some SOUL SEARCHING

I decided to take a few moments to learn more about myself.  And what better way to learn more about yourself than through BuzzFeed quizzes?

I'm not sure how I've managed thus far in life without knowing what chain restaurant I am.  I mean, how come no one told me how important this information is?  Just call me Brad's Wife and order me some cherry pancakes!

It turns out, I was born 50 years too late.  Oops!  Thanks, Mom and Dad.

Thanks to this quiz, I can now plan my life a little bit more realistically.  Looks like I'll be able to take that trip to Branson, MO afterall.

Whoops!  My bad, Isabelle.  Looks like I should've named you Holland.  Sorry, but the quizzes don't lie.

No complaints here.  Jennifer Garner's wardrobe is the best, Mark Ruffalo is hot and that Thriller scene cannot be beat!

.

Okay, you twisted my arm.  I'll go to Stanford.  But, only if Chelsea Clinton and I can share a dorm

Phew!  No more wondering what number I'll pick when someone asks me, "Pick a number between 1 and 5."  Seriously, my mind is so much more at ease.

I still have my Rachel haircut, so this seems fitting.

If you ever find yourself wandering aimlessly or feeling unbalanced, be sure to check out BuzzFeed.  They have the answers to all of life's burning questions.

THINGS i CAN'T do

Sometimes I think the Internet is exploding with examples of how good we are at certain things.

So, I decided to change that by posting two examples of things I, in all sincerity, cannot do:  shuffle cards and draw.

I attribute my poor shuffling skills to having small hands.  For reals, my hands haven't grown since 5th grade.  Maybe everyone's hands stop growing at that age.  I'm not really sure.  All I know is that I have small hands; therefore, I cannot shuffle cards.

Another thing I cannot do is draw.  Exhibit A is my best attempt at drawing a cat.  Clearly, I have no talent in this area.  Like, absolutely no talent at all.

In some ways, I find it fascinating to think about how we're all really good at certain things, and horrible at others.  I'm sure, with some time and effort, I could learn to shuffle cards appropriately and draw a cat that actually looks like a cat.  But, I really don't want to.  So far, I've survived life without talent in those areas, and maybe it's best to just leave it to other people and focus on the things I can do.

What are some things that you can't do?

{TEN things} you NEVER KNEW you ALWAYS wanted to KNOW about ME

I love macaroni and cheese.  Be it homemade or from a box, it's all winning.

I loathe small talk.  Seriously, it's the worst.  Let's just jump right into all my personal problems, hopes, dreams and fears.

I'm a total hipster snob when it comes to music.

I love to make people laugh.

My love language is Words of Affirmation.

I really don't understand the point of celery.

The term "clean eating" makes my skin crawl.

I once wrote a book with my friend.  We were both in the 2nd or 3rd grade at the time.  It was about a magical land with a chocolate river.  I'm pretty sure one of the characters was a popsicle.

I wouldn't consider the fact that I have the song "Careless Whisper" stuck in my head at this very moment a weird and/or bad thing.

I dream of having a legit vinyl collection.  One day.

...

I hope whatever you do with this useless information makes your day better!

one word: SELFIES

What started out as nothing more than an inconvenient thing to do when no one was around {or you were too afraid to ask someone} to take a picture of you with your best friend, has evolved to one of the most annoying things ever:  the SELFIE.

Let me be clear, I know a selfie is technically a picture you take of yourself, but for the purposes of this post I'm generalizing it to any picture of just you - whether you took it or not.

As I scroll through my Instagram feed and see people post these amazing pictures of just themselves, that were obviously taken by someone else, I often wonder how that picture came to be.  I mean, the picture of you perfectly posed outside the airport holding your purse that's as big as Massachusetts and as expensive as my car, was that planned?  Did someone ask you, "Can I take your picture so you can post it for all your friends to see?"  Or, did you ask someone to take your picture?

How do these pictures come to be?

Luckily, I got a partial answer a few weeks ago while waiting to eat at a restaurant.  A nice girl walked in with her {I guess?} husband and daughter.  She was dressed well and looked really pretty.  And that's all I really thought about her until I heard, "Will you take my picture over by this table?"  I looked up, and sure enough this guy was taking her picture next to this random table.

I get if you're at the Statue of Liberty or the Eiffel Tower or the Great Wall of China that you'd want a picture taken of yourself.  But, just at a restaurant, on a seemingly normal day?  And, why not include the people you're with in the picture?

And then there are the people who upload literally hundreds {true story, I can prove it} of actual selfies to Facebook.  I get a picture here and a picture there, especially if it's a picture celebrating or documenting some special event or location.  But, hundreds of pictures of you.  In your car.  With your lips puckered.  All while flashing a peace sign.  I'm pretty sure some hippie just rolled over in his/her grave.

