A Stylish Centennial!

Friends, not only is this my 100th post, but I also have an award to accept!  Melissa of Nouns and Violets, awarded me the Stylish Blogger award! Me, stylish? With my hair that is a month past due on cut and color? I'm on snow day 3, so I haven't even put on makeup in a while (except for under eye concealerr, so I don't frighten my children), although I did put on matching, clean socks today!  That's semi-stylish, right?  Well, I do like clothes, makeup, magazines and style blogs (speaking of style blogs-know any good ones?), so I guess I can be virtually stylish.  Anyhow, thank you for the award, Melissa! Check out her blog, I think you'll like it!  To accept the award, I need to list 7 things about myself and then pass the award on to others, so I'll get to that in a bit.

This is my 100th post! How should I celebrate? I used to teach Kindergarten, and we'd celebrate the 100th day of school by making paper crowns with "100" on them.   (Much like the one in the picture that my daughter is wearing from her 100th day of Kindy-now she's a "big" 4th grader!) While that sort of kooky thing is right up my alley, I'd have lots of 'splaining to do if I sported one of those bad boys around the house today.  Although a diamond tiara with "100" on it would go along with the whole "stylish" thing! In Kindy, we'd also paste 100 random objects to posterboard, but that sounds sort of boring.  We'd also graph 100 M&M's, but I sort of already ate them all, once I rediscovered my secret stash. I could post 100 random facts about me, or 100 of my favorite websites, but frankly, I don't have that kind of an attention span.  I'm also not going to post a bunch of links to some of my best (least worst?) posts-I've done that before, and I'm too lazy to do it again.

So, I'm going to need your help in celebrating!  Put on your diamond 100 tiaras, and your rhinestone studded go-go boots (what? It's my party!), and help me out by listing 10 of your favorite things! They can be favorite websites, blogs, foods, movies, random things, or whatever.  If ten people list ten things, then guess what? We'll have 100, kids!

My 10 Favorites (at the moment)
1. Coke Zero
2. Giant Chewy Sweet Tarts
3. Chipotle Chips and salsa
 (no, my favorites aren't all food related, just most of them!)
4. sleeping late
5. soft, fuzzy blankets
6. warm, sunny summer days
7. beaches
8. flip flops
9. shopping with no children along
10. wacky reality tv shows on TLC

Ok, so now that I've told you some facts about me, I get to pass along the Stylish Blogger Award on to some other stylish ladies and great bloggers!  Ladies, if you wish to accept, share at least 7 facts about yourselves, and pass the award on. Check out their blogs, they rock!

Organized Chaos
The Adventures of JAMC She just celebrated her 500th post!
Working Mom Back to School

That's Sweet!

Ok, ok, so I said that I'd post on Saturday, but I didn't.  I can be such a loser like that. Anyhow, Saturday was busy, what with the whole Saturday-nowhere-to-be-sleeping-in thing, and then shopping and cleaning house for my daughter's tenth birthday party.  Sunday afternoon was the actual party-just for family, no "friend parties" this year.  I still can't believe that I have a 10 year old-that just seems so old to me! I'm sure in a few years, I'll be singing a different tune, looking back on when she was "little" and only 10.  She had a nice party, and thanks to the generosity of our relatives, she now has more cash to spend than I do.  The money is burning a hole in her pocket, but I am dreading taking her shopping to spend it.  When it comes to her own money, the girl is seriously picky about what she buys.  It will take her at least an hour of looking at the same 3 aisles of toys or video games before she decides that she needs to look at another store.  Three stores later, she will be begging to go back to the original store, where it will be another hour before she buys the first thing she looked at.  It's exhausting.

I really could use some retail therapy of my own lately-I've just had a lot of not fun to blog about here type thoughts rolling around in my head, and I don't know what to do with them all. Nothing bad, or earth shattering, just not entertaining, is all.  I've thought about starting a separate blog for the more serious stuff, but it'd just be a lot of whining-I tend to get pretty melodramatic from time to time, and then I get embarrassed about it later.

August 8th, it will be my 1st blogiversary, although I really didn't get down to business until January or February.  I'll try to come up with a fun post for that day-not sure what I'll do yet.... Any ideas?

