How to Interact with a Blogger

I've made it through my first week of my new blogging endeavor, and I'm starting to get back into the swing of things.  I'm kicking myself in the butt regretting that I didn't start this when I got out of work for the summer.  I'd have almost two months worth of blogs by now.  I forgot how hard it was to get a blog up and running.  Now that it's up, I see that people are reading, and that's awesome.  One thing that's lacking is the interaction aspect.  Which made me think, if I want people to interact with my blog, maybe I should explain how easy it is to interact with a blogger.

Talk to me, please?

A personal blog is similar to a journal.  One difference between a blog and a journal is the privacy factor.  When you read a blog, you shouldn't feel like you're finding where I hide my private journal and secretly flipping through the pages.  You don't have to pretend that you read what I wrote and not say a word about it.  I publish a public blog because I want to share my stories with the public.  By publicly publishing my blog, I'm saying, "Hey! Talk to me.  Do you agree?  Do you disagree?  Do you have a similar situation you've had that you can relate to?"   I'm not expecting you to write your own blog in the comment sections, but I'd be ecstatic if you just left a quick note that you'd read what I had to say and some kind of thought to share.  

What's the big deal about commenting and following?

It seems as though we are living in the day and age of viral videos.  My Facebook feed is full of videos that my family and friends have shared because they think the videos are cute, funny, shockingly horrible, or a part of some national viral video challenge.  The people that posted those videos did so with the intent of getting some kind of reaction.  They were hoping that people would think its good enough to share and comment on it, and eventually millions of people around the world would see it.  
While I'm not expecting my blog to go "viral", I am hoping that people might like it enough to share it, and then their family and friends might click on it and give it a read and discover they like it, and then share it to their family and friends, and you see where I'm going with this?  Even though it's a pretty big goal, I'd like to one day be able to use my personal blog as reference for my writing, and maybe even get paid a few bucks to write.  That won't ever happen if it appears my blog is like an abandoned ghost house.  Nobody wants to hire someone to write for them if nobody reads their writing.  So, comments and followers on my blog are similar to having personal references.  If people are following and commenting on it, then it appears that people may be interested in what I'm writing about. 

Read, Share, follow, comment

Being that I haven't gotten any feedback on my previous posts, I'm thinking it's for one of two reasons: 1)  You don't know how to comment on or follow my blog, or 2) You didn't like it and just moved on.  Either one of those reasons are completely acceptable, however both reasons can still help me out.  Maybe, just maybe, if I explain how easy it is to comment and share my blog, you might leave me some feedback whether you liked the blog post or not.  So, what is it that I'm asking you to do?

Read the blog

The first step is to read the blog.  I know that reading a blog post may not be as enjoyable as watching a YouTube video, but I know there are still people out there that enjoy reading.  I see all those Click Bait articles on Facebook, and see thousands of comments on those articles.  That means that lots of people have clicked on and read the articles.  The comments I read below those articles range from one word to a whole paragraph, and it seems that people either love them or hate them.  I may not write about a topic that interests you one day, but that doesn't mean I might not eventually write something you enjoy reading.  I'm just asking for you to give me a chance, and just read it.

Share the blog

It really is super easy to share my blog.  If you think you have family or friends on your Facebook that you think might enjoy it, I'm asking if you'd consider hitting the little "Share" button under the post and share it on your newsfeed.  You don't have to promote the blog, just the simple act of sharing is amazingly helpful.  If you want to help me out even more you could post a little plug for me, like "a friend of mine writes this blog, and it's pretty interesting", or "not click-bait", or "trying to help a friend get some followers to her blog", then that would be AWESOME!  

Follow the blog

Following my blog means that you are a supporter of my blog.  My followers are basically like a Facebook friends list.  It doesn't mean you signing some contract to read all of my blog posts and leave comments.  It just means that you've found my blog and you're publicly supporting it.  You're not opening yourself up to spammers and scammers, you just showing me some support.  Here's a quick "how-to" with pictures:

• If you open up my blog on Mobile, you're going to see a mobile friendly version.  In order to follow my blog, you need to click on the link at the bottom to open the web version:

• If you already use a browser, you can skip step one, as you'll already see the main homepage.  Now, you're looking for one of the 3 "Follow" buttons:

• The top follow button (shown with the green arrow in the photo) is to follow me on Google+.  I don't ever use Google+, I just have to have it to use Blogger.  You can follow me there if you want, but it's not as important as the BLUE FOLLOW BUTTON, which is highlighted with the red arrow.  That's the button you need to click to follow my blog.  You will need a Google account to do that, but it's not hard to quickly create a Google account, if you don't have one.  No, you don't have to use it.

