Some good reads

I am so honored that two very lovely ladies have given me blog awards.

Heather at TwinSane Asylum gave the Liebster blogging award. Liebster is a lovely little German word that means "beloved person". That phrase conjures up such warm feelings for me. Thank you, Heather.

If you have a moment, stop by Heather's place and give her some encouragement---she counts her gifts, just like I do, but sometimes it's hard, like last week when her babies were sick. We mamas belong to one another---loving each other through words is powerful and healing. 

A huge thank you to sweet Miss Megan at Deuces Wild & An Ace in the Hole for awarding me with the Irresistibly Sweet Blog Award.

Megan and I have connected through breastfeeding twins, and through desperately trying to figure out how to wear out and entertain our toddlers through perusing the time-warp that is Pinterest. Megan's a great encourager----she's funny, she's honest, and has more energy than I ever did when I was pregnant!
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Here's a few reading facts for your reading pleasure:

I did, in fact, get my nose pierced this past weekend. Here you go, B. Proof:

I now have four piercings on the left side of my head. Only two on the right. [FYI, the guy who pierced my nose said you should pierce your nose on the same side that your part your hair---who knew it was such a science?!]

I really hate shaving my legs. I mean really. But I love the results too much to give it up.

I hate snakes. I've blogged about this before. But I hadn't had my fear tested for a really long time, until just recently. We were walking, with the girls, at the nature reserve when Brynne and I came across a snake coiled on the path. I put Brynne behind me and squealed in horror screamed. The snake raised its head and was hissing at me. My brave husband came and picked it up to move it off the path as this snake was striking at him. He assured me that a garter snake wasn't going to hurt anyone---I'm still not so sure. Ugh!


Sewing things gives me a great feeling of accomplishment. I don't own a sewing machine, but even if I just sew on a button, or mend a small tear---I feel accomplished. I can look at, whatever it is, in use, which would otherwise not be if it wasn't for my mad very mediocre sewing skills.

I would love to own a sewing machine. I see all these cute clothes on Pinterest, and I think, I could do that.

I'm trying to be more thrifty lately. I've recently made my own laundry detergent, shower cleaner, stain remover, mod podge and I've attempted to make my own body wash twice, but failed both times (please, someone, help me with that one!).
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Okay here are a few blogs I love if you have a few minutes---go check them out!

My dear friend is blogging every day for Lent. She is brilliant and insightful. Please, do yourself a favor and read this.

I've found lots of fabulous craft/teaching ideas for the girls over at H is for Homeschooling.

I Can Teach My Child is another fabulous blog with lots of teaching/crafting ideas.


The Iowa Farmer's Wife is a fabulous blog filled with a mama's journey to teach, craft and love her toddler and preschooler. Check out her Pinterest page too!

B over at Little Grovers is celebrating her boys' second birthday. The birthday theme is completely adorable---check it out!

On Blogging

A big, huge thank you to Melissa at MaMe Musings the Blog on Fire Award. And thank you for mentioning Mama Loves!

If you never have, you should go check out Melissa's space over at MaMe Musings, where she celebrates her life as the twin mama to Emily and Drew. Melissa is funny, honest and a little bit rock n' roll! You'll love her! You should definitely check out the black and white picture of her family in her header--it's just breathtakingly beautiful!

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I decided to share with you seven helpful blogger tips. Some of you will know this stuff, and I am not (!!) an expert, not even a little bit.

1. You know what makes me sad? No-Reply. Let me explain.

When someone comments on my blog, it comes to my email, and I hit reply to send a message back to her (I've met so many great bloggy friends this way!). Sometimes, I'm type-type-typing away when I realize that the reply email address is noreply-comment@blogger.com. Boo! That means I don't have a way to send them a message back.

To make sure people can email you back, go to your dashboard, then edit profile (right there by your little thumbnail picture), make sure the "show my email address" box is checked. That's it. Easy.

2. A while ago I turned off my word verification for people leaving comments. I had it turned on, because that's what Blogger suggests that you have. Then I read this great blog post, and decided to turn it off.

