00

She's not just a pretty face!

Well,

She does have a pretty face.

I love my baby's face.

And,

The expressions that she makes on her face.

I don't know what I would do...

Without my precious,

Baby Girl!

She is the light of my eye.

And puts the smile on my face.

You tell me...

Tell me that this isn't the face of...

Pure Happiness.

She is just...

So happy,

Innocent,

Joyful,

and...

My beautiful baby girl!

Peek-a-Boo!

2012-01-04T21:27:00.001-05:00

Well, I'm off to an okay start. It's the fourth of January and I've only missed one day of my New Year's Resolution. So, in order to keep up I am going to post yesterdays today.

Me and my baby girl were playing with my down blanket yesterday and I put the blanket over her head to see what she would do. And it was too cute! She stood up with the blanket over her head and walked out from under it. Although, I wasn't able to get the picture of her walking out from under the blanket, I decided to put the blanket on her one more time...

And I got a picture of her pulling the blanket from over her head.

And this is the face that I get when Lyric doesn't get what she wants. And might I add that boy is she flexible! When she is mad she plops down on the floor and pouts! And then she puts her legs out like they are in this picture and then falls forward and puts her head on the ground. After a few minutes of pouting, she goes about and continues to play. As though, nothing has happened.

Thinking About a New Look...

2012-01-04T19:28:00.001-05:00

So, as 2011 has come and gone, I have been thinking about changing my look...

I've been thinking about going short. Shorter than what I normally go. I'm thinking about going short because I don't like having long hair for the fact that I am always putting my hair in a ponytail. And when I have it shorter, I actually do something with my hair.

So, here are the three styles that I am leaning toward but can't decide for sure which one.

A. I love that this one is layered and the hair coloring. I've also been thinking about coloring my hair. Although, with my tanned skin I wouldn't go this light on my hair I would go a dark blonde or light brown with the lighter color underneath (where the darker color is on this picture.)

What I don't think that I like about this picture is I'm afraid that I'm not going to like my hair this short. But it'll grow back out, right? Best thing about hair, it grows back!

B. I think that this picture looks a lot like A. but the length is a little bit longer.

C. I don't know what it is about this picture, but I am absolutely in love with it. Yes, it is short, but I think that I love it. I just don't know how I would look with it.

So, I am torn between A. and C. so, I would love for your help, which one do you like the best?

Wednesday Wishes #9

2012-01-04T12:15:00.011-05:00

{one}

cut my hair.

{two}
buy new clothes

11 in '11

2012-01-04T00:18:00.000-05:00

WoW! I can't believe that 2011 has come and gone. I can't believe how fast this past year has gone. Me and Chris had our one year anniversary, Lyric turned a year old. Chris went through boot camp, MCT and MOS school. Then we got stationed in Norfolk, Virginia and have been here for the past nine and a half months. It feels like this past year has flown by! I hope this next year doesn't go by as fast and I also hope that Lyric will not grow up as fast as she has been. I want her to stay small like she is now. I don't want her to grow up. (Sniffle Sniffle)

11. Favorite movie you watched:

10. Favorite TV series:

9. Favorite restaurant:

8. Favorite new thing you tried:

7. Favorite gift you got:

6. Favorite thing you pinned:

5. Favorite blog post:

4. Best accomplishment:

3. Favorite picture:

2. Favorite memory:

1. Goal for 2012:

My 11 in '11

11. Favorite movie you watched:

I watched a lot of new movies that came out, but if you know me, then you know that I am a die hard Harry Potter Fan. So, my absolute favorite movie that I watched this past year was the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 movie that I saw opening night at midnight. I can't believe that the series is over and done with. I even cried after the movie.

10. Favorite T.V Series:
My favorite T.V series are/were The Secret Life of an American Teenager, Pretty Little Liars, The Lying Game, Army Wives, and Switched at Birth.

9. Favorite Restaurant:
Franco's Italian Restaurant. Chris found this place one afternoon trying to find a place to eat for lunch. He thought it was just a whole in the wall restaurant but it turned out to be a really nice restaurant in a little tiny strip mall. So, one evening Chris, me and Lyric went and had dinner there and I think that we fell in love. I know I have. And since we have been here we have eaten there at least four times. And I have loved it!

8. Favorite new thing you tried:
I don't think I tried anything new.

7. Favorite gift I got:
My favorite gift that I got was getting the opportunity to be a stay at home mom to our beautiful baby girl and getting to take my associates classes online.

6. Favorite think you pinned:
I haven't gotten the chance to pin anything yet. I have been waiting for an invitation to join.

5. Favorite blog post:
The blog post that I love the most is the post that I wrote about how I get to wake up every morning. You can read it here.

4. Best accomplishment:
I think that my best accomplishment was getting started on my studies for my Early Childhood Education degree.

3. Favorite picture:
My favorite picture is any pictures that I have taken of Lyric. I have so many pictures that I love, that it is too hard to decide which one is my favorite.

2. Favorite Memory:
My favorite memory is when Lyric started to roll over, crawl, stumble and then walk, and when she first said "momma." All of these events made me cry or teary eyed.

1. Goal for 2012:
My number one goal for 2012 is to take at least one picture of Lyric everyday and write about it here on my blog. Another goal of mine is to loose at least ten pounds or more if I can and to take a walk with Chris, Lyric and Tara at least three nights a week before calling it a night.

Cheerios!

2012-01-02T22:50:00.001-05:00

Lyric loves her Cheerios. You can almost always find her with a bag of Cheerios in her hand, or Cheerios in her high chair tray so that she could play and go back and get her cereal and go back to playing.

HaHa! Mommy, I got the bag!

Crouching down sticking her hand in the bag, getting what she wants.

Here you go mommy, you can have some.

Hmm... Can we watch a movie while I eat my cereal?

Yummy!

Do you want some too, Tara?

Sleeping Baby

2012-01-01T23:34:00.005-05:00

New Years Resolution...

One of my resolutions was to take at least one picture of Lyric everyday and to post it and blog about the picture everyday, in the hopes of continuing with my blog. Since all I really blog about any more is the linky parties that I participate in.

So, here is to day one!

We started our New Year by eating a late breakfast, early lunch. Daddy made us omelets, (which I must add were really good!) and mommy made us toast to go with our omelets.

If you can't tell, Lyric prefers to eat with her hands. She has both a spork and a spoon. She could have a spoon in one hand and will pick up her food with the other hand, not even using her spoon.

