About Me

Thanks for coming over to visit my little ole blog.

There was just no way I could list what all you might find here under my profile pic so I decided to dedicate an entire page to All About Me.

I love life and love to try new things. I think a person starts dying when they stop learning something new. And I don't want to die anytime soon so I am always going from one thing to another. What does that mean for you? Well, if you aren't really into what I am posting at the moment, stick around because I am sure it will change soon.

Some things you will always find here: homeschool, parenting, saving money, recipes.

And then there's always a good mix of random: photography, crafts, sewing, decorating, traveling, gardening, digital scrapbooking, cake decorating, even some college info.

Want to know more? Here's 100 Random Things About Me:

1. My husband and I have five kids.
2. When my oldest daughter turned 21, I panicked and realized that my entire life was revolved around the kids and I had no interests or hobbies that I pursued of my own and when the kids were all grown up, I would have no idea who I was and what I liked to do. This is my definition of mid-life crisis.
3. With this self-discovery, I signed up to go back to college for accounting and also took some photography courses.
4. When I took quizzes on what career I should be in, it was equally half something creative and half something logical.
5. Honestly, it should be a long time before I have to worry about all the kids being grown up and gone; there's 18 yrs between the oldest and the youngest.
6. When I decide to start a new project, I buy everything for it.....then soon move on to something else.
7. I have at least six full Rubbermaid totes full of scrapbooking supplies, and now I do more digital scrapbooking.
8. I still don't know how to fully use Twitter.
9. This is my fifth blog I've ever had. I had a very hard time coming up with a name so I looked at my last blog and summarized what the majority of the posts were about. Already thinking I should change the name but then it's like starting over again and I really, really, really need to stick with at least one thing in my life.
10. I have never been to the west coast, never west of Mississippi in fact.
11. I don't even have a passport.
12. I love the names Delaney and Dimitri. My husband, not so much.
13. We try to keep annual passes to at least one theme park...we live in Florida after all.
14. I am very cheap. frugal. I have been a stay at home mom with five kids on one income for the last 15 years. It's been worth it. Sometimes the income has been high, sometimes low, but we have always managed and not gone without.
15. I am a Christian and it is very important to me. In fact, we live where we do now because we visited a church while on an extended vacation. Walked in the doors and by the second song, knew it was where God wanted us to be and we moved here!
16. I have alot of faith. Always desiring more. Our second son was healed of lymphoma when he was 4 yrs old.
17. We do mostly natural health. I had a doctor give me wrong prescription and almost killed me so know I go to a doc if I am injured, not if I am sick. I have a bookcase shelf dedicated to only natural health/herbs books and courses.
18. I am trying to lose weight. Lost 38 lbs in 12 weeks, all naturally. See my Weight Loss tab for details....still working on more. Took a two month "break" when life got crazy. It's almost impossible to lose weight while under stress.
19. I never finish totally decorating a room to where I like it before I decide I want to change color schemes.
20. My husband is a very patient man with me. We definitely have our faults but I am very aware that I could just plain tire some people out.
21. I am addicted to Cupcake Corner on Facebook. There, I said it.
22. I love to read and usually read at least 3 different books at a time.
23. I took sewing classes four times. Could not sew. Then decided not to look at anything and just do it. Made a few skirts that turned out great. More to come hopefully.
24. I have done cake decorating off and on for fifteen years. 
25. I could not find a computer desk with enough space/comparments that I liked so right now it is just a big foldout table. I hate that. 
26. Whenever I feel "blah" I play Christmas music. Doesn't matter what month.
27. I did not feel like an official homeschool mom until we got our first mini-van. Now, I just wish we could all fit into a car!
28. I am currently growing my first garden. I've had gardens before but I was killing them, not growing them. To date, I have picked 2 yellow squash and 2 picking cucumbers.
29. I am scared of heights, unless I am going really fast. Roller coasters are okay....long escalators are not.
30. I have a 3 terrabyte hard drive that is almost full of pictures.
31. I have an aversion to book readers. Although I desperately want one, there's just something about turning pages or smelling a new book. hmmm, maybe a scatch and sniff Nook??
32. I put a dream board or goal sheet pinned to my bedroom wall right above my monitor so I see it everyday.
33. I am OCD about two main things: the way the dishwasher is loaded and the way the Christmas tree is decorated.
34. My Christmas tree is color-themed and every thing has to be evenly spaced out. My poor kids have never been allowed to decorate it...well, without me going back and re-doing it after they have gone to bed.
35. I am a very cautious person in ways that really matter, and very spontaneous in ways that don't.
36. My husband told me he loved me when we were dating and I said "oh that's so sweet". I told him about 2 months later. I wanted to be sure.
37. I have no problem painting a wall and immediately repainting it if I don't like it. That can always be changed.
38. I hoard books. (If my husband knew that maybe he wouldn't have been so quick to say he loved me!! Now, that's his pet peeve.)
39. I love to play laser tag. Pretty good too.
40. My kids do their own laundry. Not the 4 yr old. But he does help me.
41. I am very laid back. To a fault. I would much rather go out and have fun than do what I "should" be doing. I think relationships and people are more important than stuff.
42. I have a bad habit of proofreading things. As in, I will read a church bulletin with a red pen in hand.
43. My favorite smell is the top of a newborn baby's head. 
44. And I have a foot fetish if said foot is under 4 yrs of age. I think when they hit 5 yrs they lose that baby look and not so pudgy. All of my kids had pudgy feet when they were little.
45. I can't stand parents that live vicariously through their kids. Let your kids live out their own dreams, not yours. However, when my oldest went to culinary (her choice, not mine) I was sooooo living vicariously. I have not done that....yet.
