Ten on Tuesday (71)

Today’s batch of questions is from Angie at Lariats and Lavender. Thanks, Angie!

1. What is your cleaning style like?
I didn’t know there was such a thing. My style is: Ignore it until it goes away. (Hint: It never goes away.) I don’t understand you people who love to clean. Something is wrong with you!

2. What is your favorite thing to add to an outfit to take it from casual to classy?
Either a scarf or tall boots.

3. Do you like stormy weather?
Yes, except when it gives me a headache or when I have to drive in it.

4. What is your favorite cold treat on a hot day?
Ripe fruit, ice cream, or a beer.

5. What is your favorite warm treat on a cold day?
Coffee or hot chocolate. OH, NO! Grilled cheese and tomato soup! With the tomato soup served in a big mug.

6. Who is your favorite animated character?
I don’t know that I have one. I’m sure that I’ll think of something as I’m reading your answers.

7. What do you keep your jewelry in?
A jewelry box that Stephen made me as a wedding gift. It pretty awesome! My mom got me this super cute Vera Bradley jewelry roll-up thing for travel. The print is so cute! Here’s a link!

8. Do any of the rooms in your house have a theme?
Nope. Jansen’s room has the theme of bright and non-baby! Here’s a link to that if you are new to my blog. (And please ignore that I misspelled “cloths” as “clothes.”) Ha, the title of that post is “The Reveal: The Themeless Nursery.”

9. Do you watch any interior design TV shows – if so, what is your favorite?
Not anymore. They give me home envy and I don’t like that. It’s hard enough to love my old home, I don’t need television shows to make it magnified.

10. When was the last time you did something risk-taking?
I’m kind of a wimp. The biggest risk I took lately was driving on a Houston freeway. Or maybe changing Jansen’s diaper without a pee pee teepee.

Your turn to link it up!

Ten on Tuesday (70)

This week’s questions were provided by KEZ from Sinner Following Jesus. Go say hello and thank her for her questions. They are a fun bunch! I’m not the only one who thinks so, Twitter was all a flutter last night with people talking about how great these questions are!

Also, just to let you all know, the questions are posted every Monday morning. See that Ten on Tuesday button on the right? Click that. The questions and previous weeks are listed there. Lots of those archive links are screwed up. One day when I have about 4 spare hours or an intern, I’ll fix those.

1. How did your parents decide on your name?
Well my parents were going to name me Megan but decided not to since it rhymed with my last name. They picked out two names that they liked (were they from a book, mom?) and asked my brother what he liked. He chose Chelsea.

2. Do your initials (First, Middle, Last) spell out anything fun/funny?
Nope. I used to be CRR, now I am CRH. Although my dad’s initials are KAR and his old license plate used to be THE KAR. Then he got a truck. His name is Kurt A. so his new license plate is A TRUK, which is Kurt A. backward. Leave him a comment and tell him how clever he is.

3. Did you take your middle name from childhood or did you take your maiden name as your middle name? (If unmarried, what do you plan to do?)
I kept my middle name for a few reason. First, I believe that marriage is when two become one. A woman leaves her family and becomes one with her husband. It’s very symbolic to me to drop that name and take my husband’s name. Secondly, my maiden name was 10 letters long. That’s just ridiculous.

4. Are you or will you name your children thematically (ie. same first letter, all of same origin…)
No. I don’t like themed children. The only thing that will be consistent with our children is that they’ll have middle names that have family significance.

5. Did you decide on baby names as a little girl? Did you stick to them or change your mind?
I liked several names throughout my life but never settled on one. I always knew I’d want to choose names with my husband. I’m glad, too, because I think Jansen is a pretty awesome name. The girl name we picked out is awesome too, but I’m realllllly scared that it’s about to become popular. I’ve heard a few baby girls with the name lately and it really makes me angry. I thought we were being so original.

6. Does your family have any names that have been passed down through generations?
Jansen, Stephen, and Stephen’s dad all share the same middle name, Bridges. That’s the only one.

7. Do you look at the meaning of the name or just the name itself?
I don’t look at the meaning. I don’t really care what a name means as long as I like the name. That may be because Chelsea means “a harbor” and I never really identified with that. Although Stephen and I recently discussed how we like the idea of naming a child after the character you want them to have, like they did in the Bible. But mainly we just want to choose unique names that sound good with our last name.

