Inside My Heaven

EDCT203: Week 4

2012-01-30T19:08:00.000-08:00

This week in class, we learned how to make WebQuests. I had never created one before. It is a lengthier process than some of the other projects we've done this quarter, but it is worth it in the end. We created ours on QuestGarden, but that's not the only place wehre you can make them.

I think that this is a great activity to create for all grade levels. I like how you can customize it based on what you would like for your children to know. I also like that it encourages CRITICAL THINKING!!! It also provides an opportunity for teamwork. It would also be a great project to do with a TAG class.

In other news, my group has officially completed both of our presentations! It's such a relief to know that I won't have to worry about it at the end of the quarter when I'm trying to plan my teaching day.

Some ISTE Student standards from this week are:

1b, 1c
2b, 2d
3(all)
4(all)
5(all)
6a

Some ISTE Teacher standards used this week are:

1a, 1b
2a, 2c
3a, 3d
4(all)
5d

EDCT203: Week 3

2012-01-22T12:30:00.000-08:00

This week in class, we created movies and slideshows through Picasa, specifically movies about diversity. We had to find pictures online and edit them using either Picasa's tools or the ones from Picnik (speaking of Picnik, it's shutting down in April. Waah. I love that site). You can find my movie HERE if it's something you're interested in seeing. We also worked on writing evaluations for websites.

I think that both of these things would be useful in a classroom. Making a Picasa presentation would be a fun and easy way to show parents pictures of what you've been working on. Like, you could take pictures of the children working on a project, or even scan pictures of the final result. Then you could put together a little show to let the parents see what their kiddos did. It could be uploaded to the class website that I mentioned in the week one entry. The website evaluations would beextremely useful, because obviously you want to make sure that a website is appropriate for your age group before letting the children use it. You can also evaluate a website to see whether it is legit before using it as a source for a paper or something like that.

Some ISTE Student standards used this week are:

1a, 1b
2(all; especially 2c)
3b
4d
5(all)
6a, 6b, 6d

Some ISTE Teacher standards used this week are;

1a, 1b
2a, 2b, 2c
3a, 3c
4(all)
5(all)

EDCT 203: Week 2

2012-01-16T11:00:00.000-08:00

This week in class we worked on PowerPoints. I already knew how to create a basic slide show (I think most people do) but in class we used PP to make educational games and interactive lessons for kids. We used hyperlinks to create multiple choice questions, animation and pictures to make it fun, etc. They actually turned out pretty cute!

I can definitely see myself using this in a classroom someday. I think that it would be more fun and engaging for the kids than just staring at a boring textbook. Since most classrooms have Smartboards now, you could even pull the game up on one so that several children could play at once. Older kids could use games like this to review or practice for a test.

Some student standards used this week were:

1a, 1b, 1c- yay for new ideas! :)
2b
4d
5(all)- always important!
6a, 6b

Some teacher standards used this week were:

1a
2(all)
3a, 3c
4(all)
5d

Well, that's it for this week. Thanks for reading!

one of my favorite quotes

2012-01-16T10:52:00.001-08:00

"Faith is taking the first steps, even if you can't see the whole staircase" -MLK Jr.

EDCT203: Week 1

2012-01-10T04:01:00.000-08:00

Greetings! I hope the New Year has found you all happy, healthy and loving life.
The new year has brought a new quarter at school, and new group of classes. I'm still teaching all day Tuesdays and Thursdays at a local elementary. I was so glad to be back, I missed my kiddos soooo much!

I'm also taking an educational technology class. A class that requires a weekly blog entry. Lucky for me, I already had a blog set up. So for the next ten weeks, I'll be posting some class related things on here. Sorry in advance if my ramblings bore you!!

This week in class, we learned how to set up wiki pages. I use Wikipedia all the time but this was the first time I actually sat and created a page. We also learned about setting up pages through Google. I like that we were offered many templates to choose from there. I found a cute teacher-ish one. However, I wish I had thought about it before clicking on the cute teacher-ish one, because that sucker is really hard to navigate! But it's cute. And it has a place for me to put up a student of the month, so it's cool.

I can totally see myself using these pages as a teacher in the future. I think it would be a great way to keep parents up-to-date on what's happening in class. There's even a section where you can post homework assignments for the whole week. It can also be a way for parents to contact either me or each other.

Some of the ISTE Standards for Students that were used this week are:

1d because our work on the Wiki pages are a way that we can express ourselves either alone or as a group
2a and 2d because we collaborate and work together to keep our page updated and running. All of our ideas come together for the final product
5 (all) because responsible and ethical behavior and actions are expected when using the group page
6a because the wiki page is a technology application, and we learned multiple ways to utilize it.

Some of the ISTE Standards for Teachers that were used this week are:

3a and 3b because we can share what we learned tonight with our students and create wiki pages for our class with them. I was also thinking that a class wiki would be a good way to keep parents updated, and a way for them to communicate with the teacher.
4a, for the same reasons stated for Student standard 5, above.
5d, I think that using technology will make a school much more effective.

Well, that's it for Week One. Stay tuned for more!

2011 in Pictures

2012-01-01T07:43:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

Fa-La-La Favorites!

2011-12-23T18:04:00.000-08:00

Wow! I can't believe that it is almost Christmas! Where has December gone?

Remember the Photo Trash Cans that I posted about last time? They were a hit. A huge hit. My friends loved them. Now I'm excited to do more things like that (tabletop? memory box? shelf?).

I decided that for this Fa La-La Friday post, I would share some of my holiday favorites with you (including a recipe and a craft idea... keep reading!). This is what my family likes to do each and every year. What are some of your favorites?

Favorite Cookie
Peanut Butter Kisses- these couldn't be easier. Start out by making some peanut butter cookies. You can use the store bought roll of dough or make your own family recipe. Up to you. Then while they're in the oven, start unwrapping Hershey Kiss candies. You won't have time to unwrap later, so do it now! Once the cookies come out of the oven, imediately (as in, before they even come off of the baking sheet) pop a Kiss onto each cookie. Let cool as usual. Enjoy!

Favorite Movie
There are a lot of good holiday movies out there. But my all time favorite is How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I love the Christmas Spirit that just oozes from every second of the movie. I love the fuzzy green guy. But most of all, I love the message. "Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more".

Favorite Song
The Christmas Shoes, by Newsong. Mostly because it is just a beautiful (and tearjerking) song. But also because when I was younger (10-12ish), my three best friends and our mamas went to like 3 (maybe more) Newsong concerts. They played this song at every one. Even the one that was in the middle of July. Those concerts gave us girls some amazing memories. Here's a link if you haven't heard it. Warning: Have a tissue!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0a_Y1wAJ2MU

Favorite Decoration
Our tree. It's a special tree. My grandma bought it and had it for several years before giving it to us. It was at our old house and we still have it at our current house. It's not like other trees. It's fuller than most trees you see these days. Like really, really, really, really full. It's the fattest, fullest tree I've ever seen. And I love it. It has plenty of room for all of our ornaments. They're all pretty special, themeselves. I love getting the boxes out each year and looking at the ornaments again and remembering all of the special memories that each one has. My mom's favorite is the handprint reindeer that I made in preschool. Wanna make one with your kids? It's simple! Just paint their hand brown and have them make a handprint on paper. Add googly eyes and a construction paper nose. The fingers are the antlers. Make sure to date it! We also have a ton of Hallmark ornaments. My grandma buys each of us a new one every year. Last year, she got me a kitty cat themed one since it was Bella's first Christmas. I love it! But not nearly as much as I love our special, special tree.

Well, friends, that's all for now. I hope that you have a great CHRISTmas weekend!

Fa-La-La Friday (Err, Tuesday)

2011-12-13T17:58:00.000-08:00

I am ~~a few~~ several days late on my Fa-La-La Fridays post. That is because when it was actually Friday, I was working on the oh-so-cute craft project that is mentioned in this post. I'm sorry for the delay.

My three best friends and I exchange gifts every year, and this year we decided to do homemade gifts. Yay! I love crafting. My most favorite type of crafting is quilting, but I really didn't have time to crank out three quilts in a matter of a week. So I came up with this fun idea: Photo Trash Cans! They couldn't be simpler to do. Each one took about an hour to make, and I actually had fun doing it.

First, get your supplies ready. You'll need a trash can without a design (I used clear), scissors, Mod Podge, sponge brushes, ribbon and LOTS of pictures. The cat is optional.

Start trimming your first picture to your liking. I found it to be better to trim the pictures one at a time, rather than all at once. That way, you'll be sure that they all fit well. You can get really creative with this part. For some of the pictures, I just cut squares or rectangles. For others, I cut sillouhettes around the subjects. Once your first picture is ready, spread Mod Podge generously on the back with the sponge brush.

Then, stick it wherever you like on your trash can. It's definitely easier to start at either the top or bottom, rather than the middle. Make sure you hold it down for a bit and squish out any air bubbles. The corners of the picture will try to pop up, with the trash can being so round and all, but if you hold it down for a bit, it will stay. Promise!

Add another picture, then some more!

Once your trash can is completely covered with pictures, go over the entire thing with a top coat of Mod Podge. Then, once that's started to dry (but is still a little bit wet), add a ribbon to the top. The still-drying Mod Podge will help it stick. I had trouble getting it to stay in place at first, but like with the pictures, it will stay down if you hold it for a minute or two. I folded the ribbon down over the lip of the trash can so that part of it is on the inside, but you certainly don't have to do it that way. You can put it all on the outside if you like. Your choice!

And that's it! Let your trash can dry completely, and then watch your friends' faces light up! My mom even suggested writing "Our memories can never be thrown away" on the card, which I find to be completely adorable. I encourage you to get really creative with this project, and think of some other things besides trash cans that you could do this on. I have also considered doing the top of a small white end-table I have in my apartment. I'll post pictures if I ever actually do it. Here's what the trash cans looked like when they were completely done:

Thanks for reading, and I hope that you have a special friend that you can make this fun keepsake for. Let me know what you think!

