Meet Me On Monday

Courtesy of Never Growing Old

Meet me on Monday is back! Oh happy day!

1. Right now I could really eat _________?
Chips and salsa and a chimichanga from Cazador. I know, it's the middle of the morning. Weird. But it sounds yummy.

2. Full length pants or capris?
Capris! I love warmer weather. Once I pull the capris out the long pants are done. I've been known to wear my capris to office meetings - a time or two to my embarrassment at being inappropriately dressed. But I don't really care. The only downside is having to shave my legs again. But only the lower half!

3. The best smelling men's cologne (women's perfume for the guys playing) is ________?
Men's cologne isn't a huge deal at the Hoop-lah House, so I have no idea how to answer. I'll spend my day sniffing some random guys and get back to you. I should mention that a friend just gave me a bottle of Sheer Love from Victoria's Secret. Love it!

4. What is your favorite kind of Cheesecake?
Lemon raspberry from Cheesecake Factory. Just had some this weekend.

5. What TV Show do you currently never miss?
I never watch anything every week, but some of my favs are The Good Wife, Dancing with the Stars, The Anderson Show and Ellen.

We Want to Know Wednesday

Hosted once again by Mamarazzi and Crazymama

In the middle if LIFE is one big IF...so I am asking IF questions this week, and here is what I, Mamarazzi, wants to know:

1. If you had to be trapped in a TV show for a month, which show would you choose?
I would pick The Ellen Show. Everyone always seems so happy -- dancing, fun guest stars, cool surprises, entertaining games and gags. Sounds like a good time to me!

2. If you could be guaranteed one thing in life besides money, what would you ask for?
Health and happiness for the Hoop-lahs. Technically two things, I know. But my mom always says, "You never know until you try." So I'd ask for two.

3. If you had to name the most terrifying event in your life thus far, what would it be?
I had a panic attack a few years ago brought on by stress. I thought I was having a heart attack. Watching the Hoop-lahs watch me have it was the worst thing I've ever experienced. It was a wake-up call for sure. Now I try really hard to not waste my time and energy dealing with things out of my control, which really means other people's crap. I'm more inclined to speak up when someone is being stupid. That's huge for me because I'm a people pleaser at heart.

4. If you could possess one supernatural ability, what would it be?
A cloak of invisibility - mostly because I'm nosy, but I think it would be fascinating to see what people do when they think no one is watching.

5. If you could "uninvent" one thing in the world , so that it would no longer exist, what would you choose?
Cell phones! It's a love-hate relationship. I love my I Phone and the things I can do with it, but I hate seeing people pay more attention to their phones than their families. I watched a couple having dinner the other night who didn't speak to each other the entire time, just looked at their phones. I try really hard to set a good example for the Hoop-lahs. 

As fun as it looks

We Want to Know Wednesday

Hosted by Mamarazzi and Crazymama

What is something that you currently spend money on that you consider a splurge or frivolous?
When I was pregnant with Carly Scott bought me a massage package. It was only supposed to last six months. 138 months later I'm still going strong. It really isn't a splurge though. Being me is a tough job. That massage keeps me sane and saves us all a lot of grief. 

Tell us about your first paying job. How old were you?
I started serving meals to the residents of a retirement home at 14. My family didn't have a lot of extra money, so a job was necessary if I wanted to have the things a teenager "needs." Like white Adidas tennis shoes with three black stripes. Those things were hugely popular back then. I don't think I've ever wanted anything more. It was a great job for a teenager. I stayed until I went to college. 

Do you plan date nights and extras into a monthly/weekly budget?
Budgeting is not a strength in the Hoop-lah house, although I generally have an idea of how much money there is. Which is a good thing because I hardly ever balance the checkbook. We use our tax return to take care of the extras. This year it's a new basketball hoop, which has become quite the project. No date nights because there is rarely time.

Share one of your money saving tips with us.
I challenge myself every week to spend less on groceries. I clip coupons, try to buy stuff on sale, and maybe save a few dollars each week. How do those extreme couponers do it? I try store brands, but do not stick with them if they are inferior to the name-brand product.  I also re-use plastic reclosable bags by washing and storing them. I think that's a weird habit though. I'll blame my mom.

And finally, Christine @ http://cmgendreau.blogspot.com wants to know:
If you won the lottery - would you spend it frivolously or use what you need and save the rest?
We would live pretty much like we do now. Probably with a few extras though. Like a cook. And a housekeeper. And an on-call massage therapist!


 

Service with a smile

Carly volunteered this week at the in-home daycare that she and Riley attended before they were old enough for school. Her volunteerism is part of a community service project that fifth-graders in our school do each spring. Riley volunteered at the local congregate meal site serving lunch to seniors. I remember them as being very interested in talking his ear off!

The kids doing these projects are required to identify where they will volunteer, get it approved, make a call to set it up, and then show up to fulfill their time and work obligations. When the service is over, they make a poster and give a presentation to their class about what they did. A true lesson in responsibility and giving back.

I don't think Carly expected to work as hard as she did. Anyone who has been around young children knows that they can move a mile a minute. She played games, led circle time, did flashcards, led an expedition to cheese park, helped make lunch, and more. Somehow she escaped diaper duty though!

Here is a picture of Carly and Becky and the kids who were there today.

I have to tell you how lucky we were to find Becky. She loves those kids and they all love her back. My kids have such great memories of the time they spent with her. I still miss seeing her and it's been six years since Carly started school!

Where the basketball fun never ends

Found out today that Riley's picture is posted on Minnesota's Pacesetter website. How fun is that!

Guess who's having a birthday!