5 Blog Faves

Day 19, Sunday: Five of your favorite blogs and what you love about them

I have quite a mix of types of blogs that I follow- cooking blogs, travel/expat blogs, mommy blogs, craft/DIY blogs, lifestyle blogs, among others.  The blogs I follow are also a diverse mix of small, up-and-coming blogs and larger, very well-known blogs.  Honestly, some of the smaller, less-popular blogs are usually my favorites.  But when I sat down to write this post, I had a hard time picking just five- especially since they are all so different.  So I decided to pick my top five favorite well-known/popular blogs.  Here they are!

Blog: Bower Power

 

Website: http://www.bowerpowerblog.com/

Blog Type: A mix of DIY, home improvement, photography, and mommy blogging

What I Love About It: Katie Bower is hilarious.  I love her writing style, honesty, and sense of humor.  Her house is beautiful and all of the DIY she has done is incredible- but not in the intimidating, "I could never pull that off" way that some DIY blogs can be.

Blog: Confessions of a Pioneer Woman

 

Website: http://thepioneerwoman.com/confessions/

Blog Type: Cooking/Lifestyle

What I Love About It: I have never cooked anything from the PW website that is not sinfully delicious!  I also love her photography- especially when she shares photos of her ranch.  PW is a really entertaining and humorous writer as well.  Despite how famous she has become, I love that she and her family still seem relatively unchanged by it all. 

Blog: Skinnytaste

Website: http://skinnytaste.com/
Blog Type: Healthy Cooking
What I Love About It: This blog has been my go-to blog for cooking for almost three years now.  I probably use a recipe from this blog at least three times a week.  Gina takes everyday favorite recipes and creates "skinny"/healthier versions that taste amazing- even my husband likes these recipes.  I feel like I've made most of the recipes on her blog, and I can probably count on one hand the ones I thought were just "eh."  If you need any suggestions of some of my favorites, feel free to ask!

Blog: Suri's Burn Book

 

Website: http://surisburnbook.tumblr.com/
Blog Type: Celebrity News/Humor
What I Love About It: This website is hilarious!  If you're not familiar with it, it's basically a blogger who writes as though she is Suri Cruise.  Her portrayal of Suri as hyper-critical and disapproving of most all other celebs (especially celebs' kids) is super entertaining.  She posts almost daily, and they posts are short and sweet, but always make me laugh.  Add it to your list!

Blog: Young House Love

Website: http://www.younghouselove.com/
Blog Type: DIY/Home Improvement
What I Love About It: John and Sherry are amazing at what they do.  Their house is incredible, but again not in an intimidating, "I could never do that myself" sort of way.  I love that this adorable couple has made this blog their full-time job, and that they've had so much success!  They don't take themselves too seriously, which I think makes their blog fun and entertaining to read. 

**Bonus**

Blog: Jen Frase... Stuff I Probably Shouldn't Say Out Loud

 

Website: http://jenfrase.blogspot.com

Blog Type: ???

What I Love About It: This blog is somewhat "seasonal," as she pretty much blogs only during the Bachelor/Bachelorette seasons.  Jen gives weekly recaps of the Bachelor/Bachelorette episodes, and her recaps and commentary are hilarious.  She is snarky, sarcastic, and sometimes vulgar (so if you're easily offended, beware), but her recaps are always so spot on and leave me laughing out loud sometimes hysterically.  Many weeks I honestly look forward to reading her recaps more than watching the episode itself.  If you are a Bachelor/Bachelorette fan, you must add this blog to your list! 

 

Catch up with my "Blog Every Day in May" challenge here:

Day 1

Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5 (Oops! :-/ I did blog on day 5, just not following the prompt...)
Day 6

Day 7

Day 8

Day 9
Day 10
Day 11
Day 12
Day 13
Day 14

Day 15

Day 16

Day 17

Day 18

Camp Mimi & Georgie

Day 18, Saturday: Tell a story from your childhood. Dig deep and try to be descriptive about what you remember and how you felt.

