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?

Day 8 -- Worst Habits

The prompt for today is... Worst Habits

Does anyone really want to admit their worst habits? Guess it's time to face the music.

1. I think the mother of all of my bad habits is being my toughest critic. I tend to be a perfectionist/people pleaser, and therefore if I do something, I'm always trying to figure out how to do it better. I don't like to fail! For example, just last week, I was asked to bring a pumpkin roll to our tailgate party. In my 40-cough cough years, I've never made one. So as not to face potential disaster by serving my very first one to a crowd of people, I made a practice pumpkin roll earlier in the week. It cracked. It tasted great, but didn't look that great. I mean, once it's sliced, you can't really tell that it's cracked... but I could tell. And that wasn't good enough. So when it came time to make THE pumpkin roll, I was meticulous. I made sure to baby it as I was rolling it up. It cooled. It looked perfect. I spread the filling over it, then started to roll it back up. It cracked. 😠 At that point, I didn't have time to try another one, so I sliced it and just accepted the fact that it wasn't perfect. And you know what? People ate it, and it was delicious. I need to get over myself!

2. I clench my teeth. I've done it for as long as I can remember. I've worn a mouth guard when I sleep for at least the last 20 years. I'm not gonna lie, it's super sexy. 😂 However, here of late, I've been waking up with headaches nearly every day, and my neck/shoulders were killing me. I had started seeing a chiropractor again because my back was all kinds of jacked up. I mentioned this to her, and she started poking around, and found the issue... I'd been clenching my teeth so much that the muscles around my mouth, ears, neck, and shoulders were like rocks. After seeing her several times, I've been headache free, and now I'm hyper-aware of when I'm clenching my teeth. It's years & years of bad habits that I'm trying to break. It's not going to fix itself overnight, but I'm working diligently on trying to reverse it.

3. I take a lot of things personally, I internalize most everything, and I overthink everything. These three things combined equal the perfect storm. I get my feelings hurt, I won't say anything, and then I replay a conversation over & over in my head and end up with anxiety over everything. Welcome to inside Jenni's brain! It's scary in here. **I feel like I should explain -- if I get my feelings hurt & don't say anything, it's usually because I just need to step back, take some time, and analyze what happened. 99% of the time, time fixes it. I just like to look at things from all angles.

4. I tend to jump on the defensive as my first response -- more so with my husband than anyone. I think it's just because I want to be everything he wants, and when I feel that I'm not, I jump to defend myself. THAT is a bad habit. 99% of the time, it's me overreacting over something he was just trying to tell me. Or, see numbers 1 & 3. 😉

I think that's enough of my worst habits. I know I have more, but this is all I feel like sharing for today. Ha!

Day 7 -- What's In My Bag

Today's prompt is... What's In My Bag?

Boring? Yes. Helpful? Maybe. And for the record, I have zero affiliation with any of these companies, except doTERRA... I can hook you up with some essential oils.

I have a clear plastic bag that has been lovingly referred to as my "Mary Poppins" bag. Why? Because it has everything you'll need in there -- and I can easily move it from handbag to handbag or travel bag! And when traveling, all liquids are in this bag & everything is 3oz or less, so it's easy to remove for TSA checks.





















What's actually IN my Mary Poppins bag?


First and foremost, I always have peppermint gum. Always. It wards off nausea (I get dizzy a LOT -- I know, a literal dizzy blonde --, and therefore get nauseous), and gives you fresh breath! You'll always find lip gloss/lipstick/anything lip related -- I'm a sucker for all lip products; Hand sanitizer; Hand lotion; Advil; Bandaids & Q-tips; Emery board; Sharpie marker; Hair stuff (hair tie, bobby pins, headband, clampy thing -- I don't know what it's called!); Ambre Essence perfume oil -- it's just about the only perfume I wear now... it's portable, and it smells amazing; And last but not least... essential oils! I've got most of the essentials: Lavender (to calm & soothe), Melaleuca (all-inclusive, soothing, purification), Peppermint (for headaches, nausea), Frankincense (for anxiety, pain/inflammation, immune system), OnGuard in beadlets (to boost immune system -- hello, airplanes/airports), Peppermint beadlets (for nausea & fresh breath), and DigestZen (upset tummies).

