Day 19 of the 30 Day Blogging Challenge-My Favorite Movie

My Favorite Movie

Ooooh...!!!! So hard! I can't do it! That's impossible! One movie? Just one? Not a list sorted alphabetically, by genre, and year released? Not divided into phases of my life? That's not even fair! You might as well ask for my favorite child. That would be easier and less heart-wrenching! Just one? Are you sure? In the words of Bill the Cat from Bloom County Aaacccckkk!!!

Before I narrow all my movie loves into just one I must make some official notifications:

1. I am not a cinema critic
2. I don't call movies "the cinema" or "films"
3. I don't even really have good taste in movies
4. I thoroughly enjoy the occasional episode of "The Real Housewives of Orange County" and/or "The Bachelorette" 
5. I have a strange sense of humor
6. I'm a little "dark" but I don't like "Film Noir" (see #2-I don't call movies "films")
7. I have a very short attention span
8. I prefer movies that I can get up and do the dishes or dust the sideboard when the plot gets a little slow 

So here goes nothing....

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Drum roll please....

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My favorite movie is "The Nightmare Before Christmas" by Tim Burton

Why? 

I love Tim Burton and his quirky sense of humor

**My daughter (the one that says she's the favorite) calls me out that I almost forgot the brilliant Danny Elfman score) It also stands up to a 2008 remake called Nightmare Revisited. Excellent score. 

It's dark and funny at the same time

I love me some Jack Skellington 

I've you've never seen the movie...you must you must you must...here is the trailer!

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post "What Makes Me Happy"

Day 18 of the 30 Day Blogging Challenge- A Photograph of Me

A Photograph of Me

I normally hate photos of myself. I would way rather be on the other side of the camera. I always pick it apart...how did my nose get so big? I should have put on undereye concealer that morning. Do I really have that many necks? But you asked for it so here goes nothing....

Here is a recent photo of me. It was taken in April at Highpoint Furniture Market by my friend and partner-in-furniture, Nancy. We were going through one of our favorite areas and ran across a woman selling some beautiful jewelry and then also these lovely tiaras. Now I've never met a tiara that I didn't like...I'm certain that it has nothing to do with the fact that I view myself as royalty. 

Nancy took this photo and I took one of her....here she is.

How can you possibly resist trying on a tiara? You can't. That is all. 

Day 17 of the 30 Day Blogging Challenge-My Favorite Blogs

My Favorite Blogs

I read so many blogs these days....trying to keep up....trying to be inspired....and just because I get on random tangents and keep clicking. But I do have a few that I always go back to again and again. I still get excited when I see their posts in my feed. They inspire me because of different reasons but they all keep me coming back for more. 

• Victoria Elizabeth Barnes- This was the first blog that I truly followed every single post. And read EVERY SINGLE POST that she had written. When I was in Philly I briefly thought about stalking her until hubs reminded me of stalking laws. I love her writing style, her subject matter and the fact that, well, she's a little crazy. You simply must go read and follow her because she is simply pee-your-pants funny and because I said so!!!
• The Shabby Creek Cottage- Gina's blog is everything to eat, make and decorate. In addition to the best tips and ideas, she reaches out and helps other bloggers to find success. She is a master collaborator and an all around great gal. While her writing is more straightforward, her videos are the best. She does regular videos and is so real and approachable. If you like recipes or shortcuts or aqua...make sure you follow her! 
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• Redoux Interiors- Karen is one of my favorites! She is a nutty redhead and probably my most favorite dumpster diver ever! Her garage looks pretty much like mine and she is so real and approachable! She has the cutest ideas to "re-doux" her trashy finds and they always turn out looking darling. This girl has vision! And she is super funny! Love her!

Day 16 of the 30 Day Blogging Challenge-My Thoughts On Education

My Thoughts on Education

Well that took a serious turn in topics! Education is such a broad topic and my opinions are so narrow. The funny thing is that I rarely think of formalized education anymore since my kiddos are out of school. It's amazing how it consumes your life for so many years: Teachers and books and fundraisers and childhood drama...and then all of a sudden it's all gone! In the blink of an eye really. But I guess I'll jot down my random thoughts on the subject and see what comes of it. 