PS: For old time's sake, here is a picture of my best friends and I, one of many featured on the cans. Bonus points if you can figure out which one is me!

Fa-La-La Fridays!

2011-12-02T16:55:00.000-08:00

Hi, Friends!
I love Christmas. It is my absolute most favorite time of the year! So, I decided to do something fun on my blog to celebrate! It's a new series called Fa-La-La Fridays. Every Friday from now until the end of the year, I will share some of my favorite Christmas traditions, recipes, gift ideas, songs and more! I guess it will kind of be like the Super Summer Saturdays series that I had going all summer, but it will be cooler because it's Christmas!

Today I'll share one of my favorite traditions with you.

You may remember reading about my little cousins and the fun times we had together when my college hosted Sibs' Weekend last February. You may have realized that I really, really like doing fun things with these two cute ~~little girls~~ pre teens. Our most favorite thing to do together is our annual Christmas party.

We started this when they were quite small. It started as just an afternoon spent together making Christmas cookies and watching How the Grinch Stole Christmas (our favorite!!).

The next year, we made it a sleepover. More time for crafts, games and a few additional movies.

Then we started tacking several hours onto both the beginning and end of the sleepover, making it practially two full days. We made fun crafts, like fun holiday pillows. For the pillows, we used two pieces of fleece and put them on each side of a plain white 12x12 pillow. Then they used the cut and tie method that you often see people use to make blankets. They tied their fleece all around the pillow, and they turned out so so so cute!

We also always included a trip to Burger King. (If you read the Sib's Weekend post you'll know that we went there that weekend too. We really like Burger King!) After our lunch, we went to Dollar Tree (everything's a buck) so that the girls could pick out gifts for parents, friends and siblings. The things that they purchase always bring a smile to my face. The very first year we did this, Riley, just 3 at the time, picked out a Disney Barbie for her mama and a red bowl for grandma. As they've gotten older, they really, really think about the recipients interests and pick out the most thoughtful gifts that they know will be a hit.

It makes me sad to say that my freshman year of college (Christmas 09), the party did not happen. I was just so ridiculously overwhelmed with the new life chapter that I didn't have time to plan anything. I felt so awful.

Last year, I was still pretty busy, especially since Ihad taken a new job that took up a considerable abount of my free time. But I still wanted to do something for them. I knew it had to be easy to plan (for me) and more grown up than the past parties (for them).

I decided on a lunch at Applebees. My best friend was working in a nursing home at the time, and already knew that she would be working the morning shift on Christmas Day. I decided to use that as an opportunity to bring a smile to someone's face, plan a fun craft for the girls and teach them about giving as well. We decorated cards for the residents. I asked my friend how many we would need and counted out an index card for each person. Then I gave the girls crayons and Christmas stickers and let them go to town. They worked on these while we were waiting for our food. I told them how some of the residents don't get a lot of visitors, and my little empathetic sweethearts worked so hard to make them smile. I gave the cards to my friend and she delivered them on Christmas morning. She said they brought lots of smiles! :)

I'm not sure what our get together will entail this year, but I'm sure it will be fun!

Well, that's my favorite tradition! I'm a tradition girl, for sure. I can't wait to start some traditions with my own babies someday. I already know that I want do do Elf on the Shelf with them. I also want to give them new matching pajamas on Christmas Eve.

What are your family's favorite Christmas traditions? Stay tuned each Friday this month for more fun traditions, recipes, activities and more! Merry Christmas!

They Are The Wind Beneath My Wings

2011-11-29T18:16:00.000-08:00

Thankful for Them

2011-11-24T19:30:00.000-08:00

Today, like every day, I am thankful for many things. But I am especially thankful for these incredible people.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

Swooning Over a Sparkly Vampire? Psh NOT Me!

2011-11-21T12:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Not Me Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head on over to her blog to see what she and everyone else have not been up to this week.

This past weekend, I definitely did NOT go to the movies to see The Twilight Saga Breaking Dawn Part 1.
I did NOT get weak in the knees and sigh multiple times. I especially didn't feel my blood boiling during certain points. NO way. I don't let pop culture get me that emotional.

I also did NOT (very boldly) declare my allegiance to a particular "team". Nope. I'm not one to pick sides like that.

Even if I did to to this movie, I most certainly would NOT have gone twice.

And on the off chance that I might have gone twice, one of those times absolutley was NOT the midnight release. NO way. You know I need my sleep.

Nope. I definitely didn't. I would never, ever jump on a bandwagon and participate in something as popular as this. Especially when it was written for teenagers. No way. Not me.

Shame on Me. Alternatively titled: Catch Up Post

2011-11-15T10:29:00.000-08:00

Shame on me for not keeping this blog updated. Shame on me for taking forever to reply to comments. I've been insanely, ridiculously busy. But now I am on Christmas Break. Yep, you read that right. I don't have school until January. Have I mentione that my college is the best one ever?

Speaking of "best college ever", we celebrated Halloween a few weeks ago. We celebrate Halloween big. By "big" I mean that we have largest Halloween Street Party in the country. Here are some pictures of the night. It was SO SO cold (like 28 degrees! eek!). Usually I adore cold weather, so for me to admit that it was freezing, you know it was pretty cold.

In other news, I have officially completed my first full day of teaching.

Bella the Kitty is just as sweet as ever. I put up a little Christmas tree in my apartment the other day and she's pretty excited about it. She thinks that Mommy brought home a brand new toy just for her. I taped it to the table so she can't knock it over but that doesn't stop her from batting ornament after ornament to the ground. When I take her home for Break, she's probably going to go extra crazy for our big family tree. Last year was her first Christmas and we couldn't keep her out of it. She climbed it daily. Here's a picture that we took of her snooping around about halfway up it. It just might be our Christmas card this year.

She loves Christmas. And so do I.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-26T14:33:00.000-07:00

My Best Friends!

Names

2011-10-19T08:24:00.000-07:00

I'm the type of person who has been planning her wedding for her entire life. I want it to be at Disney World with a Cinderella dress, a crystal carraige and white ponies. Hopeless Romantic, perhaps.

But in addition to planning my wedding, I have names for my kiddos picked out too. I want many.

I think about my future kids a lot. More than a lot actually. I think about the looks on their little faces the first time they walk down Mainstreet USA towards Cinderella Castle. I think about cute crafts we will make together on snow days and I think about the fun games we'll play at the park. I can't wait to be a mama.

I like talking about these names with my real life friends so I figured I'd share them with you all too.

Boys

Lennon Patrick (Patrick is the first boys name I ever picked out, way back in elementary school. But it's kind of popular so now I think I'll just use it as a middle name. And well, Lennon kind of speaks for itself. I'm sure you can tell who I'm naming this lil guy after. Phenomenan musician. Beautiful soul)
Roman Carlisle (just because I like both of those names and they sound good together. I think it sounds strong)
Cullen Robert (Robert after my dad)
Princeton Isaac (Sounds smart)
Finn Edison (No specific reason. I just like it).

Girls

Makynli Faith (Makynli is pronounced like McKinley. Saw it on TV and fell in love with it)
Cadence Rose (Cadence as in the marching band cadence. Reflecting my band geek past, which has had a profound effect on my life. I've mentioned it on this blog many a time. And Rose just sounds good with it)
Harleigh Ryan (I like using "boyish" names for girls, especially when adding the "leigh")
Lyric Isabella (Lyric once again reflecting my music obsession. Isabella is the first girl name I ever picked out, way back when, but it is so so common now and I like unique first names)

This is my list for now (no, I'm NOT pregnant). What are your favorite names?

A Weekend of Normal

2011-10-09T18:09:00.000-07:00

This weekend, I went home. As in home home. As in not my apartment home.

It was nice.

Bella the Kitty came with. I wish you could have seen how excited Hershey was when I got Bella out of the car.

Last night I went to our high school's band contest. Band is one thing about high school that I actually miss. I love the sense of unity that we had. I felt so connected to everyone in band. So I really enjoyed watching the contest. One band did a Harry Potter themed show. I was amazed, because, well, you know how Harry obsessed I am. Our band got a high II rating. The highest you can get is a I. The lowest is a V. But I have never seen that rating given, not ever, in all the years I've been watching band contests. If you get a I you qualify for State. We did it my junior year and it is one of my best memories from high school. We worked so hard for that. I hope the kids this year get that same experience. They still have a few more chances to earn that I. Good luck guys!

Today I taught Sunday School. I teach the preschool class. Today, it was just me and one little girl, C. We colored pictures and learned about King Solomon.

Then, I went back to the house and just chilled. It was nice. Sometimes you need to just chill. I am back in my apartment now, still chilling. Before the crazyness of Week 6 begins.

I hope you all had a nice chill-filled weekend, too. Thanks for reading.

Not-So-Wordless Wednesday: High School

2011-09-28T19:46:00.000-07:00

While searching through my pictures for something to post for Wordless Wednesday, I found a folder of pictures from my sophomore year of high school. It was an emotionally draining year with lots of tears, but I do have lots of pictures of the good times that I had. Here are some of them. This post is going to be anything but wordless! Thanks for reading!

My very first car! I still have it, too! I was so, so so excited! I just sat in it for hours because I couldn't believe it was really mine.

Sophomore year of track. We won our league chanpionship!

Can you believe that this little cutie is now TEN years old?

With mom and dad, sophomore year

New Years '07

Twenty Mini Stories

2011-09-24T14:28:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't updated lately. I have been crazy busy with work, class and partnership. I haven't forgotton about my little blog, though! I thought I'd use today's post to update on some things that have been happening recently. So, here are twenty little things in noparticular order. Enjoy and thanks for reading!

