Q to the A #UseYourWords

Welcome to August's Use Your Words post. This is how it works: participating bloggers picked four to six words or short phrases for someone else to craft into a post. All words must be used at least once and all the posts will be unique as each writer has received their own set of words. That is the challenge, here is a fun twist; no one who is participating knows who got their words and in what direction the writer will take them. Until now.

My words are:

detective ~ coffee ~ alley ~ sordid ~ camera ~ hopscotch

They were submitted by: Jenniy of http://climaxedtheblog.blogspot.com

Can we all just take a moment to acknowledge the perfection of me receiving a Use Your Words list, which includes the word coffee?! Yes, keep contemplating the perfection of it. I will be right back. I am going to fetch another cup of coffee. *coffee interlude* Okay, I am back. I was struggling to come up with a way to use my words, and I did write a poem, which I dislike, so I went back to the drawing board. One of my favorite posts from the past, was when my friend HUZ, asked me questions, based on the words I was assigned. So, I am revisiting that concept, with the help of my friend Y. Thank you, Y! xo

1. (detective) 

Q: Have you ever been questioned by a detective? Were handcuffs involved? 

A: Actually, yes. I am grateful to say, each time the detectives were questioning me as a witness, not a suspect, so no handcuffs were involved. 

2. (coffee) 

Q: You just want me to let you discuss coffee for twenty minutes, I guess. Are you sure you didn't come up with the words? Okay, so you HAVE to give up coffee forever. What do you replace it with?

A: The blood of my enemies, starting with the idiot who took coffee away from me. No, seriously, there is no replacement for coffee. Plus, I am not entirely sure I could live without it. I guess I would just drink more tea?! I don't know. Let's move beyond this horrible hypothetical scenario. 

3. (alley)

Q: Are you certain you did not come up with these words yourself? What is the most interesting thing you have ever done in an alley?

A: Well, considering I live in an alley, you would think I would have an awesome list of answers. I really don't. I guess it would be the time I really hurt myself badly. I was probably eleven. This isn't actually the first time I lived in a house with alley access/entrance. I was a speed demon on my bike, when I was younger, and the alley was mostly dirt and gravel, and I turned into the alley way too quickly, and totally wrecked. I went head over heels several times, and even hit a dumpster super hard. It was terrible. I was bloody, bruised, and broken. My poor bike. 

4. (sordid) 

Q: Tell me a sordid tale. 

A: You and I. Haha. Ummm... Sordid... One thing comes to mind, but I try to bring politics up as little as possible, especially in recent months. Though, if we are being honest, so many political tales can easily be considered sordid, and I am talking about the truthful ones. I am certain there are plenty of untrue sordid political tales. Okay, here you go... I know a guy who is cheating on his wife. He has been for years. I think he genuinely loves his wife, but I also think he loves this other woman also. Though, I could honestly think of a very good argument as to why he loves neither of them. It does weigh on me, but at the same time... It is genuinely none of my business. 

5. (camera)

Q: Are you comfortable behind the camera? In front of the camera?

A: Behind.... somewhat. Not completely. I have never taken photography classes, and truly know nothing about photography. However, I think I can take some good pictures with my phone camera and often think if I used a REAL camera, I would probably do decent. In front of.... Absolutely not. Not even slightly. However, I decided long ago to just deal with it. Pictures are like the evidence that we existed, and helpful for our loved ones' memories, so I suck it up and let pictures be taken of me. I don't like any pictures of me, but that is just the way it goes. I think many people, even some of the most beautiful people, do not like pictures of themselves.

6. (hopscotch)

Q: Would you ever play naked hopscotch?

A: I think an even better question would be, if I would ever play hopscotch. Probably not. Though, let's be honest, Gigi can get me to do nearly anything. So, if I am playing with children, no. Obviously. However, all adults or alone.... I guess it could happen... Never say never. However, it is truly not very likely at all. 

Okay, so there you have it. A quick little Q & A with moi. My heartfelt thanks to Y for humoring me, and coming up with some interesting questions. 

As for that poem I wrote?! Well...

I miss being the cream to your coffee.

I miss you being my personal hero. 
With you by my side, I would walk down the darkest alley.

I miss being with you.

