Sunday Stealing: The Lower 40 Meme, Part One

Cheers to all of us thieves!

1) Who is the last person you high-fived? One of my kids. Probably my son, but the girls are into high-fives, too, so I don't know for sure.

2) If you were drafted into a war, would you survive. It depends on what I had to do. On the front lines? Probably not, but then who knows?

3) Do you sleep with the TV on? No.

4) Have you ever drunk milk straight out of the carton? Ick, no!

5) Have you ever won a spelling bee? No. I always wanted to when I was a kid, but my nerves always got the best of me.

6) Have you ever been stung by a bee? Yes, a few times over the years.

7) How fast can you type? Fast enough.

8) Are you afraid of the dark? Not usually.

9) Eye color: Brown

10) Have you ever made out at a drive-in? Yes

11) When was the last time you chose a bath over a shower? I can't remember.

12) Do you knock on wood? Yes

13) Do you floss daily? No



Where's number 14?





15) Can you hula hoop? I'm not sure. I was good at it when I was a kid, but that was a long time ago ...

16) Are you good at keeping secrets? Depends on the secret.

17) What do you want for Christmas? An iPad.

18) Do you know the Muffin Man? I did, once upon a time ...

19) Do you talk in your sleep? I sure hope not! That would be mighty embarrassing!

20) Who wrote the book of love? God

W.T.F. Meme: Dogs on surf boards join a Facebook status chain

1) Last week women on Facebook started another one of those supposed "raise breast cancer awareness" status chains which end up just confusing men. This one had me saying "I'm 14 weeks and craving Skittles." Instantly people started asking me if I was pregnant. This has angered some people (including a blogger who posted a rant about it because she says that "pretending you're pregnant isn't cute"). What do you think of status chains like this? They haven't bothered me before, but I refused to post this one. I agree that leading others to believe you're pregnant when you aren't just isn't good. This one, I felt, was wrong. So, I opted out.

2) Do you think people should be able to buy music and share it with everyone he or she wants or should everyone have to purchase the songs themselves? I think a limited amount of sharing would be OK, but sharing with anyone and everyone who's interested doesn't seem right. Why would anyone buy any music if they could just get it from anyone willing to share? (Napster, anyone?)

3) How often do you (or your significant other) vacuum your house? What's a vacuum?

4) Monday was National Cheese Pizza Day. What toppings do you like on your pizza? My favorite is taco pizza. When I can't have that, I like pepperoni, black olives, mushrooms, and (sometimes) green olives.

5) The Thought Catalog has posted a list of great songs to cry to. What is a song that can easily bring you to tears? Nothing comes to mind. I'm not one who cries very easily.

6) Beanie babies were a big craze in the 1990s. What is a toy that you collect or used to collect? I was in college when Beanie Babies came out, and have TONS of them. I don't really collect toys anymore – unless you count the toys my kids play with.

7) Buddy, a 14-year-old Jack Russell Terrier, will be the first animal inducted into the Surf Dog Hall of Fame. Do you enjoy seeing animals do crazy stunts? I don't seek it out, but if I happen to see something it depends on what it is.

8) September is Fall Hat Month. Do you like to wear hats? If so, what type of hats are your favorites? I'm not big on hats. I only wear them when absolutely necessary to keep my ears from freezing off.

Flirty Aprons

The following post was brought to you by Broadcast Bloggers. It was not written by me (see below for source information). I am sharing this because I just love Flirty Aprons – they are so ADORABLE!

 

Oh my goodness. Get ready for the cutest aprons ever. Flirty Aprons have the BEST aprons I've seen in a long time. These are not yo mama's aprons.

 

They have sleek, modern aprons that instantly turn you into a domestic goddess.
I'm not joking...I am not really kitchen friendly. I like to cook, but cooking doesn't really like me.

 

But seriously...how could you not love being in the kitchen in one of these!!!

 

These aprons are SO well made. Their ties are long enough to go around ALL waist sizes. They are flattering on all shapes. These would be perfect for hostess gifts or for all the women in your life!

