Day 26 - What Does Your Significant Other Do That Makes Your Heart Melt?

Today's prompt came from Rachael at Little Britches

Hubby and I will have been together for four years, come Canada Day.  He is funny and quirky and likes to cook and clean!!  Really, could I be any luckier?

What does he do that makes my heart melt?  He buys me flowers.  For no reason.  Just because.

I'm SERIOUS!!

When we first moved to the city, I was finishing college and he was working at a bar/restaurant.  Money was tight.  Like, we fed the dog leftovers tight.  And one night he came home from work with flowers for me.  I was touched but protested that we couldn't afford luxuries like that right now, etc, etc.  Typical worried-about-money-spiel.

I don't remember exactly what he said, but it was something along the lines of, "But it makes you happy, and I want you to know that I love you."

He never got the worried-about-money-spiel again.

:)

Day 24 - Favourite Eco-Friendly Thing To Do

Today's prompt came from Shai at The Vagabond Studio

A Picture Post!

Without a doubt, my favourite eco-friendly thing to do is cloth diaper.

I like it so much I even created a photo album on Facebook for my cloth diapers and to talk about the different brands, pros/cons, etc.

We used sposies (disposables) for the first two weeks, and then started cloth. 

(Two weeks old and in her very first cloth diaper...don't you love the smile?)

Lol, I'm weird and sort my diapers by use.  My drawer has recently had a minor makeover (due to outgrowing, selling, and buying), but everything is in the same place.  In this photo, my 'rainbow' is on the left (diapers that fit alright but not super-well; my back-ups), my main diapers are in the middle, and my night-time diapers are on the right.  Night-times (at the time) were the ones with the highest contrast between snap colour and PUL colour. Now my night-times include bamboo pockets and wool covers.

I recently ordered my first WAHM diaper and was pretty excited to try it out.  Sweet Pea was excited too :)

Really, how cute is this little bum?

One of the things I'm most proud of is that we took cloth with us on Easter Weekend to hubby's dad's house. It was an awesome conversation starter and I loved putting cloth on my girl instead of doing disposables and filling the garbage.

 I haven't taken pictures of my washing and drying, but that will pop up in another post, I'm sure :)

What's your favourite eco-friendly thing to do?

Day 23 - Favourite Blog Post You've Written Before This Challenge

Today's prompt came from Alecia at Chicken Scratch NY

I haven't written many posts on this blog before the challenge, and I've actually already used one of those (mmm, banana bread).  Around 7 years ago I had a blog for a while, and there's one post from it that, to this day, I remember and have a chuckle over.

Enjoy!


"Bye-bye" Letters

I needed some help with telling a guy that I really wasn't interested in him, and that he was kind-of freaking me out with calling me and emailing me all the time, so a friend of mine (my mom, actually) came up with some options for me to choose from.  She started the creative ball rolling, and one of my brothers started contributing, and I came up with a couple as well.
(*not his real name)

Alphonse*,
Thank you for your email and invite, but I feel God is focusing my attention in another direction...

Patrick*,
Please BUG OFF.

Oliver*,
Please take a long walk off a short dock.

Guy*,
You are freaking me out.  Go away.

Nick*,
Some people are suggesting to me that you are a stalker.  Go find someone else to chase.

Inigo*,
You are a freak.  Good-bye.

Bob*,
Your good friend warned me never to go out with you.  If they know you and say that, well, I would be nuts to go anywhere near you.

Jake*,
My bodyguard is big and tough.  He will find you and punch your lights out if you ever contact me again.

Jasper*,
I feel like puking every time I think of you.  Do you think this is a sign?  I do.

Horace*,
I am sure you are a really nice guy, but you are making me think you are someone dangerous.  Do not contact me again.  Thanks and have a nice day.

Klaus*,
I am thrilled that the love of my life has moved back to my area.  So, I have no time for you.  Goodbye.

Eustace*,
Go away.

Derrick*,
Get lost.  Thanks.  Have a nice life.

Albert*,
Hope this doesn't seem rude - LEAVE ME ALONE!!!!!!!!!  Thanks.

