I'm still behind in the April Blogging Challenge, but while I'm waiting for some laundry do finish up in the dryer, I'm going to try to get caught up.
Day 23: What are your top three worst traits?
1) I'm a major control freak. I'm not great at delegating; I usually think I can do things better myself. This is something I have been working on for a long time, as trying to do everything usually leads to me being completely overwhelmed and consequently, a nervous breakdown. I just have a hard time trusting that others can do what I do. Funnily enough, this is a problem for me at home. When it comes to work, I have no real issues with letting go anymore!
2) I have some obsessive/compulsive traits that I am working on. For example, I used to have to re-read the entire page (or sometimes chapter) if I thought I skipped a word. I meticulously keep a written log of all the books I have read. Only this past year have I been able to stop feeling guilty for not reading every. single. page. of a book....including the title page, bibliographies, dedication, about the author page, etc. This goes back to me being a control freak and learning to let go. I'm getting better, I promise!
3) I have a real lack of motivation. I am guilty of sitting on the couch with the intention of watching ONE episode of a show and 4 hours later, wondering what am I still doing here? We gave up cable about a year ago but pay $8 a month each for Netflix and Hulu Plus. Binge watching TV has always been our favorite way to watch shows. I'm thinking back to my junior year of college when I skipped so much class to powerhouse through Grey's Anatomy and One Tree Hill, of course with a little Taste of China takeout. My apologies to those who are now craving $4.50 lunch specials, lemon chicken, and the best egg rolls ever. Anyways, I find working with children to be Exhausting, so I give myself a pass for lounging on the couch every night. I will surely miss these days when/if I become a parent!
Day 24: Share your blog with us and let us know why you started blogging
If you're here, you know how to find my blog. I started this, mostly because I love food. People are always asking me for recipes and reviews or recommendations for restaurants. It's also a good way for me to remember exactly what I thought of places and dishes.
Day 25: What is one of the best presents you’ve ever received?
For my birthday last year, my sister, Amy, made me a coupon booklet of fun things for us to do together. I love it, and I need to cash in some of those coupons.
Day 26: Tell us things you’ve learned about life that school didn’t teach you.
Life is about being happy, not necessarily the smartest, most athletic, most well-rounded human being. It's about finding what and who you love and prioritizing!
Day 27: What are your favorite 5 blogs, other than mine of course, that you follow?
In no particular order:
The Londoner - I enjoy looking at this girl's travel, food, and fashion pictures. :)
The Sweet Adventures of Sugar Belle - Cookie decorating is a newish hobby of mine, and this blog has the best ones!
smitten kitchen - This is my go-to blog for delicious recipes. Sometimes I follow them as is, and sometimes I tweak them. My fave brownie recipe can be found here.
Young House Love - I love their DIY projects!
Amy Takes (a suburb of) Atlanta - My little sister is heading to Atlanta for the summer to work with students going on mission trips. I can't wait to read about her adventure!
Thanks for reading, and I'm all caught up now. Hooray! I guess it's back to laundry and packing. Have a great Sunday evening!
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Love, Beauty, Babies, & The Future
Ok, so the fact that I'm leaving for vacation in less than a week (EEK!) has totally been on my mind and work was exhausting (our cook was on vacation, so I spent the week cooking for 90ish children...it was an adventure), so the blog got moved to a back burner. I'm feeling more (and less?) in control and organized right now, plus, I just needed a break, so here comes a 5-day challenge blog dump.
Day 18: Tell me about your first love. (Age, how did you meet, how long were you together)
My first love was and still is, my husband! We officially met the first day I moved to Lincoln in August of 2003, but truth be told, I already knew who he was. I (and most of my high school) was involved in FBLA, Future Business Leaders of America. In April each year, a state conference was held in Omaha where we took tests to qualify for the National Leadership Conference and attended seminars. Oh, and we got to skip 2 days of school and stay overnight in Omaha (the dream)! I first attended in 2000, as a sophomore, and I did really well, even winning the Business Math competition which enabled me to travel to Orlando, FL in the summer to compete nationally. I noticed there was this guy, Adam, who basically won every. single. event. What a nerd. My friends and I for the next 2 years of high school were annoyed by his dominance, and (I'm not proud of this) when he didn't win "Mr. Future Business Leader" our senior year, we gave the winner a standing ovation. Yikes. Rude.
