What I hope you see when you see me....

Acceptance- When you are with me I hope you know you have permission to be completely and utterly yourself. 
No Matter Race, Religion (so long as you aren't trying to convert me), or Gender. Be who you are. 

You wanna bliss out over something that others might consider geeky/weird/basic? You go for it. 

I am not going to judge you for loving Pumpkin Spice Lattes and Uggs.
Love D&D and World of Warcraft, Awesome.
If you prefer quilting or gardening. Sounds great. 
Wanna dress to the nines everyday? Cool. 
Wanna wear leggings and sweaters all winter? You do you.
Are you wearing the same thing today as you did yesterday? Girl I feel you.
Got a set bedtime for your kiddos so that you have time to yourself in the evenings? Sounds good to me. 
Let your kiddo play until they crash? Yep I get that too. 

It takes a lot for me to not accept someone as they are but there are things I won't tolerate. Hate for one. Sexism, Racism, Ignorance, Cruelty....those I cannot and will not accept. 

However if you are just trying to live your life and enjoy the things that make you truly happy then I am so happy for you and accept you for exactly who you are. I hope you know that. 


Happiness- I have always been told I'm a happy person and for the most part I agree. I let myself get overly excited about small things. I laugh a lot and smile pretty much most of the time. To be fair while I've had my trials my life hasn't been bad by any measure so I have a lot to be happy about. However I hope that I can convey that happiness to you. I hope that when I'm laughing and smiling and generally in a good humor that it spreads to you too. This world needs a little happiness and I hope that my inner child, being a four year old that expresses itself loudly and wildly, puts that out into the world.  

Kindness- I like to think that I am kind. I have my moments of snark and sass but for the most part I hope that I am kind and I hope that others see me that way. There isn't much to elaborate on this one...I just hope I am doing my best. 

This blog post is part of the Back to Blogging Linkup that Alyssa started. Check it out and others like it here. 

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Been There Done That?

I saw this post over on Erin's blog and I thought that it was just a fun way to share some little known (and some well known) fun facts about me! I actually learned a lot about Erin from this post so I am really excited to share!


Now on to the list! 

( X  ) Shot a gun 

Yep. Lots of times. My dad made sure I knew how to use one by the time I was twelve.

(  X ) Gone on a blind date

Yep. It was awkward. 

(X) Skipped school

Yes, but to be honest my parents knew about it so....yeah not that big of a deal.

(   ) Watched someone die

No...but I have been there right after. Sad no matter what.

( ) Visited Canada

Nope, but I hope to one day!

( ) Visited Hawaii

No and it is depressing because I am Hawaiian and half of my family lives there.  I WANT TO GO. 

(   ) Visited Cuba

(X) Visited Europe

Yep. Ireland, England, Wales, and France. My mom and I went the summer before my senior year

(   ) Visited South America

( ) Visited Las Vegas

No again. Robert went for work and I was super jealous. Hopefully I will get to go sometime.

(   ) Visited Central America

(   ) Visited Asia

I really want to go to Japan though. Like...REALLY.

(   ) Visited Africa

No and it isn't really on my list. 

(X) Visited Florida

Yes! We went to Orlando on our Honeymoon and I got to go to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter!!!!

( ) Visited Mexico

Nope and it isn't on my list. 

(   ) Seen the Grand Canyon in person

Nope but this one IS on my list.

(   ) Flown in a helicopter

No....but I might be open to that....

(   ) Served on a jury

(   ) Been lost

Kind of....but it was more of a "get lost on purpose" thing

(X) Traveled to the opposite side of the country

Well I live in the middle so opposite is pretty much anything but I've been to both the East Coast and West Coast

( ) Visited Washington, DC

No, but one of my friends works there! 

(X) Swam in the ocean

In the Atlantic and Pacific.

(X) Cried yourself to sleep

Oh yes. I do this a lot. Not always sad though, sometimes it is a relieved I made it through the day cry.

(  X ) Played cops and robbers

Of course. I have two brothers. 

(X   ) Played cowboys and Indians

Again. Brothers. 