I'll say this, I've only had a few spam comments, and I just delete them. Most of the time, the spam comments just go into the spam folder, and not onto my blog anyway. It's easy. And--it makes commenting so much easier for your readers!

3. Add pages to your blog--the tabs across the top: About Me, Contact, My Favorite Blogs, etc. (you can get creative with the titles). Ashley at Little Miss Momma has a great tutorial on how to add pages to your blog.

This way, when people happen upon your niche of the Internet, they can quickly find out who you are, and how they can get in touch with you.

4. I just read a statistic the other day that said 1 in 12 people IN THE WORLD have a facebook account. Isn't that amazing?! All that to say, consider creating a facebook page for your blog. Sometimes people want to follow you, but they don't want to create a blogger account to do so. Chances are (1 in 12) that they do already have a facebook account, and wouldn't hesitate to "Like" your blog page.

To create a facebook page--go to the bottom of your facebook page, there's a tab there for "Create a Page" and follow the directions. You manage it out of your personal facebook page, so it's easy!

Also consider getting a Twitter account. I'm still very new to Twitter. It scared me for a long time--it's kind of its own beast (with its own language that I still don't understand completely). I'll be the first to say that I'm still not sure I know what I'm doing, but it's definitely another way for people to follow you. And, you can have some pretty fun conversations on Twitter!

5. Contact bloggers you enjoy reading! I "met" one of my very dear bloggy friends, because I emailed her about the play kitchen she bought for her twins last Christmas. And, because of her, our girls will be getting that kitchen this Christmas! Thanks, Mandy!

Another dear bloggy friend emailed me with sleep advice for the girls, just when I thought I was going to keel over from lack of sleep. I thank God every day that she did!

6. Natalie at Mommy of a Monster and Twins has two great articles on blogging that you definitely should check out. Blogging Must Haves (And Have Nots) For Newbies and More Blog Tips.

Natalie is fun, and very approachable if you have questions, she's more than happy to help you out!

7. Link up! Often blogs will have opportunities for you to link your blog post on their website (called a meme). For example (shameless plug!) each week, I'm hosting Mama Loves.







Write about something that fits into the topic of the meme, and link your post! Your post gets all that blogger's traffic. It's a great way to get new readers, and to find some new blogs to read!

*Just a reminder, if you haven't already, there's still time to link up your Mama Loves! Can't wait to find out what your mama must-have is this week!*

I hope this was helpful to someone. I've learned a little about blogging in the past year and a half, I thought I'd spread around the few things I've figured out.
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Now, to tell ya'll about some hot little blogs I enjoy reading!

Sara at To This You Were Called. Sara writes about being a mama to 20-month-old Silas, a nurse and a wife to a pharmacy resident. She's witty and fun--I enjoy stopping by her place!

Liz at Sweet Simplicity Designs. Definitely check this blog out! Sweet Liz was the designer behind my new look, and she generously offers free backgrounds and printable downloads from time to time, as well as blogging tips. There's still time to enter my giveaway for a Simple Blog Makeover from Liz.

Melly at Taming Monsters. She is hilarious! Mama to Phin, wife, daughter, sister friend, and she is one classy gal! Definitely worth a read!

Shout-Outs

A big thank you to Stacey at Ramblings of a Stay at Home Mom... for the Stylish Blogger Award. Sorry it took me so long to respond. I'm flattered and grateful that you thought of me.

From each post that Stacey writes, you can just feel the delight she takes in being a mama--and she's awesome at it! I very much respect the way she parents. Her twins, Blake and Leah, are just a couple months older than my girls, so it's fun to see what they're up to, because I know my girls will follow shortly.

As part of the award, I'm supposed to list seven things about myself. Throughout my life, I've said at different points, "That was the hardest thing I've ever done." It was all relevant. Here are seven items I've said were, "The hardest thing I've ever done."