What's in my current handbag?



My Vera Bradley PURDUE lanyard wallet; earbuds; gum (of course); cough drops; sunglasses; random lip products -- and they're all just about the same color -- if anything, I'm totally predictable in that arena; comb, paper/pencil; hair tie; and my Mary Poppins bag. If I were a guessing girl, there are probably some old receipts floating around in the pockets of that purse, too. Oh, and I always have my phone, but I was using it to take the picture, so...

We seem to be traveling a lot more now, and when we do, I don't usually lug a big handbag along. One, it's heavy. And two, I don't want to schlep that thing through airports... especially if we have to run to catch the connecting flight!

For when I need portability, I use a small cross-body purse from Vera Bradley. I'm not name-dropping. I've tried lots of cross-body purses, and these are my favorite -- not because they're particularly Vera Bradley, but because they're the right size, and you can throw them in the washing machine!

What's even better about this size purse, is when we travel by air, I usually take a backpack as my carry-on. I'm pretty much a "what not to wear" person when I travel, and I don't care. It's function over fashion as far as I'm concerned! Anyway, this purse goes perfectly in my backpack.

So, there you go. Me and my bag of tricks!

Day 6 -- Pet Peeves

Today's prompt is... My Pet Peeves

I try to be pretty even-keeled, but there are just some things that ruffle my feathers.

1. When people considerably younger than me & do not know me, call me "hon", "sugar", or "sweetie". Just, no.

2. Rude salespeople/customer service. I get it, each day is not great and I understand some jobs just aren't fun. Maybe you've had a bad day, but if I'm being cheerful and smiling, and trying to make a transaction/phone call pleasant, and you clearly don't care, don't look up, grunt, or are short with me for no reason... yeah, that's no bueno. You're a direct reflection of whatever place in which you're employed.

3. Getting direct messages on Facebook/Instagram/Twitter from people I've never met, trying to sell me something. "Hey girl, I was just noticing your profile and I have a product that I know you'd love!" First, you don't know me. Second, you're creeping on my profile? Third, you know I'd love this product? How? YOU DON'T KNOW ME! I get it, you're in direct sales, and you're "cold calling" people. But I'm not your target. Trust me on this.

4. People who continually post with their profiles set on "Public". Maybe it's because we're a military family and we keep things locked down, but I don't need random people knowing where I'm at, where my kids are, what their names are, just anything. For the longest time, even on my locked-down personal social media pages, I referred to my kids as "Thing 1" and "Thing 2". Why? Simply because I didn't want someone they didn't know to come up to them calling them by name like they knew them. If your profile is public, anyone in the world has access to your photos, your location, where you're employed, if you've tagged in at your kids' schools... everything. To me, that seems like a nightmare waiting to happen.

Business pages are totally exempt from this. Obviously, you're not posting your personal information there... at least I hope you're not!

5. People who tailgate me. If you tailgate me, that's a 90% guarantee that I'm going to slow down or tap my brakes. Or both. (I may/may not have some road rage issues.) Look, I don't waste any time getting anywhere, so if you're tailgating me, there's a 100% chance we're both already speeding.

6. Airplane faux-pas. When we arrive at the gate, it's not a race to see who can get to the front of the plane first, folks. We're all jam-packed into the same space. Unless you have a connecting flight leaving in 5 minutes, slow your roll Mr. Important Convention Goer. There's etiquette. You get off the plane from the front to the back, row by row. It's as easy as buckling the seatbelt... unless you don't know how that works either? And dropping your "I threw in everything I own & it's super heavy" carry-on suitcase on my head as you drag it down? You're not making this situation better. And people who feel the need to take off their shoes? On a long flight, I guess I kind of understand that, but dude, if your feet are sweaty & stinky, NO ONE wants to smell that. But for an hour-long flight? Really? Don't even get me started on the ones who take off shoes and socks. Do you know how disgusting that floor is? Furthermore, if you stick your foot between the seats, I'm going to throw up. I've seen it happen, folks. It's gross. There's a reason I wipe everything down as soon as I sit down on an airplane!

