Things I think about while I am running!

Today I decided that I was going to go for a run.... on my treadmill. I had to get this treadmill last spring when we got our taxes. It has been getting lonely. As I was running, I realized there are many things that go through my head while I am running on my treadmill. It isn't nearly as peaceful as running outdoors when you are preoccupied with nature. It's actually a really mundane task and with music blasting in the background, I need to find something to preoccupy my thoughts otherwise I am going to quit. I have never been fond of running, but it is something I do because I find some sort of solace in it.

So here are my thoughts... in no particular order because like most of my thoughts, they are mostly random things that pop up in my head.

1. This has got to be better than my original plan... which was to run to the store and buy an entire pumpkin pie and eat the whole thing before anybody even knew I bought it. It is Thanksgiving week after all and I have been obsessing over pumpkin pie for nearly a week now. However, I also know that I will be making pies in a couple of days. Those I will share. So stop obsessing over the pumpkin pie and just run already. You will fulfill your craving soon enough. Oh yeah, and you should also go for a run Thanksgiving morning so you can eat until your miserable... because who doesn't love a holiday that celebrates all things you are grateful for while practicing gluttony.

2. How many steps do I have now.... really.... it hasn't even hit 5,000. I must have been running for at least 20 minutes already. Nope, its only been 2 minutes.

3. Why did I buy this treadmill. I hate running on treadmills!

4. If I run faster it will be done faster. Nevermind... I am not really running for miles I am running for time.

5. Wait! Did I actually state to myself how long I was going to run before I got on this treadmill.

6. I kind of feel like doing a kickboxing workout. Should I get off the treadmill and do that instead?

7. I remember that one time that I actively wrote in my blog. What happened to that? Do I have nothing to say or is it just that things I have to say I think no one would care about. Is my blog so dead that no one will even stop by and look at it cause they aren't used to something being posted? I miss writing.

8. I can't believe that I am finally done with school. I have my bachelor's degree for communication now, however I don't feel any different than I did before. Now I just have more time to take naps.

9. I should read a book. Like a trashy romance novel or some chick drama crap. A fast read because I don't want to have to worry about too much of a commitment.

10. Remember how you didn't entirely commit to Nanowrimo (National Novel Writing Month where you write 50,000 words in one month with complete abandon) and because you didn't commit but thought maybe you should you started but never really kept up with that? You suck! But not really cause not everybody has the ability to write a book. You should get back to that.

11. Why did I sign up for another half-marathon?

12. You should run faster... click click click.... too fast... click click click... turn it down a little. Too slow. Too fast. Too slow. Too fast. Too slow. Crap! Well, this is just really good interval training.

13. Christmas is just around the corner. I probably should start thinking about that!

14. This song would make a great song for karoake. I should make a personal karoake CD so I can practice because who wants to make a complete fool of themselves?

15. How many steps am I at so far? I should probably run until I hit 10,000 so I can be lazy for the rest of the day.

16. When am I ever going to make updating my Ipod play list a priority. Seriously, who runs to some of these songs?

17. Spiderman keeps staring at me. This is why I run outdoors usually.

18. I wonder how much of a hassle it will be to get a new card for my gym membership since I lost my key chain card. I want to go sit in the hot tub.

19. If I slide the couch over I bet I could fit a bookcase over there. Then I might be able to finally unpack all my books that are still sitting in boxes.

20. I bet once I get off the treadmill, all the really meaningful thoughts will disappear and when I sit down to write them out, it will end up being nothing more than just crap that no one cares to read.

Are You A Bra? A Question of Support

The desperate and insecure writer in me is trying to climb out...

I can't help it though. I am a curious individual. I ask questions. I seek answers. I talk about everything. I can only assume this is the reason I enjoy writing.

It allows me to express myself. I can just blurt stuff out on paper that comes to mind. When I talk, I usually try to think before the words are formed. I hold back a lot.... not when I am writing.

So this leads me to where I am today... thinking about my book, Mother's Day. Thinking about how to get it into the hands of readers. Thinking how to convince people to spread the word. Wondering if it is good enough. There are people out there that have told me it is great. I didn't pay them to say it either.

I still question it though. Is it great because they know me... or did they really enjoy it. Did they get an emotional response? Are they telling their friends and family about the last book they read? Are they passing it on.

I am new to this whole promoting myself. What it has done has brought up massive amounts of questions. Questions about my supporters, questions about spreading the word, just questions in general.

Freelance artists struggle. No body knows who they are and they have to work insanely hard to get a buzz going. It is those supporters who create that buzz... and it is one thing that made me realize what kind of supporter I am.

I am a supporter of the freelance artists. 
I am a bra - if you must.


Anytime I know a person who has accomplished a goal they can brag about, I get excited. I want to support them. I want to brag about them. I want to tell the world that I knew them way back when....

When I found out an old friend from high school made a movie, I couldn't wait for it to be released so I could see it. I immediately went to their Facebook page Misfit Heights and not only "Liked" the page, but also spammed my friends with it. It is a zombie puppet musical. How can it possibly get any better than that? Sure, it might not be everybody's thing. It is a small niche to say the least. But it was great and the fact is... I was supporting a fellow peer from High School.
If you want to know more - look to your left. I got him on the sidebar and I highly encourage you to check it out!

As a writer, I have also run into others as well who have jumped on the dream boat and accomplished a goal. One of my friends from Wisconsin, author C.L. Crowe, wrote the book Soul Finding. I have already
read it on my Kindle and I am anxiously awaiting the second book's release. I also plan on purchasing a hard copy of the book just so I can have her sign it the next time I see her. I won't even go into how mad I am at her for publishing her book first! I guess she won fair and square though, so I can't hold it over her head too much. She will just have to buy me lunch next time we get together since she has got a few months on me for the publishing gig.

Obviously because of what I do, I have run into many talented artists out there. Melanie from Scribbles and Smiles also just published the book "Make Happiness Happen!" It is a quick read packed full of inspiration. I was so excited to see it since her accomplish this goal since she was one of my biggest supporters and fans during National Novel Writing Month.

My friend Vicki over at Laugh Lines was recently featured in a book called the "Life Well Blogged," which I was lucky enough to receive a complimentary copy. What I have read so far has me rolling with laughter.

Then of course their is Cyndi over at Pictimilitude, who is going to take the world by storm with her works of art. One day I will have one of her pictures hanging on my wall.

As writers, there are several different forms of support. Marie Landry gave me the opportunity to have my first experience at being a Beta Reader for her book "Waiting For The Storm." I was really excited to read it and give her my personal thoughts. It was a definite read and it made me curious about the other books she has written as well. Upon completion of beta reading, I bought all her books. I love supporting other artists.

