Getting To Know You (Me?) ~ Jan 31

Wow. Sunday rolled around pretty fast, if i do say so myself. Yesterday was a glorious "me" day... Two and half hours at the hair salon being pampered and beautified, followed by a visit with my mom and sister, then lots of reading and relaxing. I felt so rejuvenated.

Today will be filled with laundry and housework. But first... a little Getting To Know You fun, hosted by Keely at Mannland5!

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1. Do you iron your sheets?

Umm...do people really do this? For real? Not in this house. I can't imagine how long that would take. And then they would get wrinkled the first time they were laid on. Nope. I can think of much better ways to waste my time thankyouverymuch.

2. Your dream car is....?

I'm going to be honest here...I love my mini-van. Love.It. Especially the DVD player, which ensures fuss-free errand running. It fits the three kids and horse-dog quite well.

A mini-van...it's what the coolest moms drive.

3. Do you have an innie or an outie belly button?

It's an innie.

4. What meal do you look forward to the most..breakfast, lunch, or dinner?

Dinner. I love sitting down together and talking about our days. It's always so great to reconnect after our time apart.

Although, breakfast is a close second. I am completely in love with Raisin Bran and I look forward to it every morning.

5. Favorite mascara?

Cover Girl. It does the job.

6. What would you say your decorating style is..traditional, modern, eclectic, country, french country, shabby chic, etc..?

Is Fisher Price a decorating style? Because we totally rock that.

I'm also a fan of country and shabby chic.

7. Have you ever been skinny dipping?

Not yet.

8. I hate the smell of...?

Dog poop. Seriously...that smell just about knocks me over.

I also don't like the smell of curry, bacon, smoke or wet dog.

Head on over to Keely's blog Mannland5 and play along too! No blog? No problem! Just leave your answers in the comment section so I can read them!

Thanks Keely!

Book Review: The Hidden Flame

In first-century Judea, the followers of the Way have burgeoned into a vibrant, growing community that cannot be ignored.

Jerusalem is in turmoil as its religious leaders on one side, and their Roman rulers on the other, conspire to stamp out the fledgling Church. And Abigail, who thought she had finally found home and safety, is caught between the opposing forces.

Two suitors desire the lovely Abigail's hand in marriage. Ezra, a successful Hebrew merchant and widower with important connections among the Sanhedrin, is looking for a mother for his children. The Roman soldier Linux is fascinated by her winsome charm and possibly could offer the sanctuary--maybe even the love--for which she yearns. But her heart has been captured by neither of these. Will her faith and courage survive a heartbreak beyond comprehension as the followers face a gathering storm of persecution they never could have foreseen?

A glimmer of hope beckons Abigail forward...

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I wasn't sure what to expect from this novel as it is the second in the Acts of Faith series, which I have not had occasion to read. Apparently it continues on from the first novel The Centurion's Wife. However, it held its own as a separate story.

The main character is Abigail, a woman who is sweet, and kind and deeply rooted in her faith. One cannot help but like her, cheer her on and to mourn alongside her.

I thought the authors wove in the supernatural aspect very believably, and it was easy to envision it happening as described.

I wasn't satisfied by the ending. It wasn't what I had hoped for, but accepted the explanation of God's will behind it. I admired Abigail for holding fast to God's purpose.

While this book can be a little slow in places and heavy in others, overall it's a fairly good read with great imagery.

Available now at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Book Review: The Silent Governess

Olivia Keene is fleeing her own secret. She never intended to overhear his.

But now that she has, what is Lord Bradley to do with her? He cannot let her go, for were the truth to get out, he would lose everything--his reputation, his inheritance, his very home. He gives Miss Keene little choice but to accept a post at Brightwell Court, where he can make certain she does not spread what she heard. Keeping an eye on the young woman as she cares for the children, he finds himself drawn to her, even as he struggles against the growing attraction. The clever Miss Keene is definitely hiding something. Moving, mysterious, and romantic, The Silent Governess takes readers inside the intriguing life of a nineteenth-century governess in an English manor house where all is not as it appears.

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I am a big fan of stories set in the Regency period, and for me, this book ranks right up there with the likes of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.

This particular story begins very quickly, maintaining its fast pace throughout, and unless you are comfortable with the style of speech from this era, a reader might get left behind. Being somewhat out of practice myself, I found that I had to re-read parts just to be able to keep up.