 

I received the Frosted Cupcakes apron pictured above. It is to die for cute!!! The moment I put it on, I seriously wanted to bake something. In fact, the girls and I are throwing a cupcake decorating party for their friends in a couple of weeks. Wanna guess what I'm going to be rocking??? And the girls...

 

Yep...they make matching aprons in little girl's sizes. So cute!!!
And not to leave anyone out, they even make men's aprons...

 

This one cracks me up!!! I would love to see Den Farlow rock this!
What I love about Flirty Aprons is they are all about empowering women in the kitchen. The company was started by two couples who were friends and had an idea and the passion to implement it. They truly beleive in their company and the products they sell. You can tell by the quality of their products and the excellent customer service that they give!
Because they believe that each woman should be the goddess of her own kitchen, they are having a contest!

Flirty Aprons is offering readers a 20% discount on their order.

BB20= 20% off purchase an apron at the discount and enter to win the contest! Purchase your apron using the discount code and then post a video on YouTube about Flirty Aprons and show your creative way of destroying an old apron!! How fun is this!!!

Top 10 most creative readers videos (picked by Flirty Aprons) will receive a full refund of the Flirty Apron purchase price.  The #1 most creative will receive a full refund plus a $100 Visa gift card.

The contest will end on September 10th at midnight Pacific Time,

YouTube videos need to have Flirty Aprons in the title and that the contestants can email their video links to matt@flirtyaprons.com by the deadline.

This post is sponsored by Broadcast Bloggers, and content was provided through them. Posts came from The Simple Things and One Busy Momma as part of Broadcast Bloggers' rebroadcasting program.

Friday Fill-Ins

And...here we go!

1. The only question is why.

2. I can read a 500+ page book in one day – if it's really good.

3. Three of the many things on my desk: my mouse, my iPod Touch, and a stack of papers.

4. Taking my son for "pre-op" blood tests is the one thing I HAVE to do today!

5. I love playing with the cats or my computer.

6. Umm ... I'm not sure what overwhelms the senses.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to watching 27 Dresses, which arrives from Netflix today, tomorrow my plans include stuff around the house, reading, being Abby-free overnight for her BFF's sleepover, and Sunday, I want to read – I have three books to get done by Monday – which is also the last day of summer break!

Friday Fill-Ins

And...here we go!

1. Summer is quickly coming to an end, at least for my kids. I have mixed feelings on that. It'll be nice to get back into a consistent routine and have some peace, but I'll miss them. And I'll miss sleeping in.

2. The TV channel is unchanged through most days, as the kids love PBS shows (But, no, the TV isn't on all day.).

3. Aargh! I'm actually not all that frustrated at the moment. This is unusual, but I'll take it.

4. I don't do well when I have to wake up early in the morning.

5. Seven: Umm ... is a movie I've never seen.

6. Insomnia sucks; don't you think?

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to finishing my book, tomorrow my plans include hair appointment and laundry and Sunday, I want to get ready for my mom's visit next week (it was postponed)!

My Own Page #imabzzagent

Thanks to BzzAgent, which gives me the opportunity to try many different products for free (so that I'll tell my friends, readers, family, and others about them), I recently discovered about.me. It's kind of a one-stop shop for all of your online things. Actually, I think it's better described as an online business card. (And who knows? Maybe that's what they call themselves, too. I'm not sure.) It's really neat. You can link to your facebook, twitter, blogger, wordpress and other social networks; add other links and pictures. Make it a page completely about you. It's highly customizable, and I envision having a lot of fun as I get more ideas about what to do with it.

And right now, they're offering 50 free business cards from MOO if you create your page. You do have to pay shipping, but MOO is a great service! (I'm not sure how long that's going to last, so don't wait if you want to take advantage of it!)

While you're there, look me up: http://about.me/ham1299. If you have a page, let me know.

W.T.F. Meme: Ehh, what's up with you?

1) CBS debuted a show titled "Same Name" over the weekend which has famous people (including David Hasselhoff, Kathy Griffin, and Reggie Bush) switch places with everyday people with the same name. Do you share the same name with some famous person? Not that I know of.

2) If you do have (or theoretically if you did have) the same name as a celebrity, would you trade places with the celebrity for a while for a television show? Sure. Why not? It might be fun.