Mommy came in to check on me and found me like this. I was asleep with my head on Pillow Pet Pooh's head. And I had my bottle in my mouth. If you look closely you can see that I took my blanket off of me before finally going to sleep and tried to toss it over the bed.

40 Lessons for Finding Strength in Hard Times - Marc and Angel Hack Life

2012-01-01T16:32:00.000-05:00

Sometimes you have to die a little on the inside first in order to be reborn and rise again as a stronger, smarter version of yourself.

Nobody gets through life without losing someone they love, someone they need, or something they thought was meant to be. But it is these losses that make us stronger and eventually move us toward future opportunities for growth and happiness.

You are not what happened to you in the past. – No matter how chaotic the past has been, the future is a clean, fresh, wide open slate. You are not your past habits. You are not your past failures. You are not how others have at one time treated you. You are only who you think you are right now in this moment. You are only what you do right now in this moment.
Focus on what you have, not on what you haven’t. – You are who you are and you have what you have, right now. And it can’t be that bad, because otherwise you wouldn’t be able to read this. The important thing is simply to find one POSITIVE thought that inspires and helps you move forward. Hold on to it strongly, and focus on it. You may feel like you don’t have much, or anything at all, but you have your mind to inspire you. And that’s really all you need to start moving forward again.
Struggling with problems is a natural part of growing. – Part of living and growing up is experiencing unexpected troubles in life. People lose jobs, get sick, and sometimes die in car accidents. When you are younger, and things are going pretty well, this harsh reality can be hard to visualize. The smartest, and oftentimes hardest, thing we can do in these kinds of situations is to be tempered in our reactions. To want to scream obscenities, but to wiser and more disciplined than that. To remember that emotional rage only makes matters worse. And to remember that tragedies are rarely as bad as they seem, and even when they are, they give us an opportunity to grow stronger.
It’s okay to fall apart for a little while. – You don’t always have to pretend to be strong, and there is no need to constantly prove that everything is going well. You shouldn’t be concerned with what other people are thinking either – cry if you need to – it’s healthy to shed your tears. The sooner you do, the sooner you will be able to smile again. And a smile doesn’t always mean a person is happy. Sometimes it simply means they are strong enough to face their problems.
Life is fragile, sudden, and shorter than it often seems. – There may not be a tomorrow – not for everyone. Right now, someone on Earth is planning something for tomorrow without realizing they’re going to die today. This is sad but true. So spend your time wisely today and pause long enough to appreciate it. Every moment you get is a gift. Don’t waste time by dwelling on unhappy things. Spend it on things that move you in the direction you want to go.
You will fail sometimes. – The faster you accept this, the faster you can get on with being brilliant. You’ll never be 100% sure it will work, but you can always be 100% sure doing nothing won’t work. Doing something and getting it wrong is at least ten times more productive than doing nothing. So get out there and try! Either you succeed or you learn a vital lesson. Win – Win.
You have the capacity to create your own happiness. – Feelings change, people change, and time keeps rolling. You can hold onto past mistakes or you can create your own happiness. A smile is a choice, not a miracle. Don’t make the mistake of waiting on someone or something to come along and make you happy. True happiness comes from within.
Emotionally separate yourself from your problems. – You are far greater than your problems. You are a living, breathing human being who is infinitely more complex than all of your individual problems added up together. And that means you’re more powerful than them – you have the ability to change them, and to change the way you feel about them.
Don’t make a problem bigger than it is. – You should never let one dark cloud cover the entire sky. The sun is always shining on some part of your life. Sometimes you just have to forget how you feel, remember what you deserve, and keep pushing forward.
Everything that happens is a life lesson. – Everyone you meet, everything you encounter, etc. They’re all part of the learning experience we call ‘life.’ Never forget to acknowledge the lesson, especially when things don’t go your way. If you don’t get a job that you wanted or a relationship doesn’t work, it only means something better is out there waiting. And the lesson you just learned is the first step towards it.
View every challenge as an educational assignment. – Ask yourself: “What is this situation meant to teach me?” Every situation in our lives has a lesson to teach us. Some of these lessons include: To become stronger. To communicate more clearly. To trust your instincts. To express your love. To forgive. To know when to let go. To try something new.
Things change, but the sun always rises the next day. – The bad news: nothing is permanent. The good news: nothing is permanent.
Giving up and moving on are two very different things. – There comes a point when you get tired of chasing everyone and trying to fix everything, but it’s not giving up, and it’s not the end. It’s a new beginning. It’s realizing, finally, that you don’t need certain people and things and the drama they bring.
Distance yourself from negative people. – Every time you subtract negative from your life you make room for more positive. Life is too short to spend time with people who suck the happiness out of you. Let go of negative people, for they are the greatest destroyers of self confidence and self esteem. Surround yourself with people who bring out the best in you.
Perfect relationships don’t exist. – There’s no such thing as a perfect, ideal relationship. It’s how two people deal with the imperfections of a relationship that make it ideal.
You must love yourself too. – One of the most painful things in life is losing yourself in the process of loving someone too much, and forgetting that you are special too. When was the last time someone told you that they loved you just the way you are, and that what you think and how you feel matters? When was the last time someone told you that you did a good job, or took you someplace, simply because they know you feel happy when you’re there? When was the last time that ‘someone’ was YOU?
Don’t let others make decisions for you. – Sometimes you just have to live not caring what they think of you, shake off the drama, and prove to YOURSELF that you’re better than they think you are.
Resentment hurts you, not them. – Always forgive people and move on, even if they never ask for your forgiveness. Don’t do it for them – do it for you. Grudges are a waste of happiness. Get that unnecessary stress out of your life right now.
You’re not alone. Everyone has problems. – To lose sleep worrying about a friend. To have trouble picking yourself up after someone lets you down. To feel like less because someone didn’t love you enough to stay. To be afraid to try something new for fear you’ll fail. None of this means you’re dysfunctional or crazy. It just means you’re human, and that you need a little time to right yourself. You are not alone. No matter how embarrassed or pathetic you feel about your own situation, there are others out there experiencing the same emotions. When you hear yourself say, “I am all alone,” it is your mind trying to sell you a lie.