If you are having trouble telling someone to give you space, feel free to use any of these 'bye-bye letters' :)

Day 22 - What Did You Want to Be When You Grew Up?

For our Summer Blog Challenge, Kassie over at Going Green with the Grizls asked us, the Blog Hop Participants, if we had any ideas or topics for blog posts.

This one was my idea :)

....And now I'm trying to figure out what my answer to the question is...

When I was a kid, I wanted to be a mom.  Then I wanted to be a ballerina.  Then I wanted to be a mom.  Then I wanted to be an architect (until I found out how much advanced math I'd have to know.  No, thank you!).  Then I wanted to be an archaeologist or a paleontologist.  Then a marine biologist.  Then a farmer.  A mom.  A nurse.  A school teacher (ironic, seeing as I was home-educated).  A mom.  A writer.  A film-maker.  A sound engineer.  A social-service worker.  A mom.

I waffled everywhere.  At the back of my mind I always knew I wanted to be a mom.  When I was a kid I even had an imaginary family for several years; husband and five kids.  I still remember all their names :)  But when I got into my teens I thought that I had to be something besides a mom.  I thought I had to be 'something', and have my family on the side.  So I decided I wanted to have an interesting job.  Hands-on.  Creative.  Information-seeking.

I didn't go to college right after high-school.  I tried my hand at various 'careers' and in various industries, and, while I fell in love with some of the jobs I had (I still drool over professional audio equipment...), I felt like I hadn't yet come across my 'true calling'.

Then I met my husband.  Then we got married.  Then I had a baby.

And I've found my true calling.

I'm a mom.

While I might work outside the home to receive a paycheque, it will only ever be a job.  My career is and will be my kids, and I'm proud of that :)

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?  If you want to hop to another blog to see what others have to say, click here.

Day 21 - Most Recent Words of Wisdom You Heard that Stuck With You

I haven't heard any Words of Wisdom recently, per se, but I did read some :)  I popped on Facebook this morning and saw this:

I believe in giving credit, unfortunately I can't remember who posted it, so, if you did, thank you!

This was meaningful to me, because I've come to realize that having a 5-month-old (and a busy, cuddly one at that) is rather time-consuming, not that I mind in the least :)  Sometimes other things (like blog posts and sweeping the floor) get away from me.  Instead of feeling guilty that I haven't cleaned the house every day or done what I would have expected myself pre-child to do, I just try to remember to do at least one thing every day.


And sometimes I need reminding...

What words of wisdom have you read recently??

Day 20 - Photo of You as a Young Child

Today's challenge is fun :)  I didn't find the photo I'd originally wanted to use, so here's one of me and all of my siblings.

I'm the one holding the baby :)  This was taken when I was 9 1/2, around a month after my youngest brother was born.

Day 19 - Something You're Proud of From the Last Few Days

Well it probably doesn't sound like much, but I'm proud that I've been able to keep my house as clean as I have this past week.

Especially with the heat and humidity and having a baby who (I've discovered) really, really doesn't like either.

I still am amazed at how days can just get away from me sometimes...some days it feels like I wake up, have a cup of coffee, play with baby for a couple hours, put her down for a nap, and suddenly it's the evening and hubby's coming home.  And then I realize I've done no housework to speak of...ugh.

This week I've managed to sweep almost every day, put dishes straight into the dishwasher instead of the sink, and do laundry roughly every other day (we share laundry so I do a load of our clothes before a load of diapers, just in case someone else has done their laundry and used fabric softener).  Yay me!


SO, what are you proud of?

Day 18 - A Recipe You Love

I've been a bit behind on my daily postings, and have been trying to do my catch-up in order (I'm weird like that...).  As you can see, I gave up...I'll do the other posts when I get a chance.

This post is easy....One of my first blog posts was a recipe I've worked on and (I believe) finally perfected!

Here it is!

The (In My Opinion) Best Banana Bread Ever!!

Day 13 - How You See Yourself by the End of the Year

The first word I thought of when I saw this topic was:

Thinner!!

And in shape.

And I'd love to have a WAHM business or a small business of some kind...

And possibly (hopefully) pregnant.


