Part 1: Ten Reasons Why I'm a Weirdo

Okay, so weirdo might be a strong word. Different? Quirky? Against the grain? Take your pick. Today I’m being transparent and sharing some strange things about me. Brace for impact! I began this list when I first started blogging and so far I'm at 21 reasons...so stay tuned for at least a part two! And likely a part three and four and five and six. I truly am a weirdo. 

Also, these ten examples are meant to be fun and not offend anyone so please don't take any of them personally. Like the title says, ten reasons why I AM a weirdo. Here we go!

• I hate being late. I turn into a beast if I am late. I’ve been known to shut off the radio/clock in the van so I don’t obsess over exactly how late I’m going to be. I have passed this on to my eldest and feel pretty bad about it.

• I despise loud eating noises. It used to be cute when my kids were eating but I’m SO over that. Misophonia is what it is called. When I googled it for the spelling there was a 35-second clip giving an example of it. I clicked on it (of course) and shut it off after 1 second. And then proceeded to throw my laptop out the window.

• I struggle with both conversation hogs (people who love to hear themselves talk and never stop talking) and conversation stealers (think Oprah, constantly interrupting people with their own stories). I am a great listener, but sometimes I just want to speak.

• I need my flat sheet on my bed to be perfectly smooth. I don’t mean I iron it after washing - Lord have mercy. I just mean it has to be smooth when I lay down to go to sleep. I hate the feeling of a wrinkled sheet on my body.

• I do laundry on Thursdays. My kids (not so) affectionately call it laundry Thursday. I’ve been doing this since I was married. If I have to do a load on a day other than Thursday it throws my whole week off. I wash, fold and put away before I go to bed on Thursday.

• Speaking of laundry...I love the smell of laundry. Laundry detergent, dryer sheets, laundry rooms, laundromats, it’s all gold to me. My middle daughter is the same. Sometimes on laundry Thursday we’ll sniff fresh laundry like a couple of psychos. 

• I can’t leave dirty dishes in the sink at night. It drives me crazy to think about a dirty sink. My husband and I have a weird routine every night. I’ll put the soap in the dishwasher and leave the dishwasher door open and he closes it and starts it before he goes to bed. We’ve never talked about this process, it just organically happens. 

• I can’t stand wearing sunglasses. If it is super sunny I’ll wear them, otherwise, pass. Probably because I have a small head and it is nearly impossible to find a pair that fit.

• I love to organize. Nothing makes me happier than the end product of an organized space. Sometimes I sit in the space and enjoy a glass of wine when I’m done. Okay, so I’ve never actually done that, but now I want to! Look out pantry!

• Along with organizing, I love getting rid of things. Nothing makes me happier when I have gotten rid of clothes I no longer wear or haul a big bag of garbage out of my kids’ rooms. I love having a donation pile to get that stuff out of my house!

Okay, that's all I have in me for now. Do any of these resonate with you or am I alone in my psycho-ness? Please share!

Until Next Time,
Neko

Friday Favorites

#1
Bible verse: Acts 20:35

“And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

#2
Clip Strainer and Garlic Peeler

I'm not typically a kitchen gadget kind of gal, I don't like a lot of extra clutter so I like to keep things lean and mean in my kitchen. However, this strainer is a gem. You literally just clip the strainer on to your pan and drain it! I've drained grease and water and it works great for both. And then I just throw it on the top rack of the dishwasher and voila! It also came with a bonus garlic peeler and brush. The garlic peeler concept is weird but highly effective. Put a garlic clove in the rubber contraption, rub between your hands and a perfectly peeled garlic clove emerges. I didn't even know I needed this bonus gift! You can buy all three here.

#3 
5 Second Rule board game

This game is so fun and really makes you use your brain. Challenging but doable for my seven year old and fun for my almost twelve year old (she may have to skip a few cards). You pick a card and have five seconds to list three things to go with the topic. Examples: Name three countries in South America, Name three animals you wouldn't want as pets, Name three constellations. If this game sounds familiar, you may have seen it on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show". Super fun! You can buy it here.

#4 
"Experience God" by Henry Blackaby

A friend recommended this book to me and I know I'll read it over and over. I say this a lot, but it's probably the best book I've ever read...and I'm only halfway through! I'm also reading it in a bible study and it has led to so many great discussions. The main focus is developing and strengthening your relationship with God and living according to his purpose for you. It is jammed packed with awesomeness, my highlighter is begging for mercy. You can buy it here.

