A Wee Bit of Me Wednesday...

Play along here!

{one} have you ever been stuck in an elevator?Nope. Can't say it would be a pleasant experience either if I would ever happen to.

{two} have you ever ridden on an elephant?Yes. Cool!

{three} have you ever met a well known celebrity?I went to high school with Emily Bergl, who starred on Men in Trees and recently was on Desperate Housewives... I met Tony Dow once. Some athletes as well. My mom and dad sat next to Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver at a benefit that my mom was the chairwoman of.

{four} do you have any food allergies?Negative.
{five} do you know how to sew?Sorta, not really. My mom is a sewer and she was teaching me at one point but life got in the way.

{six} did you get an allowance when you were young?Yep. Cleaned the bathroom and picked up dog poop in the yard!

{seven} how often do you fill up your gas tank?About every week and a half unless we go out of town.

{eight} have you ever been stung by a jelly fish?No. Again, don't think it would be pleasant...

{nine} have you ever been robbed?I think my bike was stolen. I kinda remember something like that and some neighborhood wannabe thug kids who took it.

{ten} what is the worst haircut you’ve ever had?Mullet-esque 'do in 6th grade. My hairdresser just didn't have the same vision that I did. I cried for days.

Blogger ABC's

Found this at Mel's blog... And since I haven't been blogging much I thought I'd just do something quick to get back into it. I haven't even been turning my computer on much lately! I am not sure why. I can check my email from my phone so I haven't had a real desire to turn it on. And yesterday was so beautiful that I spent the whole day outside with the little one. Today it is raining and cold so back to blogging...

A. Age: 35

B. Bed size: King

C. Chore you hate: Ironing. I avoid it as long as possible.

D. Dogs: Had. Died. Miss my Cosmo. Want another- but not yet.

E. Essential start to your day: Stretch and work out most days.

F. Favorite color: All shades of blue and turquoise

G. Gold or silver: Silver. Gold does not look good on my skin tone

H. Height: 5'4 1/2"

I. Instruments: I can't read music but I faked my way through a couple of years of violin and french horn in grade school.

J. Job title: Create at home mom

K. Kids: 1 4 year old son, AJ

L. Live: Wausau, Wisconsin

M. Mom’s name: Janet

N. Nicknames: Nic, Nickel, and a couple others that I can't tell you... ;)

O. Overnight hospital stays: Other than going into the ER at 10 pm and not coming out until 3 am for food poisoning in San Diego, no.

P. Pet peeve: Several. Too many to name... A couple- smoking in general, calling me Nikki, misspelled words, poor grammar...

Q. Quote from a movie: Really from a book but it is in the movie! "You have bewitched me body and soul and I love, love, love you" and "Yes. A thousand times yes" from Pride and Prejudice. "I've got a good idea. Let's pretend that we are real human beings." and "A pool and a pond. A pond would be good for you. Natural spring water." Ty Webb (Chevy Chase) in Caddyshack

R. Right or left handed: Right.

S. Siblings: Two older brothers

T. Time you wake up: Depends on the day... 5:15 Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. 6:25 Mondays and Thursdays and up in the air on the weekends.

U. Underwear: Indeed.

V. Vegetables you dislike: Brussel Sprouts. There are probably many others.

W. What makes you run late: AJ dilly dallying. Me putzing around. Thinking I have way more time than I do.

X. X-Rays you’ve had: My teeth and skull. Probably my foot when I stuck it in the spokes of a bike when I was little.

Y. Yummy food you make: I am a baker. Everything is yummy! I do have a few standouts though. I generally get rave reviews! I also make a couple different lasagnas that are delish.

Z. Zoo- favorite animal: The elephants. But I liked the kangaroos at the last zoo I was at. I just say no to the goats. ;)

A Wee Bit of Me Wednesday...

Play along here...

{one} how often do you do laundry?Every Friday. Towels get done on Monday as well. When the system works...

{two} what is your favorite type of cookie?Oatmeal chocolate chip or snickerdoodles.

