Dishing It! Party (Share Your Christmas Traditions)

Welcome to the December edition of my Dishing It! party. I'll be sharing about some of my own Christmas traditions later in the week, so today is all about you.

I planned this party as a way for bloggers to not only share a little bit about themselves, but also to make an effort to get to know some of the other wonderful people out there in Blogland. New bloggers and seasoned pros are all welcome!

A Few Guidelines for Linking Up with Me:

1. Please include a link back to me somewhere within your own post. OR, you can just include my party button (code is below).
Whichever you prefer. It's just plain nice manners to link back to the hostess. (Or leave her a nice comment) Think of it as your holiday Hostess Gift to me. {wink}

2. Check to see that your link posted successfully. Leave me a comment with your link if your post won't go up after a few tries. I can get you linked up!

3. MINGLE. A party is not a party unless you visit! Please take a few minutes to visit at least one or two other links on the list and leave a thoughtful, genuine comment. It is totally okay if you need a day or two, but I'd like for each participant to visit at least one or two of the other blogs by the end of the week. I think that's a doable request.

If you're new here and missed the party info., here it is one more time:

Please feel free to use this as a question and answer post, or use it as a loose guide to write your post however you like. Add or omit any questions you like, and feel free to embellish with photos!

~Do you have any specific traditions that your family looks forward to each Christmas?

~Is your tree real or fake?

~Do you have any favorite ornaments?

~What's your favorite Christmas treat?

~Best Christmas gift you ever received?

~Coolest crafty thing you made or home decor thing you tried this Christmas season?

~Your favorite Christmas movie?

~Most difficult person you have to buy for?

~What's the number one thing on your kids'/husband's/wife's/significant other's list this year?

~If Santa could bring you one big surprise this year, what would you want it to be?

Here's the code for the cutesy party button. I'd love it if you'd add it to your post.

<a href="http://www.serenitynow4amanda.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i523.photobucket.com/albums/w351/laurenjh04/Custom%20Designs/Amanda/150dish.png" /></a><br/>

Hope you'll share with us! The party is open for new links until 10 pm (ET) on Friday.





I'm looking forward to reading more about how your family celebrates Christmas.

Your Dishing It! Party (Summer Rewind)

Welcome to the August edition of my Dishing It! party! I'm off to IKEA this morning, and will be back to visit with you later on today.

I planned this party as a way for bloggers to not only share a little bit about themselves, but also to make an effort to get to know some of the other wonderful people out there in Blogland. New bloggers and seasoned pros are all welcome!

*If you add your (valid) link to the party, you'll get an automatic extra entry in this Thursday's Giveaway from Sometimes I Swirl!*


A Few Guidelines for Linking Up with Me:

1. Please link to your specific party post.

2. Please include a link to THIS post somewhere within your own post. 

3. Check to see that your link posted successfully. Send me an email if your link won't go up after a few tries. I can get you linked up!

4. MINGLE. A party is not a party unless you visit! Please take a few minutes to visit at least one or two other links on the list and leave a thoughtful, genuine comment. It is totally okay if you need a day or two, but I'd like for each participant to visit at least one or two of the other blogs by the end of the week. I think that's a doable request.

If you're new here and missed the party info., here it is one more time:

Our topic for August is: Summer Rewind

Please feel free to use this as a question and answer post, or use it as a loose guide to write your post however you like. Add or omit any questions you like, and feel free to embellish with photos!

~Best activity you participated in this summer.
~Did your family go on any trips this summer? Which was your favorite?
~Best new recipe you tried.
~Most exciting thing you've done this summer.
~Coolest crafty thing you made or home decor thing you tried.
~Best book or magazine issue you read.
~Coolest new (to you) blog you've found.
~Favorite bargain or shopping find of the summer.
~Your best post of the summer was...?
~What's left on your summer to-do list?

Here's the code for the cutesy party button. I'd love it if you'd add it to your post

<a href="http://www.serenitynow4amanda.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i523.photobucket.com/albums/w351/laurenjh04/Custom%20Designs/Amanda/150dish.png" /></a><br/>
Hope you'll share with us! Party's open for new links until 10 pm (ET) on Friday.



Here's my contribution this month. Let me know what you think, 'kay?

~Best activity you participated in this summer.

