Fun Time At The Circus

We had a lot of fun at the circus Thursday night! The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Zing Zang Zoom Circus is an exciting and entertaining show! Thanks so much to MomCentral.com and Feld Entertainment for the party before and the show! And thanks to Meghan from Mom Central for all her work putting it together!

It was definitely fun for the whole family and we got to see some other bloggers with their families at the same time. My son has never been to the circus and really enjoyed it! We took a few pics to share.

My son (in the orange) got to try to juggle with some squawking chickens! And that is an accidental pic of Christine in the center - she blogs at From Dates To Diapers!

He's trying to learn how!

See kid? It's easy. (HA!)

Me and my ticket giveaway winner Jill. She blogs about freebies, reviews, giveaways and other things at Frugal Plus. We discovered that we live just blocks apart and have some other things in common! It took the circus to find that out - LOL! And my friend Nicole from Being Frugal Is Fabulous was there, but I forgot to get a pic!

Those stilts make him slightly taller than my hubby!

One of the elephants at the pre-show.

Me and my son!

Part of the opening act.

Another shot of the beginning!

It was too hard to get good pics during the show and we were busy enjoying all the excitement! The tightrope walkers actually fell, but caught themselves on the rope - nervewracking! Just shows you how very real the acts are! We really liked seeing the tigers and elephants too. My son loved the acts with the dogs - so cute!

I know the circus has already come through many of your towns, but if you have the opportunity to go, I do recommend it. And don't miss your opportunity to go to the free pre-show and see performers and acts up close!

The Nutella Challenge - Mini Nutella Cheesecakes

Happy Chocolate Friday everybody!! We survived another week! I hope you had a wonderful week and I hope you've got a jar of Nutella to enjoy 'cause that's what I'm talking about today!

A while back I joined the Nutella Challenge hosted by Paula of bell' alimento. I love Nutella so how hard could it be to come up with a few recipes? Well, I am not really a food blogger and have never created a recipe! I am a recipe follower, not a recipe creator. And look at some of the entries like Nutella Gelato or Nutella Crostata and tell me you wouldn't be intimidated! But, for the sake of Nutella and Chocolate Friday readers everywhere - I did come up with something! :)

Now, the main Nutella recipe that I eat is this:

But I figured I should come up with something a little more complicated than that!

I had a mini cheesecake recipe that I decided to tweak and make into mini Nutella cheesecakes. I'm not used to taking pics of the whole process, but thought I would attempt it this time.

I wanted to create a new crust, so I got some Pepperidge Farm Pirouette Cookies - Chocolate Hazelnut flavor. Take 12 cookies and crush them in a bowl. Then try not to eat the leftover cookies in one sitting.

Then mix in some melted butter. Not 4 tablespoons like I did - that was too much. Try 2-3 tablespoons instead.

Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners and fill evenly with crust mixture - about 2 teaspoons each. Then press down and flatten.

Mix up cheesecake batter and fill paper cups about 3/4 full or so. Put about 4 tablespoons of Nutella into remaining cheesecake batter and stir. Distribute evenly between cups - either covering the top completely or using a knife to marble the batter. I tried different methods to see if it mattered for presentation or flavor.

Bake as directed and let cool. Chill. Carefully peel off paper cups and eat!

The two different types don't have a big flavor difference and I think the marbled one is prettier. The cheesecakes have a nice subtle Nutella flavor, but I think some Nutella drizzle (Nutella thinned with a little milk) on the plate helps out. The crust is good, but slightly chewy - not sure if that's because I used too much butter. However, hubby gave the crust 2 thumbs up. You could always try the original crust which is just dropping a Nilla Wafer into the bottom of each paper cup.

Mini Nutella Cheesecakes

2 8-oz. packages cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
4 tablespoons Nutella
12 Chocolate Hazelnut Pirouette cookies, crushed and mixed with 2-3 tablespoons melted butter
-or - 12 Nilla Wafers

Line muffin pans with cupcake papers. Put Nilla Wafers or Crushed cookie mixture into bottoms of cups. If using cookie mixture, press flat.

On medium speed, blend cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Add eggs and mix well. Pour batter over crust, filling cups about 3/4 full. Stir Nutella into remaining cheesecake batter. Distribute Nutella batter evenly between cups and use a knife to marble mixture.

Bake at 325 degrees F for 20-25 minutes. Remove, cool, and chill. Serves 12.