Each chapter begins with a quote from another novel, applicable to the chapter. I really liked this added detail.

It was so hard to put down. I found myself looking forward to quiet pockets of time so that I could return to the story and find out what would happen next.

This book has it all: drama, mystery, romance and scandal, with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader engaged.

If you're looking for a great book to curl up with and be transported to another era, you might want to give this one a try. Trust me, you won't be disappointed.

Available now at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

I Was In Excruciating Pain....And Then She Tweeted Me

Jillian Michaels, that is.

I know, right?? I can hardly believe it either, but it's a true story.

This morning I tweeted this: My knees are killing me!! I'm shaking my fist at you @jillianmichaels!!

And a couple of hours later, I got THIS:

JillianMichaels @KatianB well... The leaner and healthier you get the less your knees will hurt! Perspective!
about 1 hour ago from TweetDeck

I bolded it so that you wouldn't miss a word.

You are welcome, my friends.

And now...my knees hurt less...all because she tweeted me.

**I'm not even sure "tweeted" is a word, but the purposes of this momentous occasion, it will be considered such**

5QF ~ January 29

Not only am I amazed that it's Friday already, but it's the last Friday in January. I don't know about you guys, but January zips by in this house. Not that that's a bad thing - it brings us a month closer to Spring. And Spring, my friends, is my favourite season.

But I'm not going to talk about that today. Nor am I going to talk about how my knees are screaming in agony from doing Level 2 of the Shred last night. Or how I lay on the floor when it was over, unable to get up, so I watched Level 3 while I waited for Ian to come and see if I was dead or something.

Like I said, not going to talk about that today.

Instead, I'm going to play along with Mama M's Five Question Friday like I do every Friday because it's F-U-N.



1. Would you ever vacation alone?

I guess it would depend on the length of the vacation. A week? No way. I would miss my husband and children far too much, and I would get lonely.

If it was a weekend, then yes, I could do that. But it would have to be for a good reason, like a women's conference or visiting a friend, not to escape from my children. I am one of those moms that really loves being with her family and I don't like to be away from them for an extended period of time. I like us all under the same roof at night. I prayed for these children and I want to be with them as much as I can for as long as I can.

2. Do you go the speed limit?

For the most part, yes. I am usually one or two kph above or below the posted limit. I can't stand it when people speed. If I'm driving and someone is riding my bumper, I will deliberately slow down just to be annoying. Because that's how I roll, saving drivers' lives, one speeder at a time.

3. Why did you start blogging/following blogs?

I started blogging because I thought it would be a fun outlet to have. I never expected to have a readership at all. I follow blogs because I like the style and content, or I like the blogger's writing style. I don't follow a huge number of blogs, rather I add them to my blogroll if I really like them. I know that some bloggers are hung up on the number of followers they have and I don't get why. If five people read my blog because they truly love it then that's like a million in my mind. While I certainly appreciate the people that choose to follow my blog, I write for me.

4. Where do you shop for yourself?

I don't really shop for me. There isn't a lot that I need, praise the Lord.

5. What was the song that you danced your first dance with your spouse to at your wedding...or...what song would you like your first dance to be to?

We didn't have dancing at our wedding. We chose instead to have an afternoon wine and cheese party that ended at 6pm, then Ian and I slipped away for dinner alone and then on to our honeymoon.

If we did have a first dance, it would be to Vanessa Williams' Save The Best For Last.

Want to play along too? Just copy these questions and answer them on your blog, making sure to link up with Mama M's blog.

No blog but want to play anyway, you say? No problem! Just answer the questions in my comment section so I can read your answers!

Thanks Mama M! Have a great Friday everyone :-)

Book Review: The Choice

Lancaster County has always been her home--but where does her heart belong? One moment Carrie Weaver was looking forward to running away with Lancaster Barnstormers pitcher Solomon Riehl--plans that included leaving the Amish community where they grew up. The next moment she was staring into a future as broken as her heart. Now, Carrie is faced with a choice. But will this opportunity be all she hoped? Or will this decision, this moment in time, change her life forever?

A tender story of love, forgiveness, and looking below the surface, The Choice uncovers the sweet simplicity of the Amish world--and shows that it's never too late to find your way back to God.

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When I received this book in the mail, I sat looking at the cover wondering why I said I'd review it. I knew nothing about the Amish whatsoever. It wasn't really my type of book.