Well, we'll see about the last one...:D

Day 12 - Worst Injury and How It Happened

Ah, time for another story :)

I think we'll title this one, "Doing What You Love Can Hurt" or "If You Wash Dishes You Could Lose a Hand! (not that I did, I'm using poetic license)"

I was in my late teens.  My best friend's family and my family would get together after church almost every Sunday.  Lots of times we had other people join us.  We would have a big dinner together, and my best friend and I would always chat and do the dishes while the adults drank coffee/tea and the kids went off to play.  Later in the afternoon a bunch of us would go for a walk in the woods.

On this particular Sunday, there were around 14 people there.  R (best friend) and I did our usual routine, clearing off the table, me washing, he drying.  Enjoying hanging out and talking about anything and everything.  Nowadays I realize that a teenager doing dishes voluntarily is probably news-worthy, but I was used to helping take care of a household, and I loved washing dishes and gazing out of the window.  When people commented, I replied that washing dishes was my therapy.

So anyway, there I am, washing plates and cutlery and glasses.  I have super-small hands, so I'd always stick  my hand and the washcloth in the glass, because that was the easiest way for me to wash them.  So there I am, talking away, sticking my hand in glass after glass.

And then as soon as I stuck my hand in one and started swishing around the dishcloth, the glass broke.  A huge chunk off the side, and before I could stop my hand, the thick, broken edge caught the knuckles on my left thumb and forefinger.  It took a second for R and I to clue in what had happened, and for the blood to start flowing.  Then I clamped the sopping wet washcloth over my hand, and R and I argued what to do.  I wanted to tell my mom, but there were so many people in the other room and even though I knew all of them, I was really shy.

Finally, I poked my head into the dining room and said, "Mom, could you come here?"

As soon as she saw it, she shrieked, "OMIGOSH!!!" (my mother doesn't swear) and then shrieked for other people to come in.  Next thing I know I'm sitting on a chair in front of the sink and someone's patting my shoulder and the retired-police-officer-guy was examining my hand and R's mom was running around getting first aid stuff...

All in all, it didn't end up being too bad.  The wounds probably could have used stitches, but I didn't go to the hospital to get any.  We kept my hand bandaged for a week or so, graduating from gauze and tape to huge knuckle bandages to smaller, simple bandages.

I wore rubber gloves to wash dishes and didn't stick my hand in any glasses.  :)

Day 11 - Best Day of Your Life

I've had a lot of Best Days.  I've had a lot of Worst Days too, but this post is about Best Days.  Or rather, THE Best Day.

I have four that vy for the top spot, but the one I want to tell you today is The Day My Husband Proposed.

First, a bit of background.  Hubby (aka M) and I met on Canada Day 2008 and moved in together 5 months later.  We knew we wanted children and we knew we wanted to get married, but we weren't in a huge hurry.  (My 'deadline' was that I at least wanted to be pregnant with our first baby by the time I turned 30).  Okay, enough background.

Two years ago, hubby and I were working in shops down the street from each other.  I dealt in produce, he was driving for a butcher shop.  We were planning our summer vacation; four blissful days at his mom's-side-of-the-family cottage in (kind-of) Northern Ontario.  No cell phone service, no internet, no hot water even!  I couldn't wait...  I, being quite organized (but don't look at my house, okay?), had been packing and getting ready to go for several days.  M and I had a system; I would pack our stuff, and he would pack the car.  It worked pretty well. 

Okay, back to the story.  So M had slowly been getting more and more stressed as the week leading up to our vacation progressed.  Finally 6pm on Saturday arrived, we whipped home on our bikes, threw the last bit of stuff into the car, and hightailed it out of Dodge.  5 hours later, we got to the cottage.  M's mom had arrived a couple hours prior, so she was there to help us haul everything in, and then we all went to bed, exhausted.

I woke up around 6am.  To this...

I have a thing for foggy mornings....

It was one of the most beautiful 6ams I can remember.  And what a way to start a vacation!!  I woke up M and we went for a canoe ride.  We were the only beings stirring; it felt like we were the only living things in the world!  Then we were joined by a pair of loons, who came over to check us out, and came within 6 feet of our canoe!  I thought, it can't get any better than this...

