Do Your Cats Bathe You?

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! 


How far along are you? 12 weeks

How big is Baby? A little over 2 inches long - the size of a plum! 

Weight Gain? Maybe about a pound...

 Gender? Who knows? Feel free to make bets - we find out on Dec. 21st. 

Maternity Clothes? Nope - I use the rubber band after I eat, but any belly I've got is from bloating. 

Stretch Marks? Nope!

Sleep? Ugh. I used to be able to sleep through anything... but not now. 

Symptoms? Crazy psycho lady mood swings. Exhaustion. Headaches. 

Movement? None that I can feel, but I know the little rascal is probably kicking away. 

Food Cravings? Spinach salad and... tacos. Are you surprised? Tacos are a never-ending craving. 

Labor Signs? None. 

Belly Button in or out? In. 

What I miss? SLEEP!!! Having the energy to go to the gym, and my pants not being super tight. 

What I am looking forward to? Having a baby belly! 

Best moment of the week? Waking up to Mike kissing baby and telling it how much he loves it already. 
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If you're interested in participating in book club and haven't gotten your email on the list, sign up below! 

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As for the blog title? My cat grooms me. He does the same to Mike - I feel like this is not normal. 

Blogger Book Club Book Review Link up: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Happy Tuesday! 

I bet you all are super disappointed that I don't have a picture of myself holding a plum for you, but I will have it tomorrow. Today, though, I've got something better - a rant (known to some as a book review). If you have read The Perks of Being a Wallflower, feel free to grab a button and link up with your thoughts!
 
Now for mine. 

You guys, I was not a fan of this book. It was very easy for me to set aside, and I thought that it was a bit too graphic to be considered young adult fiction. Yes, I'm Mormon. Yes, I've lived in the midwest almost my entire life, which some people would say makes me naïve or sheltered. But you know what?! That does not discount my opinion here.
When there are paragraphs spent talking about masturbation, sex, and drugs, I tend to think that's a little too much for a young adult. Hell, that's a little too much for me. I cringed when I read certain sections of this book - it was just a little out of my comfort zone. Needless to say, I would not let my children read this. 

On a completely different note... WHAT THE EFF WAS UP WITH THAT ENDING?!?! I'm sorry, but to me that was a bit of a cop out. We see Charlie begin to come out of his shell and evolve as a character, and even think that he might be capable of pursuing a romantic relationship. Until the freaking last five pages of the book. His entire transformation as a character and as a person was just totally wiped out, and it pissed me off.

And REALLY?!? Aunt Helen??? I mean, come on. I just don't even see this as realistic. I don't know, I just really hated the end of the book. It was awful, and didn't lend anything to the overall development of the story.

As far as the writing is concerned, I didn't think it was too bad. I'm not a fan of the "dear diary" style, but it served its purpose - it let the reader know Charlie in a way that would not have been possible without this perspective. To me, that was so important because I got the vibe that Charllie was autistic, and that was a huge part of his character and the transformation that took place.

My grade for this book: a big, fat F. 
What did you think? Agree, disagree? Link up and tell all!

Five Ways to Use Pregnancy to your Advantage

Happy Monday!

As mentioned yesterday, I am giving away feature ad space for this here blog for the month of January. If you're interested in winning that crap, you can enter here.

Now onto bloggy business. As you [hopefully] have figured out by now, I am growing a creature in mah belly. As you may or may not know, there are many ways to "milk" being pregnant. If you are a noble person who would never even consider using your soon-to-be alien baby to your advantage, you should probably just stop reading.
It's not my fault if you didn't listen to that warning.

5. Expecting Mothers parking spaces. So what if I'm only 12 weeks along? That parking spot is as close as the handicapped one, and I'm feeling mighty lazy.

4. It's okay... I'm eating for two. Yeah, I know that you only really need 300 extra calories a day to accommodate the little rascal, but this is a great excuse to use when you're shoving two quarter pounders and a large fry down your throat.

3. Skittles, tacos, chocolate, mac 'n cheese, and popsicles for breakfasst? Yes, please. Oh, all this stuff is bad for me? It's okay, baby is practically forcing me to eat it. Wow, these pregnancy cravings really getcha.

2. I don't want to go... all of a sudden I'm feeling very nauseous. What? I haven't had morning sickness at all this entire pregnancy? Well, it's made a very sudden appearance, and it will probably last exactly 2.5 hours (that's the exact length of the meeting I'm missing? what a coincidence...).