Then I started reading it.

And I fell in love.

The Amish way of life, with the characters, the storyline, with the author's style of writing... I fell in love with all of it. Just reading it was calming to me.

The characters were so well developed and they became real to me. I felt like I knew each one and was invested in their lives. I became caught up in the ways of the Amish and found myself quite envious of their simplicity and goodness.

In the beginning, the main character Carrie Weaver comes across as a young girl, full of dreams and completely in love. As she encounters devastating losses that change the course of her life, we see her maturing and persevering in what is right and good. She comes across as so real.

I even sighed out loud once or twice.

Or more.

Oh yes, I did.

I found it really hard to put this book down and actually felt sad when I finished it. I'm definitely going to read it again. Apparently this is the first book in the Lancaster County Secrets series, with the second novel entitled The Waiting coming in October 2010. I can't wait. I hope I get to review that one too.

Ahem.

Just sayin.

Fantastic, funny, romantic, inspiring, calming, simple...lovable. I will definitely be recommending this book.

Available now at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Book Review: 50 Ways To Feel Great Today

We all feel stressed, worried, or anxious at one time or another. Sometimes our circumstances, and even things that are out of our control, can wreak havoc on our spirits. Changing how we feel often begins with a small thing. Listening to a beautiful song. Enjoying a sunset. Making a happy memory. This unique book helps you discover how to beat stress, ward off worry, and banish the blues.

50 Ways to Feel Great Today offers medically and scientifically sound advice for giving a blah mood the boot. These time-tested ideas are simple and often low or no cost. While no "happy" pill exists, the activities in this book let you become your own helping hand.

Why not give one a try today? You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

I don't know about you, but Winter really takes it out of me. I miss the sunshine, warmth and long summer days. I feel cooped up inside all day and cabin fever abounds. My mood is easily affected and I hate it.

So when the opportunity came along to review 50 Ways To Feel Great Today, I jumped at the chance to do so.

Each tip has its own chapter, beginning with a quote and included examples or stories that go along with the tip.

It's full of great ideas like:

"Kidnap" Someone You Love
Plan A Treasure Hunt For A Child You Care About
Make Someone Laugh
Unplug Your Gadgets And Read A Good Book
Watch An Inspiring Movie
Pamper Yourself
Transport Yourself With Music

Each tip is listed in the table of contents, so the reader can just review the list to choose one without having to read the entire book. This works out well if you don't have a lot of time to read.

I'll be honest with you, I wasn't expecting much. I'm not one who buys self-help books because I don't think they're all that helpful. But this book kind of surprised me. It's full of sweet, simple and inexpensive ways to boost your mood. It wasn't a fluffy read as so many of these types of books can be. There's actually a lot to it.

I appreciated that it was written by Christians, with a Christian perspective. It was nice to read a "self-help" book that wasn't from a New Age perspective. Very refreshing.

I'd certainly recommend this book to anyone looking to lift their mood, or even to boost their creativity. I can see myself using this book as a learning tool for my children, taking one tip a week and turning it into an adventure.

And let's face it, what child doesn't love an adventure? ;-)

Available now at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Pics, Brags And A Burning Question For You

Things are quiet at the moment, so I'm able to sit and catch up on my blogging. Jordan is sitting at the kitchen table beside me, drinking her milk and eating banana bread while flipping through the pages of a parenting magazine. The look on her face is priceless...you'd think she understood the words on the pages.

This post is a bit of a mixed bag. Here goes.

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Pics

After any frustrating attempts to come up with a pretty cookie like my dear friend Amanda's from I Am Baker, I think I am getting closer to something I am able to live with.

There is still a lot of room for improvement and my photography is wretched...be gentle with me!

I baked these cookies as a thank you to my friend Jen. She was a wonderful source of encouragement to me this week and she is such a blessing. I wanted to do something for her to say thank you.

Mama and Papa bear cookies...



Baby bear cookies...



By this point I was crazy excited that I had a frosting I could work with and cracked open the food colouring to make these...



Pre-beginner level for sure, but I see hope for the future!

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Brags

Arizona Mamma from Our Daze In The Desert awarded me this Circle of Friends Award. I adore this woman - seriously. She is such an encouragement to me and so many others and she is crazy funny.

Thanks buddy!



This next award is from Shmonae at Pink Moss.