So when I moved into the dorm room I shared with my high school best friend, and we went searching for boys to play pitch with, we were less than thrilled to find out that Adam was living in a room almost directly above us. We were even less thrilled when he actually agreed to play cards with us. Adam later told me he could "sense the hostility," but had zero idea who we were. He also admitted that during our junior year at the conference, up on stage he was thinking something along the lines of oh shoot, there's an Asian up here...well I've lost. At the same time, I, who made a conscious effort to stand on the opposite side of the stage was thinking, Ugh, that Adam kid is up here. I really hope I beat him. Of course I got 8th or something, and Adam won. Typical.
Adam is all the way to the left next to the 2 girls in red, and I'm in the white top and blue skirt at the opposite end of the stage. You'll just have to take my word for it, since this is basically the worst picture ever.
We started hanging out, became friends, went to church together in his '79 Camaro, and soon after started dating in November. Our first date was to the Starship 9 (*tear*) to see Pirates of the Caribbean for the millionth time, and have been together ever since. We are coming up on our 7th wedding anniversary and will have been together 11 years this fall. So that's my first love!
Day 19:What is your typical beauty routine like (favorite products, how much time do you spend)
I don't do much, that's for sure. The only makeup I wear is black eyeliner (my favorite), and if I'm feeling fancy, mascara and/or lipgloss. I'm much more of a lip balm girl; I always have at least one floating in my bag. My go to is Badger's Organic Lip Balm in Tangerine Breeze, but I also like the Eos Smooth Spheres. In regards to my hair, I use Organix. The Awapuhi Ginger smells the best, in my opinion, and I like to use coconut oil and/or olive oil to treat my ends occasionally. I started oil pulling this year, but need to get back into it as I've been lax. I'm pretty low key in regards to beauty!
20. Describe your perfect day
Adam, Beach, Bikini, Book(s), Booze, Food
21. Do you have kids; if yes tell us about them, if not do you plan to one day?
No babers for us yet, but we have talking about them since before we got married, and we are *almost* ready to give parenthood a try. Adam would be fine with one or none, but I think I'd like two. I had such fond memories of growing up with my siblings, that I don't want my future child to go it alone. We will see!
22. What do you hope your life will be like in 3 years?
I hope we are settled. I hope I'm happy. I hope I'm a mom!
Day 18: Tell me about your first love. (Age, how did you meet, how long were you together)
My first love was and still is, my husband! We officially met the first day I moved to Lincoln in August of 2003, but truth be told, I already knew who he was. I (and most of my high school) was involved in FBLA, Future Business Leaders of America. In April each year, a state conference was held in Omaha where we took tests to qualify for the National Leadership Conference and attended seminars. Oh, and we got to skip 2 days of school and stay overnight in Omaha (the dream)! I first attended in 2000, as a sophomore, and I did really well, even winning the Business Math competition which enabled me to travel to Orlando, FL in the summer to compete nationally. I noticed there was this guy, Adam, who basically won every. single. event. What a nerd. My friends and I for the next 2 years of high school were annoyed by his dominance, and (I'm not proud of this) when he didn't win "Mr. Future Business Leader" our senior year, we gave the winner a standing ovation. Yikes. Rude.
So when I moved into the dorm room I shared with my high school best friend, and we went searching for boys to play pitch with, we were less than thrilled to find out that Adam was living in a room almost directly above us. We were even less thrilled when he actually agreed to play cards with us. Adam later told me he could "sense the hostility," but had zero idea who we were. He also admitted that during our junior year at the conference, up on stage he was thinking something along the lines of oh shoot, there's an Asian up here...well I've lost. At the same time, I, who made a conscious effort to stand on the opposite side of the stage was thinking, Ugh, that Adam kid is up here. I really hope I beat him. Of course I got 8th or something, and Adam won. Typical.
