You may find this hard to believe, but I’m not very social. I know what you’re thinking! I post all these fun pictures that make me look outgoing! Plus, you know how even my “condensed versions” of stories or blog posts are still pretty long, so clearly I have a lot to say, right? Yes, I do! I love, love, love writing! In fact, I almost forgot how much I love it until I started writing on here again. (I have started finishing my books I started so long ago as well!) One of my favorite memories in college is a one-on-one meeting with my English professor. She was awesome. I distinctly remember her questioning my major (International Business) when I clearly had such a passion for writing. Well, she was right. I never did get my business degree because I wasn’t motivated to continue when times got tough. It really was NOT my passion. That truly is another story, though.
Do you want to know another favorite college memory? Being a DJ for the radio station. It wasn’t just a little radio station, either. It had a pretty decent reach! My DJ name was “Bijou Burke.” I also helped as part of the sports team in the background at basketball games to give the commentators the up-to-date stats and as a reporter for regular updates on air. It was awesome!
I also really enjoy public speaking. Give me a topic that I love and I can talk for hours, but we covered that, right? Haha Sure, I feel nervous, and I say “um” or “uh” a lot, but I love it! I’m really passionate when I write AND when I talk! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had people ask me if I’m a performer, actress, public speaker, etc. when I would speak in front of people in “regular” situations like when I used to do group dog training classes or when I would introduce myself in a group situation and share a little about myself and my family. People tell me they loved hearing me speak because I’m so expressive.
So, hold on…
Isn’t this post supposed to be about how I’m NOT very social?
Yes. Here is the irony of it all. I’m getting ready for my first blog conference this summer, and I’m a little nervous! I truly am NOT very good at socializing. Put me in front of paper, a computer, on the radio, on TV, in front of a crowd of people, etc. and it’s a beautiful thing. Put me IN a crowd of people, and I freeze. It’s the one on one thing I’m not so good at. I know it’s partially because of my SPD because it is sensory overload for me. Proximity is different when you’re next to someone versus being in front of a crowd. Plus, back and forth conversation is harder for me when there is background noise whereas if I’m speaking I am totally focused on just what I’m saying, so the anxiety level is actually lower.
Beyond that, I can’t explain it. I’m just not good at going up and saying “hi” to people. Crazy, right? I will just stand there looking like a lost puppy and not say a single word to anyone unless someone approaches me. Even saying this it seems beyond ridiculous! Clearly, I won’t allow this to happen at the conference because I’m not going there to stand around looking lost, but I’m going to have to really give myself a pep talk to get over my social awkwardness and make some great connections – and hopefully new friends!
Fab Mum Award!
I absolutely love the blogger friends I’ve made and have been making! I love little things like this “The Fab Mum Award!” Thank-you to Jill at Frugal Plus for nominating me! 🙂
Thank-you, Jill! I was surprised (and excited) to receive your nomination! I LOVE learning more about the writers of the blogs I read, and I love sharing more about myself! I think this is so much fun!
Nominees need to do the following:
When one receives the award, one posts 10 random facts about oneself and answers the 10 questions asked by the person who nominated you.
Pass the award onto 6 other blogs (while making sure one notifies the blogger that one nominated them!)
One writes up 10 NEW questions directed towards YOUR nominees.
One is not allowed to nominate the blog who nominated one’s own blog!
One pastes the award picture into ones blog. (Copy and paste the image above and put it on your blog!)
10 Random Facts About Me:
1. I have a freckle in my left eye
2. I grew up in Ohio in a town with less than 2,000 people
3. I was obsessed with cats when I was a kid ans always acted like one. Our daughter does the same thing even though I didn’t share that with her. I find that kind of stuff really fascinating!
4. Our house is most likely haunted. We call “him” “Bob.” Yes, I’m serious.
5. I used to be a dog trainer and Canine Good Citizen Evaluator, but OUR dog has anxiety so bad she’d never pass the Canine Good Citizen test. I’m still not convinced medicine is the only option, but I’m getting closer to being convinced because I’ve tried EVERYTHING else.
6. I love chocolate. (OK, that’s probably not that “random!” haha)
7. My feet grew half a size after I had kids.
8. During my first pregnancy I was in a major car accident (trying to evacuate from Hurricane Rita) at 9 weeks and had to have my appendix removed at 15 weeks, yet that was my “healthiest” pregnancy!
