Sunday Stealing

It's Sunday Stealing time again! Read up, do it yourself and head over to SS and link up.

1. How long have you been blogging?
I've posted some notes on Facebook, I blogged a few times on Myspace and I had a Xanga back in the day. Yah know, nothing serious. I started this blog about a month ago and I'm loving it. :)

2. What made you start?
I love reading my sister in law, Laura's blog. She's such a cool person. She posts really encouraging stuff and it always makes me think. Plus, I like all the pictures of my beyond cute niece and nephew. :) I thought, hey I can do this too.

3. Who inspired you?
Well Laura! And I really like Mama M over at 5 Crooked Halos, Melissa at Little Mrs. Married and Kelly at Keeping Up with Kelly and Co.

4. About how many hours a week would you estimate you spend on your blog?
4 and 5? Some posts take a long time, others are just a short note or meme.

5. What kind of experience or background do you have with writing?
I love to write. I took classes in high school and in college. I love all things about writing, it is a release for me. I've written plays, poems and short stories. Someday I'd love to write a novel and get it published. Someday, someday.

6. Talk about how you come up with blog topics. Where do you get your ideas?
I love theme days. They get me going and give me something to look forward to online each day. I also like to blog about every day stuff. Those are my favorite posts.

7. What or who inspires you and your blog?
Other than the 4 ladies I listed above, I'm inspired by Ginny at That's Church. She is quite a woman! She's witty, educated, hilarious, well written and a humanitarian. Her push to get the McMurties and those kids out of Haiti was straight up heroic.
I'm also inspired by my students, Millie our dog, my dear darling husband and my kiddo, Rory.

8. Where and/or how do your brainstorming for your blog?
Where? On the couch in my house...?
How? Ummm whatever comes out, comes out. haha

9. Do you have any blogging rules or guidelines you follow?
Blog with integrity. Give credit when it's due and be honest. I try not to outright offend anyone, that's never my intention.

10. Is there anything you will not blog about?
I will not blog about (shhhh) sex! hahaha My family reads this, for pete's sake. I try not to participate in husband bashing, you won't find vents and rants about Dave here! I like positive posts, but I also think it's important to weigh in on some issues. You know it's important to me if I post a blog about it! I like to keep things interesting and keep people guessing what's coming next.

11. Do you have any sort of a publishing schedule in terms of day of week or topic?
Sundays are Sunday Stealing, All About MEme Mondays, Post It Note Tuesdays, Wednesday are Wishful Wednesday and Fridays are 5 Question Fridays. I don't always particiapte but it does give me something to do each day and it's fun! I like looking at all the other people that link up in each of the McLinky's.

Good one this week, Sunday Stealing.

Absolutely delicious!!

Oh holy cow. I made the best thing I've ever made tonight for dinner! It was FANTASTIC. It's Caprese Flatbread Pizza, taken from the Olive Garden website and slightly modified by moi. :)

Ingredients:
1 tube of refrigerated pizza dough (thin crust kind)
1 package of grape tomatoes, quartered
Olive Oil
Garlic Powder
Salt
Pepper
Mozerella Cheese
Parmesean Cheese
Italian Seasoning
Minced Garlic
Miracle Whip/Mayonnaise

What To Do:
First, quarter the tomatoes, toss with 4 tablespoons of olive oil, a healthy dose of italian seasoning, minced garlic, salt and pepper. Set aside. Allow to marinate at least 10 minutes.

Grease cookie sheet. Spread pizza dough on sheet as thin/thick as package recommends. Brush liberally with olive oil. Bake at 350 for 7-10 minutes. Remove from oven. Allow to cool for a few minutes. Optional: while bread is still warm (not HOT!) rub a fresh clove of garlic across surface. (I skipped this step because my garlic was looking yucky today. It made no difference.)

Once bread is cooled completely, spread Miracle Whip across crust. A thin layer is best. Sprinkle a light dusting of garlic powder over the top. Add mozzerlla on top. Drain tomato mixture, spread evenly across pizza. Top with a sprinkle of parmesean cheese. Bake at 350 for another 7-10 minutes. It's done when it's brown and bubbly, with all the cheese melted.



Let me JUST say! This was AMAZZZZZZING. Dave said it tasted like it came from a restaurant, which is high praise from Mr. D. :) Unfortunately, I made chicken and pasta too, so we didn't get to eat as much tonight as we would have liked. Fortunately, I think it will only get better with time. It's chilling in our fridge, waiting for lunch tomorrow. Try it!! You'll love it. It's going to be my new take to people's party food, for sure. (Laura, you'll get some sometime I swear!)

Lazy Saturday.

Today is a lazy Saturday around our household. I shipped Dave off for the afternoon to see Avatar (again.) He's pretty much obsessed with it and I really have no interest in seeing it. So as his wife, I recognized he needed a break and say "go ahead by yourself!" I have plenty that needs done here and Rory needed a good nap schedule day, so home we stayed. Plus, I work tomorrow afternoon so there's no way he could go then.

I've spent the day cleaning and doing laundry preparing for our big TRIP this week!! Yes, folks, the time is finally upon us! Dave and I will be in DISNEY WORLD in 4 days, not counting today. :) I can hardly contain my excitement!! Dave has never been so he's not quite as jazzed as I am, but trust me he's excited to get away from the tundra we apparently live in for a while. We're staying at Port Orleans French Quarter and we'll be in Florida for 5 days. Not nearly long enough, but my boss won't let me take more time off! HAHA. (I'm self employed, remember?) Actually I could have taken more time off, but I'm trying to be responsible here, people. :)

I don't really have much to say today. Let's have some tidbits...

1) I only use Free and Clear ALL detergent to wash Rory's clothes. She has super sensitive skin that seems dry 100% of the time, so I figure that no harsh chemicals or colors or scents can't hurt. I tried Dreft (Sorry Aunt Barb!) but I just didn't care for it.

2) I am a terrible scrapbooker. Terrible! In fact, when I ordered a ton of pictures from my wedding, I tried to scrapbook. I gave up. I had one of my students/friends do it for me! I've tried many times and I always get disappointed and frustrated. I would love to take a class, but they aren't any offered in the middle of the forest. (More trees than people around these parts, it seems.)

3) Tonight, I am cooking Tuscan Garlic Chicken and Caprese Flatbread, straight off the Olive Garden website. I'm pretttty much thrilled about it. I can't wait to have my whole house smell like garlic. It's the best scent, I think. Next time homemade apple pie. (Don't get any ideas, Dave. Too. Much. Sugar!) :)

4) I need to organize Dave's side of our bedroom. Mine is pretty good, some hangers on the floor and some books stacked up, but other than that, it's fine. Dave's side...whoa baby. We call it his clothes mountain. Any suggestions for easy ways to keep his clothes organized? He needs work clothes, dress clothes and normal clothes areas. That's the problem, I think. Things get thrown in the closet or the dresser and they all get mixed up...hmmm...a trip to Ikea is in order I believe!

Okay. Rory's clothes need put in the dryer and I think I am going to make some coffee. I actually have a hot second to read a book today! Enjoy your weekends, dear friends.

Five Q Friday

Woop! Woop! It's Five Question Friday (herein referred to as 5QF) hosted by my pal, Mama M over at Five Crooked Halos. Join in! Link up at her site. If you stumbled over to 567k8 via 5QF, say hey! I'll visit you back, swear. :)

1. Would you ever vacation alone?
Absolutely! But only in certain spots. I'd love to spend a Kate Week in New York City. I'd stay at the Westin Times Square. I'd get my booty into every dance class I can get my hands on, hit TKTS twice a day and see EVERY STINKING SHOW no one in my family ever wants to see with me, eat at crazy restaurants and shop until I can't take it anymore. Bliss!

I'd love a week at the ocean, if I was grieving or healing. But really those are the only two places I'd wish to go alone. I'd miss Dave and Rory too much anywhere else. I could never travel abroad by myself. Too many missed opportunities to share with my family! I've been to 47 of the 50 states, so anywhere in the US I'd go, I'd need to take D and R to show them what I know.


2. Do you go the speed limit?
Ugh yes, I do. I might go 5 over, because that's still pretty tame. I live in fear of tickets. I always tell Dave I won't pay his tickets, so...I better not get one myself. (haha!) I set my cruise control all the time. Plus, I'm usually driving with Rory so safety first!

3. Why did you start blogging/following blogs?
I started following 2 blogs: Laura at Life Happens (my sister in law) because she's an inspiration to me. She's a wonderful Christian woman and has some seriously fantastic kids. :) And Ginny at That's Church I've been reading her for probably 3 years now, since she was the anonymous Jane Pitt, of Pitt Girl stardom. :)

I started my own blog because I love to write and I needed an outlet. I like to purge my words, erase them and start over! Plus, all these carnivals and memes give me something to smile about.