I know I have more, but I'll leave you with these. I know I already sound cranky enough. (Hey, GET OFF MY LAWN!) If these somehow pertain to any of you, in no way have I meant to offend you. These are just MY pet peeves. I'm entitled to them.

Day 5 -- Fears

Today's prompt is... Fears

Wow. Nothing like sharing your fears with the world (or the 3 of you who read this blog). So, here goes!

1. Someone taking/hurting my kids. Hands down, my worst fear ever. I don't think this one needs any explanation.

2. Heights. I sort of conquered this one while on our cruise this summer by doing the ropes course & dangling out over the side of the ship about 17 stories up, but that was on a small scale. Things always sound like a great idea... until I look down. My oldest son & my nephew talked me into going on the "Drop Tower" at Kings Island. I don't think my hands have ever sweated that much in my entire life. My son said all he could hear on the way down was me screaming. They talked me into going a second time right away. I thought "it shouldn't be as bad the second time, right?" Wrong. Still scary, still screamed my head off. Needless to say, I don't look to go skydiving anytime soon.

3. Grating that you can see through. Like, the vents in the sidewalks? Yeah. I'm the person that purposely walks around them. It doesn't matter if I'm mid-conversation with you, I'll divert my path, jump, or whatever is necessary to avoid walking on the sidewalk vents!

4. Stairs or playground equipment that you can see through. Like the metal ones with holes/drains in them? I will literally start sweating. When my oldest niece was probably 3, I took her to a park where there was one of those huge slides where you slide down on a burlap sack. Do you remember those? Anyway, she bolted up the see-thru stairs like lightning. I, on the other hand, was hand-over-hand, holding onto the railing, sweating, and hoping I didn't pass out due to fear of falling. Meanwhile, my niece in all of her cute sassiness, is standing at the top with her hands on her hips saying "Aunt Jenni, hurry UP!" Suffice it to say, my kids never had that opportunity because their mom was too much of a chicken to do it again!

5. Wolves. I have no idea why. It's not like I've had a bad run-in with one, but I've had nightmares about wolves for as long as I can remember. A few years ago, my husband rented the movie "The Grey", starring Liam Neeson. The Cliff's Notes version: a group of men are flying home. Plane crashes. It's cold & snowy. A pack of giant (at least it seemed to me), hungry wolves stalk, hunt, and end up (spoiler alert) killing them all. I watched most of that movie under a blanket, to which my husband laughed. And, I had a nightmare about wolves that night. My hubs now understands my fear. I know it's an irrational fear, but there you have it.

6. Scorpions. When my oldest son was just a few weeks old, we lived in Oklahoma. My husband was sleeping in the extra bedroom because he had an early flight, and needed good sleep. (It's difficult to get that when you have a newborn!) I had just finished feeding our son, and had him laying next to me, with the body pillow on the other side of him. I drifted off to sleep, and something woke me up. It was dark in the room, but with enough light coming in through the window, I could see a small, dark figure crawling up the body pillow, right next to my son. Being half-asleep, I was trying to figure it all out. Then I saw the tail curl up & over the figure. It was a scorpion crawling to my newborn. I freaked the freak out, grabbed my son, and hit the pillow. Great. Now the scorpion is on the floor. I grabbed Ryan & went screaming into the extra bedroom to my hubs about a scorpion. He was totally asleep, yet shot straight up in bed, trying to understand my yammering on about something. He jumped out of bed, armed himself with a wooden spoon & an empty McDonald's cup and went in search of the big, giant, mean scorpion. He found it. It was your run-of-the-mill, brown scorpion. Average in size. Totally normal for Oklahoma. Totally NOT normal for this Indiana girl who was still hormonal from just having a baby. I couldn't sleep in that bed knowing there were probably more lurking in the shadows! So, we checked into a hotel. We only had maybe 3 more weeks of still living in Oklahoma, and neither my hubs or I were comfortable with where we were living... so he sent Ryan & I back home to Indiana early, and he packed up all of our belongings & drove everything home a few weeks later. Stupid scorpions.

