Blog Challenge and Ultimate Blog Party

Quite a few things going on today.  First, I’m going to try to participate in a friend’s 30-day April blog challenge that she is facilitating from her private blog (Day 1 described below).  I’m also going to check out the 2011 Ultimate Blog Party that I just happened to stumble upon yesterday through a comment on another blog.  And finally, I’m also participating once again in Design It Chic’s Boost My Blog – I’ve found some fun blogs from the other links. 

So, however you got here today…WELCOME! 

Day 1: Introduce, recent picture, 15 interesting facts

Here was one of my last attempts to get me in the picture.  I am either telling Andy to “just take the picture” or telling the girls to “just sit still”. 

15 Facts (not sure how interesting they will be) that I am now typing as they come to me:

1. I got married on my 25th birthday.  So I share my b-day with my anniversary.  I thought it was only fair since my husband shares his birthday with Christmas.  So now we both deal with double present buying once a year when we decide to actually do gifts for these occasions.
2. I am a mom of three: 3 1/2, 2, and 7-months old.  However, I work outside of the house 32 hours a week.
3. Although I let them sleep in and I grab them back early, I often still take my kids to daycare on the 5th day of the week (like today).  For my own sanity.  And to make our weekends more kid-focused and less errand-focused.  I’d be lying if I said I felt totally guilty about this.  (I wrote about it here under #13.)
4. Although I have a degree in Secondary Education, I work in Employee Development focusing on providing resources for others to learn about leadership, communication, relationship building, coaching, etc.  I do not like it when people think “training” will cure someone of their bad habits or weaknesses.  I am not a miracle-worker.  Sometimes I think adults are more difficult than high school students.
5. I am addicted to Big Train Chai Tea.
6. I LOVE peanut butter on graham crackers.  But only Jif Creamy.
7. I hate housecleaning, but would do yard work all day and night.
8. I have traveled to 11 countries: Canada, Italy, Ireland, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, France, Belgium, the Bahamas and TAHITI.
9. I attended Xavier University for 7 years straight…5 in Undergrad and 2 for my MBA.
10. I eat the same breakfast every morning…1 cup cereal with 1/2 cup milk and 4 oz of OJ.
11. I rarely listen to music in the car…NPR or AM talk radio for me.  Apparently I really like listening to the news.
12. I thought Taylor Swift was a boy…see #11.
13. One of my absolute favorite musical groups is Over the Rhine.
14. I have a lava lamp in my kitchen. 
15. I thought I stopped reading since I have a LARGE stack of unread books by my bed.  Then I realized I could tell you everything about Kelly, Sarah, Jenny, Emily, and a few others.  So apparently, I haven’t stopped reading…I’ve just stopped reading books.  Blogs are my new downfall.  Maybe instead of Book Club, I’ll start my own Blog Club.