20. Bella is adjusting to life in the apartment very well. She enjoys looking out my window that faces the soccer fields.
19. My high school's football team is currently undefeated. Five games down, five more to go. Go Bucks!
18. I spend every Tuesday and Thursday in a local elementary school for the Early Childhood Partnership. My sweet 1st and 2nd graders remind me time and time again why I chose this major.
17. There are currently two movies that I want to see in the theater: Lion King 3D and Dolphin Tale.
16. I miss my Hershey girl more than words can explain. I still see her on weekends, but not seeing her every single day is tough.
15. I'm loving this cooler fall weather!
14. I'm planning a tie dye themed sleepover for my cutie cousins, M and R. Check out my posts from February (right sidebar) to see pictures from our last big sleepover. I'll post pictures from this one too!
13. I'm going to be Minnie Mouse for Halloween. I mentioned in a previous post that Halloween is a HUGE deal at my college ("huge deal" meaning that we have the biggest Halloween Street Party in the country). I've also said several times that I am a obsessed with all things Disney. So this is a perfect costume for me!
12. I got a leash and harness for my cat today because she LOVES to go outside, but I can't let her out alone here like I can back home. She seems to like it and is glad to get some fresh air!
11. My first graders seem to have shared some germs with me, which is making for a very sniffly weekend, but I still love them so much.
10. I'm not working as many hours this quarter as I have in previous quarters, which is a gigantic weight off of my shoulders and so much less stress.
9. Last weekend, I had some friends over for a Harry Potter themed party. I've talked of my love for Harry Potter on this blog many times. I also adore planning theme-y parties and going all out with the decorations and games. So this was fun for me. We had a costume contest and my friend Dayna dressed up as Bellatrix Lestrange and won! Her prize was a hand knitted Gryffindor scarf made by another friend who attended, Colete.
8. I'm really excited for the Kappa Delta Pi year to start (Wednesday!!!) and I can't wait to get to know our new members! I'm on the exec board this year, too. Philanthropy Chair! It's busy, but worth it!
7. My aunt got a new puppy and he is one of the cutest things I've ever seen in my entire life.
6. It makes my day when I get mail here in my apartment.
5. Easy Mac is a college student's best friend. Cheap and fast!
4. There's a new restaurant in town that I'd love to try.
3. I've met many of my neighbors, and they're all so nice!
2. This is my best year of college so far.
1. I LOVE MY LIFE

Still Haven't Forgotten

2011-09-11T17:40:00.000-07:00

I still haven't forgotten.

I know you haven't either.

I still haven't forgotton that September morning when our country changed forever.

I still haven't forgotton exactly where I was.

I was in 5th grade. Ms. G's homeroom. A 6th grader who had arrived to school late came through the halls shouting something about the World Trade Center being on fire. At first the teacher thought he was kidding. She said he was crazy.

And then she turned on the TV.

To this day, I have not forgotton the look on her face when she said "Oh my gosh, he's right".

For the rest of the day, we sat in silence, watching the news unfold.

When I got home from school, mom made me watch Nickelodeon because it was the only channel that wasn't showing news coverage.

Today, a decade later, I still haven't forgotton that day.

I know you haven't either.

Join me now and remember the men, women and children who lost their lives on that September morning.

9/11/01.
Never forget.

Wordless Wednesday: 80s Night

2011-09-07T18:43:00.000-07:00

Alternatively titled: Theme Parties are the BEST!

Back To School Roundup

2011-09-06T15:30:00.000-07:00

School started today! To celebrate, I'm sharing my favorite back to school links with you! *Note: I do not take credit for any of the information in these links. All credit goes to the respective page owners. I am merely sharing the links.

Recipe:
-These adorable cupcakes look like chalkboards. Whip up a batch and have them waiting for your kids when they get off of the bus! I made some for the officers of Kappa Delta Pi, an honors society for education majors that I'm in. You can find the link here: http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/blackboard-cupcakes-688909/

Books:
-This book is one that I read in one of my college classes. It's something that I plan to use in my own classroom someday. It provides advice in words that young children can understand, plus who doesn't love DW? You can buy it here: http://www.amazon.com/D-W-s-Guide-Preschool-Arthur-Adventures/dp/0316120693
-This is the sweetest book ever, hands down. It shows that the bond between mother and child is forever, even when school time comes. You might even consider giving your child his or her own kissing hand after reading this heartwarming story about love and growing up. It can be purchased here: http://www.amazon.com/Kissing-Hand-Audrey-Penn/dp/1933718005/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1315242693&sr=1-1

Lunch Tips:
-There are many, many places on the internet that give tips for packing healthy lunches that children will actually eat. This one is by far my favorite. I LOVE the way each meal has a kid-friendly theme. Kids will love that each one also has a treat included. Try one in your child's lunchbox today! Here's the link: http://www.parents.com/kids/nutrition/lunch/healthy-school-lunches-snacks/

I hope some of these Back to School links will be useful for you and your family. Do you have any links that you refer to year after year? Let me know about them in the comments! Happy New School Year!

BIG Life Changes

2011-09-03T08:41:00.000-07:00

Big changes happened this week. I moved out of my family's home for the first time. I'm now in an apartment that's just steps away from my college campus. It's definitely different, but I think I'm going to like it. Bella the Kitty, who makes frequent appearances on my blog, is here too. The first day, I think she was a little bewildered. She just paced and meowed. But she's doing better now. She likes to look out of my sliding glass door.

I wanted to share some pictures of my apartment with you today. I'm sure I'll blog about this new change more in the future as interesting adventures start to unfold!! :)

Thanks for reading!

This is Where I Grew Up

2011-08-29T07:58:00.000-07:00

"You're so lucky that you know where you want to live and work"
One of my friends said that to me during a conversation we had the other night about where we want to teach after college.

I have mentioned a few times that I am majoring in education. I might not have mentioned that I already know where I want to look for a job. Right here. The same beautiful town that I've lived in for the past 20 years. The only place I've ever known. The school system that helped influence my own decision to become an educator. The place where I want to raise my babies. My hometown.
Why?

Because of the love shown between neighbors.
Because of the history of the place.
Because my family. Almost all of them are right here.
Because of the insane amount of pride that is shown on Football Friday Nights.
Because I adore our little annual festival.
Because of the "small town charm".
Because of the adorable craft shops.
Because big cities just aren't for me.
Because I love the big yards we all have.
Because I like looking out my window and seeing my neighbor's horses.
Because it's safe here.
Because I want to give back.
Because this is the only place that is home to me.
Because this is where I grew up. And I want my children to have that same experience.

Wordless Wednesday: Hide and Seek with Bella

2011-08-24T18:30:00.000-07:00

Random Thoughts

2011-08-14T18:16:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. I've been trying to soak up the last few sweet weeks of summer by spending as much time as possible chilling out by the pool.

Our town's festival is this week. check out www.paradeofthehills.org to see what I'll be up to all week.

I move into my apartment in (eek!) less than 3 weeks. I commuted to school for freshman and sophomore years, so this will be my first time living out of the house. Bella the Kitty is coming with. I'll share more about all of this once I'm down there.

I recently downloaded the Oregon Trail game on iPhone. You remember the original, right? The one that was on the computers in elementary school. We all fought over who could be first during homeroom and inside recess. Hunted buffalo, picked wild berries, lost a few party members to dysentery. Good stuff. ~~They don't make games like that anymore~~. I thought they didn't make games like that anymore, but apparantly they do. I've been playing it constantly this weekend. Made it to Oregon twice already. Totally worth the 99 cents. Buy this app!!!!!

I am trying to eat healthier.

While I'm sad that summer is coming to an end, the silver lining is that FOOTBALL season is starting. My town is what you'd call a "football town". It brings all of us together and I like that. People need togetherness like that.

Hope you had a great weekend! Goodbye :)

Wordless Wednesday: Pretty Princess Bella

2011-08-03T19:04:00.000-07:00

July in Pictures

2011-07-31T19:54:00.000-07:00

Super Summer Saturdays: Bucket List

2011-07-30T16:07:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe that on Monday it will be August. WHERE has this summer gone? Soon it will be September, which for me means back to school (plus an apartment...more on that later). I decided to dedicate this Super Summer Saturdays post with a list of things that I would still like to do in this last sweet month of summer. You and your family can follow along and do these things, too! Enjoy!

1. Day trip to the lake/beach
2. Finish the baby quilt I've started
3. Zoo to see the new polar bears
4. Cover every square inch of my sidewalk in chalk
5. Try something new
6. Finish reading the Harry Potter series for the umpteenth time
7. Read Heaven is For Real (just bought it today!!)
8. Make some homemade ice cream
9. Check out some "haunted" places in the area
10. Visit a museum (or two)
11. Live up every minute :)

What are YOU going to do for the rest of your summer? I'd love to hear about it!

This One Time At Band Camp

2011-07-29T18:08:00.000-07:00

The other night, I went to visit my high school's band camp. They were having a cookout that was mostly for their parents but former band members were invited too.

I can't even begin to describe the flood of memories that filled my heart when I pulled into the driveway of that place. Like bombarding the guys with water balloons, stealing the director's underwear and freezing them, shaving cream fights, silly made up songs, late nights of just talking, the senior dinner, dances, crazy American Pie-worthy quotes, it goes on and on.

Band is one of the few parts about high school that I can honestly say that I miss. When I was with the band, I felt like I belonged. I felt included. When we (FINALLY) made it to State my junior year, I felt like I was a part of something bigger than myself. That is just one of the many gifts that band gave me.

Super Summer Saturdays: Tips From Other Bloggers

2011-07-23T07:30:00.000-07:00

I recently posted a discussion over on MckMama's Blogfrog Community asking other bloggers to share their tips for beating the heat. You can read their tips below. Check out their blogs, too!

