Celebrate the Small Things - Valentines Day

Every week some of us like to share the small things that we have accomplished. Thanks Viklit for giving us an outlet!

Also, today we are Blog Blitzing VikLit so stop by and blitz the crap out of her!!

1.  I made sure to not forget to get my Valentine's a little something. My husband and I working together (but different depts) and I put together a gift basket for him. Chips, his fave drink, cookies, and candy bars. You know... the healthy stuff.

2.  After two days of my older kids staying home sick and a stomach bug, they made it out of bed and on their way to school. I see lots of make-up homework in their future.

3.  I read 3 books since last Friday. My goal on Goodreads is 50 bks this year... I might have to up that number if I keep slamming them out of the park. I have so many TBRs, I can't stop myself. Plus I get a lot of "reading" done when I'm at work cause I listen to them, and then read an actual book in the evenings at home.

4. The forcast is showing a slight warm-up this coming week so 30some degrees is going to feel like a heat wave!


Hope everyone has an awesome and relaxing weekend!

~ Dani

Celebrate the Small Things - Over Winter

Every week some of us like to share the small things that we have accomplished. Thanks Viklit for giving us an outlet!

1. Well, we survived another snow storm. And the kids have missed another 3-days-a-row from school. I'm. Really. Getting. Sick. Of. Winter!

2. I'm slowing making my way through A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness... It finally started to "get good" around chapter 20ish. But I have to say, this book is so boring in parts and very predictable. A historian writing a book makes for a boring read for me. It received some great reviews but it's not my cup of tea. However, it does hold enough of my attention that I might read Shadow of Night. Another book it's "boringness" remind me of is The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. I never did finish that one but I will eventually. So much fluff and filler.

3. I work this weekend with Jackie at the flower shop!!

Celebrate the Small Things

Every week some of us like to share the small things that we have accomplished. Thanks Viklit for giving us an outlet!

1. This weekend I have two Painting With A Twist paries to attend. The first is my daughters', she will be 14 on Feb. 4th. And the other is a friend. Super stoked! I love painting on canvas and a little wine.

2.  The kids FINALLY went back to school. Out of 20 days of school, the kids have only been able to go 10. 50/50 is bad I guess. I just wish Old Man Winter would head back to the arctic where he belongs.

3.  Yesterday my daughter got her braces off. I asked if I could share the picture of her before/after and she said ok. I've never had braces but after what I witnessed yesterday, I'm blessed God gave me perfectly straight teeth. She teared up a few times and cried once when the Dr had to push down on a tooth to straighten it out before he put the permanent retainers on (apparently he didn't think it was perfect enough). I thought she was going to deck him.

The left picture she looks like Lohan from Parent Trap. She has grown up so much! Time flies!!

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!


Small Things to Celebrate, IWSG and Cover Girls

Let's start by saying VikLit rocks by giving us bloggers a outlet to brag  talk about our accomplishments each week!

I'll start by celebrating that I am back to blogging regularly. During winter break I decided to not only take a break from work but also blogging. It was a nice little vacation!

My birthday is tomorrow and a few of my friends and I are painting. My dad is watching the kids so my husband can come and hangout with us. Maybe I can con him into painting as well, even though he "hates" it.

I love Fridays at work now. They changed the policy at work and we are able to wear jeans to work on Fridays!! Woot! Business up top, party on the bottom... that just sounds bad. Oh well!

I missed IWSG. Yeah I recieved the email from Alex J. Cavanaugh, which stated it was this Wednesday but my mind was still thinking it was last Wednesday. My bad.

What I wanted to share was... I'm taking a break from writing for a good long while. So I if any one needs a Beta... I'm your gal!

Since I will not be writing, I will be bored and need to something to do with my time. I love reading and instead filling my time with reading what's on the shelf, I'd rather help you guys out. So if anyone trusts me enough with you lovelies, just let me know via email or twitter or even in the comments below. That is all.


ALSO!! Today is the last day to sign up for the GIVEAWAY Jackie and I have going on over at COVER GIRLS! The prize? A book from each of us, off our own shelves in our homes. Go on over and see!

