Christmas Hoopla

Andrea at Lifesong tagged me to do this Christmas meme hoopla.

1. List 12 random things about yourself that has to do with Christmas.

2. Please refer to it as a 'hoopla' and not the dreaded 'm'-word

3. You have to specifically tag people when you're done. None of this "if you're reading this, consider yourself tagged" stuff is allowed...then nobody ends up actually doing it. The number of people who you tag is really up to you -- but the more, the merrier to get this 'hoopla' circulating through the blogosphere.

4. Please try and do it as quickly as possible. The Christmas season will be over before we know it and I'd like to get as many people involved as possible.

5. If you want to -- please give me, Andrea, some link-love as the 'Hoopla-Creator'. I love new blog-traffic.

(I was also recently tagged by Rhonda to do a post about 7 random things about me. Since I've done that about a bazillion times, I am going to count this 12 random things towards that tag too. I hope that's okay, Rhonda!)

And so- here are my 12 random bits of information:

1. I love Christmas time and I always have.

2. When I was little my parents and brothers and I always set up our tree together every year. We had Christmas music playing, egg nog to drink and cookies to eat.

3. We always had an artificial tree (due to my dad's allergies) and I always wished we could have a real tree.

4. I LOVE egg nog, but I do not like it when there has been milk added to it. My dad and Rich love to add milk to thin it out. Yuck!

5. I was always in the Christmas play at our church. Although I'm shy this never seemed to bother me for some reason.

6. We always went Christmas caroling with our church and I loved doing that.

7. When I was little we always spent Christmas Eve at my great Aunt Winnie's house. There were lots of relatives and lots of fun. I remember we always had to eat dinner before we could open presents. The adults would always sit around and talk while they ate dinner- and it seemed like they took forever- I think they were trying to drive us kids insane while we waited to open our gifts.

8. We always woke up bright and early Christmas morning. My dad would read us the Christmas story- the real one, right from the Bible. Then we'd open our presents.

9. Later in the day we'd go to my grandparent's house for more presents and Christmas dinner.

10. Although this didn't happen on Christmas- we always went to visit my mom's side of the family for New Years. Since we never saw them on Christmas- this was our time to celebrate with them.

11. When I was a teenager me and my closest friends would always have a little Christmas get together. We'd exchange gifts and eat goodies and laugh like crazy people. One year we decided to go Christmas caroling- I think there were 4 or 5 of us. Anyhoo- none of us were really spectacular singers- we weren't bad, just not that good. So, it was probably pretty interesting for our listeners. At one house we started our song in much too high of a range. There was no way we could actually hit the necessary notes- so we simply dissolved into laughter.

12.. Now that I have my own home- we have tried the real tree deal. I hated it. About three years ago I decided I was done dealing with the mess of a real tree and we bought an artificial one. It's easier to leave a fake tree up until February or March than a real one.

And so- that is my 12. Now I usually like to break rules and not really tag anyone- but since I like Andrea so much I'm going to follow the rules and tag: KC, Grams, Shaunda, Andrea, and Zamejias.

Christmas Meme

I saw this Christmas Meme over at Regina's blog- and she tagged everyone to play along. It looked like fun, so I decided to go ahead and do this meme.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping Paper
2. Real or artificial Tree? Fake
3. When do you put Christmas tree up? Usually the first weekend in December, but this year we were a week later than usual.
4. When do you take the tree down? Sometime in March. No kidding. That's why we have a fake tree. A real tree doesn't look very good anymore in March. This year, with Hailey we may take the tree down a bit earlier than usual though.
5. Like egg nog? LOVE it!
6. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes
7. Favorite gift received as a child? I have no idea- I guess the only thing that really sticks out in my mind is when I got a walkman (do they even call it that anymore?) it had a tape player and a radio. Back in the day...........
8. Hardest person to buy for? Usually Rich and my mom- but this year I had plenty of ideas for both. Actually, Brooke is getting harder and harder to buy for.
9. Easiest person to buy for? Hailey
10. Worst Christmas gift? I can't think of any bad Christmas gifts.
11. Mail or email a Christmas Card? Mail
12. Favorite Christmas movie? National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
13. Favorite food to eat at Christmas? Sugar cookies
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Possibly.....
16. Favorite lights? White
17. Favorite Christmas Song? I love all Christmas music!
18. Travel during Christmas or Stay Home? On Christmas Day- stay home. But, I like to get to travel to see all of our family on the days around Christmas.
19. Can you name Santa's reindeer? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen & Rudolph. (I cheated on this question and just left Regina's answers)
20. Angel or Star on Tree top? Star
21. Least favorite thing about this time of year? The bills that come in January
22. Which one person do you really want to see blessed this Christmas and why? Everyone

This was fun and easy- so if you haven't played along yet you really should! Let me know when you do so I can check out your post!

