We Want to Know Wednesday Q&A wk20

First of all a HUGE Happy Birthday to my handsome husband, Big Daddy! I love you more than there are words to express it. You are my best friend and my happily ever after. Thank you for loving me just right and for being the best husband I have ever had! Happy Birthday Boo boo!!


Welcome to We Want to Know Q&A Wednesday
Hosted by Mamarazzi and Alicia aka Queso

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I loved Queso's questions last week soooo much, a thought provoking question really rocks. This week I feel the need to talk about cellphones. I miiiiight have a light addiction to mine and I want to know if I am totally alone on this. Sooo, let's talk about cell phones...

{1}Do you prefer to text or call?
{2}What is the last text message in your phone and who is it from?
{3}What are your favorite phone apps?
{4}At what age do you think kids are ready for a cell phone?
{5}Share a current pic or video taken with your phone.

Here are MY answers...I'll be by this evening to see what y'all said.

{1}Do you prefer to text or call?
I tend to lean a little more toward texting these days. I always wonder if my call is interrupting something, or if it is a bad time to call, so I will typically send a text and if the conversation moves to a phone call it does. A text feels lore like one of those "no biggie, get back to me when you can" things, I like texting for those moments.

{2}What is the last text message in your phone and who is it from?
"On my way home Beautiful" from Big Daddy...he always lets me know when he gets to work and when he is on his way home. It gives me time to get my boyfriend out of the house before he arrives.

{3}What are your favorite phone apps?
I LOVE (and am slightly addicted to) Words with Friends. Wanna play? HolleeAnnCFG is my user name. Warning, I am REALLY good and I despise cheaters. (:

{4}At what age do you think kids are ready for a cell phone?
We got one for J when she was 12. She had to turn it in at 9pm where it was plugged in to charge in our bedroom. And yes, we read her text messages and monitor who she is calling. She is 16 now and is pretty responsible when it comes to her phone.

{5}Share a current pic or video taken with your phone.
Here is one of Big Daddy and me at the Modesto Nuts Game. We took the boys one night for Camp Vasquez...good times.

All posts for We Want to Know should include:

1. The darling WWTK button

2. A link to your co hosts Mamarazzi and Queso

Links must lead to WWTK posts that contain the WWTK button. Posts should lead to Family Friendly blogs. Blogs containing explicit language and/or sexually explicit content should contain an "adult content warning", or risk being removed from the link list. Kthanks!

Wait What? 16, already?

Jordan turns 16 today. Where have the years gone?

SIXTEEN???


Does that picture scare you as much as it scares me?

Luckily it was just a little "make over" one of her friends did one night at a slumber party.

J doesn't take the time to fuss over herself and plaster on the make up and her hair is a wash and air dry no styling type of "style".

I think it works for her.

This is what she typically looks like. Now this is what I call SWEET 16.


We are sooooo not ready for that other look...maybe in another 10 yrs.

Maybe.

My Happy List

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So many things on my Happy List this week.

I have this abalone shell that we got when Big Daddy and I were dating. We actually have 2, he has 1 on his night table for pocket stuff, keys, change etc.This one sits in our family room and it holds pictures from my childhood.

There is something about it that makes me really HAPPY. I grew up going to see my Grandpa Sam and Mima, who lived in a little beach town called Gualala, every Summer. Some of my fondest memories are combing the beach looking for shells with my Mima. So it seems like the perfect place to hold the few pictures I have from my childhood and it just makes me HAPPY.


Big Daddy was in the kitchen making dinner the other night, HAPPY, when I looked over and saw him looking down talking to Coco who was standing there on her hind legs hoping a piece of chicken jumped out of the pan for her.

The whole scene made me smile and feel really HAPPY...just the love and happiness this little dog brings to our life and the sweetness on Big Daddy's face as he is talking to her. OH and the fact that my man was making dinner...hella sexy!