Naturally, I can't forget about Julie DeNeen, form Life According to Julie, who was the initial push into my blogging. Who has always been around to push others to write what they feel and expose themselves. She is honest and doesn't hold anything back and that is something to admire in today's world. She already wrote two books which I couldn't put down - "Wanted" and "Writing Through The Chaos." She has a million other things on her plate, including a blogging consultation business through Fabulous Blogging. She has been a big inspiration for almost every writer and blogger I have met in the digital world, and no one has a negative thing to say about her. Honestly, even on those days when I have been busy and it seems like I am not around, I still quietly stalk her just because the stuff she has to say is so refreshing.


Last, but definitely not least, (because she will beat me up otherwise!), I want to mention Terrye from The Adventures of a Misplaced Alaskan. I hear she is jumping on the band wagon to write a book as well. She won't tell me any more details about it, so I won't dwell about not being able to gossip. However, when it comes to support, she is someone you want on your side and she is a treasure to have in your life. Every time I was feeling down and wanted to call it quits, I would say something and she would tell me to shut it. It really made me feel better!

There are also some other key people who are responsible for some  great products. Shelby McKee, owner and founder of  Keysocks, has been one of my biggest supporters. I was one of the first writers to get the inside scoop on this product. These socks are perfect for any woman who like to wear their shoes, and their socks too. This was an ingenious idea and I talk about them like they were mine. Reality is, I just want to share the love.

Yoga Sandals are another product I stand by and want to mention.  The philosophy behind this product is one I can stand behind and truly believe in. I love the concept of these shoes, since they help with foot and knee problems. I love the positive outlook this business portrays. And I also can't fail to mention one of their employees, my friend Liz, is also one of the people who helped me with the cover of my book. One thing is for sure though, I love spread the word about great quality products like this.

Who are your bras?

Overall, I learned there are people in your life who are like bras. They support you and pick you up. They go out of their way to tell you how proud they are of you, the will spend their last dime just to buy your latest piece of work. They don't do this because of it's quality, because it doesn't even matter what it is, but because they want the bragging rights. They want to show you off.

For instance, my mom has already bought 3 of my books. My Grandma has to buy another one because she refuses to share. My sister finished the book in less than 24 hours of receiving it, and I might also add that she was one of the very first to buy it. Now that is support.

After talking to one of the local bookstores, I started feeling the love of supporters everywhere. This man, who has never met me or seen me or even read my book, was excited about my accomplishment. This excitement stemmed from me being a local self-published author. He told me how to make connections - how some of these people will become the greatest supporters just because I am local. It got me excited.

It also got me thinking - who are your supporters? Do you know who they are? Do they brag about you, or do they stay silent? Are some of them a surprise?

I got curious... so I actually asked. And yes - I am taking names. In fact, I would love for them to share a picture of themselves with my book. Why? So I can do a contest and one lucky winner will get something from me and they will also get the opportunity to send my book to a person of their choice. But more on that later. Right now I just want to know who has supported me.

These supporters that create a buzz, and when you are a new artist, that is what you need. You need to create a buzz. So here is my chance to tell everybody who has supported me how much I appreciate you.

Thank you to all of those who have bought my book and shared it with your friends. 

Thank you to all of those have created a buzz 
about "Mother's Day!"

Wordless Wednesday: Cool in the Pool

It has not been cool lately. In fact, it is creeping dangerously close to the triple digits. We aren't even out of May yet....

Yes... I am well aware that it is Southern California. I am also well aware that it is a dry heat. However, so is an oven and you don't see me sticking my head in there.

Needless to say... I am looking forward to putting the pool up this coming weekend!

Help! I can't swim!!!

If you would like to participate in Wordless Wednesday, check out my friend Cyndi at Pictimilitude for submission guidelines.

Hello...

I thought I would stop by and say hi.

I know, it has been a while. Sometimes I even wondered if anybody missed me. But I have a good excuse as to why I haven't been around. It's a darn good excuse.

I wrote a book!

Let me tell you, it was hard work. I spent hours staring at the computer editing until my eyes went blurry. There were days when I would wear the same clothes... just so the laundry didn't pile up. I don't remember the last logical conversation I had with my husband, my kids might be figments of my imagination, and soon it might no longer be an undiagnosed mad woman state, since I have nearly lost my mind!

I am sure it will be worth it in the end. Actually, I am not sure, I know it will be! After all, my book is published and available for anybody to read. Hope you take the chance to check it out by clicking here.

So what's next?

That is the big question I have as well. I fear I might actually have too much time on my hands that I don't know what to do with myself.

Naw... that will never happen. I have kids and summer is just around the corner.

Sadly, time will always be short because I like to stay busy. But now that I have cleared off a really big task, I will have more time for my family, my schoolwork, and my chores. I will be back to blogging and catching up with my fellow bloggers as well.

Ok - so who am I kidding. I am already working on my next book! This one is going to be about zombies. No worries though - I haven't put myself under a strict deadline yet!

My Phone Call With Google

Google and I have been fighting.

I have been working out. Google better watch out!
I am ready for them!

I have never fought like this with Google before, in fact, I would rather stay on good terms with them. After all, Google is kind of like the parent and I, as a blogger, am like the child. Whatever Google says goes and I am stuck with their decision.

So - you are probably wondering what went happened?

Well, at the end of March, I woke up to the nastygram saying there was invalid activity going on with my account.

WTF!!!!

I was nearly in shock. I thought I was going to cry. And then I remember, I don't really care because my writing is about my writing, not necessarily the money I make from my blog. So if you are wondering why I have been absent lately, it has nothing to do with my Google Adsense ban.

Anyway, I have tried to be nice and calm about the situation, appealing to the Google Gods. Only, it doesn't matter what I say or do, I just get a canned message back.

Do they think I am stupid??

If you message me back within 4 hours, I can pretty much guess you did nothing to evaluate my account.

This of course went on through the course of several different appeals. I know they say one shot is all you have, but I like to be annoying. So, what does it take for me to sit down and write them a letter every single day until I get some attention. Not a whole lot of time, in comparison of where I could waste it elsewhere. (Do you notice how much I update Facebook?)

Well, I got sick of remembering to write to them, and I got sick of trying to reword the facts so it sounds like I am coming up with new evidence. However, I don't have any new evidence. I don't know what might have caused them to see invalid activity.

Good-bye spare change. I probably
won't get to spend you anymore.

This is what I do know though. At the beginning of March, I started to actively promote my blog. Suddenly, I was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of spam comments coming in. I turned on Captcha to deter the
spam. My traffic tanked. Right after I did that, Google took away my account.