You still have a lot to be thankful for. – Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of brave people who are overcoming it. Sometimes you have to forget what’s gone, appreciate what still remains, and look forward to what’s coming next. Henry David Thoreau once said, “Wealth is the ability to fully experience life.” Even when times are tough, it’s always important to keep things in perspective. You didn’t go to sleep hungry last night. You didn’t go to sleep outside. You had a choice of what clothes to wear this morning. You hardly broke a sweat today. You didn’t spend a minute in fear. You have access to clean drinking water. You have access to medical care. You have access to the Internet. You can read. Some might say you are incredibly wealthy, so remember to be grateful for all the things you do have.
Consciously nurture your inner hope. – A loss, a worry, an illness, a dream crushed – no matter how deep your hurt or how high your aspirations, do yourself a favor and pause at least once a day, place your hands over your heart and say aloud, “Hope lives here.”
It’s better to be hurt by the truth, than comforted by a lie. – You must see things how they are instead of how you hoped, wished, or expected them to be. It’s always better to be slapped with the truth than kissed with a lie.
It’s hard to tell exactly how close you are to success. – Connecting the dots going forward is nearly impossible, but when you look backward it always makes perfect sense. Success is often closer than it seems, and arrives suddenly, when you least expect it.
Not getting what you want can be a blessing. – Not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of good luck, because it forces you reevaluate things, opening new doors to opportunities and information you would have otherwise overlooked.
Laughter is the best medicine for stress. – Laugh at yourself often. Find the humor in whatever situation you’re in. Optimism is a happiness magnet. If you stay positive, good things and good people will be drawn to you.
Mistakes are important to make. – We’ve all made mistakes. We’ve let people take advantage of us, and we’ve accepted way less than we deserve. But if you think about it, we’ve learned a lot from our bad choices, and even though there are some things we can never recover and people who will never be sorry, we now know better for next time. We now have more power to shape our future. Remember, failure is not falling down; failure is staying down when you have the choice to get back up. Get back up! Oftentimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.
Worrying is literally a waste of energy. – Worry will not drain tomorrow of its troubles, it will drain you of your strength today.
Even when it’s hard to move, take small steps forward. – Especially in trying times, it’s important to continuously push yourself forward. Because momentum is everything! As long as you keep the momentum positive – even if you’re moving at a snail’s pace – you’ll eventually get to the finish line. So celebrate every step you take today, no matter how small. Because every step will lead you farther away from where you were yesterday and closer to where you want to be tomorrow. Be it a better life or a dream we long to realize, we reach our destinations by taking many, many small steps in the same direction, one at a time.
There will always be people who dislike you. – You can’t be everything to everyone. No matter what you do, there will always be someone who thinks differently. So concentrate on doing what you know in your heart is right. What others think and say about you isn’t all that important. What is important is how you feel about yourself.
You are better off without some people you thought you needed. – The sad truth is, there are some people who will only be there for you as long as you have something they need. When you no longer serve a purpose to them, they will leave. The good news is, if you tough it out, you’ll eventually weed these people out of your life and be left with some great friends you can always count on.
You are ONLY competing against yourself. – When you catch yourself comparing yourself to a colleague, neighbor, friend, or someone famous, stop! Realize that you are different, with different strengths – strengths these other people don’t possess. Take a moment to reflect on all the awesome abilities you have and to be grateful for all the good things in your life.
You can’t control everything that happens to you. – But you can control how you react to things. Everyone’s life has positive and negative aspects — whether you’re happy or not depends greatly on which aspects you focus on. For instance: Did you catch a head cold? At least it’s only a temporary virus and nothing life-threatening. Did you lose a basketball game? Thankfully you got to spend the afternoon with friends doing something fun and healthy. Did your stock market savings go down? It’ll bounce back in the long-term. And besides, it’s great that you’ve been diligent and fortunate enough to save a nest egg of savings when many people are barely making ends meet. You get the idea.
Life is NOT easy. – If you expect it to be, you will perpetually disappoint yourself. Achieving anything worthwhile in life takes effort. So start every morning ready to run farther than you did yesterday and fight harder than you ever have before. Above all, make sure you properly align your efforts with your goals. It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it in the end.
Your future is spotless. – Regardless of how filthy your past has been, your future is still spotless. Don’t start your day with the broken pieces of yesterday. Don’t look back unless it’s a good view. Every day is a fresh start. Each day is a new beginning. Every morning we wake up is the first day of the rest of our life. One of the very best ways to get beyond past troubles is to concentrate all of your attention and effort on doing something that your future self will thank you for.
You are not trapped; you just need to re-learn a few things. – We all have doubts that make us feel trapped at times. If you doubt your ability to make a life-altering decision, to take on a new chapter in your life, or to fend for yourself after years of being overly-fostered, consider this: Surely if a bird with healthy wings is locked in a cage long enough, she will doubt her own ability to fly. You still have your wings, but your muscles are weak. Train them and stretch them slowly. Give yourself time. You’ll be flying again soon.
Everything in life is two-sided. – There is good reason why we can’t expect to feel pleasure without ever feeling pain; joy without ever feeling sorrow; confident without ever feeling fear; calm without ever feeling restless; hope without ever feeling despair: There is no such thing as a one-sided coin in life, with which one can buy a pain-free, trouble-free existence.
You always have a choice. – No matter what, there are always at least two options. If you can’t physically change something, you can change the way you think about it. You can sit in the dark, or you can find your inner light and discover powerful pieces of yourself you never knew existed. You can view a crisis as an invitation to learn something new, viewing the shake-up in your outer world as an enlightening opportunity to wake-up your inner world.
Let others in when you’re in a dark place. – No, they won’t always be able to pull you out of the dark place you’re in, but the light that spills in when they enter will at least show you which way the door is.
If you ask negative questions, you will get negative answers. – There are no positive answers to, “Why me?” “Why didn’t I?” “What if?” etc. Would you allow someone else to ask you the demoralizing questions you sometimes ask yourself? I doubt it. So stop and swap them for questions that push you in a positive direction. For instance, “What have I learned from this experience?” “What do I have control over?” “What can I do right now to move forward?”
The end is a new beginning. – Say to yourself: “Dear Past, thank you for all the life lessons you have taught me. Dear Future, I am ready now!” Because a great beginning always occurs at the point you thought would be the end of everything.

Five Question Friday #27

2011-12-30T00:32:00.014-05:00

1. What's the oldest piece of clothing in your closet?

Probably my t-shirt signed by Trace Adkins and his band.