You have to check this blog out. Shmonae is so sweet, takes great photos and has six gorgeous daughters. Seriously...that much beauty in the one family? NOT FAIR!

Thanks, Shmonae!

And last but not least... these two awards were given to me by Tania from Larger Family Life





I don't know how Tania does it..she has eight children! Whew! I love her writing style. Check her out!

Thanks Tania!!

While I love to be given awards (who doesn't!?), it's always so hard to decide who to pass them on to. I have so many blogs that I love to read and it's hard to narrow them down. So, I'll do what I usually do... if you are listed on my blogroll, then please take these awards for your blog. If you have ever left me an encouraging comment then please, take these awards for your blogs as well.

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Burning Question

I'm thinking of switching to the Disqus commenting system so that I can interact with my readers/commenters more. But I hate change like no one else on the planet, so I'm dragging my feet.

Do you use Disqus? What do you love about it? Hate about it?

If you are a reader looking to leave a comment, does the Disqus commenting system turn you off? Why?

I love it when I leave a comment for a blogger and I get a personal reply in my email. I want to be able to do that for others who take the time to leave their thoughts.

Please help! All opinions are welcome.

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That's a wrap for me. Jordan's banana bread and magazine have been pitched onto the floor and she is wanting to get down to play.

Have a wonderful day everyone!

Black And White Wednesday ~ Jan 27

Join in at The Long Road to China

A Post Where I Talk About About My Saturday And Date Night

I love Saturdays.

Yesterday morning, I headed out first thing in the morning with Sam and Julie to get their hair cut. Julie loves having her hair done. She loves having it washed, the blow dry and all the conversation in between. Sam on the other hand, hates everything about getting his hair cut. He sports that shaggy skater hair look, and while I’m not a fan if it, I can appreciate that he likes it and that matters. He had been dreading going all week.

Julie just needed a trim, really. She went a bit shorter than usual but it’s perfect. I found myself (along with my scraggly embarrassing nasty hair) quite jealous of her cut and her gorgeous natural highlights. I could spend a fortune and still not achieve that gorgeous colour. She talked Mary’s ears off.

When it was Sam’s turn, he just sat there all gloom and doom, saying absolutely nothing. He’d never been to see her before and he wasn’t holding out much hope. When his cut was done, the other stylist announced that he looked just like Justin Bieber. That elicited the first smile I’d seen all morning.

Mary commented, as people often do, how chatty one child is and how quiet the other is. I said that’s tangible proof that the Lord has mercy...he gave me the one to balance out the other. (And I won't say who balances out who!)

We were in and out in under an hour. Just the way I like it!

We came home for lunch and I walked Willow along the ravine. It was a brisk walk so I counted it as my cardio for the day. It felt absolutely spring-like yesterday and I just soaked up our time in the ravine. It’s so quiet and peaceful back there.

Next stop... the mall! I was so excited to look at sewing machines to find the perfect one for me. But you know what? They all look the SAME! I thought I’d settled on one, but when I did a consumer review, 16 out of 19 reviews were negative. Back to the drawing board.

Then it was time for DATE NIGHT!

My mom and sister graciously offered to watch the children for us and we accepted. We left the house to pick up a pizza only to discover that my credit card was left at the house, so back we went. We picked up the pizza and dropped off the children and all of their gear and the pizza just after 5pm. We headed to The Keg for dinner but there was a 45-50 minute wait for a table.

!!!

So, we decided to see a movie first and have dinner afterwards. Sweet. We intended to see Avatar but it was sold out, so we decided to see Legion. I knew nothing about this movie and even though Ian warned me what it was about, I still kept thinking it was the one with Denzel Washington (The Book of Eli...I have listening issues, apparently).

About fifteen minutes into the movie I began wishing I listened to Ian’s warnings. Graphic and disturbing are two words that best describe this movie. But would you like to know what was even more disturbing than that?

The couple that brought their three children! Children!! I would guess they ranged from 1-6 years old. I was shocked.

There was a point in the movie where I was so upset by the content that I was shaking all over, and the thoughts of those poor children soaking up those images made me cry. Ian kept asking me if I wanted to leave and I said no.

When the movie was over I felt compelled to say something to the parents. Part of me wanted to just leave it alone, but then I looked at the children’s faces and I couldn’t shut my mouth.