1. Bikram yoga. The "hardness" of it is sort of addicting.
2. High ropes course. I'm so afraid of heights. Even the fact that I was harnessed in with several safety latches was no consolation; I trembled and cried my way through the whole thing.
3. Spending three weeks in the ICU on a ventilator with a terrible case of mono.
4. 10 weeks of bed rest. This one was, and wasn't hard at the same time. It was hard to go from being active to being completely inactive, unless you count daily showers and trips to the fridge. On the other hand, I would have done anything to keep my girls in my belly for awhile longer.
5. Caring for twinfants by myself. Sometimes I would just get in the car and drive, because I didn't know how else to get them to stop crying.
6. Caring for sick babies, when I'm sick too.
7. Breastfeeding twins. This one stands as the hardest thing I've ever done. And probably the one I'm most proud of.

Passing the award on to:

My friend Cori at Ritz Bitz News. Cori and were best friends in high school. She moved away to Oregon before our senior year. I haven't seen her since her wedding in 1998. I have very much enjoyed reconnecting with her through blogging! Cori is the mama to five kiddos--four boys and one girl. She tells some pretty hilarious stories about life with her five kids! I pretty much can't wait till Brynne and Hadley really start talking. I'm preparing to be very entertained by what comes out of their mouths, if they are anything like Cori's kids.

Krista at The Hursh Family. Krista is the proud first time twin mama to Vivian and Oliver, who just turned 10 months old! She is such a sweet and encouraging person! Krista's blog reflects her celebration of life and her two "gifts".

Affton at Adventures in Raising "A" Family. I  know Affton in real life too. She's a great friend, wife and mother. Affton is married to Adam. They have a son, Austin, and are expecting a little girl, Audrey, in about nine weeks--she admits it, they are "that" family. Affton shares her experiences raising a son with food allergies, breastfeeding, and just about being a mama.

Ten on Tuesday

1. Mamas (or soon to be mamas), you've gotta check out the Daily Peppermint. It's the genius idea created by Andrea. Every day, one short, useful tip will show up in your email inbox. It's short, it's sweet---perfect for busy moms! I'm flattered that Andrea asked me to be a contributor. If you've got a tip, there's a spot to add it on the site.

2. I'm not about to start a debate on nurture vs. nature, but I will say this: I don't wear necklaces. If I did, the girls would yank them off. Every.single.day. my daughters have to wear their link necklaces. I have no idea where this comes from. I'm not modeling it. I'm not teaching it. It is pretty cute though.

3. Last week I mentioned I'd gotten some prints from A Happy Exchange. This shop is awesome! The very talented, Jillian, gives you the print (you just pay shipping). In exchange, she asks that you share one of the following with her: your greatest joy and how you  incorporate that into every day life, tell her how her art makes you feel, or send her a letter or note telling her how you gave to someone and how that made you feel.  

Isn't that just beautiful?! You can also find Jillian over here.

I got these three prints for the girls' room:

I love gardening, which is a love I want to pass on to the girls. And the girls just love ducks. Hadley is working on perfecting her quacking noises.

4. So. When I was in sixth grade, I won a jump rope contest in gym class. Out of the entire school, I could jump the most times in one minute. 144 times. I have no idea why I still remember this.

20 years later, in bootcamp, they had jump rope contest. Guess who won? That's right, I did. This chick's still got it two decades later! 153 jumps! Woo hoo!

5. A big thank you to Mandy at My Life as Described by Twin Trials and Triumphs for the Life is Sweet Award. Mandy is the mama to twin girls a year and a month older than Brynne and Hadley, so I pay close attention, because I know in a year my girls will be about where hers are now. From her post, you can see that Mandy is lovely and intentional. She is also a fabulous southern gal who loves Crimson Tide football, ice cream and riding in the car with the sunroof open--she's hilarious and spunky, if you don't read her blog, you should!

6. If I could point your attention to a couple blogs that might be new or interesting to you:

(Tw)inside Out. This mama chronicles her life with her boy/girl twins that she calls Inchworm and Doodlebug. She's funny, passionate, and finds time to make her own stock to cook with--amazing! If you do nothing else today, you should read this post.

the climb. Cyndi is a lovely mama, also to eight month old boy/girl twins. She balances work and mothering with a gentle grace. She is currently in need of some help getting them to sleep, so if you can lend a hand, please do.  