8. Do you name pets with human names (Sally, Henry) or with pet names (Fluffy, Mr. Bo Bo)?
Our dog’s name is Rookie. I assume there are no humans by this name.

9. Are there any names that you have an affinity or dislike for based on a childhood experience/someone you once knew?
None that I extremely love or hate, but almost every name has a connotation to it. That’s one reason we really wanted to choose unique names for our kids.

10. What are some of your favorite names? Why?
Well I can’t tell you some of them because we like to keep our baby names a secret. But I have always loved the names Kate and Jane. Something about the simple elegance of those timeless names. But I’ll never use them because our last name is only one syllable and that just sounds weird.

Link up here.

Ten on Tuesday (69)

This week’s questions are from Stefanie at The Stallings Life.

1. What type of cell phone do you have and how would you rate it?
I have the LG Dare. It’s alright. I’d previously always had the freebie phones so this was quite an improvement. But it’s starting to get slow and it’s not very user-friendly as far as the internet goes. I check my email, Facebook, and Twitter on it but it’s a pain to actually send something out. I think Stephen and I will probably get iPhones this summer when our contract is ready for renewal.

2. What has been your most serious injury?
I broke my arm when I was little. I fell off a trampoline… while I was just standing there. As far as pain and length, I’d say my herniated disc is my most serious injury. It’s one of those things that never goes away. Also, the aftermath of childbirth was pretty painful. Oh, and the beginning of breastfeeding. But I wouldn’t call that a serious injury even though it hurt so bad it made me cry.

3. What is one movie you hate and why?
I hate a lot of movies that people love. Two examples: Anchorman and Love Actually. I also hate movies where bad things happen over and over… like Meet the Parents. They give me anxiety.

4. How many email addresses do you have?
I guess 4. My work email, my personal email, my junk email, and a family email address that gets forwarded to my personal email.

5. What website do you waste the most time on?
Probably Twitter. As much as I was anti-Twitter, I’m thankful that I became an active user before I had Jansen. I don’t need parenting books or Google, there are so many other moms on there going through the exact things I am going through. All I have to do is tweet a question and hoards of mamas come to my rescue. It’s been especially wonderful to get to know Erin (@stateiamin) because she’s also an exclusive fulltime pumper. (Follow me @rootsandrings.) 

6. Which mexican restaurant makes the best salsa?
I don’t think I’m the best judge of salsa. I’m a Texan who hates spicy food and cilantro. I know, I know. I want to like spicy food, I just can’t. I’m a wimp. I just take one bite and I get snotty and all I taste is hot. So my favorites are the non-spicy ones that are light on cilantro. I do like Papasitos because they serve their salsa warm.

7. What is your dream car?
I don’t really have one. That’s not true. My dream car is as follows: Big but not too big, practical, paid off, no rattling windows or random parts that you’ll never be able to locate, good gas mileage, lasts 20 years without giving me any grief, self cleaning – both inside and out, sunroof, DVD players in the back, great trunk space, and no small cracks the collect crumbs.  

8. If you could spend up to $100 with no strings or restrictions or guilt, what would you buy?
I’d prefer to put it in our Vacation Fund envelope since we have a few vacations planned this year that involve plane tickets and rental cars. But if I had to spend it I would probably buy another pair of TOMs ($50), a massage from the massage school ($30), a bottle of OPI ($7), a bottle of Choco Vine ($9), and a tall Java Chip Frappachino with peppermint ($4). (You SAID guilt-free! Realistically I think diapers should be in there somewhere!)

9. What is your favorite board game?
I don’t really know. I like Cranium when I’m on Stephen’s team and he lets me do the creative (drawing, sculpting, etc.) questions and he handles the smart ones (trivia, music, spelling, etc.)

10. How often do you change your hairstyle?
About once every never.

Link up!

Ten on Tuesday (68)

Today’s questions come from Nora at Walking With Nora. They are a nice random bunch!

1. What are your thoughts on Valentine’s Day. Do you love it? Hate it?
I really have no preference. I’m allergic to unnecessary spending and this sort of falls into that category. I like to get a card from Stephen and we always make dinner together.

