Day 20 -- What's On My Bucket List?

Today's prompt is... What's On My Bucket List?

I'm sure everyone's list looks a little different. I think mine mainly consists of travel -- there's still a lot of this world that I haven't seen and want to see!

1. Go to Paris. I don't speak but maybe 5 phrases of French (thanks, Mrs. Scarcelli for that 6-week course in 6th grade!), but I plan to muddle my way through. I guess I'd like to learn to speak French. I want to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower, and not pass out from my fear of heights. You think I'm being funny... I'm being dead serious! I have dreams almost weekly that I'm in Paris. Why? I have no idea. 

2. Go to Italy. I want to eat myself silly on pasta and gelato. I also want to learn to speak Italian. Oh yeah, and the scenery is so beautiful!

3. Go to Sweden/Switzerland/Denmark -- I feel like I'd fit in pretty well with my blonde hair & blue eyes there. 😉 Not to mention, the scenery is gorgeous. I will refrain from skiing though -- we all know how uncoordinated I am. I'll spare myself the visit to a foreign ER. 

4. Go on an African safari... and not get eaten by any wild animal.

5. Go snorkeling/scuba diving in the "Big Blue Hole" in Belize.

6. Go scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.

7. See the pink sandy beaches in Bermuda or Bonaire. In case you haven't noticed, I love beaches.

8. Go zip lining through the rain forest. Again, my fear of heights hinders that a little, but I've got to get over myself.

9. Run another half-marathon. Or three. Once upon a time, I was in shape & did these regularly. I'd like to feel the rush of exhaustion/pure excitement as I cross the finish line again!

10. Visit all the Disney parks in Europe/Asia. I'm sort of a Disney fanatic.

11. Restore my old 1970 Cadillac deVille Convertible. It's currently rotting away in my parents' barn. It's not exactly in the budget right now with one in college and another on the way to college. It's not that the car is worth a lot, it's just nostalgia, and the fact that that car felt like it was floating when you drove it. I have yet to own a car that drove as nicely as that one.

12. Drive on the Autobahn. Fast. On the wrong side of the road. What could possibly go wrong? 

13. Visit all 50 states in the USA. We've seen quite a few, but the upper east coast still remains unseen by us. 

14. See the Egyptian Pyramids. I am fascinated by them!

That's probably enough for now. Lots of things I'd still like to do, but like I said, traveling is probably at the top of any list of mine! 

Day 19 -- My First Job

Today's prompt is... My First Job

I think technically, my first job was babysitting at the ripe old age of 12. How people trusted their infants with a 12-year old in the early 80's is beyond me. But, we all managed to survive, and the money was good!

Fast forward a few years to 1989... my first real job was at a place called Tropicana Tan Hut. Yes folks, my first job was at a tanning salon. I think I was making something like $3.50 an hour -- that seemed like big bucks to a teenager! I don't remember how many hours a week I worked. I can't imagine it was a lot because I was going to school as well.

My duties included: opening/closing up the building, answering phones, scheduling appointments, washing/drying/folding towels, cleaning tanning beds, taking out the trash, tidying up the store front...

As long as you worked there, you got free tanning for yourself, because you wanted to being a walking billboard for where you worked, right? After I'd close up the store, I'd get in the tanning bed. It was always my fear that I'd fall asleep & wake up in there the next morning. Ha!

Ah, the 80's... where a perk of your job was to possibly get skin cancer.

Day 18 -- I'm taking the day off

There was a prompt for today, but here's the deal...

I threw my back out. I went to the grocery store, loaded groceries into the back of my trusty Suburban, and it happened. My back decided to revolt against me.

I sucked it up that night. I tried to suck it up the next day at a football tailgate & game.

I could no longer suck it up without the help of muscle relaxers and pain medicine. That being said, I really thought it was best that I didn't try to write anything. Who knows. Maybe it would've been highly entertaining, or thought provoking, or, just plain terrible!