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There you have it - my first Nutella Challenge (stop over there for yummy Nutella recipes)! I survived! I hope you enjoy the recipe.

Wait - don't go! Part of Chocolate Friday is about the giving and the sharing...of chocolate. It's your turn to link up chocolate posts! Go find or write one and bring it back to link up with MckLinky! Thanks!

I'm linking this post up to Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam. Stop over there for great food tips and lots of yummy recipes!

Have a lovely chocolate-filled day my friends!

Wait - Am I Shopping In The Future?

I don't shop at the mall too often these days. I do have a really pretty mall just 10 minutes from my house with all sorts of fabulous stores. The problem is I don't like crowds and I don't like to spend a lot of money! :)

I should go in more often - then I wouldn't be so surprised by everything. We happened to go into Macy's and hubby wanted to look in the men's section. We rounded a corner and what did we find? Had we gone through a time warp into the future?

Why yes, that is an electronics vending machine! What would you like today - ipod, earbuds, or an electronic bookreader? Quick and easy shopping for the man on the go - LOL!

Hey now - don't let that kid buy anything!

Have you seen these vending machines around? Or do I need to take you on a tour of our futuristic mall?

Have a great day and be sure to come back tomorrow for Chocolate Friday! You can link up your own chocolate posts!

I'm linking this up to Your Life, Your Blog at Real Life. Go link up any previous post and read what's been happening with everybody else!

Wordless Wednesday: 1st Day of 5th Grade

It was the first day of 5th grade yesterday! My son was so excited! He really does like school and looks forward to a new teacher and learning new things.

And his teacher was even sweet enough to give me permission to make her "famous" by putting her pic on my blog! Hmmm...I may have misled her a bit about the fame. ;)

Don't you just love seeing kids' happy faces at the beginning of the school year?!

For more great pics, stop by Wordless Wednesday hosted by 5 Minutes For Mom!

Tea For Two-sday ~ A Yummy Tea

Happy Tea For Two-sday my friends! Have a seat and put your feet up while I pour you a steaming cup of tea!

Today I just thought I would share one of my current favorite teas. Lately I seem too "lazy" to brew loose-leaf tea, so I'm mainly using tea bags. This tea is a nice decaf option.

It's Good Earth Decaf White Tea - Vanilla Blend. Yummy!! Just brew it 2-4 minutes and there is no bitterness at all. It has such a smooth mellow flavor with just a hint of fruitiness (like me - LOL) at the end. I keep forgetting to make it iced, but I'm sure it would be wonderful. Mmmm, I just realized that it would go fabulously with my Dried Cranberry Biscotti!

Have you ever tried this tea? What is your current tea of choice?

Have a lovely day!!

Thinking Out Loud

Is it Monday already? School starts for us tomorrow so today will be all about getting the supplies together and in the backpack and figuring out what to pack for a lunch! Here's what my son looked like last year after the 1st 4 days of school:

We'll see how this year goes! LOL!

Thank you to those of you who answered my questions the other day (you can still comment and answer!)! I will have a Fall theme week, but am still deciding what to do. Being the sort of people-pleaser that I am, I'm thinking of combining pumpkin, apples & even cranberries and making it a Fall Fruits Week! Hey - pumpkin is technically a fruit 'cause it has seeds. I looked it up on the internet so it must be true. :) What do you think of that? I could have link-ups available almost every day - 1 for apple posts, 1 for pumpkin posts, 1 for cranberry posts, and 1 for the fruit of all seasons - chocolate! Isn't chocolate a fruit?? It should be...

I think I'm going to start a couple of new things that I'll blog about. One thing I want to do is work on my homemaking skilz and use my blog to help me. I want to take on one new thing each week - mostly things I've never tried before or things I haven't done in years. For example - making homemade yogurt, making a master grocery list, making homemade peanut butter, making a menu plan - things like that. I hope to actually do them on Mondays and then post about them (whether or not I was successful) on Thursdays or maybe Saturdays. What do you think? Can I do it?

I also would like to start putting our children's catechism questions on my blog - possibly on Sundays. I would list 1 question with the answer and Scripture references each week. They're very simple, but great for children (and adults!) to memorize and great for family discussion. Thoughts?

I do appreciate your feedback my friends! Have a great Monday!