1. Honey... will you get that for me? I can't move, I'm just so tired, and I just barely got comfortable, and you know how hard that is for me right now. Besides, baby just wants me to sit here and relax while you get me a big ole bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream. You're the best, babe.
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And now for your reading pleasure...

Yo, yo, yo - her name is Amanda.
She has a blog that is cooler than a panda.
She is really super crafty
and her blog will surely make you laugh....ty.
She makes cool things and she sells them in a shop,
her blog will make you want to never stop...
reading.
which is awesome because she is also a writer.
she writes poetry and you wouldn't wanna fight her
(in a poetry battle or anything else.... because she's awesome... and now I'll let her speak for herself.)
My name is Amanda, and I'm the chica behind Dragonflight Dreams (both blog and shop). I freelance full-time as a graphic designer here in Austin TX, and pursue screenprinting and blogging in my off-time, if there is such a thing. :) My interests span a pretty wide range, but include: design, photography, screenprinting, cooking, reading, playing piano, movies, game nights with friends, hanging out with my boyfriend and puppy, daydreaming about dragons and flying, learning to sew, fashion (as I see it/like it), and more. Come by and say hi!

But first... you could be the owner of some BRAND NEW AWESOME POINTS (500 to be exact)!!! With the answer to one simple question (you can even choose which question you answer, the answers can be found on her "about" page. If you're feeling especially ambitious, you can answer both for double points):

1. What is Amanda's dog's name?

OR

2. What are two things Amanda loves?
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Also... leave your suggestions for Blogger Book Club in the form below, and don't forget tomorrow's link up for The Perks of Being a Wallflower!



Sunday Confessions Link Up

Happy Sunday!!! 

First things first - I'm giving away a feature ad for the month of January here. I don't ever really give away ad space, so this is pretty sweet. If you're interested, go enter! 

Now to the confessions - please link up to a specific confessions post, not just to your blog. Also... if you have the time, visit some of the other links and introduce yourselves - part of a link up is making friends, right? 
 
1. I HATE it when blogger's names in comments are linked to their google profile instead of their blogger profile. It drives me nuts. Half the time I can't visit your blog because you "haven't shared anything with" me. And if you have, I have to dig to find your blog. Just link it to your blogger profile, please!

2. I have a MAJOR sweet tooth. It's kind of a problem - yesterday I ate a whole bag of skittles (not the fun size, but smaller than the full-size), some airheads, a lindt truffle, and some chewy sweet tarts. Please don't tell baby that I didn't get my veggies. At least I took my prenatals? 

3. I'm going as a thug for Halloween just so that I can wear sweats. We get to wear costumes to work on Wednesday, and I want to be comfy, so I'm going as a thug and wearing sweats. Yeah, I know I'm a genius. 
3. I kind of want to redesign my blog. I know, I know, I barely have enough time to do anything, let alone a redesign, but I'm just not feelin' it.

5. I'm proud of our win last night, but I'm sad that we didn't win by beating their first-string quarterback. I mean, Rex Burkhead is out and he's one of our star players, so that makes it a little better. Either way... GO BIG RED!!! 
via
Link up your confessions below!! 

But first... November's genre for book club is crime/mystery. If you have any suggestions, please put them in the form below! 

Favorite Things Friday

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!! 

I'm a little bummed because it's my Saturday to work, but I won't have to work another one till January, so it's all good. So. Time for my favorite things this week, and I have to apologize, because it's mostly centered around books. I'm a nerd, I know.

1. The Blogger Book Club Video Chat. You guys. You should all feel like you missed out, because you did (but don't worry, you have the chance to redeem yourself tomorrow at 1:00pm central time). Kaylee, Kim, Kristen, Amanda, and I all got to chat face to face and spill our feelings about The Perks of Being a Wallflower.  I would tell you the general consensus, but I'll wait till the link up on TUESDAY to spill it. 
2. The Book Club I went to last night. Yes, a real, live book club with real, living people. It was a group of women from church, and I mostly went so that I could attempt this whole "socializing" thing. Did I read the book? Heck no, but I got some delicious pumpkin cheesecake bread out of it. And I laughed - a lot.

