Category: Me Myself & I

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For those curious, here’s the real story…

All right, so you know how I’ve been a little MIA lately? A post here, a post there, maybe not another one for a couple weeks?

Well yes, we were on vacation for a bit (St. Thomas pics are coming, i PROMISE!). But that wasn’t what was preventing me from being around much.

The real reason is because I have been sick and have had, oddly enough, a blogging aversion. I know, sounds dumb, but it’s true. Since D and I got back from Tucson near the end of February, I have had at least 3 wicked colds plus an upper respiratory infection that I thought was going to send me to the hospital.

Couple that with that 1 night of barfing and roughly 8-9 weeks of almost constant nausea, and that left me with very little energy to spend here.

Oh wait, you caught that? A barfing episode and over 2 months of nausea? Yep, that’s right…

Dv2.0 is on the way!

I’m due October 27, so that makes me 15 weeks and 5 days pregnant today. I just had my 3rd OB appointment yesterday, heard the heartbeat again, and all appears well, so I felt like it was time to spread the word here too.

Fortunately I think the worst (and hopefully all) of the sickness has passed and I feel much better than I did a few weeks ago, but there’s 1 word to describe why I think I felt so shitty:

BOY

(but no, we’re not finding out the sex)

So there’s a whole new ride we’ll be going on here in the land of ScooterMarie. Care to join me? And I never did any of those pregnancy surveys or anything with D, but if you’re curious and want to know my answers along the way, go ahead and toss me one; I’ll fill it out and post it for ya.

Oh yes, the belly pics have begun too, so you can count on seeing those here and there. I can tell you’re just thrilled by that prospect!

 

 

 

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It’s kind of a big day around here

Ok, so, hi there. I have so many great things going on today, that I’m kinda at a loss for how to begin. Maybe a list? Let’s give that a shot…

 

#1 –> It’s my birthday today!! Yahoo! Yes, I do still get excited about my birthday, even the really uneventful ones. Like today’s. Although it is Tuesday, the day of the week on which I was born, so that’s fun.

I’m 33.

Hmm, a palindrome, albeit a short one. 3-3. It sounds pretty blah, boring, even old-ish I would say. But I guess that’s all a matter of perspective, really. Like when I was 20, I would’ve thought oh man, 33 is oooold. However, when I’m 70, I’ll think oh man, 33 was so YOUNG. For right now, though, 33 just is.

I don’t really feel like I’m approaching my mid-30s. For the past, well, 11 years I guess it is now, I’ve perpetually felt like I’m 22. Why 22? Who knows. Guess that was a good year. But I still feel like I did right when I left college and Madison. Until we go back for a visit that is, usually for a football game day, and I see all the coeds at the bars now and think, are you kidding me?? There’s no WAY we acted like that when we were here. (although we probably did, ahem)

So we have that happening. Happy Birthday to ME!

 

#2 –> It’s my SITS Day!! Double yahoo! I know at least some of you have never heard that term “SITS” before, so let me give you a brief description, right from the lovely ladies themselves:

SITS = “The Secret to Success is Support”, and it is a most excellent blogging community. When I first started this little hobby called blogging last year, this was one of the first groups I found to try to discover what this world was all about and who was out there.

It’s proven incredible.

They feature bloggers from all around the world, they provide invaluable blog advice and tips, they host conferences and get-togethers across the country, and they’re just an all-around fantastic group of women. When you have a chance, please, go check them out!

For any of you joining me today from SITS, welcome! I’m honored to have you stopping by, so by all means check the place out. You can learn a little more about me personally here, you can noodle through the year-long daily journal I’m in the process of keeping for our daughter here, and you can find some of my favorite posts here.

Thank you all so much for being here, new and old, SITS and non-SITS!

 

All right, so I guess I only had 2 things on that list, but aren’t they 2 very awesome things to have to list?? I’m pretty pumped about them, anyway.

 

 

 

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Friday Funk – 7×7 edition

Yep, that’s right, I’ve been tagged again.

This one’s a little different, but I’m still not doing the tagging part at the end. Yes, I would love to know 7 more things about 7 more people, but I really don’t even know where I’d begin picking who to tag. So you’ll just have to deal with that.

But here’s the rest of it…

7×7 Blog Award

Thank the person who nominated you: That would be the lovely *Bleep* over at *Bleeping* Amazing. She’s a military mama who blogs anonymously to protect her family, something I totally dig. She’s got some great stories of life raising a pair of boys, so please go check her out.