• The other follow option is to follow by email.  This is for those of you that want to follow the blog by getting an email each time I post a new blog post.  This is a convenient for people who don't want to use a Google account, but doesn't count towards my list of follows.  

It's that simple.  Click the blue button, follow me with your Google account, and your little avatar appears showing you as one of my followers.

Comment on the blog

Posting a comment really is as simple as clicking on the "Post a Comment" link.  You don't need to sign in to anything, you can even post anonymously.  Just leaving a comment, like you would on a Facebook link, is a great form of feedback.  Feedback is used to drive my blog, to make sure that I'm keeping my audience entertained.  I'm completely open to opinions - yes even conflicting opinions - and you don't have to worry about hurting my feelings.  As long as you're not just being a butt and being blatantly mean, I will publish your comment whether you agree with me or not.  I will respond, and it's a great way to ask a question if you have one.
So, that's it for today.  A shameful plug at trying to get some people to interact with me and give me some attention. I'm a big enough person to admit it... I NEED SOME ATTENTION!!  Humor me, please?  I want this blog to help me get to know people, hear what they have to say, and help me improve how I write.
Thanks for reading, tune in next time, and bring a friend.  HAPPY TUESDAY!!

10 Tips For Taking Care of Each Other

For the past couple of posts, I've looked at how I take care of my husband versus how it was suggested that women care for their men in the 50's.  It was fun, but it got me thinking about how much my husband and I do to take care of each other.  So I decided, what the heck, I'll write my own list for tips of how to take care of each other.

1.  Talk to each other

Communication is key to a great relationship, sure, but I'm not talking about talking about feelings and emotions and all that other stuff.  I mean actually TALK to each other.  Converse, have meaningful and not-so-meaningful conversations with each other.  Casey and I tell each other everything and anything.  We talk about our day, we talk about stuff we want to do, we talk about stuff that needs to be done, we talk about our jobs, he talks about his car, I talk about my writing.  We talk.  That shows that we care about the other's interests, and that we are interested in what they have to say.

2.  Cook for each other

Being that Casey works really long hours, I do the majority of the cooking during the week.  On the weekends or the rare occasions he gets home earlier than normal, however, Casey likes to give me a day off by doing the cooking.  My husband is an AWESOME cook, especially on the grill.  He can cook some amazing creations in the kitchen, but he is a master when it comes to cooking on the grill.  He can cook pretty much anything on the grill.  He makes the absolute best burgers I've ever eaten in my life, and he cooks the most amazing chicken, pork chops, and even salmon.  He's also very creative when it comes to cooking veggies on the grill, too.  I feel very spoiled when I get to take the weekend or the occasional weeknight off from cooking, and I get to eat some amazing food as well.

3.  Laugh at and with each other

Laughing is the best medicine.  It can turn that frown upside down.  When you're married to someone that can make you laugh, it makes life so much more fun.  Casey and I both have a unique sense of humor.  My style of humor is more sarcastic, while he isn't afraid to get act a little goofy to put a smile on my face.  We have both found that when either of us are a little down, stressed out, or just not feeling ourselves, we can make each other laugh and everything just feels better.  

4.  It's OK to be goofy

I'm not afraid to admit that I used to be quite a fuddy-duddy.  By that, I mean that being goofy just wasn't something I felt comfortable with.  I can make people laugh, but don't ask me to tell a joke or act like a fool, because that's not in my realm of humor.  Well, that was until my husband came along.  For the first year of our marriage, while I'm in tears from laughter at his goofy dances and voices, he would ask me why I didn't get goofy every once in a while.  It just wasn't my "thing".  But, somehow, someway, he's bringing the goofy out in me.  He's not afraid to perform little dances, talk in different voices, and make goofy faces (yes, even in public), and he's slowly starting to get me to do the same (minus performing in public). 

5.  Go on spontaneous adventures

Being that Casey and I work so much, it's often hard to make plans for traveling.  We can't always plan vacations or getaways, due to Casey's inconsistent work schedule.  That doesn't mean we don't travel, we just do it spontaneously.  It's amazing how exciting it can be when we wake up one morning and Casey tells me we're going on an adventure.  In our three years of marriage, we've had all kinds of trips and outings.  We got married in Vegas, but on our way home, we decided to detour and drive home in a different direction.  Yes, we drove, for that specific reason.  Flying takes away all the memories that can be made from the car ride.  We got to experience New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado with the drive to and from Vegas.  We've also woke up several times and decided to drive to Tennessee so that we could see Casey's family, just on the spur of the moment.  He's woke me several times to tell me that he's surprising me with a day-trip, and we've ended up in state parks, historical places, and other sights that are closer to home.  He's much better at the spontaneous thing than I am, because I've always been so much of a planner.  He's spontaneous trips have never disappointed, and we've always had such a great time.  