I miss you being there for me always.

With you I felt complete.

I miss our sordid affair.

I miss adding chapters to our story.

With you I always thought there would be a happily ever after.

I miss crowding around the camera for our date ussies. 

I miss going on new and exciting dates with you.

With you every date was special and fun.

I miss imagining our future together.

I miss dreaming about playing hopscotch with our children.

With you, I thought there would be lots of babies.

I miss feeling loved and secure.

I miss feeling ravished and satisfied.

With you I was blinded, far from a detective.

I didn't see it coming.

I didn't know it was going to end.

I miss you.

I miss us. 

Without you I am empty.

As you can see, I definitely needed the backup plan. 

Links to the other “Use Your Words” posts:

Baking In A Tornado

Cognitive Script

The Blogging 911

On the Border

Southern Belle Charm

Bookworm in the Kitchen

Part-time Working Hockey Mom

Climaxed

TaylorLife

Stable Layne Pt 5 Feb 2017 #UseYourWords

Today’s post is a writing challenge. This is how it works: participating bloggers picked four to six words or short phrases for someone else to craft into a post. All words must be used at least once and all the posts will be unique as each writer has received their own set of words. That is the challenge, here is a fun twist; no one who is participating knows who got their words and in what direction the writer will take them. Until now.

As you may remember, I had planned on using last month's words, to create another Stable Layne installment, but couldn't because Gigi wasn't well. So, I am adding them into this month's post, with this month's words. In case you have not read the first three parts, or you want to refresh your memory, the previous parts can be found using these links: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4. 

My words are:

warm ~ red ~ sweet ~ love ~ Cupid ~ arrow

They were submitted by: http://dlt-lifeontheranch.blogspot.com/

Last month's: discombobulated ~ family ~ return ~ without ~ race

Layne stretched her arms towards the ceiling, after crawling out of bed. She did some more stretching and then headed into her Master bathroom, to get her morning routine underway. Really, she should have been up a few hours ago, but she had decided to sleep in a bit, since she had stayed up until well past her usual eleven o'clock bedtime. She felt a bit like a bum, not crawling out of bed until almost half past eight, but she deserved the extra sleep.

Normally she would get coffee first thing, but today she wanted to be presentable, by the time Damon arrived at ten. They had texted briefly the night before, to confirm the details of their time together today. Texting him had felt normal. Like as if they should text regularly. Considering she barely knew him, that was obviously just a side effect of the crush she was developing on him.

As she turned on the shower, perfecting the water temperature, and went to empty her overfull bladder, she began to let her mind wander. She wondered what his friend would be like. He had asked if his roommate could come over at ten, when he arrived, or if he should have him come alone later, when it was time for the party to start. Figuring the more helping hands the merrier, she had told him to bring him over at ten.

She had done a lot of the little things herself yesterday. She had plugged in all the appliances in the garage kitchenette, and stocked the fridge with ice and some sodas and other mixers. She had picked up all the meats from the butcher, and had picked up all the groceries. They would definitely have more than enough food. She had even remembered to pick up some fresh strawberries and lemons, so she could make her Berrylicious Lemonade Punch.

The water felt amazing on her sore body. She had to admit, she had done more physically in the past week, than she had in months. It hurt quite a bit, but also felt amazing. Her body was definitely ready to start getting back to normal, she just had to remember to heed Damon's advice and take it slow. She definitely did not want to get hurt again, or worse yet, set her return back to riding back by even a single day.

She took the quickest shower possible, wrapped her hair in a towel, and quickly got dressed. Since she would be working with Damon, she chose to wear yoga pants and comfy red Christmas sweatshirt. She could get dressed for the party afterward. She entered her kitchen, and sighed looking at all the food everywhere. Hopefully her sisters would get here by noon, as they had promised, and help get all the food organized and prepped. She wanted everything done, before the rest of their family and friends arrived, so they could just enjoy themselves.