(X) Recently colored with crayons

I do this all the time. Kyra loves to color....I love to color. 

(X) Sang karaoke

I love karaoke.

( X  ) Sang a solo or duet in church

I sang in a church...it was for a wedding. Other than that I sang solos and duets all the time in High School. Both in Choir and in the Musicals.

( X  ) Paid for a meal with coins only

Once. Overseas.

(X) Made prank phone calls

Obviously. Pre Cell phone and caller ID though...

(X) Laughed until some beverage came out of your nose

Oh yeah. Happens a lot actually.

(X) Caught a snowflake on your tongue

(X) Had children

(X) Had a pet

Lots. I love them all.

(  X ) Been skinny-dipping

Yep.

( X  ) Been fishing

Lots of times.

(X) Been boating

(   ) Been downhill skiing

(   ) Been water skiing

(X) Been camping in a trailer/RV

Ick.

(X) Been camping in a tent

Double Ick. 

(   ) Driven a motorcycle

Ridden on the back of a few but never driven. I used to work for Harley Davidson.

(   ) Been bungee-jumping

Never. Never Ever.

(X) Gone to a drive-in movie

Yes!

( X  ) Done something that could have killed you

A couple of things.

(   ) Done something that you will regret for the rest of your life

No real regrets other than my student loan. But then again if I hadn't stayed in college I wouldn't have my very best friends! 

( X  ) Rode an elephant

( X  ) Rode a camel

(X) Eaten just cookies or cake or ice cream for dinner

Of course.

( X  ) Been on TV

A commercial for my apartment complex.

( ) Stolen any traffic signs

(X) Been in a car accident

A few. No injuries except the car.

(X) Been in the hospital in past 24 months

Unfortunately.

(X ) Donated blood

(   ) Gotten a speeding ticket in the past 12 months

(X) Gotten a piercing

Just my ears.

(   ) Gotten a Tattoo

I am to picky and indecisive to get one. I love the way they look though.

( ) Driven a manual transmission vehicle

No and I don't know why you would want to.

(   ) Ever owned your dream car

(X) Been Married

(   ) Been divorced

(X) Fell in love

 Oh yes. 

(X) Fell out of love

Oh yes.

(   ) Paid for a strangers meal

 Nope but that would be awesome to do! 

(X) Driven over 100mph

Yep! 

( X  ) Been scuba diving or snorkeling

I have been snorkeling several times! 

(   ) Written a published book/story/poetry

Not yet. Someday. 

(   ) Eaten snails

No. Never. 

I hope you all liked this post and if you are interested I would love to see what you all have done! If you do post this let me know so I can check it out! 

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ABC's of Me

Good Morning Everyone, 

So last week Erin posted this post and I thought it was awesome and fun and simple! So today I will share with you: 

A- Age: 30
B- Biggest fear: June Bugs
C- Current Time: 7:38pm
D- Drink you last had: Sweet Tea
E- Easiest Person To Talk to: The dogs, Kyra
F- Favorite song: I have too many favorites...I did just add some new ones to my playlist though- Fall Out Boy~Uma Thurman, Beautiful Now~Zedd, Fight Song~Rachel Platten, Shut Up and Dance~Walk The Moon G- Grossest Memory: Morning Sickness, puking up three flavors of popcorn from one of those tins you get at Christmas
H- Hometown: Weston, MO----Still here!
I- In love with : My Husband, My daughter, The dogs J- Jealous Of: Ro from Nerdy Nummies- Baking and Nerdy Fun? I wish I had thought of it first!
K- Killed Someone: Nope, and I think about doing so much less since I left working full time.
L- Longest Relationship: 12 years together now!
M- Middle Name: Nicole
N- Number of Siblings: two younger brothers
O- One Wish: For my husband to find a job that he loves. He is so miserable where he is and I just wish he could find something better
P- Person who you last called: My husband
Q- Question you're always asked: "What nationality are you?", "What is your heritage?" I'm American Thanks...also Hawaiian
R- Reason to live: My husband, Kyra, The Dogs, My Family, All the Beautiful things in this world, Coffee, Chocolate 
S- Song you last sang: "Unicorn" by Jessica French
T- Time you woke up: 6:30 am
U- Underwear Color: pink
V- Vacation Destination: The dream is Tahiti, but I would be more than happy to go back to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter!
W- Worst Habit: biting my nails
X- Xrays you've had : I had my ankle x-rayed when I shattered it years ago
Y- Your favorite food: Mashed Potatoes, Dessert, Chinese Food
Z- Zodiac Sign: Capricorn


