11 Things and More!

Every once in a while, I feel like participating in one of these chain posts that circulates all around blogland. I decided this one seemed fun, as I am a huge fan of a good set of questions. This one came from Sometimes Sweet! If you want to do it too, see my questions at the end and link back to me so I can go read your answers too!
There are five rules:
1. Post these rules.
2. Post a photo of yourself and 11 random things.
3. Answer the questions set for you in the original post.
4. Create 11 new questions and tag people to answer them.
5. Go to their blog/twitter and tell them you've tagged them.

11 Random Things:

1. I love dinner. A lot. It's my favorite meal of the day and strangely has the power to change my mood very quickly! I get annoyed at the thought of a skimpy dinner, and a good one makes me really happy. 

2. I hate scary movies.  I'm like a three year old when it comes to them, I can't even watch trailers for them without being afraid for the rest of the night.  I don't read scary books, and even Twilight made me watch around corners for a week straight. It's a little pathetic, no? Pre-teens probably laughed at me in the theater. 

3. I love public radio.  I still like to listen to Iowa Public Radio with an app on my phone because it's fun to listen to my stepdad on the other end. 

4. I try to cook interesting things and new flavors, but I'm equally happy with bland food.  One of my favorite meals is plain buttered noodles. Boring, but delicious!

5. I'm a terrible decorator.  I have so many ideas in my mind of how I want a space to look, but it always comes out so much flatter and more boring.  When we own a house of our own, I'm calling someone else in to help me make my vision a reality. 

6. I love watching the same shows and movies over and over.  I like new things too, of course, but I never tire of Friends or Sex and the City reruns, and a huge number of movies. 

7. I wear a LOT of neutral, earthy colors. I have recently had the desire to add more bright colors to my wardrobe, but I'll always love wearing brown and cream the most. 

8. I love writing and receiving letters. 

9. I'm obsessed with clean hands.  That being said I'm not afraid to get dirty or to let Henry get dirty.  I just like hands to be clean before eating and such.  It's one of my big pet peeves when people make food for someone without washing their hands first. I just think it's rude, and the fastest way to get sick. Yuck!

10. Grocery shopping is one of my favorite things to do.  In the summer though, outdoor markets make me ridiculously happy.

11. I feel more awake when I wear makeup.  Weird, but that's pretty much the reason I wear it. 

Questions from Danielle at Sometimes Sweet:

1. If money, schooling or time was no obstacle, what career would you choose?
I would still want to be a lactation consultant, and then a midwife later on.  Maybe a chef, but that would have to include if skill was no obstacle.  


2. What's the one thing you look forward to every day?
Every day I look forward to being with Henry.  Playing, hugging, watching him giggle and learn new things, it is the best part of every single day.  And also a shower. 


3. What is your number one, all-time, favorite blog?
Eek, that's a tough one! I would have to say Longest Acres.  Her life is just so interesting and beautiful to me.  I would love to live simply on a farm like she does, and I adore her style of writing and her photos as well. I always feel like I'm in the middle of a wonderful book when I read her blog. 


4. Biggest online pet peeve?
When people don't respond to questions.  It's hard to always respond, but that doesn't make it any less frustrating. 


5. What is your all-time favorite book?
I don't know! But one is This I Believe, which is a book of short essays. 


6. What would your "last meal" be?
Salmon patties and oven fries (regular and sweet potato!) YUM. This has turned into my birthday meal each year. 


7. Do you believe in love at first site?
No, I don't think so.  I think love has to be developed, and for some people it happens very quickly but regardless it takes some time.  I feel bad saying no though, because maybe I just don't believe in it because it hasn't been my experience.  I wouldn't judge or question someone who experienced love at first sight.  I just think of it differently I guess.  I think some people are able to spot the person that will become the one they love quickly, does that count?


8. What would your ideal Sunday morning consist of?
Coffee, sunshine, guitar music and No tv on... Then getting outside to do errands or go for a walk.  I love errands and getting out of the house after relaxing for a while!  In the warmer months, going out to grab coffee and going to the farmer's market would be my perfect weekend morning. 


9. Why do you blog?
Mostly because I love to write and want to keep track of thoughts and photos so I can always have them in the future.  I also like to keep my family in the loop.  Originally that's why I started blogging but it turned into something more when I got pregnant.  That's when I had the desire to put into writing all of the details to remember.  Now that I've "met" so many wonderful bloggers though, it's also fun to connect and share stories/thoughts with like-minded people.  I love the community of bloggers, it's like having friends that you can visit any time you want.


10. If you had to choose one color to wear forever, what would you pick?
Brown. Or maybe black if I had to be in the color for the rest of ever. 

