100 Things About Me

100 Things about me:

1. I love blogging. For 3 years or so I read lots of blogs. I dreamed of one day having my own blog, where I could share thoughts with those close to me. I finally bit the bullet and started it 2 years ago, and allowed those close to me to start reading it just this past September.
2. I love journaling...hence why I started blogging. I have written in journals for years now...since I was in high school.
3. I have dreamed of owning a vacation house for many years now. Michael and I would love to own a small cottage on the coast. They are just so ridiculously expensive.
4. I love to read. I have loved it since I was a young girl. I cannot even tell you how many books that I have read...in the many many thousands.
5. I have trouble with anxiety. I have struggled with it for 12-13 years now. It is really awful. I have kept it in check for about 5 years, but it is still a daily struggle.
6. I can't have caffeine...basically because of number 5. Caffeine brings on anxiety for me. 
7. I love puppies so much...I especially love their puppy smell. They are the sweetest ever.
8. I used to paint my nails, but once I became a mom I stopped. It was just too difficult to keep them from chipping. I do paint my toenails though.
9. I love babies...they are the sweetest ever. I wanted to have loads of them. I am thankful for the two beautiful boy babies that I had. I loved their smell. It was the best.
10. I love small beach towns. I could live in a small beach town. I think that they are just so cozy.
11. I like a simple life. I love to stay home...I don't have to be going somewhere at all times.
12. I would love to own some property with our house...maybe like 1-3 acres. I wouldn't like to live in the middle of nowhere with 500 acres. I would like to live in a nice neighborhood with some land.
13. I hate soda...always have. I cannot stand the taste, but more than that I cannot stand the aftertaste. Also, it makes you really thirsty. And, it makes you really bloated.
14. I am claustrophobic and I don't like large crowds. This only began once I struggled with anxiety. They both are a problem for me now though.
15. I love getting mail...letters and packages. When I get surprise mail or packages, it really means a lot to me. Unfortunately, no one does this anymore.
16. I love getting packages in the mail...of any kind. I love getting packages of things I had ordered. I love getting subscription boxes in the mail. And, of course, I love getting packages from other people.
17. I like to eat with baby spoons and baby forks. They are just the right size for me...and I can enjoy what I am eating for a longer period of time.
18. I grew up in the country. We lived on 3 acres, and we always had plenty of room to run around. It was so nice.
19. I love camping...as long as it involves a camper. I love getting away from the stress of school and work and just enjoying nature. It is really nice to be able to get away for a fraction of the cost.
20. I love Trader Joe's a lot. I really wish we had one right close to us. I would do our grocery shopping every other day. I really love it there. (that is saying a lot, because I hate grocery shopping)
21. I love the vegetable sandwich at Panera Bread. It is really delicious. Whenever we see a Panera Bread, which until 6 months ago was only when we went to Seattle, we stop to get one.
22. I don't like to cook at all. But, I have to because I want us to eat good homemade food.
23. I hate to grocery shop. When I say hate, I really don't know if this is strong enough of a word. However, if we had a Trader Joe's right here close, I wouldn't mind it as much.
24. I am an introvert. I was not an introvert when I was growing up. I was shy at times, but I was mostly super outgoing. I think a combination of things have made me more of an introvert...Michael (because he is so outgoing) and being a stay-at-home mom. I also think that my weight issues have contributed.
25. I love organization. I organize every inch of my house twice a year. I just love it so much. I like everything to be in it's place. I think this is something that I could do with a career. I just don't know if I have the patience when someone doesn't want to get rid of things.
26. I have an Associates Degree in secretarial. I think that was a great fit for me since I am so organized. I have only really used this degree to make money for 3 years of my life. I have used this degree in many areas of my life since then, but not to officially make money.
27. I want to go to Europe someday. I would love to go to Italy especially. I could even see myself living there...but only with the boys too.
28. My love language is quality time. I really thrive with this. That is what I love about camping.
29. I collect unique bowls. I love small bowls to use for dipping sauces or a small bowl of ice cream.
30. I have been homeschooling my boys for 15 years now. I started when Cam was 3 years old, and I never looked back. I love it so much. It has been great for us.
