How I became a blogger. Many people have asked me why I started blogging, and I am typically fairly guarded about my answer. Because the answer is not only lengthy, but it is painful as well. But I have reached a point where I feel I need to tell my story. I have been blogging for just over a year now, and I can’t imagine doing anything else for a career because I love it. 

My story starts with my best friend dying, unfortunately. That is where the real changes started. I thought I had death down to a science and how I reacted to it and handled it. Ha! All that went straight out the window when I lost my best friend to suicide. The fact that he died by suicide is part of why I am always hesitant to talk about it as well. The stigma and judgement around that is huge. That loss was one of those experiences that changed me. It changed me in such a way that I could never go back to who I was before that. 

Where My Story Starts

Once I lost my best friend, I started going through the process of grief. You can read about the stages of grief if you are experiencing it yourself. Unfortunately this experience revealed some really terrible people in my life that are textbook narcissists. These narcissists had to be removed from my life. I’ve since learned to stop apologizing for this or tolerate being made to feel guilty about it. I am the only person who is responsible for my own happiness and well being. 

Finding My Voice

Once I stopped focusing on making everyone around me happy, I had to figure out who I was again. Finding my own identity at 30-something years old is a less than fabulous experience. I say that because I literally had no idea who I was on my own. I never had to make adult decisions before. They were made for me by the narcissists in my life, and I followed along. This identity crisis was because I took back control of my life from the narcissists that once controlled it for me. 

That whole experience was what prompted me to become a prepper. Being better prepared for things was a fantastic way for me to control my life and learn to make decisions for myself. It was a big change, but one that I loved too. I love it because not only am I in control of my life, but I am better organized and ask pertinent questions. It taught me to look at my options in life. What is the worst that can happen, and what is the best that can happen. Life is short and can change in an instant. I am not a fan of feeling out of control of things and I learned that very quickly when I lost my best friend. 

Defining My Goals

Once I started asking myself who I was and what I wanted to do with my life, the answer was to become a writer. I’m very introverted by nature and keep my inner circle pretty small. The idea of being a hermit in my office and spending my days pecking away at the keyboard and never dealing with people was very appealing to me. 

I realize that was a reflex reaction to the pain and loss that I suffered. But it sounded good in my head. I also thought in high school that I wanted to be a writer, but never pursued it because I had no clue what to write about back then. The thought has always been in my head that I wanted to write. 

Starting My Blog

This is where my blog was born and how I became a blogger. I started with a terrible name and hosting company, and had to completely rebrand. Which was actually a fantastic experience because I learned a lot from my mistakes. Once The Prepping Wife came about, I knew I had found the perfect home for my writing. It was time for me to chase my dream and make it a reality! 

As I look back to the beginning of my writing, I can clearly see my voice change and grow as I learned and developed my writing style. At first this made me cringe because I thought I was such an amateur writer, but I really enjoy seeing the growth and change in myself. It is simply amazing what a year can do and how much I have changed. I have since made real friends from all across the globe through my blog as well. 

How A Year Can Changed Me

In all reality, a year is not a long period of time. Yet the changes I see in myself and my writing are significant. Sometimes I look back and think anything past that was a lifetime ago because I am such a different person. Becoming a different person through this process is something I absolutely love. I love who I am now, and it only took me thirty some odd years to be comfortable in who I am and what I do. 

My blog has evolved as I went from just wanting to talk about prepping to other topics that are passions of mine like reading, recipes, and being a wife. I have created my own product line that I sell in a local store and am working on getting it online for a larger audience. I also expanded into selling freeze dried food through Thrive Life and I thoroughly enjoy it. 

Following My Dreams

When I started my blog, I was clueless about how it all worked. Yet I had a dream I knew I needed to follow, no matter if I succeeded or failed. And here I sit after a year of successful blogging and it is the perfect career path for me because I fell in love with writing. That is how I became a blogger.

My biggest goal has always been to help my readers. I wanted to give others a place to ask questions, learn, share, and grow right along with me. The stories my readers share with me has been nothing short of amazing and it keeps me going. 

If it isn’t terrifying, it isn’t worth doing

I’ll be the first to admit that starting my blog and growing as a writer was a terrifying experience. A friend threw my famous words back at me once when they reminded me of something I told them. If it doesn’t terrify you a little bit, it isn’t worth doing. Which after my journey, I believe in that statement more than ever. 

That is my story and how I became a blogger. I started with a huge loss, went through an identity crisis, and jumped on the roller coaster that is blogging to fall in love with it and continue expanding. I had no clue how much this choice would change my life in such a positive way. 

Discussion

How I became a blogger. How did you pick your career path? Was it something you planned on doing or did it just fall into place and make perfect sense? Tell me about your experience in the comments. Read more about my life experiences.

Bet you didn’t know. I was tagged or challenged to do this post last week and I’m behind on completing it. So it is time to get moving! These are so much fun for me to not only write, but read about other bloggers who write them as well. It is a great way to get to know people. 

