Whose Idea Was That?

So the other evening, my Mom came into the den and asked "wouldn't it be a fun idea to recall past New Years Eve parties and stories at this New Years Eve?"


Now, if you know me at all.... I LOVE back in the day stories of myself, family members, and the two combined. So needless to say I was ALL about it! I sat down to dinner with my parents (yea, we still have dinner together even the three of us :)) and we began playing a round of questions. Came up with some really great ones too!

Some examples included:

• What are the two things this group always argues about at New Years?
• Who is sitting at the barstools and how many years we've been ringing in the New Year together. 

• What water event entertained the children numerous years?
• The Hot Tub

• What is the saying that is added to the end of a fortune cookie?
• "In Bed"

• Who stole a beer the first year Amanda and Drew could legally drink? (Bonus points if known where beer was taken from) 
• Lexi (the family dog) and stolen from a snowbank outside the sliding glass door. 

These were only some of the top contenders I choose to share, some were better and some were too good to share. 

My thought was that we were turning this into a Jeopardy esq. game. With teams and points and BONUS points for those who could expand the questions further.

WRONG: apparently it was supposed to be a questionnaire like game where people could answer questions together or on their own and then create a big discussion. Whatever, I'm sure I'll write some New Years recap where I sum up if the game went well or not.... 

New Years Eve

This will be the 22nd year my family has hosted a New Years Eve party. I'm not really sure how it really began other than my parents meeting great friends while we lived in an apartment complex as the house was being built. A couple decades later and we still get together at least once a year to celebrate something.

There's a core group of 8 people (4 couples) that have been involved since the very beginning and along the way kids were added, neighbors stopped by, and above all fun was had. I'm really thankful to have such a wonderful tradition to look forward to every year and never have to worry about what my plan will be.

Sure I've done the occasional change up of plans; I've gone to a hockey game before, had friends or boyfriends join the mix, had other ideas come up, but I've had this group of people be my main priority to ring in the new year. 

This year the parental and I are planning a jeopardy like game to quiz the hard core attendees and create conversation based on our questions. I don't mean to toot my own horn, but *toot toot* we've got some pretty good questions! 

Hope you have a great New Years Eve celebration!! 

My People

Everyone has "their' kind of people and I've been friends with mine for 22years. Yep that's right, this 25year old has had two friends for 22years. How you ask?? Well we moved into our house the fall of 1992, where soon after our next door neighbors moved in. Myself and the "little" girl next door were both sleeping in our cars and thus began our immediate friendship of course. If you can't nap with your best friend, then you are not best friends, it's like my best friend test actually.

So little 6month old Katie and 3year old Abby became life long friends by pretty much sleeping through our first meet and greet. Like best friends we've had our ups, downs, and bumps in the road, but when you find a friend that just excepts your strange quirks, encourages strange habits, and loves the same things you do; that's something you never let go of! It's even strangely awesome how we coordinate and or match at times...I'll be honest and say most times are unplanned :).


Flash forward to this past week, Katie came home from London for Christmas break. SOOooooooOOO happy to have my person home and to spend some lost time with her. She left me back in September, although I begged and argued that she wasn't allowed to go, though she left me any way :(. Since then we've tweeted, facebooked, and snap chatted to stay in touch, but nothing was better than seeing her in person. I probably held on a little long, but rightfully so and there was booze involved.

Oh and my other good friend I'm really thankful to still be close with is Katie's brother Matt who was also in town for the holidays and could catch up with him as well.

These are 3 out of 4 members of our childhood business called M.A.K.A. (missing the first A, my sister of course). We sold lemonade and held a carnival for the neighborhood kids. Our summers were purely AMAZING because we had each other to come up with the most creative games to entertain
ourselves and also our awesome parents allowed us to have this free and sometimes crazy thinking.

Hopefully another get together is in store for us soon... it's so hard when Katie's in London for now, Matt's in D.C. and you know I'm...here -_-.

Christmas in a Nutshell

Christmas was very good to me this year.