{three} what would you do with an extra $2000 per month?Hire my housekeeper to come more than once a month and do some major landscaping and not feel bad about it, spa more and travel a little bit more as well.

{four} what was/is your favorite subject in school?Art and science. I liked biological sciences and chemistry and horticulture but hated physics because I never knew what the hell was going on!

{five} have you ever ridden in a hot air balloon?No. It would be fun.

{six} what was your high school mascot?We were the Titans. The mighty, mighty Titans. It was fun having a Greek mascot. So many fun themes!

{seven} if you had the chance to go into space, would you?I don't think so. I did just watch something on the Discovery Channel about Mars and while it was fascinating, I just don't think I'd want to go there.

{eight} how often do you go dancing?Next to never.

{nine} would you rather drive or fly?Fly, fo sho! I prefer to get there faster and I hate driving (I am generally the passenger).

{ten} have you ever been caught re-gifting?I don't think I have been caught (I have a really good memory for that kind of stuff) but I have re-gifted! I am not ashamed to say it! I have caught others but would never tell them...

A Wee Bit of Me Wednesday...

Play along here...

{one} have you ever fainted?Yes! At a Badger football game! I don't know if I was hot or exhausted or what. I got up because I was feeling kinda weird and I was going to go to the bathroom when I just kinda leaned forward and put my hands on the two people in front of me (like for balance) and was out. Good thing Steve and our friends, Matt and Sara, were right there because they caught me and carried me down to the bathroom. It was embarrassing though!! I almost fainted two other times because of elevation- in Breckenridge, CO and while snowshoeing in Lake Tahoe, CA.

{two} what is your favorite casino game?Either Texas Hold ‘em or Blackjack
{three} do you have a good sense of direction?Yes and no. Steve says I give awful directions but that's not really true. I am lost though if I don't have Mapquest. I don't know what I did before Mapquest. I used to be really good at figuring out navigation on the sailboat which is weird because there aren't any "landmarks" in the middle of the ocean!

{four} laptop or desktop?How about laptop on a desk? I don't move it around all that much!

{five} what is your go-to hair style when having a bad hair day?Since my hair is shorter I can't just put it in a pony tail. Headband or Cubs hat or I use Paul Mitchell Spray Wax to try and fix it!!

{six} do you read the newspaper on a daily basis?No. We stopped getting it when my hubby's company stopped paying for it. Sometimes I'll read it online. I don't know what's going on most of the time.

{seven} do you have a favorite celebrity chef?No. Not really into "celebrity chefs". Although I like Mark Miller and met him at a food and restaurant show about 10 years ago and have been to his restaurant in Santa Fe, NM. He's good! Yummy.

{eight} what tv show would you like to make a guest appearance on?Friday Night Lights so I could be Riggins' cougar!! ;)

{nine} do you have satellite radio in your car?Nope. I listen to CDs. I really don't listen to the radio ever except for Pandora!

{ten} what was the last movie that made you cry?I can't even think of the last movie I watched! I know I cried at the beginning and end of Up which I watched not that long ago. Well, it was at the end of January. I know I have watched movies since then but just can't think of what they were. Must not have been that good!

How I know I live with a preschooler Tuesday...

My goofy kid last summer... He'd put his head on that pipe and just laugh. Not quite sure what that is about.

So yesterday while we were in the car I asked AJ, "Do you want some bubble gum?" To which he replied, "Does it taste like bubbles?"

A funky new music mix from my Jaynie!

My BF, Jaynie, sent me a new CD that was supposed to be a Christmas present but I just got it last week! She is a constant mover and just moved in to her boyfriend's place just outside San Francisco so I understand how busy she is to not send it until now. I am so excited that I will see her twice within 2 weeks in May! Once in WI and once in SF. So here is her Happy New Year 2011 Mix...