Our Happy Weekend and An Apology

Here's the news from our Happy Weekend!

A little while ago I entered the Christmas Giveaway at 5 Minutes for Mom and I WON! And, not only did I win- but I won two different contests. Yay for me! Well, look what came in the mail on Saturday?
It's a cute DVD called My Bedbugs. I let Hailey watch it for a little while in the car on Saturday while we were out driving around do some shopping. She loved it! There was also a poster that came with the DVD.
When I put the poster on the floor so that Hailey could look at it- she laid right down on it. Hmmmm- maybe if I put it in her bed she'll lay down there too. Not likely.

Now, the other contest I won- there were two prizes, but I won't be sharing pictures of those because I am actually going to use those prizes as gifts. And, I don't want the recipients to know I am cheap thrifty and that I am giving them something I received for free.

In other exciting Happy Happenings weekend news..... On Saturday Rich put up the Christmas lights on our house. Hailey stood on the couch and watched Rich working on the lights for a long time. She was fascinated that she could see him right outside the window. (Please do not be offended that I did not clean my windows for you. But, if are feeling a bit put out- please refer back to this post- Excuse The House.)

I think we have quite a few lights on our house and when we were coming home from some shopping on Saturday night I said, "Oh my goodness, look at our house." Rich told me that I can not tell you how many lights he put up because he wants me to take pictures and then have everyone guess how many lights there are.

So, I will be sharing pictures, but not until next week. (Remember that BooMama is hosting the Christmas Tour of Homes, so I am saving my pictures for the 17th. Check out her post if you haven't already- it sounds like lots of fun to me.)

On Sunday we Rich put up our tree.

Hailey offers some assistance in getting the tree set up.

I put the ornaments on our tree last night after Hailey went to bed. And, I'll be sharing those pictures next Monday as well.

So, that was our fun filled weekend. How was yours?

Now, the second part of my post- I just want to say- I am glad you are still here.

Can I just tell you that right now my blog seems like one big advertisement and I really hate it?

I know I have been doing a bunch of paid posts lately and I am sorry for that. I don't want to do it, but we need some extra money right now, so I have to do it. I plan to do several paid posts on the weekends when I know bloggyville is usually pretty quiet and I don't have a lot of visitors anyways.

When I do my paid posts, one of the requirements is that I do not have more than one in a row. So, I have been putting up some comics in between my paid posts. So, I will probably have quite a few posts during the weekends.

During the week my plan is to only do one paid post each day. I will also do my regular posting that I normally do. I will keep my regular post at the top of my blog with the paid post under it. Please feel free to skip over the paid posts like they are not there and go right to the regular Happy Happenings posts.

When I started my blog I never even considered using it to make money, it was just supposed to be a fun hobby to keep my family and friends up to date with our lives. Now it just doesn't feel that way anymore and for that I am very sorry.

Okay, I'm glad I got that off my chest.

Day To Read

This morning as I started my blogging rounds I stopped by Regina's blog and saw her post about A Day To Read.

The plan is this- on January 10th we will stop blogging for part or all (gasp) of the day and spend that time reading instead. Now, I've already told Regina that I don't think I can stop blogging for the entire day. I mean- really- can anyone do that? For me the twitching would start shortly after 7am if I were unable to do my morning blog checks. And, if I am twitching it would be hard to hold my book still in order to read it.

So, for me- I plan to set aside part of January 10th to do some reading. If you can do it all (gasp) day- well go for it.

Allison at Soccer Mom in Denial is the one who came up with this idea, so if you are going to participate- stop by her post here and let her know.

Then on January 11th those of us who participated can blog about what we read. So, are you in?

A Few Of My Favorite Things

Pam over at Random Thoughts did a cute post the other day called A Few Of My Favorite Things. So then I left her a comment and suggested she turn it into a meme and tag all of her friends. And she did. So now of course I must participate in the fun.

And so, here are a few of my favorite things:

My first favorite thing is my family. I love my family more than anything and I would do anything for them.

