Money, Money, Money...Mon-EEEEYYY

One of the good things (probably the ONLY good thing) about not staying totally caught up on the blog challenge is that I get to see what the next few topics are before I write about them. Then, I can pick and choose the order in which I write them, or even if I write about a particular topic at all. Remember my "Friends" blog, where I mentioned I thought I'd skipped a day? I did, and just realized last night it was the "My Favorite TV Shows" blog. That's probably why I skipped it, because I don't really do much in the way of adult television watching. While Ni Hao Kai Lan, the Backyardigans, Dora the Explorer, and Yo Gabba Gabba are positively riveting, I don't think you really want to read about how often I watch them (so much that I know what Blue is trying to tell Steve before they even find a clue because I've seen the episode 5902093480 times). However, if I could point you in the direction of just two TV shows before moving on, the first would be "Being Human". Not the American version on SyFy, but the British version on BBC America. It's truly a fantastic show and worth the time to DVR it if you have a chance. The second is one of the funniest shows on TV right now, "Modern Family". I knew that show was going to be a hit in our household because one of the characters is a Vietnamese baby named Lily. (We have one of those, too, so how can I not be endeared to this show?)

Another moderately lame topic was "My Dream House". I actually think that's where I'm supposed to be today. I don't know that I have a dream house. I want certain things IN a house, like more closet space than I have now, a big pantry, and a bonus room. I love the house I live in now, except it's missing those things. But it's cozy and it is our first house. When the time comes for us to move, I'll be sad. But anyway, yea, I don't have a real preference for a dream home. Moving on...

I've mentioned a few times that I wanted to talk about coupons, and a few of my loyal readers are anxious to hear what I have to say. Maybe my stalkers (how lofty of me to think I have any) want to learn, too. Who knows. That being said, I deem today "Day 13: Coupon, Surveys, and how to save...Amy Style" This is likely going to have to be split up in to Part 1 and Part 2, so your eyeballs don't fall out.

The shorter of these two topics is definitely the "Survey" portion. I follow several different frugal living/money saving blogs on facebook. Several of the women that author these do paid surveys and things online. I looked into these, poked around on the Better Business Bureau website, and signed up for some. One of the bloggers I read takes these very seriously and does many of them and actually makes enough each month to allow her to be a stay at home mom. I haven't had such luck with them, but I have made a little extra money, and not had to use a lot of precious time to do it. And, really, ANY extra money I can make while messing around online, sitting on my couch is good, right?

Here are the sites I use:
1. Inbox Dollars: www.inboxdollars.com This site will send you emails each day. If you click on the "read this email" button, $0.02 gets credited to your account. Of course, these emails are all kinds of different offers, and often if you sign up for a particular offer, you get more money. There are also surveys that you can take, and they pay anywhere between $0.75-$2.00. There is a coupon printer that is through coupons.com, and each time you use one of the coupons you print, you get another $0.10 credited to your account. It doesn't sound like much, but it adds up. It took me maybe 2 months of less than 15 min every few days to earn a $50.00 check in the mail.
2. Opinion Outpost: www.opinionoutpost.com This site is strictly a survey site, and they usually give me about 4 surveys a day to try to qualify into. If you fill out your profile surveys, the higher your likelihood becomes of receiving qualifying surveys. I have really good luck at qualifying into surveys at this site. I've made $35.00 so far from them. Last week I had 2 surveys that paid $5 a piece, which was cool. Another good thing about this site is it will let you pick how you want your money-- paypal, a paper check, a visa gift card, or a donation to the red cross. These surveys give estimated times that sound really long (that $5 survey said it'd take 40 minutes) but I've never had one take longer than 15 minutes.
3. Toluna: www.toluna.com I haven't cashed out from this site yet, because I am trying to really accumulate some points here. You don't have to take cash on this site. You can get other "rewards". Each survey pays in "points" and once you accumulate a certain point level, you can get money, starting at 20. Some of these surveys are longer, but I still haven't taken one that has been longer than about 15 minutes.
4. My Points: www.mypoints.com This one works a lot like Inbox Dollars except there are a lot more emails and ways to earn points. Here, though, the points can be redeemed for a BUNCH of different things-- cash, gift cards, stuff. Also there are "deals of the day" and you can go through stores that slash their prices on certain items. One day there were $49.99 Sketcher shoes for $14.99, so the deals are usually pretty good! If you shop the stores online through this site (inbox dollars has something similar) you can get a percentage cash back credited to your account.