4. Where do you shop for yourself?
Old Navy is my favorite. It's perfectly in my age range and the clothes fit me nicely. They always have a good variety of business-y and casual and I need that variety. I have to wear yoga clothes to work but I like to wear nicer clothes on the weekend. I am also a huge fan of J.Crew for real clothes.


5. What was the song that you danced your first dance with your spouse to at your wedding...or...what song would you like your first dance to be to?
We danced to "When I Fall In Love." We don't really have a song and Dave isn't comfortable dancing. I went with a standard love song so that he would be familiar with it and feel okay. If it was up to him, I'm sure there would have been no dance at all! He did it for me, though, and that's true love if you knew how shy Dave can be.

I did put a lot of thought in to my song with my dad, though. My dad is a wonderful man. He was always 100% behind me and Chelsea, supporting our crazy dreams and letting us learn to fall and fly. He (And my mom, of course!) gave us the world when there was no way it was possible. He used to sit on the edge of my bed at night when I was little and play the guitar and sing for me. We sang funny songs most often, but before I fell asleep, he'd sing John Denver. (His favorite! John Denver died on my dad's birtday, fyi.) And this one was always my favorite...


Sunshine on My Shoulders
My dad didn't know what I picked! He was so surprised and he loved it. People probably thought we were crazy, but this is such a great song for my family. It reminds us of all that we've been through and how far we've come. We've got so far to go, but life is really and truly good. :)

Prim Swim

Attention! Attention!

I have never liked a single swimming suit I've owned.

Truth.

I always feel inappropriate in them. (haha) I am "gifted" in certain areas of my body and have been since 8th grade. (Joy of all joys.) I've never felt comfortable in a swimming suit because there was no coverage where I needed it. It was disappointing and usually resulted in me wearing a tank top over the top to feel a little better about things.

I don't think I'll need that anymore!!

Check out Prim Swim!


Not only are their suits super cute, they are modest too. Thick straps up top, gathering to hide problem areas and they all come with full foam cups and a built in shelf bra.

Hello, ladies. I'm in *luv.* :) Check them out! You'll love it!

Breakthrough

Yesterday was a yucky day for me and Rory. She fell a thousand times it seemed. (She's trying to walk so hard...at 8.5 months, mind you.) She was whiny and cry-y all day. We almost got in a wreck on the way to daycare (not our fault!!), there was a huge line at the chiropractor for me, a student's grandma passed away, it was just a ton of little things that made the day BLAH.

But! I had a breakthrough.

I promised myself, no matter how gross the day got, I wouldn't solve it with food. And I didn't!! I wanted a little treat so I got some sugar free jell-o jigglers. At Sheetz, you can get a big bag of them for like 2 bucks. There's NO sugar and the ENTIRE bag only has 45 calories! I keep it in my fridge and grab a few when I need a treat. I didn't one time eat chocolate out of anger, grab a cookie out of sympathy or grab a Coke because I was tired. Nope. I went to bed feeling good about my day and I liked it. I'm gunning for the same results today.

EDIT!
I weighed myself today. I usually do it on Mondays and Thursdays. I'm down since Monday already! :) I found this picture. THIS is what I'd like to look like again. Strong, healthy and prettttty. (Plus my hair is slamming in this picture. Hmmm...time to grow it out again.)


This was the first year of the studio, soooo spring of 2006. That's only 4 years ago! Not too bad, really, all things considered. I'll get there. I like goals. I like achieving them even better. :)

Thank You Very Much Thursday

Ooooh I love this one! Kmama over at The Daily Dribbles hosts Thank You Very Much Thursday and it's a gooooood one. I'll be joining in on this one often. I have lots of people I need to "thank." :)

(Disclaimer: I promise post a real post at some point today!)



-To Jeff Probst on Regis and Kelly this morning, your Alec Baldwin impression is not that great. I'm pretty sure my sister can do way better. You should get over it and yourself. Thankyouverymuch.

-To the kid who whipped out of his driveway yesterday while failing to notice me, in my large SUV in to which my daughter was strapped...please look out the back window before you decide to drive down the road at 65 mph in town. Dangerous driving is not cool or hip, punk. Thankyouverymuch.

-To ESPN, NBC, all sportscasters everywhere...please STOP talking about Tiger Woods all the darn time. It puts Dave in a bad mood, which in turns puts Rory and I in bad moods. Just. let. it. go. Thankyouverymuch.

-To all the chronic Facebraggers who invade my newsfeed, stop it. I get nauseous when I view my live feed. Your life is fantastic and 10000% of the time, it's completely put together. Gag. Get real. Thankyouverymuch.

-To the Christmas Decoration Totes that still elude me...WHY are you hiding? Please come out! I just want to play with you and stuff you full of tinsel, candles, stockings and kitschy little knickknacks. Get out or you will be replaced. Thankyouverymuch.


I feel better now. :) Join in! It's a good time!

Wishful Wednesday

I'm joining in with Miss Kelly again for Wishful Wednesday! This week is such a good topic. She's fantastic at picking interesting topics. I appreciate it each Wednesday, something to get me through the mid week blahs. :)



This weeks topic...

I wish I could spendd 3 minutes in ____________'s shoes.

I would choose Hillary Clinton.

Shocked? I knew you would be!! Let me explain my reasoning.

I am not a huge Hillary Clinton fan. I was strongly opposed to her bid for President. I do appreciate the strides she's making for women in politics and I don't "hate" her by any means. She's clearly intelligent and hardworking. I think she is doing a good job as Secretary of State. But I just don't care for her. I think by spending some time in her shoes, I'd get a better insight in to her and learn to like her more. I want to like her. She is such an influential and empowering woman of our time. I'd love to understand better the choices she made during the big scandal back when Mr. Clinton was President.

There you have it! My very politically charged choice would be Hillary Clinton. Whom would you pick? Head over to The Seattle Smith's and link up!

Bored on a Thursday Night.

I had a surprise night off tonight! See, my studio is really large. That's a good thing for dance, but a bad thing in regards to heat. We have a policy of cancellation if the temperature is below 10 degrees or the wind chill is below zero. We had BOTH of those tonight, plus a t-o-n of snow through out the day...so BAM cancellation! I got to hang out with my husband. :) Rory goes to my mom's every week on Wednesday or Thursday so Dave can get a nap. (He goes in to work at 3:00 am most mornings during the weeke.) So I got to just relax and start packing for DISNEY WORLD!! But I also burned through everything I had to watch on my DVR. Sad! So now I am "stuck" watching Food Network and doing this pointless Meme until Dave falls asleep and I can watch disc after disc of Gilmore Girls. :)

20 favorite things to do
1. Dance.
2. Be a Mommy.
3. Read.
4. Cook.
5. Facebook and Blog.
6. All things crafty.
7. Take pictures.
8. Shop.
9. Watch football.
10. Travel.
11. Be with my family.
12. Laugh.
13. Accounting. (don't laugh!)
14. Eat and drink at restaurants.
15. Paint my nails.
16. Watch Gilmore Girls.
17. Choreograph dances.
18. Counsel with my students.
19. Solve problems.
20. Exercise.

19 things you did this week
1. Taught lots of dance.
2. Threw a surprise party for Dave.
3. Loved on my daughter! :)
4. Went shopping with Rory and 2 of my cousins.
5. Ate at Bob Evan's.
6. Went to Wal Mart.
7. Finished Nikky and Tara's duet! YAYYY!
8. Visited Chelsea.
9. Started a new book.
10. Drank more Diet Coke than I should have. :(
11. Power Half Hour!
12. Cleaned my house.
13. Finally got the tights separated and labeled.
14. Started working on recital stuff.
15. Started getting my taxes in line.
16. Celebrated Dave's birthday.
17. Cried with 2 students.
18. Played Farmville.
19. Picking Kaari up from gymnastics.

18 celebrities/sports figures you find attractive
1. Matthew McConaughey.
2. Zac Efron.
3. Willie Parker.
5. Reggie Bush.
6. Bradley Cooper.
7. George Clooney.
8. John Krasinski.
9. Matt Damon.
10. Ryan Reynolds.
11. Owen Wilson.
12. Patrick Dempsey.
13. Denzel Washington.
14. Will Smith.
15. Peyton Manning.
16. Scott Patterson.
17. Milo Ventimiaglia.
18. Adam Sandler.

