I’ve seen a few blog “friends” do this recently, and I thought I’d jump on the bandwagon.  Kristal did a series of posts where people asked her questions and she answered them.  The responses were so fun to read and I felt like I got to know her so much better!

So now’s your chance!  If you have a question that you’re dying to ask or there’s a question you wrote in a comment that I never answered, write it in the comments.  Now is the time!  I’m not sure I”ll answer EVERY question, but I’m pretty open about most stuff, so ask away!

I’m taking the ProBlogger challenge today!  ProBlogger has some great tips on blogging and while I don’t participate in every challenge or follow every tip, I thought this one would be fun.  Many thanks to Kate for tipping me off to this

Today, I’m playing along by listing the seven links from these categories:

1. Your first post

2. A post you enjoyed writing the most

3. A post which had great discussion

4. A post on someone else’s blog you wish you’d written

5. Your most helpful post

6. A post with a title you are proud of

7. A post you wish more people had read

Okay, here we go…

1. Your first post:

Well, my first official post on this blog was more of a transitional welcome post.  I had blogging for a while on Xanga before I moved to WordPress – remember Xanga?  And Livejournal?  Oh, the good ‘ole days…

My second post was pretty average – a recount of several friends engagements or weddings, and my first opportunity to photograph a wedding!  Looking back at this post, I don’t think I realized how necessary a picture is when you’re TALKING about photography!  So, because I was completely clueless at the time, here’s a photo from my very first paid photography gig, Jonathan & Anna’s wedding.

2. A post you enjoyed writing the most

This is tougher, because there are just SO many posts over the past 3 years.  I think perhaps this recent post, Thoughts on Discipline, was really enjoyable to write.  I felt like I was chatting with an old friend and it’s a true look into my life and my struggles.

3. A post which had great discussion

I’m often surprised by the posts which generate the most comments, or the most lively interaction – usually it’s the fun random posts  And a lot of the discussion is started by my mom, who is probably my most faithful blog reader!  Some popular discussion starters: Best Super Bowl Ads, Cover it: Our New Duvet, and of course, people love commenting about Our Nest.

4. A post on someone else’s blog you wish you’d written

This could take me eons to decide since I read so many blogs and subscribe to a bunch.  I’m constantly jealous of the originality of others, and the TIME they have for some of their posts.  It amazes me.

I’m always a glutton for posts that are about organization ideas that are pretty, and this is one of my favorites: Real Simple Solutions for an Organized and Efficient Home at the Inspired Room.  It’s still flagged in my RSS reader  Runners up: Wrapping Paper Organizer from Centsational Girl, and just about every single furniture plan on Knock Off Wood.

5. Your most helpful post

I have no clue!  One of the most popular posts and often searched is this one: What to Do With a Plate Rail? If you Google “how to decorate a plate rail” or something similar, it’s usually in the top 5 results, and it seems that I’m not the only one who is clueless about plate rails.

Other posts I think are helpful: Simple Living, Home Management Binder, and Weekly Housekeeping Schedule

6. A post with a title you are proud of

Confession:  I hate coming up with titles of posts.  I’m just not witty or original in the slightest.  But probably this title is my favorite, just because it’s completely ridiculous:  Shopping Spree Leads to Death

7. A post you wish more people had read

This isn’t to toot my own horn or anything, but there are probably several that I wish more people had read.  A few I can think of off hand: Some Day We’ll Say, “That’s SO 2005!”, and probably both of the posts about our crazy dishwasher installation saga – that was hard work, people!  You can find them here and here.

How about you? What have been your favorite posts? What have you enjoyed reading?  Feel free to play along on your own blog, and link back up here in the comments

Here’s a few links of different online treasures I’ve found. Some are blogs I read regularly, and some are things I’ve stumbled upon. Enjoy!

How to Decorate A Room in a Week @ Little Green Notebook She inspires me to hunt for interesting fabrics.

A Tale of Two Strippers @ Censational Girl Now I know how to strip…paint

Laundry Room Redo @ The Old White Cottage The progress she’s made in this typical basement laundry room is awe-inspiring!

Here’s a before – follow the link for the current after – you’re going to love it!