This isn't a survey site but it is one that I use a lot for online shopping: Ebates. www.ebates.com Ebates works like the cash back areas of My Points and Inbox Dollars, but some of the time, the percentages you get back are higher. For instance, on Inbox Dollars and My Points, Wal-Mart is something like 2% back but on Ebates it's 3%. Usually I check them both, and if Ebates is higher, I use it. Ebates also does a "site of the day" and they'll double or sometimes even triple, the percentages back. Ebates is not only shopping-- there are hotels, travel agents, and I believe even airfare, and there are hundreds of stores so it's very likely you'll find what you're looking for. This site is great for holiday shopping-- you're spending the money anyway, so why not get a little back, as well as shop from your couch in your pajamas? Shopping without ever leaving home AND getting money back for it is SO my style.

Day 12: Goaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaal!

Oh man, how lucky are you all? TWO blogs from me in one day?

I decided to go ahead and do another blog challenge entry. I may be getting it out of order, but I think the next one is about goals. I have a lot of different goals for myself, personally, professionally, financially, and others. Some are not a big deal at all, but I consider them goals because the feeling that you get when you reach a goal, no matter how small it is, will usually be enough to make you push towards other goals.

One of the things I've learned about setting personal goals is that I tend to be really hard on myself. I'm my own worst enemy, and I put a lot of undue pressure on myself to not only succeed but do whatever it is I'm trying to do perfectly. It's taken me a long time to realize that life isn't perfect and sometimes you have to go with the flow. I've also realized that the loftier the goal, the easier it is to get discouraged and give up. I've learned, slowly but surely, that I can't put so much pressure on myself and that I have to be more realistic. Instead of making a goal today to lose 60 lbs by May 1, which is completely ridiculous, I've learned to make a goal of "Lose 20 lbs over the next few months" then "Lose 20 more lbs over the few months after that" and "Lose the final 20 lbs". That looks much more attainable and far less daunting than even "Lose 60lbs by the end of this year", doesn't it? "To be the best mother in the world" sounds a lot harder than "Be less Mommie Dearest and more June Cleaver", right?

1. To get out of debt other than our house. We are Dave Ramsey-ites in our house hold to an extent. I wish we were a little more gung-ho about it but we're working on it. We're doing the debt snowball right now, and if my budgeting calculations are correct, we should be out of debt other than our house, by the end of this year. That means: no car payments, no loan payments, no doctor's bills hanging over our heads, and no (I repeat NO) calls from any collections agencies wanting their money. I am the first to admit, I was not financially responsible in my younger days, and as a result have caused myself some hardship now. But I'm very thankful to say that we are working harder than ever to get everything cleared up so we can just save, save, and save some more. Once we're out of debt, we have a few other goals: to replace both of our vehicles with ones we've paid for in cash, to save 6 months worth of expenses in savings, to start a college fund for Lily, and to move to a larger house with a 30 year mortgage and get it paid off in less than 30 years.

2. To lose the weight I'd like to lose. This is where my "Lose 20lbs" then "Lose 20 more lbs" and "Lose the final 20lbs" comes in to play. I'm trying to change my eating habits, my exercise habits, and do the whole healthy transformation. Of course, I'd like to see results immediately but I know that's not feasible. So I'm going to take it one day at a time, and try to look at every pound as a step in the right direction. Every piece of fruit I eat is a triumph over chocolate chip cookies, right?