Learning was always very easy for me. I was fortunate to go to a school district that a) had plenty of money to devote to individual education and b) was forward thinking enough to realize that one size doesn't fit all when it comes to education. I was an extremely fast reader and had comprehension far beyond my years. My teachers acknowledged that and took great care to make sure I was always challenged in class. Well maybe not challenged, but at least not bored. 

Little Jen (wasn't I cute?)

It probably helped that my mom was a bit of a ball-buster when it came to my education. It embarrassed me to no end when I was younger, but as an adult I appreciate that she always made the effort to advocate on my behalf. She also always made sure she was involved volunteering, etc at the school so she was in the loop of things going on. I definitely had every opportunity for learning and growth given to me growing up. 

This was in the days before Common Core and other bureaucracy-mandated educational systems that have overrun education today. I do believe that individual teachers still make a huge difference and caring, compassionate teachers are the rule rather than the exception. But I also believe that in many ways their hands are tied behind their backs. Underpaid, overworked and under appreciated seems to be at the top of the teacher list.  

I usually don't like to complain about things unless I have a valid solution. I don't. So I don't complain. But that's easy for me because I have no more children in school currently. And no grandchildren on the horizon. But it is my greatest hope that just like many other broken systems that we have in this country, that education continues to improve and grow and develop to go back to the tenants that I remember when I was in school. Not a national program that touts "No Child Left Behind"....just don't dismiss the needs of one child at a time. If that child is struggling or if that child is ahead of the curve. Keep class sizes small enough and administration nimble enough to put the needs of each child first. One kidlet at a time...

Those are my thoughts.....take them or leave them...

Stay tuned for tomorrow's blog on my favorite blogs (sung to the tune of My Favorite Things)

Day 15 of the 30 Day Blogging Challenge-Where Will I Be In 5 Years

Where Will I Be In 5 Years

Gosh, where will I be in one year? I've shaken everything up so much this year that I truly have no idea. I feel like anything I type here is either defeatist or pie in the sky thinking. But I've been guilty of both so here goes nothing.....

I think in 5 years I will still be living in Phoenix. Since that is probably inevitable I'm going to assume that I take one long and several short jaunts out of town every year. 1/2 with hubs and 1/2 with girlfriends or to visit Mom & Daddy-o. 

I will be self-employed. I will be doing what I love and something others love as well. I will employ and inspire other women. 

I will still be writing this blog. It may evolve...it may change.....but I will not stop writing even if it's only to hear myself type. 

My children will be self-sufficient and happy. They will be fulfilled and functioning but still need their Mom every now and again. Someday I will get one or both of them in the pool. How did I raise such land-lubbers? 

My hair will be a color. It will not be natural. It will not be my original. But it will be mine. And I will work it. And I will already be planning on the next color. 

I will be driving a truck. Yes a truck. I'm tired of trying to fit this square peg into a sedan-shaped hole. I'm not a sedan girl. I'm not the short skirt-long jacket girl anymore either. I live in my vehicle and I need it to function for me. Loading junk into a sedan sucks. And it's ridiculous. I need a truck. 

I will be healthy but probably still trying to lose weight and still bemoaning the fact that ice cream has calories. Of all the stupid plans for the universe...the whole cause and effect thing of eating just isn't fair! 

I will learn how to golf. I will never be good. I will never even be bad...I will be way worse than that. But I will try....and I will laugh at myself almost as much as others will laugh at me. But if you can't learn to golf in Arizona where can you?

I will have two doglets. One will be a German Shepard. Puppers will be dragging tail at the ripe old age of 13. He will still be a princess and prefer to be carried to bed. 

I will still be involved in service work. To a fault. At the expense of much....because I can. And because someone did it before me. 

I will still over-commit. And struggle to say no. And be a good friend. I'm ok with that. 