Would You Like Chocolate With That? ~ Chocolatey Guest Post

Happy Chocolate Friday!! Glad you made it to the end of the week - time for a chocolate break!

I have a wonderful guest poster for you today! Jen is a sweet blogger who loves chocolate just as much as I do and often links up her wonderful recipes. You can find her blogging at Many Blessings, Busy Life where she talks about her life as a Christian Stay-at-home mom with 9 children, homeschooling, and whatever comes her way. Is it any surprise that she loves Dr. Pepper, chocolate, and has a great sense of humor?!

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Hello to all you Chocolate Lovers out there. I am so honored to be guest posting for Lisa. I have been really excited about this post; one because it involves my favorite dessert: chocolate (what else!?), and two because it features a store that is ALL about chocolate!

Have you ever been to Roanoke, VA? I went there this past weekend. (Which if you read my blog you would know that already). I had a lot of fun. It was a sweet weekend in more ways than one. First, I got to meet a fellow blogger - Hey, Kat!, and second I got to go to this store.

Chocolate Paper is mouth-watering, drooling, chocolate-induced happiness all in one place. Let me show you:

Now that you've seen all that yummy goodness, don't you want some of your own? Well, the good news is that even if you don't live near Roanoke, VA you can have some of their chocolate. That's right, they have mail order (for some of their chocolate, truffles are local delivery only). Just go to their website and find the ones you want to order. Personally I would not advise ordering while it's hot. You want to get these in the shape they are supposed to be, not oozing all over the place.

The only thing they can't send you is the chocolate-y scent that wraps around you when you walk in the store. Aaaahhhh!

And the friendliness of the staff. The two ladies who served us were very nice - and patient. It took quite a while for our crew to decide exactly what they wanted. (I actually never decided, I just took an assortment box. :) YUM!!)

So if you're ever in Roanoke, VA or even if you're not. Go by Chocolate Paper and sample some of their chocolate-y goodness.

JenT

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Thanks Jen!! Sounds so yummy and I suppose I can forgive you for not giving me any of their chocolate! :)

Now it's your turn to share the chocolate! Go find or write a chocolate post and come back to link it up right here below with MckLinky! I'll appreciate it and so will Jen!

Have a lovely chocolate-filled day!

Circus Tickets Winner And Questions For YOU

Well first we have to announce the winner of 6 fabulous tickets to Ringling Bros And Barnum & Bailey's opening Sacramento show at Arco Arena on 8/27!! So exciting!!

Drumroll please...And the winner is:

Jill

Congrats Jill!!

Now if you didn't win, but still want to go to the circus, here are the show dates and discount ticket info:

Thursday August 27th: 7:00pm
Friday August 28th: 11:00am, 7:00pm
Saturday August 29th: 11:00am, 3:00pm, 7:00pm
Sunday August 30th: 11:00am, 3:00pm, 7:00pm

You can get a 4-pack of tickets for $44. Use promo code MOM when purchasing tickets at Arena Box Offices, Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Enter code in the “MC Promotion Box” on Ticketmaster. Minimum purchase of 4 tickets required; additional tickets above 4 can be purchased at $11 each. Not valid on VIP, Front Row and Circus Celebrity seats or combinable with other offers. Service charge, facility fee and handling fees may apply.

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Now I have a couple of questions for you.

First - last year I had Pumpkin Potpourri Week in September. It had recipes, opportunities to link up, and giveaways. It was a big hit! Should I have another Pumpkin Week this Fall with all new stuff or should we try something new? Like a week of Apples? Or something else? I want to know what YOU want! Please comment and let me know (even if you've never commented before - I won't tell anyone!)!!

Second - I would like to know what you're thinking of the blog these days. What things keep bringing you back? What do you skip over? What do you want to see more of? Anything bothering you (you can even leave an anonymous comment to tell me)? Anything that you absolutely love? Please let me know! I blog for me, but I also blog for YOU!

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for reading! Thanks for your support and your comments! I do hope my blog gives you a little break from your stressful day.

Hugs and air kisses to you all! And if that is just too mushy for you, then handshakes and nods of the head to you! :) Oh - and chocolate!! How could I forget the chocolate? Stop by tomorrow for Chocolate Friday with a special guest post! And link up your chocolate posts so we can all share the yumminess! <----Now see, that might be something you comment about - maybe I am too demanding. I didn't even say please! :) <----Or there, too many smiley faces might be a pet peeve of yours.<----Or bad grammar.<----Or too many arrows.