I was tagged by Jenni from Housewife Hustle and I am honored. Following Jenni is a fun adventure. She is inspiring with her body positivity message and just giving others a place to come and be themselves as well. She is beyond supportive of me and I appreciate everything she does. 

So without further delay, here are my seven random facts you may not have known about me! 

I hate seafood

I’m not allergic or anything like that. I just can’t stand the smell. I’ve been able to expand my ability to eat a few things as I get older, but not many. I will eat halibut and fresh tuna, but that is seriously the end of my seafood list. Walking through the grocery store or into a fish market and I want to throw up. That smell makes me super queasy. 

Now what is really funny about that is I love to go fishing or crabbing and catch them. That is fun for me, but I draw the line when it comes to eating them. 

I love organization

My office is the cleanest room in my house. I work the best in a neat and tidy environment. I wouldn’t eat off the floor, but it is very organized. Whenever I am having trouble focusing on my work, I’ll clean. Organization equals productivity for me. 

I also hate not knowing where everything is, or if I am out of something. My kitchen shows my OCD as well. It is the next cleanest space in the house. It is beautifully organized and everything has a place. 

I might be a crazy cat lady 

If you follow me on social media or read my blog with any sort of consistency, you know my cat Tigger is very prominent in them. I joke that I’ve made him famous through my posting of his cuteness or talking about what a jerk he can be. 

Tigger is a spoiled, grumpy old man of a cat. He literally has everything (and then some) a cat could ever want to be the happiest he possibly could be. In my next life, I want to be a cat, and live with someone just like me, so I can be a spoiled jerk like that too. 

I love tattoos

I have way too many to count, and I can’t see all of them. But they tell a story. My absolute favorite one is my most recent tattoo, a half sleeve memorial on my left arm for my best friend. It is such a great reminder of the gift I was given by our friendship. His impact on my life in just a few short years will last a lifetime. 

I have grey hair

I’ve been going grey since I was nineteen years old, and it only gets worse as I age. Thankfully my hairdresser is a magician who works her magic every few months and they are all gone! I have been coloring my hair continuously since I was fourteen years old. It is never anything crazy, but it is a form of self-care for me. Having my hair done leaves me feeling refreshed. 

I also have extremely long hair. When I had my hair colored earlier this week, my hair was down to my hips. We cut it a bit, so it’s back above my booty, but not by much. I love having my hair long. Nathan complains about it, citing it is high-maintenance. I find this amusing, since he doesn’t have to deal with it. 

Once my hair went past my elbow, I knew there was no cutting it or going back to shorter hair. My hair hasn’t been this long since I was probably six years old. I have no clue how I’ve actually managed it being that long now, but I love it. 

The gym is my happy place

I desperately need to get back into weight lifting, because I’m just fat these days. But when I am going consistently, I absolutely love it. Lifting is one of those things that just makes me happy. It is something I can control, and a great place to set goals and see real progress. 

I had to step away from it for a while, and that kind of thing happens. But I know the time to get back into it is coming very soon. Going back is going to be painful after being gone for so long, but I am very excited about it too. 

Sewing is a favorite hobby

I was telling this story to my hairdresser earlier in the week. I absolutely adore sewing as a hobby. Sewing is a lot of fun for me, even if I am not perfect at it. I have blankets stashed all over the house that I’ve made for myself, Nathan, and even Tigger. 

This was because I bought an antique (1948) Singer sewing machine from my favorite person on the planet. It belonged to his mother, and she was the original owner. He drove it 9 hours from California to Oregon to deliver it to me. That sewing machine not only brings me a ton of joy to use, but that memory comes up every time I sit down at the machine. It always makes me smile. 

Bet You Didn’t Know Notes

I hope you’ve enjoyed the seven random facts about me. Thank you, Jenni, for tagging me in this! Here are my tags: 

Lisa at fluxingwell 

Elizabeth at Despite Pain

Kayleigh at The Pigeon and Peacock

Sam at Simply A Diary 

Becky at Russells Loving Life

Tracy at Cleland Clan

Lindsay at Doing The Life Things

These are all fabulous ladies who have constantly inspired and supported my blogging journey. I hope you take a moment and visit all of them, including Jenni at Housewife Hustle! 

Share 7 random facts about yourself. Tag 7 bloggers you would like to participate in the Bet You Didn’t Know tag. Shoutout back to me so I can read your posts and get to know you beautiful ladies even more! 

I blog for a very simple reason, and that is because I love it. It is my little corner of the internet to completely be myself. It is like a focused creativity for me, if that makes any sort of sense. I have always been a very creative person through my sewing, cooking, craft projects, and things like that. My blog gives me the place to talk about those things, but keep it organized for myself.

I am organized to the max when it comes to stuff like my prepping supplies, my house, and more. But I also bounce around in my projects a fair amount. Some might call it flighty, some might call it hyperactive. Maybe I have attention deficit disorder. Who knows, it could just be my personality. But with my blog, I can focus on all of these things, plan out my projects, and then talk about them here. It is the perfect platform for me, to be perfectly honest.

