Before I post my answers for this week's FFOF, I'd like to thank Sue at Stay at Home Mom and Lucy at Lulu's Petals for the virtual gifts they gave me the past couple weeks. I'm sorry I haven't posted them until now!

Here is the one from Sue:



It came with a poem:

And lovely are the blossoms
That are tended with great care,
By those who work unselfishly
To make the place more fair.
And, like the garden blossoms,
Friendship’s flower grows more sweet
When watched and tended carefully
By those we know and meet.
And, if the seed of friendship
Is planted deep and true
And watched with understanding,
Friendship’s flower will bloom for you.


And here is the one from Lucy:



Thank you both! I hope you don't mind if I don't tag other bloggers right now.

OK, now for FFOF:

#1. What’s your favorite crunchy food?

Popcorn! Recently, microwave popcorn has just been tasting so stale and blah that I bought a popper a few days ago. It does go in the microwave, but the popcorn is FANTASTIC. We are all getting addicted.

#2. How often do you try new recipes?

Usually a few times a month.

#3. Name a food that you almost always have in the house.

Baking staples. I can put together a batch of cookies pretty much anytime.

#4. What kind of food do you leave out for Santa on Christmas Eve?

It used to be cookies and eggnog, plus a couple of baby carrots for Rudolph (which the dogs always got). But this is our first year without Santa, so nothing will be put out. Cookies and eggnog, however, will still be consumed.

And speaking of cookies, many will be baked this weekend. And Becca has requested fudge, so that will be made as well. Pictures and recipes to follow!

Lisa over at Jujuboo has gifted me yet again, and it's still not my birthday (although it's getting closer)! Thanks, Lisa! I'm very flattered, and this one is pretty cool.



Does anybody else hear it as "Honest Crap" in their brain? No? Just me? Maybe we just say "crap" a lot in my house. However, in accepting this, I do have to post ten honest things about myself. Crap.

Here are the rules:

"When you receive the prize, you must write a post showing it, together with the name of who has given it to you, and link them back. Choose a minimum of 7 blogs that you find brilliant in their content or design. Show their names and links and leave them a comment informing that they were prized with 'Honest Weblog'. List [if you can and/or dare] at least ten honest things about yourself. Then, pass it on!"

Hmmm. This could be difficult. Or weird.

1. I am completely addicted to Diet Coke. See, not so weird.

2. I don't vacuum as often I as should, which is bad because we have three constantly-shedding animals.

3. I'm pretty lenient on what the girls watch on TV. I'm fine with a little innuendo,and as long as it isn't sexually explicit or graphically violent, I'm pretty lax. So Friends, OK; The Shield, not so much.

4. They also watch a lot of movies their friends probably aren't allowed to. So again, Sleepy Hollow, fine; The Godfather, not quite yet.

5. I am a late sleeper all through the year, but could sleep half my day away in the winter, and sometimes do. SAD sucks.

6. I feel vaguely guilty for a while when I spend money on myself.

7. I have an unhealthy fascination with shows about people living in squalor or who have to be cut out of their houses. (OK, now I think it's getting weird.)

8. I watch Spongebob even when the kids aren't around.

9. I would love to host some kind of gathering, but I get completely stressed at even just the thought of having people over, unless it's family. Even the girls having a sleepover stresses me out, but I don't want them missing out, so I let them on occasion.

10. I am very shy and self-conscious, and will cringe later after a conversation with someone, worrying that I said something stupid or came off as a dumbass. I do this not only with acquaintances, but good friends as well.

Well, I guess that was somewhat...cathartic? Anyway, now for those I'm passing this onto. I'm going to include a few blogs I stalk, even though they will have no freaking clue who I am. This part is always hard, because there are some blogs I faithfully read, but don't know if they do the award thing, so then I'd feel like a tool if I gift it and they were like "whatever," so I avoid the potential embarrassment of the situation by just not saying anything. See? This is why I have such a hard time having normal real-life conversations.

Lisa, I bet you didn't know when you gifted me this that it would turn into a completely angst-ridden situation!