I got together with a few friends every Thursday morning to play cards while the kids reenacted Lord of the Flies in the moms' basements. We swapped houses each week, and almost never actually played cards, but the conversation was excellent and I always left with a smile on my face. This was an inexpensive and fun way for summer social time!

Natalie loved swimming lessons, and Michaela Byrd enjoyed heckling the older kids from the comfort of the shallow end steps.

I also helped start a weekly Bible study for the women on my Discussion Leader Team for MOPS and we've enjoyed reading The Frazzled Female. 

~Did your family go on any trips this summer? Which was your favorite?

Unless you count the drive to the pool at the end of the block, we didn't really go out of town as a family this summer. I did have the privilege of taking a Girls' Trip to Orlando last week. That was probably the highlight of the summer for me personally because I had a chance to grow and get to know some friends better.

~Best new recipe you tried.

I have an awesome chocolate chip coffee cake recipe to share with you guys soon, and I also gave Kate's Marinade a try and we loved it!

~Coolest crafty thing you made or home decor thing you tried.

I love my Pizza Box Birdie Wreath. That was one of those things that just popped into my head and I had to give it a try.

~Best book or magazine issue you read.

I came across some great reads this summer, but The Hunger Games commanded my attention. 

~Coolest new (to you) blog you've found.

I don't know how I missed House of Smiths, but she is funny and she has great style!

~Favorite bargain or shopping find of the summer.

I am still in love with these baby "Uggs" that I found at WM for Michaela Byrd. 

~Your best post of the summer was...?

I hate to pick, but I thought that The Big Fat Texas Wedding was pretty funny.

~What's left on your summer to-do list?

I have a few things I want to paint, and I need to spend some more time with Natalie on her workbooks so she doesn't forget important things like her ABCs or how to walk a straight line when she goes back to preschool next month.

Soooo...not a bad summer. Unlike some of you, we have a little less than a month left, so I plan on enjoying it while I can!

Your Dishing It! Party Topic for August

I wanted to remind everyone that the next Dishing It! party is coming up this Wednesday. I know some new Followers have joined up since the last party, so I'll explain what this is all about.

One of my favorite things ever is having a girlfriend over for coffee and dishing over anything and everything. That's what Dishing It! is all about: getting to know other bloggers.

source

Dishing It! is my way of getting bloggers together to chat about a common topic. I'll post a topic today, and ask everyone to link up and hop around Wednesday and Thursday, after the party goes live. You can view the first party here, the second one here, and the latest one right here.  

The community aspect of blogging is so important! I found many of my favorite blogs and blog friends through participating in blog parties and leaving comments.

With that in mind, I hope this month's topic gets everyone talking. Here's our topic:

{Summer Rewind!}

I have a month left before Natalie heads back to preschool, but I know many of you are watching summer vacation come to a close. So this month, we're going to chat about the best of summer!

Please feel free to use this as a question and answer post, or use it as a loose guide to write your post however you like. Add or omit any questions you like, and feel free to embellish with photos!

~Best activity you participated in this summer.
~Did your family go on any trips this summer? Which was your favorite?
~Best new recipe you tried.
~Most exciting thing you've done this summer.
~Coolest crafty thing you made or home decor thing you tried.
~Best book or magazine issue you read.
~Coolest new (to you) blog you've found.
~Favorite bargain or shopping find of the summer.
~Your best post of the summer was...?
~What's left on your summer to-do list?

All I ask is that you link back to me at the specific party post, which will go up at 9 on Wednesday morning; and that you take the time to visit at least 2 or 3 other blogs on the list. If you need a few days before you know you'll have a chance to visit some of the other links, that's okay, but a blog party doesn't work unless participants join in the party. 

Here's the code for the cutesy party button. I'd love it if you'd add it to your post.

<a href="http://www.serenitynow4amanda.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i523.photobucket.com/albums/w351/laurenjh04/Custom%20Designs/Amanda/150dish.png" /></a><br/>

I hope you'll come by and link up on August 11th!

**And don't forget to head back to Thurday's post to enter the super-cute Giveaway from The Shabby Chic Cottage!**

Dishing It! Party (Your Summer Reads)

Welcome to the July edition of my Dishing It! party! I'm so glad you're here, and I hope that you are planning on having a lot of fun visiting around some other great blogs. I'd love it if you'd taken a minute to read about my Summer Reading List too!