I know this picture is a little old- it was taken at Matt and Ellie's wedding back in May. It's the most recent one I have- mostly because Brooke and I both like to hide when we see someone trying to take our pictures. We will have an updated family picture soon though.




My next favorite thing is Disney World. I went a few times when I was little. When Rich and I got married we went there for our honeymoon. We have gone back every other summer since then. There is a magical feeling that can't really be described and we love it there.




My third favorite thing is Chips Ahoy chocolate chip cookies. Not the chewy, soft kind either. They must be the original kind. I could eat an entire box in one sitting. Which is why I try to make sure I never ever buy them.

And last, but certainly not least- I love my Rich's laptop and blogging, and all of my blogging friends.










So, if you're reading this- then guess what? Tag- you're it! Have fun playing along.

7 Random Things Meme

I was tagged by Regina to do this 7 Random or Weird Things Meme.

I did this meme a while ago here and here, but I decided to play along again.

Here are the rules:
A). Link to the person who tagged you and post the rules on your blog
B). Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself
C). Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs
D). Let each person know that they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Here's my 7 random things:
1. When I was a child I thought it was a neat little trick that I could put my entire fist into my mouth.
2. I had braces for 3 years. During that time I decided that I would surely be an orthodontist when I grew up.
3. I went bungee jumping when I was a teenager.
4. I loved high school.
5. Before I got pregnant with Hailey I wore a size 2 or a 4. My "fat" jeans? They were a size 6.
6. I love to eat brown sugar. Usually I add lots of it to my oatmeal (the oatmeal that comes with brown sugar already in it). But I've also been known to eat just plain brown sugar. Yes- all by itself. (Hmmmm, I wonder if I'll ever be able to get into my old "fat" jeans??)
7. When I was pregnant I had terrible morning all day sickness. At that time I was using Cotton Blossom body wash from Bath & Body Works. I can no longer use that soap because to this very day it makes me gag.

I have decided that I will not be tagging anyone for this meme. I think pretty much everyone has done it at one time or another anyways. But, if you haven't and you want to play along- please do so and then let me know you did so I can check it out.

Blah, Blah, Blah & Christmas Home Tour '07

Oh yes- my title is creative today. So, here's the blah, blah, blah part:

Hailey turned 13 months on Wednesday and so I thought I'd share a little of what she has been up to.

Now, I know that parents are supposed to be easily impressed by their own children- but the other night Hailey did something I thought was extra impressive. We were playing in the living room and I started reciting the words from one of her books. "Ducklings like to swim and they say 'Quack, quack, quack.' Sheep have woolly coats and they say, 'Baa, baa.'"

While I was reciting the words Hailey started looking around the living room at her various books that were strewn all over the floor. So, I continued reciting the words and she continued looking through her books. Then she found the book I was reciting from, picked it up, brought it over and handed it to me. So, tell me- is this a normal thing that she did or am I right to be impressed?

While I am bragging telling you about Hailey's latest accomplishments- here are the words she can say:
Da-da
Ma-ma
Da-Dee (Dottie- our dog)
Was sat (What's that?)
See it (If you were to hear her say this word you might think she was saying a four letter word that starts with an 's'. But I can promise you that what she is saying is "see it.")
Ahhh-O (Hello- she says this when she holds the phone up to her ear)
Ba (baby or ball)
She has other jibberish words that she says, but I haven't yet figured out what she is trying to say.

I have also used sign language with Hailey and these are the signs she uses:
Dog
More
Milk
Please
Baby
All done
Eat
Drink
Thank You (she is just getting this one)

And, also for those who are curious- Hailey weighs 21lbs 8oz. as of today. I know her exact weight because she had to go to the germ filled pediatricians office today. When I went to get Hailey dressed this morning to go to story time at the library I saw that her little body was covered in a rash (except her face). So, off we went to expose her to many unknown germs. By the time she had her appointment she had hives as well. Well, it turns out that she just has a virus and the rash and hives are all part of the cold I thought was finally over. The hives do not seem to bother her at all but her doctor said that if she starts scratching I can give her Benadryl. But only at bedtime because the Benadryl might KNOCK HER OUT.

Excuse me? Come again. Did someone say that Benadryl might cause this child to sleep. Oh my goodness- don't tempt me.

