On tagging and blog awards and seven other things...

Hi there.

I have been "tagged" by the lovely Fallon of Sweet Fancy and Olive fame, and also been awarded a blog award of some sort by dear Youngmi of the toki cafe' (you may remember her as Yoyo, winner of the Anna Maria Horner linens), both of which require that I share 7 things about myself on this little ole' blog. The blog award I received from Youngmi (I'm totally undeserving of it, Youngmi, but I am so flattered that you like my blog enough to bestow it upon me that I will do my best - Thank you!) asks that they be 7 things my readers don't know about me, so I'm going to do a total of 7 for both things - I hope that's okay.

Here...we...go!

7 things that you may not know about me (and may not want to know, either, but I'm okay with that):

1. I was once...drum roll please!...a Pampered Chef consultant. Seriously. And I have at least three aprons to prove it - as well as a kitchen and pantry full of Pampered Chef products.

Pampered Chef logo found here.

While on one of our many road trips (this time to Yellowstone National Park), my family of three (at the time) were house guests for a day or two with a friend named Jolee who was a consultant for the Pampered Chef and had recently moved to Provo, Utah. She regularly traveled back "home" to Southern California to do Pampered Chef shows since most of her business was still here.

As a way of thanking her for her generous hospitality, I agreed to host a show for her, and I ended up earning a ton of awesome products and deciding to become a consultant for myself in order to earn more awesome stuff (just three shows of my own was the commitment, I think...), as well as earn some extra money (since we were living on a grad student's stipend at the time).

I ended up doing a lot more than three shows, earned a ton of great stuff that I am still proud to use today even though I am no longer a consultant, and I was pretty good at it even though I am totally NOT a sales type person (I never ever tried to convince people to be consultants or pushed purchasing products, but, amazingly, I had a few people become consultants under me and sold a TON of stuff) and even though I once burned a brownie recipe (I'm sorry Gina!) and another time produced a very dry apple crisp due to not following the recipe properly (I'm sorry Kellee!).

Note: apple crisps are still good whether they come out dry or not (so long as ice cream is involved), burning a brownie recipe while showing off stoneware amazingly sells the stones like you wouldn't believe because people are so AMAZED that your burnt brownies pop right outta' said stoneware!!!

This quite possibly could be my favorite of their products. I love it in the new white, but mine is cranberry.

If you need a good consultant, go through Chris Manion. She's awesome.

2. You probably know by now that I am a mommy of three, but did you know that each of my children were actually born on their due dates??? I used to joke that these are the only three times in my life that I have been on time, until my husband lovingly pointed out that, actually, it is our babies who were on time. Sigh...

This was taken immediately after my little Eleanor was born. Look at how happy I am! It is amazing how quickly one forgets the pains of labor. Those hands belong to Chris, my favorite midwife of all time. She helped two other midwives (normally you only get one, but I got super lucky that morning, let's just put it that way) to aid me in delivering my second son on Easter Sunday in 2006 at a birthing center in Bethesda, Maryland, and then was there for me again when my little Eleanor took her first breath in 2008 at a great hospital - also in Maryland. Due to rising insurance costs the midwives started delivering there instead of in homes or at the center.

While I know that women have been delivering their babies in their homes since the beginning of time, and that I have successfully delivered my three children, I am still a chicken about actually doing this personally - and I know my husband would probably faint at the very thought of it. Ever since we moved here back to California over a year ago, I've been wondering to myself, "If I get pregnant again, who will be my midwife?!?"

3. This one may totally bore you but I am so happy about it right now that I can't resist adding it here as my number three. I just found the box of bank checks - quadruple yay! - that I tore my house apart a couple of weeks ago looking for. And. they. were. right. here. all. of. the. time. - sigh - in the bookshelf to my left... And I put them there so that I wouldn't forget where I put them. UG. In my defense, somehow they were inserted like a book would be - which I totally didn't do. ANYWAY. Again - quadruple yay!
No. These are absolutely NOT my checks of choice. In fact, I chose this image because...

4. ...images (like the one above) of little kids kissing in this way and whatnot totally irk me. I know that the majority of the world seems to think this is just too cute and whatnot and what for, but I just don't like it. Now, I do think it's very sweet when children are naturally affectionate with their siblings and other children, but the thing that irks me has more to do with the way the pictures are used and even intentionally posed. You know, for adult things like romantic cards and wedding invitations and all of that. If you disagree with me, we'll just have to agree to disagree, m'kay?

I wasn't originally going to make this my #4, but when I saw the many, many checks like that, I just had to.

Okay. I'm done with this one. Let's move on.

5. This may gross you out, but please hear me out before you run away screaming and turn your nose up - or away (ha ha ha - you'll get why I'm laughing in a moment)... I don't wear deodorant.

I used to up until very recently (last year), but then I started to have this irritation under my right arm where deodorant is needed and started reading all sorts of things about deodorant and aluminum and possible dangers... Then I freaked out and started researching other options. Not being at all interested in the baking soda route, I opted for the Tom's of Maine route. I started out using the lavender scent, but tried the unscented version I had purchased for my husband before I found out they had an original scent (doesn't matter, he hated the stuff anyway).
To make another long story short, I don't use anything anymore - and as far as my family has told me, I don't smell bad - believe me, my nine year old would let me know. I think for a little over a week I might have been a bit smelly while my body was trying to figure out what was going on. I never had a problem with actually sweating - unless I was working out - and after thinking about it for while, I realized that the odors that I may have been combating as a teenager whose hormones were going a bit crazy really wasn't an issue for me now as an adult. I think deodorant use is one of those things that you begin using and just never stop using because you just assume that "of course you need it". They wouldn't sell it if it wasn't necessary, right??? I say, "Wrong!"

Last year was a major shake up for me as far as household products and "beauty" products. I am going for as natural as possible. Not only for the environment's sake, but for my health and the health of my family.

6. Movies like The Blob, A Nightmare on Elm Street 4, Invasion of the Body Snatchers (the 1978 remake), and Poltergeist (all viewed without the consent of my parents and before I was in Jr. High - two at my cousins' house, one at my neighbor Amber's house with a pillow covering my face half of the time, and one at my very own house from behind the couch) gave me nightmares or an incredible inability to sleep - until I married my husband. There was something about living with him that made me at peace about those things.

This awesome movie poster was found here. I definitely need to watch this one again someday (as I have with one of the others) and rid myself of the fear of it forever. Ha ha ha.

By the way, I have since seen A Nightmare on Elm Street 4 (about seven years ago now, I think) and couldn't believe how stupid and gross and actually comical it was. How could I have allowed it to torment me for so long??? My husband - my true life hero - has been slowly helping me to watch movies that I have been afraid to watch. It has been incredibly therapeutic - I highly recommend it!

7. Phew! Last one. I'll make it short and sweet with no "long story short" intertwined anywhere.

I love going to church. I really and truly do. I consider it a great privilege and blessing.

And now... the 7 blogs that I pass this tagging and award on to are:
1. Jenn - jenn of all trades
2. Amanda - i am mommy
3. Kellie - rice babies
4. Mary - the provident woman
5. Brooke - oh brooke
6. Ruby - my cakies
7. Meredith - penelope loves lists

I honestly really don't expect anyone I've "tagged/awarded" to actually do this as I realize that many of these blogs are way "past" this sort of thing, but I really do love their blogs and would really enjoy reading their lists!

Okey dokey.

Back to bed I go.

Blessings, Susan