*This post makes me wish I had access to some of my mom's photo albums or my own photos that are packed away in a storage unit back in Texas so that I could include photos to go along with this story/memory.  Note to self: if we ever live abroad again, bring photo albums with you!

During the summer between first and second grade (which would make me about 7 years old I think), my sister (who was 10 years old at the time) and I got to spend a week at my grandma and grandpa's house with two of our other girl cousins who were our age.  Now, this wasn't as simple as going down the street or across town to our grandparents' house.  You see, my mom's parents lived in the small town of Marion, Indiana.  So that means that my parents were brave enough to let my sister and I fly from Phoenix to Indiana by ourselves.  Unfortunately, I don't remember much about the flight itself, but I do have very vivid memories of our very special week with Mimi and Georgie and or cousins that week. 

I always loved my grandparents' house that they lived in at the time, and I have so many vivid memories of it.  At the time, it was probably the only house I had ever been in that had stairs, and I thought that was so neat.  The house also had a pool room where my cousins and I spent a lot of time making up games with the pool balls and probably making a huge racket while doing so.  I also remember in the family/TV room, there were some cabinets where there were a ton of my mom's and aunt's/uncle's old toys.  Of course, my sister, cousins, and I were most excited about playing with all of the old Barbies.  I specifically remember a "stewardess" Barbie that was my favorite.  In the same room was a game table with a leather surface- which for some reason I remember really loving the feeling of.  We spent lots of time at that game table playing cards and Boggle.  In one of the upstairs rooms, there was a large closet/storage space with an inclined ceiling, that was the perfect place to play house/dolls/school, etc.  For some reason I remember this space having a very distinctive smell, which I still remember very clearly.  My favorite thing about that house though was that it had a laundry chute.  The idea of a laundry chute was completely novel to me, and I thought it was the coolest thing.  I remember launching toys and stuffed animals down the chute while my sister and/or cousins waited at the bottom to catch them.  Best game ever! 

Aside from the entertainment that the house itself provided, my grandparents did so many fun activities with their four granddaughters.  One day we each decorated our own shirts and white Keds with puffy paint and sequins.  There is a great picture somewhere of the four of us decked out in our gear/artwork (each with shirts stylishly tied at the hip, of course).  Someday I will have to go back and add that photo here.  We got to eat lunch at the 18th hole of the golf/country club that Mimi and Georgie belonged to, which we thought was pretty special.  I'm pretty sure we all ordered grilled cheese each time.  We spent a lot of time that week in their backyard pool.  Georgie loved to swim and was a good lifeguard (and entertainment) for the four of us.  Georgie was able to hold his breath for what seemed like an eternity to us, and we loved to count how long he could hold it.  I'm sure we exhausted him with this game!  Mimi loved to shop (still does!), and one of the days she took us to the little mall in town.  We were each allowed to pick out one toy at the toy store.  I picked out a small stuffed bear, which I named Mary (in honor of the town they lived in- Marion).  This is the only stuffed animal that I still have to this day.  Mary even came to college with me.  And yes, she also made the trip to Australia :-)  Another favorite memory from this trip was that Mimi had bought some sort of package/program where we each were able to write and illustrate our own book/story.  She then sent these off to whatever the company was, and later we each received a hardback, bound copy of our book.  I still have this book and love to read back through my oh-so-creative "Megan and the Three Bears" book. 

This is trip is one of my favorite memories from my childhood.  Now, it seems kind of crazy that my parents let my sister and I travel all that way by ourselves, but I am so glad they did.  I'm sure that contributed on some level to the beginning of my love for travel.  This was such a neat time for the four of us cousins to spend with our grandparents.  Now as we're older, the times we are all together are few and far between, but whenever we are together, memories from this trip always come up. 