Anyway, I didn't want to subject anyone to drug-induced writing. 😉

Day 17 -- The Best Kind of Laughter

Today's prompt is... The Best Kind of Laughter

Have you ever laughed so hard that you swore you would have 6-pack abs? I have. And darn it, I didn't end up with the 6-pack abs, but it felt like I should've had them!

When my three best friends from high school and I get together for our girls weekends, this "6-pack abs laughter" ensues. We've all known each other for so long that we communicate with looks, weird voices, and essentially, 12-year old humor. 

We were trying to be all serious. Clearly, I have a killer poker face.

We can go for months without seeing or talking to each other, and pick back up like no time has passed. I think that's what makes our girls weekends so special -- it's total quality time where we catch up and laugh like we've never laughed before!

First and foremost, our weekends center themselves around food. Activities are planned around meals, because duh!, we love to eat! We've all reached the age where now a nap gets planned in sometimes. However, our past couple of times together has been for just about 24 hours... so we we've sucked it up without a nap. 😂

The selfie stick action shot...

Bursts of laughter have come from: shopping, a restaurant bathroom, driving, a dance-off, a fake fight, while one was sleeping... yet making noises, at a coffee shop... but trying to remember what one of us said (we still can't remember!), trying to take a group picture with a selfie stick, just looking at each other... it takes basically nothing to make us laugh! However, our bladders aren't as young as they once were. We have to be prepared for bursts of laughter now, if you know what I mean. 😉😁😂

I trust my life with these girls. We have been through it all together... bad perms, 80's clothing, high school, college, engagements, marriage, divorce, births of babies, miscarriages, the toddler years, the teenage years, deaths of parents, marriage of kids... and whatever happens in the future -- we've got each other. Point is, we are each others brains, mirrors, therapists, sisters, hand-holders, tear-wipers, cheerleaders, truth-speakers, prayer warriors, you name it.

If you ever see us together, we apologize. Maybe. I mean, we're basically comedians... we just haven't been discovered yet. Try not to be jealous. 😂 Well, WE think we're hilarious, anyway. HA!

I hope that you've all experienced pure joy & "6-pack abs" laughter in your life at some point. I'm lucky in that I can look at any one of these pictures & immediately start cackling!

Day 16 -- Best Thing That Happened This Year

Today's prompt is... Best Thing That Happened This Year

Well geez, this one is hard! How do you narrow it down to just one? Not sure.

For our family? It's probably that my husband came home from his deployment safely, and has been with a major airline for a year now... that first year is rough. It's lots of commuting, training, and being away from home. We missed him being home, but now our family schedule is starting to even out a bit. And we're all glad for that!

For me? I think it would have to be my birthday this year. Why? Well, it happened to coincide with our family vacation. I lucked out! We decided to celebrate a bit more this year due to my hubs being deployed to "sand land", so it was sort of celebrating his homecoming + my birthday. So, we decided to go on a 7-night cruise! It was a win/win!!

Yes. We're that family with the matching shirts.

So why was my birthday so special? First, I got to be with all of my boys plus Ryan's girlfriend, Holly. She's part of the family, and I have to admit, I loved having her along, as well as my roomie! Second, we went to countries we'd never been to before, on a cruise line we'd never cruised with before. It was all new & we had THE BEST time!

So yeah, all of that was great... but what made my birthday the best this year? We were in Honduras on my actual birthday.

I had scoped out all of the excursions, and they were fun... but I found one not affiliated with the cruise line that looked like even more fun. It allowed us to tour more of the country, as well as visit a sanctuary where we got to play with monkeys, birds, and (wait for it)... SNUGGLE WITH SLOTHS!!! Some of you may be scratching your heads right now, wondering why sloths excite me so much. They're like my spirit animal. 😂 We share the same amount of energy, we move at about the same pace, we like to eat when we're not sleeping, and we like to snuggle. Twins, right?

I mean come on, look at this picture & tell me you wouldn't be so excited to be snuggling with this sloth? I could've stayed there all day long. It's my goal to go back because I clearly didn't get enough sloth snuggle time.

I think by far, snuggling with a sloth was the best thing that has happened to ME this year. 