After we got back, we had breakfast with Mom and then proceeded with our vacation.  For me, that meant swimming, coolers, watermelon, reading, repeat.  And I thought, it can't get any better than this...

After lunchtime, I noticed M putting stuff in the motorboat (read: rowboat with a motor on the back) and asked him what he was doing.  He said, "Nothing", so I went back to my book and coolers. 

A while later, he said, "Come on, let's go".

"Go where?"

"To the island"

"Why??"

"Because we're camping there tonight."

"We don't have a tent"

"Yes we do."

"Where the heck did we get a tent?"

"From your mom"

I put my book down.  I remembered a couple weeks ago my Mom had come for a visit and brought the tent.  I asked why at the time, and she said that we'd mentioned we might like to go camping this summer and they weren't using it, so we might as well keep it at our place.  "We didn't bring it."

"Yes, we did.  I put it in the car when I was packing up."

I figured, it's vacation, why not, it'd be fun to camp on the island overnight.

So we went to Blueberry Island.

It's the further one.

We set up our tent and M started a fire and was puttering around.  And I thought, it can't get any better than this....

Mom had given us a woven picnic basket, and I love picnic baskets, so I opened it to poke through and look at everything (yes, I'm weird).  I said, "Oh look, honey, your mom put a bottle of wine in here!"

He ran up to me and practically grabbed it out of my hands. "Whatareyoudoing?Don'tlookinthere!!!!"

....weird....

"I was just gonna look at it and set out the stuff for supper."

"Later"

Okay, fine...I got out my book.

He got out some marinated duck kabobs. And corn on the cob.

When they had been cooking for a little bit, he brought the cooler and the basket over.  He gave it to me and said, now you can get everything out.  So I put it on the ground to use the top of the cooler as a table, and he went on one knee beside the cooler, and started handing me things out of the basket. 

"We'll need these" as he handed me plates and cutlery

"We'll need these" as he handed me the salt and pepper

"And we'll need these" as he handed me a handful of sugar packets and creamer substitute.

I said, "I don't think we need these for supper, honey"



"Well I think we'll need this..."
And he handed me a ring box.

And I started laughing-crying, and he said, "Will you marry me?"
And of course I laughed and said, "Yes"
And he said, "Put it on!"
...and it was too big for my finger!
And he said, "S**t"

And somewhere in there, I thought, it can't get any better than this :)

After a bit more laughing/crying/kissing, we ate dinner, and then went back to the cottage to tell his Mom and to phone mine.

Which is when I found out that everyone, EVERYONE! knew about the proposal.  Even the mailman!!!

M had ordered the ring and it was going to be delivered to his store and the entire week before vacation they were waiting and waiting for the ring to come (and M was getting more and more stressed), and finally on Friday morning they decided that if it didn't come, M and a couple others would leave the store on Saturday and go ring-shopping, because he was proposing while we were on vacation, and he had to have a ring, dammit.  Friday afternoon, the ring arrived.

Another bit of the story: when we got back, the mailman came into my store to deliver the mail, and was looking at my hand.  I laughed when I realized what he was looking for, and said that it was too big and we had to send it back to get resized.  When it came back to us, he went into M's store and they signed for it, but then he said that he'd deliver it to me :)  So he brought it into my store and then waited to make sure it fit!

And that's one of my Best Days Ever.  I hope you enjoyed reading!

Day 10 - Famous Art anyone?

Cost aside, what is a famous art piece you would have in your home?


I was laying in bed thinking of all the famous art I love.  Or rather, trying to think of all the famous art I love.  The only one that would come to mind was this:

It's called Kohler's Pig by Michael Sowa.

I first came across it around 10 years ago, in a catalogue of wonderful, more traditional artwork (I worked in a  classy gift shop at the time).  It popped off the page and made me laugh, and I still smile every time I think of it :)

What works of art make you smile?

Day 9 - Worst Cooking Disaster

My first thoughts when reading this topic were "Oh boy...um...."  and then I remembered when I first started making bread.