My blog started out as simply following a dream. I needed to do something for myself because I was forever putting my life on hold to help others. Once that came to an end and I started putting myself first, I had no clue where to go or what to do Who am I? What do I do with myself? I had no idea if my blog would become successful or not, and that was fine in the beginning.

As I went on my blogging journey, I fell in love with it. Completely head over heels in love with my blog and writing it. I have worked harder and longer on it than anything in my lifetime. Because once I fell in love with it, I became determined to be successful.

I had no idea that I would gain friendships and a whole support system through my blog. That one surprised me, but it is also my favorite part of my blog. I wrote about my favorite bloggers here in an earlier part of this challenge. I also love that I can help and support others through my blog. Supporting others became a huge goal for me.

I wrote posts about the grief process and the pain I’ve experienced, in the hope that I can spare even one person from experiencing what I have. Maybe it is exactly what someone needs to read, and that is a big motivator. I’ve written posts about prepping in the hope that I can get people more interested in being better prepared. Tailoring it to beginners, I wanted to create a place for people to learn and be interested in emergency preparedness as well as ask questions.

Making money from my blog has always motivated me. I mean, who doesn’t want to make money doing something they absolutely love? That is still a big goal of mine. I am making my way toward that goal, and doing a good job of it. It isn’t enough to pay bills or anything, yet. The key word here is yet. It will get there soon, and I look forward to that day.

Nathan loves helping me with my blog and all my projects. He’s so great about that, and it makes me that much more determined to be good at blogging. My projects have created memories for us and quality time spent working on them. I have to laugh at times because my blog projects are the one and only time or place that Nathan listens to me completely and executes what I ask for perfectly. Everything else, he has an opinion or a way to do it.

Even for as much as I pick on Nathan for that small character flaw, I love him and the fact he enjoys helping me with my blog. It really adds to the joy I take in writing it or working on some aspect. He’s super supportive, and I think that is the key for any good blogger. To have a great support system.

Speaking of support systems, I feel I’ve been exceptionally lucky in that regard when it comes to my blog. My husband, my friends, and so many other bloggers are always right there when I need a little boost. Or even to celebrate amazing moments with me. I am definitely lucky!

The answer to this prompt is, I blog because I absolutely love it. I really can’t see myself doing anything else besides being a blogger.

I want to say a very special thank you to everyone who has followed me through this challenge, supported and encouraged me, and left comments. You have all made this challenge worthwhile, and I enjoyed connected with you even more through it. Thank you so very much! I really hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it.

Today is day 30 of 31 day blogging challenge. If you’ve been following me through this challenge, I appreciate it. You can read about my other posts by clicking here. The prompt today is what is in my makeup bag.  

This post contains affiliate links

Makeup is something I rarely wear these days. I’m decent at putting it on, but it takes time and patience. Patience is not a strong personality trait of mine, so I rarely take the time for it these days. But when I do, I tend to go all out and wear it all. So here’s my list of what is in my makeup bag!

Every good makeup day starts with great brushes and I am a big fan of the IT brushes I linked to. I have probably pretty close to the entire collection by now. Lol. But the set I linked to are the basics that everyone needs. Taking care of these brushes with this cleaner is very important as well. Take care of them and they will last a lifetime.

Brushes are one of those things that is a good investment if you wear makeup often. The best thing about these brushes is they don’t shed and are easy to clean. There is nothing worse than trying to keep brushes clean and sanitary, and they fall apart as soon as you wipe them.

Foundation. Gotta start with the base, in my opinion! Makeup is about layering and doing it well. The key is to start with a good foundation and work my way out from there. This is why I say that it takes patience.

The foundation I linked is legit. I’ve put it on and worn it out for 15 hours, and it still looked good when I got home, like I just put it on. I’m a huge fan and it really is worth the cost.

Translucent Powder. I feel like this is an absolute must-have in my makeup bag, and I use it every single time I wear makeup. What is amazing about this is that it sets my makeup to give it a longer-lasting wear. Added to the foundation I linked to, this is why I was able to go a solid 15 hours and still looked great. It also helps cover up visible pores or scars on my face. I feel this is a huge asset to my makeup bag.

Blush. Every woman needs a good blush! Add a little highlight to those beautiful cheekbones. The one I linked to is a favorite of mine because there are options, and I can be bold, bright, or even just a more muted natural look. It all depends on my mood, but it is right there in one perfect place. A great fan brush makes applying this product even better.

Bronzer. I don’t always use bronzer, more it depends on what kind of look I’m aiming for. But it really does give my skin an added glow and it is even more of a boost when I’m in a great mood and happy. This is just one more thing to make me look even better and show off that glowing happiness. I feel like it adds a level of warmth to my look.

Brows: My eyebrows do this weird thing where they are dark at the base and as they go toward my temple, they lighten up significantly. I use a liner to darken them up and give them a far more consistent look. I follow this up with brow gel to set that look in place and keep it there.