3. To become more organized at home. I'm already making great strides with this one. I'm taking a room at a time, and cleaning it top to bottom. I'm purging things that we no longer wear, use, need, or want. Some of it I donate, and others I'm saving for a summer yard sale. The only room I'm having real trouble with is Lily's, because it hurts me to get rid of anything that is hers. I'm too sentimental. If I have a shirt in my closet that I haven't worn in a year, I haven't got a problem getting rid of it. But let me pick up a 0-3 months dress Lily hasn't worn in 8 months and I bawl like a baby. I guess a goal here should be to get less attached to some of her things.

4. To be more patient. I have found myself being more impatient and frustrated with things that are out of my control, or too silly to matter. In the grand scheme of things, getting impatient, frustrated, and angry won't change the outcome of any situation except make it worse. I'm working on being more positive and upbeat. There are two things letting everything get to me causes: stress and grey hair, and Lord knows I don't need any more of either. Happier people live longer, and happiness is contagious.

5. To be more "handy". This one is already in progress, too. I'm going to have a garden, learn to can and store vegetables, and learn to make my own jam. I'm also going to learn to sew. I think that homemade gifts and food is just so much more special. People appreciate the time and effort one puts into making something from scratch. Not to mention the taste is so much better. And I like that I will have the opportunity to make things for Lily that no one else has! Maybe, and this is probably lofty, wishful thinking, I could get good enough at all of these to make some money by selling it to others! One can only hope, right?

Professionally, I just want to get to a position where I'm happy, and don't mind coming to work everyday. I'm pretty sure that is waiting for me in the new position I have with the bank.

And, of course, I strive every day to be the type of person that people can count on, talk to, and want to be around. I want to be a good, strong wife and an example of an honest, empowered, smart woman for Lily (and any other future children). I want to enjoy every moment I can with my family and friends, and be as positive and shining example as I can be for those around me.

Believeeeeee

After yesterday's heavy topic, I'm really glad that today is much lighter fare for my loyal readers (however many or few that may be at this point). If you're not tired of my ramblings yet, thank you for sticking with me.

Today is Day 11: What I Believe In.

1. I believe I'm doing much better with this challenge. I've blogged 3 days in a row now, and I really think there's a distinct possibility I may finish the 30 day challenge in less than the 5802893 days I thought it would take me.

2. I believe that Wal-Mart is the East Nashville of grocery stores, and Publix is the Brentwood of grocery stores. I believe that I'm becoming a Publix snob, but as long as I can keep getting deals like 2 1.3lb containers of Similac Grow-N-Go 9-36 months formula for a total of $3.02 instead of $18.99 a piece, I'm ok with that snobbiness of my ways.

3. I believe in God, and faith. Faith is the belief in things unseen, right? I think that takes on a new meaning now that I'm a mother. I had blind faith in God that everything was going well with Lily while she was in my belly. I couldn't see her. I didn't know how she was developing. I only had my faith and a few ultrasound pictures to assure me for 9 months, she was fine. I also believe that she is a miracle-- from her conception on, she has been a gift from God.

4. I believe that sometimes, the best cure for a bad day is a trip to Sonic for ice cream. Other times, the best cure for a bad day is a stiff drink. And then sometimes, it's coming home to JP and Lily, who are always happy to see me.

5. I believe I was much smarter before I got pregnant, but Lily ate a lot of my brain cells. Things I used to be good at, like spelling, for instance, I now struggle with more often than not. I'm also more forgetful when it comes to silly things. For instance, I'll spend half the morning making a grocery list and leave it at home. I believe that this is why Lily is so smart...she has a lot of my good brain cells and won't give them back.

6. That being said, I believe that I'm smarter, more determined, and tougher than I give myself credit for.

7. I believe that we will be able to meet our goal of getting out of debt this year, except for our house. I believe I'll probably faint, cry, hyperventilate, scream, and cheer when I send the last payment on the last bill. Maybe I'll just call Dave Ramsey and yell on his radio show instead.

8. I believe that I am getting closer and closer to having a mini-breakdown over Lily turning 1, the more I do to plan her party. I cannot believe my baby girl is almost 1! It feels like it shouldn't be here already. Next thing you know she'll be in school, then driving, the graduating...oh...here it comes...