2. How many random blog readers have you met?
Personally, I haven't met any. Maybe one day I can meet a few.

3. Do you let your kids stay up till midnight on New Years Eve? (Or, if you don't have kiddos yet, did you get to stay up until midnight as a child?)
As a child, I usually got to stay up until midnight. That is, if I could make it. We always watched the Dick Clark's New Year's Celebration.

4. What are the gas prices where you live?

Gas at our local NEX is $3.15.

5. What is one resolution that you know you should do but are too afraid to try?

Hmm... I can't think of one. I know that I am going to work on taking a picture a day of Lyric and going to post it to my blog and write about it and try to loose ten pounds.

Fill In Blank Friday #28

2011-12-29T11:13:00.000-05:00

1. New Years is a great excuse for a fresh start.

2. One of my New Year's resolutions will be to lose at least 10 pounds. Blog everyday!.

3. A New Year's resolution I've made in the past was to wear more sweaters, and I have worn them more than I ever have.

4. The most time consuming resolution I ever made was I couldn't tell you, because I can't remember.

5. This year I will be spending New Year's Eve most likely doing nothing besides watch the New Year's celebrations on t.v, take pictures of Lyric and chill with Chris.

6. If I could wish one thing for my new year it would be to take a picture of Lyric every day and to blog everyday and upload at least one picture of Lyric to my blog as well.

7. 2012 is going to be filled with laughs, learning, and love.

We Want To Know #30

2011-12-28T10:24:00.015-05:00

{1} What was the best part of 2011?

The best part of 2011 was watching Lyric grow up to being a gorgeous little girl and me and Chris celebrating our first anniversary.
{2} What do you look forward to in 2012?

What I look forward to the most is to continue to watch Lyric to continue to grow and many laughs and smiles.

{3} Do you actually keep your New Year resolutions?

I try to but, they don't usually last the first few months. But this year, I plan to.

{4} What are your top 3 resolutions for the new year?
To take at least one picture a day of Lyric and blogging about it on my blog
To loose at least ten pounds

To go for a walk at least three times a week before we call it a night

{5} Do you have any fun new years traditions or plans?
With it being our first New Years as a family, we haven't got any traditions yet.

30 Challenges for 30 Days of Growth

2011-12-25T16:56:00.000-05:00

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.
- Aristotle

Scientists have suggested that, with a little willpower, it takes roughly 30 days for a person to form a new habit. As with mastering anything new, the act of starting and getting beyond the preliminary stage where everything feels awkward is 80% of the battle. This is precisely why it’s important to make small, positive changes every day over the course of at least a 30 day period.

It’s like the old saying: “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” The same philosophy holds true for making changes in your life. Trying to bite off more than you can chew will only make you choke. But taking smaller, manageable bites, one at a time – eating a little healthier, exercising a little, creating some simple productive habits, for example – is an amazing way to make positive changes and get excited about life.

And when you start small like this, you won’t need a lot of motivation either. The simple act of getting started and doing something will give you the momentum you need, and soon you’ll find yourself in a positive spiral of changes – one building on the other. When I started doing this in my life, I was so excited about it that I started this blog to share it with the world.

Below you will find 30 challenges to be accomplished over the course of 30 days. If carried out diligently each of them has the potential to create a new positive habit in your life. Yes, there is some slight overlap between a few of them. And no, you don’t have to attempt all at once. Pick 2 to 5 and commit the next 30 days, wholeheartedly, to successfully completing the challenge. Then once you feel comfortable with these habits, challenge yourself with a few more the following month.