Erin of The Testosterone Adventures says: Warning: not for the faint of heart. We recently enjoyed eating watermelon by the handfuls at the beach. No slicing, no wetwipes, just four boys and a watermelon. Check us out here. (scroll to bottom and read four boys and a watermelon post) http://thetestosteroneadventures.blogspot.com/2010_09_01_archive.html
Dina of My Unentitled Life says We love to eat ice pops when it's really hot. We also make slushies and play in the sprinkler. If it's really hot we go to the lake and swim. :)
Pamela of Troop Petrie says We love to make ice cream, all you do is freeze bananas and through them in the blender. We also play in the sprinkler, I do not feel bad about watering the grass if my kids are playing in the water. We also go to the beach for the day.
Linds of A Dollop Of My Life says: our two favorites are these:playing in the sprinkler
I made frozen fruit pops and fed them to the boys outside (they are too messy to eat inside!).
Summer Jo of Believing Boldly says playing in the sprinkler when we cannot make it to the pool is always a fun activity for us!
Kris of In the Kitchen With Audrey says We make Ovaltine shakes or head to the indoor pool. Sometimes we watch movies instead of playing outside.

I want to thank everyone who participated in this shared tips post! You all have wonderful ideas for beating the heat!

Super Summer Saturdays: The End of an Era (SPOILER ALERT)

2011-07-16T14:39:00.000-07:00

If you read my last post, you know how excited I have been about the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. I, along with many others, attended the midnight release (in full costume). This is my take on the movie. Warning: Lots of spoilers ahead, many more than in my previous summer movie reviews.

The movie begins by repeating the final scene of DH part 1, when the evil Lord Voldemort steals the legendary Elder Wand from the grave of Albus Dumbledore. We then get to see our beloved heroes as they finish the search for the Horcruxes (if you don't know what a Horcrux is, it is an object that has a fragment of another person's soul concealed inside it and can only be created by killing another person. When a Horcrux is created, its maker can never truly "die" until the Horcrux is destroyed. Very dark magic). It comes to mind that one of them (old Voldy has/had 7) may be in the Gringotts bank. So what do they do? They hatch a crazy plot to break in, of course. The bank scene was really cool. Much cooler than the first time that Harry visited the bank during the first story. I will warn you though-- if you get dizzy easily, this scene may make your insides spin. The dragon (yeah, dragons guard the bank) scene is very well done, especially when it flies over the countryside- beautiful!

Our heroes later return to Hogwarts, their school, which is in a (for lack of a better word) apocolyptic state. Everyone's favorite professors will be seen, including the ever-strict McGonagall, who has developed a very cool "Don't mess with me" attitude. The Horcrux search continues with the help of some fellow students and friends, and the cup and diadem are destroyed, putting Harry and company one step closer to victory.

A sentimental moment comes about 3/4 way through the movie, when, during Professor Snape's last seconds of life, his past is finally told. I won't lie. I cried during this part. Lots. I knew I would. I cried during that part of the book, as well. I won't spill this secret in my review, but I will say to have a tissue ready.

Lots of loud battling, fighting and firing occurs before good finally prevails over evil and the Boy Who Lived saves the Wizarding World forever. Voldemort's death was very different in the movie than the book, but I still thought that it was well done. I will say that I was extremely dissappointed that the movie did not show Harry visiting the Headmaster's office after the victory. In the book, Harry visits the office to see the portrait of Albus Dumbledore crying tears of pride. That was one of my favorite parts in the entire series. I was sad I didn't get to see it.

The movie closes with an epilogue, where the heroes are seeing their own children off to the no longer threatened Hogwarts. The kids are beyond adorable, by the way.

I thought that, other than the ending, this movie followed the book extremely well. More so than the past several movies. I couldn't have aasked for a better ending to the book and film franchise of a generation.

"All was well".

A Decade of Magic: Harry's Impact on My Life

2011-07-13T18:38:00.000-07:00

If you've even paid a second of attention to the news/social media/etc over the past few ~~weeks~~ months, you know that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is to be released in theaters on July 15th (which also happens to be my 20th birthday). While I am so excited for the epic conclusion, I also find it to be a little bittersweet. It feels as though a chapter of my life is closing. This is a reflection on how the series impacted me, one of the millions to grow up with Harry.

I remember the day I received the very first book. Ninth birthday. July 15, 2000. Exactly eleven years before the final movie wraps everything up. Back then, there were no movies. The books had only very recently "took off" on this side of the Pond (they started in Britain, if you didn't know). My cousin who gave the book to me had started reading it a few weeks earlier. He swore I would love it. I was skeptical. Ever the girly girl, I took one look at the cover and deemed it a "boy book". But I gave it a chance. My mom and I started reading it together, a chapter each night before bed. And you know what, I fell in love. I was hooked after just one page. The characters and plot captivated me. I loved using my imagination to picture what that great castle looked like, how Quidditch looked from Harry's point of view, ~~mean old~~ actually nice Snape... I was hooked. I got the second story (Chamber of Secrets) shortly after. To this day it remains one of my favorites in the series. I loved everything about it.

Then, the movies came out. I remember how excited I was because Hagrid was exactly as I had pictured him. I felt silly when I realized how many of the pronunciations I had gotten wrong (Quidditch with a K, anyone?). Mostly, though, I was blown away by the performances of Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, who, at the time, were my age. Well, they're still my age, actually. But that's besides the point. I wanted so much to be in their shoes. To fight through the third floor corridor past three headed dogs and the like. I wanted to be in that world.

My eleventh birthday came and went. I checked the mail daily, wishing, hoping and praying for my Hogwarts acceptance letter. Deep down inside, I knew that it was all fiction, but I just couldn't admit that to myself. Everything was described in such rich detail, there was just no way it could all be "made up". It had to be real, it just had to.

I never did get that letter. But I got as close to the magical world as I could with toys and other memorabilia. I had a Hermione doll, which later received a very butchered haircut, as did all of my Barbies. I had a plastic Goblin figurine, complete with goo to pour over his head. I had two board games and a cooking set. But my most favorite of all was my castle. My Hogwarts Castle. This castle had it all. Sights, sounds, music. Plus, a "magic" element that made Harry float through the corridors ~~effortlessly.~~ Ok, maybe he got stuck once. Or twice. I remember sitting for hours on end, acting out my favorite scenes with the tiny figures. I figured that was as close as I was going to get to the "real thing", so I took advantage of it.

As I have grown up, so have the characters. There is much more teen romance/angst in the later novels than the earlier ones. As I became older, I found that I was able to relate to the characters more so than ever before. I remember many a dance where I was scrambling and panicking at the last minute because I still didn't have a date, much like Harry and Ron in the Goblet of Fire (book 4). I also remember a particularly horrible (ok, it was horrible at the time) week during my sophomore year when it seemed like literally the entire school was against me, and all because of a silly (not true) rumor. Harry went through that too. More than once. Like the time when everyone thought he was attacking his classmates just because he can talk to snakes. I know this sounds cliche, but the little subplots like that truly did make me feel less alone.

Feeling less alone is only one of the positive effects that Harry has had on me. I've also noticed that he has a knack for bring people together, despite Hagrid sized differences. When you see literally thousands of people standing in a line that wraps in and out of every isle of Barnes and Noble, shouting Alohamora to magically "open" the crate containing the newly published books at midnight, you get this crazy sense of unity. A sense of togetherness. For just a few minutes, everyone puts their differences aside to focus on one big common interest. And in this day in age, that's worth more than 1,000 words.

Harry has, over the years, been an escape for me. A chance to get away. This past weekend wasn't easy. I might blog about it at a later time. Maybe. In the midst of being sad, I went to my futon and curled up with Goblet of Fire. And everything melted away. I was away from reality for awhile, in a world that is completely make believe. I was able to put aside the hurt and sadness, even if only for a few hours. These stories have been an escape for me and thousands of others. For that, I am grateful.

As I look back on the past decade (HALF of my life--wow!), nothing but wonderful memories fill my mind. I hope that one day, I can share Harry's story with my own children, and if they're anything like their mama, they'll fall in love after just one page. Will J.K. Rowling publish any more books? For now, she says "never say never". Even if Harry's epic saga doesn't continue, I think that there is one big thing that we can all learn from his seven part story. Even when everyone says you can't, never stop believing in the impossible.

"All was well".

What's New With Hershey and Bella

2011-07-11T06:50:00.000-07:00

I realize that it has been awhile since I did a post on my pets. So, this post will be dedicated to them. They're both enjoying the summer. Hershey enjoys playing in the pool, catching frogs in said pool and just laying in the shade of the many trees surrounding our house. Bella looks forward to her daily outdoor playtime, too. She loves chasing dragonflies, chilling in the shade under our back deck and climing trees in search of birds. Summer is her favorite. Mine too! Here are some recent pictures of my little furbabies :)

Yes, she's drinking out of the toilet. Yes, my toilet has a sticker that says "Flush Twice, It's a Long Way to Michigan". Don't ask.

She adores bags.

My good old girl :)

Besties for life

Sitting Pretty Outside

See, I told you Bella loves it outside :)

Super Summer Saturdays: Recipe

2011-07-02T17:29:00.000-07:00

Since it's July 4th Weekend, I'm sure many of you are having cookouts and BBQs with your families. Today I'm going to share a dessert recipe that we often whip up for summer get togethers. It's super easy.

Oreo Pudding Dessert

Ingredients:

One Regular size package of Oreo Cookies (not Double Stuffed)
2 small packages French vanilla pudding mix
8oz soft cream cheese
8oz Cool Whip
Milk

What to Do:

Make pudding with milk (check pudding box to see how much milk you'll need). The pudding doesn't need to be set up just yet. Add the other ingredients first.
Add cream cheese
Add Cool Whip
Mix with an electric hand mixer until well blended
Crush enough cookies to thoroughly cover the bottom of a 9x13" aluminum pan
Pour pudding mixture over the cookies
Chill in refridgerator for several hours to set it up
Prior to serving, crush a few more cookies and sprinkle over the top (just for decoration- don't need to cover it completely)

I hope you and your family enjoy this recipe. Try it for your next cookout/BBQ and let me know what you think! Have a GREAT 4th of July Weekend!