Day 15 -- A Few Of My Favorite Things

Today's prompt is... A Few Of My Favorite Things

Well, how timely with Christmas right around the corner! All of these items would make great stocking stuffers or gifts. Just sayin'.

I am pretty down-to-earth with products that I use. I like practical items. I don't spend extravagant amounts on things, and I tend to purchase things that last quite a while. I should also mention, I have zero affiliation with any of these products or companies. I'm just sharing my favorites with you. The name of the product below in red (above each picture) has a link directly to said product, should you want to check them out. Just click on the red wording.

With that being said, (cue the music) "these are a few of my favorite things..."

Rosebud Lip Balm

You will find this on my nightstand, and in my "Mary Poppins Bag". If I'm being honest, this smells and feels exactly like Mary Kay's Extra Emollient Night Cream... only it's way cheaper. I use this on my lips, my cuticles, under my eyes, elbows... basically anything that feels dry.

You can find this at any Ulta, Sephora, Walmart (though I have yet to find it there, but according to the internet, it's there), and of course, on Amazon! Amazon has some pretty great package deals where you can get multiples. In the midwest winters, this should be a STAPLE for you!


Pacifica Skin Care/Makeup/Lotion...everything!

After trying expensive department store brands, and multiple MLM company skin care/makeup products, I just couldn't stomach 1) the price, 2) the quality of the products, 3) the fact that they test them on animals, and 4) the chemicals that are used in the products. Before you start to give me your testimony for these products, don't. I've tried them -- most of them make me break out. I'm just trying to use natural products that aren't full of chemicals. Again, these are my favorite things... maybe not yours!

I have been using all of Pacifica's skin care for over a year now. I have had maybe 3 breakouts in a year's time... and it's been due to stress/not taking off my makeup prior to bed/random. And here's the beauty of these products... they range in price from $4 - $30. It won't break the bank. If you shop directly through Pacifica online, they offer rewards, and will recycle your empty containers for you. Look at me going green! What was most important to me is that they are certified CRUELTY-FREE. I love animals... and I can't stomach the image of them being in a cage, forced to endure cruel procedures just to see if your super-duper night cream will irritate eyes/skin/whatever. These products are also vegan. Not that I'm a vegan, but they're not using animal products to make anything in their line. 

These products can be found online through Pacifica directly, Target, Fresh Thyme, Ulta, and Whole Foods. They have an entire skincare line, lotions, body wash, shampoo/conditioner, makeup, and nail polish. You can find just about anything you'd ever need!

Saturday Morning Pancakes T-shirts

If you know me personally, you know that I have an arsenal of quirky & fun t-shirts. They're my standard mom uniform. I wear them around the house, layered under a flowy cardigan, usually with a long-sleeved shirt under them. If you see me out & about wearing these, I'll be wearing all of the before mentioned + my Chucks or my Adidas tennies. I've never been accused of being a fashion icon, but you know what? I'm comfortable, darn it!! I actually own the t-shirt pictured. And sadly, about half of their inventory. My next favorite is "But first, gangster rap". 

Their t-shirts are super soft and comfortable, too!

Ambre Essence Perfume Oil

If you remember, this was featured in my "What's In My Bag" post. It's just about the only perfume I wear anymore. The scent is subtle, but I always get lots of compliments on the fragrance. And you know what's cool about these? You can layer & mix the scents together for a custom-made fragrance! I own the brown (Ambre) & blue (Solace) scents. 

I can honestly say that I've had one of my perfumes for going on two years now. When I say a little bit goes a long way, I mean it. I rub a little on the insides of my wrists, maybe some on my neck, and then I usually put some in the palms of my hands, then distribute through my hair/clothes. 

This can be purchased directly from Ambre Blends online, or if you're lucky, a local boutique store carries it. There are several stores near me that carry this in their inventory! 

Adult Coloring Books

Before you start laughing, hear me out on this. I have fibromyalgia badly, and somedays, the pain is so bad that I feel like crawling out of my own skin. To help take my mind off of the pain, I've found that coloring works pretty well. And c'mon, who doesn't secretly love to color?? It's relaxing, and you get to flex your creative muscle! I mean, it's your coloring book... there are no rules. You can color things whatever color you want! No one can tell you what to do! 