I love homemade bread; the smell is incredible, kneading it is great physiotherapy for my wrists, it's a project that's incredibly rewarding, and there's nothing like biting into the heel of a loaf, so hot you have to hold it with a teatowel and the butter melts faster than you can spread it. 

I started making bread when I was around 11.  My dad used to bake bread when I was a kid (younger than 11) and then I decided that I wanted to give it a try.  The first few times it turned out alright, and then one time the yeast didn't seem to activate as well.  I figured it was nothing major, and kept going.  By the time they were done baking I had 4 loaf-shaped bricks.

That's it, end of story.  Except to say that we actually did saw into a loaf and try it out.  And then they went to live in the compost pile.

Since then I've hugely refined my bread-baking, have some excellent and delicious recipes in my book, and know how to troubleshoot.

By the way, if you want a really good 'tutorial' on bread baking and the whats and whys, check out a book called Back to Basics (published by Reader's Digest). 

Day 8 - My favourite guilty pleasure

I have a couple guilty pleasures (mmm, beer) but the one I want to talk about today is buying fluff, especially because I scored a super-good deal the other day.

Hi my name is Hannah and I like buying fluff; used or new.  And finding good deals while I'm at it. 

Like 9 wool covers for $45.

I know, eh?!?  I'm so excited :)  My girl's become a very heavy wetter.  Last week a bamboo diaper would last her the whole night (11pm to 7am-ish).  This week I used the same bamboo diaper plus two other diapers in the same time period.  Oy vey!  I've been reading about wool and how nice it is to use and breathable and how wonderful it is for overnight because it's so much more absorbent, etc, etc.  So I thought I'll keep my eyes open and if I see a couple covers I'll buy them and try them out.  (Until now we've just used pockets or AI2s)  Then I saw the ad on Kijiji.  Much too good of a deal to pass up!  To make it even better, the lady threw in a bottle of lanolin 2/3 full and a bottle of wool washing soap 3/4 full!!  And then gave me 6 Motherease one-size fitteds for $20!!  I'm a happy mum :D  (For those who aren't familiar with wool covers, the ones I bought range from $23 - $35CAD EACH brand new!)

I put one on girlie this morning to try it out :) (This is the 9th cover that wasn't in the picture up top)

This is my first venture with wool; I'm excited to see how it turns out!!  Has anyone else used wool? Do you have any tips, tricks, pointers?

Blog Challenge - Day 7

A Picture of Something That Makes You Happy

This is something I see every night while my Sweet Pea nurses before bed, and I never get tired of those cute little elf ears and soulful changeling eyes...

Blog Challenge - Day 6

Nicknames You Have and Why You Have Them

I've had a couple of nicknames over the years, but none of them have really stuck.

There was always Hannah Banana (insert eyeroll here), which I heard WAY too much for my liking :P

I don't know how well this will come off in writing, but when I was a kid my mom would call me Hannikah (as in, Hannah can ya do this, Hannah can ya do that...)

When I went to visit some adopted family in New Jersey a few years ago, my cousin called me Banana the whole time, and still calls me that when I talk to him :)  (Don't know why I prefer Banana to Hannah Banana, but I do...I'm just weird I guess...)

When hubby and I were first dating, my sister would call us the Giant and the Midget (He's over 6'1", I'm 5'1")

I worked at a small produce shop for a while, and one of the guys there would call me Hannabee, (short for Hannah Banana again...), or simply, B, and I really liked that as well :)


Rather mundane, but still cute!

Blog Challenge - Day 5

I'm loving the topics that Kassie from Going Green with the Grizls is coming up with.  Here's today's blog topic!

Short-term Goals for This Month and Why

Lose the last 5 pounds of baby weight
 - It's been 5 months since baby girl's been born, and I want to fit into my summer clothes!!

Go running at least twice a week
 - I want to get fit for summer, I miss running, and it gets me outdoors and enjoying my city.  Hey, I might as well take advantage of all the bike paths around here!

Get rid of at least 2 garbage bags worth of stuff
 - Over the years we've accumulated an incredible variety of things, and I feel like my house is starting to get very cluttered.  When W came along, we got a masive amount of baby paerphanalia from a bunch of different sources, and I'm finding that some things weren't necessary (like the baby bath; she's been showering with me since about a month old), so why keep them?