I excused myself and the parents looked up, smiling. I said, “I’m sorry, but I have to ask, what would possess you to bring your children to a movie like this?” The father threw up his hands, still smiling, and said “No babysitter!” The mother was clearly angry and turned away from me covering her mouth.

Big Mouth (which is always me in these kinds of stories) then said, “Then you stay home! Honestly! I’m 39 years old and I don’t know how I’m going to sleep tonight, and you would stay for this entire movie and let your children see those images? What were you thinking?”

I was shaking all over, I was so angry. Then I put my hand up and said “You know what? I’m not going to say anything else. I’ll be praying for your children tonight because this is absolutely shameful. I hope you enjoyed your movie at your children’s expense. You should be ashamed of yourselves.“They both started to say something and I put my hand up again and said “Shame on you...really, shame on the both of you.”

We left at that point and I cried and shook all the way to the car. I was so angry and so sad for those children. I thought I was going to throw up on the way to the car and I couldn’t feel my legs because they were shaking so much. Ian held me while I cried, then I tried to let it go. So sad.

We headed back towards The Keg and after a 40 minute wait we were seated at a lovely corner table. I love The Keg’s prime rib and I’ve been thinking about it constantly. But when we ordered it, we were told they were out.

Out!?

I told our waiter – who for the record was very charming and had a good sense of humour – that The Keg being out of prime rib was like McDonald’s running out of fries. Just sayin'.

He went through the specials and when he said “shrimp and lobster” I heard him say “shrimp and ostrich”.

Being that I tend to speak somewhat louder when I am shocked, I practically screeched “OSTRICH!?”

My bad. He did indeed say lobster.

So we ordered steaks and baked potatoes and they were delicious. We had a great spiritual conversation and a lot of laughs.

We picked up our sleepy children at 11pm and went home.

All in all, a pretty great date.

5QF ~ January 22

I'm feeling MUCH better today, thank goodness. Ian made sure I got to bed at a reasonable hour last night and I am so grateful for that. It's amazing how a good night's rest can reset a person, isn't it?

And you guys.... wow. Your comments on yesterday's pity post blew me away. I needed prayers and you guys showed up. That meant so much. I am just a stranger, yet your compassion for me.... wow.

Thank you.

Enough with the mushy stuff!

Today's Friday!!

Which means it's Mama M's Five Question Friday day!



And here we go with today's questions...

1. What is better, growing old without money or dying young and wealthy?

Definitely growing old without money. I don't believe that money is everything. Would I like more of it? Sure, I'm not an idiot! But it's not the be all to end all for me. As long as my family is healthy and love me, I don't need anything more. That alone makes me extremely wealthy.

2. Who takes out the garbage at your house?

Mostly my Ian takes out the garbage. I try to have it all bagged and ready for him so all he has to do is carry it out. Sometimes I will take it out, or the children will take out the recycling, but the majority is done by Ian. And he never complains. He's so great.

3. Have you ever had the same dream many times?

I don't often dream the same dream. I dream a lot, however. In colour and I can actually hear voices. I hate it when I'm having a bad dream and I wake up to go to the washroom, then go back to sleep to pick up where I've left off.

4. Can you play a musical instrument?

Nope and I feel ripped off. I would love to be able to play the piano. But I was never interested in learning to read sheet music so I guess it's kinda my fault. But in my mind I am a world renowned concert pianist.

5. If you owned your own store, what would you sell?

I would love to own a flower shop. I love the way flowers look, how they smell, the way they make people feel. Mind you, I know less about flowers than I do about playing the piano, so there you go.

Head on over to Mama M's blog My Little Life and play along too :-)

Thanks Mama M!

Feelin' Blue

I woke up feeling so blue this morning. I’m not sure why, it’s not like there is anything earth shatteringly wrong with me. Things are actually going quite smoothly which is really nice. So what’s going on then?

It’s not even 9:30 and I’ve cried three times.

UGH!

I’m frustrated with my body. I’ve been doing the Shred every single day (except for my birthday because I think everyone should be exempt from doing unpleasant things on their birthday) and my body hurts. My knees are in excruciating pain all the time. I don’t know if I’m causing damage to them or not but I’m fed up with the pain. Yes, I’ve lost 11 lbs and that’s all well and good, because my goal for January was 10 lbs, but it’s just not happening fast enough.

I’m frustrated.

I’m tired of hurting all over.

And I miss eating cookies. I really, really, really love cookies.