Days later, I found out my writings have been being copied on other websites. So yeah - how happy does that make me? I can't make money off of my stuff, but other people can copy it and at least make money. Google frowns at duplicate content.

However, it doesn't matter how much I study the stats, I can't seem to find anything that jumps out as unusual.

And Google... well they are equivalent to a parent saying... "Because I said so."

They are a bully. That is really what it comes down to. If any of the small guys start making money, they quickly do an update to change those numbers. If people click on your ads, even though the ads are matched toward what they should be interested in, Google will call you out for fraud. Why - because God forbid if the advertisers have to actually pay for their advertising!

So as a small fish in a big ocean, I am the little guy, barely making pennies, and they choose me to lay down their wrath. So while I actually care very little about the money, I have this problem of wanting to know.

So right now, I am sitting on the phone, calling Google. I waited on hold for 30 minutes before accidentally hanging up the first time. The second time....

If I knew this was going to be such an exciting
date, I might have gotten up and tried to
look presentable. 

.... well, I have already been on hold for an hour and a half.

What can I say... I don't give up easily!

My Epic Blog Post

I really wanted to write something epic today for my blog.

Here is the problem though. I am kind of a perfectionist. My parents are going to be here tomorrow and it doesn't matter how clean my house is, I can still find more to clean.

So that is what I have been doing all day. Yet, I still feel this urge to write an epic blog post, so even though I am running short on time here goes nothing...

EPIC

Yep, that is my blog post for the day. Hope you enjoyed it and it inspired you! And if you didn't, here is a picture of me trying to get you with my black sticky hands of goo!

Roar!!!

Captcha - I am Not a Robot

Blogging is a lot of work!

As if it wasn't hard enough coming up with something to write each and every single time, then you have to add in Search Engine Optimization (so you can be found), and then you have to put in some pretty pictures (originals work best!) and then you have to actually write something worth reading.

If you weren't already exhausted, and if time is on your side, you should aslo try and make an appearance and comment on all the other wonderful and your favorite bloggers out there!

Yesterday I was pretty excited. I looked at my blogger stats and I have hit my highest views ever! I was particularly excited because I have had a lot of personal stuff going on lately so I have been focusing mostly on my blog posts and hoping that my lack of reading didn't effect my traffic too much. I wanted to know that people stopped by because they liked what I wrote, not because I commented on their post.

I was doing a happy dance. I was thinking.... "Wow - people like me!"

And then I realized my blogger stats just don't add up to my Google Analytics stats. Depression hits! And it wasn't just a couple numbers off, it was by 100s.

As I cried myself to sleep last night, rolling back and forth in the fetal position, I had to come to a very drastic and life altering decision. What was I going to do about this misleading type readings? Was I going to let the numbers rule my mood?

Admit it! As a blogger sometimes you are ruled
by the numbers!

A lot of the difference in numbers is probably because of the overwhelming amount of spam I have been receiving on my blog lately. Not only has it been filling up my email inbox, but it is also looking weird to those who comment after a spam comment which made no sense!

Well, I didn't want to play that game anymore. I wanted to see more accurate results. So, I turned my Captcha back on. Therefore my true readers will show through and the spammers will not get a free backlink!

Anybody who knows me knows how much Captcha irritates me. I hate it. As a human I barely understand what the heck they are writing in that irritating box just to prove I am not a robot. Sometimes it takes me several attempts to figure out the doctorlike handwriting. I sit there screaming at my computer screen...

I AM NOT A ROBOT!!

And now, after the constant bitching about other people leaving their Captcha on, I have decided to put mine  back on. Just temporarily. In the next month or so, I plan on buying my own domain. I am currently researching it. And then I will install a plug-in that will allow comments without all the hassle, but also without all the spam.

So I hope this doesn't discourage you from leaving a comment. I promise, I will try to write something epic. Something powerful. You know - just so you feel the need to leave a comment because my words have moved you in ways you have never been moved before.

Or maybe I will just continue to be sarcastic and snarky and inspirational and witty and irritating and whiney... meh what do I know. My numbers don't seem to be showing me shit anyway!

Blogging For Freedom

I wasn't going to post today. It wasn't because I didn't feel like it, it was because I had a lot of tasks that needed my attention.

The dreaded laundry room!

Laundry needed to be finished and put away; I needed to run to the store (I actually mean it - since I don't have a car, my only option is to take the hike!); I needed to make dinner for a group of people tonight; I needed to make dessert (Ok - not need - that one was a want!); I needed to discuss ideas with my dad for their vacation to Southern California; I needed to pick the kids of from school; I did a couple haircuts; I needed to shower; I should have cleaned the kitchen; I should have cleaned the hamster cage; and there is probably a whole lot of should have's that I still didn't get too!

I don't consider blogging a "Should Have" or a "Need." Blogging is my freedom. It is one of the few ways I find I can sort the things out inside my crazy head. I do it because I want to, not because I need to.

Technically I could have skipped today. It wouldn't have mattered. I wonder if anybody would have noticed if I didn't show up to work. I usually don't blog on weekends unless I really have something on my mind. That is my break... and by the time Monday comes around, I am completely crazy from the lack of writing.

I blog purely for the joy of blogging. It is my mental release. Would it be nice if I could consider it a career?

Yes and No

Yes because that would mean I was making a good income and I could support my family off something I just love doing. Or maybe I could bring in enough to take these amazing adventures all over the world.

Wouldn't you love to explore a cave during an epic adventure.

And No because once I start considering this blog a job, I am going to start stressing and suddenly it is going to be all work and no longer a hobby.

Besides, if you think about it, it is already a J.O.B.... if you consider that Just Over Broke!

I don't want to have to stress over my blog. I don't want to have to worry about who is coming and who is going. I am going to do this blog on my terms. That is just how I roll. Although I really appreciate those who keep coming back!

So if you like crazy, come along for the ride. And now... I must go, my husband is calling.

We are so busy around here!

Hope everyone has a great and amazing weekend!

Losing The Cutting Edge

Most people who know who I am, know that I am...

A Hairstylists

A Cosmetologist

A Barber

Whatever you want to call it... I cut hair. I style hair. I color hair. Frankly, I am pretty good at what I do (even if you consider this a pat on my own back!), but I do specialize in barbering, more specifically, military haircuts.

I specialize in barbering... which is a great thing to do
when you have a young boy who needs regular
haircuts and a husband that
has a military haircut!

One of the most irritating things I hear, is when people cut down my specialty by assuming that cutting a guy's hair is so easy. Why do they assume it is easy... because they apparently assume the only thing I do is take a clipper and completely zip it all off.

Just because I use one of these on
the majority of haircuts, doesn't
mean the hair cut is easy!