I got a really great email the other day from someone who signed up for SocialSpark using my referral code. They were going on and on about how she had just cashed our her account for the first time, $300!!! Her dryer had died and of course it was an expense they were not prepared for. She was so happy to be able to tell her husband, who was wondering and stressing where the money was going to come from, that she had been making money on her blog. She showed him and the money was in her paypal within seconds.

HAPPY!!! Have you signed up for SocialSpark yet? Those ads can ad up FAST!

And seriously how fun to be able to tell your husband that you are making money blogging...lol.



OK there are only a few spots left for Mamarazzi's Favorite Color Swap...go read the rules for signing up and see if you qualify to participate but HURRY! I am closing the list soon so I can get people matched up to start shopping for their partner's favorite color!

So, what is on YOUR Happy List this week? Grab a button, add it to your Happy List post and Link up THAT post!!

Back It Up!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Carbonite for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

 

I was listening to the radio the other day and heard a commercial for Carbonite.  An unlimited online backup works automatically and continually in the background backing up files whenever your computer is connected to the internet. Plus, you can access your backed up files from any computer or on your smartphone or iPad with a free Carbonite app. 

 

I have to be honest; I had not given much thought to computer backup but the ad made me think.  We have soooooo many pictures of family and friends.  Our many years of hosting Camp Vasquez are well documented and the thought of losing all of those pictures actually made me a little sad.  I went to the Carbonite website and found this great deal, unlimited backup for your PC or Mac, with anytime-anywhere-access is only $59 a year. Try it free for 15 days, no credit card required, and then get two free months if you decide to buy.  To get the free months be sure to use offer code BLOGAD.

 

If you want to know why I decided Carbonite was the right choice for my online backup needs it boils down to this; Carbonite automatically backs up the files on your PC or Mac to one of Carbonite’s highly secure, state-of-the-art data centers.  It works continually in the background, automatically backing up your files whenever your computer is connected to the internet.  Carbonite is completely automatic, secure, simple, and unlimited. 
Once your files are backed up by Carbonite, you can access them anytime, anywhere, from virtually any Internet connected device.

 

 In addition to the online access Carbonite offers free mobile apps so you can access, enjoy and share your files from your iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Android or Blackberry Smartphone.

Founded in 2005, Carbonite has safely recover over 7 billion files that otherwise might have been lost forever! It’s easy, fast, and hassle-free to get your backed up files back.

 

Go to the Carbonite website and don’t forget to use offer code BLOGAD for your two free months!

Friday Confessional

<center><a href="http://www.ourdandelionwishes.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/g328/OurDandelionWishes/FridayConfessionalMamarazzi.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></center>I Confess...
I am REALLY excited about hosting my latest swap Favorite Color Swap. Spaces are filling up FAST and I can hardly wait to start shopping for my partners Favorite Color...oh and to get a package filled with my favorite color in return...squeeee!
I Confess...
I am looking forward to having one of my favorite people in the whole world come to live with us. My Aunt Debi is moving in with us in September and I could not be happier. 
We have always had an amazing friendship and I just know we are going to have so much fun together. Big Daddy loves her too!!
I Confess...
I am thrilled that Big Daddy is going to do a regular post on the blog. The suggestions y'all gave him for topics are fabulous and he is taking them all into consideration and will posting soon, keep an eye out for it!
I Confess...
I am super excited that Jordan will be gracing us with her presence and allowing us to take her to dinner to celebrate her 16th birthday. She is also going to make a trip to Hollister with us Labor Day weekend so she can see Mima before she goes home to Idaho.
I Confess...
I am REALLY glad we threw J a FABULOUS 13th Birthday party since she has moved and we won't be throwing her Sweet 16. 
But I am also really bummed. I was super looking forward to a huge Sweet 16 bash for her. Oh well.
I Confess...
I have been having SO. Much. Fun. creating Etsy shop banners and buttons for Etsy shop owners. I did a few for friends (holla MiMi) and it has turned into a fun and creative little side business. I am keeping my clientele HAPPY, trust me my prices are fabulous and my turn around is FAST!
Do you have a shop that needs a banner or ad button? Hit me up!
So what are you confessing this week??

Mamarazzi's Favorite Color Swap

You voted for it and here it is..