17 bands/singers/groups you like
1. Ben Folds Five.
2. Addison Road.
3. Britney Spears.
4. FFH.
5. Mercy Me.
6. Dave Matthews.
7. Michael Buble.
8. Schuyler Fisk.
9. Joshua Radin.
10. Anything "Featuring T-Pain." :)
11. Carrie Underwood.
12. Casting Crowns.
13. Lady Gaga.
14. Zac Brown Band.
15. CSNY.
16. DEFINITELY NOT TAYLOR SWIFT. GAG.
17. Superchic[k]

16 favorite movies
1. You've Got Mail
2. Sex and the City
3. Julie and Julia
4. Little Women
5. Dead Poet's Society
6. Night at the Museum 1
7. Night at the Museum 2
8. Up
9. The Hangover
10. 7 Pounds.
11. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
12. Sleepless in Seattle
13. Enchanted
14. The Devil Wears Prada
15. Pollyanna
16. Alice in Wonderland

15 things you hate
1. Snow after the January thaw
2. Cigarettes
3. Spending money
4. Rudeness
5. Arrogance
6. Cancer
7. Bad things happening to good people
8. Rumors and gossip
9. Cold sheets
10. Dry skin in the winter
11. Being pale
12. Tanning (Catch 22, that's called. haha)
13. Dirty dishes
14. Losing things you put in special places to remember
15. When you fall asleep watching a movie and the music loops and loops and loops at the menu.

14 things you love
1. Sunshine!
2. Days in the 70's
3. Laughing
4. My family
5. My students
6. The Office
7. Gilmore Girls
8. My SRX
9. Soft hoodies
10. Brushing my teeth
11. Chinese food
12. Birthdays
13. My Aunt's swimming pool
14. Looking at old pictures

13 favorite foods
1. Anything from the Olive Garden
2. My mom's spaghetti sauce
3. Gail's brocolli cheese soup
4. Bruschetta chicken
5. Mashed potatoes
6. Cheeseburgers from McD's
7. Steak and cheese subs
8. Turkey sandwiches with coleslaw, provolone and tomatoes
9. Movie Theater Popcorn
10. Veggie Lo Mein and Egg Rolls
11. Apple Pie
12. Loaded with Veggies Meatloaf
13. Chicken Spaetzle Soup

12 favorite beverages
1. Diet Coke.
2. Water.
3. Milk.
4. Coffee
5. Green Tea
6. Flavored Water
7. Mike's Hard Lemonade
8. Arnold Palmers
9. Caramel Frappuccino
10. Dr. Pepper
11. Orange Juice
12. Fruit smoothies

11 TV shows
1. Gilmore Girls
2. The Office
3. Law and Order SVU
4. GLEE
5. Monk
6. Top Chef
7. Rachael Ray
8. So You Think You Can Dance?
9. Psych
10. 7th Heaven
11. Little People Big World

10 things you want to do before you die
1. Have another baby
2. Take my family of 4 to the beach
3. Build a house
4. Be happy with the way I look
5. Write a book
6. Win that darn big trophy
7. Finish a year entirely on budget
8. Take cooking classes
9. Finish my degree
10. Buy a lake house

9 favorite songs
1. Gracie-Ben Folds
2. Molly Smiles-Jesse Spencer (from "Uptown Girls." Rest in Peace, Brittany Murphy!)
3. What It Feels Like-FFH
4. I'm Still Hurting-from The Last Five Years
5. Sunshine On My Shoulders-John Denver
6. Astonishing-from Little Women
7. What Do I Know of Holy-Addison Road
8. Issay Issay-An Ethiopian Christmas Carol
9. Where You Lead-Carole King

8 things you can't do you wish you could
1. Run.
2. Cook more often.
3. Keep my house cleaner.
4. Speak a foreign language fluently.
5. Decorate cakes, cupcakes and cookies.
6. Be a Rockette.
7. Control the weather.
8. Sleep in! haha

7 guilty pleasures
1. Gilmore Girls
2. Diet Coke with Lime
3. Underwear from VS
4. Reading worthless chick lit
5. Food Network
6. Facebook/Farmville
7. Popcorn

6 people you know (no one famous hehe)
1. Rory
2. Dave
3. Nikky
4. Tara
5. Chelsea
6. Britty

5 favorite places to shop
1. Old Navy
2. Victoria's Secret
3. J. Crew
4. Outlet Malls in general
5. WalMart

4 favorite places to eat
1. Olive Garden
2. Mario and Luigi's
3. Vullo's
4. Subway

3 people you love
1. Dave
2. Rory
3. MomDadChelsea

2 things you want more than anything
1. Sunshine
2. Friends that are married with babies so we can have playdates. (Not that my friends aren't fantastic, I just need Mamas for playdates! haha NO OFFENSE!)

1 cause you believe in
1. Teenage Relationship Abuse Awareness. Words sting longer than hands.

Post It Note Tuesday

Can I just say again I really enjoy SupahMom?! Her blog is so cute and her Tuesday McLinky is really fun. :) Post it Note Tuesday! This is my first one and I'm joining in.



Here's mine for this week.




And seriously...If you're name is Kate and you have been thinking that the totes for the rest of the Christmas decorations were sitting happily in the basement for the last 2 months, you'd be sorely mistaken. If then, you said to yourself, they must be in the spare bedroom...you'd still be wrong.

UMMM...?

Let's talk football.

My name is Kate and I can predict sporting events with pretty darn good accuracy.

This is my hidden talent and it annoys my husband to no end!! This is a Steelers Household. We are also Pens fans (love my Kunitz!) and Penn State Fans. We are loyal fans to our teams, good bad and ugly.

Unfortunately, I have an innate ability to look at the state of the Steelers in the first few games and determine whether or not we'll be heading to the Super Bowl. Both times in the last four years the Steelers have gone to THE GAME, I've called it. Both times they've won. I called it. This year, in September I said to Dave we'd be lucky to make it to the playoffs, let alone the SB. (Not that I am a pesimistic fan, I would have LOVED to be proven wrong. :))

In October, I looked at all the teams and predicted 2 teams for the Super Bowl. Anyone want to take a guess what I said??

Saints vs Colts

Yep. I'm good.

Dumb luck? Perhaps! (haha I can admit it!) I picked the Saints and the Colts in these last two games because...

The Vikings. OMG. I can't stand Bretty Favre. I have no problem with the Vikings, just Favre. First off, he says his name wrong. The R comes after the V, yet when you say it, it's reversed? Yeahhhh. Also, he started playing in the NFL when I was six years old. He's retired twice yet still plays? I think he abandoned Green Bay. And the last reason I can't stand him is his terrible locker room rendition of "Pants On the Ground." Gag me with a purple and gold spoon.

Also, I don't like the Jets because I don't think their fans are excited enough in the NYC area. Ever been to Pgh during a Super Bowl season?! THAT'S fan excitement! Also, Alan Faneca plays there now and I really miss his impact on the Steelers. He was a vital part of our team. Sigh.

Now, on to the big game.

1) The Saints. I personally feel that Drew Brees is completely underrated and underappreciated. He is FANTASTIC. He is accurate (70.6%!) and just an all around SMART QB. I am glad he's in the Super Bowl because hopefully people will focus on his really good playing.
Here's my favorite part of the Saints though...

Yep. Reggie Bush. Two scoops of ice cream delicious right there!

2) The Colts. Say it with me now...AWWWWWW. I l-o-v-e Peyton Manning. I think he is classy, upbeat and a good guy. And his wife is beautiful and has a good head on her shoulders. He's fantastic. I just think of the Colts as a good, wholesome team. Tony Dungy was a great man when he coached there and they have really kept that persona up since he left.

So here's the question. What is my choice?

COLTS. Yep. Peyton's going to bring it on home for the AFC again this year.

But don't worry. I won't be upset if I'm wrong. I'll be in Florida, at Disney World, soooo I could really care less. :)

Dealbreaker

Okay. I have found my favorite Monday Meme writer. Supah over at Adventures of a Wanna Be Supah Mom is pretty much the cutest. Her blogs crack me up and she is so honest, but funny about things. She has a good attitude about LIFE and it's refreshing. She hosts All About MEme Mondays and I'm joining in. Link up! I'd love to hear your answers too.



This week's topic:
A. List of your top 5 relationship dealbreakers. ( friend, family, in laws, etc)

Now, if you don't watch 30 Rock, "dealbreaker" might not be as familiar for you. I don't watch it religiously, but I do enjoy when I catch it. (We're OFFICE fans in this house, obsessed Office fans actually. :)) I'll explain. A dealbreaker is something that you just could NOT tolerate in a relationship. (Familial, office, etc.)

Here's mine.

1) I could never date/marry a SMOKER. My apologies to smokers out there, I mean no offense. I just can't stand that smell. It permeates everythings and never leaves. Also, I have asthma and allergies, so there you go.

2) I could never date/marry someone who doesn't have a sense of humor. I like to laugh at life. I understand there are serious times, but sometimes finding a little something about it makes everything a little better. Plus, I think I'm hilarious and I know Dave laughs just to humor me...soooo....:)

3) I could never date/marry someone who wears socks with sandals. GROSS. Look at this!

I'm not asking my significant other to be fashion forward, a total GQ man or anything, I'm just asking for sneakers. :)

4) I could never date/marry someone who wears women's clothing. Especially skinny jeans! GAG.

No man should ever wear jeans tighter than mine. I mean HELLO.

5) I could never/date marry someone who didn't like children. That's a dealbreaker, folks.