Yep, I’m aware that eating cookies are partially to blame for the mess I’m in. We don't need to go there!

I feel like my motivation has gone on vacation and I want to give up. But I can’t. I won’t. My husband and children are so proud of me, and so encouraging. If not for them I likely would have given up awhile ago.

It’s not just this weight-loss thing that has me down. It’s a few different things, but what would be the point of whining about everything? My blessings far outweigh any negativity.

I think I’m being attacked spiritually today. No, I don’t think it. I know it. Satan knows what all of my weak spots are and he’s working his way through them one by one.

I hate him. I really, truly do.

I’m going to put on some butt-twitchin’ worship music and play with Jordan and draw pictures with her and clean my home and do laundry and just keep pressing forward.

Would you pray for me today?

Thank you, friends. Hopefully I’ll be back to my usual self soon.

Black and White Wednesday ~ Jan 20

Join in at The Long Road to China

~ Giveaway Winner ~

I am so excited to announce the winner of my very first giveaway!

I tried to take a copy or screen shot of the winning number but I couldn't figure out how to do it, so you'll have to take my word for it :-)

And the winner is....

Drum roll please!

#14 ~ Megan from All A Bunch Of Momsense!

Congratulations Megan! Please shoot me an email at katieb38@hotmail.com letting me know which hair clippie you'd like and your mailing address.

Thank you to everyone who participated! I had so much fun doing this!

Happy Birthday To Me!

Today is my birthday. My 39th birthday to be exact.

Just typing that out hurts. Next year...the big 4-0. Ugh. Perhaps Ian will take me to Jamaica to soften the blow.

My loving husband and children hung a birthday banner that said "Happy 30th Birthday" and let me live in my own world.

Every time the children wished me a Happy 30th Birthday, I think I loved them just a little bit more.

Ian brought me breakfast in bed - a large steeped tea from Timmy's and freshly baked cinnamon rolls. Sweet.

Ian was home today so he took the children to school, we hung out for a bit, then I went back to bed to finish a book I am reviewing and had had a two hour nap.

Oh yeah, you read that right. A two hour nap.

And it gets better.... I had a hot shower. And it stayed hot the entire time. No hot water sharing for this birthday girl, no sir.

Afterwards, I visited with my mom then Ian took us out to dinner at Montana's. Baked chicken penne.... oh yum.

No, there will be no Jillian time tonight. And I'm ok with that. I've lost 11 lbs since I've started hanging out with her every day. Not too shabby.

You know what else happened today?

I won Arizona Mamma's giveaway she was hosting on her blog Our Daze In The Desert. SWEET.

And there's more...

My dear bloggy friend CrayonWrangler from Coloring Outside The Lines left me two voicemails on my cell phone. The first was to wish me a happy birthday and the other was to serenade me with "Pants On The Ground", a song some dude sang for his American Idol audition. CrayonWrangler...you're going to Hollywood!

Many thanks for all the birthday wishes that were tweeted, facebooked and emailed. I appreciated every one of them.

Happy Birthday To ME!

How Do You Even Ask This Question

Yesterday Sam was invited to go over to a friend's house to hang out for a couple of hours. I'm one of those moms who stress out at this type of thing, especially if I don't know the parents.

You know what I stress about the most? Guns in the home.

Ian and I do not own a gun. I know that if I had one, I would want to carry it around in my purse with me everywhere I went. You know, just in case. Apparently you aren't allowed to do that.

Think about it. It would be very handy for me to have in certain situations.

Hey! That parking spot was mine!

Excuse me Ms. Walmart cashier, I'm gonna need you to speed this line up a little bit.

Don't let your dog piddle on my grass! Mine doesn't piddle on yours!

Hey! Are you lookin' at me?

Recycling bags! Use recycling bags!! The bins just blow your garbage into my yard!

Shifty lookin' dude at 3:00...be alert, Kate...

I see why packing heat in your purse is illegal.

Anyway, I worry about my children going to a friend's home where they have a gun, the kid pulling it out to show my kid and BAM! It goes off and... well you can see where I'm going with this.

I read CNN.com. I know this thing happens a lot.

All the way over I'm grilling Sam. What do you do if he wants to play an R-rated video game? What if he puts on a movie you know I don't want you to watch? What if he says oh look at my dad's gun?

He knows all the right answers, and I trust him.