Eyes: The eyes are like the most complicated portion of my makeup for me. I start with my favorite eyeliner. This is a must for me, especially if I’m going to wear eye lashes. I have no clue why, but I can’t ever put my eye lashes on correctly without eyeliner. Even I haven’t figured that one out. Lol. With the eye lashes, comes the need for a good glue.

After I’ve applied my eyeliner, I go to my eye shadow. Browns do wonders for my skin tone, sometimes pink is a go-to. I try to stay away from blue or grey, because it is always too dark for me and I end up looking like a raccoon. Mascara is a must, and it needs to be waterproof.

Lipstick. I am a huge fan of the Fifty Kisses line from Laura Geller. The colors are gorgeous and vibrant. It goes on as a liquid, almost like lip gloss, but dries to a matte finish. It is like the best liquid lipstick there ever was. This lip color stays and stays very well. I’ve eaten with this on and it stays on perfectly. Like I am wearing nothing at all. I’ve kissed Nathan while wearing it, and then I’ll look at him to see if he has the standard lipstick transfer, and nope. Not a single smudge. I’ve always been impressed with this line.

Once I have gone through the list here and layered everything onto my face, I need a good setting spray. I’ve talked about wanting my makeup to last and look great for as long as I’m wearing it. This product is the final step in achieving that goal.

Once I am home and ready to take everything off, a good makeup remover is essential, as well as a cleanser. My skin needs to breathe after all that makeup, and these two items are an absolute requirement to achieve that goal.

Day 30 of 31 Day Blogging Challenge Notes

I don’t wear my makeup all that often, but when I do, the quality of the products I am using is extremely important to me. Everything I listed and linked to in this post are things I use and keep in my makeup bag because they are excellent products. Sometimes I wish I had more patience to do my makeup on a consistent basis. Lol. Or, maybe I just need to go out more so I have a reason to do it. Not sure which would be better.

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Today is day 29 of 31 day blogging challenge. If you’ve been following me through this challenge, I appreciate it. You can read about my other posts by clicking here. The prompt today is where I’ve traveled. I’ve always enjoyed traveling and want to do more of it.

Where I’ve Traveled

Scotland

Scotland is easily my favorite place that I’ve been. I would love to go back and take my golf clubs with me. That would be the one thing that I wished I had when I was there before. Scotland is an amazing place to visit and I would definitely enjoy going back.

Stonehenge was a place that I can’t even describe. The atmosphere and feeling of being there leaves me speechless. Scotland is simply breathtaking overall. Then there are the people and the accents. Ahh, I could listen to them talk forever and be perfectly happy. Lol.

The royal mile in Edinburgh is a must-see place to go and walk around. There are plenty of shopping and dining opportunities here. I remember buying a pair of red sunglasses here for five pounds and I still have them.

Scotland is a place I would be very happy visiting all over again and spending significantly more time there.

England

England was a lot of fun as well. Seeing the sights and talking to people London is a beautiful place. Everybody knows Big Ben, the clock in London. It is such a fun thing to go and actually see iconic places like that. That is exciting. There is something to be said for reading about these places in history books and seeing them in movies, and then seeing them up close and personal.

New York City

New York is busy, but a great place to visit. We went after 9/11, and visited Ground Zero. I was again speechless. I’ve found some places have that ability. Going back now to see the memorial and museum is something I would love to do.

Taking the subway through New York was certainly an experience. I had never traveled underground before that and I can’t say I would want to consistently, but it is efficient for a busy place like New York.

There is no shortage of places to visit and see in New York though. The Empire State Building. The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island is history. I would recommend this for any NYC visitor. The statue can be seen from Battery Park, but it is just better up close.

Central Park is a place everybody knows about, even if they don’t live in NYC. Definitely worth a visit!

The Metropolitan Museum of Art was a great stop on this trip. I’m always amazed for some reason at the sheer size of places and what they hold inside.

Las Vegas

Las Vegas, the city of lights. This is a trip I thoroughly enjoyed and I really want to go back with Nathan. I would take a lot more time for pictures and see a show while I am there the next time. It is a place where there is no shortage of things to do.

Night time is when I wanted to be out the most and see all the lights and signs. I could have driven around the strip for hours and been perfectly happy just looking at the lights. There is also a ton of history within Las Vegas, especially the old strip, or Fremont Street. Fremont Street is old school Las Vegas and I loved that.

Canada

I’ve been to Canada, although I don’t remember a ton about it. We did visit Butchart Gardens, I know that. It was a wonderful experience and I would absolutely go back again and see it.

Traveling is such an amazing thing, and a great way to experience other cultures and history. There are so many places I want to see and experience. Both for a second time, and for the first time. I’ve said it before, but I would love to travel across the United States and just eat my way through it. Lol. There are so many places to see and things to do. Maybe that will be my retirement plan, just to travel and have those experiences.