Hope you all have an amazing Friday and weekend!!

Celebrate the Small Things

Every week some us like to share the small things that we have accomplished. Thanks Viklit for giving us an outlet!

My shopping is DONE! WOOT!

Today we are doing a small gift exchange at work and I'm super excited to about one gift that I got someone. Earlier this year I overheard them talking about how much they love Cherished Teddies. And I know they love Angels and their favorite color is blue. So I found a Christmas, Cherished Teddy, Angel in and blue gown. So perfect!

Last night I had the BEST time painting at my in-laws new Painting With A Twist with, who else, Jackie and her son Riley.

Tonight I get to go again and doing another winter tree but this looks like this...

I will be off from work for the next 12 days!! Blogging will be minimal. Have the best Holidays EVER!!



Celebrate The Small Things

Every week some us like to share the small things that we have accomplished. Thanks Viklit for giving us an outlet!

The kids got to hang out with cousins and make Christmas crafts and had a really great time.

My daughter had a school dance and had her moldings done for her permanent retainers. She'll be braces free next month. Just in time for her birthday!

Almost done with my Christmas shopping. I only have to get a few giftcards and I'm done!

Last night my son lost his iPhone. We searched high and low. I told him that he might have left it on the bus and he argued and said I was wrong. This morning I told him to ask the bus driver for shits n giggles... low and behold, I get a text from him saying the driver had it. Score for me! Mom does know what she's talking about!! Let's hope when he starts driving in a few months he will listen to me then as well.

Tomorrow, after it snows 3-5 inches tonight, I have a 4 mile race in the morning. I'm not excited about running in snow. Ugh!

And on Sunday I'm going to watch the second installment of The Hobbit with a friend! So EXCITED!!

Have a great Friday!!

EYM, Celebrate, Dream Dream Destination

Express Yourself is a weekly Meme dedicated to getting to know YOU better.

Jackie and myself what to know:

What holiday film(s) do you plan on viewing this season?

A Christmas Story - Mandatory

How the Grinch Stole Chrismas - with Jim Carrey

A Charlie Brown Christmas - Of course, it wouldn't be Christmas w/out it.

Every week some us like to share the small things that we have accomplished. Thanks Viklit for giving us an outlet!

God answered a prayer last night and at the perfect time. I gave it to Him after I tried and tried and He came through like always. Two thumbs up to the Big Guy! Christmas will be even more wonderful!

Our work Christmas party is tomorrow and I'm super excited! Bonus: I get to spend it with Jackie over @ Bouquet of Books because my cousin (her husband), my husband, and myself all work there! Casino Night!!

My oldest son had Chemo injected into his fingers to help kill his "aggressive" warts. They are hoping that the Chemo will not only kill them off but also jumpstart his ammune system to start fighting the virus on it's own.

SEE RULES

SEE PRIZE LIST

Thanks to Lexa and Julie for throwing such a great Bloghop when it's so cold out!

My Dream Destination would have to be Australia or New Zealand. I have always wanted to go there. I heard the travelling part is long and sucks (this is the part of the travelling where I would medicate myself) but I would do it so I could experience the beauty of the country. My husband said he would never go to the Outback... who ever said I had to take him.

My second runner up for DD... I would LOVE to visit Easter Island. There is something about that place that I find fascinating and magical.


Hope everyone has a great Friday and weekend!

Celebrate the Small Things - Monday Edition

I didn't post on Friday cause we had a busy day/break. So I'm posting a Monday edition. Thanks Viklit for giving us an outlet!

 

Well lets get started...

Had Thanksgiving at my in-laws. Which was good and relaxing. I even took a cat nap on the couch while listening to football.

Did some Black Friday shopping on Thankgiving night and Friday! Now, I'm almost done with my shopping. Yahoo!

Saturday the family went to the Festival of Trees and saw some amazing creations! My oldest daughter isn't in any of these because she was being "moody" and wanted nothing to do with it. lol. Teenagers, UGH!