Do my taxes
- Yes, I'm behind, and no, I didn't do any small business stuff last year, so I can't claim the June 15 deadline.  Plus, I don't get my baby bonus or GST rebates until I file, and they'd both come in handy right about now...

Read some books
- I used to inhale books.  Seriously.  I'd read an average of 4 books a week.  Since I've gotten busy with a baby, I've read about 10 in five months.  *sigh*  I want to read because I miss it, and also because what you read affects how you write, and if I want to write better, I have to read some good books.  Any suggestions?

Blog Challenge - Day 4

The Meaning Behind Your Blog Name

I wrote a bit about the meaning behind my blog name in my first post, but I'll take this opportunity to expand a bit...

In all of my research regarding pregnancy, parenting, etc., I came to really appreciate what some people had to say about the care of newborns and young babies.  Those I respected and identified with most were very common-sense and go-with-your-instincts oriented, because that's the way I am, and that's the way I was taught.  As the oldest of 5 kids, I was used to being around babies and toddlers, and then when I got old enough to babysit, I was always caring for kids of all ages.  I realized that what worked for some kids totally did not work for others.  

When my daughter was born, I quickly found her likes: being upright, being held, music, bouncing, water, physical contact.  She can feel a wet diaper before I can (well, she is wearing it...) and will squawk for a change if I'm not quick enough on the draw.  She also knows when she needs to eat, and will respond to my sign for 'milk' and lunge at my breast :)  She knows when she needs to sleep, and will rub her eyes and, when I pick her up, either rest her head on my shoulder or nestle into my chest.  She knows that the place she sleeps best is beside mummy on most nights.  Recently in the early mornings, she will squirm and wiggle until I move away from her, and then she will drift into a deep sleep again.  In time, I trust that she will know the best time for her to wean, when she wants to sleep in her own room, when she wants to learn to read (if she doesn't teach herself, like I did), and when she wants to exercise her independence.

I fully understand that many parents will not agree with me, but this is what works for us, and I am quite comfortable following my daughter's leads. While she has very specific needs (Miss Social Butterfly and Miss Cuddlebug), I fully expect any other children I have the privilege of raising to have their own needs, which will require me to adapt my parenting style for them.


One person, whom I respect quite a lot, said that before six months, a baby's wants are a baby's needs.  Being a first-time mom, that statement kept me going many times when I was just so tired and frustrated with my child who needed constant physical contact.  Then I took a moment, and realized that I'm the same way.  Ever since I've been a child/teenager, any time I was insecure or unsure of something, I would seek out physical contact.  Cuddling with my baby brothers, putting my head in my mother's lap.

My daughter cannot talk.  She cannot tell me how she is feeling, or what is bothering her.  If she puts her arms out to me, who am I to resist the most basic needs of a person?  To be acknowledged, to be held, to be loved.

I go with the flow.  Some days she's happy playing by herself (and I get a lot of housework/paperwork done), and some days I have a velcro baby.  But that's okay.  Right now, my Sweet Pea knows what she needs better than I.

There you go!  An epistle behind my blog name :)  Was it what you expected?

Blog Challenge - Day 3

15 Interesting Facts About Yourself

I have to say, this blog challenge topic was the most daunting one...how am I supposed to come up with 15 interesting facts about myself??  Five or six, I can do after a bit of thinking, but fifteen?!?  The answer: ask your family members :D

1)  I was home-educated from kindergarten to graduation  (I live in Ontario, and I'm old enough that that meant Grade 13)

2)  Right after I graduated, I moved to West Africa for a year; no small feat for a homebody such as I!  I worked at a boarding school for Missionary Kids, and kids of diplomats.  I came home with an international accent and the ability to tan darkly in as little as 20 minutes!

3)  I've played the harp off-and-on for 16 years.

4)  I once fainted in a tree (Long story here; maybe I'll post it sometime...)