#5 
Pilates

My gym offers pilates classes and I try to go at least once a week. Holy ab workout batman! I don't usually get sweaty in this class but my powerhouse is begging for mercy after class (I know I just used that line in #4 but it is applicable for my highlighter AND abs so I'm going with it.) Was anyone obsessed with the Windsor Pilates DVD's back in the early 2000's? Me too, I still pull them out from time to time. And in case you are wondering, yes, this is a picture of me. And my ripped abs and skinny thighs. And my three star tattoos I regretfully got during a crazy night in Vegas. It's definitely NOT a free stock photo I got online.

There you have it! My Friday Favorites, happy Friday everyone!

Until Next Time,
Neko

I'm a Millionaire?

Photo by Pepi Stojanovski on Unsplash

You are never going to believe what happened to me today. Seriously you guys, it’s insane and I can’t hardly believe it myself. I just won $1.5 million dollars! YES! An email came through my inbox from the one and only Warren Buffet. Turns out, my email address was randomly selected to receive the cash award. What? Nothing like this EVER happens to me!

Here is the email:

Hi,

My name is Warren E. Buffet an American business magnate, investor and philanthropist. am the most successful investor in the world. I believe strongly in‘giving while living’ I had one idea that never changed in my mind ? that you should use your wealth to help people and i have decided to give {$1,500,000.00} One Million Five Hundred Thousand United Dollars, to randomly selected individuals worldwide. On receipt of this email, you should count yourself as the lucky individual. Your email address was chosen online while searching at random.

Kindly get back to me at your earliest convenience before i travel to japan for my treatment , so I know your email address is valid. (warrenbuff1@yahoo.com) Email me

Thank you for accepting our offer, we are indeed grateful You Can Google my name for more information: Warren Buffet OR You visit my website

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_Buffett

God bless you.

Best Regard

Mr Warren E. Buffett Billionaire investor

Can you believe my luck, that I was one of a small group of people chosen out of the entire population worldwide?

Sure, there are many, many typos in the letter and some oddly placed punctuation. But maybe that means he wanted to type it on his own instead of letting someone else type for him? He’s a billionaire, he has people who would normally do this for him, so his typing and editing skills are probably rusty.

He does use some strange words to describe himself: magnate, the most successful investor in the world, billionaire investor? I guess they’re all true, just odd that he would use them to describe himself.

What do you think his treatment is in Japan? Whatever it is, I wish him well.

And ok, it is a little weird that THE Warren Buffet’s email address is warrenbuff1@yahoo.com. But who knows, maybe he created the email years ago and “Buff” was his nickname at the University of Nebraska.

It also seems weird that the first line “an American business magnate, investor and philanthropist” is taken directly from the first line of his Wikipedia profile.

And speaking of Wikipedia, I also thought it was a little suspect that Warren directed me to his Wikipedia page to find out more information about him - you know, to make sure this deal is legit.

The email address it was sent from wasn't his buff Yahoo account and it has me slightly stumped. It says it’s from Warren Buffet but the actual address is www.@leaf.ocn.ne.jp. Seems a little shady now that I think about it.

Do you think there’s a chance this isn’t a legit email and I’m actually not a recipient of $1,500,000????

Uh-oh, I hope I can cancel the deposit on our new pool.

Until Next Time,

Neko

P.S. If it wasn't glaringly obvious, this post was a joke based on an actual email that I received. I'm hilarious.

Friday Favorites

#1
Bible verse: Philippians 4:13

For I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength.

#2
S. Pellegrino Sparkling Natural Mineral Water

My husband and I are obsessed with Pellegrino. We each drink a large bottle almost every day. I'm not going to lie, it took a few bottles to get used to it but now we love it. And it's so good for you! We get ours in bulk at Costco (glass bottles are always better). You can also get them on Amazon here.

#3 
Silicone Wedding Rings

I bought these rings last summer to wear to the gym and when I'm doing outdoor activities. Very comfortable and inexpensive. You can buy them here (they run true to size).

#4 
"LA to Vegas" on Fox

I have no idea why I'm drawn to this tv show but I am. I mean, how many storylines can you create on an airplane? Apparently quite a few! It's very funny and adorable and quirky. Will Ferrell produced it, what could go wrong? Give it a shot, you might be surprised!