Adam is all the way to the left next to the 2 girls in red, and I'm in the white top and blue skirt at the opposite end of the stage. You'll just have to take my word for it, since this is basically the worst picture ever.
We started hanging out, became friends, went to church together in his '79 Camaro, and soon after started dating in November. Our first date was to the Starship 9 (*tear*) to see Pirates of the Caribbean for the millionth time, and have been together ever since. We are coming up on our 7th wedding anniversary and will have been together 11 years this fall. So that's my first love!
Day 19:What is your typical beauty routine like (favorite products, how much time do you spend)
I don't do much, that's for sure. The only makeup I wear is black eyeliner (my favorite), and if I'm feeling fancy, mascara and/or lipgloss. I'm much more of a lip balm girl; I always have at least one floating in my bag. My go to is Badger's Organic Lip Balm in Tangerine Breeze, but I also like the Eos Smooth Spheres. In regards to my hair, I use Organix. The Awapuhi Ginger smells the best, in my opinion, and I like to use coconut oil and/or olive oil to treat my ends occasionally. I started oil pulling this year, but need to get back into it as I've been lax. I'm pretty low key in regards to beauty!
20. Describe your perfect day
Adam, Beach, Bikini, Book(s), Booze, Food
21. Do you have kids; if yes tell us about them, if not do you plan to one day?
No babers for us yet, but we have talking about them since before we got married, and we are *almost* ready to give parenthood a try. Adam would be fine with one or none, but I think I'd like two. I had such fond memories of growing up with my siblings, that I don't want my future child to go it alone. We will see!
22. What do you hope your life will be like in 3 years?
I hope we are settled. I hope I'm happy. I hope I'm a mom!
Thursday, April 17, 2014
I'm not into quotes
Day 17: Share something you’ve read that really spoke to you and why.
This particular topic is hard for me, because although I like to read, words don't really stick with me, even those from my favorite books. I can't quote a single line from Little Women, and the only line I remember from Gone with the Wind is the closing line, "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn," which isn't something that really spoke to me, haha. What do speak to me are feelings, since I'm afairly super emotional person.
A couple months ago, I read Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. Wow. I loved this book, and I loved the way it played with my emotions. I don't want to give anything away, but this book was an emotional roller coaster. It also made me step back and evaluate my relationship with Adam and how thankful I am for it. I have said it a million times over, and I will continue to say it, but I am so blessed to have found my life partner. I am blessed to be in a marriage full of love and mutual respect. So even though I'm not a quote person, I will never stop reading, because I love the ride.
Linked up with A Fresh Start on a Budget.
This particular topic is hard for me, because although I like to read, words don't really stick with me, even those from my favorite books. I can't quote a single line from Little Women, and the only line I remember from Gone with the Wind is the closing line, "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn," which isn't something that really spoke to me, haha. What do speak to me are feelings, since I'm a
A couple months ago, I read Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. Wow. I loved this book, and I loved the way it played with my emotions. I don't want to give anything away, but this book was an emotional roller coaster. It also made me step back and evaluate my relationship with Adam and how thankful I am for it. I have said it a million times over, and I will continue to say it, but I am so blessed to have found my life partner. I am blessed to be in a marriage full of love and mutual respect. So even though I'm not a quote person, I will never stop reading, because I love the ride.
Linked up with A Fresh Start on a Budget.
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Things I've Learned from Mom
Day 16's prompt asks me to tell you what I've learned from my parents about being a parent.
Although I'm not a parent yet, I have learned loads of things (mostly from my mom) that I plan on using with my future children. I think we've all turned out really well rounded, although my brother's outcome is TBD, haha, and I know I will be bombarding my mom with questions when the time comes.
As it stands, there are actually some things that I have been able to use in my classroom, namely, routine, routine, routine. My mom was a stickler for routine growing up, and my babies definitely need their daily structure. We do exercise a lot of flexibility, they are one, after-all, but if we stray too far from the norm, helllllooo, meltdown city!