Anyhoo- all that to say that I am pleased with Hailey's weight because at her last appointment she had lost weight. Due to the fact that she will not, you know, eat.... ANYTHING. Well- that's not entirely true- she eats cheese and Nutri-Grain bars. I had thought she also ate chicken nuggets- but now I know that she was really just putting them in her diaper. But apparently she's been eating enough as she has gained back what she lost plus a little bit, so I am feeling a bit better about her weight.

So, now that I am done with the blah, blah, blah part of my post, here is the Christmas tour part.

Just in case any of you do not read BooMama (which if you do not- I highly recommend you start today- as soon as you're done leaving me a comment of course) I thought I would pass this on.

On December 17th BooMama will be hosting a Christmas tour of homes. You post pictures on your blog of your Christmas decorations and then sign Mr. Linky over at BooMama's blog. Then you can visit all the blogs of the other participants and they can visit you. Sounds like fun to me! So, if you want all the information- click on this lovely picture to get all the details.

If you didn't see my post yesterday about my cousin Beka's brand new beautiful baby girl, please check it out. She is supposed to be going home today, so I assume she'll be posting pictures on her blog just as soon as she gets home. But really- just in case she's busy being a new mommy and can't get those pictures up right away- I'll be sure to let you know when she does so that you can stop by to say congrats.

Have a wonderful weekend.

House Meme

I was tagged by Shalini at Random Thoughts to do this house meme. So- here goes:

House meme:

1. What kind of soap is in your bathtub right now? Sweet Pea from Bath & Body Works and Lever.
2. Do you have any watermelon in your refrigerator? Nope
3. What would you change about your living room? I'd make it bigger
4. Are the dishes in your dishwasher clean or dirty? Clean- and yes I know I should be emptying it instead of blogging.
5. What is in your fridge? Lots of food- I just went grocery shopping
6. White or wheat bread? White
7. What is on top of your refrigerator? Knife set, cooking griddle
8. What color or design is on your shower curtain? It's tan with lavender colored flowers
9. How many plants are in your home? Real plants? None- that would require me remembering to water them.
10. Is your bed made right now? Ummmm.... why yes, of course no
11. Comet or Soft Scrub? Comet
12. Is your closet organized? Yes
13. Can you describe your flashlight? It lights up the dark
14. Do you drink out of glass or plastic most of the time at home? Glass
15. Do you have iced tea made in a pitcher right now? Nope.
16. If you have a garage, is it cluttered? It's not too bad. There is an area where I have some rubbermaid storage boxes which are neatly labeled and shelved. Then there is Rich's work area. I try not to look there.
17. Curtains or blinds? Both
18. How many pillows do you sleep with? One
19. Do you sleep with any lights on at night? A nightlight in the bathroom and in Hailey's room. We also leave a light on in the living room, that way any potential burglars will think we stay up all night and will be scared away.
20. How often do you vacuum? Some places- like the kitchen I do everyday. I do the entire house on Tuesdays & Fridays.
21. Standard toothbrush or electric? Standard
22. What color is your toothbrush? Purple
23. Do you have a welcome mat on your front porch? No, not right now. I do during certain seasons when I have one that matches the decorations I have out. But, I don't have one for the fall season.
24. What is in your oven right now? Nothing
25. Is there anything under your bed? A storage container that has wrapping paper, gift bags and bows in it.
26. Chore you hate doing the most? Cleaning the bathtub and folding laundry.
27. What retro items are in your home? None
28. Do you have a separate room that you use as an office? No- our computer is in our family room. I use my Rich's laptop at the kitchen table. We have a room that we want to turn into an office, but right now it is set up with my treadmill, a TV, and a bunch of storage type stuff.
29. How many mirrors are in your home? Eight or possibly more- but eight for sure.
30. Do you have any hidden emergency money around your home? No
31. What color are your walls? Do you know that I had to look around to answer this question? Well, I did- and what I see is plain old boring white walls. Time to buy some paint.
32. Do you keep any kind of protection weapons in your home? Golf clubs- Rich keeps one next to his side of the bed and if I ever hear any scary noises he takes it with him while checking for monsters for me.
33. What does your home smell like right now? Coffee
34. Favorite candle scent? Any fall scented Yankee candle
35. What kind of pickles (if any) are in your refrigerator right now? Dill
36. What color is your favorite Bible? Black
37. Ever been on your roof? No way. I bungee jumped as a teenager but the thought of getting on my roof makes my hands get all sweaty and my tummy queasy.
38. Do you own a stereo? Yes
39. How many TVs do you have? 4, which is obviously more than we need. But, we don't use one of them because we bought a new one to replace it- but haven't gotten rid of the old one yet. Oh- and the one that is supposed to be used while I'm walking on the treadmill? That one doesn't get used either.
40. How many house phones? Only 1 and we never use it- we only use our cell phones.
41. Do you have a housekeeper? Why yes I do, in my dreams.
42. What style do you decorate in? Different styles in different rooms of the house.
43. Do you like solid colors in furniture or prints? Both
44. Is there a smoke detector in your home? Yes, of course.
45. In case of fire, what are the items in your house which you’d grab if you only could make one quick trip? I assume that since the question says "items" that the people and Dottie are already safe. In that case I would grab photo albums. Those are the only items that can't be replaced.