7. I decided this spring/summer that I needed to invest in a "mom" wardrobe. I currently have about 23 pairs of black pants collecting dust in my closet. I got those pants when I worked in an office. Now, my office is at home with the girls. I've added a couple pairs of capris. I wanted them to be quick drying, look nice enough to go out and about, but also be appropriate for taking walks, bending stooping, sitting on the floor, etc. If you have any suggestions to add to my "mom" wardrobe, I'm all ears!

8. Hadley's bangs are getting really long. I don't want to trim and maintain bangs. I'd like to part her hair and put it up, but here's the trouble: her hemangioma. It's in the way, and makes it difficult to find a part. Any suggestions? I need help, and clearly Hadley agrees:

9. Tomorrow I will be 32 years old. I can remember when my parents turned 30. This makes me feel old.

10. When I was writing this post I calculated that I will be 49 years old when the girls graduate from high school. That makes me feel ancient! It also makes me wonder if I would be able to win another jump rope challenge when I'm 49.  

Duck Tape is the Most Amazing Invention Ever

I'll be the first to admit, I'm not always up on things. But--once I discover the greatness of ____________ (fill in the blank), I'm all in.

For instance, I just discovered how amazing eBay was last year. The competitive bear that hibernates in me (most of the time) came out to play. I sat on the couch refreshing my computer every few minutes as the time ticked down to the end of the sale. I just HAD to win the must-have baby product. Once I won, I posted my triumph proudly as my facebook status. And someone commented, "Welcome to 1998".

Whatever.

I won, so there.

I have just discovered Duck Tape. I never realized just how spectacular Duck Tape is. I just bought my first roll of it this past week. It makes me feel like this:

 
(with a few more clothes on)

Did you know that Duck Tape comes in all kinds of colors and prints now?! I had no idea! I thought it was all just boring grey. This is the one I bought:

The girls have been loving on their books, so I've done a little repair work.

And my ring keeps tearing holes in the mat I use as a changing pad. We're already on our second one, so I decided to fix it myself.

Duck Tape was invented in 1942, so I'm just a few decades behind.

I don't care---I think the stuff rocks.

And now you know.

In completely unrelated news. Last week a lovely lady, Branson (isn't that just such a cool name?), at My Reflection of Something, chose my post, How Do I Love Thee?, as one of her picks for the week of February 18th. I'm honored, and flattered, Branson. Thank you.







I'd Like to Thank the Academy...

So, I won a major award. Thankfully Sadly, there will be no "...soft glow of electric sex gleaming in the window," at our house.

BUT--someone thinks I'm Stylish!




Umm...I have only won something once in my entire life; I entered a give-away put on by this lovely lady, and won! Even though we played volleyball together in college, I promise it was legit. I won fair and square!

Thank you, Annissa, for the award. I'm humbled, and flattered.

There are conditions to this award, and if you don't follow through, your hair will turn grey and your teeth will fall out. No, really, follow through if you want to--OR, just bask in the glow of winning your major award, and do absolutely none of the following:

1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded you this award.
2. Share seven things about yourself.
3. Award 15 other bloggers.
4. Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award.  

Seven things you get to know about me:

1. I am 5'10", and I really like being tall. I was done growing in 6th grade. My nickname in grade school was "Jolly Green Giant". I blame my mom for buying me a green winter coat that year.
2. I love to sweat (when it's appropriate). The feel of sweat dripping from my body gives me a feeling of accomplishment, and sweating along with other people gives me a feeling of camaraderie.
3. I like to smell my daughters' heads--I wish someone could bottle that smell (except when they smear food in their hair--that's a whole different story). 
4. My husband was my investment advisor--that's how we met. He thought social workers made a lot of $$$$. Boy, did I had him buffaloed!
5. I am, along with approximately 10% of the world's population and Oprah, Left-handed. I really like being left-handed.
6. For my birthday, the first year we were dating, my husband, then boyfriend, got me a left-handed wine key and can opener. I knew right then and there he was a keeper.
7. My favorite song to sing to my girls is Que Sera, Sera, from the Alfred Hitchcock movie, The Man Who Knew Too Much. I LOVE Doris Day---I think she was gorgeous!