But still, the gun thing weighs on me. How do you ask if they own one without sounding awful? I would hate to not ask because I'm worried about how it would come across and then heaven forbid, something happened.

I was all worked up over how I was going to broach the subject that when we arrived I managed to drive up on to their lawn. Nice first impression, Kate.

The kid's mom came to the door to meet me and I asked her if we could talk on the porch for a moment. I said that I was one of those moms, and I needed to ask her something but I wasn't trying to offend her. I hemmed and hawed and finally just spit it out: Do you have a gun in your home?

I apologized profusely and implored her to not be offended, I just worry about my children's safety. Do you know what she said to me?

I am so glad you asked me this, Kate. More mothers should be able to ask this. I wish I had the guts to. No, we do not have a gun in our home.

(insert mammoth sigh of relief here)

I guess she didn't think I was too freaky because Sam called me to say they invited him to stay longer.

Do you ask your children's friends' parents this question? Is there any "polite" way to ask it without offending them? Is it even an offensive question to ask?

Help a sister out, peeps. I can't be the only mom who does this.

Can I??

*** don't forget to enter to win an adorable hair clippie in my giveaway! ***

An Award For Me

Look at what I was awarded!



This adorable blog award came from Amy at Our Crazy Love. Cute, huh?

I think so too :-)

So, here's what I gotta do:

1. List 10 thing that make you me happy.

2. Give this award to 10 "sweet" friends.

Ten Things That Make Me Happy (in no particular order)

1) When my husband tucks me into bed
2) A large Steeped Tea with double milk from Tim Hortons
3) Hugs from my children
4) Spending time with my Mom
5) Clean sheets on my bed
6) Walking my Golden
7) Watching all my taped shows without interruption
8) Hearing that I am loved
9) Good friends
10) Sleep!

Now to pass it on to 10 friends. That's the hard part. How can I pick only 10 blogs that make me happy?

So, I'm going to do my thing... if your blog shows up in my blogroll then you make me happy and can scoop this award for your blog.

Thanks so much, Amy!

*** don't forget to enter to win an adorable hair clippie in my giveaway! ***

For Those Who Asked...

A few of you asked me "what's up with milk in bags?" from this post from Thursday morning.

And so I present to you... milk in a bag.



Each bag contains 3 smaller bags that we then put into a pitcher like this.



And now you know how Canadians buy their milk.

*** don't forget to enter to win an adorable hair clippie in my giveaway! ***

5QF - January 15

This week has gone by so fast that it feels like the days just ran together. I visited with my mom all day today, came home and made Ian a batch of Fat Archies, which are his favourite cookies, and then the kids and I delivered him to the church to head off on the Jr High retreat this weekend. 650+ kids from I don't know how many churches across Ontario will be there.

The children have pulled out the sofa bed in the living room and made it up with blankets and pillows so we can camp out together. We'll watch movies until we fall asleep, cuddled together. So sweet.

Would you like to know what my friend asked me while we were waiting to say goodbye at the church? "Have you lost weight, Kate?"

Wow!

I was pretty happy. Today is day 12 of The Shred, and my second day at level 2. Jillian is kicking my butt.

So that's that.

And being that today is Friday, I get to play along with Mama M's Five Question Friday.

And this week's cool questions are:

1. Worst trouble you ever got into as a teenager?

When I was sixteen I worked for Canadian Tire as a cashier. Practically the entire staff was one big clique and we often did stuff together on the weekends. Someone decided to have a party at a campground and I begged my mother to let me go with my friend Gayle who was a bit older than I was. I promised I would be careful and she agreed.

Turns out it was one big massive drinking party and I got drunk. First time ever. I was so drunk that I passed out for about 45 minutes. I drank so much that I was still drunk when Gayle brought me home the next morning.

I told my mom I wasn't feeling well and she cared for me all day and let me
sleep as much as I wanted. Guilt won over and I confessed that I was hungover.

I should have just kept my mouth shut.

She was so cross that she had been treating a hangover all day and didn't realize it, that she grounded me from attending any more parties for the next two years.

Oh yes, I said two years. And she held to it.

2. Are you a morning person or a night person?

I am definitely not a morning person. I like to wake up quietly and have quiet all around me until I get going. I don't know that I'm a night person either, because as soon as it gets dark I'm all about going to bed. I guess I'm a middle of the day person. But that wasn't an option for this question, now was it?