Secondly, I have learned how important reading is. If the little ones want to sit and look at books all morning, that is fine by me. My mom has always reiterated how crucial early exposure to books is to future language skills. I have always loved reading, and I know my mom read stacks and stacks of books to me over and over. Thank you so much, Mom!
The third most important thing I've learned is that children need independence! My mom was not always looking over my shoulder, and I had the chance to choose my own activities much of the time. I also try to exercise this in my classroom, because I do feel like children of today need space to learn and breathe on their own. I'm obviously right there if they need me, but sometimes, I butt out so they can do their own thing. :)
In the future, I'd like to spend time nurturing my relationship with Adam first and foremost. My parents weren't afraid to hire a sitter or tell us that we needed to play outside for an hour or two without interrupting them. I think the transition into family life for us may be difficult, as we have been enjoying our childless life so far. In fact, I'm off to a dinner date right now! Happy reading. :)
Linked up with A Fresh Start on a Budget for Day 16 of the April Blogging Challenge.
Although I'm not a parent yet, I have learned loads of things (mostly from my mom) that I plan on using with my future children. I think we've all turned out really well rounded, although my brother's outcome is TBD, haha, and I know I will be bombarding my mom with questions when the time comes.
As it stands, there are actually some things that I have been able to use in my classroom, namely, routine, routine, routine. My mom was a stickler for routine growing up, and my babies definitely need their daily structure. We do exercise a lot of flexibility, they are one, after-all, but if we stray too far from the norm, helllllooo, meltdown city!
Secondly, I have learned how important reading is. If the little ones want to sit and look at books all morning, that is fine by me. My mom has always reiterated how crucial early exposure to books is to future language skills. I have always loved reading, and I know my mom read stacks and stacks of books to me over and over. Thank you so much, Mom!
The third most important thing I've learned is that children need independence! My mom was not always looking over my shoulder, and I had the chance to choose my own activities much of the time. I also try to exercise this in my classroom, because I do feel like children of today need space to learn and breathe on their own. I'm obviously right there if they need me, but sometimes, I butt out so they can do their own thing. :)
In the future, I'd like to spend time nurturing my relationship with Adam first and foremost. My parents weren't afraid to hire a sitter or tell us that we needed to play outside for an hour or two without interrupting them. I think the transition into family life for us may be difficult, as we have been enjoying our childless life so far. In fact, I'm off to a dinner date right now! Happy reading. :)
Linked up with A Fresh Start on a Budget for Day 16 of the April Blogging Challenge.
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Advice for Teenage Lizzy
Happy Tuesday, everyone! I'm halfway through my work week, and halfway through the April Blogging Challenge put on by Karissa at A Fresh Start on a Budget. It has been a good experience so far, although I admit that I'm looking forward to posting a couple times a week rather than daily. :)
Day 15: What advice would you give to the teenage you?
Hands down, I would tell myself to STUDY! I skated through school my whole life up until college, and if I could do it over, I would definitely instill some study habits in myself. Unfortunately, when I went to college, I felt that I was too smart to study and also insecure about needing to study, since none of my close friends had to. I spent my time growing up, rushing through my chores and what little homework I had, so I could enjoy my life: playing, reading, talking, and what have you. In college, I did much of the same, but also had the newfound freedom to skip class and do whatever I liked, aka, reading, chatting on MSN, spending time with Adam, shopping with Val, and playing MarioKart or binge watching TV shows with my friend Rach. Yikes. I wish I had a little more self control! So kids, studying is important!!
Day 15: What advice would you give to the teenage you?
Hands down, I would tell myself to STUDY! I skated through school my whole life up until college, and if I could do it over, I would definitely instill some study habits in myself. Unfortunately, when I went to college, I felt that I was too smart to study and also insecure about needing to study, since none of my close friends had to. I spent my time growing up, rushing through my chores and what little homework I had, so I could enjoy my life: playing, reading, talking, and what have you. In college, I did much of the same, but also had the newfound freedom to skip class and do whatever I liked, aka, reading, chatting on MSN, spending time with Adam, shopping with Val, and playing MarioKart or binge watching TV shows with my friend Rach. Yikes. I wish I had a little more self control! So kids, studying is important!!