I planned this party as a way for bloggers to not only share a little bit about themselves, but to also make an effort to get to know some of the other wonderful people out there in Blogland. New bloggers and seasoned pros are all welcome!

I do have a few quick rules that I'd like you to stick to if you're planning on linking up with me. Nothing crazy, just basic blogging etiquette, but it would help me out so much if you'd follow through so I don't have to delete links.

1. Please be sure to enter the link to your specific party post.

2. Please include a link to THIS post somewhere within your own post. 

3. Please leave me a comment with your party link as well as checking to see that your link posted successfully. This helps tremendously in case there are problems with the inlinkz system. Send me an email if your link won't go up after a few tries. I can get your post linked up!

Also, I love comments. (wink)

4. MINGLE. A party is not a party unless you visit! Please take a few minutes to visit at least one or two other links on the list and leave a thoughtful, genuine comment. It is totally okay if you need a day or two, but I'd like for each participant to visit at least one or two of the other blogs by the end of the week. I think that's a doable request.

If you're new here and missed the party info., here it is one more time:

Our topic for July is

{Your Summer Reading List}

Please feel free to use this as a question and answer post, or use it as a loose guide to write your post however you like. Add or omit any questions you like, and feel free to embellish with photos! (Note: If you're a mom and haven't read anything except Goodnight, Moon in three years, think back to when you used to have time.)

~Give us your list of top 5 picks for summer reading.

~What genre of literature makes you want to pick up a book and read (biographies, chick lit, Christian fiction,  historical fiction, etc.)?

~What are your favorite magazines?

~If you had to be stuck on a desert island with any fictional character, who would you choose?

~How do you make time to escape into a good book?

~What's your favorite place to get your books?

~What's next on your "to-read" list?

Here's the code for the cutesy new party button. I'd love it if you'd add it to your post.

<a href="http://www.serenitynow4amanda.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i523.photobucket.com/albums/w351/laurenjh04/Custom%20Designs/Amanda/150dish.png" /></a><br/>
Link up right here (email me if you have trouble and I'll help you out), and don't forget to do some visiting! The party will be open for new links until Thursday at 10 pm (ET).


Here's my contribution this month:

Y'all know I love Fluffy Books.

I used to read *smart people books* in college. But then I had kids. And I think I used up a lot of brainpower. Marlowe just doesn't get through to me like he used to. So Fluffy Books are right up my alley these days, and summer is the perfect time for light reading. Better Homes and Gardens, anyone?

I'll have some time to myself next month when I fly to Florida for the annual MOPS Convention. So this month's topic was slightly selfish, as I'm hoping to get some good tips from you guys.

Some of my favorite books for Summer Reading-
1. Anything by Mary Kay Andrews. I've dished about her work before. She is funny, she has style, and her characters are interesting. May I recommend The Fixer Upper or Hissy Fit? Both delightful, as in I neglected my kids while I read a chapter or three.

2. Emily Giffin's Something Borrowed. I would never have guessed that an author would make me cheer for the girl who cheats with her best friend's fiancé, but Giffin makes this story work. If you like NYC, you'll like this book!

3. Liz Curtis Higgs' Thorn in My Heart. Christian fiction can be tricky because I sometimes feel like the characters are a bit too perfect and the stories can wrap up just a bit too neatly. But this novel, set in 18th Century Scotland, is based on the Biblical story of Jacob, Rachel, and Leah. Higgs allows the characters' flaws to show, and she makes them believable.

4. Meg Cabot's Size 12 is Not Fat. Heather Wells, the main character, is a former pop singing sensation turned Assistant Dorm Director in NYC who falls into sleuthing. Heather is honest and funny. And she likes Twinkies.

5. Sophie Kinsella's Can You Keep a Secret? This is possibly my favorite of Kinsella's novels. Emma spills her dirtiest secrets to the man sitting next to her on a very turbulent plane ride. Little does she know, her seatmate is going to turn up in her life and her secrets won't be so secret anymore.

If I had to choose any fictional character to be caught on a desert island with, I'd choose Jamie from Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series. I didn't even have to think twice about that. He has an accent. He fights off the bad guys. He's outdoorsy, so he'd know how to survive. And in my head, he's mighty good lookin'.