She stood waiting for her Keurig to fill her cup with her favorite Death Wish Coffee. The smell was teasing her taste buds. The last drop having entered the cup, she pulled it over and poured some almond milk in, stirring it, then taking the first sip. The warm liquid awakening her brain cells, as they spilled down her throat, her taste buds sending the WOOHOO COFFEE signal to her brain. After years of being a coffee addict, she had perfected the perfect ratio of coffee to milk, so she could drink it immediately, without needing to wait for it to cool. She chose to sit at her breakfast nook to enjoy her coffee. Most days she would sit on the back porch, but today she wanted to finish quickly. She still needed to finish getting ready.

It wasn't that she wanted to look good for Damon, but she wanted to look good for Damon. Look at her, caring what a guy thinks. It was as if Cupid had visited her and shot his arrow directly into her. An arrow labeled Damon. Whether she wanted to accept it or not, she absolutely had a crush on him. Now, she just needed to decide what she wanted to do about it. Should she quit going to him for physical therapy? Should she just keep her mouth shut, and keep seeing him? He was definitely a great therapist. The one thing she absolutely would not do, no matter how bad the crush got, is act on it. Sure. She wanted to get married one day, but currently a boyfriend did not fit into her plans. 

Damon seemed like a sweet guy, and he was definitely the type of guy she could probably fall in love with, but that was not what she needed right now. Her focus was still the same it was before the accident, she wanted to make a place for herself in the horse training world. She wanted to eventually be successful enough, to buy this entire ranch from her parents, and at a fair price, not the daughter price. She had wanted this ranch to be hers, since she was six. It is really all she had ever wanted. To own this ranch, and her father's business, just as it was for her father, it was her passion.

She had already managed to accomplish quite a bit of her goals, and once she was back to her normal self, she would race to finish line, and accomplish the rest. Her thoughts were all over the place, she finished her cup of coffee, and rinsed her cup out. She would try to have another cup before Damon arrived, but considering her discombobulated state of mind, that may not happen. This was proof she definitely did not need Damon in her life more than he was. He was keeping her from being able to drink copious amounts of coffee, simply due to all the daydreaming he seemed to inspire her mind to do. 

She gathered up her towels, and returned them to their hooks in her bathroom, and brushed her hair and teeth. She went into her garage, opening the door, and busied herself doing stuff to get everything party ready. She had gotten lost in her work, and was startled by Damon's arrival.

"Hey, Layne," Damon's sultry voice had interrupted her thoughts, and caused her to jump. "I see you got a start without us."

She turned and smiled at the two guys walking towards her. Her heart began to race. Just from seeing him. Yes, she was definitely in trouble. This man may not be what she wanted, but based on her body's reaction to him, he may be what she needed, and that was a problem. A complication. "Oh, hey! You guys scared me. Is it ten already?"

Damon laughed, and pulled her into a brief hug, releasing her and stepping aside to give her a direct view of his roommate. "It is actually five after. We got held up at the store. I am glad you didn't notice. Layne, meet Marcus. Marcus, meet Layne."

Layne went through the motions of the introduction, and shook Marcus' hand. She made proper small talk, and noted how friendly the guy before her seemed. The entire time her mind was on one thing. That hug. How it felt. The electricity she had felt. Wondering if Damon had felt it too. Wondering what it all meant, and trying to figure out how she was going to do it. It really did not matter how she was going to do it. She definitely had to do it. What you are wondering? Well, marry this man obviously. Her mind didn't want to know it. Her heart did not want to know it. Her plans did not want it to be a reality, but there was no denying what her soul obviously knew. 

Damon was the man she had been looking for, since she first thought about getting married when she turned ten, and her cousin Tristyn had gotten married. This is what Tristyn had meant, when she said Layne would just know, when she met the man of her dreams. She did know. 

(to be continued....)

In case you are wondering, Gigi is back to her normal self. She recovered from her surgery well, and her ear is completely healed. She is such a resilient, awesome kid. I am so blessed to be her mom.

I hope you enjoyed this installment of Stable Layne. I promise to give you more of the Layne and Damon story soon. Now, go see what words my fellow bloggers received, and just how they used them!! 

Links to the other “Use Your Words” posts:

Baking In A Tornado

Spatulas on Parade

The Diary of an Alzheimer’s Caregiver

On the Border

Dinosaur Superhero Mommy

Confessions of a part time working mom

Not That Sarah Michelle

Climaxed

My Happy Face #TopTenThursday

Welcome to this week's #TopTenThursday. This is a fun writing challenge, that is hosted by Tamara of Confessions of a part-time working mom. Her, myself, and other bloggers, come together and post weekly Top Ten lists, which we create based on a chosen topic. I hope you enjoy reading my list, as much as I loved creating it.

