Day 20: Something that means a lot to me

Well, I was going to say:

But that's someONE that means a lot to me.

So I'd say that Prairie Camp means a lot to me.

I wasn't sure it would be the same when I stopped working with my BFF, but I'd have to say, this past summer was awesome. 

 And I'm pumped to see what 2013 brings!

Day 19: Myself, One Year Ago

This was easy, it was just my post from last year. 

I'm so behind! But don't hate.

30 Days Hath November.

Blogging everyday.

Easy Breezy!

HA!

I'm so behind, so here's some catch up for you. So I don't have to link you to EVERY post I missed, here they are:

(Some I posted a while ago, but never linked to facebook/twitter, so you may have not seen them yet)

Day 07: A song for the day.
Day 08: Three inspirational quotes.
Day 09: A close-up of my day.
Day 10: A favourite recipe.
Day 11: Three Years Ago Today
Day 12: The Last Item I purchased
Day 13: Something I'm Proud Of
Day 14: Style Inspiration for the Season
Day 15: Three Blogs I Always Read

Hopefully I'll catch up tomorrow, and maybe even plan ahead a little (GASP!).

Day 18: What I Wore Today

I got this awesome REVERSIBLE vest at a thrift shop for $5. 

(I also didn't wash my hair today)

I'm loving the grey/yellow combo. 

What did YOU wear today? 

Day 17: My Family

Day 16: Someone Who Inspires Me

This post had me stumped.

Because all the people who inspire me, I've already written about. And I wanted to do something new! I had to promise myself that I would only write a sappy (slightly creepy) post about Carrie every OTHER year. Ya know...to cut back on the creepy factor.

So I thought about my other options:

My Mom. Did it.
Kathy Ryman. Did it.

......

I was this close to writing about Joe Baughman. Because, in his own, slightly cruel way, he does inspire me. But...well...that'd be weird right?


So....

I dug really deep...

And thought about who really blesses my life, who I find myself wanting to be like.

And....

Well.....


I picked.....

Stella.

This kid has made me laugh til I cried since she was old enough to squeeze out her "old man" laugh. She's surly not perfect, I saw her "terrible two's". But, as her mother always says, her highs are high and her lows are low. She is easy going (as long as she has her blankie close), and kind, and hilarious. 

Me to Lucy: "Come here Peanut"

Stella: "Amber, why you call her Peanut?"

Me: "Because she's little like a peanut."

Stella. ".....My mom calls me hoofer butt." 

When a new baby came to her home, there wasn't a jealous bone in her body. She loves helping with baby "Navel". She is the kind of kid who squeals with delight when you chase her, or let her run you over with her Barbie Jeep. 

She is my hero. I want to be her. 

Day 15: Three Blogs I Always Read

I would like to say I always read Carrie's blog, but I don't think she's posted since last November*, so...I'll have to pick some other ones:


Rage Against the Minivan

If the name doesn't grab you, the amazingly cute kids will. This is a wonderful blog full of honesty, diversity, and poop. Oh, and this hilarious video, which will be officially the only slightly political thing I posted about the election.


ABBYBLUJAY

Confession: I don't know this women. I found her blog through a mutual friend. But I want to know her. She writes like we're talking over coffee, and always makes me laugh. I love her SLW (single lady wednesday) series because it reminds me so much of my SAHM life (Stay At Home Mom). No Pants and sleeping on piles of laundry? Everyday.

Brandflakes For Breakfast

This is a sometimes hilarious blog full of the crazy and creative. It's a fun one to add to your list, just to see if anyones making 3D Photobooths that make little creepy figurines of yourself, or taking pictures of hipsters walking down the street and judging their style.


I do love reading blogs, it's part of my morning routine. Make coffee, get some breakfast, read my blogs. Anyone got any good ones to share? I'm always up for adding new ones!


*edit: she last posted in June...which isn't as bad..but still...come on Carrie!! 

Day 14: Style Inspirations for the Season

You're Welcome.

Day 13: Something I'm Proud Of

Can it be someone?
Can it be someone(s)?

Because I'm real proud of these two.

Uncle Brent is doing big things with his life. He's the kind of person I can see being impactful anywhere he goes. I know he is doing great things where he is, but I know that it's not because of where he is, or who he works with, it's because of who he is. (And who HE is, if ya know what I mean)

And Lucy? Well, even in her dark moments, I'm proud of her. I'm proud that she can say her ABC's and count to 12, and count to 5 in Spanish. I'm proud that she plays a full drumset like a pro, that she makes up her own songs and stories, and that she laughs all the time at anything. Including me, screeching at her to sit on the naughty spot.

Day 12: The Last Item I Purchased.