Oh, and hey! A couple of weeks ago, Alisha, from Musings of a Manic Mama gave me the Sweet Blogger Award! I'm not sure if that's "Sweet" as in "Suuuhhhh-weeeett!!", or "Sweet" as in "Awwwww!", but either way, I'm excited to win another blog award! Where ese can I put forth minimal effort and be rewarded for it? That IS suuuhhh-weeettt, my friends!
Anyhow, thank you Alisha! Be sure and check out her blog-she's the lone source of estrogen in a houseful of boys, so you know she's got some stories to tell!

I'm going to pass this award on to a few blogs I've recently started reading.  These ladies are my favorite kinds of Moms-moms who aren't afraid of keepin' it real, and that's sweet! (As in suh-weet, of course.)
Second Chance Moon
The Adventures of JAMC
Figments of a Mom

Since I'm being linky and all, check out this site if you haven't already-it makes me laugh a little every day. Catalog Living

Didja miss me? ;-)

Hi everyone! Just wanted to let you know that I am, in fact, still alive.  Vacation went well.  We drove to Charleston, South Carolina, which is a good 12-13 hours from us.  My kids handled the drive very well, much better in fact, than I did.  Vacation was nice-it was hot and muggy, but I'm surprisingly ok with hot and muggy.  We had a nice time walking on beaches and piers, touring the city, eating good food, riding boats, etc.  I've decided that I could live a happy life eating nothing but barbecue pork, sweet potato souffle, buttery grits with bacon, and other such heavenly southern delicacies washed down with unhealthy amount of sweet tea-except I would probably weigh 400 pounds.  I miss the ocean already....

We got home just in time for the Fourth of July.  At the last minute, we ran out and bought some fireworks, and had my parents and nephew over for dinner.  The kids enjoyed the fireworks, as usual, and we were all eaten up by mosquitoes-especially me.  Blood sucking beasts love me, my blood must be deeeee-licious.  I'm sure that vampires aren't actually real, but I've taken to wearing garlic and crucifix around my neck every day, just in case.

While I was gone, my blogging buddies Monica from Organized Chaos , AND Courtenay from Soup BOTH re-awarded me the Versatile Blogger award!  I had no idea I was so versatile! Dorky, yes.  Shy, yes.  Lazy, ummm...sort of.  Afraid of crickets in the house, yes. (They JUMP!) But now I get to add versatile to the list! (I think I'll change my hair color again and buy a new style of flipflops to celebrate this new found versatility!) Thanks ladies! Be sure and check out their blogs.  Monica is full of creative ideas, and Courtenay writes a great blog about her family's life in the country.  These ladies are both REAL moms, who I'd love to hang out with if I could.

That's all I've got for now-I'll be back tomorrow or maybe even tonight with something fun.

I'm Versatile!

Hi! Remember me? That weird lady who owes more money in library fines than she makes in a week's work? The one who has been known to wash her hair with two different shampoos in lieu of conditioner?  The slacker who used to post new blog postings two or three times a week? Yeah, it's me! I am, in fact still alive.  Sorry, for slackingnot posting lately.  This is the last week of school for my kids, and the teachers at my kid's school think that it's great fun to assign fifty million projects in the last two weeks of school that require parental assistance.  Between all that, work, baseball and softball, and everything else....well, you know.  Actually, I wrote a big, long, really boring wickedly funny post Tuesday night about it all.  I spent over an hour working on it, but when I went to post it, it disappeared.  By then, I was too tired to rewrite it.  So, anywho....the kids are officially on summer vacation now, and maybe I'll have some more blog fodder time to post.

But, hey! Guess what? I'm versatile! Many adjectives, some flattering, some not so much, have been used to describe me, but never versatile. But maybe I am.  After all, I can wear my hair blonde with brown highlights, or brown with blonde highlights (although two weeks later, it pretty much just looks mousy brown no matter what-I think I need to break up with my beautician), and I can drink coffee with french vanilla flavored creamer or with something chocolatey. And....ummmm...there are probably other ways I'm versatile (all equally as boring and lame), but I can't think of them.  Ok, I'm pretty much a creature of routine and habit.