Participants will be putting together an amazing package filled with items of THEIR PARTNER'S Favorite Color! Can you imagine getting a package in the mail filled with your favorite color? So FUN! 

Pleeeeeeeeeeease read ALL of the info below BEFORE filling out a swap form.

Failure to follow the directions may lead to disqualifying you from the swap.

Yes, really...I swear I have rules because they work, not to be bossy.

Truly, Honestly, I am well intended, so please, please, please, just trust me and go with it!

This swap is open to:

1. US residents only

2. Active bloggers (there is no fun to be had swapping with someone who never posts, this is about getting to know someone and making a new bloggy friend) w/ minimum of 1 year blogging.

3. You *MUST have successfully swapped with me before.(contact me if you think you qualify for one of the limited newbie spots)

4. People who agree to do the following:

a. Purchase items of your PARTNERS favorite colors and put together an amazing package, something you yourself would LOVE to receive. $25 min $40 max..before shipping cost.

b. Be home (not vacationing) between Sept 7-14

c. Once your package arrives create a post, with pictures, the NEW Favorite things Button and link to your partner's blog and Dandelion Wishes.

d. Send package on either Friday September 9 or Saturday September 10 (not before OR after) MANDATORY ALL packages must be sent PRIORITY MAIL or FedEx...send tracking # to BOTH partner AND Mamarazzi on day it is sent!

5. Follow my blog (don't forget to grab my super cute Dandelion Wishes button for your sidebar there are two sizes to choose from, oooh fancy!)

Signing Up:(important instructions)

1. Fill out Mamarazzi Swaparazzi Form found under my "Contact Me" tab (if you are new please send me a note for permission to fill out form and participate)

2. Once you receive a confirmation email FROM Me containing the code for the Mamarazzi's Favorite Color Swap button create a post using the button in the body of the post (sidebars do not count, it will not fit on your sidebar).

3. Link up THAT post here in mister linky.

I should have everyone matched up soon leaving plenty of time for shopping! If you know you are on my naughty list please don't sign up, I hate having to tell people they can't play...but I will, because there is NOTHING worse than sending a package and getting nothing (or something craptastic) in return. NOT gonna happen on my watch, YO!

DO NOT LINK UP OR POST...until you have confirmation from ME that I have received your Swaparazzi Form! PLEASE read all of the steps to make sure you are signing up correctly!!!

Free Pet Food for a YEAR!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Hills Pet Nutrition for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Yes, you heard, read, me right!  FREE pet food for a YEAR!!

Hill’s Pet Nutrition has a sweepstakes that will enter you to win free pet food for an entire year.  Just go to Hill's Healthy Mobility Challenge and see how great Hill’s pet products are.  While there make sure to register, this will get you $30 in coupons for Hill’s products and enter you to win the Free Pet Food For A Year sweeps! You can get the coupon at Hill's Healthy Mobility Coupon.

The Hill’s website is chock full of great information about caring for your pets health and making sure you make well informed choices about the best nutrition choices for them.  We are longtime customers of Hill’s Science Diet.  Hill’s was recommended to us by our veterinarian and we have used it ever since.  They have the highest quality ingredients and our Coco loves it!  We love Hill's Pet Nutrition and they are the only pet food company we would ever trust with our beloved Coco, my regular readers know that Coco is not just a pet, but a member of our family.   

You can get more information about Hill’s Science Diet here.  And don’t forget to “Like” Hill's Pet Nutrition on Facebook here to keep up on all of their new products and promotions.

TracFone...for realsies, Yo!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of TracFone for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

 

So, the other day Big Daddy comes home from work and tells me about how one of his co-workers was just raving about this new phone they got for their kids.  She has one eighth grader and a sophomore.  Both of her kids are super talented and are involved in just about every sport/ after-school club there is.  The down side to this is the schedule.  She has become a logistics master, coordinating car pools and pickups from morning ‘til night.  After one mishap where her 8^th grader was left hanging after band practice she decided that a little back-up was needed.  She looked into the different options with cell phones and decided that Tracfone was the answer.  It was very inexpensive to get started and unlike her own cell phone company, there was no contract to sign.  That way she can use the phones for the school year and not be stuck with the monthly payment over the summer and vacations. Are you searching for a low cost phone for your kids so you can keep in touch with them? Have you struggled in the past finding phones to fit your family’s needs? TracFone is here to help!