Wordless Wednesday (Kind Of)

2011-06-29T15:16:00.000-07:00

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, the final installment of the massive book and film franchise, is set to be released in a little over two weeks. To celebrate, I'm going to share the costume that I wore last Halloween. Speaking of Halloween, it is a huge, huge HUGE deal at my college. But I'll leave that to another post. Here's a picture of my Harry Costume.

Two Steps Forward, Lots of Steps Back, and One Tiny Glimmer of Hope

2011-06-27T07:49:00.000-07:00

I've had this post floating around in my head for a while now. I just didn't put it into writing because I kept thinking things would change (they haven't).

How is straw bale gardening going for me? Well, it isn't exactly "going". Remember the little sprouts that I mentioned in THIS post? They're gone now. Both of them. As is the tomato sprout that appeared a few days after writing that post. I think that something ate the seed from the melon sprout, because the straw around where I put it is all ripped apart as if it has been dug through. The green bean sprout died, and then some fungi started growing out of the hole it was in. Yuck!

I tried to do it all right. I watered them on days that we had no rain. If it rained (which has been often), I just let nature be the watering can for that day. I think that the problem(s) may be one or more of the following:

fertilizer was too strong
Bales didn't get enough sun
Critters played/dug/ate their way through the bales
Watering was too inconsistent (monsoon-like downpour one day, just a tiny watering can the next)
Didn't start the seedlings inside
Planted too late

I don't think this project is going to work after all. It's ok, though. I want to try again next year. Does anyone have any tips that I can try for next summer's garden? I'd love to hear how your bales are coming!

Amid all of this, there is still one little glimmer of hope. A tiny little melon sprout (nope, not the same one that I saw in THIS post). It is still hanging on. Still standing straight and growing slowly but surely. I think that this little melon sprout can be a life inspiration. Even when everything around you is going wrong, never give up hope, and never stop holding your head high.

Super Summer Saturdays: Another Movie Review (SPOILER ALERT)

2011-06-25T15:00:00.000-07:00

It's time for another Super Summer Saturdays post. Although, this past week, the weather here hasn't been all that "summer-y". In fact, it's been downright "spring-y". But I'll post anyways. Maybe it will encourage the sun to stay out! A few weeks ago, I wrote a review on the Hangover Part II. Today, I went with two of my little cousins (ages 3 and 6) to see Cars 2. Here's my take on it.

This time around the Cars are touring the world, with stops in Japan, Italy and England. You'll see plenty of racing scenes, but the main plot of Cars 2 centers around a super secret spy mission. I was able to follow the plot just fine, but I can see where part of it might go over small kids' heads, especially if they've never seen how spy stuff works. Lots of shooting, but the kids I was with didn't seem frightened at all. The six year old didn't take his eyes off the screen the entire time.

You can count on all of your kids' favorite characters to make appearances in this one. Mater especially. He has a much bigger role in this one than in the first. He even winds up being the unlikely hero at the end!

As with all Disney/Pixar films, the animation in this was stellar. Unbelievable. The water and flames actually looked real! The sound was very well done, also.

I give this movie an A-. 6 year old Z described it as "really funny". If you have Cars fans in your house, you won't want to miss this one!

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-19T11:00:00.000-07:00

Super Summer Saturdays: Fun in the Pool

2011-06-18T18:35:00.000-07:00

If your family is like mine, summer just isn't summer without plenty of time spent swimming. We actually have a backyard pool, which we love. Our relatives and friends often come over for cookouts and other get togethers. When everyone's here, you can bet that there are lots of fun games going on. For this Super Summer Saturday post, I'm going to share two of the games with you. I'll share even more in some future posts!

The first one requires a dog. Our Hershey simply knows it as "Game". If you ask her if she wants to play her game, she gets super excited and runs to her spot on the side of the pool. Then her human teammate (almost always me) stands on the diving board and asks her is she's ready. The game can't start until she answers that question. Sometimes we have to ask her more than once, but she always barks to let us know she's ready to begin. Then we run as fast as we can and jump from the diving board and while we're in midair, we throw a tennis ball to Hershey. This game couldn't be any simpler, but Hershey just adores it. She could play it all day. Try this game with your pooch!

This next game is also pretty simple. It's called Colors. One of my friends came up with the idea when we were in elementary. You can play it with as few as two people, but it is definitely better with a large group. To begin, you pick one person to be It. They will stand on the deck or sidewalk just outside of the pool. Make sure that they are standing with their back towards the pool. Everyone else gets in the water and stands or treads water along the edge closest to It. Then, It will select a category. Any category will do. We always used colors (hence the name of the game). It announces the category and everyone who is in the pool thinks of something that falls under that category (pink, for instance) but they don't say their choice out loud. Then, when everyone is ready, It begins naming things that fall under the named category. If It says something that someone has chosen, that person has to swim to the other side of the pool. If It hears them, they turn around and jump into the water to try and catch them. If the person makes it to the other side without being caught, It returns to the side of the pool to continue naming things until someone else escapes. If It catches the person, that person will become the new It, and the game starts over with a new category. This is a really fun and easy game for kids. Try it at your next pool party!

What I Did Last Night

2011-06-16T14:12:00.000-07:00

See these amazing girls?

We went on a road trip together to see these amazing boys.

Who happened to be touring with another group of equally amazing boys.

Together they were epic,

And it was the time of my life.

If you can't tell from the pictures, the concert that we saw was a dual-headlining tour with New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys. The Backstreet Boys were the objects of our affection in oh, like, third grade. I have many fond memories of sleepovers spent swooning over posters of these cuties while singing their amazing tunes into hair brushes. So as you can imagine, getting to see them live again, with my very best friends, was one of the greatest nights I could have ever asked for. Totally worth the 3.5 hour drive from our little Ohio town all the way to Pittsburg, PA.

"I don't care who you are; where you're from; what you did; as long as you love me"

Super Summer Saturdays: Summer Movie Review (SPOILER ALERT)

2011-06-04T08:59:00.000-07:00

Is it just me, or does it seem like all of the good movies are released during the summer months? While there's nothing I love more than being outside by the pool, spending an evening at the theater is a great way to beat the heat (or rain).

As part of my Super Summer Saturdays series, I will be writing reviews of some of the biggest summer movies.

Today, I will review the Hangover Part II. Perhaps the most anticipated movie of the summer, this raunchy comedy did not disappoint. Ed Helms (Stu), Bradley Cooper (Phil) and Zach Galifinakis (Alan) are comedic geniuses. When we last saw this troublesome trio, they were creating chaos on the streets of Las Vegas. This time, they're hitting up Bangkok, Thailand.

Alan's one-liners are instant quotable classics. ("What is this, A PF Changs", "I'm a Stay at Home Son", "My uncle said he once saw an albino polar bear").
All of the favorite supporting characters make appearances, too, including Mike Tyson and the infamous Mr. Chow.

Yes, there were some key plot points that were very similar to the first movie. A stolen animal, for example. The first time it was a tiger, this time a monkey. Then there's the lost friend. First Doug, now Teddy. Some people were disappointed in the similarities, but I still found it to be a good movie overall.

I won't say much more. You'll have to go watch it for yourself to see what other crazy shenanigans the guys get into this time. Let me know what you think!

PS: I added tags to the bottom of my posts so now you can see all of my Super Summer Saturday (or straw bales, or pets) related posts in one place! Happy Summer!

Tiny (Good News Filled) Update

2011-05-31T18:13:00.000-07:00

The other day, I was watering my straw bales. I was pleasently surprised to see TWO little sprouts! My melon and green beans have officially started growing! I was worried that this project would not work, but so far so good! Have your straw bales started growing yet?

Memorial Day

2011-05-30T19:30:00.000-07:00

I want to take this time to thank the brave men and women who risk their lives to keep our nation free. We are so grateful for your sacrafices. I hope that you and yours have had a wonderful Memorial Day.

Because I knew you, I have been changed for good

2011-05-28T19:00:00.000-07:00

This is a video and photo montage that I created for my three best friends, whom I have known for (literally) my entire life. I think it turned out pretty well, so I figured I'd share!

This is the Way we Plant the Seeds

2011-05-24T18:42:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, I finally got to plant my seeds in my straw bales. Ideally, it probably should have been done two weeks ago, but it has just rained so much. It seemed like it was impossible to get a dry weekend. But, this past Saturday was actually super nice. Not a cloud in sight and temperatures close to 80. So what did I do? I planted, of course!

You can plant on the tops and sides of your bales. I'm not quite sure which plants do better on top and which do better on the sides, so I just did my best with what I think would go well together. On one bale, I planted tomatoes on top and carrots and green beans on the side, and morning glories on the ends. On the other bale, I planted canteloupe on top, green beans on the side an morning glories on the end. For the tops, I spread a generous layer of soil out and planted the seeds right in it. For the side, I made a small hole in the bale, put some soil in the hole, stuck in the seed and then covered it with more soil. They kind of looked like this when I finished:

I made the little signs that you see in the picture. If you have kids, making the signs would probably be a super fun project for them. Only you should find sturdier sticks than I put mine on, because they ended up blowing away in last night's storm.

Have you planted anything in your bales yet? How is it going? Happy Gardening!

Super Summer Saturdays: A Destination

2011-05-21T08:51:00.000-07:00

In this second edition of my Super Summer Saturdays series, I am going to tell you about one of my favorite places to go in the summer. Feel free to share your favorite destinations with me in the comments section!

Four hours north of me, located on its own penninsula along beautiful Lake Erie, you will find Heaven on Earth. Nowhere else on the planet will you find a theme park with more rides (75) or roller coasters (17). They don't call this place "America's Roller Coast" for nothing!