I might be scared to read these comments...

Works-For-Me Wednesday: Try A Rub Instead Of Marinade

I like using marinades for meat, but I often forget to prepare them in time so the meat can marinate for hours. A few years ago, I discovered rubs for meat. You only need about a half hour for the meat to soak in all the flavor. Plus, the seasonings stay put while you're cooking the meat.

Here are 3 different dry rubs that I found in a magazine a few years ago:

Sweet-as-a-Yellow-Rose Rub
Yield: 2 cups
1 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup salt
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
1 tablespoon celery seed
1 tablespoon dried thyme leaves

Rio Grande Tejano Rub
Yield: 1 1/2 cups
1/4 cup ground cumin
1/4 cup salt
6 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons lemon pepper
2 tablespoons onion powder

Hotter-than-Houston Pepper Rub
Yield: 1 1/4 cups
1/2 cup paprika
1/4 cup chili powder
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup minced garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons cayenne pepper

These rubs can be made ahead and stored to use anytime on grilled meats.

And I have another rub from a magazine that I use on pork loin roast:

Pork Loin Rub
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

That makes enough to cover a 2 1/2 lb. pork loin roast that can then be roasted on a baking sheet at 350 degrees for an hour.

Have you ever tried any dry rubs to grill or cook your meat with? These work for me!

Stop by We Are THAT Family to see what's working for everybody else!

What I Learned This Week

These days, it's so rare that I learn things and actually remember them 2 hours later. So I thought I better share the knowledge and have written proof that I do learn things occasionally - LOL!

* I learned that just because hubby and son think something is funny even after hearing it 30 times, does not mean that I will too. It's a Wright Brand Bacon audio commercial, which I thought was funny the first time and maybe the second. But I'm so over it now and I have a bad feeling that I will be hearing it many more times. Click on it yourself and see what you think!

* I learned that you should stop and think about what is really in a bowl before you take a swipe with your finger and lick it. A big fingerful of melted UNsweetened chocolate mixed with instant coffee does not taste good at all. And it almost cured me of my chocolate cravings...almost. :)

* I learned that Twitter can be a great thing! The other day, I found new recipes to try, tweeted Bible verses to someone needing encouragement, made new friends, won a coupon for free Purex laundry sheets, and ended up being sent a beautiful necklace from a lovely Twitter friend - Christine (@LifeVerse) from Life Verse Jewelry - her necklaces and bracelets are gorgeous and would make wonderful gifts for special occasions! Thank you Christine!

* I learned that it's fun to go to a movie sometimes! I saw Julie & Julia and left feeling inspired to be a better cook, a better blogger, and a better wife all at the same time. Cute movie and so funny to hear a blogger's perspective that only other bloggers appreciate - "My readers will be disappointed!" - LOL!

* I learned that doctors can be cool. Had to take my son in today with a swollen eyelid. The Dr. determined that it was just a developing stye (yuck). But before that, he put some special drops in the eye to check for scratches, shut the lights out, and used a blacklight kind of thing which made the drops glow. Totally cool and fun - LOL! But there wasn't a mirror so my son couldn't see how funny it looked. After the appointment was over, the Dr. left the room, but then motioned to us and said "follow me." He took us into another exam room that did have a mirror, turned out the lights and turned on the special blacklight thing so my son could check it out! Isn't that great?

* I learned that I like chocolate. Oh wait, I already knew that.

* I learned that part of the reason I don't enjoy cooking (but hello - I like the eating of what I cook) all that much is not actually the cooking itself. It's the total disaster that I create in the kitchen after cooking and baking a bunch of stuff and it is much too unpleasant to clean up! Is there such a thing as a self-cleaning kitchen??

Oh I think that's enough knowledge for today - I wouldn't want your head to get too full! Do you feel smarter? 'Cause you sure look smarter!! :)

Be sure to stop by Musings of a Housewife to learn some more good stuff!

Tea For Two-sday ~ Chocolate Chip - Orange Scones

Happy Tea For Two-sday my friends! Pour your favorite tea into your favorite cup and enjoy a break for a few minutes!

Tea and scones go together so well. There are so many different kinds of scones with different flavors and textures - but they are all good! I would like to eat scones daily, but then I would have even more of a weight problem than I do!