5)  I have enough books to rival small libraries

6)  Hubby and I eloped on a little homestead in the middle of nowhere, Ontario.  My sister and her partner were our witnesses, and all they knew was that we were going on a drive to visit some friends.  Our little ceremony was in the woods, as the sun was setting, and as the snow just started falling....totally awesome!!  I'll have to tell that story sometime too :)

7)  Our little girl was born at home, in the water.  We aren't from homebirth families, but I hate hospitals and after doing some research (to present to hubby; he was leery of it...), I figured that it was the best option for me, and it was an absolutely awesome experience!!  Any more kids we have will definitely be born at home (unless there are complications).

8)  The most interesting meats I've eaten are Green Mamba (poisonous snake in West Africa) and Canada Goose (in a Cree community on the James Bay)

9)  My favourite job was installing sound systems in churches and being an audio engineer...I'm also a techie at heart :)

10)  Among other audio jobs, I've run sound and lighting for a community theatre performance on short notice...I got the script on Sunday, had tech on Monday, dress rehearsal on Tuesday, and then successfully teched 7 performances from Wednesday to Saturday!  And I was also working at the time! (The following year I asked for the script a few weeks in advance :) )

11)  I know how to make and use puppets.  My sister and I actually made a bunch that went to a Cree Community!

12)  (I don't find this one interesting, but my family does) A couple years before I moved out of my parents' house, I slept on the living room couch for a year - by choice.  (I shared a bed with my sister (who is a kicker and a bed/covers hog), so I moved to the couch in the summer because it was more comfortable, and a couple months ended up turning into a year!)

13)  Much to the annoyance of my family, I would rather park my car so I don't have to reverse to get out (e.g. pull through 2 parking spaces at a mall far away from the door), than park close to my destination.

14)  When I was a kid, we had a super-windy day and two of my siblings and I rigged our wagon with a sail and spent the afternoon 'sailing' down our long driveway.  Lol, and I even found a photo :)

15)  Oh, and I'm the oldest of 5 kids :D

Blog Challenge - Day 2

Post a Picture of Yourself Smiling

I spent the past few days with my mom and her partner, at a little slice of Canadian paradise.  Part of it was to get out of the city, part of it was because Sweet Pea's started teething and I needed another couple pairs of arms, and part of it was to enjoy nature.  Oh, and maybe draft up some blog posts :)

I have hardly any photos of just me, so here's my little girl and me, at our rustic hideaway in the woods.

Blogging Challenge! Day 1

I have embarked on a rather ambitious journey (well, I think it's ambitious), and have joined a Summer Blog Challenge.  To read up on the finer points of the challenge, click on the cool picture/button.  And to check out the other blogs in the Challenge, click on my "Summer Blog Challenge" tab.

The challenge is to write/publish one blog post every day from June 1 to August 31.  Ack!  Can I do it?  I hope so!

So, the first post topic:  Why are you doing this challenge?

I categorize myself as a researcher.  It's not my job (yet) but I'd say that it's what I am, at heart.  My parents taught me to love reading, and to question.  Not in a bad way, more in a "Why (as in, give me a good reason) should I believe/do/learn this?"  And yes, it did bite them back a few times (Just ask my mom about the advanced geometry and pre-calculus days...)

Whenever I have a question about something or want to know something, I research it.  I've gotten pretty good at finding information, and it's even served me pretty well in some of the jobs I've had.  (Presentation on what? In two days? No problem!)

When I got pregnant, it was only natural for me to research pregnancy, birthing options, cloth diapering, parenting styles, breastfeeding, etc, etc, etc.  Needless to say, I found a TON of information, and still discover new things every day.  I love it!  I've had a couple friends who've gotten pregnant after me, and it was so wonderful to be able to answer their questions and give them lots of sources and resources.  (I'm also a teacher at heart).

Usually I can retain vast quantities of information in my head, and recall whatever I need.  Since my little Sweet Pea's been born, forget it.  Hence my blog.  A place for me to talk about my research, about things I've learned, about products I've found useful (or not), about places to find good information, about my own experiences, plus anything else that strikes my fancy :)

In a nutshell, I'm doing the challenge to get back into writing regularly.  Because, as much as I love my little girl, I need something 'grown-up' that I can do to regain some energy.  Because I love writing, learning, researching, and teaching :D

Here's to the next 90 days!