Use words that encourage happiness. – Typically, when I ask someone “How are you?” they reply, “I’m fine” or “I’m okay.” But one lazy Monday afternoon last month a new colleague of mine replied, “Oh, I am fabulous!” It made me smile, so I asked him what was making him feel so fabulous and he said, “I’m healthy, my family is healthy, and we live in a free country. So I don’t have any reason not to be happy.” The difference was simply his attitude and his choice of words. He wasn’t necessarily any better off than anyone else, but he seemed twenty times happier. Spend the next 30 days using words thatencourage a smile.
Try one new thing every day. – Variety truly is the spice of life. You can see or do something a million times, but you can only see or do it for the first time once. As a result, first time experiences often leave reflective marks in our minds for the rest of our lives. Make an effort to try something new every day for the next 30 days. It can be a whole new activity or just a small experience, such as talking to a stranger. Once you get the ball rolling many of these new experiences will open doors to life changing opportunities.
Perform one selfless act every day. – In life, you get what you put in. When you make a positive impact in someone else’s life, you also make a positive impact in your own life. Do something that’s greater than you, something that helps someone else be happy or suffer less. I promise, it will be an extremely rewarding experience. One you’ll likely remember forever. Obviously your options here are limitless, but if you’re looking to assist an ordinary person in need without leaving your chair, check out GoFundMe.
Learn and practice one new skill every day. – Self-reliance is a vital key to living a healthy, productive life. To be self-reliant one must master a basic set of skills, more or less making them a jack of all trades. Contrary to what you may have learned in school, a jack of all trades is far more equipped to deal with life than a specialized master of only one. And besides, learning new skills is fun. Check out this article, this article, and this book.
Teach someone something new every day. – We all have natural strengths and talents that can dramatically help those around us. What comes easy for you is no doubt challenging for others. We tend to take these gifts for granted, often hardly noticing what we have to offer, and thus we rarely share them with others. Inner happiness and zeal come from using these inherent gifts on a routine basis. What do people thank you for? What do people routinely ask for your help with? Most people’s passions and talents help others in one way or another. Perhaps for you it’s painting, teaching math, cooking a good meal or leading an exercise class. For the next 30 days devote some time each day to sharing your talents and expertise.
Dedicate an hour a day to something you’re passionate about. – Take part in something you passionately believe in. This could be anything. Some people take an active role in their city council, some find refuge in religious faith, some join social clubs supporting causes they believe in and others find passion in their hobbies. In each case the psychological outcome is the same. They engage themselves in something they strongly believe in. This engagement brings happiness and meaning into their lives. Read Stumbling on Happiness.
Treat everyone nicely, even those who are rude to you. – Being nice to someone you dislike doesn’t mean you’re fake. It means you’re mature enough to control your emotions. Treat everyone with kindness and respect, even those who are rude to you – not because they’re nice, but because you are. Do this for 30 days and I guarantee you’ll see the rudeness around you dissipate.
Concentrate on being positive at all times. – The real winners in life cultivate optimism. They have the ability to manufacture their own happiness and drive. No matter what the situation, the successful diva is the chick who will always find a way to put an optimistic spin on it. She knows failure only as an opportunity to grow and learn a new lesson from life. People who think optimistically see the world as a place packed with endless opportunities, especially in trying times. Try to spend the next 30 days looking at the bright side of things.
Address and acknowledge the lesson in inconvenient situations. – It’s important to remember that everything is a life lesson. Everyone you meet, everything you encounter, etc. They’re all part of the learning experience we call ‘life.’ Never forget to acknowledge the lesson, especially when things don’t go your way. If you don’t get a job you wanted or a relationship doesn’t work, it only means something better is out there waiting. And the lesson you just learned is the first step toward it. Over the next 30 days keep a written log of all the lessons life taught you.
Pay attention and enjoy your life as it happens. – When I watched the Academy Awards a few months ago I realized that most of the speeches actors and actresses make when they accept an award go something like this: “This means so much so me. My whole life has been leading up to this moment.” But the truth is, our whole lives have been leading up to every moment. Think about that for a second. Every single thing you’ve gone through in life, every high, every low and everything in between, it has led you to this moment right now. Ask yourself this: How much of life are you actually living? If you’re like most people, the answer is likely: “Not enough.” The key is to concentrate on a little less on doing and a little more on being. Remember, right now is the only moment guaranteed to you. Right now is life. Spend the next 30 days living in the now, for real.
Get rid of one thing a day for 30 days. – We have so much clutter surrounding us at any given moment (at the office, in our cars, in our homes) and we’ve become so accustomed to it that we no longer notice how it affects us. If you start cleaning up some of this external clutter, a lot of internal clutter will disappear as well. Choose one needless item each and every day and get rid of it. It’s that simple. It might be difficult at first, so expect some resistance. But after some time you will begin to learn to let go of your packrat tendencies, and your mind will thank you for your efforts.
Create something brand new in 30 days or less. – Creation is a process like none other. Putting to use your innovative faculties and constructing something with your own two hands will leave you with an indescribable sense of wholeness. There is no substitute for it. The only caveat is that it must be related to something you actually care about. If you are creating financial plans for clients all day and you hate it, that doesn’t really count. But if you can find something you love, and create something related to it, it will make all the difference in your life. If you haven’t created something in a while just for the sake of creating, do so. Take the next 30 days and let your creativity run wild.
Don’t tell a single lie for 30 days. – With all the seemingly innocent, white lies that trickle out of us, this is way harder than it sounds. But you can do it. Stop deceiving yourself and others, speak from the heart, speak the whole truth.
Wake up 30 minutes early every morning. – Get up 30 minutes earlier than usual so you don’t have to rush around like a mad man. That 30 minutes will help you avoid speeding tickets, tardiness and other unnecessary headaches. Give it a legitimate try for 30 days straight and see how it impacts your life.
Ditch 3 bad habits for 30 days. – Do you eat too much fast food? Do you play too many video games? Do you argue with your siblings? You know some of your bad habits. Pick 3 and quit doing them for 30 days. Period.
Watch less than 30 minutes of TV every day. – Entertain yourself with real-world experiences. Great memories are the product of interesting life experiences. So turn off the television (or the computer if that’s how you watch your TV programs) and get outdoors. Interact with the world, appreciate nature, take notice of the simple pleasures life has to offer, and just watch as life unfolds in front of you.
Define one long-term goal and work on it for an hour every day. – Break your goal down into bite-sized pieces and focus on achieving each one piece at a time. It really is all about taking baby steps, and taking the first step is often the hardest. Spend an hour every day for the next 30 days working toward something you’ve always wanted to accomplish. Take a small dream and make it a reality. Read Getting Things Done.
Read one chapter of a good book every day. – With the Web’s endless stream of informative, easy-to-skim textual snippets and collaborative written works, people are spending more and more time reading online. Nevertheless, the Web cannot replace the authoritative wisdom from certain classic books that have delivered (or will deliver) profound ideas around the globe for generations. Books open doors, in your mind and in your life. Read an online book list and find a good book to grab at the library today. Then spend the next 30 days reading at least one chapter a day until you reach the end. Here’s another book list. And another. And another.
Every morning, watch or read something that inspires you. – Sometimes all you need is a little pep talk. For the next 30 days, before you eat breakfast, or leave the house, watch a motivational video or read something (quotation, blog post, short story, etc.) that inspires you.
Do something every day after lunch that makes you laugh. – Watch a funny video clip on YouTube, read your favorite comic strip, or find a good joke online. A good chuckle stimulates the mind and can give you a renewed level on energy. The best time for this laugh is during the lull in the mid-afternoon, when you need it most.
Go alcohol and drug free for 30 days. – This challenge depends on your individual circumstance. If you are a heavy user of alcohol or a particular drug it is not recommended that you quit cold turkey. You need to see a physician and ease off of the substance slowly. But if you are a casual user, quit right now for 30 days. If you’re looking for a natural energy boosting alternative to a substance, check out 50 Natural Ways To Boost Your Energy.
Exercise for 30 minutes every day for 30 days. – Your health is your life. Don’t let it go. Eat right, exercise and get an annual physical check-up. The 4-Hour Body is an insightful and entertaining read on this topic.
Get uncomfortable and face a fear every day. – With a strategy of continuous small steps into uncomfortable territory we are often able to sidestep the biggest barrier to positive change: Fear. Sometimes we’re afraid we’ll fail. Sometimes we’re subconsciously afraid we’ll succeed and then we’d have to deal with all the disruption (growth) and change that follows success. And other times it’s our fear of rejection or simply our fear of looking like a fool. The best way to defeat fear is to stare it down. Connect to your fear, feel it in your body, realize it and steadily address it. Greet it by name if you have to: “Welcome, fear.” Fear can be a guiding friend if you learn how to swallow it, and listen to it only when it serves its true purpose of warning you when you are in danger. Spend an hour every day for the next 30 day’s addressing a fear that is holding you back.
Cook one brand new, healthy recipe every day. – Cooking is fun, challenges your mind, and if done correctly, provides vital nutrients to your body. Win-Win-Win. How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman is great tool for this challenge. Packed with 900 pages of simple instructions on how to cook everything you could ever dream of eating, it’s pretty much the greatest cookbook ever written. Prepare one new, healthy recipe every day for the next 30 days.
Spend 10 minutes every evening reflecting on what went well. – For the next 30 days spend 10 minutes every evening pondering the small successes that occurred during the course of the day. This process of positive reflection will remind you of all the tiny blessings in your life, and help you to celebrate your personal growth.
Have a conversation every day with someone you rarely speak to. – People are interesting creatures, and no two people are exactly alike. Interacting with different people will open your mind to fascinating ideas and perspectives. So for the next 30 days strike up a conversation daily with someone you rarely speak to, or someone you’ve never met before. Find out what makes them tick.
Pay down debt and don’t create any new debt for 30 days. – Live well below your means. Don’t buy stuff you don’t need. Sleep on big purchases. Create a budget and savings plan and stick to them. For the next 30 days pay for things in cash and micro-manage every cent you make and spend. Read I Will Teach You To Be Rich.
Let go of one relationship that constantly hurts you. – Keep people in your life who truly love you, motivate you, encourage you, enhance you, and make you happy. If you know people who do none of these things, let them go and make room for new positive relationships. Over the next 30 days, if relevant to your situation, gradually let go of one person in your life who has been continuously hurting you and holding you back.
Publicly forgive someone who deserves another chance. – Sometimes good relationships end abruptly because of big egos and arguments based on isolated incidents. If there’s someone in your life who truly deserves another chance, give it to them. If you need to apologize too, do it. Over the next 30 days give your story together a new chapter.
Document every day with one photograph and one paragraph. – For 30 days bring a camera with you wherever you go. Do your best to take one photograph that represents a standout experience from each day. Then, before you go to bed each night, write one paragraph in a notebook or journal that highlights your day. If do it all digitally you can unite your daily photograph and paragraph in one digital space (like a personal blog), which can be easily reviewed in the future. Many moons from now these old photos and journal entries will ignite your recollection of interesting memories you would have otherwise forgotten.