3. Michael Connelley. You guys. My dad has been reading this dude's books for years, and he never recommended them to me. I'm actually a little offended - does the man think I don't know/appreciate good literature? Whatever - point is, his books are awesome and you should read them. All of them.
4. My cat. I'm running out of favorites, but you all know how I feel about lists of five, so here I am telling you how awesome my cat is. This is what happens when I get desperate - I turn into a crazy cat lady.

5. Promoting you guys. You have no idea how much I love coming up with silly raps or games to promote you guys and help you grow your blogs. I think you're all pretty awesome, and I enjoy getting to know you! That being said... I have one large ad and some small and medium spots left for November. Be advised that November is my birthday month, so things will get pretty crazy over here.
That's all. Have a fabulous weekend, and don't forget about the book club link up on Tuesday! 

PS - if anyone is interested in promoting their blog with a giveaway during my birthday week, that would be awesome. I'm allowing anyone to participate in a giveaway, rather than just paying sponsors this month. I hate to do it, but I'll be limiting how many "free ad spaces" I accept, so just keep that in mind. 

Didn't You Know? They Sell Babies at Home Depot.

Dear Baby, 

I saw you in my dream the other night. I'll tell you where, but you have to promise not to laugh at me - I can't help it if my subconscious is insane.

I was walking through Home Depot, and there you were. On the shelf. Next to the hardware. In your carseat/carrier. I just looked right at you. You stared back at me with big blue eyes, and I asked you if you were my baby. You may have been in a really awkward place, baby, but you didn't answer me - babies can't talk, even in silly dreams. So instead of talking, you just kept on staring. I did what any normal person would do - I took you off the shelf.

So, baby... maybe I didn't really see you. Maybe it was someone else's baby and I'm just a crazy baby-napper who steals other people's kids from the shelves at Home Depot.

Love, 
Your Crazy Mom (or Baby-Thief... whichever one applies here).
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Now I don't have a rap for you today, but I do have a cute picture of a girl and her dog. And an awesome blog. Wait.. that was kind of a rap, wasn't it?! I'm awesome.
Oh hi, I'm Allie! I share my life, thoughts and favorite things over at A Day in A Joyful Life. I'm a newlywed and a doggie mama trying to figure out the delicate balance of married life, work, fitness, and down time. I have a slight addiction to reality TV, particularly the Real Housewives of Anywhere, and I love meeting new people, so stop by and be sure to say hi! 



Now it's time for a game of the awesome. If you can answer the following question about Allie, you win 500 awesome points (don't worry, it's an easy question and the answer can be found here). 

What is Allie's dog's name? 

a. Butch
b. Cassidy
c. Casey
d. The Sunshine Kid
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And just have to leave you with some of the husband's talent. Bet you can't guess who's singing the background vocals toward the end there. 

PS: Just finished The Brass Verdict by Michael Connelly, and it was so good. Maybe I'll do a book review. 

Lime Juice is not the Same Size as a Lime. Use Your Imagination.


How far along are you? 11 weeks

How big is Baby? A little over 1.5 inches long - the size of a lime! ... Yes, that is lime juice in the picture - give me a break, I didn't have time to go to the store! 

Weight Gain? 0 lbs... trying really hard to gain (I've even stopped working out as much, thinking that I was burning too many calories). 

 Gender? Who knows? Feel free to make bets - we find out on Dec. 21st. 

Maternity Clothes? Nope - I use the rubber band after I eat, but any belly I've got is from bloating. 

Stretch Marks? Nope!

Sleep? Ugh. Don't even get me started on how many times I wake up each night. Last night was at least four, but maybe five. 

Symptoms? Crazy psycho lady mood swings. Extreme exhaustion. Headaches. 

Movement? None that I can feel, but during the ultrasound last week, the little creature was going crazy! 
Food Cravings? None this week. A couple weeks ago it was tacos and banana milk. 

Labor Signs? None. 

Belly Button in or out? In. 

What I miss? SLEEP!!! Having the energy to go to the gym, and my pants not being super tight. 

What I am looking forward to? Reaching the second trimester - I hear it's golden. 

Best moment of the week? Reading the letter that Mike wrote to Baby after the ultrasound. That man is going to be a great dad. 
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Come by tomorrow - there may be something "awesome" happening. Who am I kidding? There's ALWAYS something awesome happening! 