9. I LOVE writing and am a bit of a grammar “nerd.” Unfortunately, I felt the need to pursue business in college, and it kind of followed me. I actually had an English teacher that would often try to convince me I was in the wrong major and really should pursue something in the English field. I probably should have listened. I’m excited to finally “let the writer out” per se.
10. Speaking of writing, I tend to be very descriptive, and I may write a bit too much. In person, I may talk to much when I get to know you. Overall, though, I’m actually a shy, reserved person!
My 10 Questions from Jill
1. What’s the best/worst gift you’ve ever given/received?
Hmmm… I am pretty boring with this one because I honestly can’t think of any memorable gift that was either really great or really awful. Oh, I got one! One year I received a used oven mitt for Christmas. It even had a burn hole in it! lol
2. What is your favorite food?
Lasagna
3. What was the last movie or TV show that made you cry or tear up?
Lately, all I’ve been watching is Dora or Diego, and they aren’t exactly tear jerkers!
4. If you had to pick one hero, who would it be?
Jesus.
5. When you have 30 minutes of free-time, how do you pass the time?
Now I get to play World of Warcraft again! I haven’t played in over a year, but I have really missed it because it’s my husband and my fun time together!
6. What is your favorite outfit to wear?
Jeans and a basic shirt. I’m pretty simple.
7. If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would do?
Cry.
8. What do you miss most about being a kid?
Being athletic! After I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue a few years ago I don’t do as many things as I used to – like playing sports. I’m working toward joining some co-ed sports teams next year, though! 🙂
9. Do you or would you have a Dog or a Cat for a pet?
We have a 4 year old Cane Corso (Italian Mastiff) and an almost 1 year old cat.
10. What is your goal for 2013?
To really open up to where I’m feeling called to be – a homeschooling mom, a writer, a sewer/crafter, etc. Trusting God to take care of the rest and allow myself to finally be “free” to do what I truly WANT to (and feel called to) do. I want to start writing a book, for one!
Questions for my Nominees:
1. Do you use your kids’ real names on your blog or nicknames?
2. Did you have a resolution for 2012? How did it go?
3. What is your favorite movie and why?
4. If you could travel anywhere in the world – where would you go first?
5. What do you think about sarcasm in writing? Funny or hard to tell the difference (or something else)?
6. What is your favorite picture?
7. What is your best childhood memory?
8. If you could go back in time and change something, would you?
9. What do you hope to get for the holidays this year?
10. Why did you start blogging?
My awesome nominees:
Couponing with Integrity
Exhausted Mommy
Singing Through the Rain
Mudpies and Tiaras
Sincerely, Paula
Exploits of a Military Mama
Beautiful in His Time
(OK, I added 7 because I knew one, for sure, couldn’t participate, but I still wanted them to be noticed!) 🙂
ABC's of Me
I’m a part of a wonderful online community called voiceBoks. It’s a great place to connect, network, socialize, and make new friends! )ne of the “events” I’m participating in right now is the ABC’s of me! I found this a bit tricky, but fun! It’s a great way to get to know more about me, and I’ve enjoyed reading others to get to know more about them! Enjoy!
*I’m going to try to make sure this is updated in case any details change! Updated 2/27/13*
A – ABC’s – although I don’t share our kids’ real names for privacy reasons, I will share that their names start with A, B, and C (technically they’re “out of order” by age – B, A, and C, but ABC nonetheless!) 🙂 Son, daughter, son.
B – Breastfeeding. I’m a breastfeeding advocate and supporter. I was unable to nurse our oldest due to lack of support and body stress from the unexpected c-section, so I like to offer encouragement and support – but I am never negative towards people’s parenting decisions should they choose not to nurse or are unable to. I believe we make the best decisions for our children and ourselves and simply like to share information to help people make informed decisions. Our youngest weaned at age 2 1/2 (almost 3).
C – Cloth Diapers – not that it’s a secret, but I LOVE cloth diapers! Sadly, that journey has ended as well, and we are not able to have more children. I hope to continue to fulfill my love of cloth through my sewing business and supporting others in their cloth journeys!
D – Dogs. I love dogs, and we have a Cane Corso (Italian Mastiff) named Caprice. I used to be a dog obedience trainer.
E – Emilee – my first name. Friends and family mostly call me “Em,” and I actually find it weird when they call me “Emilee.”
F – Fibromyalgia. I have Fibromyalgia, which I have improved tremendously by improving my health and fitness. I used to have a site, 1 Fit 2 Serve, that I started to share that journey, but it kind of got put on the back burner. I may start updating it again some day. For now, though, I do touch on it here on Pea of Sweetness and also talk about health and natural living on Deals of Sweetness.