So there you have it! Be sure to join in on the fun and post the ABCs of You! I'd love to read them all! 

Also just so someone else has this song stuck in their head: 

You're Welcome. 

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Random Questions You Never Asked

Good Morning Everyone, 

Today I thought I would share a post that I had seen over at Brianne's Blog! I thought the questions were really fun and I love getting to read these type of "Myspace" things to find out more about people! Again I am nosy. 

1. What's Your Favorite Holiday? 
Well I would say Christmas...but my birthday and Christmas kind of go hand in hand in my mind (bday is Christmas Eve) so I will say Halloween! I love dressing up in costume and I love to be scared!

2. If you could spend a week by yourself (no travel companion, just you) anywhere in the world, where would it be?
I am honestly not sure....I suppose on a beach with a stack of good books!

3. You can only have one of the following totally materialistic items; which one would it be?  The house of your dreams, the car of your dreams, the wardrobe of your dreams?
I would go with the House of my Dreams! I'm not really into cars that much and honestly even if I had all the things in my Pinterest wardrobe I would still spend most days in comfy pants and T-shirt. #StayatHomemomprobs


 4. Do you blog most often during the day or at night?
  Usually if I haven't done a mass blogging session then I am doing my blog in the morning when Kyra is eating breakfast!


5. Coffee or Tea?

6. You are forced to give up two of the following; which do you keep?  Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram?
Instagram. Hands down. I love looking at all the fun pictures. Facebook annoys me and Twitter just isn't my thing. 

 

7. Bath or Shower?
Well as much as I would love a deep lovely bubble bath...I will say shower as that is my usual go to because the tub in our house is tiny and not fun. 

8. What's your favorite (something visual that involves admiring other people's talents) concert, or musical, or play, or painting?
Musical! I adore them. Dancing, Acting, Singing...I mean that is the trifecta right? My favorite sick day musical is 7 Brides for 7 Brothers! So fun and silly and beautiful to watch!

9. Cats or Dogs?
Dogs. Dogs forever and ever.

10.  You kill an hour in front of your television.  You watch reality tv, a drama, a documentary, a comedy?
Comedy. Usually re-runs of Friends or The Office.

11. Do you dance, sing, or play a musical instrument?
I dance and sing around my house and I also play the piano.


12. If you could change one thing in your past what would it be.
I would have never taken out a student loan. NEVER.
 
13. What is your go to comfort food?
Chocolate, in any form. 

14. What was the last book you read?
The Darkest Part of the Woods by Holly Black

15. Do your close friends/family know about your blog?
Yep and a few even read it daily! Hello Everyone!

16. What is your dream job?
An Author...and someday I will be!
 
17. Best thing about being a blogger?
Being a part of the community. Getting to meet people from all over the world. Being able to put your thoughts out into the void. I love having this little corner of the interwebz for myself!

18. Twitter or Instagram?
Instagram Forever.

19. Favorite show to binge watch?
Hahahaha....do you even know me? I binge watch ALL THE SHOWS.

20. If you could visit with anyone dead or alive who would it be?
I would have liked to meet my Auntie Kim that I was named after. I would like to know what she was like and if she approves that I'm the one named after her!

21. Who is your celebrity crush?
Benedict Cumberbatch, Robert Downey Jr.,  Jensen Ackles, Misha Collins

22. Why did you start your blog?
My first blog I started back when I was in high school and it was just a place for angsty teen poetry, followed by a weight loss blog, followed by this lovely blog here that is basically just my daily rambles!