3) Today (July 27) is Bugs Bunny's 71st birthday. What should he do to celebrate his birthday? Eat some carrot cake.

4) What has been your favorite movie so far this year? The final HP, of course!

5) If you were a tour guide for your city, what three places would you take visitors to see? I'd take 'em up on the bluffs so they could see the gorgeous view of the river. Then to the John Deere Commons, because you can't come to the Quad-Cities and not go there! Finally, I'd take them to Jim's Rib Haven for the best barbecue EVER!

6) How often do you screen your phone calls? Every time the phone rings. (I check caller ID. If I don't recognize the name/number, I don't answer.)

7)  27-year-old Amy Winehouse died over the weekend. Were you a fan of hers, or were you like me and barely knew anything about her until after she died? Barely knew anything about her. I knew about her drug use thanks to Leno/Letterman. But that's about it.

8) Who is another celebrity you feel died too young? Heath Ledger

9) If you had the power to decide people's fates, would you consider it a blessing or a curse and why? A curse. That is a HUGE responsibility. I think I'd rather leave that up to God.

10) Wanting to go to a taxidermist to get your dead dog/cat stuffed -- normal or creepy? Very creepy.

Sunday Stealing: The Twenty-Fiver Meme

Cheers to all of us thieves!

1. Tell us about something that made you laugh last night. Um ... something on Leno.

2. What were you doing at 8 PM last night? Um ... changing Natalie's sheets, I think.

3. What were you doing 30 minutes ago? Playing Bingo Blitz on Facebook. Yes, I know, I'm pathetic. LOL

4. What happened to you in 2006? (Feel free to republish an old post from '06.) I suffered from postpartum depression when my son was a few weeks old.

5. What was the last thing you said out loud? I don't remember. Something to Mr. Ham a few minutes ago. Obviously it wasn't important!

6. How many beverages did you have today? A couple. I didn't really count. Although, if by "beverages" alcohol is implied, then the number would be a big, fat ZERO.

7. What color is your hairbrush? Black and silver.

8. What was the last thing you paid for? Some stuff on Amazon.

9. Where were you last night? At home.

10. What color is your front door? On the inside, it's white. On the outside, it's a dark wood stain, but I have no idea what one would call it.

11. Where do you keep your change? Most of it lives in my wallet.

12. What’s the weather like today? At the moment, it's pretty calm.

13. What’s the best ice-cream flavor? Better Batter at Maggie Moo's

14. What excites you? Music, reading a REALLY good book, my children's accomplishments, God

15. Do you want to cut your hair? No. It's short enough as it is.

16. Are you over the age of 35? Nope.

17. Do you talk a lot? Sometimes.

18. Do you watch Franklin and Bash? Haven't heard of it.

19. Do you know anyone named Steven? Who doesn't?

20. Do you make up your own words? Very rarely. I'm into proper grammar, spelling, etc. I don't do non-words! ;-)

21. Are you a jealous person? Not nearly as much as I used to be. God has taught me to let go and to trust others.

22. What does the last text message you received say? It was from my mom saying she's coming to visit in a few days. :-)

23. Where’s the next place you’re going to? Bed

24. Who’s the rudest person in your life? I am not going to publicly shame anyone, sorry.

25. Are you crushing on anyone that you shouldn't be? No. I'm married. I only have eyes for Mr. Ham.

Sunday Stealing: The Honesty Meme

Cheers to all of us thieves!

Complete the Sentences:

Right now I'm feeling...exhausted. I have a migraine trying to settle in, and that always wipes me out.

When I'm alone I feel...relaxed. It's nice to get some peace and quiet sometimes.

When I'm surrounded by people I feel...frazzled. I don't do large crowds well.

One thing I hate is...debt.

One thing I really like about myself is...being left-handed.

When I'm feeling sad I...sometimes cry, sometimes wallow in it, sometimes find a way to perk up. It all depends on the circumstances.

When I daydream it's usually about...finally being debt-free.

I'm afraid of...snakes. We're talking actual phobia here.

I'm happiest when...I know that I'm loved.

One thing that really worries me is...making ends meet.