Day 29 of 31 Day Blogging Challenge Discussion

Where is your favorite place to visit? Tell me about it in the comments! Have you enjoyed my day 29 of 31 day blogging challenge? Are you participating in day 29 of 31 day blogging challenge? Let me know!

Today is day 28 of 31 day blogging challenge. If you’ve been following me through this challenge, I appreciate it. You can read about my other posts by clicking here. It is hard to believe this is day 28 and I’m almost done with the challenge. The prompt today is what I look forward to.

What I Look Forward To

What do I look forward to? Honestly, the day when my blog is a household name. Or when it makes consistent money for me and I feel successful with it. I love my blog and continuing with it to become something I can make money from is a huge dream of mine. I look forward to the day when people know the name The Prepping Wife.

My blog being big would be the absolute best thing that could possibly happen for me. Because I’ve put my heart and soul into it for the last six months. Sometimes it really does feel like I’ve ripped out part of my heart and soul to put on the internet for others to read. But that is part of what makes me love it even more. I get to help others who may be struggling with something.

That is definitely my dream is my blog being big and reaching as many people as possible while making good money for me. Who doesn’t look forward to doing something they love and making lots of money from it? I fully intend on this happening, and looking forward to it makes me work hard to make it happen.

A House & Garden

I look forward to buying a house. Yes I own my home now, but upgrading where I have space to garden and a far bigger kitchen to enjoy creating recipes for my blog. Space is not my friend now, and I look forward to the day when it is. Having outdoor space to grow my own food is a huge goal of mine, and I can easily say that I look forward to that day.

Finishing the remodel on my house. I’m mostly down to little stuff at this point, but I took a long break to focus on my blog and kind of forgot about it. I have everything I need to do it, but it’s easy to put it aside and do other stuff. Nathan and I need to go buy a new kitchen faucet shortly, and that is really what reminded me that I’m not done with the remodel.

The Future

I look forward to the future in general. Life is good, and setting goals right now to create an even better future is so important. I have the power to make my future wonderful, and that is what I am working on now. Creating a great future for me and Nathan.

I always look forward to the time when my favorite person on the planet comes back for a visit and we get to spend time together. Taking the time to chat most mornings does amazing things for keeping that friendship going, but I really want to see them too and wish I could far more often than I do now.

I look forward to continuing to learn. A favorite phrase of mine is never stop learning because it is so important. I love learning more about prepping as I continue that journey, and the same can be said for my blog. I’m always taking some sort of a class or talking to others who are pros at it and asking questions.

Reading

I always look forward to reading more books. I’m starting a new one this afternoon as soon as I’m done with this post. Reading has always been something that I’ve enjoyed and I am so glad that I’m taking the time to read more these days. It is relaxing and a great way to just focus on one thing. I bounce around trying to multitask and get everything done.

Reading makes me stop that and just get lost in the book, making it the perfect way to settle and focus my energy. I’ve found that when I’m done I can go back to my tasks with a fresh mind and not worry about trying to do too much all at once.

Hmmm… I feel like I’ve ran out of things to say in this one. It is weird to be at a loss for words, especially if you know me. Lol. I guess the answer is, I look forward to the future and what life holds for me on my journey. I have lots of dreams and goals, and I look forward to completing them and checking them off the list.

Day 28 of 31 Day Blogging Challenge Discussion

What do you look forward to? Tell me about it in the comments! You don’t have to tell me this part, but think about what you need to be doing to achieve the goals you are looking forward to.

Have you enjoyed my day 28 of 31 day blogging challenge? Are you participating in day 28 of 31 day blogging challenge? Let me know in the comments!

Today is day 27 of 31 day blogging challenge. If you’ve been following me through this challenge, I appreciate it. You can read about my other posts by clicking here. The prompt today is my favorite recipe.

Since I already post recipes in my blog all the time, I’m going to talk about some of my favorites and why they are fabulous. If they peak your interest, feel free to save or share them!

Brown Butter Chicken

Brown Butter Chicken. This is a wonderful recipe because it is easy. One pan, one delicious dish! Cooking butter turns it brown and the flavor changes completely. This is not melting butter, there is a difference between melting and cooking. It becomes this nutty and really complex flavor that adds depth of flavor to any dish. The best part for me is that it incorporates ingredients I already have on hand in my refrigerator, freezer, and pantry. That is a win in my book!

Beer Can Chicken

Beer Can Chicken. Who can go wrong with chicken, beer, and barbecue sauce? The answer is, nobody! This recipe is perfect for any barbecue lover out there, and it flavors the chicken from the inside out. The beer is also a moisturizer and keeps the chicken from drying out in the oven.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Broccoli Cheese Soup. I love soup in the fall and winter. I call fall soup season. Because once the weather starts to turn colder, I start craving those hot hearty comfort soups. This is one I can throw together pretty quickly and make sure Nathan eats a good meal in between his two jobs on a cold night.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken Tortilla Soup. This is my favorite right here. If I had to pick any soup recipe as a favorite, this is the one! Chicken, cheese, and avocado make for a delicious soup. It can be made in the slow cooker, and that makes it even easier. I love simple yet delicious food, and this hits that mark for me.