6.  Support each other's interests

Being married doesn't mean that you're going to enjoy doing the same things, all the time.  Casey enjoys playing video games, and I enjoy writing.  Casey loves working on his car, and I like to crochet.  We each have our individual interests, and it's important that we have time to do them.  If he wants to play video games, I pull out my crocheting.  If he wants to work on his car, I work on my computer.  I've heard many women complain that their men spend too much time doing stuff that they're not interested in, and not enough time on them.  Well, ladies, take those opportunities to do the things you enjoy doing.   It's OK to have individual interests, and we have found ways to do them together.  While he was playing video games with our daughter (in the photo), I was crocheting.  Win-win for both of us.

7.  Be best friends

I'm going to get all sappy, here, but Casey and I really are best friends.  There's not another person on this planet that I would rather hang out with.  I think hearing, "you're my best friend", is just as awesome, if not more meaningful, than "I love you".  We tell each other everything, we share our hopes and fears, we console each other, and we are each other's biggest supporters.  We love just hanging out and watching a movie, or going on our little adventures.  We are honest with each other.  We don't keep secrets from each other.  We can also rant, yell, and show our true emotions, because we're comfortable enough with each other to do so.

8.  Communicate your feelings

Casey and I have a very weird, and completely amazing connection.  Even though most people will probably think think it's crazy, we can actually feel each other's feelings.  There are times when, all of a sudden, I'll start to feel angry or sad without having any rhyme or reason to do so.  A quick phone call to Casey clears that up for me.  He'll immediately tell me he's angry or upset about something, and then my sudden feelings make sense.  It works in vice-versa, as well.  Casey has messaged or called just to check on me, because he's got a feeling that something's not right.  It's then he discovers that I'm stressing about something or I'm upset, or whatever.  This makes it very easy for us to communicate our feelings, because it's impossible for us to hide how we truly feel.  I've got stories that would make your hair stand on end about our emotional connection, but I'll save that for another time.  What we've learned, however, is the importance of talking to each other about whatever problems we're having, so that we can address it and it doesn't fester.

9.  Fight and make up

If anyone in a relationship says they don't fight, there's only a couple of reasons why.  1) They are not invested enough in the relationship to consider anything worth fighting for, or 2) They're lying.  Fighting is a completely normal part of marriage.  You're not always going to agree on everything, and sometimes you just have to hash it out.  While I don't like fighting, and it upsets me to no end to fight, I've learned how important our fights have been to the development of our relationship.

For the first two years of our marriage, we fought A LOT.  I believe a lot of that comes from us still getting to know each other.  One of the biggest mistakes we made was not making up the right way.   We would yell and scream, and then whatever we was fighting about would be swept under the rug, and we'd just act like the fight never happened.  What we've learned since, though, is that when we didn't resolve the fight, we'd be fighting about the exact same thing not long after.  Now, while we still fight on occasion, it's important that we take a little time to cool down and then talk about what we were fighting about and come up with resolutions.  No, we're not always going to agree, but we can respect each other's opinions.  We also make sure we make up, and not just pretend the fight didn't happen.

10.  Love on each other

Finally, the absolute, most important way that we take care of each other is by simply loving on each other.  We hold hands, we snuggle up together when we're watching TV, and we kiss a lot.  We are constantly loving on each other in some way or another.  It doesn't just happen while we're awake, either.  We sleep in what we call "pretzel style", meaning our legs are entwined with each other, and we are tangled up in each other.  We are constantly showering each other with love.  We wake up at 4 AM each morning, just so we have some time before work to spend with each other.  Before we go to bed, it's important that we've spent some time snuggled on the couch together.  When we are out in public, we hold hands, and aren't afraid to show the world that we are in love.  We just don't ever get tired of loving on each other, and we don't care who knows it.  Of all the tips that I've shared, this is my favorite and keeps me assured more than any of them that we truly, deeply love each other.

So, there you go, my ten tips for taking care of each other.  Marriage is a partnership.  It doesn't always mean that everything is equal.  There are days where one of us has to pick up the slack.  What's important is that we are a team, we're partners, we support each other, and we take care of each other.  That's what marriage is all about.  We take our vows very seriously, and accept that we're still learning and growing each day.  What I do know is that I'm married to my soulmate, and no matter what we go through, we will ALWAYS be here for each other, loving on each other, and getting through whatever life may throw at us.  

Until next time....