Last week, we shared our Top Ten Talents. I really struggled with it. This week, we are sharing our Top Ten Things That Make Us Happy. As you can imagine, I did not struggle with this topic. Well, unless you count narrowing it down to just ten things, a struggle. So, without further ado, here in random order, are the ten things that always make me happy.

1. Gigi. I am sure y'all knew this one, right?! I think it is a given. Even on her worst days, and my worst days, she is a huge happy spot. She completes me, and makes me so happy. She is my sunshine, even on the darkest of days.

1 b. Chad. Yeah, he annoys the living daylights out of me, but he is my BEST friend, and he gave me Gigi.

2. Coffee. I can be in the grumpiest of moods, and take one sip of coffee, and BAM... Happiness. Truly. It warms me to my soul, and I don't mean heat warmth, I mean the warmth of happiness. You probably were not surprised by this one either. 

3. Doctor Who. I know. This one probably was a surprise. It just makes me happy. I love all things Doctor Who, especially the show itself. If you knew me, you would probably be even more surprised by this one making the list. I am not into Sci-Fi. I do LOVE LOVE LOVE Doctor Who though. I even wish I had owned a ton of Who gear. Maybe one day! 

4. Ellen. Y'all... I can be in a horrible mood. Feeling sick and just miserable, and I can watch Ellen, and she is just the biggest pick-me-up! Seriously! She is so darn funny, and she is always saying such beautiful things, and doing such amazingly kind things! I just adore her. I often seek out videos of her, when I am grumpy, or not feeling well. It is actually on my bucket list, to go see her show live one day. I would love to dance with her! She is AWESOME!

5. Painting. Really, art in general, but especially painting. Painting is my happy place. I honestly have not done any really painting in years, but it is my absolute happy place. I get lost in it. I can forget my worries, and just focus on existing and creating art. I really wish I had a small studio, and could paint on a regular basis. 

6. Pay It Forward. Anytime I am able to pay it forward, or hear of others paying it forward, I get happy to the deepest depths of my soul.

7. Matt Damon. Him. His movies. His interviews. Basically all things Matt Damon. There is only one thing I am not happy with him about... He is a *gulp* New England Patriots fan. Hey, everyone is flawed eh? His just happens to be a yucky flaw, but in the grand scheme of things, it could be worse. He could be a Yankees fan...

8. Reading. I love love love love love to read. Anytime I get to read for a bit, I am a happy girl. Yep. I will sacrifice sleep, even if I am exhausted, just to have a few minutes of reading time. Reading has always been one of my happy places. Long before I had art, I had reading.

9. Swimming! I really love to swim. So so so much love for swimming! I do not get the opportunity to swim, as often as I would like, but when I do get the chance to swim, it makes me so completely happy. It is so peaceful and restful. I just love it so very very very much! 

10. #Mommitment. Oh my goodness, y'all!!! This makes me SO HAPPY! Especially the Mommitment Facebook Group!! Just a bunch of moms showing each other love, kindness, support, acceptance, and friendship. It is just a beautiful thing. Such a wonderful thing, and I am so grateful to be a part of it. 

Honorable mentions: Road trips. Bowls of chicken and dumplings or Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. Working in my Happy Planner. Writing. Giving gifts.

So, did my list shock you?! Were you expecting it?! Some shocked you, others not so much!? What are the things that make you happy?! Are any on your list on mine as well?! 

Don't forget to visit the Top Ten Lists of my fellow bloggers, and find out what makes them happy!!

Tamara at Confessions of a part-time working mom

Hacked Life #TopTenThursday

Welcome to this week's #TopTenThursday. This is a fun writing challenge, that is hosted by Tamara of Confessions of a part-time working mom. Her, myself, and other bloggers, come together and post weekly Top Ten lists, which we create based on a chosen topic. I hope you enjoy reading my list, as much as I loved creating it.