In Real Life @ Thrifty Decor Chic Remind me that not all of our homes are perfect, even though our pictures might make it look that way.  Thanks for the reality check

And last, something that I giggled at when I saw it:

Irony @ Good Food, Good Friends, Good Life

This quiz has been floating around on a website I frequent – a lot of college students I work with have been taking it.  You answer 14 questions and then it tells you how “millennial” you are.  Fun, right?

I scored a 59 – basically, right in the middle of Gen X and Millennial, which I suppose makes sense.  I was born in 1982, right smack on the border of these two “generations”.  I grew up in the 80s  but was obviously more influenced by the 90s.  My guess is that if I wasn’t such a cheapskate and we owned a TV, I’d be more millennial.  Most of the choices that influence this rating are ones my husband cares about more than me, so if I took this 4 years ago, I’m positive the score would be higher.

How about you – what would you guess your score will be?  The higher it is, the more “millennial” you are.  Head on over to the website, and take the quiz, then share your score with us!  I’m curious where you fall on the line

Sorry to go MIA – I had a brief work trip for two days, and in the process, I’ve gotten sick.

Nope, that’s not me, but I feel like this – sneeze-y, ache-y, and very tired.  All I want to do is curl up with some tea and take lots of naps.

I promise to try to come up with something fun and exciting to write about for Friday, but for now – I’m going to focus on getting better.  And if you’ve got your favorite cold remedy you want to share, please do!

I saw this yesterday, and it made me laugh.

Does tweetstalk really exist?

Recently, I discovered the wonder of RSS.  I know I’m behind the game a little, but at least I found it! It has been SUCH a timesaver for me.  I enjoy reading blogs and exploring all of the creative things people are doing, the fun stories, and the little helpful tips shared by strangers and friends.  And if I didn’t have RSS, I would (and could!) waste hours upon hours clicking through bookmarks and then clicking on someone else’s bookmarked blogs that they list in their blog and, before you know it, I’m in a black hole of procrastination. Someone help me.

How does RSS work? Honestly, I don’t understand it completely, even though I like to consider myself fairly tech-savvy.  What I do know is that most blogs have a subscription or “feed” you can click on – often the button looks something like this:

It’s like the Target logo cut in quarters.  Or, if you surf the web using Safari, at the very end of the address line, there’s a handy little RSS button that has a similar function.

I haven’t explored much with RSS, but basically, you can start clicking on the RSS icons, and go to a RSS reader of your choice (google has one built in to Gmail) and read your syndicated feeds in ONE place.  You won’t get the full viewing experience since it’s JUST the post content, not all the prettiness of your favorite website.  But, if you’re like me, it saves tons of time clicking through bookmarks and helps me avoid the black hole of endless blog surfing.

I’ve started using RSS and reading blogs on Mail, the email client for Macs.  So I don’t even have to open a browser! And when a new post has gone up, a little number shows up indicating the number of new posts available for reading, just like email.  The news comes to me, instead of me searching for the news, which is BRILLIANT!

So, I’m curious, how do you read blogs? Bookmarks? Google Friend Connect? (I don’t even know how that works!) RSS?  Just curious!

For more on RSS and blogging, go here, here, and here.

Of, if you’re a visual learner, watch this video!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0klgLsSxGsU]

Todays post is brought to you by my friend Jill.  We haven’t actually “met” yet, but her and I have become close due to our involvement in an online ministry called Christian Family Planning, a place that encourages and educates women about natural forms of birth control, pregnancy, and raising a family – all from a Christian perspective.  Perhaps I’ll post about it more in the future.

But for today, Jill is going to share a little bit about how she keeps organized with her home management binder.  I’m hoping to start something similar soon!

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One of my goals before we have kids is to get our life as organized as possible so that fitting a child in doesn’t completely throw us for a loop. Don’t get me wrong, I KNOW it will be a huge change, but the more organized I can be beforehand, the better!

This weekend I made a Home Management Binder. I’ve read about them online before, and finally decided to try and make one for myself! So, below is my adventure in my new HMB.

First, I needed the obvious: a binder. I found this great binder made out of recycled materials at Target for about $7.00.