46. We have moved about every four years. Hoping to no longer do that.
47. I really don't like reality tv shows. I used to watch American Idol when it first started. But other than that, the only one I've watched all the way through was Shedding for the Wedding. 
48. We actually don't even have a television...I watch shows now on the internet. TV-free for a few years now. We mostly used it for 'background noise' anyway.
49. I hate to sell but I now an independent distributor for an amazing company that I love (all natural products so it lines it perfectly with my passions for herbal health) and I have gotten promoted about every two months now!!
50. I am quickly becoming addicted to Pinterest.
51. I love to read blogs. Too much. For instance, I was going to spend 30 min online this morning...it's been a little over 2 hrs now.
52. I love paisley and polka dots. WOW!!! *That's* what I should rename this blog to!! oh well, nevermind - I looked it up and it's already taken by a quilting site.
53. I cannot quilt but love the old ones. I have one on my bed that my grandmother made when I was little. It is tattered and full of character and memories.
54. I have no living grandparents.
55. I rarely change out purses. Right now I am carrying a turquoise one which is really a big deal for me because usually it is brown, black or maybe white.
56. I have to replace my sunglasses almost once a month.
57. I think one of my most prayed prayers are "God, help me find my keys". Seriously. Very seriously. But I put them on a D-ring and hook them on the outside of my purse on on the key holder by the door now. So now God and I can talk about more important things.
58. I juice. And I have a grain mill to grind our own flour. I have yet to make our own pasta but plan to.
59. When I started learning to can, I bought a pressure cooker. It's still in the box. I will not admit how long it's been in there.
60. I usually buy used books because if I borrow them from the library I tend to pay more in late fees than if Ijust bought it to begin with. Maybe if I read one book at a time this could be eliminated.
61. Most of my kids laugh in their sleep. Okay, so that's not about me, but I must be a pretty good mom if they are happy even when they are sleeping, right??
62. My last blog was on my own domain on Wordpress. Now I have my own domain hosted on Blogger. For me it's easier. But everyone else seems to move onto Wordpress. I think I am driving in the wrong direction on a one-way street.
63. I am very opinionated. And I lack tact. Sometimes that comes across as rude. I'm really not. I just don't say one thing and mean another. And I don't like people that do that. Say what you mean and mean what you say.
64. I love to play board games.
65. Mosquitoes love me. I must be quite tasty.
66. We have a pool and I am about 1 1/2 hrs from the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf...yet I do not know how to swim.
67. I want to take a concealed weapons course and learn archery. Why not?
68. I also want to go hunting. Probably just once. And I don't want to look close up at whatever it is afterwards. Maybe I should just go to a shooting range. I think this stems from the desire to be self-sufficient.
69. When my kids get really involved in something, I see what it's all about. That's how I got sucked into Twilight.
70. I have already made the rule: EVERYONE will be at my house for Thanksgiving. The kids can get married and do whatever with their own families or the in-laws for any other holiday. But Thanksgiving is MINE. I am thinking of putting this somewhere in their vows.
71. Speaking of vows....my kids aren't allowed to date until they graduate. High school, preferably college. 
72. I have a Bucket List. I read it about once a month. Add to it sometimes. Hopefully, mark a few things off too.
73. I love to clean with vinegar and baking soda.
74. I thought of cleaning more with lemon juice and planted a lemon tree. But it died.
75. So did my avocado and Brown Turkey fig trees. (which is why I am so proud of my little garden now)
76. We bought the house right next door to the house we rented five years ago when we first moved here.
77. The rental house sold and I found out the new owner is actually a cousin of mine.
78. I am always finding new cousins. Weird, huh? 
79. I love doing taxes. Not paying them, just the whole forms and stuff. It's like a puzzle to me. Guess that's why I am going back for accounting.
80. I actually read, and highlight, the tax booklet that comes out every year.
81. I used to love public speaking. I haven't had the opportunity to do it in ages so not sure if I still like it. It was an adrenalin rush.
82. I live in Florida, yet do not know Spanish. I can read very, very little. Sometimes that's a real disadvantage.
83. I have a webcam. I've used it once. I hate it.
84. I have a Nikon D90, D40 and a Canon pocket camera. Want to get a mini camcorder. Maybe a Sony bloggie??
85. I have never owned an Ipod. I have recently discovered just how pathetic this is. 
86. I am hoping to attend a blogging convention next year, that's a goal of mine. Not sure which one and not sure where, but one of them!!
87. I want to stay in a Bed and Breakfast. Never have. But will. Soon. Even if I have to go by myself!
88. My favorite season is fall. Which is ironic since we don't even have a fall season here in Florida.
89. We have lived in North Carolina, Michigan and now Florida.
90. We have always had family traditions for each of the holidays. We have lost most of them in Florida. Can't go to cider mills, most of pumpkin patches and corn mazes don't compare (but we did finally find a good one last fall!!), there's no snow. I guess I really need to find what's available (everything will be over an hour drive!!) and start new traditions.
91. I have an obsession with office/school supplies.
92. I think pretty food tastes better.
93. I love anything to do with organizing.
94. I have discovered I love kickboxing. Makes me feel like I could go beat up someone. You know, like if I need to. If I was being mugged or something.
95. When I find a song I really like, I play it to death. (For instance, it is on "repeat" on youtube!! Chris Young's Tomorrow. I mostly listen to all varieties of Christian and some country.)
96. And if I find a really good book or a really good movie, I can read or watch it over and over too.
97. I tend to change my mind. A lot. On somethings. On a few, I've been steadfast. 
98. I don't like spicy food. As in, I get extra mild salsa if I can.
99. I change my favorite color often, right now it's lime green. I am sure it will change again by end of summer though.
100. I love to make my own stuff - cleaners, extracts, detergents, and more importantly, I love to share how I do it. My most viewed posts were the ones on making vanilla extract and laundry detergent.