In all fairness, I don't like to get my picture taken, so it's difficult for me to imagine myself asking someone to take a picture of just me.  Frolicking.  In a field.  With the sunset in the background.  And my hair blowing in the wind.  And then posting it online where my friends will obviously tell me how cute my hair is, ask where I got my shoes, or to say how jealous they are of me because I'm so pretty.

Because, let's face it, you don't post a selfie of yourself unless you think you look good in it.  You just don't.

Unless you're me.

Courtesy of ISC Photography

What are your thoughts on selfies?

{s}: SNOW sports

I've lived in Utah almost my entire life.

And I've never, I repeat NEVER, been ski or snowboarding.

Never.

To my fellow Utahns, I apologize for disgracing Utah and bringing shame upon all those who live in this great state.  I also apologize to all those people that travel from miles away to enjoy the Utah snow when all I do is complain about it.

In all seriousness, I am pretty disappointed with myself for never taking to the slopes.  I don't know if I'd enjoy skiing or snowboarding better, but I do know I need to try it for at least one season.  At first, I 

thought this goal would just be "go ski or snowboarding."  But then I realized that is hardly a difficult goal.  So, I'm changing it to buying a season pass at one of the many resorts and use it diligently throughout the winter season.

Now that is a lofty goal for me!

I'm pretty sure the pictures above illustrate what my skill level will be in a few years. :)

everyday HUMOR

I've come to realize that some of the funniest things that are ever said really come out of nowhere, and if you're really paying attention you can have a ball no matter where you are.  Here are a few fun conversations I've had lately.

...

Co-Worker:  "Hot Rod is the best movie ever made!"

Me {jokingly, of course}:  "Really?  Even better than Schindler's List?"

Co-Worker:  "I've never seen Schindler's List.  What's it about?"

Me {in shock}:  "What's it about?!  Wait, when were you born?"

Co-Worker:  "1991."

Me:  "Okay, ya, you were probably 4 when that movie came out, so I guess I can understand why you haven't seen it."

{I then explain what Schindler's List is all about.}

Co-Worker:  "Ya, I think I'll just stick to Hot Rod."

...

Isabelle's 4 year old friend:  "When I was a kid, I used to play matching games all the time."

Me:  "You're still a kid."

Friend:  Blank stare

...

{A different} Co-Worker:  "She did a total 360!"

Me:  "You mean 180."

Co-Worker:  "What?!"

{I then explain the difference between a 180 and a 360}

"Co-Worker:  "Okay, so anyway...."

...

Manager:  "Is everything okay with you and Katie {not the person's real name, fyi}

Me:  "Yeah, why?"

Manager:  "Well, you were talking to her in your mom voice, so I just wanted to make sure."

Me:  "I guess the mom in me is bound to come out at work every once in awhile."

...

{A different} Manager:  "Hey, are you okay?"

Me:  "No, I'm not.  I don't really want to be at work today."

Manager:  "It'll be okay.  We have pickles today in the break room for everyone."

...

These gems that I totally want to do in my own neighborhood

...

There you have it.  A small glimpse into my life and the things I find quite funny.

FLASHBACK FRIDAYS: That One Special Day in June

Today, I'm participating in Karen's meme Flashback Fridays.  I think it's fun to revisit old posts, and this one is in honor of Father's Day, which is fast approaching.

Enjoy!

...

My husband and I tend to take a "less is more" approach when it comes to holidays.

Father's Day was pretty easy, breezy this year.  We made plans to spend the day with Dustin's side of the family who live two hours away from us.  On Sunday morning we woke up early, got ready and then hit the road.  Before we left, though, I gave Dustin his present.  It actually ended up being a two-for-one because I ended up getting somewhat of a gift too.

I bought Dustin 'Fierce' from Abercrombie & Fitch;.  It is an awesome cologne that, I swear, The Gateway (an outdoor mall near our house) pumps through the vents so it can be smelled all throughout the greater Salt Lake area.  It seriously haunts me every time I am shopping.  I tried my best to resist the temptation to buy it.  I really did.  But, eventually, it's awesomeness won, even at the risk of losing my hearing (it's so loud in A&F, seriously!) which means it's that good of a cologne.

Dustin loved it, and now he and our house smell so wonderful.  It's like heaven in here!

But, wait, it gets better.  When I left the store carrying my first ever A&F purchase, I walked out of the store with this bag.  It was WAY too big for my little cologne box, but it had cloth handles which made it both cool and ridiculous.  Cool in that how often do you get bags with cloth handles, and ridiculous because, hello, cloth handles?  What a waste of money!