 

Catch up with my "Blog Every Day in May" challenge here:

Day 1

Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5 (Oops! :-/ I did blog on day 5, just not following the prompt...)
Day 6

Day 7

Day 8

Day 9
Day 10
Day 11
Day 12
Day 13
Day 14

Day 15

Day 16

Day 17

Pictures Worth A Thousand Words

Day 17, Friday: A favorite photo of yourself and why

Because I'm nothing if not indecisive, I had to pick two favorite photos.  If that makes me a cheater, then so be it.  So, without further ado and/or cheating, here they are.

Summer 2006

I love this photo because it represents a very formative time in my life that no doubt brought me to the point where I am in my life today.  This is a photo of me with the very first group of students I taught during my Institute training with Teach for America.  At the time this photo was taken, I had no idea that I would become so passionate about teaching, and I surely did not imagine that I would continue teaching beyond my two year commitment.  Also important to note in this photo is my fellow summer co-teacher in the red shirt, Renee.  I met Renee through Teach For America and we were roommates for our two years in Los Angeles.  Again, at the time this photo was taken, I had no idea that she would one day become my sister-in-law.  Yes, I married one of my very best friend and former roommate's brother.  This photo makes me very grateful for God's plan/fate/serendipity/luck or whatever else you want to call it.  Had the people and experiences that this photo captures not have come together, the life that I love today would be so very different.  Crazy to think about. 

Circa 1984

Now for my "cheat" photo.  I love looking at old photos- especially old family photos, so I just couldn't resist not including one of my favorite old photos.  This is a photo of my pretty mom holding me when I was maybe six months old (?).  I have always loved this photo- I just think it is so sweet.  It sits in a small frame on my night stand, and it always makes me smile.  Someday when I have a baby of my own, I will definitely want to recreate a photo similar to this one.  And no, mom, I am not pregnant nor do I plan on being anytime soon. :-) 

 

Catch up with my "Blog Every Day in May" challenge here:

Day 1

Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5 (Oops! :-/ I did blog on day 5, just not following the prompt...)
Day 6 Day 7

Day 8

Day 9
Day 10
Day 11
Day 12
Day 13
Day 14

Day 15

Day 16

Lonesome

Day 16, Thursday: Something difficult about your "lot in life" and how you're working to overcome it

Another tough question to answer.  I honestly feel like I am in a pretty good place in life right now, and I know how very fortunate I am.  I can think of a few things that are sometimes difficult about my "lot in life," but when I compare these things to some of the things other people deal with on a daily basis, they seem trivial and hardly worth mentioning.  So I almost feel like I can't/shouldn't even write on this topic without risking it sounding trivial or superficial.  But, for the sake of my goal of completing this "Blog Every Day in May" challenge, I must :-)  So, that being said, here is something that is "difficult about my lot in life" right now- with complete knowledge of how lucky I am that when it comes down to it, this is truly insignificant in the grand scheme of things. 

Feeling Lonely - I don't feel this way all the time, but lately Australia has been feeling a bit more lonely that usual.  I think it partly has to do with the fact that one of my best friends just visited recently (how dare she leave!), and also the fact that one of the girl's I've become good friends with here has just found out that she will be moving back to the US at the end of June.  I realized pretty soon after graduating college, that it is hard to make friends as an adult post-college.  And that's usually been somewhat bearable for me, because I am obsessed with the amazing friends that I already do have.  Even when I lived in the US, most of my closest friends lived in other states, but I loved having an excuse to travel somewhere to visit them.  However, now that dealing with this "lot" is not as easy, the issue seems to be magnified.  I miss my friends.  Not only do I miss my friends, I kind of just miss having friends here period.  I have found it pretty difficult to meet people here.  Don't get me wrong, I've met a ton of people here, and I have plenty of aquaintances, but not many that I've really connected with on a deeper level beyond that.  Most of the time, this hardly bothers me at all, but sometimes this bothers me a lot. 