If I could change one thing about myself it would be...I would be frugal to the point of being stingy. I wouldn't spend money on ANYTHING except absolute needs – unless I could pay cash.

If I could be with anyone right now I would be with...my family.

The family member I am closest to is...if you mean physically, my son. He's sitting right by me. If you mean relationship closeness, then my husband – of course!

If I was really honest with my father I would tell him...I'm thinking biological father right now. And to him I'd say you are NOT my dad, NOT my father. You are the sperm donor. Nothing more.

One thing I regret about my life is...letting debt get out of control.

If I only had one more day to live I would...spend it with God and my family.

If I was really honest with my mother I would tell her...nothing you need to know. ;-)

One thing about me that nobody knows is...nothing I'll tell you, because then it'd no longer be something no one knows! After all, there's a reason no one knows! ;-)

I hope that someday in the future...we can be debt-free and I can make my husband proud of me.

When I think about my family I feel...happy.

Something I'm really embarrassed about is...not something I'll share here.

One thing about me I never want to change is...my faith in God.

One thing I feel really proud of is...having finished my bachelor's degree and having my wonderful family.

Blogsville has helped me to...Blogsville? Is that meaning blogging in general? If so, it actually has helped me find myself in many ways.

One thing I like about blogsville is...being able to be me, and making lots of new friends.

WINNER: Rafflecopter Test Giveaway

Thank you to everyone who helped me test Rafflecopter! This seems to be a very popular means of entering giveaways, and it's so easy to use – on both ends! Selecting a winner is so easy it's crazy! And no more screen shots of the winner info, either! Check out the widget (both here and on the giveaway page!)





Winner has been e-mailed. I need to hear back in 48 hours.

I think Rafflecopter is AWESOME! And, yes, this will be how I conduct my giveaways here on Ramblings & More from here on out! :-)

Sunday Stealing: The Plaid Hat Meme

Cheers to all of us thieves!

1. When showering, do you start the water and then get in, or get in then start the water? Start the water first. I get in when the temperature is perfect.

2. Have you ever showered with someone of the opposite sex? I am married, so what do you think?

3. Were you ever been forced to shower with one of your siblings? Not that I remember.

4. Have you ever dropped your soap on your foot? You mean while in the shower? Probably.

5. How old do people say you look? I haven't asked anyone, so I have no idea. I don't think I want to know ...

6. How old do you act? My age, most of the time.

7. What’s the last song you sang? I'm not sure. One of the last songs I listened to in the car. I love to sing while driving. Actually, I love to sing.

8. Have you recently become a member of anything? Um, no. I don't think so.

9. What are your plans for next weekend? I believe some family will be out to visit. Regardless, I WILL SEE THE LAST HARRY POTTER!

10. Do you kiss with your eyes open or closed? Usually closed.

11. Whats the sexiest thing about Sarah Palin? Can't say I've ever thought about it – nor do I plan to.

12. Who’s the sexiest famous woman alive? If you said "most beautiful" I probably could come up with an answer. As I'm not attracted to women, I can't say I find anyone sexy.

13. Who’s the sexiest famous man alive? Tough choice. Johnny Depp or Matt Damon or someone else (names elude me at the moment)

14. Does your family have a crazy uncle? Doesn't every family?

15. Have you ever smuggled something into another country? No.

16. Do you live in a city with a good sports team? Not really. I don't follow the minor league crap we have going on here. I miss Chicago sports ...

17. What is the most unusual? "Most unusual"? Most unusual what? "Unusual" is not a noun.

18. How do feel about the Goth people? I don't.

19. Can you fix or your significant other your own car? OK, someone ought to take a good look at these questions before posting them. This doesn't make any sense. I think I know what's being asked here, but c'mon!

20. Would you want to kill Casey Anthony yourself if you were guaranteed to get away with it? What kind of question is this? I would not kill anyone, regardless of whether or not I'd "get away with it." I answer to a higher judge, and even if no one here on Earth knows what I do, God will. There is no getting away with anything.

Five Question Friday

1. Do you think cursive writing is overrated? (Schools in Indiana have now voted to take teaching cursive writing out of their curriculum.) Um, no. Definitely not. I think it's horrible that schools are starting to take that out of the curriculum.