As you progress through these challenges remember, personal growth is a slow, steady process. It can’t be rushed. You need to work on it gradually every day. There is ample time for you to be who you want to be in life. Don’t settle for less than what you think you deserve, or less than you know you can be. Despite the struggles you’ll face along the way, never give up on yourself. You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, smarter than you think, and twice as capable as you have ever imagined.

Fill In Blank Friday #27

2011-12-22T23:09:00.000-05:00

1. The best way to spread Christmas cheer is greet strangers with a "happy holiday's or whatever".

2. The thing I love most about Christmas is just getting to spend time with family. It's relaxed and not rushed and I love the cozy feel that comes along with Christmas.

3. The holiday season is a time for counting your blessings and spending time with family .

4. My favorite thing to eat at the holidays is punch bowl cake! If you haven't had it you are truly missing out!

5. I will be spending Christmas with Chris, Lyric, and Tara.

6. Tis better to (give or receive?) give. I love gift giving and finding the perfect gift for that perfect someone. Although...I love receiving gifts as well :).

7. I'm dreaming of a peaceful and relaxing Christmas.

We Want To Know #29

2011-12-21T10:27:00.018-05:00

list 5 things...

they can be

A. What you want for Christmas?
B. What you have to get done before the holiday?
C. Your Christmas traditions?
D. 5 favorite Christmas songs?

I am going to do my top five Christmas songs... They are in no particular order.

Christmas Canon by Trans Siberian Orchestra

His Favorite Christmas Story by Capital Lights

Where Are You Christmas by Faith Hill

Grown-Up Christmas List by Kelly Clarkson

Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer

30 Things to Start Doing for Yourself - Marc and Angel Hack Life

2011-12-18T16:58:00.002-05:00

Remember today, for it is the beginning.
Today marks the start of a brave new future.

Our previous article, 30 Things to Stop Doing to Yourself, was well received by most of our readers, but several of you suggested that we follow it up with a list of things to start doing. In one reader’s words, “I would love to see you revisit each of these 30 principles, but instead of presenting us with a ‘to-don’t’ list, present us with a ‘to-do’ list that we all can start working on today, together.” Some folks, such as readers Danny Head and Satori Agape, actually took it one step further and emailed us their own revised ‘to-do’ versions of the list.

So I sat down last night with our original article and the two reader’s revisions as a guide, and a couple hours later finalized a new list of 30 things; which ended up being, I think, a perfect complement to the original.

Here it is, a positive ‘to-do’ list for the upcoming year – 30 things to start doing for yourself:

Start spending time with the right people. – These are the people you enjoy, who love and appreciate you, and who encourage you to improve in healthy and exciting ways. They are the ones who make you feel more alive, and not only embrace who you are now, but also embrace and embody who you want to be, unconditionally.
Start facing your problems head on. – It isn’t your problems that define you, but how you react to them and recover from them. Problems will not disappear unless you take action. Do what you can, when you can, and acknowledge what you’ve done. It’s all about taking baby steps in the right direction, inch by inch. These inches count, they add up to yards and miles in the long run.
Start being honest with yourself about everything. – Be honest about what’s right, as well as what needs to be changed. Be honest about what you want to achieve and who you want to become. Be honest with every aspect of your life, always. Because you are the one person you can forever count on. Search your soul, for the truth, so that you truly know who you are. Once you do, you’ll have a better understanding of where you are now and how you got here, and you’ll be better equipped to identify where you want to go and how to get there. Read The Road Less Traveled.
Start making your own happiness a priority. – Your needs matter. If you don’t value yourself, look out for yourself, and stick up for yourself, you’re sabotaging yourself. Remember, it IS possible to take care of your own needs while simultaneously caring for those around you. And once your needs are met, you will likely be far more capable of helping those who need you most.
Start being yourself, genuinely and proudly. – Trying to be anyone else is a waste of the person you are. Be yourself. Embrace that individual inside you that has ideas, strengths and beauty like no one else. Be the person you know yourself to be – the best version of you – on your terms. Above all, be true to YOU, and if you cannot put your heart in it, take yourself out of it.
Start noticing and living in the present. – Right now is a miracle. Right now is the only moment guaranteed to you. Right now is life. So stop thinking about how great things will be in the future. Stop dwelling on what did or didn’t happen in the past. Learn to be in the ‘here and now’ and experience life as it’s happening. Appreciate the world for the beauty that it holds, right now.
Start valuing the lessons your mistakes teach you. – Mistakes are okay; they’re the stepping stones of progress. If you’re not failing from time to time, you’re not trying hard enough and you’re not learning. Take risks, stumble, fall, and then get up and try again. Appreciate that you are pushing yourself, learning, growing and improving. Significant achievements are almost invariably realized at the end of a long road of failures. One of the ‘mistakes’ you fear might just be the link to your greatest achievement yet.
Start being more polite to yourself. – If you had a friend who spoke to you in the same way that you sometimes speak to yourself, how long would you allow that person to be your friend? The way you treat yourself sets the standard for others. You must love who you are or no one else will.
Start enjoying the things you already have. – The problem with many of us is that we think we’ll be happy when we reach a certain level in life – a level we see others operating at – your boss with her corner office, that friend of a friend who owns a mansion on the beach, etc. Unfortunately, it takes awhile before you get there, and when you get there you’ll likely have a new destination in mind. You’ll end up spending your whole life working toward something new without ever stopping to enjoy the things you have now. So take a quiet moment every morning when you first awake to appreciate where you are and what you already have.
Start creating your own happiness. – If you are waiting for someone else to make you happy, you’re missing out. Smile because you can. Choose happiness. Be the change you want to see in the world. Be happy with who you are now, and let your positivity inspire your journey into tomorrow. Happiness is often found when and where you decide to seek it. If you look for happiness within the opportunities you have, you will eventually find it. But if you constantly look for something else, unfortunately, you’ll find that too. ReadStumbling on Happiness.
Start giving your ideas and dreams a chance. – In life, it’s rarely about getting a chance; it’s about taking a chance. You’ll never be 100% sure it will work, but you can always be 100% sure doing nothing won’t work. Most of the time you just have to go for it! And no matter how it turns out, it always ends up just the way it should be. Either you succeed or you learn something. Win-Win.
Start believing that you’re ready for the next step. – You are ready! Think about it. You have everything you need right now to take the next small, realistic step forward. So embrace the opportunities that come your way, and accept the challenges – they’re gifts that will help you to grow.
Start entering new relationships for the right reasons. – Enter new relationships with dependable, honest people who reflect the person you are and the person you want to be. Choose friends you are proud to know, people you admire, who show you love and respect – people who reciprocate your kindness and commitment. And pay attention to what people do, because a person’s actions are much more important than their words or how others represent them.
Start giving new people you meet a chance. – It sounds harsh, but you cannot keep every friend you’ve ever made. People and priorities change. As some relationships fade others will grow. Appreciate the possibility of new relationships as you naturally let go of old ones that no longer work. Trust your judgment. Embrace new relationships, knowing that you are entering into unfamiliar territory. Be ready to learn, be ready for a challenge, and be ready to meet someone that might just change your life forever.
Start competing against an earlier version of yourself. – Be inspired by others, appreciate others, learn from others, but know that competing against them is a waste of time. You are in competition with one person and one person only – yourself. You are competing to be the best you can be. Aim to break your own personal records.
Start cheering for other people’s victories. – Start noticing what you like about others and tell them. Having an appreciation for how amazing the people around you are leads to good places – productive, fulfilling, peaceful places. So be happy for those who are making progress. Cheer for their victories. Be thankful for their blessings, openly. What goes around comes around, and sooner or later the people you’re cheering for will start cheering for you.
Start looking for the silver lining in tough situations. – When things are hard, and you feel down, take a few deep breaths and look for the silver lining – the small glimmers of hope. Remind yourself that you can and will grow stronger from these hard times. And remain conscious of your blessings and victories – all the things in your life that are right. Focus on what you have, not on what you haven’t.
Start forgiving yourself and others. – We’ve all been hurt by our own decisions and by others. And while the pain of these experiences is normal, sometimes it lingers for too long. We relive the pain over and over and have a hard time letting go. Forgiveness is the remedy. It doesn’t mean you’re erasing the past, or forgetting what happened. It means you’re letting go of the resentment and pain, and instead choosing to learn from the incident and move on with your life.
Start helping those around you. – Care about people. Guide them if you know a better way. The more you help others, the more they will want to help you. Love and kindness begets love and kindness. And so on and so forth.
Start listening to your own inner voice. – If it helps, discuss your ideas with those closest to you, but give yourself enough room to follow your own intuition. Be true to yourself. Say what you need to say. Do what you know in your heart is right.
Start being attentive to your stress level and take short breaks. – Slow down. Breathe. Give yourself permission to pause, regroup and move forward with clarity and purpose. When you’re at your busiest, a brief recess can rejuvenate your mind and increase your productivity. These short breaks will help you regain your sanity and reflect on your recent actions so you can be sure they’re in line with your goals.
Start noticing the beauty of small moments. – Instead of waiting for the big things to happen – marriage, kids, big promotion, winning the lottery – find happiness in the small things that happen every day. Little things like having a quiet cup of coffee in the early morning, or the delicious taste and smell of a homemade meal, or the pleasure of sharing something you enjoy with someone else, or holding hands with your partner. Noticing these small pleasures on a daily basis makes a big difference in the quality of your life.
Start accepting things when they are less than perfect. – Remember, ‘perfect’ is the enemy of ‘good.’ One of the biggest challenges for people who want to improve themselves and improve the world is learning to accept things as they are. Sometimes it’s better to accept and appreciate the world as it is, and people as they are, rather than to trying to make everything and everyone conform to an impossible ideal. No, you shouldn’t accept a life of mediocrity, but learn to love and value things when they are less than perfect.
Start working toward your goals every single day. – Remember, the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. Whatever it is you dream about, start taking small, logical steps every day to make it happen. Get out there and DO something! The harder you work the luckier you will become. While many of us decide at some point during the course of our lives that we want to answer our calling, only an astute few of us actually work on it. By ‘working on it,’ I mean consistently devoting oneself to the end result. Read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
Start being more open about how you feel. – If you’re hurting, give yourself the necessary space and time to hurt, but be open about it. Talk to those closest to you. Tell them the truth about how you feel. Let them listen. The simple act of getting things off your chest and into the open is your first step toward feeling good again.
Start taking full accountability for your own life. – Own your choices and mistakes, and be willing to take the necessary steps to improve upon them. Either you take accountability for your life or someone else will. And when they do, you’ll become a slave to their ideas and dreams instead of a pioneer of your own. You are the only one who can directly control the outcome of your life. And no, it won’t always be easy. Every person has a stack of obstacles in front of them. But you must take accountability for your situation and overcome these obstacles. Choosing not to is choosing a lifetime of mere existence.
Start actively nurturing your most important relationships. – Bring real, honest joy into your life and the lives of those you love by simply telling them how much they mean to you on a regular basis. You can’t be everything to everyone, but you can be everything to a few people. Decide who these people are in your life and treat them like royalty. Remember, you don’t need a certain number of friends, just a number of friends you can be certain of.
Start concentrating on the things you can control. – You can’t change everything, but you can always change something. Wasting your time, talent and emotional energy on things that are beyond your control is a recipe for frustration, misery and stagnation. Invest your energy in the things you can control, and act on them now.
Start focusing on the possibility of positive outcomes. – The mind must believe it CAN do something before it is capable of actually doing it. The way to overcome negative thoughts and destructive emotions is to develop opposing, positive emotions that are stronger and more powerful. Listen to your self-talk and replace negative thoughts with positive ones. Regardless of how a situation seems, focus on what you DO WANT to happen, and then take the next positive step forward. No, you can’t control everything that happens to you, but you can control how you react to things. Everyone’s life has positive and negative aspects – whether or not you’re happy and successful in the long run depends greatly on which aspects you focus on. Read The How of Happiness.
Start noticing how wealthy you are right now. – Henry David Thoreau once said, “Wealth is the ability to fully experience life.” Even when times are tough, it’s always important to keep things in perspective. You didn’t go to sleep hungry last night. You didn’t go to sleep outside. You had a choice of what clothes to wear this morning. You hardly broke a sweat today. You didn’t spend a minute in fear. You have access to clean drinking water. You have access to medical care. You have access to the Internet. You can read. Some might say you are incredibly wealthy, so remember to be grateful for all the things you do have.