Apple Cranberry Sauce

Apple Cranberry Sauce. I hated cranberry sauce for 30-something years until I made this recipe! Not even kidding. Nathan loves cranberry sauce, and I refused to make it for so long. I’ve since had to apologize for that mistake. Lol. I felt horrible for giving him canned cranberry sauce for so many years. After coming across this recipe, my mind has forever been changed. It is perfection, and many family members have asked me for the recipe and I gladly pass it along.

Una’s Apple Cake

Una’s Apple Cake. This recipe started with Nathan’s grandmother, and has been passed along ever since. Nathan’s nephew makes the fourth generation enjoying this recipe. How amazing is that?! This is a legacy and I’m so thrilled to have the opportunity to share. Because food is love and that is how we remember our loved ones long after they are gone.

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies. These are a delicious recipe because the zucchini adds moisture to the cookies. I don’t think there is anything worse than a dry cookie. Zucchini doesn’t add any real flavor to the cookie, just moisture and vitamins.

Clam Chowder

Clam Chowder. This is a recipe I’ve been making for years and it is always delicious. Nathan asks for it often in the winter months. Paired with a crusty sourdough bread, it is perfect.

Peppermint Bark Cheesecake

Peppermint Bark Cheesecake. I love this recipe because Nathan helped me write it. We’ve been making this for several years now. When I told Nathan I wanted to write the recipe for my blog, the first thing he said was that he wanted to help me. That way it is more clear and concise. The great thing is I’ve had comments on this recipe about how easy it is to follow. My reply is, thank Nathan! I’ve talked about Nathan being a big part of my blog, and this recipe is a perfect example of that.

Parmesan Dijon Chicken

Parmesan Dijon Chicken. This is one of the first recipes I made with Nathan and it has been a tradition ever since. This is our recipe, so to speak. Some couples have songs or places that are special. Nathan and I have a recipe. It is comforting in that it brings back memories and is so familiar to us.

Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed Peppers. Stuffed peppers are my signature dish! I’ve been making them for as long as I can remember. It reminds me of my childhood because my aunt would make them and I loved it. This is a recipe I developed over many years of practice. Practice makes perfect! I’ve never met anyone who didn’t like them.

Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower

Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower. This is Nathan’s favorite side dish that we make, and it is so simple! I am a big fan of roasting veggies in the oven, and this is such a perfect recipe for it. When Nathan and I can’t decide on a vegetable for dinner, this is our go-to choice. As soon as I suggest it, I see the smile light up his face because he is excited. That face is worth it alone.

Red Velvet Cake

Red Velvet Cake. I love the history behind this cake, which I talk about in the recipe. Velvet cake has a different texture than a traditional cake, being more crumbly and less dense. I love the bright red color of it against the white of the frosting. It is just a beautiful cake, and it tastes as good as it looks.

Hot Honey Chicken

Hot Honey Chicken. Nathan found this on social media when a friend posted pictures of them making it. I researched it and came up with my own recipe, that I think is perfect. We tried a bunch of different combinations before finally deciding on the official recipe for this blog post. I am pretty sure Nathan would eat this weekly if I volunteered to make it that often. He absolutely loves it and is clearly a new favorite. Nathan is so proud of the fact he found the idea and suggested it. I love his grin when talking about this recipe!

Tater Tot Casserole

Tater Tot Casserole. Casseroles have a rustic charm to them that reminds me of childhood. They aren’t pretty and is how it is supposed to be. They just taste really good. This is one I’ve been making for probably seven or eight years. I see so many variations on it. I’m always curious about how others make it, but I think mine is perfect. At least it is in my house.

Day 27 of 31 Day Blogging Challenge Notes

I hope you enjoy reading these recipes as much as I’ve enjoyed writing them. If you enjoy my recipes, keep checking back weekly because I still have many I need to make and write. I have plans for a salt crusted potato recipe. Chicken pot pie is next on the list. Apple pie is going to be a really great one that I’m excited about. Raspberry chocolate chip cookies are another dessert, as well as carrot cake. I have lots that still need written and will be coming up soon!

Have you enjoyed day 27 of 31 day blogging challenge? Are you participating in the day 27 of 31 day blogging challenge? Let me know in the comments!

I am not entirely sure where this photo came from or who took it. Somehow I remember the dress, but not the circumstances around wearing it. This is one of those instances where I look back and find it kind of funny what I remember versus what I don’t. Such as the dress itself and how I enjoyed wearing it. Which was probably the one and only time I actually liked wearing a dress. Yet I have no clue where I was.

This is a photo from early in my relationship with Nathan. We drove to the coast and went crabbing, and had a blast. I hate eating seafood, but I will go catch it all day long! Going out to the ocean to go crabbing always reminds me of my childhood.