Yes, my friends, I'm talking about Cedar Point.

Cedar Point is one of the oldest amusement parks in the nation. It started as just a beach with a clubhouse and a few kiddie rides. Eventually, they added a roller coaster, The Switchback Railway. Who would have thought that that tiny (25 feet tall) little coaster would have paved the way for what is there now.

Today, Cedar Point holds the WORLD record for having the most rides AND roller coasters. Their roller coasters are world class, too. Take the Millenium Force for instance. When it debued in 2000, it broke an astonishing TEN world records (tallest, fastest, first coaster to go over 300 feet, just to name a few). Today, it is still among the most popular on Earth. Every year, it has been either ranked as #1 or #2 steel roller coaster on the planet in the prestegious Golden Ticket Awards, which are basically the Grammys of the amusement park industry.

Speaking of the Golden Ticket Awards, did I mention that Cedar Point has won their "Best Amusement Park in the World" award for ELEVEN straight years? Yep, it's that good.

If you aren't into roller coasters, Cedar Point still has something for you. The 364-acre park is also home to four children's areas, two of which are Snoopy themed. There's also a beach, a petting zoo and many live shows.

Cedar Point also has many on-site hotels. My personal favorite is the Hotel Breakers. It's beautiful!

Cedar Point is one of my favorite vacation destinations (second only to Disney World). I hope that you and your family have the chance to visit one day. For more information, you can visit them HERE.

I want to leave you with this picture, which was taken near the park's beach. If you look REALLY closely, you can see the hill from one of the roller coasters (Magnum XL 200) on the horizon.

Super Summer Saturdays: A New Series

2011-05-14T12:46:00.000-07:00

I love summer. I love everything about summer. And it has finally arrived here in the Buckeye State after a very, very cold and rainy spring. I've been wanting to start a series on my blog for a while now, and what better thing to write about than summer? ~~Every~~ Almost every Saturday this summer, I'm going to blog about fun activities, games, recipes and crafts that you can do with your family. I'll share some of my own family fun, too. You may have noticed the poll I added to the left sidebar. It's about summer activities, and I'd love to hear your opinion. So let your voice be heard and vote in my poll. Who knows? Maybe the activity with the most votes will be featured in a post of its own here soon!

Today, I pulled out my old snow cone maker and gave it a whirl. I love this thing. I got it for my birthday years ago. It's pretty easy to use. You just pop some ice cubes in (you may need to refill it halfway through; it doesn't hold many), hold a cup up to the spout and push the button. Then, you can add the flavor. The syrup is usually sold right beside the ice shavers in stores. My favorite is cherry. Then, just add a straw, or spoon, or both and enjoy! Yummy! What is your favorite snow cone flavor?

Don't forget to vote in my poll!

Name Poem

2011-05-13T18:38:00.000-07:00

At one of the many 'family fun nights' I attended in elementary school, we had to create a poem by thinking of a word or phrase for every letter in our name. Then, we put the poems on shirts using fabric markers. I don't remember exactly what I wrote. I do know that the Y had something to do with yelling. Anyways, I decided to make another one. It's not the greatest, but it'll do. Have you ever made a name poem?

A-adventerous

I- incedibly excited for SUMMER!

N- Nugget eater

S- ~~sister~~ only child :(

L- lover of animals

E- extroverted

Y- Yay :)

Happy Mother's Day!!

2011-05-08T18:19:00.000-07:00

Gardens of the Straw Bale Variety

2011-04-29T18:52:00.000-07:00

Ever heard of straw bale gardening? Until last summer, I hadn't. But now I've started my own and I'm oh so excited about it! I got the idea from MckMama

So, you start with straw bales. We only have two, because we're first timers. But you can have as many as you want.

Then, you drown them with water. They need lots and lots of water. Ours are already pretty saturated, thanks in part to the rainiest April that Ohio has on record. But today I decided to give them some more water, just in case. Only to my surprise, the hose doesn't reach all the way to the bales. And here we were thinking we picked the best spot in the yard for them. So, I just had to make due with spraying from a distance.

Then, I realized that wasn't working, so I grabbed a watering can.

I'll continue adding water to the bales for about another week, or perhaps a little less. Then it will be time to add some fertilizer. I'll post an update when I do.

So, are you going to start a straw bale garden this year? Share your ideas!

My Guest Post

2011-04-26T16:42:00.001-07:00

I recently had the opportunity to write a guest post for a fellow blogger, Summer Jo. It is all about how you can save money at Walt Disney World. You can check it out at the link below! Thanks Summer Jo for inviting me to post!

http://www.believingboldly.com/2011/04/guest-postdisney-on-budget.html

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-20T16:26:00.000-07:00

"I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing: that it was all started by a mouse" -Walter Elias Disney

Life and Love According to My Cat

2011-04-17T16:07:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered what your pets would say if they could talk? If my cat Bella could talk, I'm sure she'd have some wonderful advice about life for we humans. This is what I think she'd say.

Take time to smell the flowers.

Always remember where the snacks are kept.

Keep your friends close.

Don't cry over spilled ~~milk~~ trash

Take time to just hang around.

Always make sure you drink enough water.

Always make time for reading.

Nap time is essential!

What advice would your pets give you if they could talk?

An Update in Photos

2011-04-11T16:49:00.000-07:00

My day was perfect... until I got home.

2011-04-06T21:18:00.000-07:00

After a 16 hour day, the only thing you can say to me is "you're too loud"????? I don't even get a hello???? Perfect day is officially ruined and I can't wait to move out. September can't come soon enough.

The College Version of a Bucket List

2011-03-30T18:34:00.000-07:00

I was browsing around on my school's website earlier, looking for a faculty member's email address. And I came across THIS. This, my friends, is called "100 Things to Do Before You Graduate". I did not make this list. My college's program council did. I thought it was pretty cool, though. Since I still have 2 years before graduation, I thought it would be fun to go through and see what I've done so far and what I still need to try. So I crossed off everything I did in the college version of a bucket list. What's on your bucket list, by the way?

100. Attend International Street Fair
99. Go ice-skating at Bird Arena
98. Meet with your advisor and declare a major
97. Slip on ice during winter quarter
96. Join a student organization
95. Play a game on an intramural sports team
94. Bowl at Rollerbowl Lanes
93. Dress up and attend OU Halloween
92. Participate in Homecoming Weekend
91. Walk into the wrong classroom on accident
90. Go to a UPC meeting on Tuesdays, at 7:30 p.m.
89. Cook and eat at a vegan workshop
~~88. Watch a UPCinema Movie~~
87. Become a member of O-Zone
~~86. Grab dinner at slice night at Courtside Pizza & Sports Bar~~
85. Find a seat at Shively Dining Hall … Good luck!
84. Go to an open mic night at Donkey Coffee & Espresso
83. Go to at least one event for each sports team
82. Experience Walmart late at night
81. Bring sibs for Sibs Weekend
80. Try Miller’s Chicken
79. Hang out on Radar Hill
78. Play golf at the OU golf course
~~77. Watch an independent film at the Athena Cinema~~
76. Get involved with the Campus Involvement Center
~~75. Create a resume~~
~~74. Find out about Greek Life and decide if it's for you~~
~~73. Play with puppies at Petland!~~
72. Sing your heart out at a late-night karaoke
~~71. Stand up and cheer with The Marching 110~~
70. Chow down on mango salsa from Big Mamma's Burritos
69. Network at a career fair
68. Ride a CATS bus
67. Order D.P. Dough
66. Be a participant in a psychology experiment
65. Attend a Performing Arts Series event
64. Wake up to early morning construction on ANY green
63. Get creative at Beads & Things
62. Do your laundry in one of the residence hall’s laundry facilities
~~61. Befriend your landlord and sign your lease early~~
60. Witness the pickle eating contest at Bagel Street Deli
59. Play in a sand volleyball game on South Beach
58. Climb the rock wall at Ping
57. Walk/run/rollerblade/bike on the bike path
56. Apply for an internship or a job!
55. Take a tumble down Morton Hill and count every step up Jeff Hill
54. Rock out at a school concert... For free!
53. Walk in the annual Mom’s Walk for a Cure
52. Experience a dining hall brunch and themed dinner
51. Pull an all-nighter at Alden Library
50. Get serenaded by Singing Men of Ohio and Woman’s Chorale at a concert
49. Be a pool shark at the bottom of Baker Center
48. Complete the crossword puzzle in Friday’s Post without cheating!
47. Find a mentor on the Bobcat Mentor Network
46. Eat Naan at Star of India
45. Read the wall under the art building
44. Check out Galbreath Chapel
43. Go to Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant
42. Smoke hookah at Athens Pyramids Café
41. Say hi to students and parents on a campus tour
40. Go to an art show in Baker Center and visit the art galleries
39. Go on a trip with Outdoor Pursuits
38. Eat lunch on the monument and on the Athens City Courthouse steps
37. Buy some fruits and vegetables at the farmers market
36. Do crafts at The Dairy Barn
35. Hear yourself echo in the middle of the 4th floor of Baker Center
34. Get a huge slice of Good Fellas Pizza
33. Go to Taco Tuesdays at Taco John’s
~~32. Swim laps in the Aquatic Center~~
31. Take pictures of the cherry blossoms during spring
30. Soak up the sun at Stroud’s Run
~~29. Read the literature on the Ellis lavatory walls~~
28. Kiss someone in the kissing circle
27. Sled down Jeff Hill
26. Experience the history of The Ridges and The Kennedy Art Museum
25. Spray paint the graffiti wall
24. Eat at all the uptown establishments
23. Choose to dance at Dance or Die
22. Visit the Athens Mall
21. Participate in a community service project
20. Explore Old Mans Cave in the Hocking Hills State Park
19. Play a game of putt-putt at The Ridges
18. Take a late-night trip to a buggy
~~17. Break a sweat in an exercise class at Ping~~
16. Revisit your younger years and check out 90’s Night on the Green
15. Rent a movie from the library
~~14. Go to the Fun Barn in Nelsonville~~
13. Utilize 594-RIDE
12. See a show at The Union Bar and Grill
11. Enjoy all of the Senior Week events
10. Relax during finals with a massage at Ping
9. Be amazed at the Senior Dance Concert
8. Leave with an Athens brick
~~7. Introduce yourself to President McDavis when you see him on campus~~
6. Walk through the College Green Campus Gate
5. Groove with the piano player on Court Street
4. Trip on the bricks
3. Make the Dean’s List
2. Visit your Alumni Association
~~1. DON'T STEP ON THE OHIO UNIVERSITY SEAL~~

Piece of Cake!