31. I love to go hiking. I love to see what lies beyond on those trails. Some of the most beautiful sights are on hiking trails out in the middle of nowhere.
32. I love taking photos. I have loved photography since I was in high school. It wasn't until I got a camera when Michael and I were first married that I really took off and learned more about it. I learned how to use the manual mode on my camera, and that is when I really fell in love.
33. I love House Hunters and House Hunters International. You would think that I would be bored of the show because it really is the same thing every time, just a different place and different people. But, somehow, I still love to watch it.
34. I love the ocean...you see I did not say the beach. I love to stay in a house by the ocean, I love to walk by the ocean, I love to take photos by the ocean, I love to eat by the ocean. I don't like to be at the beach, where everyone is laying out in next to nothing.
35. I love to make lists for everything...lists for schedule, for packing, for vacation, for blogging, for shopping, etc. I love how it feels to cross things off of those lists.
36. I put things away before people are done using them...this drives my family crazy. I grew up with a mom who liked everything kept clean while you were doing something. When I was cooking or baking, she always wanted it kept clean as I went along. So, I just learned that, and now I do it to everyone.
37. I cannot sleep with socks on. I have tried, because they say it is good to put lotion on your feet when you go to bed at night. You put socks on to lock the moisture in. I just can't do it. It feels so uncomfortable to me...not to mention hot.
38. I've read every health and fitness book out there. I should either be a nutritionist or a personal trainer. It is crazy, but I love this topic so much.
39. I grew up on the east coast. I really do miss it there. I think that people in general are much friendlier there. They are also much more polite. There are things about here that I do like. I love the coast here, and I love the scenery here. It is a beautiful place.
40. I love purses. I have loved them since I was a young girl. I remember how excited I was when I would get a new purse. I still love purses. I used to get a new purse every year. Now, I just get one about every 2-3 years. I've really come to love cross-body bags. They are small and lightweight.
41. I love gardening a lot. I did a lot of gardening at our house in PA. I had a lot of flower beds that I started from scratch. People would stop by all the time and say how pretty our flower beds looked. I have created some here, but I keep it a little more simple now. In PA, I used to buy tons of annuals every year and plant them in planters all over the yard. I don't do much of that now...just a hanging basket and 2-3 planters.
42. I have had a C-section and also a natural delivery (V-back) after that.I recovered very quickly with both deliveries. I was up walking around several hours after my C-section, and I was up taking a shower within 45 minutes of my natural delivery. I did not use any pain medication with either of them.
43. I love music; I especially love 90's pop music. I believe that truly was the best decade for music. I can sing most pop songs from that time period. When a song from the 90's comes on the radio or on a TV show or a movie, I immediately start singing.
44. I always have a book and notebook with me everywhere I go. I feel like you never know when you will just be sitting somewhere and waiting. This has come in handy so many times.
45. I have always cut my own hair. I remember cutting my hair in high school. Back then I would go to the salon for a perm or to get a new style. I haven't had a perm since Jar was first born. Now, I just do everything for my hair. I cut it, texture it, and color it myself.
46. I have always cut the boys hair. I gave them their first haircuts. Jar had such long curly hair. I cut his when he was just a toddler. That was so hard to do. He had such beautiful curly hair. I still cut their hair. They have only been to a barber once when we were in FL. It was a treat from Grandma.
47. I cut Lily's hair as well. This one is very hard. It is really hard when her hair gets really long and ratted. It takes me about 4 hours to do.
48. I am a homebody. I really just love to be home. This truly comes from the anxiety, but it also comes from being a stay-at-home mom. I just feel the most comfortable here.
49. I don't like to go out at night...at all. This also comes from the anxiety. For 13 years, if I had anxiety, it seemed to happen mostly at night. Well, no one wants to have an anxiety attack when they are out in public. It is the worst. I've had this many times. So, I just prefer to stay at home.
50. I don't like to shop. I used to like to when I was in high school. But after having kids, I lost my love of it. I just don't enjoy it anymore. When I go somewhere new, sometimes I like to shop in a cute small town. But, it only takes me about a 1/2 hour to shop. I am done after that. I have not shopped in stores for clothes in years. I just buy them online.
