10 Things You (Probably) Don’t Know About Me

Have you ever spent a lot of time reading someone’s blog, followed the births of their children, seen news regarding their new home or things going on in their extended family and started to feel like you really know them? I know I have! I enjoy getting to know other bloggers through their blog posts and Facebook and admittedly, some of my really good friends on Facebook are other bloggers! All that said, I’d like to share 10 things you (probably) don’t know about me today here on the blog so you can get to know me a little better.

I like playing games.

Before having kids, we used to have regular game nights with friends and now that the kids are getting older, we’re able to do that again once in a while. I love most games I’ve played and enjoy trying new games. Some of my current favorites are Code Names, Wits and Wagers, and Ticket to Ride. My all time favorite games are word games like Taboo and Catch Phrase. I’ve also really started enjoying cooperative games, as long as someone I’m playing with knows how to play well. Since having kids, I haven’t had time to really learn to play these new games well enough to direct them myself, but I do enjoy them. My favorite cooperative games that I’ve played include Castle Panic and Pandemic.

I don’t like scary movies. (Even if they’re not very scary.)

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve had vivid nightmares anytime I watch something even a little bit scary. Sometimes things that aren’t even scary give me nightmares. I remember watching Close Encounters of the Third Kind, thinking it was really dumb, then having nightmares that night about aliens. My dreams are often so vivid, I wake up sweating or in tears. So, even though many of these “scary” movies seem simply ridiculous during the day, I just avoid them.

As a side note, the same goes for intense books. I remember reading the Left Behind series when I was in college and having nightmares about being chased. I’d wake up sweating and totally unrested and although I was thoroughly enjoying the series, I ended up giving it up so I could sleep better at night!

I’m a pretty good artist.

Or at least I think so! Although many of you know I have a crafty/artistic side because of my crochet projects, you may not know that I also paint landscapes and other pieces. I’m no Bob Ross, but I do enjoy it and hope to get back to painting more when my kids are older. It’s something that takes a lot of time, but is also very relaxing for me. It’s just not something I have time to do at this season in my life. This seascape is one of my favorite pieces I’ve ever painted.

I’m a terrible housekeeper.

If you’ve followed my blog very long, you know this one is true. Housekeeping is not my gig. If I could hire it out, I would. I have to work really, really hard to keep my house halfway presentable and it’s just not something I’m good at. Some people are blessed with that talent. I am not one of those people.

I have an education degree and used to teach 5th grade, but my homeschool looks totally different from how my classroom looked.

If you were to sit in on a typical homeschool day, you would never guess that I had been a classroom teacher. My children do hardly any worksheets, we don’t have a scheduled order of the day, and I’m incredibly laid back about the posture they take while learning. Many of our days are filled with reading together followed by a YouTube video, exploring more detail on the internet, or playing learning games on their tablets. Often, one of the girls is perched on the couch behind me playing with my hair while we read together. Having experienced life in a typical classroom, I knew going into homeschooling that I wanted it to look different and boy oh boy…it does.

My favorite food is pizza.

I know, I sound like a little kid, but it’s true. When choosing where to go out to dinner, I almost always choose Pizza Ranch. I also love breadsticks and chicken gnocchi soup from Olive Garden and chicken fettuccine Alfredo, but if I have to pick just one food, it’ll be pizza every time.

I love fishing.

I’ll bet you didn’t see that one coming, did you? One of my favorite things to do is go out on the boat with my dad (and since getting married, my husband and most recently, my kids) and fish. It’s relaxing and I love being out in nature, just breathing in creation. Catching fish isn’t bad either! The excitement of it mixed in with the peace of the surroundings is something that always recharges me. We only go to my parents’ lake house a couple times a year, but I look forward to that trip all year long.

I’m working on growing an Expo/entrepreneur training business.

One of my “side gigs” is the Super Savvy Sisters. We run Expos twice a year where we have crafters, vintage vendors, and direct sales vendors selling their goods along with classes and make and take booths that run throughout the day. This business, started by myself and some ladies I’m thrilled to call “sisters” has grown so much in the past few years and we’re excited as we watch it grow more! This past month, we ran our first training session for entrepreneurs that went so well, we’re already planning our next training! It’s exciting to watch this business grow and it’s a very rewarding venture for me.

When my kids grow up, I want to be…

Too many things! I have so many interests that I want to pursue once my children are old enough that they’re more independent. One of my passions is childbirth and everything that entails. I would love to be a childbirth or breastfeeding educator or a doula. Having attended several births of friends and family, I feel very passionately that every woman should have the support she needs in her birthing place and that the birthing trends currently dominating in the United States need to change. I would love to be a part of that change. Being a doula isn’t something that requires a small time commitment though, so it’s something I’m keeping in the back of my mind for a time when my children are older.

I love to read Amish fiction.

Guilty. Pleasure. Haha! But really, reading Amish fiction is a total escape from reality for me. My favorite author for Amish fiction novels is Beverly Lewis. Her writing style, the way she weaves the characters stories together, and how she integrates God into every aspect just touches me. Many a tear has been shed reading Beverly Lewis’s writings. My favorite is the Abram’s Daughters series.

I also love the Harry Potter books. I know…they could NOT be more different, right? I guess what it comes down to is, I love reading exciting novels! My favorite classes in college were my women’s lit class and my Mark Twain lit class. Reading is just a great way for me to relax and unwind.

So there you go! 10 things you (probably didn’t know about me!

I hope you enjoyed getting to know me a little better and that we can be better virtual friends because of it. I’d love to get to know you better! If you have a blog, share the link in the comments so I can come visit you!