It isn't like that. It is about matching the lengths and layering and perfection and checking your work. The reality is a man's haircut (or a short haircut) is actually much harder than a woman's haircut (or long hair trim).

The reason - because the shortness makes it hard to hide the mistakes!

With that being said, I think all hairstylists have the ability to be the best they can be, whether they specialize in men's or woman's hair. It is a matter of wanting to do a good job. So it sickens me when I hear people call certain shops "chop shops" because they think only the bad stylists work there.

It just isn't true. You can find a great stylist there just as easy as you can find a bad stylist at a very expensive shop.

The reason I say this, is because as a hairstylist, I know how to cut hair. But, unfortunately, I find it very difficult to do my own. While I could, it would just take me more time than I am willing to invest. So it is easier to pay someone else to cut it.

So last Friday, my husband took me to the salon to get my hair done. He had to force my hand because I frankly don't like being the one in the chair. I would much rather do someone else's hair than have mine done.

I don't have a good thing to say about the whole experience.

I went to a local salon here in the Hemet Area called On The Cutting Edge. I have been there once before and I absolutely loved what the last stylist did to my hair. She provided great service, was very personable and I can't say a bad thing about it. She made me want to return. Sadly though, she had left to teach by the time I returned.

This time, I can't say the same. Not to mention, this experience has far outweighed the positive experience prior and will keep me from giving them any return business.

I walk in the door and I am in a good mood. I let them know up front that I am a trained hairstylist. Maybe that was my first mistake, but apparently, it didn't matter to them at all. I know if it was me, that would make me attempt to do a better job because they will be able to find all the errors.

My husband told me to do color with the trim. I told him no because I could do it myself for a whole lot less. Like I explained earlier, I have a hard time sitting in a chair and being the client.

So the stylist assigned to me went back to her station. I say she went back to her station because she didn't lead me back there. I wasn't even sure if I was supposed to follow her. I couldn't name her because she never even introduced herself.

This was my haircut the last time I went there.
It is about a month grown out already, but
I still liked the style.

The first thing I noticed was her attitude. When I told her what I wanted, she asked me if I wanted to look at a book because she wasn't clear on what I was stating.

This is what I told her:

"I am not overly particular. In fact, I am always up for suggestions. You can do whatever you want. In fact, you are going to have to mess up pretty bad for me to be upset!"

Does that seem hard to understand? Obviously to her it was. So I showed her what my hair looked like the last time and she went from there.

There was no suggestions, there was very little consultation. She was obviously bored with her job and was never taught customer service.

I already have this figured out before she even went back to her station with out me, where she stared at me like I was supposed to know that I should follow her.

The first thing I noticed, her station was a mess. There was hair on her seat. It wasn't much, just a little.

She was obviously in
a hurry!

Whatever, I can look past those things. If you have been busy it isn't acceptable, but I do understand. I worked in the business and sometimes you just miss a few hairs.

I tried to get her into conversation. She resisted. She had my haircut done in 10 minutes flat. Toward the end, a mom with about 4 kids walked in. I jokingly said, "It looks like you are about to get busy."

Her response was a curt, "Well, at least it will make the time go faster until I get to leave at 3!"

Talk about bad attitude!

I made her cut my hair twice. First off, I am a bitch. I think she went too fast. Second off... if you are going to cut my hair the same way it was last time, don't give me the grown out version.

When she was done, she couldn't find a mirror to even show me the cut. When she eventually did, the mirror was so dirty, I could barely see anything. And then I was left in the chair as she walked up to the front to check me out. She never offered a wash afterwards to get rid of any lose hair. Apparently because I am a hairstylist, she assumed I didn't want that. But I did.

I walked next door to meet my husband who was completely shocked at how fast I was done. He was expecting me to have some pamper time and thought it would have taken longer.  That is when I noticed it was heavy on one side. After 10 minutes of seeing how bad it was, I knew I needed to go back and have it fixed.

We walked next door as she was finishing up a little boys haircut. When she saw me, she looked surprised. After all - she is obviously good at her job so why would I return.

I told her my hair was heavy on one side. She responded that it would be because she cut it with a part there. I never asked for it to be cut with a part. It was just the way I walked in with my hair. In other words, she didn't move it from how I came in with it. Her solution... thin it out.

She brought me back to her chair. She didn't even bother to clean her station up after the last haircut she did. She even watched me as I wiped the child's hair from her seat.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH THAT PICTURE?

After a few snips, I told her it looked better. I am now a liar. It didn't look better. It was still heavy. It looked like shit. But, with the attitude she was delivering, I didn't need her hacking up my hair to a point of non-repair.

I went home and spent an hour and a half fixing it myself. 

This was the results of the haircut after
I spent an hour and a half fixing it!

It looks much better, even though there is still a lot of spots that need fixing. I will attempt that later in the week. Believe it or not, trying to cut your own hair, while watching yourself in the mirror, is a very difficult thing to do.

After a few days of thinking about this whole situation, I am still pissed. Normally, I don't like to call businesses and complain, but frankly, the manager needs to hear about this. After all, if the state came in this business would be heavily fined!

Needless to say, I am ashamed for them. After all, it is people like her that not only give business's the reputation of being a chop shop, but they also give all hairstylists a bad name.

For me, I like to make every experience the best one possible. 

Have fun with your job. After all, you will find it more enjoyable if you actually enjoy what you do.

I once suckered my client into a $10 tip... by challenging him to a snowball eating contest. Not only did he return to me weekly, but I also consider him one of my friends.

Being a hairstylist isn't just about cutting hair. It is about building relationships!

I found the Alaskan who was Misplaced in Arizona

The end of 2012 was upon us and I knew I was in trouble... after all, I was getting a new neighbor.

Ok... so it really wasn't a new neighbor. I was already familiar with her. After all, I was listening to her advice about how to get dressed for a zombie apocalypse and how to make money illegally. What can I say, this type of information is invaluable!

What she didn't know was what she was in for. She joked about the crazy lady hiding outside her house in the bushes. But I bet she never imagined what that would lead to...

A couple hour train ride that lead to a big hole in the earth!

Ok - it could have been dangerous. After all, I am known for my bad acting skills. I once knocked myself unconscious acting out a scene done by Rick from the Walking Dead. Can you imagine acting out a scene from Thelma and Louis?

Well, my husband does have a life insurance policy out on me... but I prefer to stick around and torture him.

The reality of it is, when The Undiagnosed Mad Woman meets ups with The Misplaced Alaskan, we had a blast!

This is just one of the many pictures of The Grand Canyon.
Honestly, pictures just don't do it justice!

