I AM SO RUDE

Last week, my friend Gina over at My Own Brand of Crazy gave me this cute award.  It might have been two weeks ago, but I am giving myself the benefit of the doubt. 

In my defense, it's been that week.  You know, the one where you have a Christmas party or school performance every single night.  Speaking of Christmas performances, I sure would like to hear one of my children sing/play a Christmas song at one of their "holiday" performances.  I've been to two this week and haven't even heard one holiday song, never mind an actual Christmas song.  Really, I'd be happy with something secular and non-threatening like Jingle Bells.  Or a Hanukkah song?   That would be nice.   How about winter?  Could we at least get a song about winter in their somewhere?  Nope.  Apparently not.

The elementary school performance was about jungle animals. The children sang jungle music. There was a gorilla in a Santa suit. I guess I'll have to be satisfied with that.

But I'm not here to complain.  I'm here to brag about my award!

I love reading Gina's blog!  She has 3 boys too, and she is full of great advice on raising boys.  I would really like to give this award right back to Gina, but I think that's cheating.  So I'm going to pass it on to five other bloggers that I enjoy.

1.  Katie at A Little Crazy and a Lot of Love:  I love reading about her two cute little boys.  And I love her pictures!

2. Cassie at Cassie Craves:  Right now she is featuring 2 weeks of Christmas treats!  I've got my eye on the Gingerbread Eggnog Cookies.

3. Julianna at Surviving Boys:  I think Gina gave her this award last week.  But c'mon, her blog is called Surviving Boys.  I can relate.  She totally deserves two awards.

4. Delilah at Unruly Helpmeet:  She cracks me up.  And she writes real books!

5.  Tim at The Ultimate Autism Guide:  If you love someone with autism, this blog is choc full of great information.  And also, it's written by my brother.

LOOK WHAT I GOT!!!

They're cute and covered in frosting and I can enjoy them without gaining a single pound!

Thank you Gina, from My Own Brand of Crazy, for this lovely award.  Gina has three boys too.  They're just a bit older than mine, so when I read her blog, it's like seeing into the future!  And I always fall out of my chair laughing at her hilarious perspective on raising boys.

As the recipient of this cherry topped award, there are a few things I'm supposed to do.  First, I'm suppsed to thank the person who gave it to me.  Thanks again Gina!

Next, I'm supposed to tell you three things about myself.  This is sure to be boring, but I'm a rule follower (hey, that's one thing about me!).  I'm a photographer. I've been told a photographer should stick to one genre.  But I just can't help myself.  I take pictures of everything. You can see some of my pictures here.

I asked my husband what else I should say about myself.  He said "You're awesome and you make good food."  I know, that's two things, but the rule follower one didn't really count.  You can check out some of the good food I make here. 

Finally, I'm supposed to pass the award on to some of my favorite bloggers.  First, there's Stephanie over at Plain Chicken.  She makes all kinds of yummy food, and I'm pretty sure my kids would eat all of it.  Now that's an accomplishment!

Then there's Monica over at Lick the Bowl Good.  She makes some of the most beautiful desserts and treats I've ever seen!  Don't judge me because my favorite blogs are all about food.  Okay, here's a non-food blog for you . . .

Delilah over at Unruly Helpmeet.  Man, is she ever funny.  So there you go.  Some of my favorite blogs in all of blogland.  I hope you'll go visit them all.

DON'T HATE ME BECAUSE I'M BEAUTIFUL

Look what I got!  From Gina at My Own Brand of Crazy. I am still trying to figure out if she was crazy before she had three boys (like me) or if that's what made her crazy. In any case, she cracks me up, so I'm flattered to get this award from her. Thanks!

Now, this is what I'm supposed to do.

1) Thank and link to the person that gave you the award.
2) Pass the award on to 15 Bloggers who you've RECENTLY discovered and whom you think are fantastic.
3) Contact said Blogs to let them know they've won
4) State 7 things about yourself.

Okay, here are 15-ish blogs I enjoy reading:

Pearls and Such
Domestic Dork
Ezra Pound Cake
Lick the Bowl Good
Life With Kaishon
Peas Love Carrots
The Parenting Myth
Unruly Helpmeet
A Good American Wife
One Girl Revolution

Okay, that was only ten, but I have a sick five year-old at home today.  He could throw-up at any minute!  Like he did last night at Red Robin.

I realize quite a few of those were food blogs, so let's make that the first thing I tell you about myself.

1) I love to cook.  I even have my own food blog called Let's Dish.
2) I love to take pictures.  You can see some of my non-food pictures here.  I used to have my own little photo business, but turning it into a job kind of took the fun out of it for me.  So now it's just a hobby.
3) I'm married to a proud Canadian.  We have three boys.  Whenever there is a U.S.A/Canadian rivalry of any sort (such as Olympic hockey) they all consider themselves Canadian.  Very rude, considering I gave birth to them.
4) My favorite book is Truman, the biography of Harry S. Truman, by David McCollough.  You probably didn't think Harry S. Truman was very interesting, did you?  Well, let me tell you, he is!
5) I have a degree in advertising, but my supposed expertise in the powers of persuasion has not helped me convince my children to clean their rooms.
6) I don't have a texting plan on my cell phone.  I'm old fashioned that way.
7) I'm an organizer and a planner.  Other women consider this a good quality. My husband considers it annoying.

Thanks again for the lovely award!

I WON AN AWARD!

Check it out! I got a "One Lovely Blog" Award from Mom of Three at When Did I Become My Mom? Which is a good question, and one I ask myself often. As a child of the 70's and 80's, I especially enjoy her Flashback Fridays.

The rules of the "One Lovely Blog" Award are to accept the award, then post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

So, here are 15 of my favorite blogs . . .

1. A&A McCollum Photography
2. Hippos & Dinosaurs
3. Project: Motherhood
4. RebeccaLynn Photography
5. My Kids Eat Kale
6. Finding Home
7. Mostly Flummoxed
8. My Own Brand of Crazy
9. Transparent Mama
10. Pass Along Politics
11. Be Different Act Normal
12. Matt, Megan & Kids
13. Adventures With Ben & Ashley
14. Seriously, So Blessed! (this is a satyre, so don't take it seriously)
15. Woodshopics (this is my dad's woodworking blog . . . kind of a man blog, so I'm not sure how he'll feel about a "lovely" award, but I think he'll appreciate the link!)