9. I believe that dogs are better than cats, broccoli is the best vegetable, chocolate is a cure for any ailment, that I have the best family and friends in the world, and nothing beats spending a quiet night at home watching Lily play and learn.

10. I believe that I still have a lot of learning, growing, and developing to do as a mother, wife, and friend, as well as in my faith. I believe that once you think you're done doing all of these things, life isn't worth living anymore. There is always room for growth and change, as long as it involves becoming a better, more honest, and more moral person.

I lost a day somewhere...Day 10: My Biggest Fears

I'm now at Day 10 of the blog because I skipped one and can't figure out which one it was, and I've been blogging for about 16 days. Something is so wrong about that but I can't help it. Every time I sit down to write, something else comes up and away I go. Lily cries, the dog starts barking, JP cries...one thing or another keeps me from staying right on track. It's ok, though. At least I'm still hanging in here.

Today's topic is one I've been dreading for the last few days. Fears. No one wants to discuss their fears, but I guess this is an integral part of the "Getting to know Amy" process so I can't skip this one-- especially since my fellow 30 day bloggers have already tackled and trudged through this one.

One of my "lesser" fears, if you can have a "lesser" fear, is that I will never have the time and energy to go back to the gym, I will never lose this extra weight I've been carrying around for over a year, and I will never get back into skinny clothes. I'm not happy with myself at this stage of the game because of how I look, and I want so desperately to change it. It's a real challenge for me right now to find the time to get into the gym, between work, taking care of Lily and JP, and taking care of our house, due in part to the weird 10-7 middle of the morning, day, and evening schedule I'm working. I'm planning on starting to get up when JP gets home in the mornings from work and going then. I'd rather be tired than miss out on time with Lily or let my house fall to shambles. But I just can't help but have this fear that I'm always going to look in the mirror and be unhappy with what I see. I don't want to be the big, unhealthy mommy and wife.

I have a few bigger fears. These are the dark, scary ones that make my hands get clammy, my mouth go dry, and my head spin with worry. Part of me wants to go, "Yep, what I just wrote was my fear. Good day!" But I'd be lying, and lying is bad. So put your serious caps on because here we go.

I am terrified, absolutely trembling terrified, of losing JP and/or Lily.

Everyone asks me how I sleep at night and how I'm not just beside myself with worry because of JP being a cop and being out on the roads at night. I've never known JP any other way. I didn't know the JP that waited tables at nearly every restaurant in town, or the JP that floated around all the stores at the Outlet Mall. I've only known the JP that works nights as a patrolman for LPD. I didn't have a choice BUT to get used to it. If I wouldn't have gotten used to it, or been able to handle it, I wouldn't be where I am today with him. It takes a certain kind of woman to be married to a cop, for sure. There are a lot of women that can't handle it. But, with all that being said, it doesn't mean that I don't worry. With cops being killed in the line of duty in record numbers this year...with people getting less and less moral as time goes on...I worry. When the phone rings in the middle of the night sometimes, I worry that it's going to be someone on the other end telling me JP's gotten hurt. I have dreams of his Lieutenant and Sergant knocking on my door in the middle of the night to tell me he's been killed in the line of duty. I just try my hardest not to let that get to me. JP is well trained, level-headed, and I trust more than anything that in split second situations, he'll be able to make the right decisions for both himself and others. But it still is one of my biggest fears. I don't honestly know what I'd do with out him.