We met up at a hotel in Willimans, AZ. Our rooms were even right next to each other. We wore the kids down in the pool. We ate at a fancy restaurant  - AKA Pizza Hut - and arm wrestled for the bill. (Ok - there was no arm wrestling at all - I showed off my mad Kung Fu skills! Ok - so I stole the bill before they had a chance and refused to let them pay because they picked up lunch!) Then we put the kids to bed and caused commotion outside the hotel room by talking in loud voices about keywords, SEO, making money with Google Adsense, and naked mule riding!

Hey - us bloggers don't get out much!

The next day was a train ride to the canyon where we explored for a couple of hours and even had to endure a train robbery. There was no children or husbands or bloggers injured on this trip... unless of course you can consider laughing your ass off an injury.

You know it's gonna be a good time when The Misplaced Alaskan meets
The Undiagnosed Mad Woman in The Grand Canyon!

We had a blast and I find it fortunate to have such a wonderful blogger neighbor and I look forward to the next adventure we meet up for! Who knows... maybe next time we will take over Las Vegas!

Sometimes You Just Don't Feel Like it....

I woke up this morning and I was not in the mood to blog. I don't know why because I love blogging. But I have come to realize that living in the digital world seems to be a bit overwhelming. I am sure others can relate.

People think of blogging as a hobby. I love writing, but let me tell you, it is a lot of hard work. Sometimes I write words and I wonder... does anybody even hear me? Is there any point to really writing this?

Sure... I can check my stats. I can see how many "hits" I get a day. But what does that really mean? Do they stick around long enough for it to make a difference? Do they even read what I have poured out into the digital world? Or is the view nothing more than a click and a opps because that really wasn't what they were looking for?

And then there is being a good community member. It is a vital part of blogging. But what happens if one day or one week I just can't be that community member? Suddenly I see my views plummet. Then it gets me wondering. Do people just come by here to return the favor.... an "I scratch your back, you scratch mine" kind of scenario. Do they read me just because I read them or do they read my stuff because they like the way I write?

It is a complete mind-fuck!

Zombie Mom

Hi, my name is Stacy and it has been 3 days since my last cup of coffee.

For some, this may not sound like it is that big of a deal. But for the past couple of years I have grown accustomed to my cup of java a day habit. There is rarely a day I go without it. So, you can imagine, when my coffee pot committed suicide on Monday, I was devastated. What was I going to do?

This could have been a simple solution. I could have just went down the street to Wally World and invested in a $10 coffee pot. But I am picky and I have standards. My last coffee pot was a Hamilton Beach BrewStation. Carafes need not apply. I hate those leaky things. They are such a pain. In fact, I haven't had a normal coffee pot since 2003 when I invested in my first Brewstation. I refused to downgrade.

So I did some research and I looked around. I have been eyeballing those Keurig machines but I will admit, the cost had me against it for awhile now. So when I found something similar, but at a better price, I thought my problem had been solved. It offered the same concept without the huge investment.

So, like anytime I am getting ready to spend a bunch of money, I started doing research. My best bet was to order online because I could get rewards by ordering at Walmart.... dot... com. through Swagbucks. The problem - that also meant that I would have to wait almost a full week by the time it got shipped to my house.

I was pretty sure the wait was going to kill me.

Yet today, just as I was finally ambling up to my bedroom as zombie mom to get dressed (just short of noon!), the doorbell rang. Irritated by the distraction, I went to the door wondering who could be disturbing my lazy day.

It was my Keurig!

Tomorrow should be back to normal. Zombie mom has left the building!

And as for the better deal, I ended up to go with the more expensive product. Why? Simply because you get what you pay for!

I am a Writer

Today I had an epiphany! 

I was lazily sitting around not really in the mood to do anything this morning. I am going to blame it on my lack of coffee. But I knew I needed to get moving. So I set off to go for a walk with my boy and right as we started out, I ran into my neighbor.

They just moved in. And I am pretty giddy about this because they seem to have a lot in common with us. Since I am married, I no longer have to worry about being on the dating scene, which means I spend time scoping out the scene for new friends. So we started talking.

As the conversation ended and I continued on my walk, something struck me. When I explained what I did, I changed something.

It was easy to call myself a barber. Calling myself a writer
was a bit of a battle because I have made it out to be a
hobby. But the reality is, I am a writer!

Normally when people ask me what I do, I promptly answer that I stay home and raise the kids, but I am a trained cosmetologist/barber. Today, I didn't do that. While it naturally came across that I stay home with the kids, I actually introduced myself as a writer. I didn't even mention that I cut hair.

I have always said writers are a special breed of people. We think differently and with everything we do, we wonder how we could wrap that into some sort of story. I have always been like that in some way, more so now that I have actively been writing online for the last few years. And while I have always referred to myself as a writer, I have never really introduced myself as a writer.

So what is the change? I think I finally believe it. I finally believe in myself enough to call myself a writer.

I AM A WRITER!!!

Yes, that is right. I said it! Now let me explain.

I have always been a bit of an independent person. I don't want to have to depend on anyone else to take care of me. I want to be able to do it myself. So when I went from being a working mom to a stay at home mom, I fell into a bit of a slump. Why? Because I felt I wasn't doing anything to support myself.

Now my husband wouldn't agree with this. I was taking care of the kids. They need me and therefore his money was actually my money. Not to mention the cost of a babysitter would almost eat up my entire check. But a big part of me, while I would use his money to buy stuff for the kids and necessities for the family, would not use it to buy myself anything that could be considered extra or a luxury. I still felt this wasn't my money. My life was dependent on him!

But recently, I have started seeing that I am actually making money with my writing. And that is just the beginning. Soon, I will have my book published as well. So on top of my blog and my freelance writing, I will be a published author. Now I have wrote for newspapers before and I have had work put in magazines, so seeing my name in print is not new. But writing a book is.

So this is what I realized today. As I have spent the last couple of weeks stressing over what I could do to earn money, I realized all I was doing was stressing. And the more I stressed, the more I didn't want to do. Why? Because I felt that I wasn't good enough.

Today I realized I was. I said it out loud. I told someone that I am a writer.

And guess what.... I think I finally believed it!

Maybe that is what has been holding me back all this time. The fear that I wasn't good enough to move forward. I guess the first step to believing is admitting it to yourself. So if you have been having doubts on everything you have been doing online as a writer... say it with me...

I AM A WRITER!

Now the only thing you have left to do is believe!

Everyday Is A Blog Post Waiting To Happen

Tuesday night, I got the opportunity to attend a webinar about blogging hosted by Thoughts From Paris. I was pretty excited about this webinar because I am always looking for ways to improve my blogging and because I actually got a way with sitting in uninterrupted almost complete silence for the entire time. That is a miracle considering my kids are never far from being underfoot.