2. Do you still use a pocket calendar or notepad or do you keep your info on your smart phone? If we're talking about keeping track of appointments and stuff, I use Google Calendar.

3. What 3 things would you save if your house was burning down? (family & pets are already safe) My computer, our wedding album, and DH's computer (where most of the kids' pics are).

4. Country Mouse or City Mouse, err Person? Suburban mouse – er, person.

5. If you could pick ANY reality show to go on, which would you pick? Dancing with the Stars. (Does that count as reality TV?) I know I'm not a star, but ballroom dancing is so much fun!

Wanna play along? Go HERE.

W.T.F. meme: Googling How to Get Away with Murder on Wednesday?

1) If you had a mind-reading ability but could only choose three people to read their minds, who would they be? Oooh, tough choice. Part of me wants to say Mr. Ham as one, but I think I'd actually pick my three kids. (Almost makes me wish I'd only had two ...)

2) Do you listen to music that matches your mood or improves your mood? (Meaning when you're sad, do you listen to sad music that matches the mood or happy music to lift you up? Or, if you're angry, do you listen to angry music or soothing music to calm you down? And so forth...) I do a little bit of both. If I'm angry, in particular, I often seek out music that fits. But, usually I end up going from that to something calmer, which calms me down.

3) Boy bands New Kids On The Block and Backstreet Boys have joined together to form a new band called NKOTBSB. What two musical acts would you like to combine efforts? (The musicians don't have to be currently popular, but they do, of course, need to be alive to be able to record new music.) Gosh, I dunno. I want to say Skillet with someone, but I love Skillet. I don't think merging them with someone else would work. They're almost perfect as is.

4) July 1-7 is "Pleasure Week." What is a hobby that you find to be extremely pleasurable? Reading, duh! (See Proud Book Nerd for proof!)

5) The second week of July is "Nude Recreation Week." (Seriously. I couldn't make this sh*t up.) If you had the chance to go to a nudist resort for a free vacation, would you go? Um, no, thank you. No one wants to see all this. And I really don't wanna see anyone else, either.

6) Casey Anthony was found not guilty of murder in the death of her daughter on Tuesday. Do you think she got away with murder, or do you think she was innocent? Yes, I think she got away with murder. That poor, sweet child.

7) Which of Snow White's seven dwarfs describes you best and why? (Doc, Happy, Bashful, Sleepy, Sneezy, Grumpy, Dopey) Depends on my mood! ;-) But, if we're talking generally speaking, I guess Bashful. I am EXTREMELY shy – too a fault.

8) If I Googled your name what would I find? Hopefully Proud Book Nerd.

9) What is more difficult for you -- looking into someone’s eyes when you are telling the person how you feel, or looking into someone’s eyes when they are telling you how they feel? Eye contact in general is hard for me – I think it's part of the super-shy thing. So, really, I think that neither would be tougher than the other.

10) Have you ever swallowed something really strange? If so, what was it and how did things turn out for you? Not to my knowledge. Sorry. Boring, I know.

Sunday Stealing: The Faceless 4th of July Meme

1. Last movie you saw in a theater? How to Train Your Dragon (no, it hasn't been THAT long. Our local theater was showing it for $1.50 last week)

2. What book are you reading? Don't Stop Now by Julie Halpern

3. Favorite board game? Umm ... Sequence?

4. Favorite magazine? People, I guess

5. Favorite smells? Lilacs, my kids after a bath, Mr. Ham after a shower.

6. Favorite sounds? Music, especially Skillet, Building 429, Jars of Clay ...

7. Worst feeling in the world? Regret

8. What is the first thing you think of when you wake up? Depends on the day. Often, that it's too early to get up (my kids are morning people – no, make that early-morning people)

9. Favorite fast food place? Umm ... Taco Bell? Maybe

10. What’s under your bed? Possibly a cat, probably a few hairballs, some dust bunnies, carpet, and some storage bins with God-knows-what inside.

11. Finish this statement. “If I had lot of money I’d….”? Pay off our debts, buy a bigger house, and get Mr. Ham a new car.