Since I don't live on a desert island, I don't have an awful lot of time to read, but I do try to carve out a bit of time before bed. This is sometimes not a good thing, because my bed is comfy and I tend to get wrapped up in stories; but it's better than reading while my kids tear the house apart during the day.

I've mentioned before that I love browsing Borders, even when I'm not in the market for a new book. I like to grab a to-go mocha from Panera Bread and just meander through the bookstore. There's also a great used bookstore near my house that lets you use full store credit on purchases, which I love.

Next on my to-read list is The Zookeeper's Wife, by Diane Ackerman. It's a true story about a married Polish couple who saves several hundred people from the Nazis by hiding them in empty animal cages after the zoo is bombed. Not exactly light reading, but I just found it tucked away and decided to dive in next.

{So...what does your Summer Reading List look like?}

Your Dishing It! Party Topic for July

I wanted to remind everyone that the next Dishing It! party is coming up this Wednesday. I know some new Followers have joined up since the last party, so I'll explain what this is all about.

One of my favorite things ever is having a girlfriend over for coffee and dishing over anything and everything. That's what Dishing It! is all about: getting to know other bloggers.

source

Dishing It! is my way of getting bloggers together to chat about a common topic. I'll post a topic today, and ask everyone to link up and hop around Wednesday and Thursday, after the party goes live. You can view the first party here and the second one here. 

The community aspect of blogging is so important! I found many of my favorite blogs and blog friends through participating in blog parties and leaving comments.

With that in mind, I hope this month's topic gets everyone talking. Here's our topic:

{Your Summer Reading List}

Please feel free to use this as a question and answer post, or use it as a loose guide to write your post however you like. Add or omit any questions you like, and feel free to embellish with photos! (Note: If you're a mom and haven't read anything except Goodnight, Moon in three years, think back to when you used to have time.)

~Give us your list of top 5 picks for summer reading.
~What genre of literature makes you want to pick up a book and read (biographies, chick lit, Christian fiction,  historical fiction, etc.)?
~What are your favorite magazines?
~If you had to be stuck on a desert island with any fictional character, who would you choose?
~How do you make time to escape into a good book?
~What's your favorite place to get your books?
~What's next on your "to-read" list?

All I ask is that you link back to me at the specific party post, which will go up on Tuesday night; and that you take the time to visit at least 2 or 3 other blogs on the list. If you need a few days before you know you'll have a chance to visit some of the other links, that's okay, but a blog party doesn't work unless participants join in the party. (You can read my Manifesto on Blog Parties if you're not sure what I'm talking about.)

Here's the code for the cutesy party button. I'd love it if you'd add it to your post.

<a href="http://www.serenitynow4amanda.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i523.photobucket.com/albums/w351/laurenjh04/Custom%20Designs/Amanda/150dish.png" /></a><br/>

I hope you'll come by and link up on July 14th!

I'll be back later with a Thrifty Treasure I found this weekend.

Dishing it! Party

Welcome to the June edition of my Dishing It! party!

I'm so glad you're here, and I hope that you are planning on having a lot of fun visiting around some other great blogs. Anyone who links up between now and 10 pm (ET) on Thursday night (with a valid link) will receive an extra entry in this week's Scentsy Giveaway!

I planned this party as a way for bloggers to not only share a little bit about themselves, but to also make an effort to get to know some of the other wonderful people out there in Blogland. New bloggers and seasoned pros are all welcome!

I do have a few quick rules that I'd like you to stick to if you're planning on linking up with me. Nothing crazy, just basic blogging etiquette, but it would help me out so much if you'd follow through so I don't have to delete links.

1. Please be sure to enter the link to your specific party post.

2. Please include a link to THIS post somewhere within your own post. 

3. Please leave me a comment with your party link as well. This helps tremendously in case there are problems with the inlinkz system. Send me an email if your link won't go up after a few tries. I can work with you to get your post linked up!

Also, it's just plain nice to leave me a comment. (wink)

4. MINGLE. A party is not a party unless you visit! Please take a few minutes to visit at least one or two other links on the list and leave a thoughtful, genuine comment. It is totally okay if you need a day or two, but I'd like for each participant to visit at least one or two of the other blogs by the end of the week. I think that's a doable request.

If you're new here and missed the party info., here it is one more time:

Since we focused on Moms this month, we'll give Dads the fair share in June.