The topic was finding content in everyday life. Now normally I write on the fly so this was something I could relate to. My life, although it can sometimes seem mundane, usually presents something off-the-wall or irritating that I can use for my blog. And then with a splash of humor and sarcasm, I can come up with something that will dull you back to sleep!

Prancing through life is a great way to make a mundane
day exciting. 

So yesterday, as I was prancing through the house doing my normal daily routines, it got me thinking... What has happened today that I could actually write about? After all, nobody wants to know about my making lunches for my kids, kicking them out the door to get to school and spending the entire day brainstorming through my muddy brain waters to come up with an unusual Facebook Status Update or Twitter post and ending it with catching up on some of my shows on DVR while holding my eyelids open with toothpicks because I was having a hard time keeping my eyes open past 9:30 p.m. (Yes - my life is that exciting! And I try to prance around my house as much as possible to entertain myself!)

So here is my list of "blog topics" that I could have (or might still) write about based off of yesterdays normal, dull and gray type of day!

1. Waking up late - Getting out of bed lately seems to be a chore. For Southern California it has been downright cold. I can't seem to really do it. So I hide under my covers until the last possible moment. And at that point it is a rush to get my kids up and ready for the school day. Yesterday - that meant procrastinating an additional 45 minutes which only left my kids roughly half an hour to eat breakfast and get out the door.

2. The Fashionista - My daughter Bella is my fashionista. She is also my middle child so I think she takes fashion to a whole new level just to get some attention. Yet yesterday we were running late (completely my fault - I didn't want to get out of bed!) This is the day that she comes downstairs in dirty clothes, clothes that don't match, clothes that don't fit. Seriously - we are in a rush and she has to change her outfit a million times.

3. Thank goodness for coffee - or maybe not - My coffee pot is on the verge of a mental breakdown. I have abused it daily for the better part of the last year and a half. But suddenly, it decides that it is going to start leaking somewhere. I feel like it is a pet dog that has lost control of its bladder. I hate to part with it. I love my coffee pot. And as it brews, it sounds like it is dying a slow and miserable death. If I was nice, I would put it out of it's misery. Instead, I keep it around hoping that if I show it love and compassion (and the occasional time out) it will last until I can go invest in another one.

My son is obsessed with Mario!

4. Dog Walking - I wanted my kids to learn to play the piano. In return for piano lessons, I walk a friend's dogs. Yesterday, as I am walking the dogs, my son refuses to walk on the sidewalk and insists he walk the curb. Why - because he is in a real life Mario game. If he falls off... he ends up in hot lava.  Occasionally though - you will hear him yell pause so he can step off the curb. It drives me nuts that he insists on walking the curb, but since the street has hardly no cars, I figure it isn't worth trying to drag him and handle two dogs at the same time.

5. Date Stamping - On Wednesdays I have been participating in Wordless Wednesday. (Go check the tap up on top if you want to see some of the pictures I have posted!) I love this concept because it allows me to really get back into photography and even photo editing. Let me tell you, I have always date stamped my photos that way when I look back at them, I know when they were taken. Let me tell you how irritating it is take out that damn date stamp. I will never date stamp again!

My kids spend a lot of time in the corner.
The result is sometimes what I call
chocolate tears. You can actually
see tear streams down the wall!

6. Chores of a housewife - I stay home with the kids. It is my priority job. Writing comes second only because until I start making serious money, I can't afford to hire a nanny or a maid to do the stuff I slack on when I am spending too much time connecting on social networks and writing. Yesterday, I noticed hand prints on our white doors. I started wiping them down. Then I realized my son had been using the walls as a Kleenex substitute. I guess I need to start adding wall washing to my weekly To Do List. I even went so far as to wash the chocolate tears from the corner the kids stand in when they are in time out. It was a sad day.

7. My Windex Problem - Speaking of cleaning, I realized that I have a Windex problem. It isn't that I don't have Windex. I have three bottles. Only one that is useable. The other 2 have very little left so you can't spray anything else out of them. But I find it wasteful to throw the extra away. Now why haven't I just combined all the bottles yet? I guess it hasn't made it to my To Do List!

8. Parenting Swap - I spent a lot of time cleaning yesterday. Right before my husband got home, I was appalled that my kids thought it was ok to leave their backpacks, their shoes and their homework spread throughout the entire house. I was barking orders for them to clean as my husband walked in. He looked at me and said, "This isn't right! It is my job to bark orders when I come home." I told him, "No need now. Everything has been handled!"

This is my partner in crime. Scary that we are allowed to
be parents!

9. Dinner of champions - Last night was leftovers. Normally we don't have much leftovers to feed the entire family. I don't purposefully make leftovers because I hate wasting food. My husband blames me for putting on a few pounds because I purposefully fill his plate so there is nothing left. So yesterday, I filled the counter with choices of what was left in the fridge. I am happy to say - there is still enough left over to make leftovers again tonight. Maybe leftovers aren't so bad. I get out of making a real meal!

10. I am going to hell for laughing - Last night before heading to bed, my husband I cuddled up to watch inappropriate stuff on TV. Not that kind of stuff you sick people. We watched Anthony Jeselnik: Caligula on Comedy Central. Nothing he says is appropriate. We laughed our asses off. Why is it that some of the best jokes are not even repeatable?

So as you can see, I learned a lot from the webinar. This was the makings of a very normal day for me. Yet, what I might have though was mundane and boring, could actually be spun in ways that some might even think is interesting. I could even expand on some of these and write a whole blog post with a little bit of sparkle and flair. Add some pictures and I will be rocking it.

But what it comes down to is every day is full of events that are just blog posts waiting to happen. This is just a tip of the list. I could have come up with even more... like how I doubled my Google Adsense earnings from the previous month. But hey, maybe I want to leave that secret for a whole different blog post. I don't want to exhaust all my ideas!

Happy Blogging and here's to hoping you can find small things in life that can turn into big blog posts! 

The Gargie Award and the 2013 Versatile Blogger

I woke up this morning feeling cranky. I am going to blame it on my dreams. You see, it was a three day weekend (well, for the working folks - not us writer folks) and I took advantage of not having to get up to get the kids off to school. So I slept - a lot.

Normally I wouldn't complain about getting too much sleep because normally I am always tired because I never seem to get enough. But this meant that I was caught up. So last night I struggled to fall asleep. We went to bed at a decent time because my husband had to get up in the morning. Yet - I was up by 5 a.m. There was no way I was actually getting out of bed at that time. So I fought it.

This meant that I was in and out of dreamland until I finally gave up and rolled out of bed. Needless to say, my dreams were not pleasant. They weren't nightmares... I was just being irritated by my husband and kids. Where is the hunky man dreams when you need them. I woke up pissy.