But, (I just started two paragraphs with "but"-that's not versatile) Lindsey from Just Another Milspouse Surviving Deployment awarded me with the Versatile Blogger award! Lindsey is one busy lady-she's a nursing student, raising her boys and taking care of everything while her husband is overseas-and she still finds the time to blog, much more regularly than me.  I'm so excited to win another award-thanks, Lindsey!  I would like to strive to be a more Versatile Blogger, actually.  Sometimes I feel like I've written myself into a box-some days I don't feel very entertaining or funny, so I don't know what/how to write, and other days I feel like I want to do something different here, but then I want to keep some sort of a consistent theme going.  I'm still new at all this.  Anyhow, I'm accepting this award as a challenge to work towards.

The terms of the award say that I have to share 7 things about myself, and pass this award on.  Ok, so here are my 7.

1.  A kid at the tutoring company I work for which shall remain nameless, but fairly obvious, really,  told my boss today that he knew that he was going to like coming there because I allowed him to be him.  That was a huge compliment.  Work hasn't been so great lately, so that was nice.

2.  I often write blog posts in my head, and then get sick of them before I get around to posting them.

3.  My husband and I are going to the Indy 500 this weekend.  I'm really not much of a race fan, but we live near Indianapolis, and well, going to the track is just kind of what we do here.  The people watching is the best part.  At practice and qualifications the other day, I saw some...interesting folks.  There was the lady with big, spiral permed, teased up to the sky hair,  (honey, that ship sailed off in a cloud of Aqua Net a looooonnnnggggg time ago) that I would have been totally envious of, you know, back in 1991.  Then there was the junior high aged boy wearing fireman's boots, and the dude wearing a tight basketball jersey (from a player who retired over 10 years ago) tucked into his long, army green cargo shorts. 

4.  I'm not a snob, merely an observer.  A collector of the unusual.  An appreciator of the seemingly odd.  Oh heck-they were probably talking about how goofy I looked, too.

5.  How can I be 35 years old and still so socially awkward at times? Ack!  Awkward moment today.  Don't want to talk about it, either. Nope.

6.  I keep thinking it's Friday and get disappointed when I realize I have to work tomorrow.

7.  I thought I was being a "cool Mom" by surprising my kids with a new Slip and Slide for the last day of school.  But then my husband surprised them with the new Wii Super Mario Galaxy.  Show off. 

My goodness but I'm wordy! Sorry-I'm making up for lost time.  Anyhow, I'd like to pass on the Versatile Blogger award to these fine, and versatile folks! Check them out!

Mary Bailey at Bell Whistle Moon
Chocolate Covered Daydreams
Monica at Organized Chaos

Thanks again, Lindsey!

Hey, guess what?

I won another blog award! Woohoo! Ok, I have to set the scene before I can formally accept this award.  Imagine that I am wearing an elegant evening gown.  Maybe something in gold or black, but definitley classically styled.  I tried to find a picture to help your imaginations, but apparently, I'm too picky to even choose an imaginary dress, with imaginary money, to fit my imaginary body, which is 35 pounds slimmer and  3 or 4 inches taller than my actual body.  (Just think what it must be like to shop with me in real life!) Anyhow, here I am in my lovely, classic old Hollywood dress (I'm thinking maybe something vintage-y? Hmmmm...), standing on stage somewhere glamourous, clutching my newest blog award.  Oh.  Wait a minute, that won't work.  Ok, so I'm clutching my laptop, with the award on the screen! Yeah, that's it! But, my battery is crap, so I'll need a really long extension cord, and that'll look tacky, so let's just put the award on a big old screen behind me.  Imagine my hair looking however you want, because I can't even figure out what to do with in in real life.  (I've always wanted to try red, though....)  Someone handsome (George Clooney maybe) just called me up on stage, and kissed me on the cheek. (I like this scenario!)
There-that's probably way more scene setting than necessary, but this is a big moment for me here!

Tanya, from Dreams Diapers and Dilemmas, has bestowed upon my blog the Beautiful Blogger award.  (Me? Beautiful? *Bats eyelashes coyly*) Tanya has a great blog, and she and I seem to have a lot in common.  I think we'd be good friends here in the real world! Thank you Tanya, I appreciate it, and look forward to returning the favor someday!

According to the rules of acceptance, this is what I have to do, and so do the people I pass the award on to.