1. Got That Vibe * Afrika Bambaataa
2. Uummannaq Song * KT Tunstall
3. Collarbone * Fujiya & Miyagi
4. (Nothing But) Flowers * David Byrne
5. Constellations * Jack Johnson & Eddie Vedder
6. Groove Me * Maximum Balloon
7. Tambourine * Eve
8. 928 Horn Jam * Trombone Shorty
9. On the Sly * The Bamboos
10. Eyes * Rogue Wave
11. Slow Baby * Black Dub
12. '81 * Joanna Newsom
13. You, My Love * Marcus Foster
14. Lost In My Mind * The Head and The Heart
15. Bring Me Your Cup * The Beautiful Girls
16. Oye Como Va * Santana
17. From the Morning * Nick Drake
18. Smoke Detector * Rilo Kiley
19. Landslide * Stevie Nicks
20. Home * Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

Hope you dig it as much as I do!

A Wee Bit of Me Wednesday...

Play along here with a new header!

{one} what is one food that, as an adult you love, but as a child you said you’d never touch?Blue Cheese!! LOVE it! My dad would eat it when I was young and I always thought it smelled like gym socks. We teased him about eating it. Now I order it whenever I can!

{two} did you go to college? if yes, what was your major?Yep. My major was Health Promotion/Wellness and my minor was Psychology. It made me into a more well-rounded person but as far as careers went it was a waste of time. But it was the most fun 4 years of my life!!

{three} what’s the most wild animal you’ve seen in real life (not counting the zoo)?A bear, moose, alligator, barracuda, shark... I have seen those all.

{four} have you ever been to a fortune teller?Yes. I have been to a few but just for fun. I saw a palm reader in New Orleans and she told me I was going to have twins the year we were there. THAT didn't happen. I pretended I could read palms to have something to talk to Steve about when I first met him. That wasn't really true... I used to kinda know how to do Tarot cards if I had the book with me. Finally gave those away a couple of months ago.

{five} can you juggle?No. I am not coordinated enough although my brother-in-law claims he can teach anyone to juggle in 5 minutes. I never took him up on that. Maybe I should...

{six} hardwood floors or carpet?Hardwood. Fo Sho!

{seven} is it called “soda” or “pop”?I use both. In Chicago it was pop, in Wisconsin soda. I usually say soda. I have adapted. I don't drink the stuff anyway!

{eight} what was your first car?1987 Toyota Celica. It was a red sporty little thing. It only lasted about 6 months before it was totaled.

{nine} what is the most decadent dessert you’ve ever eaten?I have no idea. I am trying to think of a dessert that I just wanted to keep eating and eating but I don't know. It was probably something from a restaurant somewhere while traveling.

{ten} how often do you rearrange your furniture?Next to never. When it fits, it fits.

Gulf Shores, Alabama

After getting into Alabama six hours later than we were supposed to because of snow in Minneapolis we finally made it to the beach the next day. Andrew was a super trooper on the plane and we got several compliments about how well behaved he was. He didn't complain once! AJ was so excited that it was 'summertime' in AL! It was beautiful everyday we were there- high 70s and sunny. What more could you ask for? We played on the beach and in the pool everyday.

This is what a kid who loves the sand and driving his trucks looks like! The sand was so soft and I just wanted to scoop it up and bring it home with me!

He didn't want the waves to 'get' him!

At Lulu's Restaurant owned by Lucy Buffett, Jimmy's sister. This restaurant was so cool- it had the beach volleyball, a plank walk, a big mound of sand with a ton of buckets and shovels to play with, bean bag toss... The perfect beach bar & restaurant (even though it was on the marina/lagoon).

We played miniature golf. AJ was continually 4 holes ahead of me, grandma and poppa. Funny little story about that hat. I forgot to bring his and the first day he was getting a little too much sun (I missed some spots with the sunscreen) so my parents took him to get a hat (I was stuck in bed with the stomach flu that day). They couldn't find a fishing hat except for that one that says 'Culf Shores'. Don't you think they would have sent that shipment back?

Riding the 3 rides he could at the amusement park. How cute is he in that car?