PS - In case you didn't notice, the fruit idea and the walking idea tied for best idea, so... Kristen and Mariah win the awesome points. I'll update you guys with an awesome points tally soon. 
PPS - BOOK CLUB!!! We are having our first video chat on Thursday at 8:00 eastern/7:00 central time. If you can't make that one, there will be another one on Saturday at 2:00 eastern/1:00 central. For those of you that are on the mailing list, I will email this out to you! 

Sunday Confessions Link Up

Happy Sunday!!! 

I'm sure you all know the drill by now. Grab a button and link up your confessions! Please link to a specific post, not just your blog. If there are any posts that just link to the main page of a blog, I will remove them. Thanks! :)
 
1. I almost had a heart attack yesterday. My Huskers are going to kill me, I swear. Yesterday's game was pretty intense - I'll just leave it at that. Good thing Creature/Baby/Alien can't hear me screaming at the TV yet.
2. Pregnancy gives you constipation and bloating, makes your boobs huge, and your emotional stability non-existent. What's that? I'm telling you stuff you already know? Well, good. I'm glad you are all just super-women who know everything about pregnancy already. In that case I won't tell you that it also makes you have crazy dreams about buying babies at Home Depot (more on that later).

3. I'm trying to think of a creative but non-sterotypical way to do weekly belly pictures. I thought about doing headstands and taking them all upside-down, but decided I'd probably die the first time I tried it. Other than that... I've got nothin. Person with the coolest idea that is physically possible (and free) gets 7,500 awesome points. 
Weekly Maternity Photo
4. This girl made me cry yesterday. When I heard my doorbell ring at 8:45 a.m., I was about to go punch that person in the face. Until I realized that it was our mail lady delivering a package... to ME! I opened it and started crying like a baby (see above concerning emotional stability). Kristen had written me a super nice note and sent me lots of goodies so that I could pamper myself a bit. Kristen, if you're reading this, you are amazing, and I am so thankful to have you as a friend! 

5. I am super picky when it comes to photographers. I've been searching high and low for a photographer in our area to take maternity/newborn photos so that we can save up to afford them when the time comes. Only problem? There's not a single one whose photography and editing style I like. I doubt a photographer would look kindly upon me asking for the images so I can edit them myself.
Does anyone in Nebraska know of a good photographer? I love the shots below, and I think the top one is one of the most beautiful and perfect maternity shots I have ever seen.

So now that I've written what is quite possibly the longest confessions post ever, what do you have to confess? Link on up!

Favorite Things Friday

Happy Friday!!! 

So it's that time... time for my favorite things this week!

1. This apple dip. Today is our October food day, and I'm bringing sliced apples and this yummy dip - you HAVE to try it. It's so easy, and SO. DELICIOUS.

2. You guys. Seriously, I am overwhelmed with gratitude right now - you guys are so amazing! Thank you so, so much or all of your kind words, congratulations, and well-wishes.

3. Sweatpants and leggings. I'm getting to the point where it's uncomfortable to wear my normal jeans and slacks. I use the rubber band, but I'd much rather lounge around in my sweatpants.

4. These boots. I just need to cave and buy them already.
5. This blogger's home tour. Sarah Kate has one of the most beautiful homes I have ever seen, and it sits on 22 acres of beautiful land, with wild animals and a creek running through. She and her husband have put hours upon hours of work and love into making their house a home, and she has been taking us on a tour over the past few days.

What are your favorite things this week? 

Oh, How Stereotypical of Me.

(Written on September 13, 2012)
Holy balls. 

I just found out that I'm about to join the ranks of mommy bloggers everywhere. Well, in nine months, anyway. How do I feel? Well, besides the fact that I'm about to toss my cookies and have a headache that I've been nursing for the past nine hours, I feel great. Freaked out/terrified/anxious/happy/worried/any other crazy feeling that you can conjure up, but great.

Let me tell you how I found out. Really, guys. It's such a cute story. Please sense the sarcasm in my voice. I just really want this written before pregnancy brain kicks in and I'm a freakin' wreck. Ah, who are we kidding? I'm already a wreck. Last night I cried about a Facebook status (yeah, I'm that emotional). Anyway, onto the good stuff.

It's Thursday, September 13th. I come home from work with a migraine, convinced that going to the gym will somehow make it better. I go to cycling, and come home feeling approximately 50000000 times worse than I did when I left. I'm pretty much a genius.