 

Share 7 things about yourself that readers don’t know:

Hmm, this one’s tough, because a lot of you know me in real life and I’m a pretty open book, but I’ll give it a shot…

  1. I hate using knives. If I can cut something with just a fork, I will.
  2. I failed to make the cheerleading squad in 7th grade because I forgot to pack white socks to change into with my tryout outfit. I guess thick green wool socks are frowned upon in the cheerleading world.
  3. I sideswiped a van in a Subway parking lot on the very first day I had my driver’s license. The very first day!! Ugh.
  4. For as good a swimmer as I am, foreign bodies of open water TOTALLY freak me out. I hate swimming in lakes with which I’m not familiar, and if I get stuck in a patch of seaweed, I will likely start crying if you don’t get me out immediately. I’m not kidding.
  5. I love sports cars and driving fast. If I could afford one, I would get a Lamborghini, Ferrari, Lotus, Maserati, or other such sweet ride in a heartbeat, then proceed to blow your doors off the line.
  6. I can’t drive stick. Guess I’d better work on that if I’m going to roll on dubs in a Lambo.
  7. I can wiggle my ears and plug my nose without using my fingers. That latter skill has come in EXTREMELY handy since having a child. I rarely smell a poopy diaper.

 

Share 7 of your blog posts that fit into the following categories:

Most beautiful:  I’m going with this one strictly for the pictures. Hawaii – the rest…

You cannot change:  I’m not quite sure I understand what this one is asking, but here’s my entry. Right or wrong, I am still the mama

Most helpful:  I have a tie for this one… Homemade Sugar Scrub or my breastfeeding guide

Most controversial:  I don’t really write on very controversial topics, but maybe this one? Do I want my kids to be French?

Most surprisingly successful:  Finding a little Mom Sexy of my own

Most underrated:  Be Enough Me: A Letter

Most pride-worthy:  Be sure to click through to the actual post for which I won in this one; it’s good. I’m a Blogmas winner!

 

So there ya have it. Did you learn anything else about me? Like I said, I’m skipping the tagging because I can.

Thank you for the award, *Bleep*!

I am always beyond flattered when someone says I inspire them. Because to me, all I’m doing is sitting over here telling my crazy little stories. So knowing that others are out there reading and enjoying them totally makes me smile.

 

 

 

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Lil ol’ me, a Hall of Famer!

D and I got back from Tucson last night, so a full recap post will be coming soon. Stay tuned for that excellence.

But in other news, I had a surprising, yet decidedly awesome, letter waiting for me when we got home. R told me I had received a piece of mail from my high school, and I thought big deal, wonder what that’s all about? A reunion or the alumni association looking for pledges?

Neither. It was something much, much better.

They’re inducting me into the Peoria High School Athletic Hall of Fame!!

Me? Seriously?? I’m going to be in a Hall of Fame! Wahoo!!

They are announcing my selection for the Hall of Fame at a luncheon in October, so all of you in the Peoria area please feel free to swing by and hoot and holler when they call my name. You can even make signs if you want. Lots of glitter, as long as it doesn’t get anywhere near me.

I’m so excited, and honestly couldn’t be more proud. For as little as I really keep in contact with anyone/anything having to do with my high school years, an induction into the Athletic Hall of Fame is a huge honor. I always saw those plaques hanging in the walls and thought what a cool feeling that would be, but I never in a million years thought it would actually happen to me.

Now I’ll just have to make sure they spell my name right, since the envelope was addressed to “Joselyn”. Um, that would be J-o-c-e-l-y-n, thank you very much.

 

 

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This could totally be on Pinterest: Homemade Sugar Scrub

Sugar scrubs.

We’ve all seen them, many of you probably already use them, but for some reason it took me until just a few months ago to finally hop on this wagon. I’d always seen them at salons and boutiques and actually secretly admired them with all their enticing scents and varieties, but I never felt the need to take one home.

That all changed last fall, though. An aesthetician recommended I pick one up to help keep my bikini area smooth and free of ingrowns after waxing, so I figured why not.

I fell instantly in love.

The first one I tried had a citrus scent, and it was heavenly. Not too scratchy or sticky like I always imagined sugar scrubs would be, but surprisingly gentle and quite easily applied. You just rub it on your skin with your finger tips so the sugar melts a little and works its exfoliating magic.

Wow. Here’s what I’d been missing all these years!