Happy Monday! Enjoy your week. Head over to Supah Mom and link up!
~Kate

Friday Funny

Kelly, over at Kelly & Co., is hosting a new Friday McLinky. FUNNY FRIDAY. And really who doesn't need a good laugh to pass the time on Fridays? I'm not the funniest person in the world, but my students are and I will pass their gems along to you.

Last week, while discussing what animal we would be...
J: I'd be a sparkly butterfly or a bird.
A: YOU SAID YOU'D BE A MONKEY OR A RED BIRD.
J: Well, I changed my mind about the monkey and I hate red.
A: UGHHHH.

While discussing our parents' jobs...
Me: S, I know what your parents do. They own the Lawn and Garden Company.
S: NO! They are landscapers!

In boys' acro, while stretching and putting our "nose to our toes"...
A: My feet smell like garbage.
S: Mine smell like burnt toast.
E: Well, mine smell like BEER!


Enjoy your Fridays, friends. I'll leave you with a video of my students practicing their advanced acro routine called "Le Cirque." Note, this at the end of an intense 2.5 hour practice. Some tricks are missing and sometimes their technique isn't perfect. But it gets the point across. :)

5 Question Friday

It's 5QF again, hosted by my pal, Mama M over at 5CH. Check out my answers then link up yourself! I'd love to hear your answers. :)

1. What is better, growing old with out money or dying young and wealthy?
Growing old without money, absolutely. Life is about experiences and time spent with loved ones. Money can't buy those things but time can.

2. Who takes out the garbage at your house?
I put it on the back porch and Dave puts it in the cans and takes the cans to the end of the driveway every Sunday night. Teamwork, baby, teamwork. :)

3. Have you ever had the same dream many times?
YES! I have! No one's ever asked that on a meme before. I had a recurring dream about losing the pants to one of my dance costumes in high school. I had to go on in just the leotard part and tights. hahahaha No, it did not come true! I'm pretty careful with my stuff.

4. Can you play a musical instrument?
I can pick out a tune on the piano. I have played the flute, the trumpet, the violin and a little cello in my time though. Someday I'll relearn the violin.

5. If you owned your own store, what would you sell?
Good question! I'd own a bridal shop! My mom owned one when I was a toddler. I love the whole wedding planning process and I'd love to help other brides make their days beautiful.

Head over to 5 Crooked Halos and try it out! Mama M is fabulous. :)

An award! Thanks Kelly!

This morning, Kelly over at Keeping Up with Kelly and Co. passed along an award to me! This is my first award. Thanks Kelly! I love her blog. It's adorable and her cakes and cookies look AMAZING. (Even though she is cheering for the Vikes and posted a blog about the Pens loss to the Wild...:))



Here are the rules:

-Thank the person who nominated you for this award.
-Copy the award & place it on your blog.
-Link to the person who nominated you for this award.
-Tell us 7 interesting things about yourself.
-Nominate 7 bloggers.
-Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.

Okay, easy enough!

1) I had the hardest time giving up my last name when I got married. Not because I don't love Dave, but I have extremely strong family ties. I don't have any "real" brothers, it seems, (another blog for another day...) so it was always important for me and Chelsea to carry on the Lenaway name. There's very few Lenaways out there. I eventually made it part of my middle name. If I ever have a son, there's a good chance his middle name will be Lenaway. Most people don't understand why this is important, but it's more common than you think.

2) When I was pregnant (and my whole life really), I thought for sure I wouldn't want to know the sex of my baby until he/she was born. That was all well and good until my last 2 months of pregnancy. I went through masssive panic attacks about not having any clothes for the baby. Silly and completely misplaced I know, but wow. Never doing that again. (Sorry Dave! I can't do it!)

3) I love to cook! I wish I was home in the evenings more so that I could cook dinner every night and actually eat with Dave more often. He doesn't mind though, he loves foooood, reheated or not. :))

4) I never finished my Bachelor's Degree. It bothers me a ton and I'm pretty insecure about it. I want to finish. I will finish, but someday.

5) I love to read and write and secretly aspire to be an author someday. I'd love to write children's books and illustrate them myself. No, I can't draw. I think it'd be hilarious.

6) I have u-g-l-y toes from 22 years of dancing. I need to have them painted because I feel like people would gag at the state of my toenails. haha

7) I am addicted to coffee, specifically house blend from Sheetz with skim milk and Splenda. (That right there? Freebie food! It's pretty much calorie free, it is sugar and fat free.) I can't help it. I love it. I could live in a coffee house. This addiction started in college. I had a freshman seminar that met in the coffee house three times a week. I fell in love with the atmosphere! It was always calm, nice music and a relaxed feel to the air. The people I met there were not people I'd have met anywhere else. I'd love to own a coffee shop of my own. Maybe someday...


Now! I pass this on to...

Laura at Life Happens
Nicole at Losingthe40
Mama M at 5 Crooked Halos
Nicole at The Young Mama Blog
Melissa at Little Mrs. Married
Elizabeth at Confessions of a Working Mom
Christa at According to Christa

Thanks again, Kelly!

Exhausted.

I am exhausted.

And I just spilled Diet Coke all over myself and the couch.

See, this is one of the problems of owning your own business. I really would like to take a personal day tomorrow, take Rory shopping in the morning then spend the afternoon snuggling on the couch with endless cups of coffee, order a pizza for dinner and just relax. But unfortunately, there's no such thing as a personal day when you are your own boss. You suck it up and go.

Last year when I was pregnant with Rory, I made sure everything was done EARLY. I mailed my taxes on March 15. I sent in the t-shirt orders on April 1, not May 1. Notes went out early. Everything was done pre-emptively because I was so afraid I'd forget something and not get it done in time. This year? Ugh. I feel like I am running in circles and getting nowhere. My head is constantly foggy and no matter what I do, each day there are a million things that didn't get accomplished. For example, the dishes needed done today. My laundry and Rory's laundry needed washed and hung to dry. (In the basement, of course. haha) I needed to enter tuition and I needed to email 3 important emails out to various groups of students. Those things did not get crossed off the to-do list. Instead they get added to tomorrow's already a million mile long list. Unless of course I take the morning off and go shopping with Rory...

I would. I'd do it in a heartbeat but then I have to weigh and measure whether or not I'll feel too guilty doing that. So much needs done, but...

I am listless and tired. Thank goodness tomorrow is Thursday.

BRESMA and a life update.

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! I can't say all, but I will go out on a ledge and say most of the orphans from BRESMA are safe! They have landed in Pittsburgh. One of the McMurtie girls is here already and the other is on her way. (Might be here by now, last update I had said she would be here soon and that was 11 hours ago or so.)

God is Good! What if His people prayed more often like this and not just in time of crisis? Imagine!

Keep praying. There are so many others that need supplies and water and safety. Pray that God's will will be done. That's the prayer that never fails, you know. :) (Anyone read The Mitford Series? :))



Today was rather uneventful but I felt like I ran a marathon. I had the baby with me at work for the majority of the evening and am now home alone with her. Luckily, I ran home at 8 and put her to bed and my dad stayed here at the house until I was able to come home. Thank goodness. She would have been miserable trying to stay awake at the studio until 9:15. (I have really great parents. :)) I survived though. Rory survived. She ate. She played. She watched the dancers and clapped when she liked things. She crawled and smiled and enjoyed herself. She only got fussy the last 20 minutes. She is the absolute best thing I've ever done in my life. She makes me a better person.

And also? She looks pretty darn cute in a wig from this year's recital...:)

I won something!

I am the worst winner of contests. I win NOTHING I enter. A couple months ago my studio had a spaghetti dinner and we raffled off gift baskets. I put ALL my tickets, lilke seriously 25, in one basket from a local bar. (Don't get jugemental! It was a gift card for FOOD. haha) I lost. Miserably. I can't even win 2 bucks on a scratch off ticket.

But today! I won something!!

I won a $25 VISA Gift Card from Mama M over at 5 Crooked Halos for participating in 5 Question Friday. She is making me promise to spend it on myself and I know JUST what I will get! We leave for Disney World soon and I am actually going to buy myself some clothes. I never ever shop for myself but I want a cute new dress to wear to dinner and hey $25 will help my clothes budget out! :)

Thanks so much again, Mama M! What a great way to start my work week!! :)

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing is here again! Head on over to Sunday Stealing and link up. Comment and let me know if you fill this out, I'd love to read your answers.

Opening…

Do you get regular massages?
No, but I am supossed to! My chiropractor recommended it a few weeks ago but honestly I haven't gotten around to working it in to my schedule. I have bad problems with muscles in my right hip and glut area that need massaged out. I asked Dave to help and it "makes his thumbs tired." hahaha Love that man.


Do you have an answering machine?
Yep.

What cuss word do you use the most?
Probably "Oh D*mn." I really don't cuss often. I cleaned up my language a couple years back when we decided to have kids. haha

Are you underweight or overweight?
Overweight and HATING it. But I am working on it and I am 3 pounds down since the start of the year! I'm enjoying the hard work.