Local sport team trees

Loved this Mardi Gras trees

This one is my fav! Movie/film tree



Me and my 2 sons by the Movie tree



Ky and Santa

Pirate tree. The pirate told a story that went with the pictures on the tree.

Lani wanted nothing to do with Santa.

And Sunday we laid around and did nothing! Just like I wanted.

Hope you all had a nice weekend/Thankgiving.

Celebrate the Small Things

Friday means a lot of things; the end of my work week, the day I can where a casual shirt to work (Jean's Day!!), and the day I get to share all the cool stuff I've done this week. Thanks Viklit for giving us an outlet!

Well lets get started...

• Had an awesome family portrait session!
  

• Made it through the anniversary of my brother becoming an angel 11 years ago, yesterday. This is celebration in and of itself. I have some really wonderful people in my life that gives me and my family tons of support!
• My in-laws have a new business which is opening to the public soon... Painting With a Twist. I have officially reserved the Party Room for my birthday (in Jan)!! You are all invited! LOL!!

Have an amazing Friday and weekend!

Celebrate the Small Things

Friday means a lot of things; the end of my work week, the day I can where a casual shirt to work (today I'm in all black except for some really colorful socks), and the day I get to share all the cool stuff I've done this week. Thanks Viklit for giving us an outlet!

Well lets get started...

• I've only post one other time this week: Express Yourself - Top 5 TV Shows currently watching, & the Deadly Seven Sins survey.
• I did something a little outside of my comfort zone... BackStory: My older two's father walked out on us when my children were very very young, although I have always allowed them to have a relationship with the rest of the family. He has been married twice since then and has 3 other daughters between the two. Long story short... I was asked if all the grandkids (18 all together) on that side of family could have their picture taken together as a Christmas present to their grandparents. This means my two would be meeting their other siblings for the first time. (Now ranging 12, 2, and 5 months) Although my kids didn't want anything to do with it, I talked them into it and they walked away with a very great meeting and experience. They also met a step-brother. However, they still haven't met their biological dad. They don't want to. I try to encourage it but they are 15 and 13 and are very adamant they already have a dad and meeting their bio dad won't make a difference to them. But on a bonus side, they really like the lady who would be their step-mom if that's the relationship they wanted with her. She is really cool, my kind of chick and I think my kids can relate to her because they say she reminds them of me. This is just the beginning... let's see where this chapter in our lives takes us.
• Every October a holiday warehouse opens up in the town where I live. Everything in the store is $1.59 unless marked otherwise. Yesterday I did some shopping for stocking stuffers and whatnot. I walked away with a few childrens books, plus Feed by M.T. Anderson(2002) (which has a character named "Link" after Lincoln which reminds me of Beautiful Creatures(2009). And I also picked up some cooking books and another book about food and cultures (my son loves to cook). And another book about the beautiful places all over the world and The Mystery of the Fool and the Vanisher by David Ellwand. All of these books were $1.59! I was so excited. Plus I got a ton of other "crap"; coloring books, ornaments, games, earbuds, iPod/iPhone holders, hats/gloves, etc.
• Family pictures are tomorrow. I'm so excited. The last time was had a pro family picture taken was 3 years ago.
• YAY!! Work decided to make every Friday "Jeans Day". This makes me very very happy!

Hope you guys have an awesome and relaxing Friday and weekend.

Celebrate the Small Things

Friday means a lot of things; the end of my work week, the day I can where a casual shirt to work (today I'm in all black except for some really colorful socks), and the day I get to share all the cool stuff I've done this week. Thanks Viklit for giving us an outlet!

A lot has happened at Entertaining Interests this week...

• Express Yourself - School Subjects on Tuesday
• IWSG - Inspirational Posters on Wednesday
• Resurrection Blogfest II on Thursday
• Oh! And I had a "Top Tweet" this week. Not that it's something to brag about but I thought it was cool. 