MilSpouse Fill-In #25

2011-12-16T00:40:00.013-05:00

1. One of my New Year’s resolutions is to loose weight (at least 10 pounds), to take at least one picture a day of Lyric and blog about it, to communicate better with Chris.

2. One thing I’d like to happen next year is to get Lyric into the Child Development Center on base and to finish my year of Early Childhood Education studies and to get all passing grades on my finals.

3. One thing I’m looking forward to next year is to continue to watch Lyric grow into a smart and beautiful little girl.

4. One change I’d like to see next year is for the government to pull their heads out of their @$$ and get things done and done right.

5. My plans for NYE include I’m not sure… we will probably just watch the Dick Clark New Year's Eve Celebration.

Five Question Friday #26

2011-12-16T00:29:00.024-05:00

1. What's the best Christmas present you've ever received?
The best Christmas present that I ever received would probably be the digital picture frame that my mom got me for Christmas last year.

2. Worst/Funniest White Elephant gift ever received?
Hmm... I don't know about this one. With being involved with Jobs Daughters for so many years and one part of each meeting we had we had a White Elephant gift that we did each week. And I got it a few times. I can't remember which one I had was the funniest.

3. Is your Christmas tree plain and simple (white lights and matching ornaments) or is it wild and crazy (colored lights with lots of ornaments collected over the years)?
This year our tree was plain and simple. And I very much like it that way. We had white lights and green and red ornaments that had three different style bulbs but each set matched just different colors. Although, we did have a few Winnie the Pooh ornaments and other "milestone/special" ornaments. Next year I think we are going to get a small Christmas tree for our little window opening that is in our dining/den area and put all our special ornaments on it and keep our big tree uniform and simple.

4. "How" do you iron your clothes? The old fashioned iron/ironing board way, the shower, back in the dryer, etc.
It all depends. If it can go into the dryer, I will throw it in the dryer for a while or have Chris iron it.

5. How much baking do you do for Christmas and what are your "must make" items? (I'm looking for recipes here, peeps...)
I really didn't bake this year for Christmas. I made my grama's really yummy hamburger soup and lots and lots of cookies and kiss pies for Christmas gifts for our neighbors and friends.

Kiss Pies

1 refrigerated pie crust, thawed

14 Hershey Kisses of choice

1 egg white whisked with 1 Tbsp water

Powdered sugar/Granulated sugar for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Roll out pie dough onto a lightly floured counter top. Place 10 kisses around the edges of pie dough, about 2 1/2 inches apart. Take a knive and cut a 2 1/2-3 inch circle around kiss. Fold half of pie dough around top of dough and pinch edge around top of kiss. Now, fold up both sides of remaining dough up to the tip of the kiss pinching edge. Now press together edges and form criss cross as shown in photo, step 3. * *Continue cutting dough around kisses until all dough is used up. I got about 14 rounds cut when I re-rolled my scraps **

2. Brush all little pies with an egg white wash then sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake for 20-28 minutes or until little pies are golden. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. Dust each with powdered sugar and serve.

about 14 little pies.

Fill In Blank Friday #26

2011-12-15T22:38:00.018-05:00

1. My most favorite "little thing" is laying in bed extra long in the mornings, when I'm awake, when I can just lay there, listening to Lyric talk.

2. I'd give anything for a moochino .

3. I can't believe how fast Lyric started walking. It was like one day she is stumbling around and the next she is off and running.

4. The one thing I'd like to achieve today is I have got no idea, it's late .

5. The last thing I want to do today is go outside. It's to cold.

6. If I were writing my own blank today, it would say: ...The color that best describes me is_______ , because ___________.

7. My favorite candle scent is florals, ocean/water, fresh linen, and apple cinnamon/spices.

We Want To Know #28

2011-12-14T10:38:00.003-05:00

1. Are you a party person? Or do you prefer an intimate gathering with just a few friends?
I am not very much of a party person. I would rather an intimate gathering with a few friends.

2. Would you rather be a guest at a party or the hostess with the mostess?
I would so rather be a guest at a party!

3. What is your favorite party food or drink?
My favorite party food is the homemade party mix my grama makes. I so wish I had her recipe!

4. What is the best party you've ever been to?
I couldn't tell you, because I don't know.

5. What is your favorite party game?
I'm not much a party game person either.

2 on Tuesday #13 Christmas Songs/Movies

2011-12-12T14:25:00.005-05:00

What are your two favorite Christmas songs? What is your favorite Christmas movie?

My all time favorite Christmas song is Christmas Canon by Trans Siberian Orchestra.

My second favorite Christmas song is His Favorite Christmas Story by Capital Lights.

My favorite Christmas movie is any of the classic ones.