Being the train conductor and ringing the bell on the train ride.

At the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo we got to hold a baby kangaroo! How cool is that? Her name was Olivia and she was 4 months old. Her pouch was the size of a quarter. She was so soft and snuggly!

See Olivia's boyfriend under the bench? He is going after AJ because he's moving in on his woman! :) He just sniffed his shoe!!

There's a nice picture of the three of us!

AJ is laughing at the pouch.

AJ loves feeding the goats. Goats freak mom out with their freaky goat eyes.

I love the look on his face in this shot!

After the zoo, we went to Lambert's Cafe. It was a really fun place that throws hot rolls at you and serves entirely too much food! The fried potatoes and onions were so yummy but I could still taste them at 9 that night!

How I know I live with a preschooler Tuesday...

The day before AJ's 4th birthday, as we were driving to school, I said, "Oh AJ! We forgot your show and tell! Well, you can bring mommy as your show and tell." (I was going in later to read a story and bring cookies to his class.) He says, "But mommy you won't fit in the show and tell basket!" He's right, I wouldn't fit in the show and tell basket!

A Wee Bit of Me Wednesday... Double Dose

Play along here.

{one} what was your first job?I was 14 and a hostess at a Friday Night Fish Fry at the public golf club.

{two} have you ever seen a stand up comedian?Been to a few shows here and there. Usually drinking some fruity blended drink because they put a minimum on it. A friend had a Sweet 16 party at Second City in Chicago once upon a time ago as well.

{three} when was the last time you played mini golf?Saturday! Seriously. The little one and I were vacationing in Gulf Shores, Alabama and since it was so nice out, we went. He wanted to go again but I put the kibosh on that. There is only so much I can take. I beat my parents too.

{four} what was the last picture you took?AJ at the zoo on Sunday I think. We even got to hold a baby kangaroo.

{five} burnt food: yes or no?Ewwww.
{six} if you have a pocket full of change, what do you do with it?It usually goes in AJ's helicopter bank unless it is a quarter than it goes in a gumball machine or parking meter.

{seven} can you touch your tongue to your nose?No. My tongue isn't that flexible! ;)

{eight} do you scrapbook?Yes and no. That is a hard one for me to answer. My studio looks like a scrapbooking store but...

{nine} do you buy lottery tickets?Waste of money.

{ten} do you prefer to be in front of the camera or behind it?
A mix of both. BUT I am more often behind it than in front of it.

{eleven} if you won a trip to Disneyland/world, who would you take with you?Steve and AJ. We may head there sometime in the near future. It is being discussed. Steve and I have been there several times together and love it!

{twelve} when was the last time you listened to a CD?I listen to mix CDs in my car. So... this afternoon. And I got a CD from my Jaynie this afternoon so I am about to put it on my computer.

{thirteen} what spice/seasoning is your favorite?That's hard to narrow down! I am a fan of garlic and I use it the most probably.

{fourteen} if you were in a band, what kind of music would you play?Classic Rock, hands down.

{fifteen} if you could have personally witnessed one historical event, which one would it be?I have NO idea. The signing of the Declaration of Independence would be a major patriotic rush. A WWII vet standing at the memorial in DC and hearing his story (still barely obtainable, I suppose).

{sixteen} if you could go back to school, what would you study?Art and graphic design. I never thought that you could really be graded in art but the skill base is essential.

{seventeen} if you could go to one sporting event, all expenses paid, which one would you see?I saw the Badgers in the Rose Bowl this year which would be it and I would rather go there than the Super Bowl but I think I will pick the Cubs in a really good seven game World Series.

{eighteen} do you drive an automatic or a manual?Automatic. I am not that good with a manual.

{nineteen} are you comfortable speaking in front of people?I can do it but I am not crazy about it.

{twenty} have you ever experienced an earthquake?Nope. Hope I never have to!