I am not going to specifically tag anyone- but I would love it if everyone played along. So, if you're reading please play along and let me know when you do so that I can check out your post.

Way Back When

I was tagged by Andrea to do this fun little meme about what I was doing 10, 20 and 30 years ago.

10 years ago: (1997) I was 20 years old and was spending my first semester away at college, after having attended my local community college. I didn't go too far from home though- I was only about 45 minutes away. I lived in an apartment with three other girls. I never really got close to any of them, as they were there mainly to party and I wasn't. I went to my elementary education and child psychology classes during the morning, worked part time at a day care center in the afternoon, and spent my evenings with Rich (his job had transferred him to a city near the college I went to, so we were still able to see each other most days).

20 years ago: (1987) I had just turned 10 years old and was in 5th grade. For some reason the only thing I can remember about 5th grade is this mean teacher who used to make me stay in from playground to practice my handwriting. I still have messy handwriting- so clrealy that method did not work.

30 years ago: (1977) I was a little over a week old. I can't tell you for sure- but I'm guessing I was doing some crying, some sleeping, and some eating. And I'm quite sure I was getting lots of love, hugs, and attention.

You're welcome to play along if you want to- just leave me a comment to let me know so that I can check out your post.

Toddler Rules

If it's on, I must turn it off.
If it's off, I must turn it on.
If it's folded, I must unfold it.
If it's high, it must be reached.
If it's shelved, it must be unshelved.
If it's pointed, it must be fun to play with at top speed.
If it has leaves, they must be picked.
If it's plugged, it must be unplugged.
If it's not trash, it must be thrown away.
If it's in the trash, it must be removed, inspected, and thrown on the floor.
If it's closed, it must be opened.
If it doesn't open, it must be screamed at.
If it has drawers, they must be rifled.
If it's a pencil, it must write on the refrigerator, computer monitor, or table.
If it's full, it will be more interesting emptied.
If it's empty, it will be more interesting full.
If it's a pile of dirt, it must be laid upon.
If it's a stroller, it must under no circumstances be ridden in without protest and must be pushed by me instead.
If it has a flat surface, it must be banged upon.
If Mommy's hands are full, I must be carried.
If Mommy is in a hurry and wants to carry me, I must walk alone.
If it's paper, it must be torn.
If it has buttons, they must be pressed.
If the volume is low, it must go high.
If it's your toothbrush, it must be inserted into my mouth.
If it's my toothbrush, it must be inserted into your mouth.
If it has a faucet, it must be turned on at full force.
If it's a phone, I must talk into it, unless there is someone on the other end.
If it's a bug, it must be swallowed.
If it's not food, it must be tasted.
If it's food, it must not be tasted.
If it has a tail, I must yank it.
If Mommy wants me to come, I must run away.
If Mommy wants me to go away, I must cling on for dear life.
If it's sticky, it must go in my hair.
If it's bath time, I must run around naked until I'm caught.


I do not know who wrote this but I thought it was just perfect in describing toddlers. If anyone knows who the author is- please let me know and I will update my post to give that person credit.

Winnie-the-Pooh and the Big 3-0

Take the 100 Acre Personality Quiz!

I saw this at over at Andrea's blog and thought it would be fun to see which 100 Acre personality I am.

And how appropriate that I am Winnie-the-Pooh, my favorite character! Not only am I loveable and kind (the quiz said so) but I do love honey too. And I could probably eat it by the pot full. Hmmmm, I wonder why I need to lose 25 23 pounds.

Anywho- play along and see who you are. Then leave me a comment to let me know.

And in other news- I'm going to be 30 on Saturday. Can you tell how excited I am? Because really- I am not excited.