G – God. He is my Father and Redeemer! I seek to know Him more every day!
H – Homeschooling. I homeschool all three of our children and blog about it frequently here on Pea of Sweetness! Our oldest two are on the same educational level, and I often do a lot of “one room schoolhouse” type schooling to include our youngest as well! Another benefit of homeschooling – I can make those decisions and do what is best for them and our family! 🙂
I – Inspiration. My husband is a 2x cancer survivor and Disabled Veteran. He has had to adapt to a “new normal” after various surgeries and a hard regimen of chemotherapy. He is my inspiration because he never loses faith and is such a wonderful Godly role model for our children and for others!
J -Joey – my husband’s first name.
K – Kitten. We adopted a one-eyed kitten the year I originally wrote this post and named him Bartholomew. It turns out he is a Maine Coon rather than an American Short Hair, so he has grown rather large!
L – Little. All of our kids are small for their age. Our youngest two in particular have always been small even as infants, though our youngest is quickly catching up to our daughter!
M – Mompreneur. I originally started Pea of Sweetness as a website to showcase products I make such as: cloth diapers, nursing wraps, nursing pads, bags, etc., which got put by the wayside when my husband got cancer as I no longer had time at the sewing machine. I plan on getting back into sewing really soon as well as offering decals for wall, windows, vehicles, etc. (available now!). I started venturing more in direct sales when I was unable to sew, but am getting back into sewing and away from direct sales. It has been a huge relief! 🙂
N – Nerd. It’s true, I’m a nerd. Whether you use the word “nerd” to describe someone who is academically smart or someone who is a gamer. I’m both! haha And I love it! 🙂
O – Open. I’m a pretty open person, though I’m also non-confrontational. I share openly what I believe, feel, etc., but will also agree to disagree.
P -Patience. I DON’T have it, but I work on it daily, and it’s tested daily! haha Whoever says “I don’t have patience to homeschool” should know you don’t have to have patience to be able to homeschool!
Q – Questionable ingredients. I started becoming more aware of ingredients and weeding out questionable ingredients after my husband’s cancer diagnosis in food, household products, and personal care products. Some people say there’s not enough evidence to stop using certain ingredients, I say there is enough to not want to take a chance – particularly when there are natural alternatives!
R – Radio. When I was going to college in my early 20’s I was a DJ for the college radio station. It was a lot of fun!
S – Special needs. Our family has a vast array of them. Besides having Fibromyalgia, I also have Sensory Processing Disorder. I was also born with an Atrial Septal Defect I had repaired via open heart surgery right before I turned 17. As I mentioned my husband is a 2x cancer survivor and has an array of new issues – vocal cord dysfunction, neuropathy, some memory loss, an Atrial Septal Defect (new – not sure cause yet, but not a birth defect like mine). Our oldest has Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS = Autism Spectrum). Our younger 2 have Sensory Processing Disorder. And you know what? Days can be really tough (some worse than others), but we manage, and we’re happy because God is good!
T – Thirteen. 13 is my favorite number. It was my number when I played sports. If I couldn’t have 13 I’d choose 7, though once in a while I ended up getting stuck with something completely different altogether! haha (I played a lot of sports in high school.)
U – Underdogs. I tend to be a fan of the underdogs or more “unpopular.” If it’s something everybody likes, has, or is a fan of I most likely will want/like something different.
V – Vacation. My first and only vacation outside the US was the Bahamas for Spring Break when I was in college. I’d like to go back, but definitely NOT as a Spring Breaker! LOL I’ve changed a lot since then – for the best!
W – Writing. I LOVE writing. Some people tell me I have a “natural gift” for writing. I have always wanted to write a book (or books) some day and hope to make that a reality in the near future!
X – Xrays. I’ve had a lot of them. (Sorry, that’s a bad one, but seriously what starts with “X?”) Actually I love names that start with “X,” but my husband and I didn’t agree on one for any of the kids. I did have 2 gerbils names Xander and Xavier, though! haha
Y – Years. A lot of people I noticed shared their age, so I will, too! I’m 30 years old, though I will be 31 in less than a month. (As of this update on 2/27/13 I’m 32.)
Z – Zzzzz’s. I don’t get enough of them! I originally mentioned our youngest son’s sleep issues which are still a bit of a problem, but not like they were. Mine, though? I still seem to have major insomnia. It’s terrible.
*Well, I hope you enjoyed the ABC’s of me! If so, I would love to hear your feedback/comments! Thanks for reading! :)*