With Lily, the fear is a whole different type of fear. I guess it's because we've already had some scares with her. When I was at my 36 week ultrasound, the tech commented on her lack of movement (which was surprising, considering she was normally like a jumping bean). Then she kept taking shots of Lily's stomach, the blood flow from the umblical cord to her, my amniotic fluid. I knew in my heart something wasn't right. And then they wheeled in the fetal stress test machine. I've since learned we barely left the hospital that day-- had my doctor been there, we wouldn't have. The next day at work, they called to tell me I was being induced, and that Dr. Deppen would talk to me more about it at the hospital. When she did sit down to talk to us, the thing that stuck out (and still reverberates in my mind) is "I felt like this was the best course of action. Your amniotic fluid levels are very low, and while I'm sorry to have you in here on the weekend, I think your baby will do much better outside. Right now, she is failing to thrive in your body, and we're not sure when she stopped growing, but she has. I didn't want to wait until Monday, because the difference between delivering today and delivering Monday could be a healthy baby versus a stillborn baby. Every day that she stays in your body is a day that she could go into destress and we could lose her." That's terrifying. When I delivered, I had my doctor and nurse as well as a neonatal nurse and neonatal respiratory specialist doctor, because no one was sure at what point Lily stopped growing and developing, so there was a chance she would have breathing problems. What a blessing it was to hear her take a very big, very deep breath and start crying her head off. What a blessing to see that she was perfectly proportioned, perfectly healthy, and a great size for a 4 week early preemie.

And of course, later, when Lily was just 2 and a half months old, we were sent to Vanderbilt's Lion's Group Eye Center to see a pediatric opthlamologist because we noticed her eyes were 2 different colors. The pediatrician also noticed her pupils were 2 different sizes, and was concerned at what was causing it. We found out she has Horner's Syndrome, which is heterochromia of the eye and causes the pupils not to dilate at the same levels. Then the doctor started tossing around phrases such as "tumor on the nerve", "tumor on the pituitary gland", "can sometimes be treated", and I thought I was going to pass out. We had to take her for an MRI at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital a few months later. She was put under anesthesia for over 3 hours while they looked at pretty much her whole body. The risks of putting someone that young under anesthesia is huge, and the hardest thing I've had to do to date was hand my happy, smiling baby over to the nurse who was taking her away to put her under. Thank God for answered prayers, because she is just fine. There's no way to tell what really caused the Horner's- it could have been some kind of trauma during birth, or just a development thing, but there are no tumors. She's not blind, and she's perfectly normal. But, even in spite of all that, the fear of losing her is blinding. When I was dealing with postpartum depression when she was a few months old, it was crippling. I didn't want to leave her anywhere. I did, but not without having a small panic attack on the inside that something would happen while I was gone. I'm doing a lot better with that all now, thank goodness.

Losing my closest loved ones is only 2nd to my other big fear, which is failing them. I am very hard on myself when it comes to doing the best I can for those around me, and I worry a lot that I'm going to fail them in some way. I'm not going to be the best wife to JP, or that I'll do something wrong raising Lily and she'll resent me for it. I'm worried that I never do enough for them, and that I didn't do enough to be a good example as a wife and mother. I know, deep down, that this is silly, because all one can do is their best, but I'm always scared I'm either not doing my best, or that my best isn't their best.

Some other things that give me goosebumps, raise my blood pressure, and cause me general discomfort in the way of fear: spiders, chainsaws (I'm right there with you, Mere), and large flocks of birds (it doesn't matter if it's a huge flock of hummingbirds...swarms of birds scare me).

Friends, Friends, FRIENDS!! Day...8? 9? Whichever, this one is important!

I'm trying hard to get back on track with this blogging. I have so many other things I want to write about that I need to go ahead and breeze through the 30 day challenge so I can get to the other things. Or maybe I just need to write more entries each day. Either way, I have things to say!

Today's topic is a good one. Friends! I have friends, and they're awesome, so I'm looking forward to the winding way this blog will go. But then I thought, "Where do I start? Who do I write about? What if I don't have pictures? What if someone feels bad if I leave them out?" My friends...my true friends...know who they are. They also know me, and they know I'm just slightly scatterbrained (ha..slightly) and could possibly be easily distracted...What was I writing about again? Oh yea...(haha) so my friends will know if I left them out and they know as well as I do that we're friends, it's not by any malicious measure.

I have been really blessed with some wonderful close friends, and even wonderful not-as-close friends. I noticed, while thinking about what to write and who to write about, that I don't have many pictures of me and my friends. So friends...expect this to change! And if you run the other way when you see me approaching, camera in hand, I'll follow you relentlessly until you let me take a picture of us. Consider this your warning!