My questions for anyone else who wants to participate:

1. If you had to get rid of all but 5 of your belongings, which 5 would you keep?

2. If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?

3. What are you most afraid of?

4. What is one thing you are most looking forward to in the future?

5. What "look" do you feel the best in?
6. If you could learn one thing, what would you learn to do?
7. What is your very favorite meal?
8. What song do you play more than any other?
9. What is your favorite thing to do to relax?
10. What is your favorite date night?
11. What are you most looking forward to in 2012?


I'm tagging Sonja, Bekah, & Cait.

Thoughts

-Henry has a cold again. My day will be spent chasing boogers and feeling bad that he's extra tired and stuffy.
-Every bit of me is ready for spring.  I opened the window today to find a heavy snowfall though, and I must admit it's still gorgeous. Not exactly a good sign of spring, but I'll enjoy its beauty anyway.
-I've been spending half of the days daydreaming about homes. About having one of our own, decorating, making it reflect us, and essentially wishing I could just jump in and live in my Pinterest Board forever.
-I'm also missing family, and thinking about going home constantly. I will never regret moving all the way up here for a period of time, it was a needed adventure and a good one, but my gosh it's hard to be away. I miss my family so very much and wish we could see each other more.  It's difficult when plane tickets are so expensive and even when flying the trips are not short. I'm hoping to visit in April (!!!)
-My baby boy is about to be one. ONE! A whole year old. This thought basically consumes me right now, it's just so hard to believe. It's probably time to start planning his birthday party, I've done nothing so far because I didn't know where we would be for it. Once again procrastination gets the best of me! But his ever-evolving personality just screams that he's about to hit the big one year mark, and it's too much fun. Goodness we are lucky.

Happy start of another week, friends! Henry and I are going to enjoy our snowy day off with some errands, playing, and meal planning.  I think I'm going to buy these to help us stay organized and on track with menu plans.  (via this blog ) It really is such a good way to spend and waste less, but planning is an area we lack in.  We're getting better!

Playing with Uncle Davey (Eric's twin brother) 

These two are becoming buddies!

As messy as it was, I let H try to eat his yogurt "on his own". Holding his own spoon at least, because he really, really wanted to .  Messes are half the fun, rightr?

An Afternoon

 

"So big!"

This weekend downtown was flooded with people participating in the events for Fur Rondy, an annual week long series of events/festivities up here.  We wanted to take Henry to watch the teams of dogs take off for a short sprint race, but we got to the start line as the very last team took off. So much for that idea.  We will be watching the start of the Iditarod this week though, so we will get our share of dog sighting!  We wandered about as people lined up for fur auctions, fur just lining the streets.  (We didn't have anything to do with fur, but it was interesting to see)  There was a carnival that we walked through, and we were immediately taken back to childhood, watching all the kids smile as they swung round and round on the rides.  It turned my stomach just watching some of them, and I realized that I'll need to buck up a wee bit before Henry grows old enough to want to ride.  I want to be able to take him on that sort of thing, but I'm growing increasingly afraid of heights as the years go by.
It was around 10 degrees outside, so we ducked into a bakery for a little trip and chance to warm up.  We sat by a window watching the people go by and sharing a treat. I love slow afternoons like that!  On the walk back Henry was antsy in the backpack so I took him out and he decided he wanted to walk, snowsuit and all.  He has never tried walking or crawling with the suit on, but I figured why not? He was so extremely excited and proud as he waddled down the street holding my hands. Even just sitting on the sidewalk flirting with passersby made him squeal with delight. It was a happy afternoon!

On the menu tonight: this mushroom/garlic/oil pasta and italian meatballs.  Wasn't quite how we imagined it, but it was pretty tasty! I thought meatballs would be much easier (it was our first time) but those things take some practice, I think.

A little story

Hi friends!
Hooray for Thursday, the weekend is in sight!  I have a neat story I want to share with you all that a friend from work introduced me to.  Maybe some of you have heard it already? It's about the breastfeeding gorilla in a zoo in Ohio. If you'd like to read the story, you can see it here.  I'll just hit the highlights here though.
So this gorilla in captivity gave birth to a baby, and since she had never seen another gorilla breastfeed a baby she had no clue what to do.  She was used to seeing people hold their babies facing out (to look at her) at the zoo, and she learned that behavior as a result.  She never learned to feed the baby and the poor thing starved to death.

When she became pregnant again, it was important that the incident wasn't repeated so the local La Leche League was called and each day breastfeeding women would go to her and breasfeed in front of her. She watched them, learned from them, and when the baby was born she followed the steps she had been studying from these breastfeeding humans and turned her baby in to nurse.  YAY! Of course if you read the whole story though, and it isn't very long, it sounds much more wonderful than my short little rendition.  I just thought it was such a lovely breastfeeding story.  And for anyone who doesn't breastfeed, I still think it's more than worth reading.  There's a lesson to be learned for everyone, about the power of learning through observation and by example.  You just never know who is watching and learning from the things you do, and how awesome is it when the knowledge you pass on to someone else makes a huge difference? Or even a tiny difference!