• Walking Dead  isn't disappointing with all the surprises and the WTF's this season. #TeamCarol
• Dracula  is becoming a new favorite of mine even if "the Impaler" isn't as wicked as Bram (or history) made him out to be. I like this more romantic side of him.
• Sleepy Hollow is a charming show that gets more interesting each week.
• AHS:Coven has got me wishing I had a few powers of my own. I don't want to be THE Supreme mind you but to have some of those powers would be awesome! My top pick would be Queenie's. I would love to be a human pin-cushion that deflects on to others.

• Woke my kids up this morning only to be reminded they didn't have school today. Imma a-hole.

Hope you guys have a great Friday and most wonderful weekend! Enjoy some TV or maybe a movie (I'm dying to see Thor) and some family time of course!

Celebrate the Small Things!

Friday means a lot of things; the end of my work week, the day I can where a casual shirt to work, the day when I can be more flippant (wait, that's everyday), and the day I get to share all the cool stuff I've done this week. Thanks Viklit for giving us an outlet!

First off - The winners and runner-ups for spooktoberfest were posted yesterday here and here. Go check out some really great flash fiction pieces. I really enjoyed meeting some new and very entertaining and interesting people. And of course reading the entries of some of my favorite bloggers and long time friends.

Second - Halloween, despite the horrible weather, was a success. The kids had a really great time going back to the old neighborhood to hang out with their friends from their old school. I hope you guys had a safe and fun day as well. In the comments below tell me what your kids went as or what your favorite costume was that you saw wondering about.



Gabe (left) and his friend (both 15 but his friend is already 6'4"!!), Lani (Left) and her two cousins, Alexis (middle) and her two friends, and Kylar.

 Third - Now that I have hit my goals with my personal trainer we have decided to set new ones... run a 5k. Well technically it's 4 miles. My goal is to run a mile and walk 1/4 and then run a mile, then walk again. Eventaully I want to be able to run a 5k straight through. My first race... Dec 14th... in the snow. Ugh!

Fourth - Those who celebrate... Christmas is in 54 days. No... I'm not even close to being ready. And even though halloween is my favorite holiday, I am excited to put the fall decor away and put up the Christmas stuff.

Oh also, check out #ResurrectionBlogfestII hosted by Some Dark Romantic!

Have a great Friday and weekend!!

Celebrate the Small Things

Friday means a lot of things; the end of my work week, the day I can where a casual shirt to work, the day when I can be more flippant (wait, that's everyday), and the day I get to share all the cool stuff I've done this week. Thanks Viklit for giving us an outlet!

• I FINALLY had the chance to sit down and watch the 2 hr and 50 min movie THE HOBBIT: An Unexpected Journey. It started out a little rough to me. (I hope I don't get stoned for that) It's true though, I felt as though I was watching the 7 dwarves from Snow White in Bilbo's house but once all the silliness past I was able to fall in love again with the story. I understand Gimli was usually the comic relief from LOTR and we needed to be reminded of that but I thought it was slightly over the top with the singing. I guess I wanted more pissed off dwarves. Idk.

• I caught up on some of my TV shows. I have so many that it's hard to keep up. Sleepy Hollow, AHS: Coven (I couldn't stay up to watch Wednesday nights), Revolution, and I still need to get caught up on Under the Dome. Ugh... with Grimm and Dracula starting I don't know what I'm going to do. Sheesh!

• I have a pile of books I wanna read but you all just found out how far behind I am on my TV shows... but I am happy to announce that I started reading Triangles by Kimberly Ann Miller!! Whoop! Let the Bermuda fun begin!

• Here are some pictures from last Saturday's zombie party (our littlest one stayed with grandma, she would have hated the party)... she hated my Day of the Dead face makeup. I did all of our makeup, it was fun glue everyones zombie scars on and plastering on the fake blood in the gash wounds...

Thirty-One Loves of October: Days 17-20:

Haunted Houses/Castles/Jails/Forests

Candy Corn

Fake Spiders - cause real ones are gross

Hoodies!!

Have an awesome weekend!