So today when I started running through the digital world playing catch up, it definitely made my day a little brighter when I was nominated for the 2013 Versatile Blogger by Terrye over at The Adventures of a Misplaced Alaskan. Now a few days ago, I was also awarded The Gargie Award from Melissa over at Mommy Writings by Daughter of MAAT.

So today I am playing catch up and frankly, I can't think of anything I would rather post about after such a milestone (I hit 100 posts here at Ramblings of an Undiagnosed Mad Woman yesterday). So, I am going to nominate some other great bloggers out there as well.

Since I got the Gargie award first... that is where I will start. And naturally, it comes with some rules.

• Display the award badge on your site.
• Publish a post to let the world know that you are awesome!
• Nominate other fellow bloggers
• Let your nominees know they have been nominated.

First of all, I want to say thank you to Melissa of at Mommy Writings by Daughter of MAAT. I am truly humbled that you would pick me out of all the bloggers out there. I can't thank you enough. So, if you haven't checked her out yet, I highly encourage you to. You won't be disappointed.

Here are my nominations:

• Vicki from Laugh Lines
• Gina from The Life I Live... So You Don't Have To
• Amy from Adorable Chaos
• Michele from Sweet-heart.net
• Ruchira from Abracabadra

Check out these wonderful bloggers. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Now onto the 2013 Versatile Blogger. Thank you so much Terrye from The Adventures of a Misplaced Alaskan. I truly look up to you for all your wit and humor that you bring into my daily digital life. If you wouldn't have already gotten both of these awards, I would have nominated you because you are deserve both of these as well as a Peppergasm Award. You take life at face value and you know just when to come in and make someone smile. If you haven't checked out Terrye yet, you are missing out. So go... check out what she has to say!

Now this award too comes with some rules...

1. Thank the blogger who bestowed this award. Thanks again Terrye.
2. Add the Versatile Blogger Award to your post and site.
3. Nominate other bloggers that are desrving of the award.
4. Let them know you nominated them.
5. Tell 7 interesting facts about yourself.

Some of these bloggers have probably already been nominated. But I want to nominate those who truly have an impact on my digital life, whether it is through there support or just there friendships. I wish I could nominate everybody because there are so many great bloggers out there. My nominations are:

• Cyndi from Pictimilitude
• Melanie from Scribbles and Smiles
• Janine from Confessions of a Mommyholic
• Julie from Life According To Julie
• Melissa from Mommy Writings By Daughter of MAAT
• Rich from That's life... Sometimes
• Stephanie from Mommy, For Real

And now for 7 interesting things about me.... oh my... this might be a bit of a challenge...

1. I like Braunschweiger. My husband thinks it is appalling and is shocked that this liver type paste even appeals to me. Especially since I gag at eating hot dogs.
2. My spelling is horrible. In fact, there are times when I will actually avoid words just so I don't have to look up how they are spelled.
3. I trust easily. But when people break that trust, it takes me a long time to be able to trust anybody again.
4. I am obsessed with social networking. Honestly, I am not sure how I made it through the 90s without it.
5. I am obsessed with board games... but I truly do suck at The Game of Life and Monopoly. I could do without ever playing those again.
6. I dwell on things. Until I know what happened, how it happened and I get to the bottom of the mystery, I will not be able to put anything aside. I am too curious for my own good.
7. I am my own worst enemy.  I have the want; I have the drive; and some may even say I have the knowledge. However, there are so many times that I just don't believe that. I fight the feeling all the time and wonder if that will be my ultimate demise. 

Well, now that you have finished reading this book! Go check out some of these other wonderful bloggers and give them some attention.

And as always - thank you for stopping by. I appreciate the support and love letting you into my life and my ramblings.

It's Like Air Conditioning... For Your Butt!

A fellow blogger asked yesterday how bloggers come up with their ideas. Do you plan ahead or do you just write on a whim? I answered that usually I wait for something to happen that seems blogworthy each and every day and I usually go from their. I think that answer is what doomed me to write today's post!

I am a housewife. What does that mean... in return for my husband working his life away for money to pay bills and support us, I get the opportunity to stay home with my kids. That also means that I have become the sole responsible person for the sucky chores (unless I can pawn them off on my kids!) That being said, sometimes I am too picky for my own good so I would rather do it myself. You know what they say, if you want it done right, do it yourself. That philosophy sometimes sucks the life out of me.

So my son obviously takes after his daddy.
He has no problem running around naked!

That leaves me to today... doing laundry. It isn't that I really hate this chore... ok - so I do. It is the chore that never ever ever gets done. Just when you think it is finished, someone throws another pair of clothes in the laundry hamper. It messes with my perfectionist tendencies and frankly society would frown upon me if I let my kids run around naked, even if it was just for one day so I could say my laundry is completely, without a doubt, done. (I would have said my husband, but I am sure he would be ok with running around naked, even if society frowned down on it!)

I started laundry yesterday. But, because I knew I wouldn't get it entirely finished, I didn't throw in any more loads in the afternoon. Mainly because there is nothing worse then forgetting that you had left the clothes in the wash and you need to do it over. I know - rewashing is easy... but I got a sniffer that works great. And I always seem to be able to smell that "I forgot my clothes in the washer overnight and now they smell musty" smell no matter how many times I rewash. I think it is mental!

So I threw the final load from the washer into the dryer, but I never got to folding it. That was a task I was going to do this morning before I started the task of laundry all over again. Now I got a lot of laundry to fold and because I have three kids, it means folding laundry takes up a whole lot of room. And no matter how hard I want to, I refuse to put clothes away until all the laundry is done. So I got a pile for everything and it has filled up my dining room table.

That is when I came across the underwear. The underwear that should be retired. It has more holes in it than a piece of Swiss cheese. (Sorry - hope you didn't like Swiss cheese that much that you will now never be able to eat Swiss cheese without thinking of underwear!)

If your underwear starts to
look like Swiss cheese, it is time to
retire them!

Now, this underwear belongs to my husband. He is, however, not short on underwear at all. In fact, I think he has so many pairs of boxers that his drawer is overfilling. Yet, these underwear seem to keep making it back in the laundry. Why? Because he keeps wearing them, holes and all. He does the same thing with his socks!

Now for the life of me, I don't understand why, if you notice that these clothes are no longer functioning, why you wouldn't just throw them away, instead of throwing them back into the laundry. So, to push the point, I took a picture of these holes in his underwear and sent the picture to my husband.

"This is your underwear... on crack!"

His response...

"It is like air conditioning... for your butt!"

Yeah - I got nothing! But at least I got a blog post for the day!