TracFone offers the least expensive way to own and use a cell phone in America.

There are no contracts, no credit checks, no activation charges or cancellation fees. No surprises! Really, you can even hear from real TracFone customers.

Tracfone offers brand name phones from leading manufacturers like Motorola, Kyocera, LG, Nokia and Samsung. Choose from simple "Candy Bar" phones, to Bluetooth®-enabled "Smart" phones with so many features.

With Tracfone you pay as you go online or with cards available at thousands of retail stores across the country. 1 year service cards give you so much more. Receive double minutes for the life of your TracFone, and 800 minutes, for only $119.00 for the entire year!  That is $9.00 per month! “Double minutes for the life of your phone” is a feature that can be purchased separately for only$19.99, but some phones include it!

Choose monthly plans with 200 minutes for under $30.00, and as low as $9.99 for 50 minutes.

This is the only wireless service where you can call internationally, for the same price as any other call. Call over 60 international destinations directly from your TracFone at no extra cost! With the International Neighbors program, you can provide family and friends in Mexico or Canada a local phone number in those countries to reach you at your TracFone in the U.S.

Simple phones for simple needs, calling and texting capabilities for under $10.00

Great phones packed with features like camera/video recorder, web access, app capabilities, mp3 player, and full QWERTY keyboard, for $29.99

If you are looking for a simple inexpensive solution to your family’s communications needs then Tracfone is definitely for you!

 

For more information on convenience, reliability and coverage check out these videos from real TracFone customers...
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We Want to Know Wednesday Q&A wk 19

Welcome to We Want to Know Q&A Wednesday
Hosted by Mamarazzi and Alicia aka Queso<center><a href="http://www.ourdandelionwishes.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/g328/OurDandelionWishes/WWTKbutton-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></center>This week's questions come from my adorable cohost Queso....she said she was feeling a little introspective this week, I love a question that makes me think.

1. What is the best advice someone has ever given you?
2. What is your greatest accomplishment?
3. Who do you admire?
4. If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?
5. How do you want to be remembered?

And here are my answers...THIS week I PROMISE I will visit everyone, Summer is over y'all.

1. What is the best advice someone has ever given you?
My Mima told me once, "Sometimes you just got to love them". I think that advice has come in most with dealing with our teenager. Jordan has not been the most pleasant person this last year, remember to just love her has been VERY helpful as we walk through this new journey in our lives. Teenage girls are hard y'all. Sometimes ya just gotta love'em.

2. What is your greatest accomplishment?
My marriage. I feel like we have both put in the work to make it as fantastic as it is. Anything of true lasting value requires a little work, even when the couple is as perfect as Big Daddy and I are...tee hee. But seriously, my marriage is about as perfect as one can get and I know it is because we BOTH care enough to make it work by being flexible and patient. Our humor gets us through the tough stuff and the fact that we are best friends doesn't hurt either!

3. Who do you admire?
People who know how to truly forgive. It is something that has been really hard for me to learn but something I feel I finally have a grasp on. You know that whole adage about holding a grudge? Something about, "it's like taking poison expecting the other person to die." So very true. I wish more people were more forgiving but the people who truly have it down are to be admired.

4. If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?
I would love for my Diabetes to go away. It's been REALLY messing with me lately and I cannot seem to get it under control. It effects every single part of my life and I pretty much hate it. A. Lot. I know it is in my power to really fix it, but it is not as easy as it use to be. I am working on it tho.

5. How do you want to be remembered?
I want my family to remember me for my humor. I want my daughter to remember me for the sacrifices I made for her and how I always tried to bring a little magic and happiness to her life, including lots of glitter. I want my nieces and nephews to remember me for being their favorite and most fun Auntie. I think in general I just want to be remembered for being a cute, fun girl. Nothing too deep here huh? I dunno, maybe I am not that deep.

