Happy Spring, Happy Linky-love, Happy Winnings!

I can't believe it's almost Easter Sunday! They say we will never again see Easter this early in our lifetimes. I can't remember why . . . something with the moon . . . but how interesting that is! It's really really early this year but maybe it's a sign that we are going to have bulbs poking their beautiful heads up earlier than usual? I hope so. When I peeked outside this morning, I saw some new green grass poking out above the dead wintry grass. What a nice feeling to see beautiful colors of nature.

It is our first spring here at the new house and it's really bittersweet for me. While I'm excited to have the first spring here in the new house because it means my children have a new year of being a kid with brand new adventures, it's hard for me because I really really really miss where we use to live. Like tons. I don't know. It's just hard. There are many a days where I want to be back there. I hold back tears thinking about it. You know me, attachment to everything.

But on the positive side of this, with spring brings lots of new things. New flowers, of course, which I absolutely can't wait for. Neil and I can't wait to get our hands dirty and begin getting a new garden started and design a new perennial garden for our new and very empty back yard. With spring also brings new adventures for the kids. I'm hoping Maia will be able to actually pedal on her bike this year. Last year we had to push her everywhere and that got awfully tiring! I also am excited to find a walking trail for us to go on. Back in D-town we had a "route" we walked every single night. It equaled out to 1-2 miles. It should be interesting here in this new very small town because it's not all that big and 1 mile would take us to the other side of town!

In the blogging world, spring for me means finding new blogging friends. And with the Ultimate Blog Party, I managed to find a handful of friends through their fantastic blogs. Here's s a sampling of my faves in no particular order:

Minimalist Mommy
Adventures of Wondermommy
Robin Bielman
Valley Girl - I like her name, don't you? :c)
Candi @ All Day Night
Write From Karen
Sheena @ Mommy Daddy Blog
Jimaie.marie
Jessica in Rome
my melange
Conversations with my HairdryerA Sample of Jennifer's Thoughts (we have tons in common!)
Thoughts From Dimple Queen
Noel from Pretty By Nature
Becoming Me
Little Bird Creations
Daily Randomness
Figments
The Impoverished Preppy

Now I have to figure out how I'm going to keep up reading these when I constantly already have troubles doing so with the ones I already have in my bloglines . . . { sigh . . . }

So one of the people I mentioned above won my contest!!! Only FIVE people answered correctly! I give huge kudos to these five { Aimee, Candi, Erin, Jennifer, and Katie } because there were a lot of questions to answer and a lot of reading to answer those questions! I truly thank everyone who entered because it means a) you wanted to learn more about me and/or b) you really really wanted a canvas print! Either way, thank you. I had a lot of fun doing the contest and I hope this means you learned enough about me to want to come back.

Now for the winner . . . drum roll . . . Noah drew the name for me this morning . . . and he drew . . . Candi!! Yay, Candi!! I will be emailing you to find out how you want to go about the canvas. Be looking for your favorite digital photos on your computer! Congratulations, Candi! I'm so excited to have met you and I look forward to our future blogging frenzies. :c) Sorry dear Aimee, Erin, Jennifer and Katie . . . I hope to have more contests again with the same awesome prize! Thanks so so much for playing and being so loyal!

Anyone interested in the answers? Let me know and I'll post them. I feel like this post has probably already gotten a tad bit long, eh?

We're off to see the Easter bunny tonight. We've never done it before (Santa, either) so I think we may give it a try finally. Happy spring, happy Linky-love (amanda, I hope you don't mind I stole that slogan from you -- please forgive your bbbf) and happy winnings to Candi!

Game Over!

So . . . it's time for answers to the Val Quiz!

I think I have answered them all. The only one I didn't answer was what my dad does for a living. So . . . I will just tell you. He's a seed corn manager for a seed company. If you aren't from a farm community you'll probably wonder what in the world that is, but I don't have time to get into it now. Just know he is in the agriculture business :)

Please send me your answers by tomorrow, Wednesday March 19th at noon CST. Answers not received by then will not be counted. Even if you don't have all 25, I suggest sending them anyway because if someone with all 25 is wrong with one answer, well, they would then only have 24 answered correctly too, right?. Remember, the winner will receive a canvas gallery wrap! Woo-hooo!

Check out the first post with the questions, rules, requirements and my email addy.

Thank you for visiting and playing --- it's been such fun! Hope you'll be back!

I'll post the winner tomorrow evening!!!!!

It's time to . . . PARTY ON!

{ *** This is a "sticky" . . . brand NEW posts below!! One of them being about photography and my work space! *** }


Finally it's blog party time again at 5 Minutes for Mom!