Tips to Look After Your Husband - Part 2

Yesterday, I started dissecting this little gem that I found on Facebook.  It's an article from a 1950 Home Economics Book about how women should take care of their husbands.  I think I do a pretty fantastic job of taking care of my husband, so I thought it would be fun to compare how I take care of my husband to the women of the 50's.  So, here we go with the second half of yesterday's post.

6.  Some Don'ts

I guess this is pretty standard.  I know that when I come home from work, the last thing I want to hear is problems or complaints.  What is customary, however, is us talking about the problems and complaints together.  He'll talk about stuff he's dealing with, I'll talk about stuff I'm dealing with.  When I'm tired of listening to his complaints, I'll tell him and he does the same to me.  

As far as coming home late for dinner?  Casey works in a job where he doesn't have set hours.  Sometimes he can be home around 5ish, other nights he doesn't get home until after 7.  Trying to figure out when to cook dinner gets a little tricky, but he does a good job of keeping me updated on his estimated arrival time.  I'll admit, there are some nights I get a little miffed at how late he's working.  While I won't complain about the fact that I know he's working to support us, and the extra hours means extra money, I don't like the nights he works late.  That's only because I like to spend some time with him.  It's the same for him when I have to work late because of meetings or family nights and stuff.  

7.  Make Him Comfortable

Oh, dear Lord, I hope he doesn't read this one.  Arrange his pillow and take off his shoes?  Bwahahaha!!  Sorry, honey, but that's not happening.  While I do want my husband to be comfortable when he gets home, he's perfectly capable of putting himself on the couch and taking his own shoes off.  The normal routine is he walks through the door, heads straight to the shower, and then I have his dinner plate and drink ready for him when he gets out.  We then relax on the couch TOGETHER.  I have a pretty low, soft, soothing and pleasant voice all the time, except when I'm mad, so he already gets that.  HA!! 

8.  Listen to Him

Yeah, I know this is a little hard to read, but it says:

"You may have things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time.  Let him talk first."

Thanks to the wonderful invention of text, we keep each other informed of stuff throughout the day.  If I have something to tell him when he gets home, I'm nice enough to wait until he walks through the door and puts his stuff down, but then it's GAME ON.  He's going to tell me stuff I need to know, and I'll do the same.   

9.  Make the Evening His

Poor women of the 50's.  I don't know how much strain and pressure they swallowed back then, but I know that I feel plenty of strain and pressure now.  While I don't ever complain if he doesn't take me out to dinner or other form of entertainment, his strain and pressure is no more important than mine.  While I may not do a whole lot during the day in the summer, I still deal with my share of strain and pressure.  I have to make sure the bills are paid, I have to make sure we have groceries to eat, I have to make sure food is prepared, and I have to make sure the kid is taken care of.  During the school year, you can multiply that pressure ten fold.  That's why we agree on a partnership.  One of the things I love the most about him is the fact that he makes sure I relax in the evenings just as much as he does.  We've both been busy all day, we both need some down time, and we both enjoy the evenings just relaxing with each other.

10.  And Lastly, The Goal

Last time I checked, I'm not running a monastery.  We have our ways of renewing our body and spirit, but that's not going to be discussed here (wink, wink).    I try to make my home a place of peace and order for both of us, because it's the one place I can relax and walk around in my pajamas.  If my husband wants our home to be peaceful, he will come home in a good mood, he will continue to treat me like a queen, and he will be appreciative of what I do for him.  Thankfully, I have all of that and then some, so he's safe.  

This whole list is pretty funny, and I feel for the women that had to live to these "rules" back then.  While I can see that I do a pretty darn good job of taking care of my husband, it's only because I want to.  Marriage is a partnership.  Some days, he has to carry the load and take care of me, and other days I have to take care of him.  Neither of us are more superior than the other, and I wouldn't have it any other way.  

For the next post, I'm going to share my list of Tips to Look After EACH OTHER.  Casey and I have definitely had our ups and downs, we are still kind of new at this whole marriage thing, but I think I've got some good ideas on how we've gotten to where we are, and how we make each other happy.

Tune back in next time!

Tips to Look After Your Husband - Part One

Like the majority of people on the planet, I'm a Facebook user.  Facebook is the hub for anyone that wants to connect with friends and family, share every detail of their lives, find out the latest news, and read really funny memes.  Most of traffic I get and will get to this blog will come from Facebook, because it's where I share my posts.  I'll admit, the majority of my Facebook usage comes from scrolling through posts to get a little chuckle from funny videos and memes. 