Monday, April 14, 2014
Day 14
Today I am supposed to tell you what 2 items (other than people and animals) I would save in a house fire. This has been the easiest question for me to answer, but the hardest for me to tell you, because without a doubt, the first things I would save are my baby blankets....so embarrassing! Yes, I still have them, and yes, I still sleep with them, almost every night. Have you seen the musical, The Producers? Basically, I'm Bloom. I bury my face in them when I'm upset and get really nervous when other people touch them, for fear they will be thrown away! When I fly, I keep them in my carry-on, because I'm too afraid they will get lost forever!
These two blankets have already survived a fire during my freshman year of college. Remember those clip on lamps that were super popular in the dorms? I left mine clipped to the underside of my roommate's bunk, so I could study on my bed. One night, I left to go see one of the Matrix movies with some high school friends, and when I came back, there was a lot of commotion, and it turned out my lamp had fallen, turned on, and subsequently started a fire on my mattress.....while my roomie was sleeping. It was a crazy night, and everyone was fine. I just needed a new mattress and bedding. Oh college life.
The second thing I would save is my book list. I have been keeping track of the books I have read since 1999. I am quite OCD about it, and even though I use the Goodreads app on my phone, I would be very sad to lose my original list.
I would be sad to leave behind my scrapbooks and photo albums and postcard collection, but most of my favorite pictures are online or my parents have copies at their homes. Our most important documents are kept in a safe deposit box, and everything else could be replaced, in fact some things need to be replaced (my cat-scratched couches), but that's a story for another time.
What things would you save?
Linking up with A Fresh Start on a Budget for today's challenge.
These two blankets have already survived a fire during my freshman year of college. Remember those clip on lamps that were super popular in the dorms? I left mine clipped to the underside of my roommate's bunk, so I could study on my bed. One night, I left to go see one of the Matrix movies with some high school friends, and when I came back, there was a lot of commotion, and it turned out my lamp had fallen, turned on, and subsequently started a fire on my mattress.....while my roomie was sleeping. It was a crazy night, and everyone was fine. I just needed a new mattress and bedding. Oh college life.
The second thing I would save is my book list. I have been keeping track of the books I have read since 1999. I am quite OCD about it, and even though I use the Goodreads app on my phone, I would be very sad to lose my original list.
I would be sad to leave behind my scrapbooks and photo albums and postcard collection, but most of my favorite pictures are online or my parents have copies at their homes. Our most important documents are kept in a safe deposit box, and everything else could be replaced, in fact some things need to be replaced (my cat-scratched couches), but that's a story for another time.
What things would you save?
Linking up with A Fresh Start on a Budget for today's challenge.
Sunday, April 13, 2014
Tattoo
Today I'm supposed to tell you guys about my tattoo(s). I don't have any, but I have actually thought about it and have a couple really special things I would love to get someday if the opportunity arises.
Because my faith is so important to me, I've thought about getting the words for eternal life in Hebrew or Greek on one of my wrists. I think it could be a great tool for starting a conversation about religion with others and also a constant reminder to me of God's everlasting love for me.
The second tattoo I've given a lot of thought to is my name in Korean down the nape of my neck or the Korean national flower, the Rose of Sharon, placement TBD.
There are a number of reasons I haven't gone through with getting inked, the first being fear. No, not of pain or needles, but of being the girl with the messed up tattoo! I don't want to have something obscene or misspelled on my body forever. Nor would I want to invest more time and money having it fixed. Another major reason I haven't done it is the cost. I have never felt like it was a wise use of money, for me. Thirdly, Adam doesn't particularly like tattoos, and my husband's opinion does matter to me, even if it is ultimately my choice.
I think tattoos are so beautiful, but they are a commitment, and they just aren't something I'm ready for yet. For now, I am content with pinning gorgeous sleeves and whimsical birds and admiring from afar.
Linking up once again with A Fresh Start on a Budget.
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