2. What is your favorite romantic comedy?
You’ve Got Mail.

3. Meg Ryan & John Mellencamp: what’s your first reaction?
I don’t know the gossip here so my first reaction it this: (blank stare).

4. All time favorite poem or quote? 
My favorite poem is I Cannot Go To School Today, by Shel Silverstein.  

“I cannot go to school today”
Said little Peggy Ann McKay.
“I have the measles and the mumps,
A gash, a rash and purple bumps.

My mouth is wet, my throat is dry.
I’m going blind in my right eye.
My tonsils are as big as rocks,
I’ve counted sixteen chicken pox.

And there’s one more – that’s seventeen,
And don’t you think my face looks green?
My leg is cut, my eyes are blue,
It might be the instamatic flu.

I cough and sneeze and gasp and choke,
I’m sure that my left leg is broke.
My hip hurts when I move my chin,
My belly button’s caving in.

My back is wrenched, my ankle’s sprained,
My ‘pendix pains each time it rains.
My toes are cold, my toes are numb,

I have a sliver in my thumb.

My neck is stiff, my voice is weak,
I hardly whisper when I speak.
My tongue is filling up my mouth,

I think my hair is falling out.

My elbow’s bent, my spine ain’t straight,
My temperature is one-o-eight.
My brain is shrunk, I cannot hear,

There’s a hole inside my ear.

I have a hangnail, and my heart is …
What? What’s that? What’s that you say?
You say today is ………….. Saturday?

G’bye, I’m going out to play!”

 

5. What’s the longest amount of time you’ve gone without sleep? (like consecutive hours).
Probably around 30 hours. I pulled one or two all nighters in college but I always went right to sleep after class.

6. What color ink do you prefer to use?
At work I always use blue because I work with a lot of paperwork that needs original signatures. Blue ink helps me determine which are originals and which are copies. At home I don’t really care, as long as it’s a Pilot V5 Extra Fine.

7. Share with us a blog that you recently found and fell in love with (and link us!)
I don’t have time to find new blogs, I hardly have time to visit old blogs. One of my favorite that I haven’t already told you about (PW, Big Mama, LfT, etc.) is Stacie’s blog. She’s funny and I want to be her friend. She lives in New York (not New York City… she has taught us that there is more to the state of New York than NYC) but I want her to move to Texas. Also, she has a cute Etsy shop and I want one of her bracelets.

8. If you could be on a reality TV show which one would you choose?
Worst Cooks In America. Not because I think I am one of the worst cooks in America, but because I think I could have a head start! Plus, I love Anne Burrell and I’d love to learn from her.

9. Mountains or Beach?
If you don’t know my answer, I have not done a very good job of talking about myself every single weekday.

(Beach.)

10. With the Oscars around the corner, what’s your pick for best picture?
I don’t even know! I don’t watch many movies and I’m sure the one that wins will be something I have no desire to see. Do you have any recommendations for someone like me that doesn’t enjoy serious, foreign, scary, sci-fi, or action movies?

Here’s Mr. Linky! (Also, to those of you not linking up, you can still click here to see all the participants and go view their blogs.)

Ten on Tuesday (67)

These questions are from Ashley (<- link). She said she’s tired of the cold weather and we should start thinking about summer.

1. Any vacations you are looking forward to this summer?
Yes. We are going to Chicago for a wedding and we’re going to make a vacation out of it. I’m pretty excited. I’ll be soliciting your advice here in the next week or two. Bloggers have lots of opinions about things like that.

2. What is your favorite article of summer clothing (shoes are included)?
Cotton sundresses. I love my Reefs and I love my Sperry’s, but I live in cotton dresses.

3. What is your favorite summer drink (alcoholic or non)?
That’s a tough one. I love an ice cold Bud Light on a hot day. But I also love fun, fruity drinks and raspberry mojitos. And I love a big glass of sweet tea.

4. Do you tan or burn?
Burn. Burn. Burn.

5. Any goals you are working toward this summer?
My one goal is to get into a bathing suit and be comfortable. I’ve pretty much convinced myself that I’ll be in tankinis until these stretch marks fade. I just love people too much to expose them to my purpley lines.