All posts for We Want to Know should include:

1. The darling WWTK button

2. A link to your co hosts Mamarazzi and Queso

Links must lead to WWTK posts that contain the WWTK button. Posts should lead to Family Friendly blogs. Blogs containing explicit language and/or sexually explicit content should contain an "adult content warning", or risk being removed from the link list. Kthanks!

Big Daddy Says...

I had so much fun substituting for my beautiful wife Mamarazzi! I thoroughly enjoyed the comments and feedback I received on my posts. I was told that those posts were the most commented on posts Dandelion Wishes had ever had (not really but it sounds good). Bearing that in mind I have graciously volunteered to do a freelance post on a somewhat regular basis. Lucky you. You can thank me later.

My biggest fear is whether or not I would be able to deliver something that Mamarazzi’s discerning readers would actually be interested in reading. So, in order to ensure the topics I write about will be of interest to at least one of you, I am asking for post topics. I am willing to write on just about anything you are interested in hearing about. Comment back on this post what your suggestion is. We will pour over the voluminous entries, as I am sure there will be hundreds, and use them as guides for the next few posts I will do.

In all seriousness, I appreciate that you took the time to read what I wrote, and extra thanks go out to those of you who made the extra effort to comment. I appreciate that you have been loyal followers of our family's blog, stay tuned, there is much more planned for the future!

Taking Back Monday Giveaway: Gift Certificate

Giveaway closed...congrats to the winner amy!Last Week's Winners HERE<center><a href="http://www.ourdandelionwishes.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/g328/OurDandelionWishes/MondayGiveaway-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></center>

Want to win a $35 gift certificate from Ash At Home?

Just go to Ash At Home on Etsy take a look around and come back and tell me the items you fell in love with.

That is a MANDATORY entry

You can also earn 5 EXTRA entries for doing EACH of the following...

******PLEASE just leave ONE comment for EACH thing you do, I can do the math!******

TWEET (5 ENTRIES) one comment
@HolleeAnnCFG Taking Back Monday, w/ weekly #Etsy giveaways. Visit Dandelion Wishes to enter http://www.ourdandelionwishes.com

POST (5 ENTRIES) one comment
on your blog LiNKiNG back to Dandelion Wishes...send your readers here to check in and let me know they voted so they can get entered for cool prizes too...come on, it's nice to share.

FACEBOOK (5 ENTRIES) one comment
status linking to Dandelion Wishes FAN page (you'll have to like me first :))

You can also DOUBLE your chances to win by commenting on our Facebook page.

Giveaway open to US and Canada only.

Winner selected by random.org and will be announced on Monday

My Happy List

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I am HAPPY to have been reunited with an old favorite snack. The other day I was looking for chocolate and while I do still have one bag of Cadbury Mini Eggs in my freezer, I didn't want to bust them open. Having that Stash makes me HAPPY! I did find chocolate chips in my freezer too tho and remembered how much I love peanut button on a spoon topped with chocolate chips. HAPPY!
That soft polka dot blanket makes me really HAPPY too...you know, when I am blasting the AC and get too chilly. LOL




It makes me super HAPPY to watch the joy that Coco brings to everyone around her. I love watching her play with my dad it is just so cute!









Here is my dad offering Coco a CheezIt...so funny.





Then he tried it with my mom...it didn't go over too well, but it WAS funny!

I wonder if she will kill me for posting that video? It makes me HAPPY so it is sooooo worth the risk of death.

I am HAPPY that I have been able to spend so much time in Hollister while my MiMa is here. It will be hard to see her leave at the end of the month I wish she could live here forever.

I am HAPPY that the place where we buy Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome has had then on sale for 89 cents all Summer. It's been nice to have a couple of deeeelicious Diet Pepsi's from a fountain, over ice balls, in a cup with a lid and a straw a couple times a day if I fancied it!I am sure my kidneys will be HAPPY when Summer is over and I am back to one every now and then again.