What am I doing to overcome this?  I love that today's prompt included this follow-up question, because it forces me to remember that with most problems it's important to remember that you can in fact do something to better a situation.  And if I'm completely honest, I have to admit that I'm not being as proactive about this as I could be.  Something I really do try to work at is: making an effort to maintain the amazing friendships that I do have and taking the time to stay in touch through phone calls, emails, text messages, mail, etc.  However, I know that I need to put more effort into doing something to improve the "friend situation" here.  Some of the opportunities I have to do this (organized coffee dates, monthly welcome meetings, etc.) are somewhat limited now that I'm working again and these events are unfortunately always during the day on weekdays.  But I can't let that be an excuse to not do anything at all.  I guess what this post has made me realize is that I'm not doing enough to overcome this supposed "lot."  I need to make a more concerted effort to find some opportunities to meet new people and make connections. 

Mah girls

  Catch up with my "Blog Every Day in May" challenge here:

Day 1

Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5 (Oops! :-/ I did blog on day 5, just not following the prompt...)
Day 6

Day 7

Day 8

Day 9
Day 10
Day 11
Day 12
Day 13
Day 14

Day 15

A Day In the Life

Day 15, Wednesday: A Day in the life (include photos from throughout your typical day - this could be "a photo an hour" if you'd like)

I've seen plenty of these "day in the life" posts, and I've always liked the concept.  I love that they capture simple moments in an ordinary day.  So, I was excited to see this prompt for today's post.  However, I didn't realize how difficult this would be.  I kept forgetting to take pictures, and I had no idea how long it would actually take to put together this post.  Also, I almost feel a little embarrassed at how uneventful this day seems.  But, nonetheless, I am glad I finally had a good reason to complete my own "a day in the life" post.  I'm sure it will be fun to look back on in the future!  Here goes...

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

4:40 AM: The dreaded sounding of the alarm.  My husband's alarm went off at 4:25 though, so I'm kind of already awake. 

 

4:54 AM: I don't remember pressing snooze, but apparently I did.  Now I literally have to sprint to get out of bed and throw on clothes since we have to be out the door by 5:05 AM. 

 

5:05 AM: Out the door to take David to work.  Luckily, the drop off spot has recently been changed and it's only a 5 minute drive (it was previously 10-15 minutes).  I get the easy part of this commute.  Poor hubby gets his car ride with me, then rides this bus for 20 minutes to the ferry, 30 minute ferry ride to the island, and then one more bus ride to the office.  Gross. 



 

5:15-6:00 AM: During this time, I am usually SO tempted to get back in bed (and sometimes I do).  However, I've been trying to force myself to stay up after dropping David off so I can work out before getting ready for work. Today I was successful!  To let myself completely wake up, I usually turn on the morning news, and check my email/read blogs for a while. 

6:00 AM: Workout - For the past couple years, I've turned into quite the home workout addict. I've used various workout DVDs/programs, but right now I'm working through the Brazil Butt Lift DVDs.  Not my favorite, but it gets the job done. 

7:20-8:10 AM: Shower, make bed, etc. to get ready for work.

8:10 AM: Out the door by 8:10 at the latest or I'll be late to work.  I took the photo of what is considered "traffic" in this small town.  This was a line of about 10-12 cars MAX waiting to get through a roundabout.  I waited no longer than 3 minutes.  Having lived in and survived the traffic of both Los Angeles and Houston, this is laughable to me. 

8:30 AM: Start my work day.  I work at a school for students with special needs, and Tuesdays and Wednesdays are my days working with the students in the very high needs class.  Most of the students are wheelchair-bound and non-verbal.  While at first intimidated, I now LOVE working with this group.  My day here involves lots of sensory play, intensive interaction, lots of lifting/transferring (sometimes it feels like a second workout for the day), feeding, toileting, etc.  I wish I could include more photos of this part of my day, but unfortunately (for obvious reasons) I can't.  Here are a few peeks though...


Confession: I cheated, this schedule was actually from the day before, but today was very similar

 

 


Lunch time for the kiddos!