#5 The Winter Olympics

I can't not list the Olympics as a favorite. Shaun White securing the gold? Snowboarder Red Gerard having the run of his life and then dropping a giant f-bomb on NBC? Watching the Shib Hibs dance their way around the ice? CURLING? Ridiculous Olympic sport and Awesome Olympic sport. We've been watching the Olympics DVR style. Much more enjoyable. Yeah for Olympics!

There you have it! My Friday Favorites, happy Friday everyone!

Until Next Time,
Neko

Do You Choose Love?

Today is Valentine’s day AND Ash Wednesday. Combining a day widely known for love and a day widely known for self-reflection and prayer is where I'm pulling my inspiration from today. Oh, and that my brother is getting married this weekend so another heavy dose of love!

Love is defined as an intense feeling of deep affection. Everyone has experienced love at one point or another. A love for your parents, your husband, your children, a pet, a friend, bacon (there is no way I am alone in this one). God has made us loving creatures. Remember, we are created in His image. God does not just love, God is love.

Do you choose love?

Because God is love, he gave his only son for the forgiveness of our sins (John 3:16). Let me repeat that. God gave His son for us. Because of His love for us and His yearning to have us walk beside Him. And Jesus willingly gave His life for us, too. Jesus’ time on earth was perfect. He was without sin. Every step in Jesus’ life was done for the love of God and for the glorious conclusion He would have for us. God wants this to be the love we feel for others. That we would love others so purely and fully that we would give our lives for others.

Do you choose love?

Another example of love appears in Genesis 22. God tested Abraham’s love for Him by asking him to sacrifice his son Isaac. Without hesitation, Abraham and his son set out on a three-day journey. Imagine how Abraham felt. Walking for three days with the ultimate goal of sacrificing your child in arguably an act of obedience unlike any others in the bible. A child who you and your wife waited for and prayed for. A grown child who came to you late in life and answered your hopes and dreams. Of course, in the end, an angel of the Lord stopped him and congratulated him in his love for God. But wow, the love that Abraham had was undeniable.

Do you choose love?

God is love. God created love. God created us to love. Instead of love being a feeling, think of love as something you choose to do. Something you act upon. When you bring a meal to a friend who is sick, that is love. When you watch a friend’s newborn baby so they can take a nap or shower, that is love. When you surprise your spouse at work with a triple grande non-fat decaf iced latte, that is love. Choose love, be love. Show love.

Today is Valentine's day. Whether you are married, single, dating or too young to care about the gushy stuff (my daughter will likely read this), choose love. "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." 1 John 4:7

Happy Valentine's day and happy Ash Wednesday!

Until Next Time,

Neko

Who Doesn't Love a Good Chick Flick?

With lots of melting snow on the ground and a 5K coming up in 33 days, I decided it was a treadmill day today. Blech is how I feel about my treadmill. So I decided I’d watch a good chick flick while I ran. While perusing Netflix I came across “Definitely, Maybe”. Um, hello super cute movie that I had never heard of! Ryan Reynolds? Yes. Isla Fischer? Yes. It was adorably cute and sweet and I loved every second of it.

And then, of course, I was motivated to write about my favorite old school chick flicks. In no particular order:

The Wedding Planner (Matthew McConaughey and Jennifer Lopez)
This movie is ah-maz-ing! Maybe I resonate with it because J-Lo is a little OCD and I find that super endearing. Or maybe I resonate with it because it’s Matthew and he’s one of my all time favs (he makes it onto my list again below!) Or maybe because it’s about wedding planning which I think would be my dream job if it didn’t require working every weekend and having to deal with bridezillas. Whatever it is, this is a movie I go back to time and time again.

Pretty Woman (Julia Roberts and Richard Gere)
My mom took me to see this movie when I was sixteen, my first rated R movie (in the theater at least). We both loved it! Who doesn’t love a good movie about a prostitute falling in love with a client, getting to shop on an unlimited budget and living happily ever after with a millionaire? Pure gold. Julia Roberts is so good and she also makes my list a second time. And I know people have mixed feelings about Richard Gere, but I’m a fan.

Sweet Home Alabama (Reese Witherspoon and Patrick Dempsey and Josh Lucas)
Reese Witherspoon sporting my dream haircut back in the day. I love Reese in this role, she’s super sassy and a troublemaker and just plain darling. I wish the movie gods would have swapped out the roles of Jake and Andrew so Reese would have ended up with Patrick Dempsey (who doesn’t love McDreamy!) instead of dumping him. Nonetheless, LOVE this movie.