I'm on a diet.


Side Note: I got White Chocolate Peppermint Kettle Corn and it was the most delicious thing ever. I will be going back for the Dark Chocolate Sea Salt one. Yummers.

Day 11: Three Years Ago Today

November 11th, 2009

Lucy was about 3 months old.

She was floppy, happy, very cute, and totally took over my whole life.

Except when things like this happened:

Day 10: A favorite recipe

This is one of my favorites. It's so easy and feeds a ton of guys. 

Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chili

Ingredients

* 1 onion, chopped
* 1 16-oz can black beans
* 1 16-oz can kidney beans
* 1 8-oz can tomato sauce
* 10 oz package frozen corn kernels
* 2 14.5-oz cans diced tomatoes w/chilies
* 1 packet taco seasoning
* 1 tbsp cumin
* 1 tbsp chili powder
* 24 0z. (3) boneless skinless chicken breasts
* chili peppers, chopped (optional)
* chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

Combine beans, onion, chili peppers, corn, tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder and taco seasoning in a slow cooker. Place chicken on top and cover. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. Top with fresh cilantro. Also try it with low fat cheese and sour cream. 

I like to bake some tortillas in the oven and cut them into strips for toppings. Yum. 

What's great is you can keep most of these things stocked in your pantry and some frozen chicken breasts so you can throw this together anytime you don't feel like cooking much.

Day Nine: A close up of my day.

Yes. I'm soooo behind. I have a life ok?

That's untrue. Really, I was painting my living room, which was way less fun than I thought it would be.

I had planned on giving you a close up of my specific day on November 9th. Which was spent with these two ladies.

This picture alone pretty much sums up that day. Lucy whining about something stupid, and Stella playing contently by herself because Lucy is being a baby. 

But since this post is way past due, I thought I'd give you a general look into my average day.

It starts with Lucy being funny:

And doing weird stuff that makes me laugh/have nightmares:

And then she does something naughty:

And then she falls asleep:

The end. 

Day Eight: 3 Inspirational Quotes

This is my life motto. I may get it tattooed on my butt.

True dat.

Movie quotes rule my life. 

Day 7: A song for the day

Confessional Time:

I went to see Pitch Perfect the other week, which I already wrote about. And it's full of upbeat popular music. I have been in a angry fem music kick for a while, so I've felt the need to boogie down to repetitive, uninspired music with terrible messages. I thought about sharing one for you that has been stuck in my head, and I want to pluck it out with hot tongs. (I just realized it's by the famous "One Direction" I've heard so much about, but have never listened to, until now) But it's so terrible (sorry one direction fans) that I can't bear to share more than this terrible chorus with you.

Let’s go crazy,crazy crazy till we see the sun

 I know we only met but let’s pretend it’s love

We’ll never ever stop not for anyone  

Tonight let’s get some and live while we’re young

and live while we’re young 

oh oh oh oh oh 

tonight let’s get some

and live while we're young

I weep for future generations. 

So instead, I will give you this, still poppy, boogie down song. But I really like it. Dance to it. 

I'm dancing right now. *shake it shake it*

Day Six: A book I've been reading

I've read this book multiple times, but I haven't been to the library in a while, so I've fallen back on ol classics. I will be heading to the library soon, and want to pick up Catch 22. I realized the other day that while I've heard so much about it, I don't think I've ever actually read it. Any honest reviews? Is it worth reading if I'm not being graded on it?

Day Five: My Hometown

How does one decide what their hometown is? I moved around a bit growing up, born one place, went to most of school another, and ended my high school years at another. But when someone asks me what my hometown is, I usually tell them: Cassopolis Michigan.

I probably shouldn't be proud of this fact. It's quite possibly the tiniest town ever. Literally, only one stoplight. In the whole town. And I think it may be there more for show than anything. But I do have some really great memories from here.

We lived on a small "farm" but really all we grew was dandelions and all we raised was cats. And one time chickens and a rooster from hell. It was pretty isolated from the world, with awesome trails through woods and a driveway so long that our parents had to stand at the end of it with us to get picked up by the bus. It was epically awesome as a kid. So much space to play, and secret places to hide. We even had this little basketball court that my brother lived on, pretending he was Michael Jordan.  (He had a great imagination for a chubby white kid.)

As we got older, I remember wishing I lived in town. One of my best friends lived within walking distance from the high school, and we spent many an afternoon walking through the winding lake streets to go to her house to listen to punk rock music and discuss our love of our friend's older brothers.  I learned to drive on that crazy long driveway, and I learned very important lessons in off-roading in the woods by my house where they were building a sub division. (for example, don't try to pull the cute boy's jeep out of the future pond with your daddy's Jimmy. You will both end up stuck, and in big trouble)

I do really love that little town. With it's drastically diverse people. The "lake" people, the "townies", the "farmers". It's tiny little downtown strip, it's beautiful country roads. It was a great place to grow up, and I am kind of proud to call it my "hometown".