Lunch/recess duty for me. Bleh!

1:30 PM: Today was just a half day of work.  I had plans to run some errands before heading home, but I get a text message from a friend right as I'm leaving work asking if I can give her a ride to pick up her car from being serviced. 

3:00 PM (ish): Home.  I didn't get to eat all of my lunch at work (it was a crazy day), so I sit down to finish my lunch while catching up on Dancing With the Stars. 

3:30 PM: Feeling exhausted from work today.  Unfortunately, today was one of the toughest days I've had there since I started.  One of the kiddos was having some really severe medical issues (seizures) off and on for nearly two hours.  And of course, it was a day we were down a teacher aide- so it was pretty chaotic.  And draining.  Usually around this time I try and get some cleaning or errands done, but today I'm beat.  I veg out on the couch finishing DWTS and begin drafting this post.  Days like this can really take a toll, so I definitely needed this break.   

 

4:00 PM: Get side-tracked by a video that a friend sends me of this cutie singing Bruno Mars on the Ellen Show and then end up watching way too many Ellen clips (ADD much?).  You must watch this adorable video.  I dare you not to smile/laugh/cry.

 



4:30 PM: Time to start getting dinner ready.  On the menu tonight: Ginger Sesame Chicken with Broccoli. 

 



5:45 PM: Leave to pick up David from work.  Dark when I drop him off, dark when I pick him up.  No daylight hours together.  Boo :-(



 

6:15 PM: Dinner and catching up on our days.  Followed by throwing our lunches together for the next day. 

 

7:00 PM: Usually around this time, David is exhausted and wants to just veg out in front of the TV.  We usually watch Friends and The Big Bang Theory (two of the few American shows they play here).  Watching the Big Bang Theory with my husband could have been #11 on yesterday's, "What Makes Me Happy" post.  This show cracks him up, and I love when I look over and catch him looking ridiculously happy, like this:

 

9:00 PM on: Between being "old and boring" and our early mornings, this is kind of the beginning of the end of the night for us.  Getting stuff ready for work the next day, getting ready for bed, etc.  Every once in a while, David has to do more work at home in the evenings.  Thankfully, tonight was not one of those nights. 

 

10:00-10:30 PM: Good night!  

 

Catch up with my "Blog Every Day in May" challenge here:

Day 1

Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5 (Oops! :-/ I did blog on day 5, just not following the prompt...)
Day 6

Day 7

Day 8

Day 9
Day 10
Day 11
Day 12
Day 13
Day 14

 

What Makes Me Happy

Day 14, Tuesday: Ten things that make you really happy

I present you with a list (in no particular order) of things that make me really (sometimes ridiculously) happy:

Chocolate - I have a major sweet tooth!  I will indulge in just about any sweet treat, but if I had to pick, chocolate would be the obvious choice.  My day is not complete unless I have had at least some kind of chocolate. 

I still dream about these churros con chocolate at Cafe Futbol in Granada, Spain.

Reality TV - I've mentioned several times on the blog that I am a reality TV addict.  You name it, I probably watch it.  I wrote more about my affinity for all things reality TV here.  There is just something about these shows that makes me happy (even though sometimes they make me cry).  The drama, the extremes, the outlandish behavior- they all put a smile on my face. 

FaceTime - FaceTime has become a major part of how I stay in touch with family and friends.  Being able to see the faces of my loved ones helps me to feel like I'm not so far away.

FaceTiming with my extended family on Thanksgiving. 

My Students - I've been teaching for a little over 6 years.  And I can honestly say that all of the students I've had the privilege of teaching in those years (even those who sometimes made me want to pull out my hair) make me happy.  It makes me happy to see them learn, laugh, and of course the hilarious things they say leave me smiling each day. 

Some of my students from my very first year of teaching. 

Travel- I've always enjoyed traveling.  I am so thankful that my parents made the effort and sacrifice to travel with us when we were growing up.  Traveling is so much fun for me and truly makes me very happy.  Even after a trip is over, the memories made always bring a smile to my face. 