Even though it's hard to see, the photo above is one of those funny things I found on Facebook.  It's entitled "Tips to Look After Your Husband", and it's an extract from a 1950 Home Economics Book.  Boy, have times changed.  In the 50's, men went out to work, and the women stayed at home to take care of the house and children.  That was her job.  She was required to take care of cleaning, cooking, doing whatever the kids needed done, and then taking care of her husband when he got home from work.  There are many women that have the privilege of having that job, nowadays, but life is still far, far different from the "wife requirements" of the 50's.

Going through each of these "tips", I couldn't help but compare how it was then to how it is now.  During the summer, I'm a housewife/ stay-at-home mom.  One of the perks of being a teacher means I get to spend a little over two months at home, while my husband is out in the blazing heat working his rear off.  I consider myself a pretty good housewife, and my husband tells me all the time that he feels very spoiled about how well I take care of him.  Which got me thinking... how does the way I take care of my husband compare to how women did it back in the 50's?  Today and tomorrow, I'll dissect this article and compare myself to a 1950's housewife. 

1.  Have Dinner Ready

Good place to start, being that I blogged about this yesterday.  "Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal on time".  HA!! You're joking, right?  My idea of planning ahead is grabbing something out of the freezer in the morning, and then around 3 PM deciding what I'm going to do with it.  Most nights, I try and have dinner ready when Casey gets home.  Some nights, I call him and tell him I've ordered a pizza and he needs to pick it up on the way home, or he needs to pick up some take-out because I don't feel like cooking.  But, for the most part, there is food when he gets off work.  I think about him, I know he's going to be hungry, but as long as there's something to eat, he's totally fine.  

2.  Prepare Yourself

Seriously?  Prepare myself?  My poor husband is lucky if I've made it out of my pajamas when he gets home.  And most of the time, he's not lucky.  Why on earth would I wear make-up when I'm home all day?  I understand that my husband has spent his day with a bunch of sweaty, dirty, stinky guys - no offense to any of those people, I'm talking about the line of work - but, I'm not going to doll myself up because of it.  I'm perfectly happy and interesting without make-up on and my hair did.  There are days when I wonder if my husband thinks I've totally given up on myself, being that I look exactly the same as I did when he leaves the house.  I guess I could work harder on making sure I at least get dressed each day.  However, I'm pretty sure if Casey came home and I was in make-up with my hair fixed, he'd wonder what the heck I'd been up to all day.

3.  Clear Away the Clutter

OK, so finally we find a tip I actually follow.  Every day, Casey always lets me know when he's on his way home because it's a different time each day.  I use his little head's up as a great opportunity to run through the house to make sure it looks decent.  I have to confess that I don't spend all day, every day cleaning.  I make the bed each morning, I wash dishes each day, run the vacuum around every other day, and do laundry when it needs to be done.  About once a week, I'll dust everything, and I scrub my bathroom every couple of weeks.  My "daily duties" take me anywhere from half an hour to a couple of hours, depending on what I do.  The rest of the time, I'm working on my writing or watching Judge Mathis, The People's Court, Fixer Upper, Chopped, Dr. Phil, and Judge Judy.  However, I do like Casey to come home to a house that looks and smells clean.  While he's driving home, I'll do a quick run-through to make sure that everything is straightened up.  It makes me feel good when he comes home and says "the house looks great, babe", when all I've done is straightened and got rid of any clutter.  Sssshhh... don't tell him my secret, though, cause I know he thinks I spend WAY more time cleaning than I really do.  HA!

4.  Prepare the Children

No, no, and urm...no!  My kids are all old enough to clean themselves.  Now, eventually there will be another little one running around the house, and I'll do my part to make sure that little one is clean, but I'm not going to go out of my way to make sure our child is "presentable" just because Daddy is coming home.  If Casey gets home and our little one has food on his/her face or clothes, or his/her hair isn't combed, oh well.  Our children are OUR little treasures, and I know Casey will be much happier knowing our child has eaten well and had a fun day than looking all squeaky clean.  That's just not even realistic.. psh.

5.  Minimize All Noise

This one doesn't really count, because our house is pretty quiet most of the time.  By the time he gets home, there's no vacuuming and if the washer is running, he won't know because our washer and drier are pretty quiet.  The only noise he's going to come home to is the TV.  That's not because of me trying to make sure the house is quiet for him, it's just the way our house is.  It's nice to see that women were allowed to use dishwashers back in the 50's.  Did you know there were dishwashers in the 50's?  I didn't.  I thought the women WERE the dishwashers.  I guess they have one up on me, because even though I have a dishwasher, I don't use it.

And that's the first five tips to looking after your husband.  Tomorrow, I'll go over the last five from the article.  What do you think?  How much different is being a housewife now compared to back then?  I'd love to hear your thoughts!!