Can you see your veins?
Some of them, actually.

Favorites…

Soap? I like Caresse Ribbons Body Wash and St. Ives Intense Healing Body Wash in the winter. My skin gets *so* dry.

Fruit? Apples! Apples! Apples! I love how they taste, how clean they make my teeth feel, everything about them.

Kind of red meat? Steak, preferrably grilled outside.

Fish? Tilapia is delicious, I also enjoy mahi mahi and salmon. Can I talk other seafood here too? Well I'm going to. Shrimp, scallops, clams, crab and lobster are HUGE faves as well.

Candy bar? If I ate candy, it'd be a 3 Musketeers.

Have You Ever…

Eaten a whole bag of potato chips? Ugh what woman hasn't!?

Eaten lobster? YES. Soooo good!!

Climbed a mountain? Not like Kilamenjaro or anything, but sure I've hiked plenty of times. Dad and I used to go "bouldering" behind our house.

Been skydiving? Absolutely not.

Been water skiing? YES!! I love to water ski!! One of my goals is to be comfortable enough in my own skin by this summer to do it again!

Do You…

Wish you could change something about your life?
My weight! My weight! My weight! But I'm working hard to get there.

Like your nose? Sure. It's rather small and centered on my face. It is also polka dotted with freckles in the summer. Good enough for me! hahaa

Like salt and vinegar chips? Sometimes.

Eat salsa? I love salsa! It's delicious and easy to make.

Own a boat? I wish we did! Someday we will.

What Is…

A small thing that people let slide but that actually has dire consequences?
Melissa said texting while driving and I agree!

Your most macho trait? I love Football, specifically the Steelers. I can talk for hours about the different teams and strategies. I even watch ESPN during football season. But I hate baseball and basketball. Hockey is okay, Pens only, please.

The longest relationship you’ve ever had? This one! :) We've been married for almost 3 years and dated a year and a half before that. Other than Dave, I had the same high school boyfriend for 3 years. Nope bad idea for a high schooler. Chelsea and I are serial daters. haha

Your most embarrassing thoughts? Thoughts? None of those are embarrassing as long as I keep my mouth shut! haha

Your most shameful moment? Hmmm...Probably when I had the cops called on me for no reason to my studio. I was so embarrassed, mainly because they showed up in front of my students. I was embarrassed because I really and truly didn't do anything wrong and I put my students in a awful situation without realizing it. Another blog for another day.

This/That…

Bath/Shower? Shower! Baths are gross to me. Sitting in your own dirt?? No thanks!

Markers/Crayons? Crayons. :)

Pens/Pencils? I like both actually.

Jelly/Cream Cheese? Jelly with chunks of fruit.

Bagel/Toast? Swedish rye toast. Holy cow awesome.

Finish…

My greatest weakness is…my students. I will do anyhing for them and it's a problem.

Three things I wouldn’t do for a million dollars are…
Porno. haha!
Hurt/injure a person/animal
Most things having to do with nudity. haha

The oddest thing I’ve ever put in my mouth is…
This drink I had to take before my c-section. It was sour and made me pucker but then felt warm in my stomach. Weird.

Firsts…

Credit card you had? I've never had a credit card and never will! I have a bank card and that works good enough for me.

Loan you got was for? Student loans for college. UGH.

Paycheck was for how much? Hmmm...it was at OG's and minimum wage was 5.25 but I was a waitress so I got paid a dollar under, since I got tips. I'm going to guess around 50 bucks.

Time you had stitches? 17 outside my hand, 13 inside. I put my hand through a window unintentionally. (Not because I was mad or anything! haha I fell off a stool.)

Time you went to the hospital for something? I had a live parasitic tumor removed from my body on May 6, 2009. ;) Love yah Rory!

Lasts…

List everything you ate in the last 24 hours? Coffee, a turkey sandwich and coleslaw from Sheetz, Chicken with brocolli and white rice for dinner, a small snickers Nutcracker. Not the worst day, actually! Bad move on the Nutcracker but that's okay. I had plenty of water!

Last thing you used a credit card for? I used my bank card for gas and lunch.

What was your job previous to the one you have now? I was the assistant ticket manager for the Office of Events at my college. Go Gators! Wooooo!

Last thing you celebrated? My birthday! Which I will be celebrating again here in a few hours with Kaari. :)

Last time you were at a sports bar? Well the closest "sports bar" to us would be the local Applebee's 40 minutes away. hahahahaha So...actually a long time ago. We haven't gone there in forever. We should. I'm hungry for the Asian Chicken Salad. DELICIOUS! And it comes in a lunch portion which goes perfectly with a cup of vegetable soup! :)

Most Days...and then TODAY.

Most days, I am a pretty happy person. I would put myself in the "generally happy and often pleasant" category. I of course have off days, who doesn't? Generally, though, I can brush things off and smile about things. I've been through a ton in my past that has lead me to realize, though I can't always see it in the present, ALL things come together for the good and work of the Lord. Mysterious ways abound, so to speak. But today...is not one of those days.

Why is it that as a full-time mom, official nanny, self employed more than full time working business owner, head chef, head maid, chief photographer, grocer buyer, laundry doer and offical blogger of our little abode I feel like a failure on days like today? I feel so entirely overwhelmed with my job, overwhelmed with being a (relatively) new mom, overwhelmed with LIFE. Luckily, I am blessed to have the greatest mom and 2 aunts in the world and they are quick to remind me that all moms go through times like this. Everyone has days of inadequacies. It's okay to feel down, it's natural. I can't fix all the things that are bugging me. I can only fix the things I personally have control over and unfortunately that's not many of the things bugging me. Many situations have 2 people involved and it takes 2 people to make a change. (I am being very vague on purpose. Apologies.)

So what I can do, to try to lift my mood is write.

Allow me to present my "Ode to the Working Mom" to the tune of "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head"

I can't stop the voices in my head
Telling me all the things I didn't get to today
Crying's not for me
No, I'm never gonna stop the voices by complaining

So I just toss in another load of clothes
Turn on the dishwasher and tuck the kids in to bed
Toys all over the floor oooohhh
Voices are calling, in my head they keep calling...

But there's one thing I know
Those chores they won't defeat me
I'll keep working
Until the sun itself rises to greet me!

Voices keep screaming in my mind
Didn't get the bills paid
Oh I wish I could unwind!
Garbage needs to go out

Those voices keep yelling in my head, they keep yelling
Yeah but those kids, they really love me.
It won't be long til happiness steps up to greet me....

I can't stop the voices in my head
Telling me all the things I didn't get to today
Crying's not for me
No, I'm never gonna stop the voices by complaining
Because I'm loved, nothing's worrying me...

5 Question Friday!

Mama M over at 5 Crooked Halos is hosting 5 Question Friday this week. (By the way, 5CH is my favorite blog name I've seen yet!) I'm joining in...you??

1. Worst trouble you ever got into as a teenager?
Ready to hear how LAME I am?? I can't even think of a "worst" trouble. I never drank. Never stayed out all night. Never snuck out. I had a lame boyfriend and danced at least 4 nights a week. I didn't really have time for trouble. As my mom says, "busy kids don't have time to get in trouble." It was certainly the truth for me!

There was one time though...this is really funny, actually. At my high school, there was a small outdoor "courtyard" area by the auditorium and office where seniors could hang out during lunch. There were tables, plants, benches, very nice little outside spot. One day myself and a bunch of my friends brought in sidewalk chalk and drew pictures on the cement. We drew funny things, a hopscotch board and signed our names. No big deal right? It would be gone the next morning since it was going to rain anyway.

You'd THINK it was no big deal. Didn't all of our butts get called down to the office and threatened to have "Action" taken against us!! hahahahaha SIDEWALK CHALK?? REALLY?!? There were drug deals, underage drinking, kids having sex all over that school and we were in trouble for sidewalk chalk! hahaha Nothing ever happened because one of the teachers took care of it for us. And the art teacher sent kids to the courtyard with buckets of water and doused it away like 2.2 seconds for us. Pathetic!

2. Are you a morning person or a night person?
Well both. If it's a work day, then I'm a night person. If it's the weekend, I like to burn the candle at both ends. haha

3. Are you a one-handed or a two-handed Texter?
DEFINITELY two handed. I can't wait until Dave gets texting next month. Get ready to be sick of me, sir. :)

4. Democrat, Republican, or Independent..or maybe even Green Party (whatever that is).
I am a happy mix, I think. I would call myself Republican and that's what I am registered as, but I also have a smattering of Democrat in me and even have some Independent streaks. I vote for whom I want to, regardless of the animal they are representing.

I'm a very political person so I am going to stop this here before I preach a serious sermon on bi-partisan behavior.


5. Are you a pet person?
Typically, yes. But I swear to God if my dog Millie licks me one more time today...UGH.

BRESMA.