* Thank and link to the person that gave you the award.


* Pass this award on to 15 fantastic bloggers you’ve recently discovered.

* Contact the Bloggers and let them know they’ve won (leave a comment on their latest post and/or tweet it with their @twitter name).

* State 7 things about yourself.

Wow-these things always want you to pass on the award to 15 people.  I'm still kind of new at this blogging thing, and I'm sort of shy and awkward about this kind of stuff (and pretty much everything in general, come to think of it).  I'm not sure I can do 15, but here are a few Beautiful Blogs I've recently started reading:

Buncha Blue-eyed Monkeys
Burried With Children
The Chronicles of a Veteran Kindergarten Teacher
My Little Life
Four Hoosiers, Two Cats and a Poker Table

Not 15, but check out my blog roll for some of my other favorites, who may add the award themselves if they happen to be reading.

Seven Things (because I haven't blabbered on long enough yet) About Moi
I talk about myself a lot on here, this is harder than I thought to come up with new, random stuff.

1. I hate mornings. Hate.  I never, ever, feel rested in the morning, yet I can't go to sleep at a reasonable time at night.
2.  My family has no idea that I blog.  No clue at all.
3.  My Mom is the only person in the world who totally "gets" me, and her health is poor.  That really scares me-I need her.
4.  I'm currently addicted to the show Ruby.
5.  I can't remember the last time all the laundry in the house was done.  (I do the laundry, so that's about me, right?)
6.  I love Big Chewy Sweet Tarts, Chewy Sprees, BottleCaps and Nerds. 
7.  I'm a very loyal friend, but I'm terrible at maintaining friendships, if that makes any sense.

*cue music* Oh, I guess my time is up! Thanks ag... *cut to commercial*

Swwwweeeeeeettttttt!!

What an exciting weekend here at Imperfect Mom! Not only did I get 6 comments on my latest post (even if some of those were me commenting back), but I also gained two new followers! But wait-there's more exciting news! Are you ready? I won, not one, but TWO blog awards, kids! I never win anything! Maybe I should go buy a lottery ticket, my luck must be changing.  I feel like I've been invited to the Prom by the quarterback, or something. (Except I'm 35, so that would be kind of creepy, and would make me a serious cougar, although it would be eerily flattering, but you get the idea.  I hope.) Have I ever mentioned how shy and socially awkward I am? (And how much I like to use parenthesis?) Dare I throw out the old cliche-you like me, you really like me! Ok, enough with the gushing.  Seriously ladies, thank you for thinking of me, I appreciate it!

The requirements for both of these awards ask that I pass the awards on to lots of other people.  I've not been blogging, or even reading many blogs very long, so I don't have as many blogs to pass these nice awards on to.

First of all, thank you to the awesome IASoupMama from http://courtenaysbo.blogspot.com/ for awarding me with the Sunshine Award.  This is awarded to bloggers whose positivity and creativity inspires others in the blog world! (Wow-I am sure am glad I decided to give up complaining for Lent this year!)

The rules for this award are as follows:

•Put the logo on your blog or within your post.

•Pass the award onto 12 bloggers.

•Link the nominees within your post.

•Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.

•Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award.

Here are my nominees: (I can't do 12 yet, but here are three extra good ones!)

• http://faithfulma.blogspot.com/ The Blissful Babbler
• Absepa from http://nerdinthecorner.blogspot.com/
• Hearthy from http://hearthrose.xanga.com/

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Next, Michelle, the joyful Blissful Babbler herself, from http://faithfulma.blogspot.com/ gave me the One Lovely Blog Award! Thank you!

Rules:

Accept the award; post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

Here are my super cool nominees:

• IASoupMama from http://courtenaysbo.blogspot.com/
• Lori from http://luvmyfive.blogspot.com/ aka "Lovin' Life With My 5 Monkeys"
• Beth from http://bethsayswhatishouldhavesaid.blogspot.com/

A couple of these nominees are online buddies from way back, a couple are new blog buddies, and a couple are ladies with blogs I have admired for a while.  (That sounds stalkerish, doesn't it? I promise I'm not a stalker! This is so awkward.)

Thanks again, and once I figure out how, I'll display these awards proudly here on the blog!