That's enough fear for today! What are your fears? Rational or irrational?

Day 4 -- Songs I Currently Love

Today's prompt is... Songs I Currently Love

Wow. This is going to be difficult, mainly because I rarely listen to the actual radio, or anything current, really. I'm a victim of set playlists on my phone, 80's on 8, 90's on 9, HairNation, and a list of others on satellite radio. And let's be honest, my taste in music is ALL. OVER. THE. PLACE. and not always appropriate. Please don't judge me on the music I listen to! And I'll just admit it right now though, I'm totally stuck in the 80's and 90's for most of my music choices. I can't help it.

So, maybe I'll break it down into music categories? Once again, look at me being a rebel. Ha! These are just songs that put a smile on my face, make me have a little pep in my step, make me feel like a badass (because I'm so not a badass in real life), what have you... and more than likely, there is very little current music.

COUNTRY 

"Feel Like A Rock Star" -- Kenny Chesney; "Redneck Woman" -- Gretchen Wilson;
"T-R-O-U-B-L-E" -- Travis Tritt; "Rough & Ready" -- Trace Adkins; "The Wind" -- Zac Brown Band

80's HAIR BANDS 

"Thunderstruck" -- AC/DC; "Animal" -- Def Leppard; "Rag Doll" -- Aerosmith; "Dr. Feelgood" -- Motley Crue; "Still Of The Night" -- Whitesnake; "Lick It Up" -- KISS

OLD-SCHOOL RAP & HIP HOP 

"It's Tricky" -- Run DMC; "Shoop" -- Salt 'n' Pepa; "Beats To The Rhyme" -- Run DMC; "Going Back To Cali" -- LL Cool J;  "Motownphilly" -- Boys II Men; "Joy & Pain" -- Rob Base & DJ Easy Rock

"I'M RUNNING & NEED TO PICK UP THE PACE" 

"Master of Puppets" -- Metallica; "What You Waiting For?" -- Gwen Stefani; "One" -- Metallica

"I'M DANCING ON THE TREADMILL WHILE I WALK/RUN BECAUSE I DON'T LIKE TO EXERCISE, SO I'M TRYING TO MAKE IT FUN" 

"Party Up (Up in Here)" -- DMX; "Me Too" -- Meghan Trainor; "Perm" -- Bruno Mars; "Land of 1000 Dances" -- Wilson Pickett; "Love Train" -- The O'Jays

70's RELIVING MY CHILDHOOD 

"Fox On The Run" -- Sweet; "Bohemian Rhapsody" -- Queen; "Band On The Run" -- Paul McCartney and Wings; "Yellow Brick Road" -- Elton John; "Goodbye Stranger" -- Supertramp

CHRISTIAN 

"Indescribable" -- Chris Tomlin; "Soul On Fire" -- Third Day; "My Story" -- Big Daddy Weave; "Holy Spirit" -- Francesca Battistelli; "Dear Younger Me" -- MercyMe

80's REGULAR 

"The Stroke" -- Billy Squier; "Rapture" -- Blondie; "Make Me Lose Control" -- Eric Carmen; "Rock The Casbah" -- The Clash; "Freeze Frame" -- J Geils Band; "Sweetheart" -- Frankie & The Knockouts; "Whirly Girl" -- Oxo; "Walk Like An Egyptian" -- The Bangles


The 70's list? Most of those were always playing from my brother & sister's stereos in their rooms. I distinctively remember listening to "Band On The Run" on my sister's stereo, complete with the giant headphones, while jumping on my her bed. I wasn't supposed to be jumping on her bed, but I did anyway. The 80's Hair Bands? That's high school for me... driving in my big whale of a convertible. I wore out 3 of Motley Crue's "Dr. Feelgood" cassettes. THREE. The "I'm Running & Need To Pick Up The Pace" list? There was a time not too long ago when I ran half-marathons. Those 3 songs were sprinkled into my playlist so if I had slowed down, I'd hear one & get back on pace.