Notting Hill (Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant)
The most adorable movie ever. Bumbling Hugh Grant is starstruck when famous movie star Julia Roberts walks into his little bookstore. He later runs into her again...literally runs into her...and spills coffee on her. She goes to his house to change (creepy?) and the rest is history. Hollywood starlet marries a bumbling Englishman. I'm sure that marriage lasted forever.

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey)
Fashion, martinis, diamonds and Matthew...oh this movie. I’ve only seen it a hundred gazillion times. It is such a fun and easy movie to watch. You clearly know Matt and Kate will end up together but it is an adorable journey to get there. And how can I get an invite to a diamond party?

My Best Friend's Wedding (Julia Roberts and Dermot Mulroney and Cameron Diaz)
A food critic and a sports guy make a pact that if they haven’t married by age 28 they would marry each other. Julia and Dermot would have been a lovely couple if Julia would have been able to pull it together and tell Dermot she loved him under the bridge. “You just say it!” SAY IT JULIA!!! She didn’t say it. And Dermot married adorable Cameron Diaz. I doubt that marriage lasted and J & D probably ended up together in the long run. That’s what I’m telling myself. Another classic I’ve watched over and over.

Honorable mentions include: The Devil Wears Prada, Failure to Launch, Serendipity and Sleepless in Seattle.

I have so many more movies I could write about but would love to know your favorites! What rom-coms do you watch over and over? I need some new treadmill material...doesn’t look like this snow is going away anytime soon.

Until Next Time,
Neko

Friday Favorites

#1
Bible verse: Ephesians 3:16-17

I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong.

#2
"Jesus Calling: 365 Devotions for Kids" by Sarah Young

Last week "Jesus Calling" was one of my Friday Favorites. This week is the kid's version. It follows along with the original version but re-wording it in a way that kids can understand. I pull this gem out at breakfast and read it to the kids. It is a great way to send your kids off for the day (when you remember to read it, eeek!)

#3
NutriBullet

I was hesitant to buy this thing. We have a Vitamix so it seemed completely unnecessary. But I fell in love instantly. It is a perfect way to make a quick and easy smoothie with minimal cleanup. My favorite smoothie recipe is: a handful of spinach, a few carrots, a few cucumber slices, half of an avocado, a few frozen berries, unsweetened coconut milk, a splash of MCT oil and a scoop of whey protein powder and a spoonful of chia seeds if I'm feeling sassy. Blend and enjoy. You can buy a NutriBullet here (we got ours at Costco).

#4
Trader Joe's Crunchy Almond Butter


First, I apologize to all of the germaphobes out there. But I'll sit with a jar of this almond butter and a spoon and shovel away. This stuff is delicious. Honestly, I've never eaten it other than the spoon to mouth method. So if you come to my house you might want to have the regular peanut butter on your toast instead. Anyway, this almond butter is amazing. I've tried almond butter from Costco, Whole Foods and Aldi and taste-wise it doesn't even come close. Warning: it has to be salted and it has to be crunchy. You only make that mistake once. Check it out here.

#5

Paula's Choice Skincare

I've tried a lot of skincare lines in my day. And full disclosure, I tend to use and obsess over products until the bottles are empty and then I grow tired of them and want to make a change. I can't promise this won't happen with Paula's Choice, but so far I love this entire product line.  I feel like it was created specifically for a middle-aged gal like me. It's made without fragrance and dyes and manufactured in the USA. And their customer service is awesome, I spent twenty minutes talking to a rep who helped me pick out all of the products I should try based on my skincare needs. You can get more info here. 

There you have it! My Friday Favorites, happy Friday everyone!

Until Next Time,
Neko

My 2018 Super Bowl Recap

First of all, let me start by saying this recap will not include the Puppy Bowl (didn’t watch) or “This is Us” (didn’t watch). Glad we cleared that up.

My family watched the Super Bowl with a few friends this year and for the first time in a loooong time, I was able to watch the game from start to finish. Yeah! And if you’ll remember...I am a die hard Vikings fan, the Eagles beat the Vikings to go to the Super Bowl, so I chose to cheer for the Patriots.

I know, I know...Tom Brady wins every year, we need someone new, blah blah blah. First, if the Patriots are the best team in the NFL they should win the Super Bowl. Second, Tom Brady is a pretty cool guy with a pretty cool wife and a perfect diet. Third, I don’t really have a third. They lost so that’s that.

