About Me: 21 Questions

 I borrowed this questionnaire from Jacquelyn of Lowcountry Mama. I met her for the first time last week at the Charleston Blog Society Pinterest Potluck. She is so sweet and she let me hold her baby (or did I just grab her and then ask? Either way)...

1. FAVORITE FOOD?

Chocolate. 

 If I buy a bag of candy, it will be gone within 24 hours.

 2. FAVORITE COLOR?

Navy blue or heather grey.

3. TOP 5 FAVORITE TV SHOWS

Currently on TV or ever?! So hard to choose just 5!

1. Castle

2. How I Met Your Mother

3. Murder, She Wrote

4. How to Get Away With Murder

5. Big Bang Theory

4. STANDARD STARBUCKS ORDER?

I usually order a mocha frappucino when it's hot and a mocha when it's cold.

5. TOP 3 VACATIONS YOU’VE TAKEN

1. Boston

 2. Seattle/British Columbia

 3. Miami/Key West

 6. MUST-HAVE ROAD TRIP SNACK?

 Cokes and candy

 7. FLIP FLOPS OR HIGH HEELS?

I am 5'8" so I already feel like a giant bean pole around most people so I just stick to flip flops and flats usually.

 8. FAVORITE PLACES TO SHOP?

Target, Palmetto Moon, Old Navy, 6pm.com

 9. FAVORITE FORM OF EXERCISE?

Roller hockey

 10. WHAT’S YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?

Not getting to see my kids and grandkids grow up

 11. DO YOU TRY SOMETHING NEW AT RESTAURANTS OR STICK TO YOUR FAVES?

It depends... We go to a lot of the same places (Mex 1 Coastal Cantina and Taco Boy) so I usually order the same things (mahi tacos).

12. ONE MAKEUP ITEM YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT?

Mascara. I like my lashes long and thick (yet I'm terrified of false lashes).

 13. WHAT’S ON YOUR NIGHTSTAND?

A lamp, a Tervis tumbler, my Bible, some mini football helmets that belong to my son, a Lego house that he built for me and the Lego female scientist set (which is actually mine...lol)

 14. HOW MANY KIDS DO YOU WANT?

I am very blessed to have two healthy children and though I wouldn't mind having another one, it's just not something we are planning on...

 15. WHO WAS YOUR FIRST CRUSH?

Face and Hannibal from The (original) A-Team. 

 16. FAVORITE HAPPY HOUR DRINK?

Malibu Bay Breezes...  I like fruity drinks where I can't taste the alcohol.

 17. IF YOU COULD LIVE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD OTHER THAN YOUR CURRENT CITY, WHERE?

I would want to live in one of those over-the-water huts in Bora Bora or in Boston.

18. TOP 3 FAVORITE CONCERTS YOU’VE BEEN TO?

1. Bon Jovi in 1989
2. Bon Jovi in 2001
3. Kenny Chesney at a Walmart Shareholder's Meeting in 2005
 

19. WHAT CELEBRITY DO YOU GET TOLD YOU LOOK LIKE?

 The only time in my life anyone has said I looked like a celebrity was in college. A guy that lived in my apartment building said I looked like Natalie Imbruglia. I'm sure it was more because I had her haircut and it was dark in color but I'll take it!

 20. MORNING PERSON OR NIGHT OWL?

I'm a mom...I have to be both, right? I get up at 5:55 am and have to be cheery to get my son ready and in a good mood for his day at school. I have a problem with staying up late after he goes to bed though watching TV or playing on my Kindle...so I'm usually running on 6 or less hours of sleep daily. 

 21. WHICH OF YOUR FIVE SENSES WOULD YOU SAY IS THE STRONGEST?

My hearing is ridiculously good. There have been times I've been sitting in our living room and I'm like, "What is that?" So I go exploring to find out that the noise is a soda bubbling up in a can in the kitchen.  It also is helpful when the kids or husband go off mumbling stuff under their breath because I'm like, "I heard that!!!" ;)

Book Review: A Nice Little Place on the North Side

I am a member of Blogging for Books and received George F. Will's book, A Nice Little Place on the North Side: A History of Triumph, Mostly Defeat, and Incurable Hope at Wrigley Field for review.

I chose this book because I grew up watching Cubs baseball with my Dad on WGN. My Dad was in a rotisserie baseball league and I would help him draft his teams every season. I would spend my mornings, during baseball season, going over every box score and had most players' stats memorized. But while I have stood outside of Wrigley Field, I have never actually been to a game there. I figured reading this book might give me a little insight in to things I didn't know about the Cubs and Wrigley Field.

While the book does have lots of facts and stories to tell, it is not all baseball. There are a lot of references to literature, economics and more. The author eventually relates (or tries to relate) these things to the Cubs or Wrigley but it reminded me of when I was in college having to write long papers and just trying to stick random stuff in there to get my word count up.

The back cover of the book said the author was giving us a "deeply personal look" at the Cubs and their home turf. I never felt that Will had that sort of connection. I also felt that a lot of the stories were just ones retold from other sources. I would have really liked some insider information or anecdotes from people who rarely speak to authors or the media. I suppose in this day and age, it is so easy to get information with the click of the mouse, that I was expecting a little more from a published book.