Why this particular type of coloring book? For one, it's inexpensive and can be found at your local Walmart. But two, the pages are thick enough that you can use Sharpie markers and it won't bleed through the pages! SCORE!!

They have quite a variety of these coloring books in each store. I've found them back in the crafts section... but that's just our Walmart. It may not be in the same place in each store. Or, you can order them through Walmart online. 

Sharpie Markers

Hi, I'm Jenni and I have an addiction to Sharpie Markers. Hiiiiii, Jenni! Some people collect figurines, I collect markers. I can't help it!

ANYway, like I mentioned for the coloring books above, you can use these markers and they won't bleed through the pages. And there are a million and one ways you can use Sharpies, so I don't need to really explain why you need these. But you'll thank me when you do actually purchase a set of these. They come in fine-tipped, regular, chiseled, ...just about any variety you can think of. There are even oil-based markers so you can decorate plates. 

There are a multitude of ways you can get your hands on these. You can find them at any office supply store, Walmart/Target/Dollar Store, Amazon, and through Sharpie directly. Heck, I think around the holidays, even Costco & Sams have the econo-sized sets for sale! Keep them all for yourselves, divide and give them to multiple people... and I won't judge you for keeping them all for yourselves, even if you originally purchased them for other people. I get it. I really do. 

If you choose to purchase any of these products, you'll have to be sure to let me know how you like them!

Day 14 -- Favorite Childhood Book

Today's prompt is... Favorite Childhood Book

I did a lot of reading growing up. There was a lot of Nancy Drew & the Hardy Boys, ALL the Judy Blume books, Tales of Narnia, and so forth. I'd take my books outside, or curl up on my bed to read. You see, once I hit 2nd grade, I was like an only child. My sister & brother went off to college, and I didn't have anyone left to bug. HA! So, I spent a lot of time by myself. On any given day, you could find me either drawing or reading... or both.

However, it wasn't until my 5th grade teacher read to us almost everyday after lunch from a book of poems by Shel Silverstein called "Where The Sidewalk Ends", that I found my all-time favorite. That time after lunch, to me, was precious. I looked forward to, and devoured each of those poems. My teacher would read to us in different voices, and her inflections were funny.

There is one poem that has stood out to me more than others as my favorite. It's titled "Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take The Garbage Out".

I'm not even really sure why this is actually my favorite... other than maybe it's because taking the trash out was maybe my least-favorite chore. Or maybe it was the way my teacher read it to the class. Maybe a combination of both? The world may never know.

All I know is that I have fond memories of Mrs. Ratliff, my 5th grade teacher, reading this to my class... smelling sort of like a cross between Sucrets throat lozenges and old lady perfume, mixed with her kindness. I know, that's an odd recollection, right? But to me, it's a comforting and fond memory.

Day 13 -- What Am I Good At Doing?

Today's prompt is... What Am I Good At Doing?

I had to really sit down and think about this one. I mean, does anyone think they're really good at something? I can always think of people that are better at things than me. 

But here are my talents:

1. Planning. I can plan out any event, trip, day... whatever. There's about a 98% chance there will likely be a spreadsheet, because man, I love me a good spreadsheet. #nerdygirlproblems 

And there will always be Post-It notes... everywhere. They're my brain. Ask my family, they're stuck everywhere around our house! On the fridge, cabinets, bathroom mirrors... all places where people see them. 

2. Making lists. This is how my brain works. I am a very visual person, and well, my brain is like swiss cheese. SO, I need reminders that I can see. See the mention of Post-It notes in #1. 😉

3. Cooking. If given the time, I could really whip out some great things. However, day-to-day life usually gets in the way, so we usually just have the same 'ol stuff each week. But food is sort of my love language to others. I love looking through, wait for it, actual COOKBOOKS (gasp!). I enjoy cooking for other people & taking care of them. 