I found this scone recipe in a Weight Watchers cookbook of mine and decided to try it. I like the scones! I had a little trouble since I ended up with batter instead of dough, but I just dropped spoonfuls of scone batter instead. They spread out and turned out more like cookies, but still were good. They have a cake-like texture and a nice orange flavor. They are just right to go with your cup of tea!

Since it is a healthy recipe, I actually put it on my other blog, Stop Eating All The Chocolates. Click over there if you would like the recipe.

Have a lovely day! Do you have any healthy scone recipes that you enjoy?

The Circus Is Coming!

** This giveaway is now closed. **

The circus is coming to my town! And it's an exciting big show - far different than the small circus I experienced as a girl. It's been years since I have seen clowns, elephants, trapeze artists and more all together. My son doesn't know what a circus is like, so this is the perfect opportunity to show him. Fun for the whole family!

The show will be playing at the Sacramento Arco Arena. The show dates are:

Thursday August 27th: 7:00pm
Friday August 28th: 11:00am, 7:00pm
Saturday August 29th: 11:00am, 3:00pm, 7:00pm
Sunday August 30th: 11:00am, 3:00pm, 7:00pm

My family will be experiencing the fun at the Sacramento show and I want my local friends to experience it too! Thanks to MomCentral, here's how I can help you get to the show:

** I have a discount code that you can use for tickets! You can get a 4-pack of tickets for $44. Use promo code MOM when purchasing tickets at Arena Box Offices, Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Enter code in the “MC Promotion Box” on Ticketmaster. Minimum purchase of 4 tickets required; additional tickets above 4 can be purchased at $11 each. Not valid on VIP, Front Row and Circus Celebrity seats or combinable with other offers. Service charge, facility fee and handling fees may apply.

** I have a ticket giveaway! Woo Hoo!! One lucky winner will receive 6 tickets to the Sacramento opening show on August 27th at 7pm. You'll also get to come to the pre-show (along with me and my family!) at 5pm and meet the performers, see the animals up close, and more! Entry details below.

This giveaway will be open through Wednesday, August 19th and I'll announce the winner on August 20th! Remember, to enter, you must be able to get to Sacramento Arco Arena for the opening show on the evening of August 27th.

One entry given for just leaving a comment on this post!

Now I know that many of you aren't comfortable with leaving comments. It's easy - really! Go to the bottom of the post where it says how many comments there are and click on it. A comment box will open. Scroll down until you see the comment box that you can type in. Type in a lovely comment! Below that, you need to choose an identity. If you aren't sure what to do, then choose anonymous, but make sure to leave me your info within the comment so I can reach you if you win - like "Gretchen from your son's school" or "Gertrude from church" or "Lisa W., email address info". Then click Publish! That's it!

You do have the opportunity to get one (and only one) additional entry for this giveaway!

That's by promoting the circus and this giveaway. You can promote it through blogs, Twitter, Facebook, forums, emailing friends and family, and more! Just leave me a separate comment and tell me how you promoted the giveaway. Thanks for helping!

Spread the word to all your Sacramento area friends and family! Can't wait to see who wins and will join me at the show!!

Would You Like Chocolate With That? ~ Dark Mocha-Chocolate Cake

Happy Day! It's Chocolate Friday! We made it through another week and should be rewarded with some chocolate, don't you think?!

I tried another recipe (and there are SO many that I want to try) from my Chocolate Fantasies cookbook. For the record, it does not contain my chocolate fantasy which is where I can eat all the chocolate I want without gaining a single ounce. But it does have a lot of great recipes! I made this for our church potluck and ran out of time in the morning to frost it as I still had to get ready. Hubby frosted it and did a pretty good job considering the instructions I gave him were about as specific as "make it foofy." Thanks honey! He was kind enough to take a pic before we left too.

Dark Mocha-Chocolate Cake

1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons fine, dry breadcrumbs
4 (1-oz) squares unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup instant coffee granules
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cinnamon-Cream Frosting

Grease 2 8-in. round cakepans with 1 tablespoon butter; sprinkle breadcrumbs on bottom and sides of pans. Set aside.

Combine chocolate, water, and coffee granules in top of a double boiler; bring water to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cook until chocolate melts.

Cream 1/2 cup butter; gradually add sugar, beating well at medium speed of an electric mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add chocolate mixture, and beat well.