Day 14 of the 30 Day Blogging Challenge-3 Healthy Habits

3 Healthy Habits

I love how vague this blog topic is. L-O-V-E. Because I don't really want to talk about 3 Healthy Habits that I have. I'd rather talk about 3 Healthy Habits that I'd LIKE to have! It's not that I don't have 3 Healthy Habits...I just don't think they are all that interesting. Or fun....or maybe not totally habits...maybe they are still options that I employ MOST of the time. And that isn't exactly a habit, is it?

1) Self-care- I'd like to make self-care more of a habit than an afterthought. There were many years where things like massages, pedicures, exercise were the last thing on my list after everyone else was taken care of. Then if I truly had no time to do anything else I would finally show up on the overwhelming list of things to do. And even then it would be EXHAUSTING to care for myself. Now I don't even have kids and it appears that I do the same thing! No excuses! My intent for 2016 is to practice self-care until it becomes a habit. This is the only body I have and I need to care for it!

2) Healthy Eating-I've made huge strides in this area and I'm going to continue doing this until it is my norm. I've started planning meals and using 
Yummly app to plan recipes and shop for them. I really love eating clean although I'm not interested or willing to eat Paleo...I really want to keep up the good work until it becomes my lifestyle. 

3) Car care- Are you sensing a trend here? I am the worst car parent ever! 

This meme popped up in my "on this day" memory on my Facebook page today. I've been long known for letting my gas gauge go to empty and then count the miles until I know I will REALLY run out until I fill it up. I tell myself that I'm conserving the energy to go to the gas station...but it is really pure laziness. I had someone tell me once that it was my last remaining "living on the edge" activity. Since I don't drink or smoke or party etc...that's my only "bad-girl" act of rebellion remaining. 

That's sad...oh so sad.

Now I feel depressed and want to act out with unhealthy food. See #2

But I digress. I want to add car care to my list of habits including such things like:

1) Washing car more than once a year

2) Getting oil changed more than once a year

3) Cleaning out the car more than once a year

4) Getting gas when I'm at 1/4 of a tank

5) Not leaving coffee cups in it until I have to purchase new dishware since I'm out of coffee cups

So there we go! If you know me IRL hold me accountable! 

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post about where I will be in 5 years! Hopefully not stranded by the side of the road out of gas !!

Day 13 of the 30 Day Blogging Challenge-What's Inside My Fridge

What's Inside My Fridge?

This is a scary post....be afraid...be very afraid. Especially because this is right after a holiday weekend where we had friends over. My fridge holds some scary things!

To start with there is delicious Santa Cruz organic lemonade! I love this stuff. The Ginger Lemongrass flavor is da bomb! Please ignore the sugar in the lemonade because it IS organic which cancels the other out, right?

Now this darling bowl holds some cut celery sticks I swear! Nancy got me this on one of her trips. It is called "Intervention-ware" from a fab company called Fishs Eddie. Very hard to eat ice cream out of this bowl...just sayin. It sits on top of some delish Sabra hummus. My new go-to snack!

Pay no attention to the huge bucketful of pasta salad leftover from Memorial Day. My hubs makes this like there is an invading army coming to town. Latsa Pasta! The delish corn on the cob on top of that was made by my friend Raena. It's called Cotija Cheese and Chipotle Corn and is to die for! Click on the link for the recipe...you won't regret it!

Cottage Cheese is my jam! It's my every day breakfast. 1/2 a cup and my protein is set. Bam! Done! Below that is a batch of chili I whipped up. No recipe...just tons of yumminess with a healthy (or unhealthy depending on your tolerance) dose of jalapenos!

The day I discovered La Croix water will go down in my record books. I'm not a soda drinker, thank goodness, but sometimes a girl just wants a few bubbles. This is my go to! No artificial sweeteners, no sodium...just plain fussy water. Love it!

Dill vs. Sweet- What's your fave? Mine is dill. Hubs is sweet. So we get both. Problem solved!

What's in your fridge right now?

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post 3 Healthy Habits