Because it was something my parents took me to do as well. I remember we went to the dock or whatever it is called to drop the crab nets into the water and it came back up. One crab was out to get me and chased me around the parking lot. It had that look in its eye! Lol. Looking back now, it is hilarious, but as a small child, that thing was scary.

This was one of my senior photos from high school. Looking back, that feels like a lifetime ago. It really isn’t, being only 14 years ago. But it certainly feels that way.

Here is another senior photo. This has always been a favorite for me. I don’t know exactly why. I’m amazed at how short my hair was at that time though. This is especially true compared to how long it is now.

This picture was taken during my second anniversary with Nathan. We took a weekend to spend on the coast, visiting the cheese factory and many other places nearby. Nathan and I stayed at a bed and breakfast and had a great time celebrating two years of being married.

This picture was taken a year ago, so it is fairly recent. Nathan and I walked to a nearby park from our house to get some exercise. It was fun because the park has a slide and a nice playground. I really wish they had a swing set because that is always a favorite childhood memory.

This one is from last Christmas. I can’t miss my tattoo, which was still pretty fresh at the time. I’ve had it worked on a couple times since then, but it was fairly new at the time.

This is the most recent photo of me. Just being taken just earlier today. Nathan and I went to see the new Avengers movie, Endgame. If you haven’t seen it, you need to! It was awesome. We turned it into a wonderful date night.

Nathan took me to the bookstore, and I like to joke that I bought myself more work, since I read and review books in my blog. After the bookstore and the movie, we went out to dinner. It was just a perfect night out together.

I must confess that I love hilarious photo opportunities like this. When I was in Las Vegas, I could have walked down Fremont Street and paid all the vendors dressed up in costumes $5 for pictures and loved it! Needless to say, this was no exception when I found this creepy dude at the fair last summer. I am the nerd forever asking people in costumes for quick pictures.

There is a restaurant in town with this giant Duck inside, and every time Nathan and I go, we get a picture with the Duck. It is a favorite of ours!

Here is a photo I took a couple of years ago, because even I didn’t believe how long my hair was. I haven’t cut it past trimming it since that time either, so it is even longer. Usually my hair is up in a bun. Every time I see it down, I’m shocked at the length because I so rarely straighten it.

As I talked about earlier, I love random and fun photo opportunities! There are a bunch of these ducks scattered around town, and I’ve found several for photos. I need to research the list of all of them and spend a day going around for photos with all of them. I think that would be fun!

This is one of my favorite photos of all time. Just because of the memories around it. My best friend went with me and Nathan to a baseball game and dinner. I only managed to get one photo with my best friend that day. But he knew how important pictures were to me, and he would frequently hold out his hand for me to give him my phone. Or he would just pick it up and open the camera, telling me and Nathan to pose somewhere.

Notes:
Not all of these pictures are old, some just a few years old, or even today. Lol. I encourage everyone to take as many pictures as possible because one day, all we will be left with are pictures and memories. That day can come far sooner than we realize or want it to.

Today is day 25 of 31 day blogging challenge. If you’ve been following me through this challenge, I appreciate it. You can read about my other posts by clicking here. The prompt today is my favorite blogs. This is one of my favorite prompts in this challenge. Because I get to talk about fellow bloggers and friends.

My Favorite Bloggers

Subhashish from Travelwisesr. Subhashish writes one of the best travel blogs I’ve ever read. I say it is the best because it includes spectacular pictures, great details, and I learn about some far away place that I never ever considered traveling to until I read his blog. Click here for my favorite post from Subhashish.

Laura from Cycle Breaker Parents. Laura’s blog frequently has me in tears, and I don’t mean that in a bad way. I learn so much every single time I pay a visit to her blog. Here is my favorite post. Laura is such an amazing friend and support system. I have found immense amounts of strength and courage to tell my story about being raised by a narcissist and coping with it.

Britt from Shed Happens. Britt writes one of the best pet blogs you’ll ever find! She is so thorough, and I learn something new every time I visit her blog, even when I think I know all the basics. She still teaches me something I had no idea about. Here is my favorite post from her.

Melissa from Funky Crunchy Mama. Melissa and I took a blogging class together back in January, and we’ve become great friends since then! When I need help with a graphic or proofreading, she is right there for me to give me feedback. She’s even taken pictures for me and my blog. I laugh because I knew her blog name long before I knew she was the fabulous woman behind it. Click here for my favorite post from Melissa.

Jerry from Four Columns of a Balanced Life. Jerry writes an excellent financial blog. Finances can be confusing if you don’t know where to start. What is great about Jerry’s blog is he explains it in ways that are really easy to understand. Many people who know about finance speak in what feels like another language at times, and Jerry doesn’t do that. He’s always a fun and positive person to talk to. Click here for my favorite post from Jerry.

Lisa from Fluxing Well. Lisa found me in a Facebook group we both belong to and we became friends from the beginning of my blogging journey. She has always been a big supporter of me. I enjoy the variety of her blog, from the recipes to crafts and gardening projects, and more. Click here for my favorite post from Lisa.