Last week, we made a list of our Top Ten Favorite Songs From the 1980's. This week, we are revealing our Top Ten Life Hacks. I don't know how you guys feel, but I am not an expert of life hacks. I do have a ton of them pinned on my Pinterest page, that I hope to one day use to make my life better. This was not an easy list for me to make, but I definitely have a few, I feel you should know about. 

Without further ado, in random order, I present my top ten life hacks. Be sure to check out the other Blogger's favorite life hacks, using the links at the bottom.

1. The first one that came to mind, is very simple. A funny little back story... When I came up with the idea, I thought I was a genius, then I realized I was not the first to think of it. I was kinda sad that nobody had told me about it sooner, and yet kinda proud I thought of it on my own so quickly. The hack? Using a straw to eat/drink GoGurts. It cuts way back on the mess, and makes them truly an easy, on the go snack. Plus, if your kiddo is anything like Gigi, they LOVE using straws. So, if you don't already stick a straw in your kiddo's GoGurts... Do it. 

2. My Happy Planner. So, I have a horrible memory. I have these annoying cysts in my head, and they like to really make my memory malfunction frequently. I was going crazy trying to remember everything, and it was becoming frustrating. Then I discovered the Happy Planner by Me and My Big Ideas. It was life changing. You can customize it completely, and it is totally versatile. They even have inserts for list making, fitness tracking, recipes, and tracking household finances. I can keep track of EVERYTHING in it. Plus, I can decorate it (using markers, pens, stickers, stamps, washi tape, etc), and that becomes my relaxation and happy time. Plus, I think writing everything down really helps to keep me on track. I can keep track of appointments, TV shows, parties, activities, exercise, hydration, my cycle, cleaning, menu, shopping lists, etc. It literally helps to organize and keep track of my entire life. It is one of the most affordable planners on the market, and the most customizable ones available. I even had a custom coffee themed cover made. Plus, they are always coming out with new items all the time. I am currently most excited about the new binder cover. I love love love my Happy Planner! I even have an awesome owl zipper pouch from Thirty-One Gifts, to keep it safe while it is in my purse. If you decide to scope it out and get one, please let me know. I would love to share ideas and layouts with you. Are you already a planner?! Let me know!

3. Sooooo.... Gigi enjoys watching her shows. She has some that are for fun, and others that are for learning. She also loves to play with her toys. Me, I like to listen to music. I just found it to be a pain to do so. When I play it on the TV, she tends to focus on it, and I would sometimes rather she focus on playing. Other times, maybe I want to listen to music, but she is having screen time. Well, playing on my phone wasn't convenient or loud enough. Enter Echo aka Alexa. My handy, dandy gadget from Amazon. She was my Christmas/Birthday/Valentine's/Mother's Day gift this year, and I do love her. She plays any song or playlist I tell her to. She is hands free. She can adjust the volume, just by me telling her to do so. So, I can listen to music, while Gigi watches TV or plays. She will set timers for me. She tells me the weather and news. She tells me jokes. I can play games with her. She is quite amazing. She actually has so many abilities, far beyond the simple things we use her for. She has been such an amazing addition to our household. I can have my hands covered in raw chicken juice, and set a timer for the food I just placed in the oven, never needing to touch anything. She plays music throughout the house, or quiet enough for just me to hear. 

(Picture and product found here)

4. We live in a tiny house. It is plenty big for the three of us, but we lack storage space. We only have the closets in our bedrooms. We also don't have many kitchen cabinets or a pantry. In our bathroom, we have zero storage and no tub. I had to get crafty. Luckily, I found an awesome idea for tub/shower storage. It has been a big help, since we have no shelves in our shower. We just sit our items along the wall on the floor. Our shower is a walk in shower, and nice, but it has made storage tricky. The idea was originally to help with toy storage, but we actually use it to store our toiletries. I especially use it for my razor. That is something that had to be out of Gigi's reach. It has made life easier for us. If you have limited storage inside your shower/tub, or just have lots of toys, I do highly recommend this!! I used small baskets I found at the Dollar Tree, three baskets for a dollar, and used colorful zip ties. You can use any baskets that are waterproof and shower curtain hooks. Make the idea your own. Adjust it to your own needs. The awesome thing... It can easily me moved up/down or removed, if needed.