I don't know if you've been following the travesty in Haiti much, but it is heartbreaking. I can't talk about it much because I can not do it without tears.

Ginny aka PittGirl over at www.thatschurch.com passed along a story a month or so ago about 2 Pittsburgh girls who live in Haiti and run BRESMA orphanage on Port-au-Prince.

They. have. been. devastated.

They have 150 children they are in charge. At the moment, they are living on the lawn of the orphanage. No water. No food. No shelter. The embassy has offered to fly the Ali and Jamie home to Pittsburgh. THey said no.

THEY SAID NO because they are amazing.

They will not leave until their children are taken care of. Most of these children, if not ALL of these children, are so close to be adopted. They have adoptions in process, but they aren't finalized. They are ALMOST American citizens but they aren't. So they can't leave on an American Embassy flight.

Here's what needs to happen. Ginny launched a massive campaign to get the girls and the children home to America and SAFE. There's offers of planes to get them and bring them home. That's fine.

We need to pray specifically for the following:
1) That the politicians already working round the clock to get the children granted asylum would be successful and FAST.
2) That food, water and diapers would be taken to the girls and NOW. IMMEDIATELY. NOW.
3) That the children and the girls would be safe until help gets to them.

I believe 100% in the power of prayer. I can't do much, but I can repost this. I can promise to pray and beg you to join in prayer with me. Look at the pictures of Ginny's blog and you will be heart broken for them as well. They are BABIES there. BABIES. Like Rory. Starving and thirsty. Rory is sleeping soundly in her crib with plenty of formula and lots of jars of baby food patiently waiting for her in the cupboards. THOSE BABIES are sleeping on the lawn and waiting for their next meal.

PRAY. PRAY NOW. AND PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.

Wishful Wednesday: Business Dreams

This is a good one for me! Kelsey over at Seattle Smith's hosts Wishful Wednesdays and I'm joining in again! Head over and link up. I'd love to read your ideas!!

'I wish' .... I had the startup funds to build that company I have always dreamt about, and it would be a bigger, better STUDIO K!

I'm kind of cheating here, because I do own my dream company. What I don't own is a dream facility.

Backstory: I opened in August of 2005 in a small store front. I had one studio, a lobby and a miniscule office. I had after my initial registration, around 80 students. I was ecstatic! As the year progressed, I ended up with at the highest 102 students. 97 performed in my first recital! That's pretty fantastic for my tiny town...

We moved out of our store front after the first year, in to a really BIG full floor facility. We have 2 studios, one almost the size of the stage we perform on, a storage room, a changing room, an office, a lobby and bathroom and a "lounge" where my older students chill between classes.

Sounds fantastic? It is! And it isn't. It is absolutely wonderful for us now. But we are outgrowing our space in terms of what we need. We'll make it work up there because I *love* my landlord! She is amazing and takes great care of us. I also love our central location and just put $4000 in to repairs on the floors, lobby and bathroom this summer.

But if money was no object...

I'd like this building (Pretty close, anyways! I need higher ceilings.)


With hardwood sprung floors, wrap around mirrors and wall mounted surround sound.


I'd also have closed circuit viewing TVs so parents could watch from the lobby!

My tumbling area would have...
A tumble trak!


Tumbling Harnesses, more mats than you can count, foam pits, crash mats, mats on the walls and every size of handspring machines...


I'd also a special studio dedicated just for little dancers, painted all wonderful and bright. I'd have a girls locker and a boys locker room, with showers. I'd have another set of bathrooms in the lobby area. I'd have a huge office and a special homework room for my students. I'd have a parking lot and a swipe card system so no weirdos could get in. I'd have a coffee bar in the lobby to feed my addiction.

Awww...someday.

Tasty Tuesday! (Thanks Laura! :o))

Recipe Tuesday has been renamed Tasty Tuesday, courtesy of Laura!

Today's recipe is a modified version of the Chicken Gnocchi soup from Olive Garden! It is super delicious and really not that bad for you. I use low fat and fat free items whenever I can, as well as low sodium broth. Also, I invented this one on my own...so there's no real measurements. Taste as you go along!

1 box of (low sodium) chicken broth
4 cups of water
Carrots
Celery
Onion
Spinach (I used 1 small box of frozen spinach that I defrosted in the fridge over night. Make sure you SQUEEZE out as much water as you can or else it will water down your soup.)
3 cups of cooked shredded chicken. (more or less. It's protein baby!)
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
1 package of Gnocchi (I used potato gnocchi premade from the grocery store. You could make your own, but I just didn't have time)
1 small cartion of cream. (That's the bad part, I'm afraid. Next time I make this, I'm going to try it with 2% milk. Still not the best but...)
1 cup of parmesean cheese

Add broth and water to the pot. Add in carrots, celery and onion. Simmer until veggies are al dente. Add in chicken, gnocchi and season to taste. Simmer until gnocchi floats. Add in spinach. Let cook on low as long as you like! I cooked mine about an hour on low to let the flavors really marry. Right before serving, add in parm cheese and cream. Stir and let simmer for 5-10 minutes. Serve!

Delicious! Easy! Goes well with salad or sandwich. This recipe makes a TON. Dave and I had it for lunch and dinner yesterday and there's plenty of left overs waiting for us today. Try it! You'll love it!

Weight Loss Goals for this week

I'm setting my goals for this week, and I have a BIG one.

I've given up Diet Coke.

Good bye. See you when I've lost 40 pounds. BYE BYE. I don't need your empty calories or small amount of sodium. Yeah, you may be calorie free and sugar free, but you are empty! You do nothing for me and are chock full of gross chemicals I don't need. I am going to start a relationship with my friend water. It's a much better match, helps to curb my appetite and helps me feel fuller faster. SO there, Diet Coke. I won't miss you. You won't miss me. We'll survive!

I'm also making it a goal to exercise 4 times this week. I was all set to head up to my mom's after Rory's breakfast to get on the treadmill, but it is beyond cold outside and I'm not crazy about taking the baby out. Don't think I'm coping out though!! As soon as she goes down for a nap, I have a date with Jillian downstairs. :)

My third goal for this week is to eat as little sugar as possible. I can't say NO sugar, because some things that are okay on my plan have small amounts of sugar in them. I mean no candy, cake, cookies, etc. No sugary choices, if that makes sense.

Tuesday is my favorite dance day of the week! I hope your Tuesdays are as fun as mine promsies to be.
Later, cats.
Kate

Survey Sunday!

Sunday has rolled around again and I'm already looking forward to this week. We're in my favorite time of year at dance. Costumes are arriving, we're working on dances in all their classes, the kids are excited to be in the most exciting 5 months of the year! :) I am feeling so much better about my teaching abilities since Christmas break. I am rejuvenated. Everyone need a break, myself included.

Now! On with Survey Sunday.

Today I am playing along with Sunday Stealing. Head on over and check it out! It's fun. I love these Linked Up blogs I've been stumbling upon. Great way to find new bloggers to follow. :)

Sunday Stealing: The Current Obsessions Meme

Book:
I am really into Jodi Picoult the last few months. Though I haven't been reading as much lately as I usually do, every time I get a chance, it's Jodi that I reach for. I think my favorite of her's that I have read thus far is "The Pact." WOW is all I can say.


Snack:
I am on a quest for a healthier lifestyle so this is a fun one for me. My favorite snack right now is a tie between 2 things. I love SmartOnes freezer desserts. They are the perfect size, come in tons of flavors and really aren't that bad for me. They satisfy my sweet tooth while at the same time not throwing off my entire day of good eating. I am also totally in to fresh vegies right now! The more carrots and celery and peppers and tomatoes and mushrooms I can get my hands on the better!

Restaurant:
Olive Garden is my obsession lately. Mainly because you can get everything in a lunch portion, eat delicious salad and a breadstick or two. Also, leftovers are like...GOLD from there.

Beverage:
Water. It's even edging out Diet Coke on my list of must have liquids lately.

Decor:
Ugh. I need a decor obsession. I need to redo my entire house. It still looks exactly like when my aunt and uncle here lived here. (Which, by the way, my aunt has really great taste!! This would be why I havn't been quick to change much...haha!) I just need to make changes and make this house my own. Starting with my bedroom which I would like painted in brown, light blue and lime green. Rory's room needs done before we even start THINKING about another baby. I want her room done in shades of purple and orange polka dots. My bathroom needs to be seaside style. My kitchen needs to be black, white and red.

So much to do. So much paint to buy. haha

Actor:
Confession. I have a huge, 8th grade girl style crush on Zac Efron. Do not worry, Dave knows. He has his own 12 year old boy style crush on Hillary Duff, so it's okay. :)


I mean hello.



Actress:
Amy Adams! Amy Adams! Amy Adams! She can do funny. She can do serious. She can sing. She is amazing. (Need examples? Check out Julie&Julia, Enchanted, Night at the Museum 2, Doubt, Sunshine Cleaning, Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day, Drop Dead Gorgeous...)