However… That little 4 oz. jar of sweet smoothness cost $10. It did last roughly 5 months, but to replace that jar a couple times a year at $10 a pop seemed kind of excessive for something made out of sugar. (this coming from the girl who will happily spend many times that amount every 3ish months to get her hair cut and colored, though. don’t judge, people – there are GRAYS in there and they need to disappear!)

I knew there had to be a way to refill my scrub at a lower cost, but you know how anti-DIY and un-crafty I am. The thought of actually making my own concoction made me a little nauseous.

Then I found what has to be the world’s simplest recipe, so I thought ok, even I can try this one. I saw the original recipe here, then tweaked it to my liking as follows:

1.  Since my jar was 4 oz., I poured only 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup white sugar in a bowl and stirred them together.

 

2.  Next, I drizzled in some regular old olive oil until the sugar mixture was pretty well soaked. This step is completely arbitrary – simply pour in as much oil as you’d like. If you want your scrub a little drier, don’t use as much oil; if you want it a little more saturated, use more oil.

 

3.  If you want a touch of scent, add a splash of vanilla extract or other essential oil of your choice. I put a little vanilla in mine, but it didn’t do a whole lot to change the scent. It still smelled like cookies. Next time I may try an essential oil for a new flavor.

 

4.  Stir everything together, and you have yourself your very own homemade sugar scrub. Easy peasy!

 

So, to recap:

  1. brown sugar
  2. white sugar
  3. olive oil
  4. {optional} vanilla extract or other essential oil for scent

Combine all ingredients to the saturation level of your liking, then scrub away!

All in, this scrub probably cost me $0.50 per 4 oz. instead of the $10 I originally paid at the salon. It took me less than 5 minutes to make and works just as well as its more expensive counterpart.

I must admit, even this non-DIYer was impressed by how well worth it and totally not scary this project was. I don’t think I’ll ever pay for a store-bought sugar scrub again.

 

 

 

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Do I want my kids to be French?

One of my sisters sent me an excellent article written by Pamela Druckerman for the Wall Street Journal online the other day, and I couldn’t help but immediately want to share it. The full article can be found here. It is pretty lengthy, so I’ll do my best to break it down for you.

The basic gist of it is that French parents have mastered parenting, if you will, with an ease and calm that their American counterparts can often only dream of employing.

Say what? I know.

But before you start throwing freedom fries at me, let me explain the rest of what the article imparts. I think by the end you’ll agree with me that we American parents could actually stand to take a few notes from our cohorts français.

Those of you with children, think for a moment…

Who of us hasn’t

  • Left behind a sea of shredded napkins and salt packets after a meal at a restaurant?
  • Chased a boisterous toddler incessantly around a table/room/floor/building/yard in the hopes of wearing him/her out or simply as a form of entertainment? (i don’t know about you, but rampant toddler-chasing doesn’t rank highly on my list of fun)
  • Lugged around every toy or game imaginable with which to bribe said toddler when needed in exchange for peace and/or good behavior?
  • Given up on saying “No” and just given in to a child’s demands before your sanity was utterly and permanently shattered?

Now, who in the crowd doesn’t want

  • Respectful children who mind their parents from the 1st request, not the 100th?
  • Children who can entertain themselves happily without constant attention?
  • To not have to lose their voice shouting for obedience from their offspring?

So what does Ms. Druckerman suggest we do? I’m so glad you asked. Let’s begin with a little comparison though, again, from the article above.

What French parents are doing:

  • Being involved with their families without being obsessive. Good parents aren’t at the constant beck and call of their kids, but instilling patience and a sense of delayed gratitude in them.
  • Stimulating their kids, but not 24 hours a day.
  • Not suffocating children with a million lessons here and play dates there, but instead letting toddlers do just that – toddle.
  • Setting rigid, unwavering boundaries, but entrusting their children with independence and freedom within those boundaries.

What American parents are doing:

  • Hyperparenting, helicopter parenting, overparenting, “kindergarchy” – basically all up in their kids’ faces all the time.
  • Not being firm and consistent in teaching kids “No”. As such, their children are accustomed to, and usually demand, instant gratification – running around wherever/whenever they want, snacking all day instead of waiting for meal times, generally displaying a “whatever” mentality when it comes to obeying their parents.
  • Allowing their kids to be attention mongers and basically running the show.

Now let me make crystal clear – this obviously is not meant to apply to every single French parent and every single American parent. No, absolutely not. Nor am I implying that it does.