One of my favorite travel memories

Sending/Receiving Mail - I have a slight obsession with cards.  I could spend hours in a card/stationery store collecting funny and unique cards.  I love writing cards for special occasions and even for no particular reason at all.  Of course I also love receiving mail!  I have a big accordion folder where I save many of the cards and letters I've received over the years. 

Warm Weather - Being born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona has truly made me a desert rat.  I would rather be hot than cold any day.  There is just something about a warm, sunny day that makes me happy. 

Can't you just feel the heat radiating from this photo of the beautiful Arizona desert?

Gift-giving - I love spending time thinking of a fun and thoughtful gift to give someone for their birthday or other special occasion.  I often have gifts picked out for people months in advance of any special occasion, because if I'm out shopping and see something that makes me think of a friend or family member, I buy it. 

Christmas Music - I've found that enthusiasm for Christmas music is a pretty black and white issue for most people- either you love it or it drives you nuts.  Me? I LOVE it!  In college, November 1st was always the unofficial date when I would begin listening to Christmas music (much to my roommates' annoyance) :-)  They were good sports though!  I've calmed down a bit over the years and generally try to wait until closer to Thanksgiving.  Something about the familiar songs and feelings they conjure makes me so happy.  I usually have a hard time weening myself from the Christmas music after the holiday season has passed. 

Koalas - In general, I'm an animal lover, but my obsession love of koalas has brought this to a new level.  Since moving to Australia, I have fallen totally in love with these adorable creatures.  The day I got to hold one was probably one of the top 5 happiest moments of my life.  How could you not love those sweet faces and furry ears?  I often tell my husband that I am not leaving this country without one. :-)

Bliss.

Catch up with my "Blog Every Day in May" challenge here:

Day 1

Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5 (Oops! :-/ I did blog on day 5, just not following the prompt...)
Day 6

Day 7

Day 8

Day 9
Day 10
Day 11
Day 12
Day 13
 

Jen and Tim's Aussie Adventure - Part II

In my last recap of Jen and Tim's visit to Australia, I left out our day trip to the Great Barrier Reef since it is deserving of its own post.  So, here goes!

We left early Wednesday morning to drive 1.5 hours to the town of 1770 (yes, that is the name of a city) where we would leave for our day trip to the Great Barrier Reef.  This was my second trip to the GBR (you can read about my first experience here).  It is so amazing to be so close to this reef that is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.  It really is incredible when you realize just how large it is and that it can actually be seen from space. 

Shortly after we arrived, we boarded the boat and set out for Lady Musgrave Island.  We had perfect weather that day and smooth water, which we were thankful for since we had heard the water can sometimes be quite rough and the cause of extreme sea-sickness.  Phew! 

The way our tour worked was that the boat docked on a pontoon in the open water, a short distance from the island itself.  From the pontoon you can snorkel, go on a glass bottom boat ride to the island for an island walk/tour, and/or ride a semi-submersible boat for more viewing of the reef.  It was a great setup! 

Left: view of the pontoon - Right: Lady Musgrave Island in the distance

 

As expected, everything you see in the reef is just beautiful.  I'll let the photos speak for themselves. 

 

 

 

SO excited to see sea tortoises!  You can't tell from this photo, but this one was HUGE- it's shell was probably at least 2 feet in diameter.

 

Me breaking one of the rules and touching one of the sea tortoises

Lady Musgrave Island tour

 

 

The island is referred to as a coral cay (what we call keys).  Basically this means that the entire island is a giant coral mass.  The sand itself is very finely ground coral.  Here you can see some of the old pieces of coral that will eventually be sand. 

 

Tide pool with tons of sea cucumbers

 

 

Jen and Tim!

I put in a good effort to try to convince them to stay, but alas, I was unsuccessful and I had to let them return to the motherland.  Thanks Jen and Tim for coming all this way!  We miss you already!