Celebrate the Weekend

TGIF, TGIF! I could ask for anything more than it being a Friday! Too excited beyond words!! Thanks to VikLit for giving us this outlet to express our celebrations!

This weekend we have lots planned.

Zombie themed party tomorrow. The boys in the house are going as the classic zombie. The girls are going as Day of the Dead Spanish zombie heads.

Sunday Jackie and some other family members are coming over to make wreaths and then later that day my mother-in-law is taking the kids to some military families Halloween Haunted park.

I was not able to blog yesterday so I'm posting 4 things for my Thirty-One Loves of October.
Caramel Apple Suckers - YUM, these suckers are the best this time of year!
Orange - my second favorite color!
Hay rides - I love taking spooky hay rides through the woods or down a chilling road. Especially with a bunch of friends!
The Walking Dead - We have been waiting, what seems like FOREVER!, for this show to come back into our homes. My whole family gets all excited. We have watched all the trailers, the webisodes, the behind the scenes, etc. I have read the comics and the novel. We are huge fans!! Cannot wait for Sunday.

Hope everyone has a great Friday and weekend!

Celebrating and Dancing - Ouch!

It's Friday, Jump on it, jump on it, *dance, dance, dance, dance, Jersey fist pump, hip bump, chest bump* - wait... ouch! That one hurt. Let me catch my breath...

Yeah I'm in that kind of a mood and have no freakin idea why! Just go with it.

As always VikLit is letting us celebrate our weeks little thrills, so lets begin...

• I have Instagram and my son talked me in to doing the October challenge #octogram. So far, so good. Today's picture... #scarecrow  Now there are two #octograms going on right now. If you have Instagram and want to partake, do a search in Instagram for #octogram and look for the one with the jack-o-lantern face. That's the one I'm doing!! You can tag me @danibertrand
• I'm also doing something October inspired this month on my blog: Thirty-One Loves of October. Today I'm going to share 3 since I don't blog on Saturdays and Sundays, and this is an everyday shoutout to my 31 things I love about October.
• Beautiful Skies - October has some of the most spectacular sunrises and sunsets and the most wonderful color palettes painted in the sky.
• Pumpkin carvings - I love seeing all of the creative carvings people come up with and how different they all are. Some people are just so talented!
• Candles - This is my favorite time of year to buy candles. Some of the best fragrances are during the Autumn season. Pumpkin spice, vanilla spice, leaves, pumpkin pie, etc. I try to stock up for the whole year. Yankee Candle, Gold Canyon or Bath and Body have some of my favorites.
• My little girl is turning 4 on Sunday!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Celebrating My Week is Almost Over

Ahhh, it's Friday! I can't believe it's here already! Woot!  VikLit always puts on a great Friday celebration! 

This week... hmmm I really don't have anything way over the top to celebrate. Let see what I can fish out of my memeory banks... 

• Well Jackie and I always seem to wait until the last week of each month to come up with our Express Yourself Meme list for the following month. I think we have silently agreed that we both work better under pressure. Maybe? *shrugs* But nonetheless the October EYM list is ready and is as follows...
  

• Another stressed out week this time for heath issues dealing with my husband. We will hopefully find out answers today. He already has Crohn's which might have contributed to this little stint. It's just one of those things.
• A friend at work let me borrow his Star Trek movie so I watched it over the weekend. I couldn't sleep one night so it was like 2:30am when I started watching it. Scottie is definitely one of my favorites! Right off the bat I knew what was going to be used to save someones life. It was predictable but I still teared up. I'm such a geek. And then in return I let him borrow my World War Z.
• My 13 yr old wanted to watch WWZ and I let her, it's not gory and I thought if she can handle The Walking Dead then she can most definitely handle WWZ. She literally sat on top of parts of my body - you know, "just in case". But she really loved it and even shouted at the screan a couple of times, "DON'T LEAVE THE CROWBAR YOU DOPE!" and even caught on to the little things that some adults didn't even get the first time around, "They just past him up. He must have something." I was rather surprised at how much she was calculating in her brain. Usually she is the child who says, "I don't get it," or, "I'm confused," but she's also the one who brings home straight A's. My 15 year old said he had too much homework and would watch it later.