There you have it! Some random questions and some random answers! If you enjoyed be sure to copy the questions and give me your answers! 



Happy Tuesday Everyone!

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Today I am Thirty

Good Morning Everyone,

So I had posted back earlier this year that I was going to do a list of 30 things to do before I'm 30.

Yeah...So to begin with I only posted 15 things....and of those 15 I only did about ten of them.

Whomp Whomp.

However instead of worrying about that list, Today on my big 30th, I thought I would share a different list.

A list of things that I did in my 20's that I am pretty proud to share.

Here we go (in no particular order):

1. I traveled- Jamaica, Bahamas, Orlando, HOGWARTS

  

2. I wrote....a LOT.

3. I adopted dogs...a bunch of dogs!

4. I found my very best friends.

5. I embraced my inner Nerd. 

(At Comic Con...Kyra and my little brother...yes we Cosplay and yes we will be going back every year!)

6. I grew up a little....but not too much.

(Me jumping up and down and screaming at the sight of Hogwarts)

7. I married my high school sweetheart.

8. Just a few months later I was pregnant! 

9. We had a beautiful little girl.

10. Life Went on....and just got sweeter.

So bring it on 30s....I'm Ready For Ya! 

Oh and Merry Christmas Eve to all....and to all a good night!

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#Blogtober~ About Me

  Good Morning Everyone, 

So today for Blogtober I am supposed to write about me, well since that is already the prompt I thought I would also incorporate these lovely awards I got last week! I was awarded the One Lovely Blog award from both Carly at Musings of a Wanderer and Chelsea from Cats and Cappuccino!

I can't tell you how excited I was to be nominated twice! Since I was nominated twice and since it is the About Me post I will do 14 items about myself instead of just 7!

                      

THE RULES…

Thank and link back to the awesome person who nominated you

Share 7 things about yourself (in my case 14!)

Nominate 15 other bloggers and comment on their blogs to let them know

14 Facts About Me

1) My birthday is Christmas Eve and this year I will be 30! 

(LOL j/k I don't care about being 30! It is what it is!)

2) I LOVE Scary movies. However I will have to watch a Disney movie afterward if it is late at night! 

3) I am 1/4 Hawaiian. 

(This is obviously NOT ME.)

4) I have over 75 notebooks full of stories I have written since I was 11. Writing is my life! 

5)Buffy the Vampire Slayer was my FAVORITE show when I was in Jr. high and HS. I own all the seasons now. 

6) I wear flip flops pretty much all year round. 

7) My house is always less than 68 degrees. I don't do "heat".

8) I spontaneously break out into song and dance. Like I am in a musical.

9) I am the oldest of three children. 

10) I am a dog person. Seriously...I have four. 

11) Sweet tea is my drink of choice other than water. Soda just doesn't do it for me. (Coffee is my life blood and therefore not a drink)

12) I climbed to the top of a castle tower in England. 

13) My favorite candy bar is Whatchamacallit. 

14) When I was six I was a Bat for Halloween. My mom made the costume and it ROCKED. I was an awesome kid. 

So there are some VERY random facts about me and since I am not sure just who all has received this award I am just going to nominate EVERYONE to do it if you wanna!

Have a great day everyone! See you tomorrow...it's HALLOWEEN!!

1

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#Blogtober~ When I grow Up

Good Morning Everyone,

So I have decided that I need a good kick in the pants when it comes to blogging. I need to work on commenting, replying, and most of all....writing! I've decided to join the linkup for #Blogtober which I found via Kenzie! I think it will be good practice for next month's upcoming write-a-thon known as NANOWRIMO, which I will again be participating in this year. 

So basically the goal is to write a blog post every day for the month of October and the ladies have even give out a handy dandy prompt list just in case you can't thing of something to write! Now I won't be using the prompts every day because Confession Day and Friday Favorites are like...staples of my blogging week. So those posts will be just like normal but every other day (including weekends!) I will most likely be using the prompts! (Which is why yesterday still counts even though I forgot to add the #Blogtober to it)

Today's Prompt: Dream Job when you were little/What is it now? 