Plus she's beautiful and totally embraces her natural red hair.



Movie:
Right now, my favorite movie is "Julie&Julie." It is brilliant. Watch it! You will love it! Also, you will feel insane urges to cook things completely from scratch, which I've been doing all week. It's helped my healthy choices, for sure.

The other movies that round out my list of lifetimes faves are "Little Women," "The Devil Wears Prada," "Sex and the City," "Dead Poets Society," and "Night at the Museum 1 and 2." I'm also a huge fan of almost all Disney movies, specifically "Up" and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame."

TV show:
My favorite not cancelled TV show at the moment is Tabatha's Salon Takeover on Bravo. Love it. Love her no nonsense attitude and good ideas. She's a brilliant business woman.

Hobby:
All I do is dance. And that's what I love!




I'm not in these pictures, but those are my students. Aren't they awesome?

Band:
Always and forever my favorite band will be BEN FOLDS FIVE. But I am currently obsessed with the Christian group FFH. I've been a fan since high school. They recently took a lengthy break while the lead singer was battling MS. They are back now and better than ever, I have to say.

Song:
"This Is What It Feels Like to Be Led" by FFH.
This song is therapy for my soul. I listen to it when I need reminded that my steps are directed by the One True God. I am never alone in my search and my path is alread planned out. The tough stuff and mountains I have to climb are merely bends in the road designed to make me stronger.


Meme:
I don't have one! Sorry!

Blog:
Hmmm...I'm not sure yet!

Lover:
My husband is my best friend. I love him and somedays find myself trying to remember what it was like before Dave. I can't even imagine not waking up with him beside me (almost) all mornings now. He is my other half.

Friend:
I'm totally obsessed with my students right now. I can't help it! They make me laugh, they make me cry, they are a huge blessing.

Quote:
"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." -Eleanor Roosevelt. That's my life quote. :)

Peeve:
I HATE mouth noises. Chew quiet around me or don't chew at all. I have over sensitive hearing towards strange mouth noises. I try hard not to think about it but MAN it bugs me. One time in high school I was eating lunch with my friend Nikki. She was eating carrots and was SOOOO quiet!! I told her I would eat lunch with her every day because she was my perfect eating partner. haha

Sport:
Well the Winter Olympics are almost upon us again. This leads me to mine and Dave's favorite Winter Olympic sport...


CURLING!! hahaha It's true, we love it. :)

Singer:
Lady Gaga!! I'm so in love with her music. It makes me want to dance around, which most times I do. She's so fabulous in a crazy way. I like her because I think she understands being a celebrity is just a big game. She definitely isn't her true self when she's in public and being that way allows her to have a person life and a public life. She's a smart cookie that Lady Gaga, PLUS her outfits?! INSANE!! :)

Enjoy! Head over to Sunday Stealing to join in.

A Week in Review!

According to the syllabus, we are scheduled to do a weekly review today. So we shall! Grab a pencil, there might be a quiz...:)

Sunday, January 3, 2009:
Happy Birthday to my best high school friend, Allie! (She's also the mom of the cutest boy in the world, Carter. He'll be ONE next month! Where did time go??)
I really can't tell you what we did last Sunday...must have been pretty boring? haha

Monday, January 4, 2009:
I worked, Dave worked, Rory got back on a nice schedule. Phew!! I taught competition team classes all night and I love my team this year. SKDF Girls (And Hunter, too!) are a good time, for sure.

Tuesday, January 5, 2009:
Happy 25th Birthday to MEEEEE!! I took Rory to the doctor for her first "sickness" and am still not sure how I found my way to the office. We usually go to the office closer to us, but the doctors were at the OTHER office on Tuesdays. Somehow we got there! (Where was my TomTom when I needed it? Oh yes. In Dave's car. The one with free OnStar Turn by Turn! hahahaha) Chelsea and I went all Julie&Julia for my family for dinner and made bruschetta, homemade marinara with chicken, mashed new potatoes and ceasar salad! :) Dave surprised me by getting Cook or Be Cooked in addition to my best present GLEEEEEEE Season 1, Part 1 on DVD. :)

Wednesday, January 6, 2009:
Back to work! Back to a routine! Back to real life! I love holidays, but I crave my schedule and my routine. I like when Rory is on course, I am on course, the whole family is running smoother when we are on our schedule. This was a pretty mundane day at work, nothing out of the ordinary. One of my high school classmate's (who's daughter I now teach) mom passed away after a long long battle with cancer. So much sadness has been infiltrating my dance studio lately and it just breaks my heart.
Also my student Audri's 7th birthday! :)

Thursday, January 7, 2009:
Happy Birthday to my student Marcie!! (Lots and lots of January birthdays at Studio K, for sure.) I taught my regular Thursday classes. I made a break through finally with my boys acro class. They weren't responding to my usual methods and their behavior was typical boy: slightly wild and totally crazy. I got through to them though with, of all things, a simple sticker chart and cookie challenge. When the whole class earns 10 stickers, they will all get cookies. They can get bonus stickers for good behavior, good teamwork and good communication.

Speaking of which...I've noticed that my boy students already don't communicate well. They TALK, but they don't ask for help when they need it nearly as often as my girls, they don't tell each other the plan when they are completing a task togther...it's so interesting. It's a behavior that they will carry on through their life. I making it a point to work on my boys' communication skills. Their future wives can thank me. :)

Friday, January 8, 2009
My birthday celebration!! Dave and I took my sister and our friend Lindsay down to Cary and Jason's. We met up with my college roommate and went out on the town for the night. SO much dancing! SOOOO much fun! It was so nice to be with friends and actually behave like I'm only in my 20's instead of 50 for once. (My Dad's words, not mine! haha) I have good people in my life, for sure.


Heather and myself! Allegheny College Alumni looking FIIIIINE. hahaha


Saturday, January 9, 2009
HAPPPPPPPY BIRTHDAY to my girl, Nikky! She's 20 today. No longer a teenager. :)
Today was pretty relaxed. We got up late, went to Olive Garden for lunch then all headed home from Cary's. I picked up the baby from my mom's and now everyone is napping...except me. :) Grilled Cheese with (turkey) bacon and tomato sandwiches with soup for dinner tonight.

All things considered, a pretty great week! Disney Trip in 25 days and a wake up!

Want to know why I love my job?

Here's why!



(Disclaimer. I don't usually post pictures of my students faces, but one of these girls is my cousin and the other 2 both have Facebook so that's a-okay. :))

But I swear to you if these little imps call me OLD one more time...straight to the back row!

When the recital gets closer, I'll post videos of their dances for you to check out. Want to know more about my studio? www.danceatstudiok.com

The Day Formerly Known As Accomplisment Thursday.

I totally lied to you. Thusdays are suppossed to be ACCOMPLISHMENT Thursday, but nah. Boring. Thursdays are a wasted day of the week. It's allllmost the weekend but not quite. There's not quite enough of the work week left to make you feel worthwhile yet you rush to get stuff done so you won't have to do it on Friday...sooo...Blah. Thursday. Worst day of the week.

Except for me. Because Thursday is my Friday at the studio...Fridays are office days at home, which means coffee and pajamas and a late afternoon shower. So really I can't complain. hehe

I've decided to host Obsession Thursdays. We'll discuss each week things we are *obsessed* with.

This week's theme is...
I am totally obsessed with ________________ on TV.

Confession. I have 2 favorite shows.

The first, and my all time favorite...
Gilmore Girls







I love this show. I started watching in the first season, actually, and kept up with it for a while. Then I started dancing on Tuesday nights so I stopped watching. I rediscovered this gem freshman year of college and it's been no turning back ever since! I love the language of this show. It's so witty and quick. I also love Lorelai and Rory's style. I can't wait to be skinny again so I can dress like them. So classy and fun at the same time.

The best part about this show though is the relationship between Lorelai and Rory. They are more than mother and daughter, they are true friends. I want that relationship with my daughter...coincidentally named Rory. (And yes, this is where it came from!) I went through a super tough time in college (another blog for another day) and Gilmore Girls was such a comfort to me. Marathons upon marathons helped keep my spirits up. It's such a heartfelt show, even the tough stuff is balanced well with humor. Good stuff. :)

My second favorite...


Don't hate. If you haven't watched it, you are missing out! I was a total doubter after watching the teaser episode last May. I though it was awful. I didn't get it. But I gave it another shot when it came back on and I am now a total gLeek. Dave was a doubter, then he watched the football players singing Single Ladies scene and now he's a total lover of all things glee too! We have both soundtracks and I got the first season on DVD for my birthday Tueday. It comes back with 4 or 5 new episodes as soon as stupid American Idol is over. (End of April, I believe) WATCH IT. You will LOVE it.

And, p.s., the dumb fake pregnancy is over and it looks like Terri is gone. Thank goodness. That was the absolute stupidest storyline. I'm glad it's done.


What's your TV obsession? Link up! Lets hear it!