An obvious person who would be my best friend is my husband, but that's a given, and anyone that knows JP and I knows how we are together. I already talked about him when I talked about my family in the first or second entry so I won't go back and repeat myself. But, yes, he is my very best friend.

Another person who most of you will think is quite obvious is Dodie. We met on our first day of sixth grade at Friendship Christian. I had been there a year longer but didn't really have any friends there (my fifth grade class consisted of 12 students who had basically been together since kindergarten- I wasn't received well as the northern newcomer that year), and Dodie was brand new from Byars Dowdy. Mrs. Wimberly had no idea what she was doing when she sat us across the desks from one another. (I think, shortly after, we were rearranged to across the room if that's any indication of how fast we became friends). Now, I've already mentioned Dodie briefly in the First Love blog post, because nothing is like the love between two honest to God best friends. Dodie and I were voted "Most Likely To Remain Best Friends" our senior year of high school, joined the same sorority at the same college (Alpha Sigma Tau at Cumberland), and then some stupid boy came along in my life that clouded all judgement and caused a big falling out between the two of us. Luckily, thankfully, we were able to patch things up, and Dodie took her rightful place in my wedding, back in my life, and now in Lily's life. Lily is one of the best dressed babies ever because of her Auntie Dodie. Dodie is, and has always been, one of those people that I could call at 2 am after not talking to her for months, and be able to pick up where we left off.

When JP and I got together, I was introduced to a whole new group of friends. JP's buddies from his teens and early twenties are an awesome, varied, and unique group. One of the best things about getting to be friends with these guys is that they have all grown up and gotten married and I have another group of friends. I've gotten to be closer friends with one, in particular than the others. Maybe this is because JP and Justin hang out more, or maybe it's just because our personalities just "click". Either way, I've been very blessed to have Tiffany in my life for the last several years. She is my uber-stylish "I wish I could pull what she's wearing off like she does but I can't so I'll just admire her outfit", natural hippie, funny, beautiful, and talented friend. She's Lily's godmother, and Lily loves her to pieces, too. I'm so excited for her and Justin as they're just a few short months away from welcoming their own, sure to be a fashionista, daughter Matilida into the world. How fun will it be for Lily to have a best friend in the daughter of OUR best friends?

Next on my list is my Shelley. It's funny how friendships form and grow. A little known fact to most is that Shelley used to be my aunt. She was for years. And that whole time, we rarely spoke and we were definitely not what I'd call friends. Neither of us know why, but it just happened that way. Then, she was not my aunt and we were no longer in touch, and shortly after that I began working with someone that used to work with her, and we were kinda-sorta-but-not-really in touch. And then, fate stepped in and I got a job at the bank. She emailed me during orientation and then we started texting, and as both of our husbands can now attest, the rest is history. The amount of things we have in common (and the amount of texts we send) is staggering. Timothy, her baby, is exactly one year and 2 weeks older than Lily, so she has been my go-to for Mommy advice since pretty much the second I found out I was pregnant. She and I can spend all day chatting and then all evening texting and start all over again the next day. I hate that I didn't know her in all the years she was my family, but I'm so thankful and blessed to have her as such a big part of my life now. I'm so excited to be joining her (hopefully sooner than later) at the main office when I start my new position.

This is turning out to be longer than I thought but you know what, too bad. I told you I was blessed with some wonderful people in my life. Rub your eyes, put some drops in, and keep on reading because I'm not done yet.

Next up: My beautiful, smart, and funny friend Samantha. The internet brought us together from pretty much two different sides of the US. My friendship with her preceeds even meeting JP. She is absolutely brilliant, and I think it's so fantastic we are living not only in the same state but in the same area now! It's great to know I can hop in the car with Lily and meet her at the park with her daughter. And when we first met one another in person, you would've never guessed that we hadn't ever seen one another before.

Beth is someone that I also inherited due to a friendship of JP's, and another that I consider myself very lucky to have! She is someone I can hang out with when JP and her husband are off cuddling...er...I mean, playing paintball for the weekend. She's one I can talk to when JP is at work because he works with her husband. She has been a great friend for the last several years!