My head is throbbing, I feel so dizzy I can barely stand, and I'm about to lose my lunch. Oh, did I mention that I'm a week late? Yeah, when it rains it frickin' pours. My gosh, I suck at staying on track. Anyway, tomorrow's a food day at work, and I want to make this totally awesome dip, but I don't have artichokes just chillin' in my cupboard. I try to get ready to go to the store, but Mike won't let me. He tells me I need to lay down.

"No way!" I shout, in between sniffles, cries and giggles (I told you I'm a wreck). "I can go, I feel fine." I stand up, run to the bathroom, and consider puking up whatever's left in my stomach.

Mike rolls his eyes, takes my grocery list, and walks out the door as I yell, "DON'T FORGET THE PREGNANCY TEST!!"

It's 8:45. I'm getting antsy. Where the heck is my husband? Doesn't he know he's holding my fate in his hands? I call him, and right as the phone starts to ring, I hear the garage door open. Good, he's home. I ask him how many tests he bought, and he tosses two to me. I debate whether or not I should take one, because my gosh, do I have to pee. I've been holding it for like, ten horribly long minutes. I've heard that the test won't show up positive if my pee is diluted.

Eh, what the heck - I'll take it. We have two, after all. I run to the bathroom, and, yes, I pee on the stick. I look at it immediately and ... HOLY FRICKIN BALLS. THAT IS A PLUS SIGN. Maybe the test is broken. Nope, there's the control line. OHMYGOSH, OHMYGOSH, OHMYGOSH (I'm crying, laughing, and hyperventilating at this point, all with my pants around my ankles while hangin' out on the toilet). I AM PREGNANT.

"MIKE!!! MIKE!!!!" He comes in, saying, "Are you joking?" Looks at the test.... gets a sort of deer in the headlights look about him, and says, "Wait... are you crying because you're happy or you're sad?" I just look at him, bawling, still muttering, "ohmygosh, ohmygosh," and shrug. I think I'm happy. No, I'm pretty sure I'm happy. I'm "positive." Haha, see what I did there? Anyway. He then goes in for the kill and says, "I don't care if you're sitting on the toilet, I'm going to hug you!"

So we hugged. And we freaked out a little bit. And there's an alien baby growing in my belly. And Zeuss tried to eat the pregnancy test, but I yelled at him. And I'm writing this two and a half hours after this all went down. And I realize it's like a novel, but hey - you didn't have to read it. Or maybe you did. I am a vicious mama bear, after all.

I Won't be that Lady.

Hi guys!!! 

HUMP DAY!!!! We are officially halfway through the work week!!!

I feel bad for being a lazy poophead blogger for the past couple weeks, so I thought I'd make you a vlog to make up for it. Enjoy - you won't want to miss this one.
Oh, and just so you guys know...

I won't be that lady... 

that pretends to be a baby expert.

I WILL be that lady...

--that freaks out about a poopy diaper.
--that cries the first time baby poops or pees on me.
--that goes insane after a week of little to no sleep.
--that refuses to let her kid have a cell phone till they're driving.


I AM that lady... 

--that googled "can babies poop in the womb?"
--that bawled for an hour when she found out what an episiotomy was.
--that cried about tacos and lack of sleep.
--whose bladder was so full that the ultrasound tech couldn't even see the baby.
--that ate a McDouble and a 1/4 Pounder with cheese for dinner last night.
--that cried during the ultrasound and said, "OHMYGOSH IT'S SO CUTE!! Its head is bigger than its body!!
--that has [maybe not so successfully] kept my dirty little secret from you for 5.5 weeks, and can't hold it in any more.

Oh, in case you hadn't guessed... we're obviously expecting a little monkey. Or human. Or whatever pops out of there on May 13, 2013. 

Angels. Awesome Points (an update). Baby Raps.

Happy Monday! 

I'm pleased to say that I'm back, whether you like it or not. At least for today - we'll see if I can get my crap in order and get organized enough to be here the rest of the week, too.

Anyway, this month I have been a slacker. I signed up with Rosie to be a blog angel for the month of October, and I'm sad to say that I've been a crummy one. I've been absent in blogland, and (obviously) haven't been as good a partner as I could have been.
CraftboticBlogAngels
It's a good thing it's only the halfway point though, right? I guess this is where I tell you that the blog I've been assigned to belongs to this lovely lady.
I've got plans for the second half of the month, but don't want to ruin them, so I'll leave you with that.