12. Do you sleep with a stuffed animal? Not unless Mr. Ham has eaten too much ... or a cat decides my feet are comfy.

13. Storms – cool or scary? AWESOME!

14. Favorite drink? Dr Pepper

15. Finish this statement, “If I had the time I would….”? Exercise so I can lose this weight.

16. If you had to dye your hair another color, what would be your choice? Well, I currently do dye my hair ...

17. Favorite place to relax? At home. Or the spa – nothing beats a massage ...

18. Name all the different cities/towns you’ve lived in? I'd rather not.

19. Favorite sports to watch? Football (the American kind)

20. Would you like to be born as yourself again? I was born again – er, I AM born again

Testing Rafflecopter GIVEAWAY!

I recently signed up to participate in the beta testing for Rafflecopter, the new way to conduct giveaways. And, I gotta tell you, I really like it! I have entered a few giveaways here and there over the past couple of weeks, and it's really simple. So, I was thinking, that I would do a quick low-cost (for me) giveaway to test it. So ..

Up for grabs is a $10 gift card to Amazon.

Giveaway ends at 12:01 a.m. (EST) July 10, 2011.

To enter, fill out the following form. (Comments do NOT count as entries.)








Good luck! Oh, and thank you for your help! ;-)

Friday Fill-Ins

And...here we go!

1. Blue skies are now gone as night begins.

2. I'm not sure what to say about memory lane right now.

3. Kids are maddeningly fascinating.

4. Sleeping in, eating out, relaxing; these are some of the best things about vacation.

5. Love is God.

6. Yellow submarine races.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to nothing in particular, tomorrow my plans include fun stuff like laundry and Sunday, I want to stay home while Mr. Ham takes the kids for fireworks!

Tune in Tuesday

This is a weekly feature hosted by GReads! that showcases music. I have always considered music my passion, so this is perfect for me!

Linger by The Cranberries

I chose this song this week because I'm currently reading Linger by Maggie Stiefvater. And the title makes me think of this song. I don't think that the song itself is necessarily fitting to the book – I'm only about 100 pages in – but almost every time I think the title, this song pops into my head.

Feel free to get involved with this feature by linking up at the bottom of the latest post!

Sunday Stealing: The Seriously Random Question Meme, Part 3

41. Who was the last person you went shopping with? Grant and Natalie (my younger kids)

42. What is something you need to go shopping for? Well, we're almost out of milk.

43. Do you have the same first name as one of your relatives? Nope, but my middle name was my grandmother's middle name.

44. What kind of car do your parents drive? My parents? What, you don't care what I drive?

45. Are you rich? Define rich.

46. If you could spend one intimate night with a celebrity, no questions asked, never to see them again, who would it be? I wouldn't. I value my marriage too much. Unless "intimate" doesn't have to mean sex.

48. What famous person do you look like? Feel free to use this facial match program by clicking here. Show us at least the celeb photo. Well, not bad results. My top one, with 58.89%, is Anne Hathaway! I can live with that! ;-)

49. What is the most daring thing you've done recently? Daring? I'm not really one for taking risks, sorry.

50. Say you were given a pregnancy test right now. Would you pass or fail? Depends on the type of test and what is meant by "pass" and "fail."

51. Which sex scandal of the last decade bothers you the most? I honestly don't keep track of that stuff. Anything involving children really bothers me, though.

52. Do you know anyone in jail/prison? No

53. What are your plans (or what have you done) for this weekend? Yesterday was my oldest's 8th birthday, and today we have her party with her friends.

54. Have you ever woken up and not known where you were? Um, no.

55. What were you doing at midnight last night? Finishing a post on Proud Book Nerd.

56. Last restaurant you went to? A place near my parents' house called Red Apple Pancake House.

57. How many hours did you sleep for last night? About 8.

58. Which is more distracting: Sexting while driving or sex while driving? Seriously? What kind of question is that?

59. Do you think someone is thinking about you right now? It's possible. I did just banish my son from my computer nook.

60. Have you ever changed your clothes while in a vehicle? Yes.

Taken from the-blog-that-encourages-stealing, also known as Sunday Stealing!