Feeling slightly inferior tonight.

(Please do NOT be offended by this post. I am not posting about one person in particular or even one situation in particular. Being a dance teacher, I am constantly in contact with other moms and am always comparing myself to them. I don't think the other moms in my life, dance family friend or otherwise, mean to make me feel inferior! haha I'm also not compliment grubbing! I don't need a pat on the back, I just need to know other moms feel te same way at times.)

Do you ever, as a mom, feel like everyone else is succeeding and you are floundering? Sometimes I feel like all the other moms I know have mastered the back stroke and I can barely doggie paddle. How in the world do other full time working mothers manage to make their own baby food?! I feel like I don't have time to hit the grocery store to get the jars, let alone strain and puree my own. Dave is super involved. He has the baby on his own every night from 2:30 until she goes to sleep because I am at work. I can't imagine doing all this without him to help out.

Sometimes I feel like I am putting Rory at a disadvantge because she hasn't had a more "natural" upbringing. She's been formula fed since day 1, and not at my choice. (I didn't...produce? HA! How do you say that delicately?!?) We use disposable diapers out of sheer convenience. No real other reason. We use jarred baby food and she sleeps in her own crib. Why? Because I need my OWN sleep, and p.s. I worry Dave would smush her. He's a flipper all night long! :) She goes to daycare a few times a week because I HAVE to get work done. I own my own business and I need office time.

Now, none of the decisions are "Wrong" per say. None of the other options are wrong either. Who can really say what's right or wrong? What's right for me wouldn't be right for someone else. What's right for RORY certainly wouldn't be right for other babies. Rory needs her bottle 4 times a day, others need it 3 some need it 5. Rory naps twice a day, others more, others less.

I think the biggest thing that has got me down today is this. Why is it that women can be so catty towards each other? Why can't we keep our mouths SHUT and be supportive of each other? I know I do it. I know I think in my head at times, at the store or the pharmacy "Ummm hello. Put a hat on that kid!" Or "Eww. Wash that kid's face." None of those types of thoughts are either NICE or NECESSARY. I don't vocalize them to strangers, but I've caught myself critcizing other moms to friends or family. Why? Why do I feel the need to judge them? Am I such a fantastic mom that I can sit here, on my pretty white tower, and look down on other moms? I don't know their situations. For all I know, the baby could have taken his hat off in the car and Mom couldnt' stand to fight him to keep it on one more time. The other baby could have smeared food on his face without his mom knowing. All these things Rory has done but I don't sit and judge myself like that.

I think my resolution is this. I am going to make it a point to compliment other moms on how great their kids are. I deal with a ton of sweet kids every day and I'm sure their moms and dads don't hear good things from teachers and coaches enough. Maybe if I start with my circle of moms, you would start with yours. I'm pledging to stop the judgements and quiet the voices in my head. Who knows. Maybe by stopping the judgements in my head, I'll learn to realize I'm doing an okay job as Rory's mom. I'm not perfect and I've got a lot more learning to do, but in the end I love her. And really, that's all she needs.

Wishful Wednesday

Kelsey at Seattle Smith's hosts Wishful Wednesday and today's topic is 'I wish' .... I had _______ hair/hairstyle!

Well. I wish I had Kristin Chenoweth's Hair! Specifically in "12 Men of Christmas."

OMG. Girl has VOLUME for dayssss. That's probably what I'm most jealous of. I'm not after her color, I can't be that blonde. It looks unnatural and weird on me. I am best at a medium brown with tons of highlights. But that VOLUME. How does she do that!? I can tease my hair some, get a nice bump on my crown. But I can not for the life of me get volume on the sides or in my bangs.

I have her length, just not that height. I could really benefit from the use of her hairdresser every morning around 7:30 when I am struggling with my teasing comb and hairspray...:)










Thanks Kelsey! And a big thanks to Kelly over at Kelly and Co. for linking me to Kelsey! :)

Reicpe Tuesday

It's Recipe Tuesday here at 567Kate. This recipe is easy and crazy delicious. I made it for the first time last week and Dave and I looooved it. Thanks Rachael Ray!

Chicken and Broccoli Mac-n-Cheese

Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
1 pound chicken breast tenders, chopped
Salt and pepper
1 small onion, chopped
1 pound macaroni elbows or cavatapi corkscrew shaped pasta twists
2 1/2 cups raw broccoli florets, available packaged in produce department
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
3 cups whole milk
1 cup chicken stock
3 cups yellow sharp Cheddar
1 tablespoon prepared Dijon mustard
Directions
Place a pot of water on to boil for macaroni.

Heat a medium pan over medium to medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil and chicken and season with salt and pepper. Saute a couple of minutes then add onion and cook another 5 to 7 minutes until onions are tender and chicken is cooked through. Turn off heat and reserve.

To boiling pasta water, add pasta and salt to season the cooking water. Cook 5 minutes, then add broccoli and cook 3 minutes more or until pasta is cooked to al dente and florets are just tender.

While pasta cooks, heat a medium sauce pot over medium heat. Add butter and melt, then add flour, cayenne and paprika and whisk together over heat until roux bubbles then cook a minute more. Whisk in milk and stock and raise heat a little to bring sauce to a quick boil. Simmer sauce to thicken about 5 minutes.

Drain macaroni or pasta and broccoli florets. Add back to pot and add chicken to the pasta and broccoli.

Add cheese to milk sauce and stir to melt it in, about a minute or so. Stir in mustard and season sauce with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over chicken and broccoli and cooked pasta and stir to combine. Adjust seasonings, transfer to a large serving platter and serve.



I didn't use the mustard, mainly because I didn't have any. (ha!) I also used low-sodium chicken stock and fat free cheeses. You can easily leave out the onion, if you aren't any onion fan. (We are!) I left out the cayenne as well, again none in the cupboard. It would be delish though. I highly recommend this recipe!! It was crazy easy and it could easily be made the night before or on a Sunday and then baked on a Tuesday. (I like make ahead meals!) It also makes a TON so there's plenty for lunch for your husbands (or you!!) the next day. I tucked a bunch in to Dave's lunch box and had some myself for lunch. We both agreed it was just as good, if not better, the next day.

If you make it, let me know how you like it! Enjoy!!

My birthday present to myself.

It's my birthday. Yippee. haha I don't really care for birthdays. But I do know that hiding in my husband's car is the first season of gLee on DVD for me...well at least I'm pretty sure because I told him I don't care about anything else today, just that! No special dinner or flowers or a party...just that!! hahaha :)

This is what I WANT to look like again. I love my thin face, so unround and un-plate like. (haha!) I will get there again.


This is what I look like now...(Ugh.)

Actually, this was in November. That's like 2.5 pounds ago! Woop!

This is my present to myself. A year long committment to a better lifestyle. I will give myself that FACE again by summertime as a present to myself.

Happy Birthday, Kate. GET EXERCISING! :)

Sick, sick and more sick.

Today was not a good day for my diet. Actually, that's not true. It was half good, half bad. I ate breakfast and had milk with it, ate a nice healthy lunch (whole wheat pasta with Country Crock, green beans with a sprinkle of parmesean cheese) and got in ALL my water. But I blew it on dinner (Pizza! Ugh!) and am not doing my Jillian DVD tonight. I feel awful. I've been battling a cold on and off since before Christmas and today I feel like I've been hit by a truck. Not to mention, Rory is sick and needs to go to the doctor tomorrow. I think there's an ear infection hanging out in the nursery upstairs...Ugh. It's just been a long, cold day. I know I am being too hard on myself. It's absolutely okay to have 2 pieces of pizza once in a while. And it was Little Ceasar's so it was small pieces with only cheese and pepperoni. Fine. I could have eat a lot worse (Chinese, cough cough) but I didn't. And I did get all my water in, which is my big goal of the week. Plus, I am terribly congested and lost my breath walking up the stairs today. Did you know I have seasonal and sports induced asthma? I do! So exercising probably wouldn't be wise. I was moving around quite a bit at dance today, so it wasn't like I just laid around all day.

This leads me to my next point.

Why am I, why are we, why are WOMEN specifically, so hard on ourselves? I had a half good, half bad diet day. FINE. There's no shame in that. It could have been an all day bad day and it wasn't. I have tomorrow to try again. I know I will do better and having pizza won't throw me completely off track. I'll toss in an extra workout, maybe go for a walk if it ever gets above 20*. It's really not the end of the world yet I sit here beating myself up for it.

I am going to resolve to think more positively about my goal and especially about my body. Perhaps tomorrow or Wednesday I will go shopping and buy myself something nice to wear out on Friday for my birthday celebration. I need to be realistic, but there's no sense in beating myself up. Ugh. Being a woman is rough!

Say a prayer for Ro. Poor kid is all congested and feeling pretty yucky, I think. We're off to the doctor tomorrow. She's been pulling at her ear for a day or two now.

Until tomorrow,
Kate

P.S. Memory Monday will start next week. Yippee.