Celebrate the Small Things - Bridges & Skies on Fire

Ahhh, it's Friday! I can't believe it's here already! Woot!  VikLit always puts on a great Friday celebration! 

This week... 

• I've had a busy couple of weeks. My Mon., Tues., Weds., the past two weeks have been grooling so I hope I have no more of those. And it's not like it's life and death things, it's just really dumb things that take my usual nights to a whole other place. Like my daughters' science partners don't help her with their toothpick bridge so I'm up late with her piecing the thing together and then I get up at 3am to finish it for her cause I feel bad. Stuff like that. I really hate school and I'm not even in it anymore. Or that the Jeep needed repairs so I had to drive all overs God's green Earth to deliver my husband to his desired places. Arg! (below are the pictures of my daughters finished toothpick bridge - she wanted do more but we needed more time)
  
  
   
• I am happy about this weekend though. My hubby isn't working OT and since it's a late Colts game on Sunday, I'm having a few family members over to make wreaths. And I'm hoping I get to watch the new Star Trek movie that a friend from work let me borrow.
• On Wednesday, as I was dropping my Jeep off to be repaired, I took this picture of the glorious sky here in Indiana that morning. There were all kinds of pictures floating all over FB and the local news but this was version.

  

  The sky was on fire in the East...

  
  
  
  
  

  

  ...and a double rainbow in the West. You can barely see the second rainbow just above the bright one.

Celebrate the Small Things & Spooktoberfest

Calm down people, calm down! I know it's Friday and you are all excited to get out of here and on with your weekends but lets hear what everyone is excited about this week ok?!   VikLit always puts on a great Friday celebration! 

This week... 

• Found this fun Harry Potter questionaire here http://www.humanmetrics.com.cgi-win/jtypes2.asp#questionaire I ending up with Type INFJ which is Remus Lupin.
  

• My father-in-law is having his ceremony for his promotion to Chief (Air Force) on Sunday. That's exciting and very respectable! Salute!
• And last but definitely NOT least...
  

With the oncoming of the spookiest holiday of the year, Jackie @ Bouquet of Books and myself are bringing sexy back – er – SPOOKTOBERFEST back this October. We had a great turnout last year and gave away some amazing prizes!

2013 Requirements:

1. Follow us - Dani and Jax, if you don’t already. We love meeting new bloggers, and we do follow back.

2. Your Flash Fiction piece should be between 300 - 500 words. It can be scary, funny, action-packed, romantic, or whatever you choose. Just let your creativity flow!

3. You must choose 3 of the 6  words listed below to include in your flash fiction piece…

WRETCH (ED)

IMPEDING

ALIEN (S)

SKELETON (S)

POTION (S)

MASK (S)

 

4.  Highlight those 3 words in your story so we can find them.

5. Choose at least 1 of the 4 pictures below to BE THE SETTING for your flash fiction piece.

Forest/Woods (source)



Mine/Cave (source)



Stairs/Stairwell (courtesy of Jackie)



Road/Lane (courtesy of Jackie)



6. Post your piece any day from Friday Oct 25th thru Monday, Oct. 28th.

7. It’s a blog hop, so… hop around to other participating blogs and leave some awesome comments.

8. We'll announce the winners on Thurs Oct. 31, 2013 - Halloween! Jackie and I will each choose a winner. You read that right – two winners!
9. Have fun!!!

Side note - not required: If you have a twitter account and have the extra time - go ahead and send out a tweet letting us know you have posted your submission (this step is very helpful for us). Below is our @ accounts and the hashtag.

@JackieFel

@danibertrand

#Spooktoberfest

PRIZES: A grab bag (more like a box of stuff) and candy. The winners will get the biggest bags we can find of their favorite candy along with some spookified items.

Oh, and yes, this blogfest is international. So what are you ghouls waiting for? Sign up using the Linky Thing below and spread the word!