Advice You Didn't Ask For: The Way to a Man's Heart...

I'm really excited.  Wanna know why?  Because today I'm starting my first series of posts!  Allow me to introduce "Advice You Didn't Ask For".  

You all know that anytime you have a major event in your life like starting a new job, moving in with your partner, getting married, or having a child brings out "those people" who like to offer you advice you definitely didn't ask for.  I know that I've had my fair share of the advice givers that have caused me to smile politely, nod my head as if I'm paying attention, and then roll my eyes the minute the person isn't looking.  It seems like many people who have ever gone through a significant life event have automatically become experts on the topic and just can't help but warn you and advise you on the "situations" you will face.  

My goal with this blog series is to highlight some of those pieces of advice that are given without asking.  Sometimes I will show how the advice actually paid off.  Sometimes I'll share how absolutely WRONG the advice is.  And sometimes, I'll share weird advice that's been given to me that's left me scratching my head and questioning how I ever ended up associating with the person giving the advice.  Believe me, in my eighteen years of adulthood, I've received enough advice I didn't ask for to write a book.  Instead, I'm settling for a blog series that will give me a writing topic each and every Wednesday for the rest of my blogging life.

So, without further ado, let me introduce this week's piece of advice you didn't ask for:

"The way to a man's heart is through his stomach."

Come on, you know you've heard this piece of advice.  I will place bets that it was either your mother, grandmother, or some random, older lady sitting next to you on a bus that looks down and sees an engagement ring on your finger.   It's one of the oldest pieces of advice in the book to any woman who's in a new relationship, newly engaged, or newly married.  

If you ever encounter one of these sweet, older ladies and you want to give them a little sarcastic humor, feel free to look at them with a shocked face and say something like:

"Seriously?  My mom always said the way to a man's heart is through his zipper!"

Or...

"Nah, my man said I won his heart the minute I walked around the house in my underwear."

Although, I don't advise using these lines if it's your sweet, 90 year old grandma or future mother-in-law.  Actually, just scratch that altogether.  Just say it in your head, smile politely, and just give that agreeable nod.  You don't want his grandma or mom thinking you're some harlot corrupting her innocent grandson/son, or worse yet, your grandma wondering what on earth went wrong with your upbringing.

I've been given this piece of advice with each relationship I've had in my life (all three of them).  This piece of advice always made my eyes roll because the sad truth was, I didn't cook.  I hated cooking.  My equal-rights, woman power defensive mode would switch on, and I'd think to myself, "yeah, I like to eat too, so he better recognize that the way to MY heart is through MY stomach".  

What I've come to realize, however, is that this piece of advice is very, VERY true.  Even though I never asked for this advice, and I had heard the saying a gazillion times, it wasn't until after I got married three years ago that I realized the real meaning and truthfulness to this statement.

So, let me go back to my statement about not cooking and hating to cook.  I've always been like that.  In fact, my children can attest to this better than anyone.  My oldest refers to herself as "a Chef Boyardee kid".  That means she spent a great deal of her childhood eating food that wasn't prepared from scratch, with the love and endearment that many parents put into the foods they prepare for their children.  Foods such as hot dogs, mac & cheese, Chef Boyardee ravioli and spaghetti rings, ramen noodles, frozen pizza, and Hamburger Helper were the food staples while my kids were growing up. My idea of a homemade meal was cooking up some hamburger meat and spaghetti and throwing in a jar of spaghetti sauce.  If I wanted to get really fancy, I'd throw some frozen garlic bread in the oven to eat with it.  The last thing I wanted to do after working all day was come home and cook some big, fancy meal.  My kids ate, they didn't starve, don't judge me.

Cooking just wasn't ever my "thing".  In all honesty, it still isn't.  A couple times a week, I muster up the desire to cook a meal that's considered "homemade worthy", but for the most part I'm looking for ways to get in and out of the kitchen as quickly as possible with dirtying up the least amount of dishes.  

What I've found, though, is paving a path to your hubby's heart IS through his stomach, it just doesn't have to be done with fancy, three hour prep, made from scratch dishes.

My husband can eat.  Boy, can he eat.  And he's one of those people that can eat, and eat, and eat, and still walk around sporting six-pack abs and fit physique.  I, on the other hand, look at a slice of bread and gain 5lbs. (Insert eye-roll).  Due to the fact that my husband has the highest metabolism I've ever encountered in my life, he requires food on a regular basis.  At first, I saw this as a problem.  I mean, not a problem per-say, more of an inconvenience.  I don't like cooking to begin with, and I'm going to marry a man that wants to eat more than the one meal a day I'm used to preparing?  Uh, check please!