I am also HAPPY to announce a SWAP...look for details next week!! Have you voted for the theme yet?

So what is on YOUR Happy List this week?

Vacation needed...STAT!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Kalahari® Resorts for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

 

Big Daddy has some great memories of growing up in the great Midwest.  He was born in Illinois and their family vacation spots were the beautiful outdoors.  One great location was the Wisconsin Dells.  The Dells were a quaint little town rich in natural beauty as well as a world class resort, the Kalahari Resort.

The Kalahari boasts a 500,000 gallon water park; Wisconsin’s largest, with over 125,000 square feet of wet and wild indoor fun!  Enjoy the family raft ride, wave pool, lazy river, and whirlpool spas.  Throw in a wave pool that can generate waves up to 5 feet for stand up surfing or boogie boarding.  Besides the awesome water park they have an indoor/outdoor theme park that includes mini golf, laser tag, go karts, and game arcade.

The resort also offers the Trappers Turn Golf club, Spa Kalahari and Salon as well as a wide variety of onsite retail shopping opportunities.  From food to footwear, snacks to swim suits you will be able to find whatever you need to make your Kalahari Resort vacation unforgettable.

What more can you ask for in the best of family friendly vacation spots?  Go to KalahariResorts.com and check out their deals that include free shows and Holiday deals!  Right now if you register through 9/4/11 you will be treated to free admission to the Tommy Bartlett stunt show featuring daredevil water skiers defying gravity with their high powered boat maneuvers. 

Right now Kalahari and IZEA are running a FABULOUS contest! Yes, you can win a free stay at a Kalahari Resort valued at over $200!!

To enter, all you have to do is:

1.) Leave a comment on the contest post about the feature or amenity you are the most excited to experience when visiting a Kalahari resort

2.) Tweet out a message containing a link back to the contest rules and the hashtag #KalahariResorts

Check out more information about the contest!!

Oh and be sure to stay up to date with Kalahari by connecting with them on Facebook or Twitter. 

http://twitter.com/KalahariRes… 
https://www.facebook.com/kalah…

Upromise Dream Wall

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of UPromise for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Do you have a story about how a parent has supported the dream of a child?  Do you have an inspiring story of overcoming adversity in order to ensure your child was able to attend college?  Did your parents go above and beyond to ensure you were able to reach the pinnacle of your potential?
If you answered Yes! Then Upromise wants to hear from you.
Upromise (www.upromisetodream.com) is celebrating its 10 year anniversary by giving away $20,000 to users who share a story about inspiring and supporting a child to reach their dreams.  Upromise members have received more than $600 MILLION in college savings through their rewards program and want to celebrate this milestone.
Click the link to the Upromise Dream Wall, submit your own story and then read the stories posted by other Upromise members.  You can vote for your favorite by “liking” them.  10 lucky winners will receive $1,000 and one Grand Prize winner will receive $10,000!
Be sure to share this wonderful opportunity on your own blog and help spread the word of the incredible opportunities to help others secure their child’s futures through the Upromise Dream Wall.
Join the Upromise movement and give a spark to help fuel the flame of your child’s future dreams!
Go read the dream wall official rules.

Friday Confessional

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I Confess...

As Summer is winding down I want to be in front of my computer less and less.

I can barely get my work done, I am so over having a computer in my lap.

I Confess...

I will be glad when August is over. Big Daddy has been working 10pm-6am and the shift is killing me.

I HATE sleeping alone so I have been working at night and sleeping when he sleeps during the day.

It's a wonky lifestyle. I miss the sun. My tan is fading FAST!

I Confess...

I have loved having my Mima close by. She has been staying with my parents and we have been able to go over the hill to see her on Big Daddy's days off.

Coco is madly in love with her and the feeling is totally mutual. You can almost see the exploding cartoon hearts over their heads, it's adorable!





I Confess...

This picture makes me laugh. We love Phil's Fish Market in Moss Landing.