I got to sleep in a little bit, which is always a plus on a holiday. 

Helped to make brunch with the family.

Opened gifts with my whole family!

My Mom, Grandmother, and Myself on Christmas Eve at my Aunt and Uncle's House. 

All she asked for was a (tiny) box, she got a few different sizes to choose from!

I was soon Happy she really seemed to like my gift I got her! A Magna Doddle for those of you who don't recall. Prob one of my favorites from my childhood! I probably had to go to four, count them 4 stores to find this gem! 

My very favorite gifts I received this year! Funny thing is that my sister and I ended up getting each other the sister Alex&Ani bracelet. Which is both really cool and really strange since neither of us said anything to each other. And my lovely Mom got me (and my sister) the Daughter one. I'm not sure what it is, but I'm a big fan of these bracelets.

Hope your holidays were wonderful!! 

Merry Christmas Eve

Merry Christmas Eve or Happy Holidays!!


It's about 12 noon and I'm supposed to vacuum, clean up the house a bit, AND oh yea....wrap presents!! Ooopsss, dropped the ball on that one. I guess that's the one downside to having all my shopping done two weeks ago was that there was no immediate urgency to wrap said gifts. Well now its the day before and I have about oh, ZERO motivation to go upstairs and wrap any or all gifts.


However; I was motivated enough to update my computer and phone which is a plus. Downfall to that was I literally was only able to watch T.V. while my computer and phone were BOTH being updated. Yes that's right, I couldn't multitask or entertain myself with more than one source... clearly now I'm back on the computer and the phone is almost ready. Thank goodness!!


So it's Christmas Eve, I have the day off (Thank the frigging lord, I needed this) and I've gotta get my few things done before the traditional family Christmas party up with my Mom's side of the family. Busy busy.


Hope you have a great Holiday!

For Once

I am soooo excited for Christmas. I usually am, I'm a happy person and LOVE holidays in general, but the last few Christmas there's been other things going on or I just haven't gotten into the spirit as much.

This year, I'm super excited and happy for this Christmas season. Not quite sure why, but I am this year. I really love my work; the kids, my co-teacher, and co-workers, even my bosses are WAY better! Family is good. Friends are good, new and old ones will be around for the holidays which REALLY makes it much better <3.

And this year, I finished all Christmas shopping a full 2 weeks early!! Whoop Whoop for ME!! (That's what we say for positive reinforcement). Truth, I do still finish making my Mom's present cuz she didn't "want anything" so I thought, if I made something, she couldn't REALLY say no to it.. and she likes that kind of stuff and I can be pretty crafty sometimes. Maybe if I'm feeling really crafting and thinking about it I'll even post as I complete the project pictures... Maybe, if I'm thinking about it while I compile said project. I kinda hope I'll remember to, it might be fun and cool to look back on my project process and not just said product.


Hope your Christmas Holiday Shopping is at least started and going well!!

Toddler Thoughts Thursday

I'm going to attempt to write the funny parts of my job for two hopes. One maybe it'll allow me to focus on really happy/funny moments the day before my co-teacher has a day off and two so you can hopefully have a great read come Thursday!


First week I'll start you out with two; because they've been really good this week so far!

First one happened Monday Morning while prepping for the day we had on Frozen (I know, I know..we love and hate it) when one little girl was dancing in the middle of the room screaming singing "In the first time in forever, LET IT GO!" 

Just about died laughing

Second one happened Tuesday during our monthly fire drill. Alarm went off, startled a few of the kids so I held their hands while walking outside to our designated spot, did our head count and check list, then headed inside. As we walked back in, some of the children were having a hard time walking back in in a line. So we began holding hands and literally had three rows of four children holding hands. Ah-dorable to say the least. One little girls shouts: "Let's all get together and hold hands now!"  Then when I went to ask my co-teacher who really said that, the little girl turned her head around and said "H did!" hahaha Could NOT stop laughing at her and our groups cuteness!! 

Hope that turns your morning in a great direction!