Activity Menu Challenge

Andrea at Lifesong has challenged us to come up with some ideas of things to do this winter to combat the winter blues. I have decided to break my ideas into three parts.

• Since I am a stay-at-home mom my first list of ideas is things that Hailey and I will do during the day to help keep me from going stir crazy.

1. One day each week we go to babies and mommies story time at the library. It lasts about a half an hour and we get to hear stories, sing songs, play games, and I get to talk to other moms. In January Hailey will graduate to the toddler class, which still takes place once a week. After the class we spend time picking out new books and CD's to take home, we play with the puppets, do puzzles, and watch the fish in the aquarium. If the weather continues to be warm enough we will spend time playing on the playground too.
2. Another day we go to story time at Barnes and Noble. We hear stories, play games and sing songs. Afterwards we walk spend time looking around at Barnes and Noble and trying not to buy too many things.
3. Every other week we attend a MOPS group. Hailey gets to play with some kids her age while I get to have some adult conversation with the other moms.
4. The other days of the week we stay home. But, to keep things from getting boring I plan out activities for us to do. Much like when I was teaching I pick a theme for each week and I plan activities around that theme. When we go to the library we get books that relate the theme. I have found TONS of ideas for things to do with toddlers and preschoolers on this amazing site called Pamm's House. She is amazingly creative and full of ideas- all of which she shares for free.

Next are my ideas of things we can do together as a family either in the evenings or on the weekends:

1. Have a family game night.
2. Take walks together and enjoy the fall leaves and later enjoy all the Christmas decorations.
3. If it's too cold to be outside we enjoy going to the mall just to watch people. People can be so interesting to watch!
4. We have some great children's museums where we live- we need to start visiting those.
5. We have a membership to our local zoo, which is open all year, so when it is not too cold out we can go see the animals.
6. Play in the snow.
7. Go to things like Build-A-Bear and Color Me Mine.

Now for some ideas of things for me to do:

1. Get back into my scrap booking. I keep buying more stuff and printing more pictures, but I just can't find the time to sit down and work on my scrap booking. I am going to start working on this one night a week after Hailey goes to bed.
2. Read!! I love, love, love to read. But I haven't been doing much of that lately either. It's so hard to find the time. So, I am going to start giving myself a little time to spend reading on the weekends.
3. Take walk everyday. When the weather is nice enough I will take Hailey for a walk each afternoon. Once it gets too cold, I'll dust off the treadmill and start walking on that everyday.
4. Blog without feeling guilty. For some reason when I blog during Hailey's nap I feel guilty like I should be doing something else (like folding the piles of laundry). But, I need to have a little time to relax and do things I enjoy as well.

Well, I guess those are my ideas for now. Please check out the Activity Menu Challenge over at Andrea's blog for more ideas.

Activity Menu Challenge

Andrea at Lifesong had a fabulous idea to create an Activity Menu for the winter months to help keep those winter blues away. She posted about it a month ago and I signed up to participate. Then I promptly forgot.

So, what we are supposed to do is create a flexible schedule of activities we can do this winter. You can come up with ideas of things to do as a family and ideas of things to do for yourself. I had meant to put a posting up to try to help get more participants, but as I mentioned before- I forgot.

I know this is very short notice, but please go here to read the details and see if you can come up with some ideas by tomorrow! I'm breaking my own rule of no posting on the weekends to try to find some more participants! Please leave me a comment to let me know if you decide to participate. Sorry for the short notice!!

And now I'm off to go rack my brain for ideas!

Desktop Free View Meme

I was tagged by ZAM to do this meme so that everyone can see what the desktop of my computer looks like.

My Desktop Free View Instructions:

A. Upon receiving this tag, immediately perform a screen capture of your desktop. It is best that no icons be deleted before the screen capture so as to add to the element of fun.You can do a screen capture by:
[1] Going to your desktop and pressing the Print Scrn key (located on the right side of the F12 key).
[2] Open a graphics program (like Picture Manager, Paint, or Photoshop) and do a Paste (CTRL + V).
[3] If you wish, you can “edit” the image, before saving it.

B. Post the picture in your blog. You can also give a short explanation on the look of your desktop just below it if you want. You can explain why you preferred such look or why is it full of icons. Things like that.

C. Tag five of your friends and ask them to give you a Free View of their desktop as well.

D. Add your name to this list of Free Viewers with a link pointing directly to your Desktop Free

View post to promote it to succeeding participants.