4. Saving Money. It's sort of like a game to me. I don't like to pay full price for just about ANYTHING. Call me cheap, I really don't care. 

For groceries, Aldi is my jam. I take my list & get whatever I can there, then I get the rest at Kroger. Between cutting my bill in half at Aldi, and digital coupons at Kroger, and using the Kroger Visa credit card, sometimes... they pay ME to shop! It's awesome. 

For vacations, we shop around for hotels, use reward points from hotel chains, pack extra food for breakfast (so we can eat in our room), etc. By doing these little things to save, we are able to have more "experiences" on vacation: snorkeling/scuba diving, excursions, souvenirs, etc... 

There may be more things, and there may not, but these are the things that came to my mind that I think I'm halfway decent at doing. 😊

           

Day 12 -- Meaning Behind My Blog Name

Today's prompt is... Meaning Behind My Blog Name (Livin' la vida Hoke-a)

I wish the answer to this was something deep and profound. But it's not.

Because I live my life being the eternal goofball most of the time, I really try to make life fun. A fun blog name seemed to be the logical choice, right?

But do you know that there aren't a lot of things that rhyme or go with the last name of HOKE. I mean, there's joke, and poke, but I couldn't come up with something witty. Being that my brain is chock full 'o random song lyrics, I thought maybe that could be the answer. And you know what? That's what I went with!

Do you remember the song Livin la Vida Loca by Ricky Martin? (P.S. I own no rights to this song. I'm just using it for explanation, and well, nostalgia.)

The Spanish-to-English translation means: living the crazy life. If that doesn't suit the Hoke family, I'm not sure what does! So, using the play on words, I replaced Loca with Hoke-a. Get it?

Anyway, there it is! Nothing cosmic. Nothing deep & profound. Just goofy. And fully explains our family!

And, you're welcome for the song now going through your head for the rest of today. 😂

Day 11 -- Photo of My Handwriting

Today's prompt is... Photo of My Handwriting

This is an easy one!

I've always sort of taken pride in my handwriting. I've always taken the time to make it neat -- guess I'll never be a doctor, huh?

Funny story, when I was in 2nd grade, I had been sick with a cough. My mom didn't want me to go outside for recess that day, but forgot to write me a note to take in to my teacher. Knowing I had "neat" handwriting, I decided to write my own note... in pencil, on flowery orange stationary, on the bus on the way to school. Totally legit, right? Needless to say, my teacher wasn't buying it, and sent me outside anyway. Gosh, I just can't imagine why my teacher didn't think my mom had written that. 😂

In college, I sort of broke away from writing everything in cursive. I found that I could print faster than I could write cursive for note-taking. And somehow I morphed regular printing to just doing everything in all caps (#evolution). I can't say it was always neat, but I could at least catch the gist.

Don't get me wrong, I still bust out the cursive every now & then, but I'll be honest, it gives me a hand cramp! lol!

These written verses are twofold... they're some of my favorites, and I'm horrible with memorization, so I'm trying to completely memorize them, and, I've written them both ways. The more I write things, the more I remember them. Printed and cursive.

So, here is my handwriting... in all its glory.

Day 10 -- Does My Zodiac Sign Fit My Personality?

Today's prompt is... Does My Zodiac Sign Fit My Personality?

I'm a July girl, and my zodiac sign is Cancer. I've never really liked that... "what sign are you?"  "Oh, I'm a cancer." That just sounds bad!

**I've fought with the formatting on this post, and no matter what I do, things are spaced weird, and the text wraps at the wrong places. Sorry, it's distracting to me.**

I thought I'd do a little research on this. And by research, I mean perusing Pinterest. Interesting finds, and honestly, pretty accurate. You will find a lot of similarities from what I've posted about in the past few days.