At church yesterday morning our pastor talked about the Christians on both the Patriots and Eagles teams. Specifically, the Eagles quarterback, Nick Foles, has aspirations to become a pastor when his stint in the NFL is over. His teammates commend him for his positive attitude and his ability to recite scripture. Thanks Pastor Mike! It really made it easier for me to accept an Eagles victory when I know their team leader is praising Jesus every step of the way.

Commercials 

I thought the commercials were weak this year. Tide? Are we doing damage control because of the Tide Pod catastrophe? Some weird middle-aged dude talking about Tide seemed very odd to me. Multiply it by four or five commercials? Pass. Weird. And dilly dilly should be put to rest and never awakened. I appreciate the effort to create a new and trendy “whaaaaazup” type line, but again. Pass.

My top four favorite commercials:

• A red M&M finds a penny, wishes to be human and turns into Danny DeVito. He asks everyone, do you want to eat me? I laughed out loud - for a while - when he was hit by a car. Hilarious.

• The Alexa commercial where celebrities stepped in to “help” Alexa respond to requests and hilarity ensues. Although Anthony Hopkins will likely haunt my dreams.

• The Australia tourism/“Crocodile Dundee” commercial was great. Upon further research I realized this was a made up movie trailer to promote Australian tourism. Or is it? Why the confusing message? Movie or not? Maybe the masses will shout loud enough to actually get this movie made, it actually looks pretty darn good!

• But by far, my favorite commercial was Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr. dancing to “I’ve Had the Time of My Life”. I had to ask someone what the commercial was advertising after (NFL), but the lift at the end made my night. The whole room was dying. Well played Eli.

Music

• I didn't know who Leslie Odom Jr. was (after looking him up I now realize he is probably someone I should know). His rendition of "America the Beautiful" was very well done. I may have even clapped.

• Pink slayed the National Anthem despite being sick. I LOVED that she took a cough drop out of her mouth right before she started. Badass.

• Justin Timberlake performing at halftime is what dreams are made of (at least my dreams!) I’ve loved JT since his N’Sync days (praise Jesus that he didn’t invite the group to sing with him last night). I thought he was amazing, loved the deer shirt, sweet dance moves as always and the Prince tribute? Perfect and I’m sure very appreciated by Minnesotans. #jtfanforlife

The Game

Both teams played well. The Eagles haven’t won for a while (or ever? Google wasn’t sure, something about a merger, blah blah blah). I was mainly trying to focus on focusing on the commercials instead of automatically trying to tune them out. But I will say, there was a game and there was a winner. The end.

I'd love to hear your favorite part of the Super Bowl evening! Commercials? Half-time show? Bawling over "This is Us"?

Until Next Time,
Neko

Friday Favorites

#1
Bible verse: Proverbs 3:6

Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

#2
"Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young

This devotional should be in every home. It is THAT good. It is written as if Jesus is talking directly to you. It actually feels like Sarah Young is inside my brain (and likely super terrified at what she sees) and speaking to my heart. How does she know how I'm feeling every.single.day?? You can pick up your copy (and/or look inside the book) here.

#3
Twist and Glide Gel Bible Highlighters

Bible pages are delicate and thin. And chock-full of nuggets of brilliance, goodness, grace and awesomeness that you want to remember forever and ever. So...what's a girl to do? This girl uses bible highlighters to mark up her bible. If a crayon and a highlighter had a baby, it would be these gel highlighters. They're the bomb. You can buy them here.

#4
Fundraiser Butter Braids

I apologize to anyone who isn't from Iowa who does not have access to these delicious pastries. You may find something similar in a store near you, but these babies are Iowa grown and available now to anyone who wants to help my dear eleven-year-old daughter pay for dance. Shameless plug for a fundraising endeavor. And they aren't actually available now, you can order from Ella now and wait two weeks. But you get what I mean. Blueberry is our family favorite, followed closely by cinnamon. A nice treat for breakfast...because pastry for breakfast is always a hit at our house (sigh). Lemme know if you are interested!

#5 

Monopoly Junior Party

I couldn't resist this one. My seven-year-old son Owen and I play this game all of the time and have a blast. It is the one board game we both can agree on. I can't stand playing Clue and he can't stand playing Trouble. Candyland is for babies (sometimes...) This is our compromise. It's adorable and much easier than the adult version. Which we have. It was a wedding gift. Almost nineteen years ago. It has never been opened. And that makes me super sad. Are you reading this husband? Can you sense my angst? Anyway, you can buy the party version here.

There you have it! My Friday Favorites, happy Friday everyone!

Until Next Time,
Neko