The truth is, he is so happy and appreciative to ANY food that I prepare for him.  That's the part Grandma forgets to tell you.  Grandma likes to lay it on thick with the explaining how she got up at 4 AM every morning, just to cook Grandpa's breakfast.  Then, she'd cook or prepare a hearty lunch for him to take to work, and if that wasn't enough, at 3 PM she'd start preparing the evening meal that took her about 3 hours to prepare and cook.  Ain't Nobody Got Time For That!! Am I right, ladies?

You know what's even better?  I'll get to tell my grandkids, one day, that the way to Grandpa's heart was through his stomach, I'll just make sure I let them know that I didn't have to work hard to keep his heart (and stomach) happy.

It amazes me each and every day how happy my husband makes me with his excitement of being fed.  Many mornings, I'll cook him a bagel or something quick for breakfast.  Everyday, I pack him a lunch to take to work consisting of a couple sandwiches and some chips or other type of snack.  When he comes home in the evening, he's greeted with something I've prepared (aka thrown in the oven) for dinner.  And not a day goes by that my husband doesn't melt and shower me with love just from having the food prepared for him.  He doesn't give a flying flip how fancy the food is or how quick and easy it was for me throw it together.  As long as he has some food, he's happier than a pig in mud.  

What's even weirder is that as time has gone on, I've found myself wanting to get more creative with my cooking and prepare him more homemade style meals.  I look at it as if he gets THAT excited over some hamburger meat covered in a jar of spaghetti sauce slopped on top of some angel hair pasta, then what happens when I add bell peppers, onions, mushrooms and some spices of my own?  What happens is he showers me in compliments, savors every bite, and makes me feel like a Michelin Star chef.  

This summer, I've stepped out of my comfort zone a little and got a little more comfortable in the kitchen.  I've used some recipes, I've made some of my own creations, I've sat in front of the TV and watched episodes of Chopped to get some inspiration, and I've tried to be a little more "wifey" and make some homemade meals.  And, I'm not gonna lie, I'm doing it 100% for the attention I get for doing it.  I don't think it'll ever get old to see the look on his face when he walks in the door, takes a big sniff, and his whole face lights up in anticipation and excitement.  I don't think I'll ever tire of hearing how much of an amazing wife I am for simply throwing some cream cheese on a bagel and fixing a couple of turkey or PB&J sandwiches for him to take for lunch.  And I know for a fact that I won't EVER get tired of him cooking for me on the weekends because "I've spent all week taking care of him, and now it's my turn to be pampered".  Oh yes, he does that, and it's A-W-E-S-O-M-E!!  

Just yesterday, I was encountered with the well-known "I don't know what to fix for dinner" syndrome.  It happens a lot.  I've got some hamburger meat thawing, but I have NO idea what I'm going to do with it.  My first reaction is I'm going to grab some frozen pizzas and save the hamburger meat for something else the next day.  The problem is, Casey isn't going to be home until around 6 PM, he has my car, his car doesn't have brake lights (why he's driving my car), and I can't get to the store to buy the frozen pizza.  I start perusing through my cabinets, sizing up what I can throw together and call a meal.  I find a box of Jambalaya mix, got some canned veggies, and wah-la, I've got the ingredients for something. I cooked up the hamburger, threw in the mix, threw in a can of corn and green beans, added some garlic, sprinkled in some onion powder and other spices, sauced it up with some salsa, and dinner was ready.  I just knew he was going to take one look at the stuff and question what the heck I was thinking.  But, you know what?  It didn't actually taste that bad.  Even better was the fact that he ate it, with his normal showering of compliments, and didn't bat an eyelid to the fact that I literally threw some stuff we had in the pantry together and called it a meal.  

It's stuff like that reaction that makes me realize that just the act of providing my husband something he can put in his belly after a long, grueling day at work is the way to his heart.  And the part of the advice that I can add is that it's also the way to MY heart.  I love making my husband smile.  I love hearing his compliments and praises at how awesome I am.  

So, in closing, I'm going to say that this piece of advice, while often not asked for, is important and true.  I will add, however, that if your husband is anything like mine, any form of sustenance you put in front of him will make him happy.  You don't have to slave over a stove for hours.  You don't have to plan, prep, chop, and plate a gourmet meal in order to win over his heart.  You just need to feed the guy, after he's worked all day and just wants something in his belly.  He'll be happy no matter what it is.

And there's my first piece of advice you didn't ask for.  You're welcome.