2011-03-28T16:20:00.000-07:00

Between work and school, I'm usually really busy, but when I have some extra time, I like to decorate cakes. Today I'm going to share with you two cakes that I have made and how I did them.

The first cake is based on The Twilight Saga, one of my favorite book series. To make it, first I baked my favorite cake from a mix in a 9x13 cake pan. Then, I mixed vanilla icing with black icing color. This is different than regular food coloring. It comes in a tiny jar and is thicker. I get mine from Wilton. It took a good bit of coloring to get the shade I wanted. It kept coming out purple until I added enough. When I liked the color, I iced the entire cake (after it cooled completely, of course). Then, I piped on the details with icing bags. I tried to make my cake designs look like the images that are on the covers of the books. For the apple, I piped an apple shape and filled in the center with more red icing. Then I added red sprinkles to make it shiny. For the flower, I piped the main part with white icing. I found that the quicker I moved my hand, the more "real" the flower looked. It made it look more flowy, I think. Then, for the red tips, I hand placed red sprinkles where I wanted them. For the ribbon, I piped a squiggly line and filled it in until it was as thick as I wanted it. Don't forget the fringe on the ends! Finally, for the chess pieces, I piped the shapes (I practiced these ones on paper first) and filled them in with more red and white icing. Then, I wrote the word Twilight and added some stars. This was a very fun and simple cake to make and I couldn't believe it actually turned out!

The second cake I made was for a Christmas party that we had at work. This one was tougher to do because of the unique shape. First, I took a sheet of paper and drew with a pencil the areas that I wanted to be cut off of the cake. This helped me to get the proportions right. Then, I cut the actual cake. Let me tell you that when in doubt, cut less. You can always cut more off later if it is too large, but trying to add back more cake that has already been removed is so much harder. I cut out the shape of the sleigh first. The pieces that I cut off were put aside to be used later. Then I iced the sleigh. To get the red color, I used the same type of Wilton icing color that I mentioned using in the Twilight cake. Then, for the runner, I took the large piece that had originally been in the cake's top right corner and started cutitng. Getting the right shape was hard because I kept cutting too much and sometimes pieces just fell off or crumbled. Once I liked the shape, I attached it to the sleigh with more icing. Then, I iced the runner. That was incredibly hard because it made the runner crumble even more. I just kept adding more and more icing until it was basically like glue holding the crumbles together. It ended up looking ok after all. Then, I used squeze tube (not bags this time) icing with decorator tips. I used a thin line for the words, and a leaf shape for the holly leaves. Then, I thought my cake was done, but after looking at the amount of leftover cake I still had, I realized that the sleigh alone may not feed everyone. So I iced more cake to look like a gift and stuck it on. This cake is not the most attractive thing in the world, but I felt good about it considering it was the first "shaped" cake I did. Everyone at my work seemed to love it.

Have you made any cook cakes lately? Feel free to tell me about them in the comments section! Thanks for reading!

That's not a Teddy

2011-03-27T18:27:00.000-07:00

So, there have been some bear sightings in my hometown.

I'm not talking about "the other side of town" either.

No way.

This bear (which I'm told is over 6 feet tall when it stands on its back legs) has been making appearances about 1/4 mile up the road from me.

Now, we do live close to the woods, but until now the only woodland critters that I've seen get close to houses have been deer, raccoons and the occasional coyote.

But now there's this bear.

I'm afraid to let my cat outside by herself now because I don't want her to get eaten or attacked. I heard from a friend of a friend that it ate someone's dog. I'm ~~hoping~~ positive that that is just a rumor.

It likes to walk around on porches though. That is not a rumor. My grandma's friend found bear tracks on her porch and the people from the forrest center confirmed that they were indeed bear tracks (duh! what else could they have been????)

I don't know what the forrest center/wildlife control is going to do about it right now. But if I see it, I will definately take a picture to share with you.

One thing is for sure... this is not a fluffy or cutsey teddy.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-23T07:44:00.000-07:00

What's in YOUR bag? (Plus some other random thoughts).

2011-03-22T20:22:00.000-07:00

What are the things that you NEVER leave the house without? The things that are always in your bag? Here's mine.

-money.
-cell.
-ID.
-camera.
-pencils or pens.

That's what I take now. Partly because I'm not one for being a "high maitenence" girl. But mostly just because after packing around my books for class, there's not much room left for anything else. Speaking of books, it's almost that time again. Yeah, THAT time. Next Monday is the first day of Spring Quarter for college, which means a new set of classes. Which means new books. Mind you most books are $100-$200 each. My piggy bank despises book buying day.

Back to the purse question. My purse contents haven't always been that simple, you know. In high school, I was featured in the yearbook for having one of the messiest purses in the school. That may be because I stocked it full of food and shared it with everyone. Or maybe they just liked the fact that my purse was organic cotton. Who knows.

What's in your bag?

It's Bracket Time!

2011-03-16T21:27:00.000-07:00

So March Madness is here again. I will never forget last March when OU upset Georgetown, messing up brackets, exciting students and turning campus into one big party. Good times.

This year? I have OSU picked to win the tourney overall. I filled out my bracket tonight and for the most part I picked the "favorites" (dad said that's called a chalk). But I did throw some upsets in there. Like Michigan losing to Tenessee. I just couldn't bring myself to even write Michigan down for a win. Y-U-C-K!

Who do you think will come out on top? Are you in any pools? Rooting for any specific team?

Dreaming

2011-03-14T18:39:00.000-07:00

I love Disney. I love everything about it. I love the timeless movies that I grew up with. I love the adorable shows they have on television. I love the theme parks. And I love the way they make dreams come true.

I have been to this beautiful place three times. The first, I was only 3. I don't remember much. I remember the sandy beach at the beautiful Yacht Club Resort. I remember the ice machine at said resort. I remember hugging Mickey Mouse for the first time. I remember the playground. And I remember the Castle.

The second time I went, I was a junior in high school. We drove down (18 hours on a bus!) for spring break. It was a trip for band. We actually got to march in one of the parades. We marched the day after Easter, which is one of the busiest weeks for the parks. The place was packed. That is the biggest crowd we have ever performed for. We got so much applause when we danced. People like seeing dancing bands. And we danced. A lot. I loved seeing people's faces when they saw us! The next day, we had a workshop with one of the music directors who helps put the music to the movies. That was really fun too. Then we had the rest of the week to just hang out at the parks. We scoped out the characters first, of course. Pocahontas has always been one of my favorites!

That was one of my favorite weeks of all time. I mean, we were in Orlando with the best friends anyone could ask for. We got out of school for it. What more could you want? ;)

I went back to Disney last summer, with my parents. Yes, I had just turned nineteen. Too old?! Ha, you're funny! Going back to Disney as an adult was one of the greatest experiences ever. I appriciated it all so much more than I ever had before. I appriciated One Man's Dream, a beautiful and inspiring mini-museum about the life of the man who started it all. I appriciated the many, many hours of work that go into building those classic rides. And I appriciated the dream behind it all.

The dream that you're never old to dream. The dream that doesn't die out when you board the plane back home. The dream that doesn't care where you're from or how old you are or how much money you have.

The dream that maybe, for just a little while, magic exists.

The dream that even if only for a week, your worries can be put aside.

To focus on nothing but family, fun and magic.

The dream that you're never too old to dream.

The dream that gives you a little slice of heaven, here on Earth.

Walt's only dream was to make dreams come true. That dream is realized every second of every day in every area of the world.

And I think that's pretty cool.

This fireworks show brought me to tears. No lie. Want to know why? Because it made me feel like I was part of that dream.

Call me childish, odd or just downright crazy, but I'm kind of Disney obsessed. I can't wait to take my kids there one day and see the World through their eyes.

To see them be part of that dream too.

Three Little Letters

2011-03-08T18:41:00.000-08:00

First, I want to apologize for the lack of updates. It's the last week of winter quarter classes at school so I have been pretty busy with final projects, papers and exams. I have some extra time tonight though (yay!) so I wanted to update. Did you notice the support buttons on the left sidebar? I just added them. The first two are prayer buttons for two amazing children, and the second is a link to Free Kibble which is a charity that donates food to homeless animals. If you go to their website and answer their question, whether you get it right or wrong, dog and cat food will lbe donated to animal shelters across the country. Oh and it was started by a 14 year old girl. Pretty cool!

On to the post...

Three letters. I never knew that three letters (and Greek letters at that) would change my life in so many ways.

Let me back up a little bit.

When I started college last year, I swore that I would never get involved in anything that had to do with college Greek life. I had heard so many horror stories about frat parties gone wrong, clique-y girls and hazing filled iniations. I swore that it wasn't for me.

And my whole first year of college was really, really lonely.

So, this fall, when I got a letter inviting me to join Kappa Delta Pi, I almost didn't join, but after reading about it, I reconsidered.

Kappa Delta Pi is an honor society for education majors. We are not a sorority and we do not have a house on campus. Every stereotype that I had about all things Greek have been proven wrong. We don't throw trashy parties, either.

Wanna know what we DO do?