I know there are countless outstanding parents building strong, wholesome families around here, and I’m sure there are just as many shitty French parents who have no idea the meaning of the word. But just from personal experience, I have witnessed enough examples of the American parenting style focused on in this article to agree that this argument does hold some weight.

Ok, so now what do we do about this?

Isn’t that the million dollar question. But fortunately, the suggested answers seem pretty reasonable and downright easy to me:

  • Be stern in your commands to your children. Don’t shout and yell at them, but be convincing and authoritative in your tone.
  • Be consistent. Don’t give up right away when your child says “no” and runs away. You’re the parent – they can learn that.
  • And I think the best advice actually came from my sister herself: “Though I was a quasi-mother for all of three weeks or so, it showed me good reason why parents need to be stern, strong, and straight forward from the get go, all the while still being loving, caring, and comforting.”

Well said, A, well said. I think all parents can agree that those are some good words by which to live.

And no, I don’t want my kids to be French. I just want them to be happy and well-behaved. After reading this article, that really doesn’t sound like much to ask at all.

 

 

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Friday Funk – 11 things edition

So I’ve been tagged to do an “11 random things about you” post. When I saw that I immediately groaned and thought, “Ugh, I hate these things.” They always remind me of chain letters. Yuck.

But then I realized I’ve never really done an “about me” post. I mean, I have an About Me page up there that you can go check out, but I’ve never actually been prompted to break much down for you out here. Especially with totally random questions. So I guess you’re now in for a treat!

The rules of this tagging involved me reposting said rules and then tagging others, but I’m skipping that part. ‘Cause I can.

So I present to you “11 Random Things About ScooterMarie”:

1: Wine…Red or White? 

Hmm. I like most all wine, but I’m actually gonna have to go white here. And sweeter white at that. (i can hear all you red wine lovers shrieking and shattering your wine glasses from here) Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Prosecco, and most especially ice wine. I am hugely partial to champagne, too, but I guess that’s not technically a wine? Whatever.

2: What is your favorite wine or libation? 

Oops, I guess I just listed a bunch of wines in #1, but one in particular I love is Door Peninsula Winery’s Summer Splash. Oh yes – white, sweet, fruity, cold, delicious. Perfect summer wine for me. And I am a huge fan of good microbrews as well. Not too picky there, and I’m becoming more and more fond of stouts and porters when I used to loathe dark beers.

3: Have you been to any wineries or wine tasting? 

I have. I’ve been to a couple wineries in Door County, WI, which are actually quite excellent. You can find a list of some here. Have I been wine tasting? Does Saturday night at my house count? 😉

4: Favorite pair of shoes? 

Right now it’s my Blowfish Brille booties. These things are awesome. I’ve wanted them for a couple years since I saw a similar pair one of my sisters has, and she got them for me this past Christmas. Score! They are really quite comfortable, and the wedge heel makes my size 11 feet look TINY!

 

5: What is your morning drink? 

Well it used to be an iced chai latte, since I’ve always hated coffee. But then I discovered pumpkin spice creamer and that all changed. (i still don’t like the taste of coffee, just the creamer) I’ve been trying to lessen my caffeine addiction though, so right now it’s a homemade Dunkin’ Donuts decaf latte with pumpkin spice creamer, until it runs out. Then I might cry.

6: Tattoos, body piercings, or both…and where? 

Both. I have 3 tattoos (dolphin on back of right hip, Kokopelli on front of left hip, University of Wisconsin motion W with a wave underneath it on inside of left ankle) and 4 piercings (2 in each ear, 1 ear has 1 low and 1 high). I almost pierced my eyebrow in college, but the shop was closed the day I went. Maybe that was a sign…

7: Favorite dessert? 

Umm, you’re making me choose? Yeah right. Oh, actually, I’ve got it – birthday cake from Trefzger’s, a bakery in Peoria, IL.

8: What is your dream vacation…money is no object! 

Full tour of Italy, on my own schedule.

9: If you won the lottery… 

I’d pay off our house, sock away a bunch for future college payments, then never go to work again!!

10: Do you talk to yourself?  If so, do you answer yourself too? 

In my head, yes. It’s usually conversations/arguments I’d have with someone in real life, so there isn’t much answering of myself needed. I’m always right in those.

11: Would you ever sneak a giant metal rooster into your house?

Nope!

 

So what’d ya think? Fun stuff, eh? That was actually much less painful than I expected. Yes, I am a pretty random (yet highly entertaining!) individual. Have a great weekend!

p.s. this list of random came to you courtesy of the lovely Suzanne over at The Wine{a}be.