Day Four: A Friend I Adore

Ok. I should probably get out more. Because I wrote this long, sappy post last year about my BFF Carrie, and the first thing I thought about was to write about her again. I have new things I love about her. But I thought I'd try to branch out a little more.

This past year especially, I have come to really adore my friend Kathy Ryman.

I stole this from her facebook page. :)

Confession: I was really worried about working at camp this last summer without Carrie. Carrie and I were joined at the hip, and I was worried about being lonely. I remember talking to her about this and she said "Just stick close to Kathy, she'll take care of you." And I did. And I still do.

Kathy is old enough to be my mom, but I feel myself looking to her in a room full of "old people" as a peer. Honestly, I kind of want to be her. She quietly holds entire organizations and events together from behind the scenes. She will not tell you what you want to hear, she will tell you the truth. She has magic binders neatly organized and displayed in her office. She can keep the oldies in line, and hang with the teens. She tweets during meetings, and can kill a stupid idea with a look. She is kind, and loving, and generous, and...well...the Queen of Everything.

I adore her. I want to be her. 

Kathy Ryman...you are my hero. :) 

Day 3: Something I never leave the house without.

Untrue, I leave the house ALL the time without her. (I don't leave her alone...quit freaking out). My favorite thing to do is "run out to get milk" and take the long way there and back so I can listen to the radio ridiculously loud and talk to myself.


I tried to think of something else. Last year I talked about my phone. Which is just as true this year. More true probably since I got an iPhone for Christmas last year. I love that thing. How'd we ever wait in lines before smart phones?

All the things I use the most. Social Media, Music, Google, Mapquest and the Bible.  Haha. 

The only other thing I could think of that I honestly never leave the house without is my bra and a bit of mascara.

I don't think I'll add a picture of that.

Day Two: A Favorite Movie

I was watching a TV show last night and one character asked the other what their favorite movie in the last year was. And not the cool one you tell people so you sound more intelligent than you are, but the one that you didn't want to tell people you saw, but you laughed and cried and loved it for no good reason. Your guilty pleasure movie. So I thought I'd share my guilty pleasure movie with you. From the last year at least, because honestly, there are probably a lot of them that I love but am scared to tell the general public (Joe Baughman) in fear of scorn.

Pitch Perfect. It was hilarious. And it made me want to listen to popular music. And be Rebel Wilson's best friend.

My favorite line was "Even though some of you are pretty thin, you all have fat hearts, and that's what counts"

Makes me giggle just thinking of it.

Don't judge me Joe.

30 Days Hath November: Day One

Blog Followers Rejoice! It's 30 Days Hath November! I really enjoyed blogging everyday for the month last year, and hopefully this year will be even better.

Here's the List:

Day 01: A place I'd like to travel.
Day 02: A favourite movie.
Day 03: Something I never leave the house without.
Day 04: A friend I adore.
Day 05: My hometown.
Day 06: A book I'm reading.
Day 07: A song for the day.
Day 08: Three inspirational quotes.
Day 09: A close-up of my day.
Day 10: A favourite recipe.
Day 11: Three years ago today.
Day 12: The last item I purchased.
Day 13: Something I'm proud of.
Day 14: Style inspiration for the season.
Day 15: Three blogs I always read.
Day 16: Someone who inspires me.
Day 17: My family.
Day 18: What I wore today.
Day 19: Myself, one year ago.
Day 20: Something that means a lot to me.
Day 21: A self-portrait.
Day 22: What I love about my job.
Day 23: Eight things you didn't know about me.
Day 24: Something that makes me smile.
Day 25: The contents of my purse.
Day 26: Something I'm looking forward to.
Day 27: A silly self-portrait.
Day 28: A skill I'd like to learn.
Day 29: Something I could never tire of.
Day 30: Three wonderful things that happened this month.


So Day One: A place I'd like to travel.

There are so many. London, Paris, Hawaii, California. But honestly? I've been wanting to hit up good ol Canada lately. I know. Lame much? But I ran across this song from my youth:



And then I watched this movie:



Which really, isn't a great movie, but it desperately made me want to buy a motorcycle and ride across Canada....with Joshua Jackson.


Honestly...I just really need to figure out this whole milk in a bag thing. I don't understand it.


(30 Days Hath November is not an original idea. A great blogger started it a few years ago, and encourages others to do it as well. Check her out here, and maybe start out yourself? It's very fun!)