51. I love to swim. People used to call me a mermaid because I loved the water so much. I grew up with a swimming pool, so I was in the pool all summer long. I still love to swim. I just don't get a chance to do it much any more.
52. I have always been very athletic. I love all sports. I loved gymnastics when I was growing up, as well as baseball, basketball, kickball, football, soccer, and riding bike.
53. I love tigers and dolphins. I have loved tigers since I was a young girl. My love of dolphins came later on as a teenager. When I go to the zoo, these are the two animals that I want to see. Of course, dolphins aren't in most zoos, but they are at some.
54. I grew up singing specials in church. I sang a lot with my sister and her best friend. My sister and I also sang duets a lot. I got nervous when I got up in front of people then, but now I can't get up in front of people. I have stage fright for sure.
55. I love small dogs. I always made fun of people that had lap dogs. Michael and I always called them "drop-kick" dogs. When Jar wanted a small dog, I was not so sure. We got one for him, and I found it to be the greatest thing ever. Lily follows me around everywhere and sits beside me on the couch.
56. I love Reality TV. I love Survivor, Amazing Race, The Voice, The Apprentice, Duck Dynasty, Ultimate Survival Alaska, Alaska Frontier, Dude, You're screwed, etc.
57. I love snacky food. The boys and I call it a smorgasbord of food. I love little bits of a lot of food. An example would be a plate of raw veggies, with hummus, some grapes, some strawberries, a bit of Greek yogurt, some nuts, some crackers, and more.
58. I love ice cream. I cannot eat it anymore, but I still love it. When I was growing up, we had ice cream a lot. My mom loved it. We got ice cream at ice cream shops a lot. I still love it...it just does not agree with me at all. It gives me phlegm in my throat and give me an upset stomach.
59. I love yoga pants or workout pants. They are so comfortable. I would wear them everywhere, if it was appropriate.
60. I love flip flops. I have always worn them. I wore them when I was growing up too. I wear them a lot when we are camping.
61. I hate going to the dentist. I mean I really really hate to go to the dentist. I actually have anxiety about going to the dentist. I don't like feeling like I cannot swallow and breathe.
62. I love my new electric toothbrush. I wish that I had bought one a long time ago. They clean so nicely, and they clean without much effort on my part.
63. I love a big vehicle. I had a small car when I was single, dating, and then first married. We then got a mini-van, and then eventually we got a smaller SUV and then a large SUV. We have an Excursion now, and I love it. The only time I do not like it is when I am in a cramped parking lot--it is really hard to park in a small space.
64. I love the sun...a lot. I feel so much better when the sun is shining outside. It just lifts my mood, and somehow it makes my day seem better.
65. I love cute bookstores. One of my favorite movies is You've got mail. One of the things I like about the movie is the cute little bookstore. I always dreamed of opening my own cute bookstore, with a reading nook, an area to journal and scrapbook, and a cute cafe'/coffee shop.
66. I love cute coffee shops...a lot. I like to visit them in every town we go when camping or on vacation. This kind of goes along with my dream of the cute bookstore.
67. I love cute cafe's. As well as the coffee shops, I like to eat in cute cafe's everywhere I go. I look for them.
68. I love the Mediterranean wrap at Pita Pit. It is so good. All of the flavors melt together in the perfect bite.
69. I love pajamas...really cute soft ones. I could have a pair for every day of the week.
70. I love unique paper stores. I like paper stores that sell unique tablets and journals and pens and pencils. I like cute calendars and stationary and washi tape and office supplies. I like to find these as well in small coastal towns that we visit.
71. I love World Market. I love all of their unique things. The boys and I like all of their unique food as well.
72. I love Marshall's. I love their prices. I love how clean their store is. I love what they sell.
73. My hormones are all screwed up...it sure seems like it anyway. I think that is why I have trouble with anxiety.
74. I have nerve damage on the right side of my body. I got it when I delivered Jar. During delivery, his head lie on a nerve too long and caused nerve damage. They did a study on my nerve damage at Geisinger Medical Center in PA. They had never seen it before. I still am not back to 100%, but I am probably at about 95%.
75. Repetitive sounds drive me crazy. I don't like repetitive tapping sounds, typing sounds, and clicking sounds.
76. Mouth noises drive me insane. I can't stand chewing noises, smacking noises, licking noises, or anything related to mouth noises. They drive me so crazy. I can't stand it at all.