{Dads}

Please feel free to use this as a question and answer post, or use it as a loose guide to write your post however you like. Add or omit any questions you like, and feel free to embellish with photos!

~Name your favorite TV or Movie dad.

~What's the best thing about your dad?

~If your own dad isn't around, do you have a family member or mentor who can stand in for him?

~What's something you enjoyed doing with your dad when you were a child OR what do your kids like to do with their dad?

~If your husband is a father, what does he do that makes him a great dad?

~Tell us a funny story about your dad or your husband.

~Do you have any great Father's Day crafts, recipes, or activities you can share or link to?

Here's the code for the cutesy new party button. I'd love it if you'd add it to your post.

<a href="http://www.serenitynow4amanda.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i523.photobucket.com/albums/w351/laurenjh04/Custom%20Designs/Amanda/150dish.png" /></a><br/>
Link up right here (email me if you have trouble and I'll help you out), and don't forget to do some visiting!


Here's my own contribution this month:

My favorite TV dad is probably Cliff Huxtable, played to perfection by Bill Cosby. He was a smart, funny dad who didn't take any crap from his kids...much like this famous scene:


My own dad passed away from pancreatic cancer when I was 16, but he was also very funny. Besides his sense of humor, I now appreciate that he was always willing to let the kids tag along as he worked or relaxed.

He also loved traveling and exploring. He was our tour guide when we visited Western Europe in 1995, and my first trip to our local Target was with him. He wanted to see what all the fuss was about, and we both agreed that it was pretty cool!

As for T, the poor guy has done a great job in a house brimming with estrogen. Even the dogs are girls.

He's an expert at feigning interest in dress-up ensembles, tea parties, and doll house.

Those girls have him wrapped around their fingers. He called me during my moms' night out once, frantic.

"I just asked Natalie if she wants to go to bed and she said 'no.' What do I do?"

See?

I don't have any fun Father's Day crafts, recipes, or activities to share, but I hope you do!



You may have thought I didn't see,
Or that I hadn't heard,
Life lessons that you taught to me,
But I got every word.


Perhaps you thought I missed it all,
And that we'd grow apart,
But Dad, I picked up everything,
It's written on my heart.


Without you, Dad, I wouldn't be
The woman I am today;
You built a strong foundation
No one can take away.


I've grown up with your values,
And I'm very glad I did;
So here's to you, dear father,
From your forever grateful kid.

-Joanna Fuchs

I Hope You'll Join Me!

I'm hosting another Dishing It! party this week! The linky will go live tonight at 10 pm (ET) and will stay open for new links until Thursday night.

Anyone who links up with a (valid!) link will get an automatic extra entry in Thursday's Giveaway from Scentsy!

If you missed Sunday's post, here is the topic for this month as well as the button code for the party.

Since we focused on Moms this month, we'll give Dads the fair share in June.

{Dads}

Please feel free to use this as a question and answer post, or use it as a loose guide to write your post however you like. Add or omit any questions you like, and feel free to embellish with photos!

~Name your favorite TV or Movie dad.

~What's the best thing about your dad?

~If your own dad isn't around, do you have a family member or mentor who can stand in for him?

~What's something you enjoyed doing with your dad when you were a child OR what do your kids like to do with their dad?

~If your husband is a father, what does he do that makes him a great dad?

~Tell us a funny story about your dad or your husband.

~Do you have any great Father's Day crafts, recipes, or activities you can share or link to?

All I ask is that you link back to me at the specific party post, which will go up tonight; and that you take the time to visit at least 2 or 3 other blogs on the list. If you need a few days before you know you'll have a chance to visit some of the other links, that's okay, but a blog party doesn't work unless participants join in the party.

Here's the code for the cutesy new party button. I'd love it if you'd add it to your post.

<a href="http://www.serenitynow4amanda.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i523.photobucket.com/albums/w351/laurenjh04/Custom%20Designs/Amanda/150dish.png" /></a><br/>

Hope you'll join me and find some super-fun new blogs to read!

Your Dishing It! Party Topic for June

Hello, Blogland!

I wanted to remind everyone that the next Dishing It! party is coming up this Wednesday.