Last year was my first year participating and it was one of the best times in my blogging life. I met so many wonderful blogging women, many of whom I became close friends with, and one of whom I MET IN REAL LIFE just this past October. So I really do consider it a party with other women . . . a way to connect with other stay-at-home work-from-home mommies . . . and a way to find friendships with these super-fabulous women. They're blessings in my life and I am quite excited to meet more of these amazing women starting TODAY! It's a blast of a time not to be missed.

Oh, and apparently I don't know all the rules! You are suppose to tell about your 3 favorite things you'd like to win, among others, so here they are in order:

#12 - $50 gift certificate to Happy Panda
#15 - $50 gift certificate to Kids Magical Wonder
#20 - $50 gift certificate to Paperlicious

I also adore the following prizes, too!
#34, #50, #70 (yum!), #76, #88, #100, #101, #103, #107, #114, #117, #126, #140, and #151.


Phew, okay, so about me!

I will be thirty-two (I don't like seeing the actual numbers!) in 8 days, I have been married 9 years to my amazing hubby (we've been together 15 years!), have two spectacular (miracle) children, Noah (almost 4-1/2) and and Maia (almost 2-1/2). We live in central Illinois. I love where we live because we are within 2-3 hours to Chicago, St. Louis AND Indianapolis so I easily can enjoy the city life while still living up the small-town life as well. I am a stay-at-home mommy, but also a work-at-home mommy. I have had my photography business for almost SIX years now. I am absolutely amazed by that. I never ever EVER thought I would be able to say that. It really does put a huge smile on my face when I think about it. (And I thank those who have helped me get here. I'm so so blessed!)

Let's see . . . I grew up on a farm (corn, beans, alfalfa) and loved every single minute of it. I miss it desperately at times. I have one brother (also amazing) who lives in Kansas City right now. I have a sister-in-law and brother-in-law who are our best friends. Michelle is the sister I never had. I have 4 very special precious nieces. We have a dog and 3 cats. I love love love animals. I also have great passion for photography (obviously, hehe), my friends, graphic design, gardening, traveling and God, of course. I love ketchup, the colors red & turquoise, coffee, dark chocolate, sushi, Oprah, fashion, interior design, coffee table books, old Disney movies, magazines, oh how the list can go on and on. These passions, including my children I will talk about more in the coming week. :c)

With that said, I thank you for coming to my blog and giving me the opportunity to share my life with you. I met a dozen amazing women last year (Erin ~ who I met in real life last October!, Amanda, Jen, to name a small few!) and hope to do the same this year. Getting to know mommies who blog is such a rewarding experience and it's became a huge part of my life.

I have four blogs (1, 2, 3, and this one) and hope you have the time to come visit me at all.

Now for my exciting part . . . I would like to offer a fun little contest called "Things I've Learned About Val". I have these 5 cards with 5 questions on them (click on them to read the questions easier) and some of you will already know a few of the answers, but most of you might not know any. But at the end of this blogging party week, I hope you will have answers to all of them and know a lot about me ~ enough for you to want to stay with me here :o)

So the actual contest . . . next Friday, the 14th, the first person who can email me the answers to all 25 questions will win a . . . drumroll . . . 8x10 canvas gallery-wrap of any personal photo you choose! It's approx a $100 value!!! These canvas-wraps are one (of the many fabulous) thing(s) I offer at VWC Photography.

So just for keeping up with me at my blog for 1 week, you can win one of these!!! (I love them - I have them all over my house!)

I need to have (correct, hehe) answers to me by noon on Friday (as I am leaving that evening for a [my!] birthday getaway). Please email them to me here ----> [ valeliz @ mac . com ] no later than noon (central standard time) Friday March 14th. I will tally the answers and have a winner for you by Friday at 5:00 pm! If I have more than 1 person who answers all 25 correctly, I will put the names in a hat and draw THE winner. Yayyyy!!! This will be sooooo fun! Answers to all 25 questions will be posted throughout my blog entries all throughout the week starting today!

* Oh, and one more thing, you have to have a blog to qualify to win, so when you email me, please attach your full name and name of your blog. Have fun, and thanks again for stopping by! Party on! :c)

The "Things I've Learned About Val" Quiz:



And while you are here, check out Kidazy.com. They are giving away a $100 Toys R Us gift card! I had never heard of Kidazy, but now after looking around, I have added it to my bloglines. I've found some great gift ideas and ideas for my own kiddos. I love ideas for new unique gifts. Check it out!! Hopefully one of us will win!

Bringing in my birthday Oprah-fied.

Well, I am not feeling all too spiffy with my headache (I had a nurse friend email me and she thinks I have a sinus infection!!) and I have a TON to do work-wise and me-wise before we leave for Chicago tomorrow evening for my birthday getaway!