Probably my newest friend that deserves mention here is Jennifer, who I work with at the branch. She and I have only known one another since she came to work in July but I can always count on her to cheer me up, make me smile, and just be there for me. She's even rescued me from bad weather...twice!

There are so many others that I feel like I should mention but I'm sure you're all so tired of reading now. So I'll just list them. I could say amazing things about all of these people, too: Doralyn and Leslie (they came with JP's friends, and I couldn't ask for any better people)

Sarah, Valerie, Jennifer, Kerri, and Kristen (the D-Detail Wives)

Caitlin (who else can I text about any kind of random topic under the sun?), Dawn and all the rest of my lovely Sarcastic Wives, Meredith (my coupon mentor and wonderful example of a Godly woman), Leigh Ann (my only friend from CSC), Brandi...God as always managed to bless me by putting the right person in my life at precisely the right time. Even if they don't stay for long, they're still exactly right for when they are there.

So, to all of my friends, thank you!

Day 7: Get out the popcorn...it's movie time!

Wow, I am SO far behind. Meredith and Courtney are somewhere around Day 13, and here I am on Day 7. Oh boy.

Anyway, without further adieu, I present to you: "Day 7: My favorite movies"

One of the first things JP and I realized we had in common was our love of movies. One of the first things we realized we didn't have in common (at the time, at least) was which movies we loved. Together, I'm fairly certain we've seen every major movie ever made from 1970-present. Some that he loves (Maximum Overdrive, Tron, Grandma's Boys...), I can't stand, and some that I could watch a lot (Hitman, Drop Dead Gorgeous, The Bone Collector), he can't stand. Then there are the ones we agree on (Star Wars, The Hangover, I Love You Man, Garden State) that we both love. Our first date was to see Garden State. Back to the point I am trying to make...writing about my favorite movies is going to be difficult. Where to start? Which few to pick? Decisions, decisions. Have I mentioned I'm a Gemini? Indecisiveness is my forte! Here are a few of my top favorites. I'll divide them up into category (and one you won't see is a "chick flick" category. Drop Dead Gorgeous- a mockumentary about beauty pageants-- is as "chick flick" as I get).

Cartoons:

Up, Toy Story, and Coraline

Comedy:

The Hangover, I Love You Man, Shaun of the Dead

Horror:

Behind The Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon, The Crazies, and any zombie movies

Action:

Iron-Man, any of the Transporter movies (Jason Statham=Swoon)

Other:

Garden State, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Empire Records, Inception

Keep in mind, this is a small sampling of my favorites...there are probably hundreds more I could list...which is why I hope there's not a music blog coming.

A little break from the blog-a-thon

At the rate I'm currently writing these blogs, a 30 day blog a thon is going to take me somewhere between 60 and 90 days to complete, as I'm managing one every two or three days. I need to step it up, huh?

Today is supposed to be "Day 7: Movies I Love". Maybe I'll write that one later. But, right now, I have a different blog to complete. Meredith over at The Woman With You, has tagged me in a fun little post and I'm going to complete it, instead.


1. What's the most embarrassing thing that's ever happened to you?

I try not to let things embarrass me. Really. I know, I know, you're not believing it, but it's actually true. I will laugh my butt off at myself for doing something dumb right along with everyone else. BUT, that being said, I do have a moment that when I did start laughing, I was still wishing I'd melted into the ground. It was my freshman year, at Cumberland, and I was sitting with a few of my friends on the patio outside of the C-Store. I don't know if they're still there or not, but they had a bunch of metal tables and metal chairs. It was a beautiful warm day and since I was still skinny and cute, I had on a short white skirt and a tank top. Because of the white skirt, my underthings were...ahem...small, to say the least. So, I'm sitting there having some conversation, and I was leaning back in the chair, so it was up on 2 legs. I had my feet hooked under the bottom of the table to hold myself in place. Well, you know how in grade school when you did that, the teacher always told you not to because you'd fall? Yea. I leaned back too far and the chair just kept going....and guess who ended up showing her thong to everyone at the C-Store? Yep. Me. The worst part is that, since the chair and the table were metal and I fell pretty hard, I had these AWFUL bruises on the backs of my legs as well as on my ankles for probably 3 weeks afterwards, so it was a constant reminder. And, yes, the C-Store patio was pretty full that day with guys and girls...Ugh, I shudder just thinking about it.