Spring Swap: Spreading Joy

Everyone needs a little joy, right? So head on over to Jamie's blog, Lyrical Journey, and check out her Spring Swap: Spreading Joy. Deadline to sign up is Monday, March 21st. We need some snow to melt here in central Wisconsin so I can definitely use some spring joy!!

Cabin Fever 11 Mix

I started making this mix late last year and needed a couple more songs for it for 3 months. Now it finally has them and it is complete! I present to you the Cabin Fever 11 Mix for your listening enjoyment (that is if you download the music...).

A little Sufjan Stevens- love his music. And obviously this guy is kinda quirky! On one album he plays over 20 different instruments. That's talent.
source

Have you seen this movie? I have not which is surprising given that I am such a huge Dylan fan. A few songs were taken from it.
source

She is adorable and her music is beautiful. Download her now. Do it. Do it. (Sorry a little lame Starsky & Hutch humor.)
source

1. The Skies Over Your Head * Nico Stai
2. Never Say Never * The Fray
3. Too Much * Sufjan Stevens
4. Mama You've Been On My Mind/A Fraction Of Last Thoughts On Woody Guthrie * Jack Johnson
5. Hey, Soul Sister * Glee Cast
6. Creep * Radiohead
7. Good People * Jack Johnson
8. The Wicked Messenger * The Black Keys
9. Come On Get Higher * Matt Nathanson
10. Perfect Day * The Constellations
11. One Love (People Get Ready) * Glee Cast
12. Brighter Than Sunshine * Aqualung
13. Roll If Ya Fall * Barefoot Truth
14. Sleeping To Dream * Jason Mraz
15. Hello * Schuyler Fisk
16. For Emma * Bon Iver
17. Lucky * Glee Cast
18. All Along the Watchtower * Eddie Vedder and The Million Dollar Bashers
19. Miss Friday * Nico Stai
20. Honeybee * Zee Avi

Enjoy!

A Wee Bit of Me Wednesday...

Play along here.

{one} scruffy or clean shaven?Scruffy is definitely sexier but it is nicer to kiss clean shaven

{two} what’s your favorite sundae topping?Hot caramel and Oreos

{three} do you own slippers?My slippers got a hole in them so I think they are on the floor at the back of my closet but I wear slip on house shoes all the time not really slippers.

{four} did you ever have a tree house?A fort- yes (built of junk wood and it was actually my brother's creation), tree house- no. :( Tree houses are super cool. We always found some little area to have secret meetings though.

{five} how you do relieve stress?Art.
{six} what’s your favorite dr. seuss book?There's a Wocket in My Pocket probably.

{seven} have you ever taken dance classes?No. I'm kinda a clod. It would be fun though!

{eight} which do you use more: the thesaurus or the dictionary?I probably use both equally since I like to play word games.

{nine} what’s your favorite form of exercise?Elliptical or a video. I really like Cardio X from the P90X series. I like to do sit-ups too although you can't really tell!

{ten} what’s the longest you’ve ever waited in line?No idea but it is always a bore. It probably won't be so bad now with an iphone!

How I know I live with a preschooler Tuesday...

I have a Senor Pukey Pukey AGAIN! I was up from 2:30 until 4:45 a.m. with him this morning. He's not doing a whole lot today. Missed another day of school. :( He just celebrated his 4th birthday on Friday.

That's his dog, Pound Cake, with him in this picture. I overheard him a couple of weeks ago while playing tell him, "Oh Pound Cake, you don't have to call me sir. You can call me AJ." It made me giggle!

A Wee Bit of Me Wednesday...

Play along here.

{one} what color is your kitchen?Taupe. And I have maroon red Corian counters which is a really nice combo!

{two} do you have a good luck charm?No.
{three} do you prefer to write with a pen or pencil?Pen. I prefer black.

{four} can you use chopsticks?Only the 'made for dummies' kind with the rubber band on the end. Otherwise I can do it but I don't feel really comfortable with them. I never understood how people picked up rice with them...

{five} do you prefer baths or showers?Showers. I used to take baths when I had my own apartment. Now? Not so much.