In other news, here's an awesome points update (this time they're in order of most points to least points):
Before I go, I'd like you to meet someone totally awesome. Pay attention... there may be a chance to win awesome points at her expense sometime in the next couple weeks. :)
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Before I let her actually talk about herself... I've written a little rap about our guest.

Yo, yo, yo! 
Her name is Mikelle, she doesn't live in a shell. 
She isn't a hermit crab, and her wardrobe is anything but drab. 
She writes a really cool little blog, and you'll get so wrapped up in it you'll feel like a log.
She'll make you never wanna stop... reading because her blog is tippity top. 
She's got a baby in her belly, and someday those diapers will be super smelly. 
You can read about her now, and if you leave without checking her out, you smell like a cow! 
I'm Mikelle, the husband's name is Matt.  We've got German Shepherd puppy named Bravo, and a baby bump who is due any day now.  After which, we'll be moving to California.  We love life, Dr. Pepper, and The Beatles.  We document our life, and capture most of it behind a lens. 

Sunday Confessions Link Up

Yo yo yo. 

It's Sunday, and you all know what that means - time to dish it. Or confess. Or spill it. Or whatever you want to call it. Whatever it is, get it off your chest! Grab a button and link on up!
 
1. I appreciate all of you. I know this isn't really a confession, but I want you all to know how appreciative I am of your support while I've been dealing with some stuff the past few days, and while I was off somewhere in the blog abyss before that. You all are great, and I would hug you if I could.

2. I think it's ridiculous that I spend more time with my coworkers than my husband. Who decided that the work week should be 40 hours? Because that is definitely not the amount of hours I actually need to get my work done. Let's take 8 hours off of that week so that we can spend a little more time with family. Who's with me?!

3. I hate grocery shopping alone. It's so boring - I much prefer going with Mike.

4. I deleted every email in my inbox and checked "mark as read" on every blog post in my feed. I'm starting over this week. I hate playing catch-up, and I absolutely refuse to. So if I haven't visited your blog lately (or at all), leave a comment and I promise I'll stop by.

5. I didn't work out this week. For 9 (or is it 10?) consecutive weeks, I worked out faithfully. This week was the first that I didn't. Do I feel bad about it? A little. Will that stop me from getting back on track next week? Nope.

What do you have to confess? 

I Can't.

I'm sorry to leave you guys again... it'll just be till Sunday.

I just sort of had a lot happen today (Thursday), and I need a few days to process.

I love you guys, and I promise I'll be back for real on Sunday.

A Pathetic Excuse for a Blog Post

Hello there, strangers! 

I suck at blogging. I promise I'll try to get better. Heck, I might even make a vlog for you guys eventually. Maybe then you'll forgive me for being gone so much.

So... with that, I'm going to slack some more and leave you with my new favorite song.

Sunday Confessions Link Up

Happy Sunday!! 

You know the drill - grab a button, confess, and link on up!
 
1. I love dark chocolate peanut butter cups from Trader Joe's. They are soooo good. They're a little pricey ($4.29 for a box of about 30), but soooo worth it.

2. I get way too into Husker football. Mike had to tell me to quit screaming at least five times. I jump off the couch, I hit things, I yell, and, yes - last night I almost cried (secret: I've definitely cried before) and may have turned off the TV and stormed out of the room during the fourth quarter. It's a freakin' circus.

3. I've been avoiding the computer. I've been really scatter-brained lately, and I've had absolutely NOTHING to blog about. No one told me that my life would be the most boring thing ever once I got a full-time job. I think I'm the most boring blogger on the planet right now. Oh, well.

4. I'm really excited that this weekend is General conference. For those of you that don't know what that is, you can go here to learn about it/ watch it. I'm not only excited for it because it's amazing, but I'm excited because it means that I get to sleep in on Sunday. Win-win situation.

5. I miss Germany. Specifically the food. And the drinks. Like banana milk and real good bratwurst. Not together - that's gross. I'd probably give a kidney for each of those, though!

What do you have to confess this week? 

Letters of a Bad Housewife.

Happy Thursday! 

The happiest thing about today is that tomorrow is Friday. Am I right, or am I right?