6. What is your favorite summertime food?
Fresh berries. After our strawberry picking adventure last year, I’m now convinced that there is NOTHING better than a strawberry straight from the vine.

7. What song most says “summer” to you?
I have no idea. Maybe some old school Pat Green. It reminds me of summertime adventures in high school. Two of my girlfriends and I went to several of his dancehall concerts, most were not in Houston so we took mini-roadtrips. Good times.

8. Any home improvement goals planned for this summer?
My whole life is a giant home improvement goal.

9. What is one thing you hate to see at the beach?
I’m listing more than one thing because I have lots of thoughts and feelings on the matter: Large people in small bathing suits, kids without sunscreen, rain clouds, a giant boardwalk going up at MY portion of the beach that I know will cause traffic and overcrowding, jellyfish or sharks, an empty cooler, and trash.

10. Did you ever go to a summer camp?
Oh yes I did! I went to weekend summer camp once or twice and then I went to a week long summer camp twice. It was fun minus the dirt, bugs, showering with shoes on, and coed dance night. The best part was The Blob. (Giant balloon like thing in the lake – you jump off a platform on it. I think they also have them in Heaven.)

Your turn!

Ten on Tuesday (66)

I made up these questions. I have a set in my email from someone but they are lost. I have a week to find them before I beg her to rewrite them. If you’d like to send a set, email me: chelsea (at) rootsandrings (dot) com.

1. What’s your favorite kind of donut?
A Shipley’s glazed donut – hot and fresh. There’s nothing better. I could probably eat 6 of them.

2. Do you use the snooze button?
Yes. I used to push it several times but now I just push it twice. It’s a 5 minute snoozer. I usually push it once, then when it goes off I make sure Stephen gets out of bed and turns on the shower. While it’s heating up, I snooze one more time. (Yes, it takes that long to heat up, especially in the winter.) (And no, he doesn’t just wake up to turn on the shower. He likes to eat breakfast and watch the news. I couldn’t be bothered with that.)

3. Do you write in cursive, print, or a combination of the two?
Usually print unless I’m in a hurry and then it’s a messy mixture.

4. Tell us a joke.
What do you call a sleep walking nun?

Wait for it…. do you give up??

A Roman Catholic.

Ba dum tish! (I just Googled how to spell that. I was going to go with “ba dum ching!”)

5. How many languages do you speak?
English and a bit of Spanglish.

6. Why did you start blogging?
I didn’t really know anything about blogs and had no idea there was such a blogging community out there. I didn’t know that strangers would read and that I would make blog friends. I started blogging because I wanted to write. My life was sort of un-fulfilling at that time and I needed something creative in my life.

7. Do you use bar soap or liquid body wash?
I use Yardley Oatmeal and Honey bar soap. It has little specks in it that exfoliate. It smells good and it’s good for my sensitive skin.

8. Do you buy bottled water?
Rarely. Sometimes I’ll buy a case if there is a reason – like a trip to the beach or something. But we drink fridge water and I carry my Tervis Tumbler.

9. What did you think of the Super Bowl Half Time Show?
Dumb. I had high hopes too because I’m not a Blackeyed Peas hater. For the most part, I like them. (Except for their new version of Time of My Life… gross. Don’t change that song, it’s just fine the way it is.)

10. How do you feel about Steve Carell leaving The Office?
I think the show may as well be cancelled. I really can’t see them making a smooth transition with a new cast member. Once a television show starts making major changes like that, it tends to stray from what made it popular to begin with. Not that they have a choice since he is leaving and wasn’t fired. I’ll watch until it’s dumb. But really, it’s not my favorite show anymore. Big Bang Theory and Community are much better.

That’s all folks. Your turn. Link it up!

Ten on Tuesday (65)

These questions are from my real life best friend, Lyndsey. Click here to visit her blog.

1. What is your favorite childhood memory?
That is an impossibly hard question. I loved riding my bike around the neighborhood with my friends. We spent most of our summer days outside AS KIDS SHOULD.

2. What is your favorite quality about yourself?
I’m loyal and sometimes I can be funny.

3. What is your favorite thing that your child does?
I love most things about Jansen but I really love it when he gets a case of the giggles. He very rarely laughs for me but on Sunday night he was laying on my lap and started giggling for no reason. It was the cutest thing ever.