2. Favorite holiday and why?

I really like Thanksgiving. There isn't any pressure on anyone to do a ton of special stuff. We go to JP's sister's house with his whole family and then we go to my parent's house with them. At JP's sister's, everyone comes over-- extended family and immediate. There's a lot of talking and laughing and having fun. Everyone brings their own dish, too, so there is a TON of food, and it's out of this world. At my parent's house, since it's just them, JP, me, and Lily, my mom cooks. She always ends up making a spread like we're having 100 people over, but then we get to enjoy left overs for a week. Also at my parent's, my mom makes crescent rolls, and each person writes on a tiny slip of paper something they're thankful for, and my mom bakes them in the rolls. Everytime you eat a roll, you have to read the slip of paper inside and then we talk about it. It's really neat.

3.What's the weirdest thing you think you eat?

I don't think I eat anything weird, but I'm sure some people would think that the Vietnamese food JP's mom cooks for us is weird. But, nay, I say it's delicious. :D

4. Favorite brand of makeup?

I don't have a favorite brand. I really don't have a problem with any brands, so I use different things from different brands. Usually, my favorite brand is whatever I have the best coupons for or can get the cheapest!

5. If you had to choose a color of a crayon to be out of the color box, which would be you...and why?

I think I'd be purple. It's a color everyone uses, but it's not the first one everyone grabs, so I wouldn't get used up or broken really quickly but I would get loved and used in pictures.


6. Favorite hobby?

It's funny that this question is on here, because JP and I were just talking about this last night. Aside from the obvious, which is spending time with him and Lily, I really don't have any hobbies anymore. I love to read, and do that when I can, and I love to draw and paint, and do that when I can, but I don't have anything I just do to relieve stress or have me time...yet. I'm in the process of planning a great vegetable and fruit garden that I'm going to do this spring/summer, and then my friends Shelley and Jennifer are going to teach me to can the stuff that comes from it. Shelley makes jam and salsa, so that will be tasty! Also, I think I'm going to try to teach myself to make hair ribbons for Lily (and other girl babies), sew pillowcase dresses (also for Lily and other girl babies) and quilt. I guess I need to be asked this question again at the end of this year.

7. Biggest Fear?

There is a whole blog in the 30 days of blogging that is dedicated to this, so I won't get into it here completely. That being said, I have 2 biggest fears. One is being taken away from my family and not being able to be there for them and watch them grow (for whatever reason: death, etc). The other is failing them in some way.


8. Best present you have ever received?

Lily is the best present I've ever received. I know that is cliche, but she is truly a gift. I was on the pill, and was never supposed to get pregnant with her when I did. Also, she was delivered at 36 weeks because of some fetal health issues, and our doctor said every day we would've waited after the day she delivered Lily, was a day closer to having a stillborn baby. It was very serious. Then, we went through everything with her eye, and all the tests to rule out cancer and tumors. She is a miracle and a gift from God and I'm so blessed to have her in my life.

I guess the best physical, tear the wrapping paper off of it and scream in delight, present is my black and white diamond turtle necklace. If you've seen me since Christmas 2009, you've seen this necklace. JP sold our 4 wheeler that fall, and had just kind of squirreled the money away. We used some of it to remodel the living room and some of it for other things and he was going to use the rest to buy some stuff for him-- guns, whatever. I had mentioned probably six months before Christmas that I had seen this diamond turtle necklace and thought it was so beautiful, but it was kind of expensive and I couldn't see myself buying it. Well, that was the last Christmas we had just the two of us, and he decided he wanted to make it special for me, so he went all over looking for that necklace. I was shocked, to say the least, when I opened that gift, and I've worn it, literally every day, since.