No, the best part is not the handles.  It's the bag itself.  I mean, seriously, how often does a bag with this type of picture on it come along?  Forget that this is a bag from a clothing store and the picture is of a half-naked man modeling a swimsuit that isn't really even on his body, begging the question, "Does A&F really even like their clothes?  They don't advertise people wearing their them."

Just forget all that nonsense.  Sometimes we all just think and analyze too much.  Just look at the bag.  The bag, in all it's glory.

Ya, the bag was my present.

P.S. Dustin, I love you so much.  And one of the reasons why I love you so much is because you can appreciate the humor in this post.  :)

SUPER STALKER sunday

Welcome to this week's SUPER STALKER SUNDAY hop!

<a href="http://naptimeismytime.com/category/super-stalker-sunday" target="_blank"><img src="http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m205/eclark730/stalker.jpg" border="0" /></a><br/>

WHAT IS SUPER STALK SUNDAY?

Glad you asked.  Super Stalker Sunday is a weekly blog hop hosted by

April of Mama on a Green Mission

Emily of Nap Time is My Time

Mariah of Formula Mom

and Bri of Eco Baby Mama Drama

As you know, blog hops are a great way to meet other bloggers, socialize and gain followers.  We created this hop as a way for you to connect with other bloggers via RSS Feed, Google Friend Connect, E-mail Subscribers, Facebook Fans, Twitter followers and the new Google+.

HOW TO SUPER STALK

Follow each hostess at least one way.  Remember to leave a comment too.  As hostesses, we're committed to returning the follows, but please be patient with us as we are busy mamas.  It may take us a few days to return the visit and follow.  Since all hostesses use the same linky, you only have to link up once, but your link will appear on all our blogs.

After you follow the hostesses, follow the featured blogger and at least four other blogs listed above you on the linky.  Of course, you're welcome to follow more than just four if you'd like.

Keep in mind that many bloggers will be phasing out GFC in the coming weeks, so be sure you're following everyone another way as well.

Remember:  You will only get as much as you give.  The more blogs you can visit, the more visits you will gain in return.

While we encourage sharing our button to spread the word on this fabulous blog hop, it is not required. However, it is appreciated.  :)

THIS WEEK'S FEATURE BLOGGER IS

{In other words, ME!}

Thanks to the ladies that host this great blog hop.  I am so thrilled to the featured blogger of the week and hope I can meet some new people and find some great new blogs to follow.

If you would like to be a featured blogger, being shared with more than 32,000 combined followers between the hosts of this hop, please link up! At the end of each week we will select a blog via Random.Org to be the featured blog for the following week. The featured blogger will be emailed by Tuesday morning. Please be sure to check your spam folders! This linky will remain open until 3:00PM EST on Monday! Go ahead, stalk up a storm!

my TV CHALLENGE

Apparently I have too much time on my hands because today I started to wonder why people I know and get along with so well don't like the same TV shows me.  This is true with my friend Karen.  She's a huge Lost fan and I couldn't care less about it.  I don't miss a single episode of 30 Rock and she can take it or leave it.

I decided to take some action by texting her and presenting this challenge:  we would each pick out a TV show for each other to watch.  We had to watch at least 5 consecutive episodes, preferably from the beginning of the series.  After we had completed our task, we'd report to each other and give feedback.  The ultimate goal is to see if we get hooked on our assigned show.

My pick for Karen:  USA's Psych.  

Karen's pick for me:  TNT's Leverage.  

We are both really excited.  I'm going to Netflix Leverage right away.

Before I tell you why I chose Psych, here is a little bit of background on the series for those of you who do not watch it.  First of all, it stars James Roday as Shawn Spencer and Dule Hill, Burton Guster "Gus" and thanks to IMDb, here is a good synopsis of the show:

"A novice sleuth (Roday) is hired by the police after he cons them into thinking he has psychic powers that help solve crimes. With this assistance of his reluctant best friend (Hill) the duo take on a series of complicated cases."

One of the main reasons why I like Psych is because it's not one of those Emmy winning or even nominating series that everyone loves.  Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with award winning shows, but sometimes you just have to root for the little guys.  

Another reason why I like it is because it's actors, directors, creators, writers, etc., don't take themselves too seriously.  Their show is what it is and they enjoy making it regardless of huge recognition.  I especially learned this while watching a few episodes with commentary.  Everyone was laughing and having a good time.

While Psych's story lines aren't nail biting and usually predictable, they are full of great one liners.

And, of course, I love that Shawn and Gus aren't afraid to show a little emotion.  This clip is one of many when they demonstrate their high pitched screaming abilities.

(Sorry for the poor video quality.)

So, there you have it - one of many reasons why I like Psych.  If any of you would like to join in our little challenge, feel free!  Remember, watch 5 episodes and then give me your feedback!