List of those who participated in the tag:
iRonnie
skippyheart
thesserie
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Our Happy Happenings

So, here is the desktop of my computer:

Now, I personally do not like having all of those icons. I would prefer just a few. But, since this laptop actually belongs to Rich- most of those are his icons. On my computer - the one that I never use because a laptop is so much more convenient- there are only a few icons.

So, now who shall I tag? How about you? If you're reading this- you're it! Let me know when you do it so I can come by to see.

It's a Twofer Today

I'm still playing catch up on the memes I have been tagged to do. About 50 years ago I was tagged by JennieBoo to do the middle name meme. Then while I was on vacation I was tagged again for this meme by Pam.

So here goes...

The rules:

1. You have to post these rules before you give the facts.
2. Players, you must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of their middle name. If you don’t have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had.
3. When you are tagged you need to write your own blog-post containing your own middle name game facts.
4. At the end of your blog-post, you need to choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

My middle name is Louise. This is my mom's middle name too and was my grandmother's name as well.

L- I Love my family.
O- I enjoy visiting the Ocean.
U- I always wear clean Underwear. You know- just in case I'm in an accident and the people in the emergency room will be checking to see if my underwear is acceptable, of course. (Aren't you proud of me, mom?)
I- Ice cream is one of my favorite foods.
S- I can be very Silly when I am with certain people.
E- I have my degree to teach Elementary school.

I'm not going to tag anyone. Yes, I am breaking rule #4; I'm such a rebel. But, please do feel free to play along- and let me know if you do so I can read yours.

And since I'm playing catch up on my memes, here's another one. Many moons ago Dawnae at Nifty Nicholson News tagged me with the Resurrecting Old Posts meme.

So, here goes:

1. This first post must be an old post about your family- This shouldn't be too hard since that's pretty much all I ever blog about. I couldn't figure out which on to pick, so I decided to just go with the oldest one I have. This is a post of pictures from Christmas 2006.

2. This post should be about your friends- Friends? Sadly I don't really have any posts about my friends. Most of my friends live inside my computer. I was able to find this post- a High School Meme where I mentioned my best friend from high school. I really must get out more.

3. This post must be about yourself- I decided to pick my post from the first time I was ever tagged. I was tagged to do a post of 7 Random Things About Me- so it's all about me.

4. This link is about something you love- And since it says something I love I can not talk about the people I love. So, I picked this Fun Monday post where I discuss my love for Chips Ahoy Chocolate Chip cookies.

5. This one should be about your favorite post- Well, I have two favorite posts- so I will list them both. This one called Babies Don't Keep and my Blogaholic posts are my favorites.

And now I am supposed to tag five people, but I just don't want to. So, if you want to play along- please let me know so that I can read yours.

8 Random Things Meme

I have been tagged several times to do several different memes. For some reason I just haven't gotten around to doing them. So, this week I am going to catch up on some of the tags I've had. About 100 years ago I was tagged by Susan to do an 8 random things post. Then a little while later I was tagged by La Bellina Mammina to do 8 random things about me and my hubby. A bit more recently Melanie tagged me to do the 8 random things meme. I've decided to combine the two different memes and just do 8 random things about me and my hubby.

1. Rich and I met when I was 17 and he was 20.

2. I was a senior in high school. Rich worked part time at a nearby Subway. I went there for lunch one day. I went back the next day and the day after that too. I'm pretty sure I ate lunch there almost everyday after we met.

3. Rich wouldn't tell me his name and so I made one up for him. I called him Elwood. I'm quite sure that he loved the nickname I made up for him.

4. Several months later we starting dating (and he told me his real name).

5. We dated for 5 years before we finally got married.

6. We went to Disney World for our honeymoon. We've gone back three times since then.

7. We have been married for 7 wonderful years.

8. Every Saturday and Sunday morning Rich makes us a yummy breakfast that we eat together while we read the paper.

I'm not going to tag anyone, but play along if you'd like. Be sure to let me know if you decide to do it so that I can check out your post.

Vacation- Days 7, 8 & 9

On our seventh day of vacation (sixth day at Disney) we decided to do a bit of relaxing. We started out with a nice big breakfast at our hotel. We relaxed in our room for a while and let Hailey take a morning nap.

We spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon at Downtown Disney doing some shopping. When we finished there we went back to our hotel for lunch. Then we all took a much needed afternoon nap.

After our nap we headed over to MGM.