77. I don't like my hair in my face at all. If I am outside working in the yard, I have to have it pulled back from my face. I like to wear my hair in a ponytail to keep it from my face. Sometimes I have to pin my bangs back because they drive me crazy
78. I love being a mom to two boys. It has been and is so much fun. I have been on so many adventures with them. They are the best.
79. I have an allergy to cotton trees. It is terrible. Every spring, I have to take Zertec because I have trouble with allergies.
80. I drink peppermint tea or green tea every afternoon. Sometimes I drink it hot, but sometimes I drink it cold. I love it.
81. I've kept a journal for both of the boys since they were little. I have written about things they have done, their firsts, and funny things that they have said. I love reading these.
82. I love makeup, but I really don't wear it much. It is not good for your skin, so I just don't wear it much at all.
83. I love journals and day planners. I always look for these when I go to a bookstore. I like to find really unique ones.
84. I love stationary and washi tape. I don't buy stationary much anymore, because people don't send mail to each other. I do have washi tape, and I use it in my journals.
85. I have never had a real cell phone. I have just had a trac-phone for the past 10 years or so. One of these days I will get a real cell phone.
86. I hate snakes; I am actually scared of them. I just cannot stand them. I don't even like to see them on TV. They creep me out.
87. I love being a stay-at-home mom. It gives me so much joy. I love that I have been able to be with the boys from the time they were born. I could not have sent them to daycare or preschool. I don't know how moms do this. I have loved all of my time with the boys.
88. I would do my wedding differently if I were to do it now. I would have a more casual wedding, probably at the beach, and just with family and best friends (very small attendance). I would have spent more time just hanging out with everyone, with a very informal ceremony. I would have had a really pretty simple dress and would have been barefoot. Michael would have been in rolled up pants with a long sleeve shirt-the sleeves rolled up and barefoot.
89. I have somewhat dry skin, hence I love moisturizer a lot. I have lots of samples. I use moisturizer every day. I love unique scents of moisturizer...like balsam fir, lemon, citron basil, etc.
90. I tan really easily. I don't have to be in the sun very long at all, and I start tanning. I used to lay out in the sun and tan. I don't do that anymore because it is so bad for your skin. I do miss the look of being tan.
91. I like to decorate. I am good at it too. I don't do much of it anymore, because I don't change what we have. It costs too much money to change things all of the time. I am ready to redecorate the living room and dining room.
92. I have never lived "in town" or "in the city." I don't know if I would like it or not. I think I would have liked it when Michael and I were first married. After having kids, it was too hard to live in town. I needed space and yard for them.
93. I am a tomboy. I always have been. I liked to climb trees and ride bike when I was growing up. I love to hike and be outside now. I don't have to have makeup and high heels on. In fact, give me my sneakers or flip flops any day. I am a tomboy, but I clean up nice too.
94. I love the movie You've Got Mail. It is one of my favorite movies. I love Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan in the movie. I love the bookstore in the movie. I love Meg's apartment in the movie. I just love the whole thing.
95. I really don't like talking on the phone. I really only talk to my mom and my sister for any length of time. Other than that, I just don't really enjoy it. A lot of people are very quiet on the phone, so it is like pulling out teeth to get them to talk.
96. I would rather watch movies at home than at the theater. I like to be able to stop a movie if I want, and I like to be able to be in my pajamas. And, I like to bring my own snacks.
97. I played soccer in college. I had never really played it much growing up. I really fell in love with it in college. It was a lot of fun and great exercise.
98. I used to bite my fingernails when I was in middle school and high school. Someone told me that I looked really ugly when I bit my nails. I stopped biting them from that moment on. I have not bit them since.
99. I don't like horror movies at all. I love suspense movies a lot. I don't like gross horror movies.
100. I love romantic comedies...the more comedy the better. These are my favorite kind of movies. There have been some great ones written...You've Got Mail, Wedding Planner, Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles, Say Anything, Princess Bride, Sabrina, Roman Holiday, Bringing up Baby, Better off Dead, While You Were Sleeping, Only You, My Best Friend's Wedding, and The Proposal.