30 Facts About 30 Years

Tomorrow I turn 30, 30! I thought it would be fun to share 30 random, and not so well known facts about this soon to be 30 year-old…

  1. I have one middle name…. It’s Marie, I had 2 grandmothers named Martha and Mary, so my parents gave me the middle name Marie to keep them happy. It’s cool though, because Agnes is now named after me.
  2. I learned to do my own laundry at the age of 10, so that means I have been doing laundry for 2 decades! If I washed 2 loads a week for 2 decades that means I have done about 2,080 loads of laundry. It is probably way more because now I have 3 kids that require a lot of clothes.
  3. I have moved 6 times to a new home in my lifetime. We have also bought 3 houses, out of those 6 moves.
  4. I have had 8 grown-up jobs in my life. A few of those jobs were: Bank Manager, Exercise Instructor, and Loan Processor. I have the best job now as a Wife and Mother.
  5. 20 years ago, I stopped dance classes. I was in Tap, Jazz, Ballet, and Gymnastics, and still clumsy.
  6. I moved out when I was 19, and bought my first house.
  7. I got my first migraine when I was 10 years old, I still remember it. That also means I have been getting migraines for 2 decades…
  8. When I was 14, I became a vegetarian, then I stopped when I was 17. I became a vegetarian again at 19, and then stopped again when I got engaged to my hubby James. I’m now revisiting vegetarianism.
  9. I dyed my hair for the first time at age 6. It was pink, and the only way that my mom could get me to go to school.
  10. I have one brother, Rob. He is probably the coolest person on the planet.
  11. I had my first cup of coffee at age 7, thanks to my Nana and Papa. So that means I have been a coffee drinker for 23 years.
  12. I got my Tongue pierced at the age of 17, that one made my mom pretty mad.
  13. I don’t have any tattoos, but I want a few.
  14. I love Sushi, but I don’t live anywhere close to a good Sushi place.
  15. I hope to one day photograph a Super-cell Storm. I’m kinda a weather-nerd.
  16. I have a sweet-tooth, a really really really bad sweet tooth.
  17. I only really learned how to bake about 3 years ago. When James met me I didn’t even own an oven. Now I’m obsessed with cooking, and hope to one day have a bakery, or a dessert catering service.
  18. 15 years ago, I was in my very first band, a little 3-piece rock band. I played bass, and who knew that 5 years later, it would lead me to my hubby.
  19. I have a lot of strange phobias… I can’t sleep in a car, and I used to be afraid of kitchen knives.
  20. I love to photograph buildings, and I am obsessed with all forms of architecture. I hope to one day live in a big city with lots of skyscrapers, so I never run out of pictures to take.
  21. My eyes are two different colors. My left eye is green, and my right eye is brown.
  22. I love cookbooks, but I rarely use them. I have a pretty decent collection of them though.
  23. I also love to collect coffee cups. My hubby gets to travel with his job, so I always ask for a coffee cup from wherever he is traveling to.
  24. I love to play video games… I’m a bit of a gamer-geek.
  25. I love Football and NASCAR! That’s what happens when you live in a house full of boys.
  26. I’m not a dog person at all, it’s cats only for me.
  27. I have this weird habit of growing my hair really long, and then chopping it all off. The last time I did this, I donated my hair to Locks of Love.
  28. I love airports, but I’m scared of airplanes.
  29. I hope to move to a new location a few more times in my life, I love a change of scenery.
  30. I love the fact that in a decade, I’m a completely different person… I wonder what the next 10 years will bring?

Happy Valentine’s Day

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I wonder if the Little Miss knows what today is?

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She will one day!

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!

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My hubby spoiled me with not one, but two beautiful bouquets of flowers, and I’m making him a Chocolate Bundt cake, and a special dinner too.

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I made a batch of Sweetheart Red Velvet cakes for the kiddos.

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I’m going to try and not eat them all… Red Velvet cake is my weakness!

Wishing everyone a Happy Valentine’s Day filled with lots of hugs and lots of love!

Some Veggie Meals From Week #2

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This week I decided to stock the freezer with quick and easy soup. I set my sights on making a big batch of Veggie Stock. I figured it would be just about the same as making Turkey Stock, only without the Turkey part… It was easy, and made a great use out of my leftover veggie sticks, and veggie trimmings too.

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Thanks to the Veggie Stock, I made a big batch of Vegetable Soup with Mini Penne Pasta.

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When Taco night rolled around, I opted for Taco Shell Tostadas instead.

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And when it was Fajita night, I made Bean and Rice Burritos for me, delicious.

Getting Ready for a Valentine’s Day Party

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I’m head room-mom for Thade’s class, and this week there is a Valentine’s Day party to plan. I  had plenty of great volunteers and helpers to send along tasty treats for the kiddos. The kids are already excited about the party, and I think it is going to be a lot of fun too.

We have to keep the menu pretty healthy. The school has adopted the policy of allowing  just one sweet treat per party, so I had to get creative. There will be Apple juice boxes, baby carrots and apples slices too, heart-shaped sandwiches, and even some Valentine’s day cookies. I’m bringing along the activities. We will be decorating hand-made Valentines for a loved one and playing heart-shaped Hop-scotch.

I’ve just got to get all of my supplies together, and then it’s time to party!