I'm so glad you asked.

We do a lot of community service in local schools (family fun night, anyone?) and we have frequent guest speakers who talk to us about job searcing, interviewing, professional interning and other professional development topics. I have gained so much knowledge about the field that I had no clue about before Kappa Delta Pi.

We get together after class too, for fun things like pizza nights and bowling. Last year I had NO social life. Seriously. When class was over, I came home. And I stayed home until the next day. It wasn't fun. This year, I actually feel like I have a circle of friends within my major. That makes me happy. I'm not lonely anymore.

Kappa Delta Pi makes me feel like I actually belong. I feel like I am part of somethign bigger than myself. I like that.

I swore when I started college that if an organization had Greek letters in its name, I would stay away. Little did I know that three little letters would change my life in so many ways.

KDP.

Woof! :)

2011-02-26T11:45:00.000-08:00

A few days ago, you met Bella, my sweet white and grey kitten. Today, you will meet my best friend. My love. My princess. My girl.

Hershey.

She's almost nine. She is a gorgeous Chocolate Lab.

She has the most loving heart. She thinks that everyone is her best friend and there is nothing that she loves more than pleasing humans.

She greets us at the door every evening; tail wagging a mile a minute.

She knows how to get the paper, too. Yup. This smart cookie looks forward to the time every day when she hears "You wanna go get the paper?" Then she sprints down the driveway and picks up the paper and brings it to us. It is her special job and she loves it so much.

Hershey always seems to know when someone is sad. If I've had a bad day she knows. She cuddles with me and lays her head in my lap and licks my tears away.

Hershey is the greatest dog I have ever met in my entire life.

She is my best friend and I would be nothing without her.

Meow :)

2011-02-23T16:29:00.000-08:00

Pets make life beautiful.
Pets love you unconditionally.
Pets add joy and love to your life.

I have some amazing (really, REALLY amazing) animals in my life who you will be introduced to over the next few days.

Today, You will meet Bella.

Bella came to us last summer. My best friend's boyfriend works at a lumber company, and one day while he was at work, he heard cries coming from under a semi-truck. He walked over and discovered that the cries were coming from a tiny 1-pound kitten, lost and alone. He brought her to live at my best friend's house. She stayed on their back porch in a laundry basket for several days as they tried to find a permanent home for her.

Well, that permanent home ended up being right across the street- with me!

My dog was terrified of Bella at first, but now they are best friends.

I am so glad to have Bella in my life.

She's not like other cats, you know. Bella ~~loves~~ is obsessed with water. She sits in the sink and meows until we turn it on for her. When we turn it on, she just purrs and purrs as the cold water runs onto her head and down her back. When she gets out of the sink, she shakes just like a wet dog. When we are letting the tub drain after a bath, Bella has been known to get into the almost empty tub and walk around. Oh, and she drinks out of the toilet, too. Crazy girl!

I love Bella with all of my heart.

Even though she spent the entire month of December climbing up and down the Christmas tree, knocking down any ornaments or light strands that got in her way.

Here are some pictures of my little meow meow. She's my baby :)

The Best Weekend

2011-02-20T16:12:00.000-08:00

This weekend was Sibs Weekend at my college. I don't have any siblings, but I do have two beautiful, smart and amazing cousins (Mary Kate and Riley) who are the little sisters I never had. They're my best friends. My life would be nothing without them.

On Friday night after work, I picked them up and we went to watch Cirque Shanghai: Bai Xi. It is a Chinese acrobatics show. Very, very talented people! Riley kept asking me if they had spines. Both girls were mesmorized by the show. After it was over, we walked into the theater lobby and all of the acrobats were standing there with pens. The girls immediately pulled some paper out of their bags and got in line. They were so starstruck. After we had left, they just kept saying "I can't believe we actually got their autographs". They were more excited about the autographs than the show itself.

Then, I took them to Wendys. Being in a college town, it has very late hours. I bought them Frosties and we dipped our fries in them while watching YouTube on my iPhone. When we were walking out, there was a street performer playing an accordian. We listened to him for a while. Then, as we were walking back to my car, the girls thought they saw a creepy dude staring at us. So we took off on a dead sprint across the Green. We made it back to my car just fine, no worries. ;)
Then we went back to my house and I gave them their presents. I filled zebra print gift bags with a Webkinz, a pack of Silly Bandz, a Smencil (scented pencil) and a precious frame that says "This Day Rocked" with a picture of us in it. They loved it. I love making them smile!
The girls played on my computer for a while and then we played Wii. Mario Kart and Just Dance. They gave me quite the beating in Mario Kart.
Around midnight, I put on a movie for them and soon they were asleep.
Fast forward several hours to Saturday morning. When we woke up, I put some cartoons on for them. I remember how awesome the Saturday cartoons were when I was a kid. They were actually worth waking up early for. Today's cartoons, ehh not so much. So they watched cartoons for about an hour and then my daddy made us the most amazing breakfast. French toast, pancakes and bacon. Yum.
Then, it was time for the crown jewel. The part that the girls were looking forward to the most. The SPA! I had originally planned for the spa to be a huge deal with lots and lots of activities, but I was sick all week so I didn't really get to plan much. So I had to make do with what we had. The girls played with my cat, Bella (who you will meet and see pictures of in an upcoming post) while I set it up. We had three stations. 1) Bubbling and vibrating foot tub with bath salts mixed in and magazines to read; 2) Back massages, which I like to think I am very good at giving; and 3) Manicures and Pedicures including yummy smelling hand cream, a hand massage and crazy colored polish. I had one girl sit at the first station while I did stations two and three with the other, and then we switched. They loved it and I loved doing it for them.
Next was lunch at Burger King. I gave them an hour to play in the play area. They kept hiding from me and whenever I looked up at the play structure, I would hear one of them scream "Dang it" which was immediately followed by footsteps as they tried to find a new hiding spot. If there hadn't been so many people there, I probably would have climbed up in there with them. ;)

After a hearty dose of chicken nuggets, we packed into the car again for our final activity. I drove them back to my college and we went to the student recreation center where they had planned a full day of activities just for sibs! They had inflatables like an obstacle course, slides, bouncy castles, jousting and a Velcro covered wall that you could jump onto (after putting on a special Velcro suit, of course).

They also had plenty of food. They had board games sitting out too, and we played several hands of Uno with some other students. Then we got in line for airbrush tattoos. Apparantly everyone else had the same idea because we waited in line for almost an hour. We took pictures, played games and talked to pass the time. When it was finally our turn, Mary Kate got a tiger, Riley got a panda and I got a peace sign. It is still on my arm.

As our fun day came to a close, I loaded two tired tweens back into the car and took them home. This was the best weekend I've had in quite some time. They were so appreciative of everything I did for them. I love spending time with them and making them happy. I may not have gotten the sister I begged for, but I ended up with something even better. I love my cousins!

My Top Fives

2011-02-16T19:08:00.000-08:00

I like making lists.
So, I made some lists of my Top Five favorite things.
Agree or disagree with what I picked?
What are YOUR top fives?

Top Five 90s Pop Groups (that I still listen to daily):
5. Hanson
4. Dream Street
3. NSync
2. Backstreet Boys
1. Spice Girls

Top Five Horror/Thriller/Suspense Movies:
5. The Ring
4. The Uninvited
3. The Shining
2. The Exorcist
1. The Silence of the Lambs

Top Five Places:
5. Maine Lighthouses
4. NYC
3. Chicago
2. Disney World
1. Cedar Point

Top Five Names That I Want for My Kids One Day:
5. Lennon (boy)
4. Roman (boy)
3. Lyric (girl)
2. Cadence (girl)
1. Makynli (girl)

Top Five Foods:
5. Crackers
4. Pizza
3. Mac and Cheese
2. Chicken Nuggets
1. Tomato Soup

Well, folks, that's all for now! If you make a Top Five post, feel free to put your link in the comments section!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T17:21:00.000-08:00

I love this little Hallmark Holiday. I love giving cards to people and seeing them smile. I love how everything is pink and red with hearts. I love sitting pink stuffed animals that sing love songs around my room. Call me a hopeless romantic, but I love Valentine's Day.

Why limit the fun to February 14th, though? I like making people feel loved every day of the year.

And you don't even need to go out of your way to do it. Small things are the best.

A cheery phone call with a relative who's not feeling well.
One (or ten) extra treats for your dog.
A little extra spring in your step as you walk into the office in the morning.
Saying "I love you" as often as you can.
Smiling at a stranger.
Loving life.

Valentine's Day will be over in 4 hours, but this girl is letting the love shine through all year round.

Hope you all had a great day! Now go hug your families!

First Post

2011-02-13T18:40:00.000-08:00

This is my first post. I created this blog because I have a lot of things that I need to say and wanted a place to write them. The title of my blog is "Inside My Heaven" because that's exactly what it is. It is the inside story of my life and the things and people I love. I hope you'll stop back often to read more!

Here's a little bit about me:
1. I am nineteen.
2. I'm a sophomore in college. My major is Early Childhood Education and I have a 3.9 GPA.
3. Besides becoming a teacher, my other life goal is to be a mommy.
4. I eat my weight in chicken nuggets weekly.
5. I have a soft spot for pit bulls.
6. I often misplace my phone in my own house.
7. I like making people smile.
8. I have a beautiful and smart chocolate lab named Hershey and a hyper but adorable kitten named Bella. They're my life.
9. I am addicted to horror movies, especially old ones. I love the Exorcist and the Shining!
10. In my spare time, I decorate cakes and make quilts.
11. Disney World, Cedar Point and Chicago are my 3 favorite places.
12. I was born and raised in Small Town Ohio and I am NEVER moving away from here.
13. I love classic rock. Queen is my all time favorite.
14. I am very optomistic.
15. I am a Christian and I love Jesus Christ with all of my heart.

Well, that is me. Thanks for stopping by! :)