So there's little peek into my warped music world. Like I said, I'm all over the place, but hey, maybe there are some songs on here that you've never heard! Look them up. Listen to them. Music has a wonderful way of transporting you through time. And the minute you hear a familiar song, you can remember exactly where you were at one point in time... and I think that's pretty darn cool!

Day 3 -- Ways To Win My Heart

The prompt for today is... Ways To Win My Heart.



1. Bring me flowers just because. I'm not talking a huge professional bouquet or anything. Daisies, Hyacinths, Tulips, or Roses. Doesn't have to be fancy, but I love looking at them. The only exception here is for Valentine's Day, and then forget the flowers -- they're overpriced.

2. Well, food is always a good choice. Chips & Queso, Doritos, Peanut Butter M&M's, Twizzlers, and Blue Bell Vanilla Bean ice cream are some of my favorites. I'm not a dainty "I'll just have this salad & water" eater. Bring on the tailgate food. Bring on meat & potatoes. Just bring food.

3. Tell me I've done something right or well. I'm a stay-at-home-mom. We don't get a lot of "good job" or "way to go" comments. Things just get done & you go on with life... which is usually fine. Just every now & then, it's nice to hear that you're doing something right. After reading "The 5 Love Languages" book by Gary Chapman, I found that my love language is words of affirmation. So, there you go.

4. Keep me fed -- I get "hangry", like Betty White needs a Snickers, hangry. Or, see #2. I'm sensing a food pattern here. Hmmm...

5. Send me a text, message, card, smoke signal, whatever... just to say "hi". I mean, who doesn't like to know they're being thought of from time to time, right? Sometimes I wake up with someone on my mind and heart, and I try to shoot them a text letting them know that I'm thinking of them.

6. Clean up the dishes from dinner. I love to cook, I just don't enjoy cleaning it all up.

What are some ways to win YOUR heart?

Day 2 -- My Favorite Quote

Well geez, way to stump me on the second day... the prompt for today is My Favorite Quote. It's not that I don't have one, because I do. It's that I'm not sure I can narrow it down to just one! So, maybe I'll break them into categories. Look at me breaking the rules already. #rebel

My life verse:

"Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of 

what had been spoken to her by the Lord." 

-- Luke 1:45

When I'm feeling overwhelmed:
A poem called "Don't Quit". This was introduced to me by one of my best friends from high school who passed away. You see, at the time, she was battling lung cancer. She had this framed by her bed, and she read it every single day. She fought cancer for much longer than any of the doctors anticipated, and I truly believe this was a contributing factor.

DON'T QUIT

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will;

When the road you're trudging seems all uphill;

When the funds are low and the debts are high;

And you want to smile but you have to sigh.

When all is pressing you down a bit --

Rest if you must, but don't you quit.

Success is failure turned inside out;

The silver tint on the clouds of doubt;

And you can never tell how close you are;

It may be near when it seems so far.

So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit --

It's when things go wrong that you must not quit.

-- John Greenleaf Whittier

When I'm feeling restless with myself:

"For what it's worth: It's never too late to be whoever you want to be. I hope you live a life you're proud of, and if you find that you're not, I hope you have the strength to start over." 

-- F. Scott Fitzgerald

"Use me, God. Show me how to take who I am, who I want to be, and what I can do, and use it for a purpose greater than myself." 

-- Martin Luther King Jr.

I think these should be sufficient for today. What are some of your favorite quotes?