I hope it's been a wonderful week for you all, it's pretty much business as usual up here.  I feel like I'm wavering on the verge of a "funk" right now.  Maybe it's just the changing of the season, or the stress we have been under but I'm feeling that lingering urge for change in a big, big way. I haven't quite figured it out just yet. It's strange, and exciting, and frustrating all at the same time, when I want so many things and have no idea what I want at the exact same moment.  I swear I'm not crazy, even though that concept makes me sound so.  I just know I want something- a move, fresh air, a project, a trip, a change, but the one that I need right now isn't clear just yet.  I apologize for being vague, I think it will all make more sense soon, when I explain what has been going on up here in a bit more detail.  In the mean time I am working on patience, because things are truly good where they are.  I'm just anxious to know what our next step will be on this path we are making our way down and it's difficult to be out of control and just hang tight for the ride.

Dip Dyed Hair

Apparently color-tipped hair is all the rage right now, but of course I'm just now catching on.  You know, like this:

source

and this:

source

I hadn't seen it in person yet and wasn't quite sure what I thought of it.  I don't like my hair to be overly trendy because I have commitment problems when it comes to hair changes. But this one caught my attention.  I once tried to dye my hair a reddish-brown when I was much younger and I turned out with bright orange hair.  Like bozo the clown style. (I was about to include a picture of bozo for reference, but the pictures of that ole clown were too frightening. So I decided against that.  You're welcome.) My Mom took me straight to have it dyed dark again, and ever since that day I have stuck with my natural color, afraid to change it.  I also just enjoy it being dark, but sometimes curiosity gets the best of me. I saw on Pinterest a DIY temporary hair dip method using soft pastels.  Most of the pictures were one people with blonde hair, which makes sense because it would obviously show up better but I had to know if it would show up on dark hair. So Henry and I hunted down some soft pastels today and I gave it a shot.  I loved the idea of being able to color it and then wash it out the same day.  I picked a purple and a red, but today I just stuck to the purple.  I followed a different set of instructions from the link I included above, but I think next time I will do it this way. 
The tutorial said to wet sections of my hair and twist them, then stroke the color on. It also didn't mention wearing gloves, or I speedily read over that part and wish I hadn't.  But it worked.  The color was fairly subtle, but pretty.  Here are a few thoughts on the process:


+Wear clothes you don't mind getting dirty, absolutely. 
+Prepare to have your entire bathroom  colored. I'm going to have to scrub the entire vanity like mad to get all the purple off. 
+Look for color in places you might not expect.  I had streaks on the side of my face that I almost didn't catch that looked like I had been scratched in the face by a cat. Also found color in my ears. On my arms. On my chest. 
+The tutorial in the link above doesn't mention twisting the damp hair to stroke color on like the one I followed did.  I think not twisting the hair is a much better idea.  Mine turned into quite a snarly mess that thankfully I was able to brush out, but not without ripping out a zillion hairs. I also think it would have been less fluffy if I hadn't twisted the sections.  It was a little bit like a lion's mane.
+I liked how the hair looked when it was down, but it makes it feel very straw like so up might be better. This also helps to avoid getting it on clothes and skin. 
+Plan to shampoo with clarifying shampoo.  I don't have any, but I think next time I'd like to have it on hand.  I shampooed three times tonight, which worked just fine. 
+CONDITION afterwards.  The end. 


I realize reading that, that I didn't make it sound all that wonderful.  Yes my hair felt kind of course and sticky, but up in a bun, I couldn't tell and it was really fun.  I'm sure I'll get better at it with a little practice, and I'm excited to try again with another color! Part of me would just like to actually have my hair dyed in some fun way, but I think I'm too chicken.  I'll be sticking to crayons for now I guess!
Have any of you ever tried this?

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Funny Finny

Yesterday afternoon, the snow was falling steadily and it was the most perfect snow.  The temperature was nice, the wind was fairly still, so I thought I'd take Henry outside to watch it for a few minutes.  We just went to get the mail and back, but he got so unbelievably excited watching Finn love the snow that we stayed out for a few extra minutes to run around.  It made my heart so happy hearing this belly laugh of Henry's because although he's laughed a ton for months, he mostly does it after you've purposely done something funny to get a reaction from him.  He only just now has started laughing at things that just strike him as funny when no one is trying.  I love to see what he finds funny on his own, what an exciting part of parenting- learning what your children love and what makes them laugh.  It was so unexpected, he normally doesn't find Finn to be so hilarious, but that pup gets so bouncy and happy when he's outside with his people, so I think Henry enjoyed his extra enthusiasm :)  I wish I could have taped the beginning of it, but who could have guessed that he would burst into laughter the moment Finn started running? I did the best I could while running in snow with a baby on my hip. 

Also, I apologize you have to hear me obnoxiously saying "go Finny!!" a million times, but it made them both excited so I'm willing to sound ridiculous.