And the awards go to (in no particular order):

1. Melissa @ Bumblebee Grace. Melissa is one of the craftiest people I know--she can make just about everything. I love her photography, and I know you will too. Her twin daughters are a few months older than mine; the girls have MPI (Milk Protein Intolerance), so Melissa was dairy free for almost an entire year while she breastfed them. You know that ooey, gooey cheese on pizza? Cream in your coffee? Yeah, she gave that up--that is love, people! She has some great dairy-free recipes on her blog, even if you can have dairy, they are pretty darn tasty! She and I are getting ready to have a blog conversation about beauty--stay tuned, it's going to be very cool!
2. Alice @ The Journey Home. Alice is the mama to two beautiful little boys. She is such a wise woman, who talks about her faith vulnerably, and honestly.
3. Shell @ Taking a Chance on My Passion. Shell is an artist and a poet, with a heart as big as the ocean. She loves with all of her might, and gives of herself fully and tirelessly. I am humbled to be part of this piece of art she did for Mother's Day.
4. Valerie @ Sunshine Beyond the Clouds. Valerie's twin boys are one year old today! Congrats, you made it, Mama! She records all the precious moments of her boys' lives with lots of great pictures.
5. Jessica @ Our Front Porch Looking In. Jessica is the mama to boy/girl twins just a couple months younger than my girls. She is very savvy, and is quick to tell you when she's found a kid product worth buying.
6. MandyE @ My Life as Described By Twin Trials and Triumphs. Mandy's twin girls just turned two. She has been so helpful and encouraging to me since we connected in blogland a few months ago. Mandy is witty, and a great writer!
7. Sara @ Family Organic. Sara parallels her life as the mama of twins with finding different ways to go green.
8. Kendra @ Miracle of the Moment. Kendra is a genuine, bubbly and passionate woman--you can't help but love her, and her adorable twins, Abbey and Luke.
9. Glennon @ Momastery. So, I feel a little silly doing this one. Glennon has a large following, and I am just another followee (is that even a word?!). She's just real--a real mama, a real Jesus lover, a real sinner, a real friend. Seriously, people, you need to read her stuff--she is spunky, passionate, hilarious, and a gifted writer. After spending any amount of time reading her blog, you will want to be her BFF.
10. Julia @ My Crazy Journey to Joy. Because I love her name. Just kidding, I mean, I'm a little partial to the name Julia. Anyway, Julia seeks joy. Shouldn't we all? Stop in an encourage her on her journey. 
11. Jodi @ Curious Acorn. Jodi is an artist with great taste in shoes and an awesome love for her Creator. Her encouragement is a blessing to me.
12. Jessica @ Haines Hollow. Jessica celebrates her life as the mama to two year old boy/girl twins. She's honest and funny--I really like her a lot!
13. Angela @ Cherry Blossom Runs. So, Angela decided that she wanted to live a healthier lifestyle, and decided to become a runner. She started out running small races, and in October ran her first marathon. Reading her journey makes it seem possible for anyone to become a marathoner. She also does a great job of reviewing running gear.
14. Kelley @ Blue is a Circle. Kelley is witty, clever, and a fabulous writer! I love reading her wisdom and perspective on life.
15. Katie @ Once Upon a Time. Katie has chronicled her long journey through infertility, and now shares the joy of her twins, Sam and Anna. Katie has been so encouraging to me as a fellow twin mama. Reading her blog is refreshing, because she's honest and real.

Okay. That's my list of some of the blogs I enjoy reading most. I guess I'll post this, and then contact everyone? It might take awhile. Sorry if you read this before I get to email you. I'm feeling a bit bashful about the whole thing.

If nothing else, I hope you enjoy seeing some new blogs. Happy reading!