Mima saw "Phil the Fisherman" and we asked her to pose for a picture. She did not disappoint, joking that this was her new tall dark and handsome boyfriend. Of course later when we showed her the picture she said she already had a man waiting on her in heaven. Love her.




I Confess...

I am hoping to get my blogging mojo back soon.

I really appreciate Big Daddy taking over the blog last week. It was a much needed and welcome break.

It also made me realize that he has some good stuff to say, so he will be posting now and then. I am hoping to talk him into a weekly post.

I Confess...

I will be hosting a swap soon. Check out the poll on my sidebar.

I figured with Summer ending and kids going back to school it would be a fun time to do it!

Sooo...what are you confessing this week?

We Want to Know Wednesday Q&A wk 18

Welcome to We Want to Know Q&A Wednesday
Hosted by Mamarazzi and Alicia aka Queso


<center><a href="http://www.ourdandelionwishes.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/g328/OurDandelionWishes/WWTKbutton-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></center>
This week's questions are from your's truly, Mamarazzi and there is a chance to win a prize.

Today I want to know about your  childhood...so here we go:

{1} Did you live in the same town or move around a lot as a child?
{2} What were your parents like?
{3} Do you have any siblings? What were they like growing up?
{4} Share a short story from your childhood.
{5} What did you look like? (share a childhood pic for a chance to win a prize)


Here are my answers...I hope you will take a minute to read and comment, I will be by this evening to visit everyone and leave a little comment L-O-V-E!

{1} Did you live in the same town or move around a lot as a child?
I lived in the same house in the same town all of my life. When I was a young teenager I use to have dreams of moving to a new place and starting a whole new life. As an adult I can see that there were many blessings to having been raised the way that I was. To me it is kind of cool that I grew up with a real sense of community and belonging. We seemed to know everyone in town, it was cool.

{2} What were your parents like?
My dad was a firefighter, so he was well known and loved by man in our community. My mom stayed home and raised me and my 4 siblings. She also cut hair in our kitchen to help supplement the family income. My parents are still married and were a real picture of what "Happily Ever After" looks like. I remember thinking I wanted a marriage like theirs when I grew up. They were a united parenting front and were also always making out in the kitchen (and every other room, for that matter). I never questioned their love and loyalty for one another. I think they greatest gift they gave us as their kids was a sense of humor. My family laughs a lot.

{3} Do you have any siblings? What were they like growing up?
There are 5 of us. It goes like this...Mark, ME, Amy, Scotty and Meg. It was just the 3 of us for a long time Amy's initials are ALL, and collectively our middle initials spell HAL...my dad's name. THEN Scott and Meg were added as bonus babies. I would say that we grew up supporting one another in our various activities and that our parents encouraged us to be friends. We are now...lol.

{4} Share a short story from your childhood.
When we were little my mom had us convinced that the ice cream truck was a music truck. We would hear it coming through the neighborhood and my mom would say, "Go dance" and we would. It was YEARS before we saw another kid buy ice cream from it. I remember telling my mom, "MOM the music truck sells ICE CREAM". I gotta give it to her, that is a pretty darn creative way to avoid buying ice cream. She started keeping popsicles in the outside freezer after that.

{5} What did you look like? (share a childhood pic for a chance to win a prize)
Here I am with the puppy, Foxy Lady, we had for a very short time before finding out my mom was "allergic" to dogs.


This is just a favorite picture of mine...I hated those corrective shoes.



All posts for We Want to Know should include:

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Links must lead to WWTK posts that contain the WWTK button. Posts should lead to Family Friendly blogs. Blogs containing explicit language and/or sexually explicit content should contain an "adult content warning", or risk being removed from the link list. Kthanks!

Taking Back Monday Giveaway: Two Winners

Giveaway Closed Congrats to Bridget and Madeline

Last Week's Winner HERE


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Two Winners this week...



or






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Big Daddy's Happy List

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I am happy to help my beautiful wife with one more post this week as her blogging break comes to an end. I love her Happy List posts, I wish more people did them.




So what is making Big Daddy's Happy List?