{six} what is your favorite salad dressing?I order/buy balsamic vinaigrette and bleu cheese most of the time. I like a good honey mustard too.

{seven} can you sing the alphabet backwards?No. But They Might Be Giants can! It os on their 'Here Come the ABCs' album

{eight} do you have any allergies?Only to drugs like penicillin and the cyclines which eliminates almost all antibiotics for me. Also birth control pills.

{nine} crunchy or creamy peanut butter?Creamy. Definitely.

{ten} have you ever hitch hiked?
Not intentionally. After I got in an accident someone stopped and drove me back to camp and I got in their car not knowing who they were. Does that really count though? I would never do it intentionally. Creepy people hitchhike and creepy people pick up hitchhikers!

A Wee Bit of Me Wednesday...

Play along here.

{one} do you wear holey jeans? if so, do you buy them that way?I try not to. I think they look sloppy. Why would I buy them that way?

{two} do you get a full 8 hours of sleep per night?Nope. 6 hours usually is my max. Weekends it is closer to 8.

{three} what’s your favorite way to eat an oreo?I scrape out the frosting and eat the cookie part. I don't like the frosting so much. I don't eat Oreos as much as I used to.

{four} do you wear shoes in your house?Yes. But they are generally house shoes so they don't go outside unless it's dry out. My feet would get way too cold if I didn't.

{five} who would you call first if you won the lottery?Steve and then my parents. But it is hard to win if you don't play! ;)

{six} have you ever been in a food fight?I don't think so. Maybe in college but I would have been drunk and then that is why I don't remember.

{seven} do you snore?No. And neither does my husband! Thank goodness!

{eight} do you know how fast you type?No idea.

{nine} can you do a headstand (without using a wall)?Nope. I can do a shoulder stand. But I don't have great balance.

{ten} how do you like your popcorn?My favorite is in the Whirly-pop using olive oil and then add some salt. Yum. Now I want popcorn...

I'm a winner!

I won this book- Cake Pops by Bakerella from Chris' blog Ruby in the Garden during OWOH! I am so excited to receive it!

source

The funny thing is that I was looking at this book for 10 minutes on a solo trip to B&N the day before I commented. I was so close to buying it but actually ended up walking out empty handed (unheard of for me). I am wondering if there are any whale pops in there for my little one's birthday party next Saturday?! I love the creativity of all of them though. I just hope I have the patience!

A Wee Bit of Me Wednesday...

Play along here!

{one} do you always wear your seatbelt in the car?Absolutely. Even from parking lots that are connected. People drive like idiots.

{two} do you crack your knuckles?Yes.

{three} what is your favorite flavor of gum?Orbit Bubble Gum Mint flavor

{four} what is your favorite piece of jewelry that you own?Fancy- My engagement ring- it has a cool triangle shaped diamond; Sentimental- the bracelet AJ made for me last Mother's Day- all random beads; Funky- my Peruvian Opal organic pendant. Big, chunky and funky.

{five} who is your best friend?

I have several. All for different reasons and times in my life.

{six} what is your favorite smell?Bounce fabric softener sheets, campfire, lavender and hyacinth

{seven} what is your favorite lunch meat?Rotisserie chicken breast.
{eight} do you still have your tonsils?Yep. They have never been an issue for me.

{nine} do you untie your shoes before you take them off?No. And the backs of my shoes show it!

{ten} what color is your car?Blue

Stay Handmade Swap!

Jessica over at Life. is hosting her very first swap and it is a good one. Stay Handmade- basically you get your partner's favorites list from etsy and buy all handmade! LOVE it!! Sign up is until March 7th so get over there and do it! Yay for handmade!

AJ's sweet Valentine

We decided to do robot valentines for all the lovies in AJ's life. We started them and then I saw one in BH&G's Scrapbooks, etc. that I fell in love with. So we did something kind of similar.

Too cute for words, right? Inside it said, "You melt my circuits, Valentine!" Find the inspiration for it here.