I don't think I'm going to have time to do my last post before I leave, so I'm going to extend the Val Quiz event until next Wednesday the 19th. The last post will take place probably on Monday evening or Tuesday. Please stay tuned!

Phew! That's a lot of weight taken off my shoulders! Thanks for letting me extend this but it really is only to your advantage, right?!

So yeah, it's my birthday on Sunday. I turn 3-2. As each year passes, I'm having a harder and harder time dealing with it. I know 32 is young, but I just do NOT feel so young anymore. I felt good at 30 still. Lately I've just felt "eh". Maybe it's because of the 31 hours of labor I was in with Maia or the fact that I expend so much energy trying to make my tongue curl in a "U" like both my husband and son can do -- both of whom like to rub it in! :c)

I may get a rejuvenation for life on Monday. Guess where we're going, guess where we're going!? OPRAH! Yes, to see a taping of OPRAH!

And who is going to be on Oprah? Simon Cowell from American Idol!!! Ohmygoodness you just can't get it any better than this!! American Idol is one of my very favorite shows! Hubby and I cannot miss a single episode of it -- ever! (Did you see it last night? I'm sooooo glad David H. is gone!)

I've been trying to get tickets for Oprah for YEARS! So it's a great birthday present. Maybe the BEST birthday present ever. Neil decided he doesn't have to get me anything else even though it is a FREE gift that I, myself, took the time to get! :c) Oprah always talks about how being in her 50's is the best time of her life. Hopefully she'll make me feel not so bad about being in my 30's :c) I can't WAIT.

Have a great weekend, friends! I'm really looking forward to my time away in the Windy City! Thanks for attending my party all week -- I've had the greatest time!

*** update *** before we leave tomorrow, I'm going to the doctor for my headache. After specifically reading about sinus infections, I definitely think this is what it is and I need medications asap. I have to be up to par for Ms. Winfrey!

What's your color memory and office chair suggestions?

Can you do this??

45

On my first try I got 45. I think that's probably considered good, but being I was an Visual Communication Design art major (a.k.a. Graphic Design), I'm kinda disappointed in myself! See what you can do and tell me what you got because I'm really curious!

So I have a question. I'm assuming that a lot of desk-job women are coming by here. My question is, what kind of chair do you use at your desk?

My chiropractor thinks that some of my back issues stem from the desk chair I use and the fact that I sit at my desk for hours and hours. On weekends I sometimes spend 10 hours in my chair. I guess I never thought about how graphic design (which I get to use now with my digital photography job) would one day mean that I would stare hours on end at a computer screen and probably develop bad posture.

The chiro said it's very important about the placement of my computer screen. He said that it should be directly in front of me and not at the side and that I shouldn't be looking down at the screen. He said if I need to put books under it to lift it up, to do that. So I've done all his suggestions. I do, however, think the biggest culprit in my back troubles is my chair, which I got in November (it was my grandfather's).

My back pain didn't begin until this year and I've never had this sort of back pain before. (I broke my tailbone playing softball in high school and had major lower back spasms, but that was a pain which stemmed from a known injury.) We also have a new mattress which I question, too, but I want to concentrate on the chair first since it's the least expensive to replace!

I would love to get an ergonomical chair, especially an Aeron one (seen to the left). But holy cow, are they expensive (-- over a thousand dollars expensive)! Are they worth that? If I had the money I would buy one in a heartbeat. My chiropractor suggested it, but he also said there are a lot of spin-offs of it now too, which are much much cheaper.

What do you suggest for me?

My husband and I are going to start looking. But as we all know, the best people to give you shopping advice are those who have had positive experiences with the product! My mom may be able to help me since she works at a bank. Mom . . . what do you bank people recommend? I really need something with good lower and upper back support, something that can be adjusted up and down and forwards and backwards.

I thought about one of these to the right because they encourage sitting up straight, but I've had two people say "ehh, I don't think you'd be happy with that." So it's been vetoed. And you must remember, I live 2-1/2 hours from Chicago so I don't go there all that often. I live near Decatur (where I was born) so office chair shopping is pretty limited for me. I'll probably have to shop in an Office Max or Staples. So keep that in mind. I'd rather not order online if I can help it!

Whatcha think? I need some major help. My back will thank you over and over. I loooove my chiro but man, he is EXPENSIVE!!! I'd rather love something more that costs me less!

What is your love language?

I feel loved when...

The Five Love Languages

My Primary Love Language is Acts of Service

My Detailed Results:
Acts of Service:	9
Receiving Gifts:	8
Quality Time:	8
Words of Affirmation:	5
Physical Touch:	0

About this quiz

Unhappiness in relationships is often due to the fact that we speak different love languages. It can be helpful to know what language you speak and what language those around you speak.

Tag 3 people so they can find out what their love language is.

Take the Quiz!
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