3. Are you a one-handed or a two-handed Texter?

I'm a one hand texter. I have a qwerty keyboard thing but I still only use one hand. I'm a rather fast texter, if I do say so myself.

4. Democrat, Republican, or Independent..or maybe even Green Party (whatever that is).

Well, here in Canada I am a Conservative. I don't know what that translates to in terms of a Democrat or Republican.

5. Are you a pet person?

Considering we have a dog, cat, bird and guinea pig, I guess I would be considered a "pet person". Although I'll be honest, I hate the work that goes into pets. I would love a dog that never needed to go out, a cat that never needed its litter changed, a bird that didn't squawk and a guinea pig that didn't mess its cage. But I live in a place called reality and those things just don't happen there.

That's a wrap! Head on over to Mama M's blog My Little Life and join the fun!

*** don't forget to enter to win an adorable hair clippie in my giveaway! ***

A Giveaway!

I am so excited to be doing my very first giveaway, sponsored by Darla at Detailsshop. She makes the cutest hair clippies.

Look at this piece of adorableness...




Or these...




So spring-like. Oh I do love me some spring.

Perhaps I should order this one for Jordan....just sayin.



To enter, simply visit Darla's etsy shop and look around at her adorable creations, then come on back and leave me a comment telling me which clip you like the best.

Pretty easy, huh?

This giveaway will close on Tuesday January 19th at midnight. I'll choose a winner using random.org and will post the winner's name on Wednesday morning.

Please note: This giveaway is for any single clip only. (Sets and birds not included)

Thanks Darla ~ you are wonderful :-)

Good luck everyone!

Today Is Delurker Day!

Betcha you didn't know that today is Delurker Day, did ya? Neither did I until I read Wendy's blog Funny Things Are Everywhere, and if she says its Delurker Day then I believe her!

So, if you've come to visit me today, I would love for you to leave a comment telling me about yourself and how you've found my blog. Tell me something about you.

I'd love to come by your blog and say hello.

Thanks for playing :-)

Really? It Isn't Even 9:30?

7:30 ~ Wake up, sit up, stretch and zone out

7:40 ~ Wash face

7:45 ~ Zone out

7:50 ~ Make the bed and get dressed

8:00 ~ Start making lunches

8:01 ~ Realize that I do not have enough milk to get through the day

8:20 ~ Head out to the store to buy a bag of milk

8:30 ~ Return home, leave the bag of milk in the front hall so I can walk the dog

8:35 ~ Put the dog back inside, start cleaning up all the recycling that blew all over my yard yesterday from my neighbours houses (hello peeps, use recycling bags next week, please. My sanity implores you)

8:40 ~ Lots of hugs and kisses and last minute encouragements to Ian and the children as they head off to their days.

8:41 ~ Head back into the house only to have Willow dart past me and run outside. I call him, knowing it is useless to do so, and start to chase him down. (Two thoughts were going through my mind at once... 1) Dog, I'm gonna kill you and 2) Hey, this Shred stuff has really given me some energy)

8:45 ~ I finally catch the dog and bring him back in to the house, only to discover that while I was picking up the recycling from my yard, he had chewed into the bag of milk I just bought, leaving a lovely puddle of milk on my carpeted stairs.

8:48 ~ Pour milk into a juice jug and mop up the milk now on my kitchen counter and floor, then head down to clean it up off the stairs.

8:52 ~ Return to the kitchen to prepare Jordan's breakfast and give it to her. Discover that she has pulled every card and slip of paper out of my wallet, leaving a trail all through my living room and hallway.

9:00 ~ Sit down to check my email (whew!)

9:01 ~ Hear "Ma Ma...poo...." and I'm back up again to change Jordan's diaper.

Yep, so that's my morning so far.

I need to do a bunch of Ian's laundry and find his sleeping bag so he can be packed and ready for the retreat tomorrow. I'm going to bake him a batch of his favourite cookies (Fat Archies) to take with him.

Is it wrong that it's not even 9:30 and I'm aching for a nap?

What's on YOUR agenda for today?

Black and White Wednesday ~ Jan 13

Join in at The Long Road to China

Week One of The Shred Done

After one week of doing The Shred I have lost 6.8 lbs.

Not too shabby, huh?

Now I wish I took my measurements. Boo to me.

And that's all I have to say about that.

Thanks to all of you that are encouraging me - I appreciate you all so much.