Let's Get This Started

It's finally time to write the first post.  I've spent a day and a half picking a layout theme I like, creating the pages, making a custom title header, creating my post signature, and now I feel comfortable enough to actually publish something.

The first post is always tough.  I've introduced myself in my pages, because eventually there will be lots of posts and it gives newcomers an opportunity to learn something about me.  So, doing an introduction post doesn't really feel right.  I've been jotting down ideas for future posts, and none of them really feel like a great starter post.  What to do?  What to do?

I KNOW!!  Let's get this started with explaining my blogging style.  That way, you'll know right from the get-go if you're at all interested in what I have to say, or if you're ready to just move on... please don't!

If you read my About Me page, you'll know that blogging isn't new to me.  In fact, I've written several blogs - even more than I listed on that page.  Every time I write a blog, I try my best to keep it upbeat.  I like humor.  When I'm reading, I like to read stuff that makes me smile, giggle, chuckle, and dare I say it, laugh out loud.  I also like to read blogs that speak to me... not in the sense of interesting me, or relating to the information in the post, but actually speaking to me.  Like, I can hear my voice in my head speaking to me as I read each word.  You will notice very quickly that I write as if I were speaking to you in person.  I want you to feel like I'm speaking to you, rather than writing to you.  You'll notice that I may steer off on a tangent (like most people do when they tell a story), and may ramble on a bit.  I speak fluent sarcasm, so I often write fluent sarcasm.  

With that being said, I have to make a quick P.S.A. about my grammar and the way I write.  I am a 6th grade reading and writing teacher.  I have been dubbed the grammar Nazi many, MANY times.  I am that person that's correcting spelling and grammar on social media accounts, and my skin crawls when people misuse there, their, and they're, your and you're, its and it's.  I'll be the first to point out when someone writes a paragraph long status update and there's not a punctuation mark in sight.  You get it, right?  Grammar and spelling are important to me.  I will read and reread a post several times before hitting PUBLISH to ensure I've edited and not making any silly mistakes.  HOWEVER, and that's in caps because I'm putting lots of emphasis on how you should read that, I write based on how I want you to read what I have to say.  What the heck does that mean?  Well, you'll see me break some of the well known writing and grammar rules every now and then (all the time) in order to make it more like talking than writing.  You'll see sentences that start with And, you'll see fragment sentences, you'll see me use ... when it probably doesn't need to be used, and occasionally you'll see way too many commas in one sentence as I'm trying to make my point and need to keep talking and don't want you to take a breath until you've read the entire thought. You can breath now.

OK going back to the humor thing, I will try and inject humor into my writing while covering the various topics.  Marriage, children, the education field, and life in general are all HILARIOUS topics, or definitely can be.  It's my goal to highlight the millions of funny situations that arise from each of these topics.

Then, of course, not all of life is funny.  Sometimes, being serious is the way to go.  There are situations that arise that definitely don't have a place for humor.  Sometimes, life can deliver heartbreaking, heart wrenching, slam against a brick wall topics.  I have found that writing about serious, emotional topics is just as important as writing the fun stuff.  In fact, my emotional/ serious writing can be very therapeutic for myself and some people that may be in similar situations.  I went through a stage, with my last blog, where I was writing raw, heart gripping, sob in my pillow pieces to describe some really hard stuff I was dealing with.  I truly thought nobody would be interested in the depressing slop I was posting each day, but I was completely shocked when I starting hearing from people THANKING me for what I was writing about.  There I was dissecting my heart, trying to make sense of the Hell I was living through, and then finding out other people were relating with me, appreciating my honesty, and using my words to help them deal with their own situations.  So, every now and then, I'll be a little more heartfelt and serious just because that's how life is.  It's not fun all the time.

At the end of the day, it's near impossible for me to tell you what I'm going to write about.  I consider myself an open book and can write down a hundred blog post ideas in a day, based on how the day plays out.  I will literally decide what I'm going to write about when I open my laptop to write the post.  Some days I hope to make you laugh, some days I hope to make you think, and other days there may be a possibility for a tear of two.  I'm here to offer my thoughts, opinions, advice, and to tell stories about the crazy life I live.  Hopefully something I write interests you enough to come back, maybe enough to tell a friend and share.  

In the day and age of YouTubers, I know it's a long shot that anything will ever become of my ramblings, but I'm writing and that's the important part.  I don't have the face for video, and I am much more gifted with my writing than I am with speaking.  I'm also hoping that there are still people on this planet that enjoys reading, and can get a kick out of reading about random stuff just as much as people like watching crazy, random videos on YouTube.  

That's it.  First post.  Glad that's out of the way, and now I can get busy writing the good stuff.  So, please come visit me again, it gets better... I promise.