We stopped to pose for a picture with Jafar. Hailey loved Jafar and thought he was hilarious. She couldn't reach his nose to bite it, so she just kept rubbing his arm and laughing at him.

Hailey and Rich watching The High School Musical show.
We had dinner at the 50's Prime Time Cafe where all of the waitresses dressed and acted like they were your mother. When we were seated the waitress gave us our napkins and silverware and told us that we were expected to set the table. Rich got in trouble several times during dinner for putting his elbows on the table. "Mom" also had to speak to Rich about wearing his hat in "the house." (And for those of you who know Rich you know he always wears his hat. Well, except to work and church, of course.) Rich also tried to hide his vegetables under his napkin so that he would not have to eat them. "Mom" did not fall for this and once again, Rich was in trouble.

After dinner we went to Epcot for the rest of the night. Hailey slept while Rich and I took turns going on some of the rides that Hailey was not able to go on. We got back to our hotel late and stayed up until 2am packing.

We left the next morning and flew back to the town where our parents live arriving later that evening. On Sunday morning we slept in a bit and tried to recuperate just a little before we left for the drive home on Sunday afternoon. We were exhausted as we arrived home on Sunday evening but we had a wonderful vacation. We're already talking about our plans to go back!

If you missed my previous vacation posts you can click here, here, or here to see them (or just scroll down a little bit).

Vacation- Days 5 & 6

On our fifth day of vacation (and fourth day at Disney World) we started out at MGM.

We stopped to pose for a picture just after we entered the park. And then we were off to have breakfast with characters from The Little Einsteins and JoJo's Circus at Hollywood and Vine. Hailey enjoyed watching June, Leo, JoJo and Goliath from a distance but she wasn't too sure about them when they stopped to visit her at our table.

Hailey and June
Hailey looked at Goliath for a minute and then started to cry.
Hailey was a little concerned about JoJo as well.
She watched her for a minute and then started to cry.

Hailey wasn't too sure what to think about Leo. He could tell she was a bit worried and tried playing peek-a-boo with her. It didn't work and she ended up crying again.

We spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon at MGM.

Hailey and I watching a parade.

After the parade we left to go to Animal Kingdom, where we spent the evening.

We stopped to pose for a picture soon after we arrived at Animal Kingdom.

Each of the four parks had an air conditioned baby center. They had places to change your baby, highchairs for feeding, rooms for nursing mothers, and various baby items for sale. They also had a room where Hailey was able to get out of her stroller and crawl and walk around for a while.
This is a picture of the Expedition Everest ride- a roller coaster that Rich and I both went on. Disney has a thing called Rider Switch for people with young children. One person gets to go on the ride and the other person gets a pass to skip the line after the first person is done with the ride. This way we were both able to enjoy the rides that Hailey could not go on without waiting in line twice. Anywho- I loved Expedition Everest- Rich did not.

On the sixth day of our vacation (fifth day at Disney) we spent the day at Magic Kingdom.

We stopped to pose for a picture right after we entered the park.

Hailey and I on a train ride.
Rich posing as Mickey Mouse.

We had reservations to eat dinner at the Crystal Palace with the Pooh characters. After breakfast with the characters from The Little Einsteins and JoJo's Circus the day before I was worried about how Hailey would do with these characters. But, she absolutely loved all of the Pooh characters and laughed and clapped her hands when she saw each one.

Hailey meeting Winnie the Pooh.
Hailey patting Eeyore on the nose.
Hailey reaching for Piglet's nose.

Hailey laughing while meeting Tigger. I'm not sure if Hailey is giving Tigger a kiss or a bite? At the time I thought she was giving him a kiss, but later on when we met Mickey Mouse- she definitely bit him on the nose. So, now I'm not sure if she was also biting Tigger.

Hailey cried after Tigger left our table.

Here we are posing in front of the castle.
We are meeting Mickey Mouse. Hailey grabbed right a hold of his nose and would not let go.

And, now she is biting poor Mickey Mouse on the nose.
Still biting and hanging on. I know for sure this was a bite and not a kiss because I had to pull her off of him and I could tell her little teeth were sinking into his nose.

Surprising we were not asked to leave the park after Hailey's attack on Mickey (and possibly Tigger) and we continued to enjoy the rest of the evening at Magic Kingdom. I have just a few more pictures left to share with you. So, be sure to come back to see those. If you missed my previous vacation posts you can scroll down a little to see those or click here and here.