One of my favorite things ever is having a girlfriend over for coffee and dishing over anything and everything. That's what Dishing It! is all about: getting to know other bloggers.

source

Dishing It! is my way of getting bloggers together to chat about a common topic. I'll post a topic today, and ask everyone to link up and hop around Wednesday and Thursday, after the party goes live. You can view the first party here and the second one here. 

The community aspect of blogging is so important! I found many of my favorite blogs and blog friends through participating in blog parties and leaving comments.

With that in mind, the topic for this month's party is in honor of the holiday that's quickly approaching. Since we focused on Moms this month, we'll give Dads the fair share in June. Here's our topic:

{Dads}

Please feel free to use this as a question and answer post, or use it as a loose guide to write your post however you like. Add or omit any questions you like, and feel free to embellish with photos!

~Name your favorite TV or Movie dad.

~What's the best thing about your dad?
~If your own dad isn't around, do you have a family member or mentor who can stand in for him?
~What's something you enjoyed doing with your dad when you were a child OR what do your kids like to do with their dad?
~If your husband is a father, what does he do that makes him a great dad?
~Tell us a funny story about your dad or your husband.
~Do you have any great Father's Day crafts, recipes, or activities you can share or link to?

All I ask is that you link back to me at the specific party post, which will go up on Tuesday night; and that you take the time to visit at least 2 or 3 other blogs on the list. If you need a few days before you know you'll have a chance to visit some of the other links, that's okay, but a blog party doesn't work unless participants join in the party. (You can read my Manifesto on Blog Parties if you're not sure what I'm talking about.)

Here's the code for the cutesy new party button. I'd love it if you'd add it to your post.

<a href="http://www.serenitynow4amanda.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i523.photobucket.com/albums/w351/laurenjh04/Custom%20Designs/Amanda/150dish.png" /></a><br/>

I hope you'll come by and link up on June 9th!

Dishing It! Party

Welcome to the May edition of my Dishing It! party! I'm so glad you're here, and I hope that you are planning on having a lot of fun visiting around some other great blogs.

I planned this party as a way for bloggers to not only share a little bit about themselves, but to also make an effort to get to know some of the other wonderful people out there in Blogland. New bloggers and seasoned pros are all welcome!

I do have a few quick rules that I'd like you to stick to if you're planning on linking up with me. Nothing crazy, just basic blogging etiquette, but it would help me out so much if you'd follow through so I don't have to delete links.

1. Please be sure to enter the link to your specific party post.

2. Please include a link to THIS post somewhere within your own post. It's just good manners. I will have to delete your entry if I don't see a link to this post.

3. Please leave me a comment with your party link as well. This helps tremendously in case there are problems with the inlinkz system. I've had major problems with MckLinky recently, so we're trying something new. Please be patient with me, and send me an email if your link won't go up after a few tries. I can work with you to get your post linked up!

Also, it's just plain nice to leave me a comment. (wink)

4. MINGLE. After going on and on about Blog Party Etiquette recently, it seems that many of you agree that a party is not a party unless you visit! Please take a few minutes to visit at least one or two other links on the list and leave a thoughtful, genuine comment. 

Really, I can't say enough about going out and visiting some of the other links. It will hopefully bring some traffic to your blog. It is totally okay if you need a day or two, but I'd like for each participant to visit at least one or two of the other blogs by the end of the week. I think that's a doable request.

Here's the topic again in case you missed it the other day:

Moms

YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A MOM TO PARTICIPATE. Please feel free to use this as a question and answer post, or use it as a loose guide to write your post however you like. Add or omit any questions you like, and feel free to embellish with photos!

~What's the best thing about your mom?

~If your mom isn't around, do you have a family member or mentor who can stand in for her?

~What's your relationship with your mom like (do you just tolerate each other, or is she your best confidant)?

~If there is one quality about your mom that you could emulate, what would it be?

~What's the best advice your mom has ever given you?

~Describe the most embarrassing outfit your mom made you wear when you were growing up. (If you have a photo of this, I will give you ten bonus points!)

~If you're a mom, what's your favorite thing about motherhood? What's the most difficult?

Okay, enough chit chat. The party is open for new links until 8 pm (ET) on Thursday. Link up here where you see the blue inlinkz button and have fun encouraging each other. Please email me if your link doesn't appear on the list with the others. (Sometimes it takes a few tries)



Here's my contribution this month:

This is my mom. We call her Mimi.