4. What is your favorite thing to do to relax?
Prepregnancy it was to sit in a hot bath with a glass of wine and a book. I don’t really do that anymore. Saturday morning Stephen and I laid in bed with Jansen in the middle while he giggled and baby talked. I loved every second of it.

5. What is your favorite restaurant? And what is your favorite thing on the menu?
Hmm, this is tough. Most of the restaurants I love are in Austin. Except there is a pizza place in Houston called Dolce Vita that I’m a huge fan of. They have this pizza with pears, arugula, and truffle oil. In Austin I love Maudie’s (I get the Rockin’ Ruthann with no onions), The Saltlick (it’s all you can eat, family style BBQ), and Austin Land and Cattle (steak). I’m sure I’m forgetting some.

6. What is your favorite piece of jewelry (besides your wedding ring)?
I guess it would be cheating if I said my engagement ring… I’ll go with my necklace. It has a heart charm with my monogram and a little boy silhouette charm with “Jansen Bridges” on it. Both are from my MIL.

7. What is your favorite night of the week M-TH? And why?
Thursday because it is the closest to Friday and has the best television shows. Although I’m upset that even with NBC’s line up changes, Community is still on at the same time as Big Bang Theory.

8. What is your favorite dessert?
Chocolate mousse or chocolate cheesecake. I also love bananas foster.

9. What is your favorite item in your make-up bag?
My Avon Glimmersticks eyeliner.

10. What is your favorite smell?
Stephen. Specifically, his armpits. He wears Axe Phoenix and it smells awesome. I also love fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies.

You’re up!

Ten on Tuesday (64)

These questions are from Sarah at Simply Sarah. I think they are a particularly fun and random bunch! If you’d like to submit a set, send them to me via email at chelsea (at) rootsandrings (dot) com.

1. Do you decorate for Valentine’s day?
Oh goodness no. I just hardly got all of my Christmas stuff down!

2. Does your desktop have a picture or computer graphic? Is it organized?
It’s not organized but it does have a picture. The one at work has a picture of Stephen and I at the Longhorns’ football stadium and my laptop has a picture of Jansen.

3. Do you use a paper planner, electric planner or no planner at all?
I have a paper planner that my sister made. Click here to see it. It’s that style but with a different cover. I love it. I love planners and I have it with me all the time.

4. Do you change purses or bags often or stick with a good thing?
I usually stick with one for about 6 months and then I get tired of it and get a new one.

5. What’s your favorite YouTube Video?
Boys Will Be Girls. If you have not seen it, do so immediately.

6. Do you use Turbo Tax or a real person to pay your taxes?
I use TurboTax or some other program like that and then I have my dad review it to see if I made any mistakes. My life isn’t complicated enough to pay a professional do to my taxes.

7. How many states have you set foot (or tire) in? Which ones?
Oh this is hard, let’s see what I can come up with. Texas (obviously), Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska, Missouri, Washington, Maryland, Virginia, New York, Michigan, Nevada, Georgia, Tennessee, Arkansas, California… I think that’s it. So 20 states.

Okay Stephen wants to do this now: Texas, New York, Pennsylania, Delaware, Maryland, West Virgina, Virginia, Michigan, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Nevada, Arizona, California, Hawaii, New Mexico… so 29. Wow.

8. How many countries have you been in? Which ones?
Just Mexico.

9. How many pillows are in your house? (Sleeping or decorative)
That’s almost an impossible question. I’m not even going to count.

10. How cold is too cold for flip flops?
I’m not really good at knowing degrees. If it’s not hot outside, I’m cold. I would guess that anything below 65 is probably too cold for me to wear flip flops. Is that a good guess?

Here’s Mr. Linky!

Ten on Tuesday (63)

Welcome to another week of Ten on Tuesday. I made up the questions this week. And, as usual, if you don’t like them then send me a set of your own. chelsea (at) rootsandrings (dot) com

1. What’s your favorite color to paint your nails?
I never paint my nails. I hate that it chips so quickly. Also, since my nails grow so fast, there is unpainted nail showing after like 3 days. However, I got the urge to paint my nails on Sunday (WHO AM I??) and, I must say, I sort of love them. Jansen really likes them too. They are OPI’s Dutch Tulips. So are my toenails in case you were wondering.