Okay I confess that this is a pretty easy post for me since I did one similar a few months back but hey, you gotta start somewhere! 

Age 3-10 ~ Horse Trainer
 I've loved horses since forever and I thought that training them would be the best thing in the world. Of course this would have been more practical had I realized from young age that I "Don't do Outside" Still love horses and wish that I rode more. 
Age 11~ Marine Biologist
It was a brief temptation of wanting to be a Marine Biologist and study dolphins and whales at Sea Life Park in Hawaii. I wanted so badly to live in Hawaii and see all the fish and ocean. However once I learned that I would smell eternally like fish that idea quickly went out the window. 
Age 12-Present ~ Writer
One summer I decided I would write a story. I had no idea that I was actually writing a fan fiction since that was not a thing back then but I did and I really enjoyed the whole process. This started the need and love for writing that I have never been able to shake. I still hope to someday publish a book and share my stories with the world but....that still remains to be seen. 
Age 16 and a few times since ~ Librarian
I worked at a library during my high school years and for a few years in college. I have to say that I really enjoyed it. I like the quiet and the feeling of being surrounded by all those stories....plus no one cares if you are re reading something for the millionth time, they are book worms, they get it. 
Age 20 something~ Baker
I had a small moment where I thought I could be like Pioneer Woman and make amazing food. Of course my focus was on baking because  I don't like to "cook" per say. Also I was reading a book series the main character was a baker and had her own bakery. I thought that sounded like the most amazing thing, to give people goodies all day and always smell like vanilla and chocolate...just awesome. 

  So there you have it, I will be honest and tell you straight up that although MOM isn't on the list of things here, it is my favorite job and no matter what I do in the future, it's the one that matters most to me!

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Hot Mama Monday: My Story

Good Morning Everyone,

Welcome back to Hot Mama Monday!

If you are new Hot Mama Monday is where I wax on about my attempts to lose weight and get fit. It sometimes involves pictures and will eventually lead to me revealing what I actually weigh (I am not ready for this yet, but the picture is sitting in my files for the day that I am) and hopefully many weigh ins afterward with numbers that are headed in the downward direction.


Today I am going to talk about my history of weight loss and basically what brings me up to the point I am now. I figured since there are some new faces coming to the blog that you might be interested in my story. I know I always love to read the "bios" if you will of bloggers!


So here is my story.....

The first time I ever felt fat was in the fifth grade. I had started getting a little chubby in the fourth grade but was blissfully unaware of it until the fifth grade. I remember we all had to go to the nurse's office to be weighed and measured FOR SOME REASON. I have no idea what bearing that had on school but we all had to do it so I lined up with the others to await my turn. Now by then I knew that the scale was something most women hated. Not from my mom, but from TV and stuff. Being fat was bad and fat was what you were when the numbers were too high.

The nurse was calling out the numbers for everyone to the teacher who was writing them down in a little book. I listened as the numbers all sounded the same, several of the girls were right around 98 to 108 pounds, a few were a little higher, a few snickers came when the first girl hit 120  even more when a couple others were 130....then it was my turn...136. My heart just sank, I sat down among my friends and felt ashamed. My number was bigger. But I was a good student! I had straight A's! I did everything that anyone asked of me....why was my number bigger? Other girls went and it turned out that I was pretty much right in the middle weight wise as there were girls that were bigger than that, none of us fat, just a little chubby as you know CHILDREN are....still I was hurt that I had failed somehow.

That was my first encounter with the emotional roller coaster, maybe it was my initiation as I stepped onto a ride that I would continue to be on years. I'm still on it.....

The next big weight point in my life was when I was the summer before 7th grade. I had overheard my parents talking about how I was chunky and I felt sad that I had failed them again. It was bad to be chunky, all the good girls were skinny and smart. I had the smart thing down. I spent hours reading books and I still had really good grades, but I was failing to be skinny. I spent that summer on a diet. My mom helped me along and I lost a good amount of weight. I went back to school feeling great that I had finally succeeded. I lost weight! I was good again! But alas...like so many times to follow after...it was not to last.