I just finished a wonderful 2 week vacation. No, I am not happy that it is over, but the time home with beautiful wife and our family was AWESOME!




Part of that wonderful vacation was a week of Camp Vasquez; it made me very happy to have our house filled with the laughter and antics of kids. It just felt right, you know what I mean?




Fossils, water parks, ice cream and a loooong day at Funworks topped off with a great local baseball game and fireworks. Big time Happy Stuff!




Also, a by-product of having the kids here…great tan from the hours spent out at the pool, skate park and Funworks!




This whole summer really has been great.




We got to meet Myya and MiMi and their incredible kids, again, this house is just made for kids. MiMi and Myya are hilarious and it was amazing that as soon as they walked in the house it was like having old friends over.




Mamarazzi’s brother Scott and his wife Kristie from Colorado came for a visit; we had a great day in Monterey with them and the rest of the family.




I am happy to be back in training mode. My sis-in-law, Melinda, has organized a team to run the Ragnar Relay in Napa next month. Our team name is "The Thrill of Victory The Agony of Da Feet", my hilarious wife helped come up with that clever name. Getting out there to start the running is so not easy, but I always feel great having finished the run.




I am super happy with my Garmin Forerunner, I love how it keeps track of my running distance, time and pace. I don’t have waste a bunch of time planning my run, I just go. It was an awesome Christmas gift from my sis-in-law Meg and it has done a great job.




And as long as we are talking about things on my "Happy List" I also need to talk about how much I love Oakley sunglasses. I have been a fan of Oakley since I was in middle school. They are great looking, great fitting sunglasses. I like to spend time on their site customizing my own sunglasses. I will admit, if I were a rich man I would have a glass case full of sunglasses.




Ah, to have been born rich instead of so damn good looking.




I was very happy to do this list for Mamarazzi this week. Also in doing her posts for her to try and keep her blog going, I came away with a new respect of how hard she works to maintain this blog and keep putting interesting posts out for her loyal readers. I am pretty sure I couldn’t do this week after week.




Good job beautiful, keep up the good work, I am happy you are feeling better and taking back the reigns.




Life is good in our home and couldn’t ask for more!

Big Daddy's Friday Confessional

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As a special treat, the Friday Confessional is being brought to you by Big Daddy!



I Confess because of a recent slowdown at work I have been getting very good at Words With Friends during the workday. Oh, and Word Feud too (holla MiMiand Myya my IRL friends LOL)





I Confess I am a total news junkie. I read the newspaper front to back, I check news websites several times a day and watch the news on TV whenever I can wrestle the remote away from my beautiful wife, Mamarazzi, and Reality TV (more on that later).





I Confess I am feeling my age this week as I have begun training for the Napa Valley Ragnar Relay. I can totally feel my hips and back after sitting for a bit.





I Confess Camp Vasquez is my favorite week of the summer. I have already started plans for next year’s camp and cannot wait! I don’t know who has more fun, the kids or me.





I Confess that as much as I enjoy my job and love what I do, I have always wanted to be a radio talk show host. I also think it would be fun to co host a show with my beautiful and funny wife. We are awesome together.





I Confess that I love my wife. I think she is beautiful, smart, funny and has great taste and is overall a very classy woman.






Take all of that into consideration when I relay the story of walking in on her watching something very disturbing on television:






Every once in a while I will be brought out of a deep sleep with a plummeting blood glucose level. I woke up in a cold sweat, disoriented and shaky. I stumble down the hall to the kitchen intent on getting a snack.






As I round the corner I see my beautiful wife on the sofa, as I make eye contact I see the shame in her eyes. I do not immediately know the source of her shame until my eyes scan over to the television.






To my shock and horror I am confronted with a creature that defies description. It was orange, barely clothed and spoke an indiscernible dialect that vaguely resembled English.






My wife was watching JERSEY SHORE! Oh the disgrace.






She tried to switch channels, but the remote control failed her. As she franticly attempted to change the channel I put up my hand and told her it was too late, I had seen too much already.






Some things cannot be unseen. We have not spoken of the “incident” since that night. Some things are better just left alone.