2. Do you like to sneeze?
I LOVE to sneeze, as long as I’m not driving. It’s so satisfying. I hate the burning nose feeling of when you need to sneeze but it won’t come out. That is torture.

3. How often do you fill up your car with gas?
Stephen fills up the car. We carpool so he always fills the tank. He’s the man. Also, I’m usually in mid-pump. (Yes I pump in the car while we’re driving. Often.) But to answer the question, I think we fill up about once a week.

4. Were you named after anyone?
I don’t think so. Mom? All I know is that they were going to name me Megan but decided against it because it rhymed with my last name. (I think we’ve been through this before.) So then they picked Chelsea and Rebecca and told my brother to pick which he liked best. He liked Chelsea. So now I am Chelsea Rebecca. Isn’t that how the story goes, mom?

5. Have you made any good recipes lately?
Yeah, on Saturday I went grocery shopping and there was a pack of chicken legs on super duper sale. I’ve never cooked with chicken legs before but I figured that was a good time to start. So I search the internet and then PW’s cooking section and ended up making something she calls chicken legs with tomato and garlic. (I think.) It was delicious. Last night I made her stew that she just posted. The flavor was good but it was really thin. I’m not sure if I did something wrong but I prefer thick stews. This was too brothy.

6. What’s an easy money-saving tip that you use regularly?
I shop with coupons and I always stick to my grocery list.

7. Would you rather have a sore throat or an ear ache?
Sore throat. Ear aches make your entire head hurt.

8. Do you have any scars? What are they from?
I have one on my knee from falling off a bike. (Who doesn’t?) I have one on my thigh from a ginormous splinter. I have one on each hand from kitchen burns. I have one on my back because a potential cancerous mole (aka: a dermatologist who loved the knife). And I have lots of stretch marks on my belly- I consider those scars.

9. What are you “known for” in your circle of friends/family? 
I’m addicted to Chapstick. Also, I’m known in my family for being the one who puts things on the internet. And I’m known among my friends as the one who got married and had a baby really young. (I don’t think it’s really young, for the record.)

10. How do you like to eat your pancakes?
I love blueberry pancakes with butter! And syrup on the side. Oh and also with a side of bacon.

Your turn. Link it up!

Ten on Tuesday (62)

These questions are from my friend, Molly. You can go visit her by clicking here.

1. Is there a band/artist that you HATE? 
I hate hate hate Shania Twain and Coldplay. I dislike Dave Matthews Band, Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, and all bands that scream so loud that you can’t understand the words.

2. What do you do when you get a gift that you do not like? How do you react?
I like most gifts I receive. And if I don’t like the gift, I still appreciate the gesture, so I can still be thankful for that.

3. How is your work office/cubicle decorated?
It isn’t. Work is not my happy place so I don’t spend much energy making it nice. I have a few pictures on my bookshelf and credenza. I can’t hang anything on my walls because they are decorative glass. I suppose I could tape things up but then it would be weird for my office neighbors.

4. Do you use all of your vacation every year?
Ha. Do we really want to get into this subject? I get 5 days per year… so, yeah. I use it all.

5. Did you have a real or fake Christmas tree?
Fake. And it’s still up. Don’t judge me. We’ll take it down this week. It’s huge and takes a while to take down. We had a full, fun weekend and sort of just ignored it.

6. If you could have anything for dinner tonight, what would it be?
I’m sort of in the mood for a grilled cheese sandwich and homemade tomato soup. We can’t have that though. I have defrosted chicken in the fridge. Plus, my husband doesn’t think we’ve had a meal unless meat is involved.

7. Do you bite your fingernails?
Absolutely not.

8. How many cups of coffee do you drink each day?
Anywhere between zero and four. It depends on how tired I am, if the office pot is full, and how my stomach feels.

9. Do you have a nervous tick?
No, unless you consider putting on Chapstick. I do it mindlessly and often do it to fill dead time.

10.  How often do you vacuum?
Our living room gets vacuumed about 2-4 times per week because we have a giant black rug that collects dog hair. The rest of our house? Not often enough. We have a Roomba but sometimes he gets lost.

Your turn. Link up!