I also would have liked more pictures. There are several throughout the book (the Ronald Reagan pictures are my personal favorite) but it would've been neat to see different pictures of Wrigley Field over the years.

 

Overall, I think those who have a connection to the Cubs or MLB will find the book interesting but I think they will also be left wanting more. 

Have you read this book? What'd you think?

Want another opinion on it? Go check out my friend Meg's review!

 

The Weekend

This weekend was all about football.

My son's flag football game was Saturday morning. They played so well but lost 6-0.

Saturday evening, we surprised my son with tickets to the Charleston Southern @ Citadel game. He had no clue, even when we were parking, where we were... The look on his face when he realized what was going on was priceless.

Though it rained a little bit, and the Citadel lost, it was still a lot of fun.

After the game, we came home and made California Churro Bites. Has anyone tried these? I always long for the churros we'd buy at Disneyland years ago so to find some little churros (at Walmart) that were super easy to make (5 minutes in the oven and then roll them in the sugar mix): I was one happy girl.

On Sunday, my son was sick so we spent the day watching football while he slept.

 How sweet is Bailey guarding him?! Awww!!

 I also went through my giant stack of magazines so I can send them all to my stepmom. I came across this ad with Jillian Michaels... so obsessed with her hair! I think I'm in a need of a change soon!!

How was your weekend?! Do anything fun?

Linking up with the fabulous Biana.

five on friday

1. Charleston Blog Society Meet-up

 Last night we had a Pinterest Potluck for the Charleston Blog Society. Gillian and our gracious host, Hannah, gave us great tips (ummm, I never knew there was a whole analytics area I could access). Hopefully Meg will post her recipe soon for the amazing pumpkin, chocolate chip, coconut, Rice Krispies and oatmeal cookies she brought.

2. Upward Flag Football

 I am co-coaching a peewee flag football team this fall. It is an Upward program which is faith based so every couple of weeks kids get a new Bible verse to memorize and we do a quick devotional at the end of practice. We had our first game last Saturday. One of the mom's actually got a picture of me, which was super exciting because I'm usually the one taking pictures and never in them!

3. Charleston skies

 It's kind of hard to see but rainbows and Starbucks make me happy!

 This was the sky after the rainbow... even more beautiful in person.

4. Dog Mom Life

 Not a flattering picture buuut I was laughing so hard at Bailey trying to steal my Hot Pocket in the school pick-up line. I fought for years against getting a dog because I just didn't want to deal with dog poop in the yard and dog hair all over my house but I love this dog so much....she is the sweetest girl :)

5. Pumpkin Spice 

I am all about trying all this new pumpkin spice stuff. These pumpkin spice English muffins from Thomas are super tasty.  I'm also loving the Chobani Flip's Pumpkin Harvest Crisp. I have only found it at Target and the last time I went it was all sold out!

^Check out my Instagram :)

Are there any new pumpkin spice things you have tried that I need to know about?!

Hope y'all have a great weekend! 

Houston, TX: Glenwood Cemetery

How has it been over two weeks since I said I would post the second part of my Houston trip?!

On my hunt for finding free things to do, I kept coming across Glenwood Cemetery.  I know for a lot of people, cemeteries are morbid and creepy but I have always found them to be beautiful. As I was reading, I also found out that Howard Hughes and Gene Tierney Lee are buried at Glenwood so it immediately became a must-see for me.

I love Old Hollywood movies and both had a part in some major classics. You might also know of Howard Hughes because Leo DiCaprio played him in The Aviator. This poster from Gene Tierney's movie Laura, which is one of my favorite film noir classics, actually hangs in one of our bathrooms. She is the female lead (hard to tell when there is a Gene and a Dana listed).

 I'd really wished I'd brought flowers when I saw these old ones laying on Gene Tierney Lee's grave.

The Hughes family plot. It is all gated off and you can't get up close.

Do you enjoy visiting cemeteries? Any favorites? 

Houston Trip, Part 1

I'm about two months behind on this trip but better late than never!

We spent a few days in Houston, Texas in mid-July to visit family. My son is really into trying different root beers so when I heard that a local brewery made it and gave tours, I knew we had to go.

I have never been to a local brewery and had no idea what to expect. Saint Arnold Brewing Company is the oldest craft brewery in Texas and people obviously love it because it was PACKED. Like, people bring their own chairs because they know it's going to be so busy. There are rows of tables and benches (think high school cafeteria) for people to sit on but unless you get there when it opens (or brought that lawn chair), you will be standing.

It is $10 to get in (free for kids!). For ten bucks, you get 4 or 5 tokens to try the different beers (we liked the Lawnmower best),a cute glass to take home and a short tour of the brewery. Kids can drink all the root beer and water they want too!

After the brewery, we headed over to the Art Car Museum.

If you're from Houston, you have probably heard of the Art Car parade that happens every year downtown. This small museum houses 3-4 art cars that have been loaned out. They rotate the car every few months. The museum also serves as an art gallery for local talent.

Admission: free

 

The one above was definitely my favorite. I am curious though to know how tall the person is that owns and drives that. It is so little!

 

More on my Houston trip tomorrow :)

 

Have a great week!