Becky from Russells Loving Life. I met Becky the same way I did Lisa, Melissa, and Carol, in a Facebook group for bloggers. Every time I read one of Becky’s keto recipes I get hungry! I need to try some of her recipes very soon. I am waiting for fall to come around (that is soup season in my house) to try out her chicken taco soup. But that isn’t all Becky writes about. She’s big on family and homeschooling her kids.

Elizabeth from Despite Pain. Elizabeth lives half a world away from me, yet we have some of the best conversations and comments on each others blogs. She lives with chronic pain and has for many years. Her blog is a shining example of exactly who she is and how she copes with it, and that is with the best attitude possible! Click here for my favorite post from Elizabeth.

Carol from Simple Life With Chickens. Carol calls herself the crazy chicken lady, and her blogs are always wonderful. I’ve learned so much about raising chickens from her just by reading this blog. One day soon I plan to buy a house where I have the space to have chickens and all of her knowledge she’s passed to me through her blog will be priceless! Click here for my favorite post from Carol.

Riyah from Riyah Speaks. Riyah writes about mental health and self care, wellness, and personal growth, and I’ve learned so much from her about taking care of myself. Here is my favorite post about journal prompts that I’ve been using.

Notes

Day 25 of 31 day blogging challenge is easily a favorite post in this challenge. I love talking about other bloggers who deserve the attnetion because they write such quality content that has impacted me.

So the prompt told me to write about five blogs, and I doubled that. But it is my blog, so I can do whatever I want. Clearly I may have some issues following rules. But honestly, all of these bloggers I talked about here write amazing content, and they are just great people.

Any blogger can write decent content, but it takes a great person to connect with others and really take the time to be a good friend. Every one of these wonderful men and women I mentioned here have done that. I am very lucky to have met and connected with them in my blogging journey. I hope you enjoy their blogs as much as I do!

Have you enjoyed day 25 of 31 day blogging challenge? Are you participating in day 25 of 31 day blogging challenge? Let me know!

Today is day 24 of 31 day blogging challenge. If you’ve been following me through this challenge, I appreciate it. It is crazy to think that the month and this challenge is almost over! I hope you’ve enjoyed reading these posts as much as I’ve enjoyed writing them. You can read about my other posts by clicking here. The prompt for today is, my favorite childhood books.

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My Favorite Books

I find this prompt really quite amusing as I’m writing this. Nathan and I went shopping earlier at a thrift store and this subject actually came up in conversation as we were looking at books. Mostly because we found the book The Giving Tree from Shel Silverstein, and it prompted a whole conversation about this. That is a favorite of Nathan’s. Mine is Where The Sidewalk Ends.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. This is one Nathan and I both agree on as being childhood favorites. I remember reading this book over and over when I was a kid. I always knew where it was located in the library of my elementary school. Somehow I would always gravitate to that area of the books, and then end up finding it before I found others. I never tried to do that, but it always happened that way.

The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales. The title alone is catchy and hilarious to me. The title is what caught my attention when I was younger. Going to a book fair as a kid, this was the one I demanded my parents buy me. It was well-read over the years. It’s a really funny twist or rip on fairy tales, and that is what makes it so much fun.

Little Critter Stories. Nathan loved looking for the spider on every page. If I could recommend any of the books in this post, this is it. These were a huge favorite as a kid. My link gives the entire series, so not one is missed. This is a must-have for any kid collection, as far as I’m concerned. The pictures are wonderful and captured my attention. They all have a lesson in them, and it is done in a fun and entertaining way that kids can relate to.

This was another one that I’d run to when it was book fair time! I’m waiting on my buddy to get married and have kids so I can buy these for his kids.

Where the Wild Things Are. The pictures in this book were just fun for me, and it got my imagination moving! I have never been terribly imaginative, and this book would always trigger or inspire a bit more imagination for me.

James and the Giant Peach. This was a favorite of Nathan’s. I remember it being really easy to follow and a fun read. Not my favorite, but still very memorable for me.

The Lorax. Ahh, Dr. Seuss, how your books captivated me as a kid. The Cat in the Hat is timeless. Yurtle the Turtle was easily a favorite of mine. I’ve always loved turtles and I’m pretty sure it started with this book. How the Grinch Stole Christmas is my all time favorite. I still read this book and watch the movie every year. I’m not even kidding. It really is a favorite, even all these years later.

Where’s Waldo is another favorite of Nathan’s. I was always impatient with these because Waldo was usually really well hidden but in plain sight. I’m not very good at them.

The Chronicles of Narnia. I had never read these when I was younger, but Nathan loved them. Nathan got me interested in them as an adult by watching the movies. I can see why they were a favorite for him, and wish I had started reading them much earlier.

Discussion

Oh my word, I had fun writing this list! I hope it takes you down memory lane the same way it did for me. After making this list, I really want a close friend to have kids so I can start their book collection! Have you enjoyed day 24 of 31 day blogging challenge?

What are your favorite books from when you were a kid? Tell me about them in the comments!

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