Next, I had to figure out what all I wanted in my HMB. I got a lot of great suggestions (thank you!) and ended up deciding on a weekly calendar, meal planner, shopping list, daily chore list, weekly chore list, vacation planner, gift planner, emergency, and “other.”

First, our weekly calendar. I made the calendars with a section for me, a section for Jason, and a section for what our meal will be each day. I bought different colored pens so that I could easily distinguish between the sections. I made the calendar in MS Word, and then just changed the dates to make one for each week of the year. Pretty easy!

Next, the shopping list. I made the shopping lists in MS Word as well. There are three lists to a page, with perforations (done at Kinko’s), so that I can tear off one list and take it to the store. I put the categories in the order that I typically walk through the store.

I made two chore lists, and put each in a page protector so that I could check things off with a dry erase marker, and then just reuse them the next day/week. I also left areas to add notes or other chores in if something else comes up.

Next I made a vacation preparation list–also in a page protector so that it’s write-on-able and reuseable! I made a generic packing list, and also a place to put in notes about where we’re going/what we’re doing so that we don’t forget anything. On the back is a section of things to do before leaving the house–like holding the mail, giving a spare key to a neighbor, etc…I’m always thinking of gifts for people, and then forgetting them when it really matters. So, I made some generic excel spreadsheets to keep a record of gift ideas for people.

Lastly, I made a section for Emergency, and Other. To respect everyone’s phone number on my Emergency list, I’m not going to post a picture of it. But, it has emergency numbers, including doctors and the vet, as well as things to remember in an emergency (insurance #’s, etc…)

The “other” section has blank lined paper, graph paper, and a cute recycled-paper folder for any documents that I want to keep in there.

After everything was put together, I added a few final touches like a small pencil bag for the colored pens/dry erase markers to keep in there, a plastic velcro-folder for receipts and coupons, and some cute colorful tabs to divide the sections.

I decided against putting any financial information in there, because we already have a filing box for statements and important documents like that. I figured putting it in the binder would be overkill.

So, that’s my HMB! I’m hoping it functions really well for me–I imagine it will be a work in progress as I continue to think of things that would work better, or things to add or take away. The total cost was about $35.00, plus the time to make the documents. Not too bad! If you want to make your own, and want to use my templates as a jumping off point, I’d be happy to email them to you.

Yay organization!

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Yay, indeed!  Good job, Jill.  You’ve inspired me

gracious |ˈgrā sh əs|adjective1 courteous, kind, and pleasant : smiling and gracious in defeat.• pleasantly indulgent, esp. toward an inferior.• elegant and tasteful, esp. as exhibiting wealth or high social status : the British painter specialized in gracious Victorian interiors | gracious living.2 (in Christian belief) showing divine grace :I am saved by God’s gracious intervention on my behalf.3 Brit. a polite epithet used of royalty or their acts : the accession of Her present gracious Majesty.exclamationexpressing polite surprise.DERIVATIVESgraciously adverbgraciousness nounORIGIN Middle English : via Old Frenchfrom Latin gratiosus, from gratia ‘esteem, favor’ (see grace ).