By Freshman year I had put weight back on again. Not a lot, but enough that I felt way bigger than the other girls. My mom told me I had to join a team, that I needed to be more athletic. I hate sweat. I hate being dirty, but I agreed and tried out for the dance team. I didn't make it and thus spent Freshman year feeling pretty aimless, but by the end of the year I joined the Cheerleading team and that summer was going to be an eye opener.

Cheer was the best part of high school. I loved the uniforms, I loved being part of a team (even if we fought all the time because high school girls are the source of all drama...) and I lost weight because we worked our butts off trying to be the best little cheerleaders you have ever seen. By Senior year I looked pretty awesome and felt amazing. I was again at that 136 which by high school was a great number to be, by the end of the year I had a boyfriend, I was going to college, and I was down to 130. The world was mine for the taking.

 

(Me the beginning of Freshman year of College) 

Then came college. I didn't realize it at the time, or maybe I was in denial, but I really hated it. Sure I loved meeting all the new people and my BEST friends in the world are people I met in college. However the classes were ridiculous and had nothing to do with what I wanted to do. I hated being forced to take a class on something that had NOTHING to do with my major. "Electives" hah! College eating through all my money on classes that I didn't need. I became frustrated, and of course food became a comfort and a bit of a burden. I didn't like to go out much because weight had started to creep on again. I couldn't fit into my college clothes anymore and suddenly all I wanted to do was sit in my room or sneak downstairs to the dining hall, grab a baked potato and hide out watching movies.

By the end of Freshman year of college, I had packed on 50 pounds.



The summer after I lost a little with the help of my mom, but again Sophomore year was pretty much the same frustration as the year before. I couldn't find where I belonged and my major seemed like a joke. Also I shattered my ankle and had to spend six months in a boot, no physical activity AT ALL. Suck much.

Junior year was a joke and by the end of the year I was living off campus, fat, and more interested in my job than school. So I quit. Some days I regret it....most days I just regret that I didn't do it sooner. College is not for everyone, and is for sure not for someone who has no idea what they want to do....

The next few years were a blur of me fighting with my weight, working, and in general just kind of "hanging out". I know that at one pointed I joined Jenny Craig and they weighed me. I was 217 pounds, I never went back in again. I was too ashamed.

Finally in 2010 I had had enough and moved back home.

Back home I got a job I liked and was happy. My boyfriend of 8 years by then proposed on Christmas morning and everything felt so awesome!!!

With a wedding coming soon I knew I had to start losing weight. I stepped on the scale and found myself at 230 pounds. I went on to lose weight and when I got married in May 2012 I was weighing in at 160. I was so happy and felt amazing.

 

(Me and the Hubs, Feb 2012) 

I continued to try and lose weight was doing pretty good, then in the fall of 2012 I found out that I was pregnant. I was so thrilled and I tried my hardest to eat well and be healthy. I did awesome until about 8 months along when I was just exhausted, having contractions all the time and basically just wanted to eat everything in sight. So I did. I don't regret it at all because my baby girl needed that nutrition! She's my whole world and worth every pound and every stretch mark.

 (16 weeks pregnant)

 (28 weeks pregnant) 

(38 weeks pregnant, She was born two days later!) 

So that brings us up to now! Kyra (my daughter) is 9 months old and I am trying to lose the baby weight I put on, which was a lot as I put it on before she was born....and after. I am now up in a range I am not happy with and I am trying to get back down again. The ultimate goal is to be back in the 130s again, but for right now I am just trying to take it ten pounds at a time.

Every Monday I will come back here to the blog and update my progress. I will post my weight once I am finally ready...right now it is just a little bit to painful to put those numbers up here. I will get there though, some day.

So there you have it, my VERY long winded story about how this has been a lifelong struggle for me...it probably always will be, but I am ready to take this thing head on, to make more good choices than bad, so if you are interested to see just what happens in my story please continue to follow along, and if you are are in the middle of your own story let me know! I'm an awesome cheerleader!

As always BIG HUGS to you all! Happy Monday!

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