ANYWAY, here is my list:

Berleen at Straightjacket and a Padded Room
Manic Mommy
Have Babies Will Blog
Word to Your Mother
Beth at Total Mom Haircut
Lucy at Lulu's Petals
Misty at Rainy Day in May

Now let's see what happens!

I've been so busy since my last post! I took the girls clothes shopping on Saturday, and Sunday I spent at my friend Marybeth's house for her little girl's birthday party. And yesterday Book Fair started. I've logged in about 16 hours at the school just since yesterday!

I do have stuff I'd like to write about and some pictures to post, but I am so tired. I probably won't do a me-post until the weekend, although I will try to put up a Thursday Thirteen and Four Foods on Friday.

However, I've had yet ANOTHER award given to me by Kitty over at Motherhood with Teenagers, one of my favorite bloggers, and I wanted to show my appreciation by getting it posted as soon as possible.



Here are the rules for this one:
1. Mention the blog that gave it to you and comment on their blog to let them know you’ve posted your award.
2. Publish these rules.
3. Share 6 values that are important to you and 6 things you do not support.
4. Grant the prize to 6 people.
5. Mention the blog that gave it to you and comment on their blog to let them know you’ve posted your award.

Six Important Values/Beliefs:

1. Sincerity
2. Truthfulness
3. Kindness
4. Empathy
5. Tolerance
6. Family

Nix Support For These Values/Beliefs:

1. Two-faced-ness
2. Close-mindedness
3. Judgmental
4. Meanness
5. Selfishness
6. Cruelty

I'd like to bestow this award to:

Donna at The Domestic Life
Typ0 at Wandering the World
Charla at Healthy Home Blog
Sue at Stay at Home Mom
Chili Queen at Foodarrific
Brittany at Musings of a Barefoot Foodie

Thanks again! This was a nice surprise in my day.

Jujuboo has flattered me by bestowing several awards upon me. That just makes my day, because not only does it mean I'm actually being read by someone other than my family and a few real-life friends, but that my writing is liked!

The awards:





Since these awards were unexpected, I don't have an acceptance speech prepared, so I'll just say thank you so much and get on with the rules that go along with them.

For the Uber Amazing Award:
* Put the logo on your blog or post.
* Nominate at least 5 blogs (can be more) that for you are Uber Amazing!
* Let them know that they have received this Uber Amazing award by commenting on their blog.
* Share the love and link to this post and to the person you received your award from.

For the Sparkly Award:
Post this badge on your site and link back to Maternal Spark. Then award 5 of your blog friends who have sparked creativity, conversation, controversy and friendships with you!

I read a lot of great blogs, and these are just a few of my favorites:

Manic Mommy at Manic Mommy
Lucy at Lulu's Petals
After Hours at Have Babies Will Blog
Kitty at Motherhood with Teenagers
Corrinrenee at Oh, hey...

Thank you again, Jujuboo!

PS: I'm giving all four of the awards to all of you - not just the ones with attached rules! I don't think I expressed myself correctly. :-)

...and it's not even my birthday! Lisa at JujuBoo gave me this cute gift as thanks for the award I gave her yesterday. It's been a good week! Thank you, Lisa!

Well, my journal, anyway! I was given the "I Love Your Blog" award by Charla at Healthy Home Blog today. I think that's so cool! Thank you so much.

This is a "pay-it-forward" type of award, so there are rules to accepting it. They are:

* Display your award.
* Link back to the person who gave you the award.
* Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
* Put links to those blogs on yours.
* Leave a message on the blogs of the people you’ve nominated.
* Enjoy your award!

There are a LOT of blogs I check out on a daily basis, but I'm going to give this to some mom bloggers I've been enjoying a lot recently.

Manic Mommy at Manic Mommy
Kitty at Motherhood with Teenagers
Lucy at Lulu's Petals
Michelle at Mommy Confessions
Jill at Caffeine Court
Lisa at Adventures in JujuBoo
After Hours at Have Babies Will Blog