Combine flour and next 3 ingredients. Add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating at low speed of an electric mixer, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Do not overbeat.

Pour batter into cakepans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove layers from pans, and cool completely on wire racks. Spread Cinnamon-Cream Frosting between layers and on top of cake only. Yield: one 2-layer cake.

CINNAMON-CREAM FROSTING
1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon coffee granules
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Beat whipping cream until foamy; gradually add sugar, coffee granules, and cinnamon, beating until stiff peaks form. Yield: enough for two 8-in. layers.

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This is not a real sweet cake - has a very bittersweet chocolate flavor and would be fabulous with a nice cup of coffee! Mine turned out a little dense and slightly dry, but I think I overmelted the chocolate, overbeat the batter, and baked it a little too long for my hot oven. It was yummy though and I got compliments!

Note - when you empty that bowl of melted chocolate into the batter, don't take a swipe from the bowl with your finger and lick it. Just don't. 'Cause even though it looks chocolatey and delicious, you are forgetting that it is unsweetened chocolate and coffee. But I really wouldn't know...

Now it's your turn to share some chocolate! Go find or write a chocolate post and bring it back here to link it up with MckLinky (Mr. Linky's Scottish cousin?) below. I know you can find a post with chocolate in it - even pics! C'mon! And if you see a great chocolate post out there in the blogosphere, tell 'em to link up - it's best to share the chocolate! Check back later to catch up on some of the yumminess that gets linked up. I have a good feeling about today! In fact, I'm going to tweet out (I'm @stop4chocolate on twitter) all the chocolate posts you link up!

Have a fabulous chocolate-filled day my friends! :)

I'm linking this up to Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam! Be sure to stop over there for lots of yummy recipes!

The ABCs Of Me

Well 2 of my friends posted this yesterday, so what choice do I have? Since I had a more serious post yesterday, you need a little fluff to follow it up. And hey - you get to know more trivia about me and I know you're SO interested! Yes, I made your week - you're welcome! LOL! :)

A - Age: 39 (Really, I am! I will tell you when I'm 40 - I will!)

B- Bed size: That's California King Size (Longer than a King 'cause my man is 6'6" )

C - Chore you hate: That'd be a long list, but the one I hate the most is cleaning the toilet closely followed by taking out the garbage!

D - Dogs or cats: I'm a cat person that owns a dog! (sun-bathing basset hound)

E - Essential start your day item: Kisses from loved ones and some sort of caffeinated drink!

F - Favorite color: RED!

G - Gold or Silver: Silver

H - Height: 5'5"

I - Instruments you've played: Piano, clarinet, saxophone

J - Job title: Imperfect Homemaker

K - Kid(s): 1 sweet boy!

L - Loud or quiet: quiet

M - Married How Long?: Almost 17 years!! Woo Hoo!

N - Nicknames: Mom, Honey, Hey you (Just kidding!!)

O - Overnight hospital stay: Bladder surgery, tonsils out, and pneumonia as a child; and delivering my son!

P - Pet Peeve: Bad customer service

Q - Quote from a movie: "Let that be a lesson to the lot of ya! No chicken escapes from Tweedy's farm!" From Chicken Run - you can see it on Youtube here. I don't why it makes me laugh so - but it does. :)

R - Right or left handed: Right

S - Siblings: 2 sisters

T - Time you wake up: Between 7 and 8 - usually. Summer has been later 'cause I stay up waayyyyy too late! (Like right now - it's midnight and I'm eating some strawberries and drinking a diet soda - bad, I know - and hubby's still up. I predict a 2 am bedtime for me.)

U- Underwear: I do not know what this question is for, but if it's size - I ain't tellin'!

V - Vegetable you dislike: Yes, I'm a bad veggie person - don't like broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, mushrooms, olives, and the list goes on. But I promise, if I come to your house and you make something with these - I will very politely eat it! :)

W - Ways you run late: Misplace keys, can't get dog in kennel, son isn't ready, I'm not ready - I'm trying to work on this!

X - X-rays you've had: Broken arm, lungs, teeth

Y - Yummy food you make: Well you might just wanna look around and I think you'll have a pretty good clue - desserts and chocolate!

Z - Zoo favorite: The tiger!

There it is - everything you ever wanted to know! Are there things that you actually do want to know about me? Feel free to ask questions and I'll answer them in future posts!

Have a blessed day my friends! :)