Dear Crockpot, 
I'm sorry I've neglected you. I'm even more sorry that you've been sitting in my sink for three days. Except I'm not sorry, because I hate doing the dishes.

Dear Sink Full of Dishes, 
Go scrub yourselves. No, really. You've been sitting there since Sunday - can't you just clean yourselves?

Dear Newspapers Scattered all over my Floor, 
How did you even get there? I sure as heck didn't put you there, did I? Or did I? Eh. Who cares?! I'll pick you up later. Like in a week.

Dear Table, 
I'm sorry I haven't wiped you down in, oh.... a month. I clean you off occasionally - does that count?

Dear Shower, 
How often are you supposed to be scrubbed? Because I've ignored you since we moved in.

Dear Television, 
I've probably been seeing too much of you lately, but I just can't help myself. Don't tell the vacuum - he'll get jealous.

Dear Shoes, 
I'm sorry I've been scattering you all over the house, miles away from your nice warm home. Maybe I'll get better, but probably not (I've had this bad habit since I could walk).

Dear Readers, 
Please tell me that I'm not the only one that could write a book full of letters like these.


And the Winner is.... Plus the Cutest Kid on the Block.

Happy Tuesday! 

Just dropping in to let you all know that the book for this month is...

THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER. 

And this is where I leave you with some photos that I took of a really adorable kid this weekend. I tell you what, those baby blues are killer. 

Isn't he a darling? 

Remember, Remember the 1st of Octember. What Makes Us "Us."

You. Guys. 

It's freakin' October 1st. How did this even happen? I don't know. I also don't know how I've forgotten to answer emails for like, the past week. Or how I totally forgot to pick a blog of the month for October. Oops. I'll get on that asap. Oh, and I promise I'll give you guys an awesome points update later on this week.

Anyway. I guess I'm just a scatter-brain. I'll work on that, but I get the feeling that it's not going to get better anytime soon. In fact, it's probably going to get worse. A whole lot worse.

So. I was talking to that husband of mine last night on the way home from his parents' house (yes, we had a wonderful time, yes, I have pictures, yes, I will share them eventually) about us. We had a few questions about our relationship that we tried to answer.

What makes us a good couple? What could we do better? Why are we awesome? Why do we suck? I've compiled a list of it all (and sprinkled in some pictures of us, just because I can't handle a post without photos... and I wanted to make you all sick).
-- We talk about everything. Poop, cats, babies, movies, family, friends, hopes, fears, dreams, loves, hates, wishes - we talk about it all. There is no such thing as an uncomfortable topic for us.

-- We always work out our arguments... eventually. There are days when we fight over stupid things. I mean really stupid things. There are days where these arguments get out of hand and last way longer than they should. There are hurtful words that are said, but we always work things out. It may take a day or two, but we resolve them.
-- We hardly ever cook. I don't know what we do, because we don't ever eat out, either. I guess we just fend for ourselves or something, but we could definitely use some more time at the dinner table.

-- We sometimes ignore each other. Instead we pay attention to things like computers and video games. Our precious time "together" is spent worlds apart.
-- We're besties. I think that's pretty self-explanatory.

-- We laugh - a lot. There's not a day that goes by that roaring laughter isn't heard in this house. I love that about our relationship.
-- We are selfish. We each have things that we want, and aren't always willing to sacrifice for the other person.

-- We share. I realize it is ridiculous to say this after I just barely told you how selfish we are, but I promise we share. Unless it's the leftover pizza in the fridge, then Mike eats it all. RUDE.
-- We love deeply. Obviously. Our marriage wouldn't function if we didn't love each other more than we love ourselves. Yes, we're each selfish, yes we fight over stupid things like leftover pizza. Yes, we can be overly sensitive. Yes, we know what buttons to push to make each other mad. Yes, we sometimes want to rip the other person's face off. And yes, we have days where we just want to be alone.

You know what, though? That's marriage. It's not easy, but when you love each other more than you love yourself, those things don't matter. The problems, the struggles, the fights - they are so small in comparison to this thing that we have called love. 

They say that love conquers all. You know what?! I think they're right. Love is an amazing thing, and I'm happy and incredibly blessed to have found it with Michael.
What makes you and your significant other awesome? What could you do better? What do you have that makes your relationship special or unique? 

If you don't have a significant other, what do you look or hope for in a relationship?