(Picture and idea found here)

5. (A Chad addition) One day, when Gigi was nine months old, and had started to try to walk, Chad came home with pool noodles. He then proceeded to attach the noodles to our TV stand, using some of his beloved zip ties. At first, it was just along the front, but soon after she began walking, he added more to the sides. I hated it, it looked horrible, but boy did it do a great job keeping her head safe during falls. I found out that he had seen a similar concept on Pinterest, and went with it. I am sure I had better pictures of it, but these were the only ones I could find quickly. Most of these were taken before he put noodles on the sides as well. I do give him two thumbs up for this one. We kept them up until this past June. Right after Gigi turned three, I bought a new TV stand, and gone were our pool noodle days. 

6. (A Chad addition) Use a road flare to start your campfire. Obviously, this was not my idea. I do NOT camp. I never have, and I do not ever intend to. He says it is an easy, foolproof way to start a campfire. He also swears it is "super cool". I say try it at your own risk.

7. (A Chad addition) Chad swears by using super glue as a band aid. He is one of those "duct tape, zip ties, and super glue fixes literally EVERYTHING" guys. He says it works well, it is waterproof, it lasts forever, and it does not hurt (unlike liquid bandage). I prefer regular band aids, but I must say, the super glue works well. He has way more success with it, than I do with regular band aids. I just cannot wrap my head around putting super glue on cuts. He warns to make sure it dries completely before touching anything, and to avoid gluing your fingers together (it sounds like he was speaking from experience). He said it dries pretty quick, usually within a minute.

8. From the time she could walk, we let Gigi walk around stores. Without fail, if she saw a dog bed, she was on it. We joked for a while about getter her a dog bed, but never actually did it. Finally, for her birthday on June 27th, I got her one. A huge, comfortable dog bed. She LOVES it. It made her beyond happy, just don't call it a "dog" bed. It is much easier to manage than the HUGE bean bag chair I bought a few years ago. It is easy to clean. It is comfortable. She can rest on it, watch TV on it, take naps on it, play on it. If I had known it would be so well loved and such a great addition to our living room, I would have bought it ages ago. Gigi even occasionally lets Bit lay on it with her. Sometimes, I wonder if Bit thinks we are nuts for loving a dog bed so much.

(In case you are wondering... I bought it at Costco for like $26)

9. Remember how I mentioned our house is tiny, and has very little storage, especially in the kitchen?! Well, I am not sure if you have realized this about me, but I am a bit of a coffee addict. Well, not really an addict, I just really love it. I am basically in a committed relationship with it. So, I decided to add to our kitchen storage, and save us some counter space, by turning Gigi's changing table into a coffee nook. On the top shelf, I keep my Keurig and coffee supplies, and the other shelves are for additional food/supplies storage. It works perfect in our tiny space. It freed up a lot of counter space, and enabled us to keep all our "coffee stuff" in one place, rather than being spread out around the kitchen. I love it. I even bought coffee themed curtains for the window it sits under. It was a fun and easy project. You could easily do the same with any type of shelving unit, as long as it is big enough to house your coffee maker(s). 

10. Our car is messy. I know what you are thinking... Duh! You have a three year old. No, I have a Chad. I HATE it. I like my car to be clean and organized. Chad likes to get unexplained stains everywhere. Everywhere. Even on the ceiling. Why are you touching my ceiling?! So, I hate it but I cannot do much about it. (I have tried to tell him I will forbid him to drive it, if he doesn't stop getting it so dirty, but then more stains appeared...) Luckily, there isn't trash everywhere. Why not? I saw an awesome post on Pinterest, and put it to good use. So, we have a place for our trash, and therefore, that is one thing I do not have to worry about with my car. Now, mystery stains on my ceiling? Total problem. Maybe one day, I will be able to have a car of my very own, and I will only need to worry about the messes Gigi and I make, and I am certain there will be no mystery ceiling stains.

(Picture and idea found here)

So, there you go. Ten "life hacks" that make my life better/easier/more organized. What is your favorite life hack(s)?! Do you like any of mine?! Do we have any in common?!

Don't forget to check out the favorite life hacks of my fellow bloggers:

Confessions of a part-time working mom

The Wrights' Days of Fun

With Love