She doesn't remember how to find my blog, and she can't really figure out Facebook, so I doubt she'll see this.

I've known her for twenty-faux whole years. From the days I had my parents all to myself

to the days the other two showed up.

Some days, she dressed me in cute things that I'd let my own girls wear:

And then, there are no words (I'm 3rd from the Right, by the way. And yes, those are knee pads. We had to slide across the floor.):

Mimi sometimes forgets that I am twenty-faux and a mother of two. Unsolicited "advice" is often "offered," but I think it must be hard to look at your grown children and just. let. go. Especially when you only live 5 minutes from your oldest and most clever daughter.

The thing I appreciate most about Mimi is how generous she is with her time and how much joy she finds in her grandkids. She offers to spend time with the girls when she knows I've had it, and to see the excitement on Natalie and Michaela Byrd's faces when they see her car pull in the driveway says it all.

I've learned a lot about mothering from Mimi. My favorite part of being a mom is knowing that two little people love me for me. They don't care what I look like, if I have make-up on, if I'm wearing designer shoes, or if I like to sing and dance when we're home. The hardest part of being a mom is the built-in mommy guilt/worry that they must inject you with at the hospital before you leave.

I give Mimi a hard time over the fact that she can't figure out what Etsy is, and she still wears skirts that make me sad, and she stomps her foot when she gets mad, and she always complains about how cold my house is....

But the truth is, I couldn't ask for a better mom. She was the mom who read stories to me, made me Barbie clothes, made me play outside, made me stick with dance, encouraged creativity, didn't kill me when I brought home a D in math, and parented me through the last of my teen years by herself after my dad passed.

Thanks, Mom.

"My mother is a poem

I'll never be able to write, 

Though everything I write

Is a poem to my mother."

-Sharon Doubiago

Thanks to all of you for visiting today!

You're Invited!

Just a quick reminder that the Dishing It! party will go live tonight around 10 pm (ET). You can visit Sunday's post for the topic, questions, and button code.

I hope you'll link up and have a blast visiting some other super cool blogs!

Have a lovely Tuesday...I'll be back later this morning with some fun.

Your Dishing It! Party Topic

Hello, Blogland!

I wanted to remind everyone that the next Dishing It! party is coming up this Wednesday.

One of my favorite things ever is having a girlfriend over for coffee and dishing over anything and everything. That's what Dishing It! is all about: getting to know other bloggers.

source

Dishing It! is my way of getting bloggers together to chat about a common topic. I'll post a topic today, and ask everyone to link up and hop around Wednesday and Thursday, after the party goes live. I think it will be a fun way for us to get to know other bloggers. You can view the first party here. 

The community aspect of blogging is so important! I found many of my favorite blogs and blog friends through participating in blog parties and leaving comments.

With that in mind, here is the topic for this month's party, in honor of the holiday that's quickly approaching (that was a hint, T). 

Moms

YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A MOM TO PARTICIPATE. Please feel free to use this as a question and answer post, or use it as a loose guide to write your post however you like. Add or omit any questions you like, and feel free to embellish with photos!

~What's the best thing about your mom?
~If your mom isn't around, do you have a family member or mentor who can stand in for her?
~What's your relationship with your mom like (do you just tolerate each other, or is she your best confidant)?
~If there is one quality about your mom that you could emulate, what would it be?
~What's the best advice your mom has ever given you?
~Describe the most embarrassing outfit your mom made you wear when you were growing up. (If you have a photo of this, I will give you ten bonus points!)
~If you're a mom, what's your favorite thing about motherhood? What's the most difficult?

All I ask is that you link back to me at the specific party post, which will go up on Tuesday night; and that you take the time to visit at least 2 or 3 other blogs on the list. If you need a few days before you know you'll have a chance to visit some of the other links, that's okay, but a blog party doesn't work unless participants join in the party. (You can read my Manifesto on Blog Parties if you're not sure what I'm talking about.)

Here's the code for the cutesy new party button. I'd love it if you'd add it to your post.

<a href="http://www.serenitynow4amanda.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i523.photobucket.com/albums/w351/laurenjh04/Custom%20Designs/Amanda/150dish.png" /></a><br/>

I hope you'll come by and link up on May 5th!

I'll be back later today with some Thrifty Treasures!