Blog of the Year 2012 - Perfect Way To End The Year

In the blogging world we get awards. But it isn't like these awards are just handed out randomly. The are recognition for doing something good. They are because someone out there thought you were memorable.

Well obviously I did something right. This year I got nominated for the Blog of the Year 2012 Award twice.

The first nomination was from Kelly at The Real Housewife. Kelly is my bud. We have known each other for almost a couple of years already, which is funny because it seems like we have known each other our entire life. While we originally met online, she is the first writer I have met in the real world. And I am also excited because I will be seeing her and her family again in a short couple of weeks. Thank you Kelly so much - you can throw awards at me anytime!

The second nomination was from Melanie over at Scribbles and Smiles. This girl is pure awesomeness! She is so dedicated with everything she does and she has a heart that is filled with kindness. She is a go-getter and she is filled with determination. She was one of my biggest pushes during NaNoWriMo because we both set a very similar goal. I can say that I am so excited that we both made it and I look forward to the day we both publish our manuscripts.

So here's the deal...

When you receive this award this is what you need to do.
1. Humbly accept it - throw a party - and then revel in your awesomeness! (Yes - it is ok to be proud of yourself!)
2. Tell those people who gave you the award how much you appreciate them thinking of you by thanking them. Thank you both Kelly and Melanie! You two both totally made my day!
3. Tell the world 7 of your deepest darkest secrets. (Come on people - we want the juicy details here!)
4. Pass the award on to another deserving blogger!

Well, since I have already received a few other awards (and people are probably sick of hearing about my little secrets) (and I have run out of secrets), I am going to take a different approach. I am going to tell you the 7 things that I can't live without. This is a little different and something I thought would be a little fun. Now you will notice I will not be mentioning family, friends or blogging buddies. These are a given. These people I can't live without.

1. My laptop. It is my connection to the world and seriously, I would be lost without it. In fact, there was times when I have contemplated whether or not I should bring it with me when I go visit people for a short visit. You just never know when the urge to write might take over you.
2. Internet Connection. It is an odd thing to think about not being able to live without Internet. When I was younger, we barely had a computer, much less an internet connection. And it was dial-up. Now-a-days, if it takes longer than a couple seconds to load a page, I am about to call customer service. And if there is a disconnection in my services (even if it is natural disaster related), I can barely get through the rest of the day. It is sick and sad - isn't it?
3. My combat boots. Ok - so they really aren't combat boots anymore, I am out of the military. But, my go to shoe for just about every occasion is my black boots. Believe me when I tell you the world does stop if these boots suddenly meet their maker and need to be thrown out. I will go out that day and buy a new pair.
4. As Seen On TV crap. It is a sad reality when I can justify the need for every "As Seen on TV" product out there. I need them all and I have about half of them. I am just fortunate that I don't live next to the physical store that sells these products otherwise I would probably go broke. But honestly, more often than not, I use these products and will tell you that I can't live without them.
5. My snuggie blanket. I know what you are all thinking... Isn't she an adult? Damn straight, but if you ask my husband, my snuggie goes every place I do. I absolutely love it. In fact, I have used it so much it is almost time to retire it and get a new one. Who knows... maybe my next one will be the Wonder Woman variety. It really does not matter the temperature, I am always cuddled up with my blankie. I know - I am so mature!
6. My sweater. This sucker goes with me wherever I go. It could be 100 degrees or it could be negative 20. I am bringing my sweater with me. My husband says it is my crutch. Whatever - but at least I know I am prepared if I get cold! It was a sad day when my first sweater... a long black one... had to be retired to the trash. It was so worn, I could no longer be seen in public for fear of having someone taking a picture of me and posting it on "People of Walmart" dot com.
7. My workout DVDs. Yes... everybody knows that I am an exercisaholic. I probably should go to support groups or something.  But truth be told, I have a harder time passing by a workout DVD when I go the store than any other item I find in there. My biggest obsession is the Beachbody workouts like P90X, TurboFire and 10 Minute Trainer. However, I won't pass up Taebo or Jillian Michael's 30 Day shred. My husband thinks it's funny because I actually do collect workout gear. And no - I don't do it because I am trying to lose weight. I do it because I love the feeling I get after a good sweat!

Now for the hard part....

This is the part where I get to nominate others. Now, since I have already nominated some great people for The Versatile Blogger, The Beautiful Blogger Award, and The Sisterhood of Bloggers Award, I am going to say that these recipients are very well deserved for the Blog of the Year 2012 as well, but I am going to try and pass the love on to someone I haven't already given a Bloggy Award to...

So here are my choices for Blog of the Year 2012:

Amy from Adorable Chaos: Right now she is my main choice for this award because she has been so close in my thoughts after all the tragedy happening in her area. That being said, I don't want to dwell on that. I want to raise her up and give her something that will hopefully give her something to smile about. Amy is a wonderful mother and a wonderful writer. I look forward to reading her blog posts whether they are about projects she is doing with her children or just life in general. She is kind at heart and a great supporter and friend. Check her out, I am sure once you get there you will see why I choose her for the Blog of the Year 2012.

Cari from I Have a Full-Time Job... Meet My Husband: I absolutely love this blog. It kind of brings me back down memory lane when my husband and I were first newlyweds. Cari is a newlywed and most of her posts revolve around the life of a newlywed. Her writing is easy to read and will have you laughing and shaking your head. Don't forget to check her out and see why she deserves this award!

Stephanie from Mommy, for Real: She is another mom and I can totally relate to just about everything she puts into words. One of my favorites was when she wrote out, "When Will I Be a Real Grownup?" The funny thing about that was I was wondering the same thing a few weeks earlier. Her writing is refreshing and touches on a little of everything. She is a well deserving recipient of this award as well.

Katherine from Can I Get Another Bottle of Whine: First off, I just have to say how much I enjoy the title of her blog, as any parent can probably relate to it. Katherine is another great member of the blogging community I belong to and I enjoy her writings as well. Her caption contests are fun to participate in and she makes you feel good about your overdue library books. She touches a little bit on every subject and has posted so many topics that I can relate to. Check her out - I am sure you will love what she has to offer.

Chris from I Work Off The Clock: He is my final nomination. I just recently got to know him when I caught his blog post on bringing "Playtime" back into the marriage. Not only do I enjoy his writing, but he also has some clear cut goals for his future in blogging. He too touches on a variety of different topics whether it is about money or clearing clutter or setting goals. I can already tell he is going to go far in the blogging world and I wish him the best of luck.

To all those that got the award, I can't wait to see how you nominate. But overall, this is just a fun way to spread some blogging love. It truly is what makes blogging so much fun and worthwhile. There is a lot of work that goes behind the scenes in blogging, and only those that do it truly can relate!