living |ˈlivi ng |noun1 [usu. in sing. ] an income sufficient to live on or the means of earning it : she was struggling to make a living as a dancer |what does he do for a living ?• Brit. (in church use) a position as a vicar or rector with an income or property.2 [with adj. ] the pursuit of a lifestyle of the specified type : the benefits of country living.adjectivealive : living creatures | [as plural n. ] ( the living) flowers were for the living. See note at alive .• (of a place) used for living rather than working in : the living quarters of the ship.• (of a language) still spoken and used.• poetic/literary (of water) perennially flowing : streams of living water.PHRASESbe ( the) living proof that (or of) show by one’s existence and qualities that something is the case : she is living proof that hard work need not be aging.in (or within) living memory within or during a time that is remembered by people still alive : the worst recession in living memory.the living image of an exact copy or likeness of.live 1 |liv|verb1 [ intrans. ] remain alive : the doctors said she had only six months to live | both cats lived to a ripe age.• be alive at a specified time : he lived four centuries ago.• spend one’s life in a particular way or under particular circumstances : people are living in fear in the wake of the shootings.• [ trans. ] lead (one’s life) in a particular way : he was living a life of luxury in Australia.• supply oneself with the means of subsistence : they live by hunting and fishing.• survive in someone’s mind; be remembered : only the name lived on.• have an exciting or fulfilling life : he couldn’t wait to get out of school and really start living.2 [ intrans. ] make one’s home in a particular place or with a particular person : I’ve lived in New England all my life | they lived with his grandparents.PHRASESas I live and breathe used, esp. in spoken English, to express one’s surprise at coming across someone or something : good Lord, Jack Stone, as I live and breathe!be living on borrowed time see borrow .live and breathe something be extremely interested in or enthusiastic about a particular subject or activity and so devote a great deal of one’s time to it : they live and breathe Italy and all things Italian.live and let live proverb you should tolerate the opinions and behavior of others so that they will similarly tolerate your own.live by one’s wits see wit 1 .live dangerously do something risky, esp. on a habitual basis.live for the moment see moment .live in hope be or remain optimistic about something.live in the past have old-fashioned or outdated ideas and attitudes. • dwell on or reminisce at length about past events.live it up informal spend one’s time in an extremely enjoyable way, typically by spending a great deal of money or engaging in an exciting social life.live off (or on) the fat of the land see fat .live off the land see land .live out of a suitcase live or stay somewhere on a temporary basis and with only a limited selection of one’s belongings, typically because one’s occupation requires a great deal of traveling.live one’s own life follow one’s own plans and principles independent of others.live rough live and sleep outdoors as a consequence of having no proper home.live to fight another day survive a particular experience or ordeal.live to regret something come to wish that one had not done something : those who put work before their family life often live to regret it.live to tell the tale survive a dangerous experience and be able to tell others about it.live with oneself be able to retain one’s self-respect as a consequence of one’s actions :taking money from children—how can you live with yourself?long live ——! said to express loyalty or support for a specified person or thing : long live the Queen!where one lives informal at, to, or in the right, vital, or most vulnerable spot : it gets me where I live.you haven’t lived used, esp. in spoken English, as a way of enthusiastically recommending something to someone who has not experienced it: : you haven’t lived until you’ve tasted their lobster ravioli.you (or we) live and learn used, esp. in spoken English, to acknowledge that a fact is new to one.

Good grief, that is a long definition!  This phrase, gracious living, has been on my mind a lot lately.  Mostly because it describes what I aspire towards – living graciously.  I want to be frugal, resourceful, kind, pleasant, and generous.  But I also want to live with gusto!  I want to extend grace to others, and receive it as well.  It reminds me of the Proverbs 31 passage that describes the wife of noble character.  The description is quite detailed, and honestly, a lot to live up to!  I feel the same way about gracious living.

To me, the phrase just really embodies what I want our marriage, our house, our lives to be like – full of gracious living.  Perhaps this might become a new blog name for me

After FINALLY discovering RSS and the beauty of reading blogs from within Mail on my Mac (hello, timesaver!) I now have oodles more ideas for our house, for crafts, and just lots of stuff I like.  But bookmarking everything gets a little tiresome.  Especially when it comes to pictures.  Or things I’d like to add to my “wishlist.”

In the past, I’ve used bookmark folders to organize pictures, and amazon wishlists for anything I’d like to receive as a gift.  This has worked reasonably well, especially this year!  My parents and in-laws definitely made use of the list to get both DH and I a lot of the things we wanted for Christmas. Thanks folks!

Unfortunately, I’ve always found Amazon a tad bit annoying for organizing lists or comparing prices.  Here comes something very cool I just found: Wishspot.  You can have multiple lists, compare prices, have some private lists, and there is a button you can add to your browser that automatically adds items from ANYWHERE to your list.  That is SUPER cool.  You can also import your current Amazon list so that you’re off to a head start.  And for people trying to save an extra buck and become a savvy shopper, they even have price alerts that email you when an item is on sale by a certain % or is marked down to a certain price.  Sounds pretty handy to me.

How do you keep wishlists organized?  Or pictures?  I’m still trying to figure that one out…