If you learn anything about me it's this... I don't do drama. In fact, I will literally turn the other direction to avoid it. I don't know if this comes from living in a house full of boys or what, but I don't understand other people getting involved in someone else's issue. That has always left me scratching my head. And a group mentality of "I don't like this person, so you shouldn't either" is completely foreign to me. If that person has been nothing but nice & kind to me, and has never done what they did to you, I'm going to go out on a limb and say it's a personality conflict between the two of you. (Caveat: if this person displays the same qualities to me that they did to you, then yes, I will probably agree with you.) End of story. Being around people who thrive on drama is 1) exhausting, and 2) it stresses me out to no end. The saying "Not my circus, not my monkeys" is fitting for me.

Are you kidding me? My entire family does this! It's how we deal with things... appropriately or otherwise.
















True story. I forgive instantly - always. I just have a hard time forgetting. However, I always have hope that it's a learning experience, and we will do better & move forward. Thus, the multiple chances - I always want to see the good in people. But if you continually do the same thing to me, and continually cross boundaries, we're done.














I'm a photographer. I love the beach. Sometimes, I have a volunteering problem. Family is my everything.

Say anything you want to me, but if you speak against my family, I will defend them to my death! I have learned to not share as much with people who I'm not super close to -- I learned the hard way that lots of people will listen, sometimes for nefarious reasons. I enjoy meeting new people, so I'm not sure if the strangers really applies. I don't like to be bored.










This one makes me laugh, only because it's SO TRUE! My husband & kids will agree with this one. Especially french fries. You touch them, and you'll get the death stare from me. 😂


















Remember what I said the other day about needing time & space to process everything? This is exactly why. Time heals about 99% of everything.















Remember my post about "songs I currently love"? Music is a huge part of my life. It's an instant time machine, and can take you to a happy, relaxing place. Bad mood? Cue up a fun playlist!















My husband will be the first one to tell you that I'm a walking contradiction. This meme pretty much describes me perfectly. Have I mentioned that my husband is a saint?















Cancers are ruled by the Moon... which probably explains why I can never sleep when it's a full moon! Cancers love the water, it's a water sign... which explains why I love the ocean so much.

I don't put much stock into the zodiac chart, per se. However, I am intrigued by it at the same time. From what I've read though, I would say my zodiac sign definitely fits my personality!

Day 9 -- Best Physical Feature

The prompt for today is... Best Physical Feature

I think the winner for me here is my hair.

I've had super blonde hair my entire life. When I was little, it was curly. Like, ringlet curly. Then I got it cut, and they didn't come back. However, instead of curly, my hair was wavy.

I've had lots of different styles over the years. Curly; short -- like Dorothy Hamill, remember her? And my dad apparently had a conniption fit when I got my hair cut short... because I looked like a boy; feathered -- in the Farah Fawcett years; long; mullet-esque; mullet-esque & permed; permed; permed & really big -- hello 80's; almost pixie; short; medium; and now long again.

Sassy & curly as a toddler

Rocking my "Dorothy Hamill" with my now brother-in-law

Well, hello 80's -- this was my Senior yearbook picture

Super short, and I was super in shape then. This was me finishing a half-marathon

In my best Napoleon Dynamite voice, "I caught you a delicious bass". I like to rock the braids.

Hair donation day!

About 5 years ago, I was diagnosed with severe fibromyalgia. I was put on a medication that was helping it for a while, but a side effect (one of the many) was that it was making my hair fall out. Like, by the handful, falling out. I was scared to wash my hair because it would physically clog the drain in the shower because so much had fallen out. In fact, that's why I started growing my hair out again. It covered up the bald spots. I got off of that medication, and my hair started to grow back... CURLY. Who'd have thought? It grew back enough that I felt comfortable to finally stop hiding under my hair. I donated 11 inches of my hair to Children With Hair Loss. Recipients from CWHL receive a FREE wig every year until they turn 21. That part was very important to me. My hair had hidden my bald spots for a few years... it was time for it to help someone else feel more confident.

Over the years, my hair has gotten a little darker, and seems to have more "glittery" strands now. Hello, gray hair! Luckily, I have an amazing hair stylist that rocks out loud and can work miracles with the mop that resides on my head!

I'm growing my hair out again because I've decided I like me in longer hair the best. And I'm sure it'll be donated again, because you know what? Why not?