I’m trying to join my friend Joi this week over at Rx Fitness Lady with her mini blog challenge party!
Today’s topic: Confessions of a Blogger.
Can I first confess that I didn’t know what I was going to write? Then I figured I’d let you in on a few little secrets about myself. Ok, maybe not secrets – but I think they can qualify as confessions?
1. I’m not good at following recipes. I often add things to recipes. You see, I like to use chicken broth and chocolate in anything I can (but not in the same thing. Yet.) My stepdaughter commented the other day, while cooking with me, and pouring some chicken broth into a sauce, that I seem to add chicken broth to everything! I laughed. It’s true. I try to skip out on butter and oil, and add chicken broth instead. It’s my way of being healthier, and my way of saving some calories to have room for the chocolate that I try to add to all baking. Healthy cookies? Better with some chocolate. One cup chocolate chips? That’s it? I’ll dump in the whole bag. You know what, I actually have ruined recipes because of too much chocolate. Did you know that was even possible?
2. I can teach a class no problem, talk away, get other people talking. I am a Speech Therapist for crying out loud. I teach about communication! People actually think public speaking is a breeze for me, and if I am the teacher (i.e. I know the topic and am prepared), I’m pretty good! But, do not ask me to make a phone call, or call on me in a class, or even expect me to attend a class or a conference without it requiring some major self talk (yup, I do that) to get me to it. I’ve been working on it: I took a photography course this summer, and actually had to discuss one of my photos – without any warning! My big goal is to one day get to a blogging conference, and to keep taking some other classes (the ultimate challenge would be a yoga class for me – class combined with exercise – yikes!)
3. I love chocolate milk. It’s my favourite drink. I would drink it anywhere, everywhere and with anything. If it’s on sale (milk is quite expensive where I live:), I buy. Lots of it. And I don’t share. You might think I am kidding, but recently I was grocery shopping with Josh and the chocolate milk was on sale. So, I bought 4 cartons of it (1litre cartons). When I got to checkout, I had 6 cartons?? Josh simply told me, “Mom, you buy so many and don’t share. You bought 4 for yourself, so I had to get 2 for us”. I was a tad bit embarrassed in front of the check out lady. **** I am Canadian – and chocolate milk is very different here. I’m not sure why or how (our actual chocolate is different too ), but I don’t like chocolate milk in the US. So don’t judge me until you have tried Canadian chocolate milk. It’s even super tasty in skim.
4. I love to cry in movies. Give me a movie that makes me a do a big, ugly cry, and that is a movie I will watch over and over. My kids think it’s kinda funny, and a little embarrassing if we are in the theatres. But, at home, they seem to get a kick out of asking “Is Mom crying yet?”, then one of the little guys will touch my face (we are often watching in the dark) and give everyone else the update. I love to cry in TV shows too. Crying is good!
5. I am very committed to my faith and am so grateful for it. I also love hearing about other people’s journeys with their beliefs and non beliefs. But, I get a little sick of the “bad press” about being a person who belongs to an organized religion. We often hear how “religious people” judge the “non-religious”, but let me tell you, it really goes both ways! The reality is people are people: there are the good, the bad, and the ugly in organized religion, and in “no religion”, and every other shade in between. I choose to live the life I lead because it is what I choose. I may share it with you, but that is more of a function of me having a desire to share, just like I want to hear your perspective too! Love is the overriding value for me in everything. If we truly love, then we can leave the judgements behind.
6. My husband says I am “mean when stressed.” By “mean”, I think he means, no nonsense. I’m a straight shooter and don’t have a whole lot of tolerance for playing mind games. And when I’m stressed, or in a rush, I’ll call you on it. I guess he thinks I could be a little nicer though. The other day we were grocery shopping and if you spend $50 you can get a free item (usually a basket of peaches, a bag of potatoes or something similar – but if you spend $250, you don’t get 5 free items, which I think stinks). Anyhow. This week, the item was a bouquet of flowers. We were checking out. I was very stressed as we had to finish checking out, drive home, unpack all the groceries and make it to a soccer game that started in 1 hour and was a 45 min drive away. So when the poor checkout lady offered me my free flowers, apparently I said “No” in a very abrupt way. My loving, calm, have-to-show-me-up-with-his-kindness husband responded, “Yes, thank you. We will take these beautiful flowers”, then shot me a look that I know said all kinds of things.
7. I’m terribly intimidated by social media. I’ve said this before. I mean it’s almost a fear. It’s an anxiety at the very least. Crazy I know. Why? Dunno. Just am. No one will follow me. Too many people will follow me. No one will like a post. Too many people will like a post. I won’t know what to say. I’ll have too much to say. I will say the wrong thing. I will say nothing of importance. I will love what people say. I will be crushed by what people say. BUT, I’m jumping in. I am slowly working on re-designing my blog, and have decided along with that to jump in with two feet:
If you are like me you are waiting for someone to hurry up and comment so you can relax. LOL! Loved getting to know you. I said, “EWWW” at the beginning of #3, then said “okay” after I finished. When in Canada try the chocolate milk 😉 I’m on my way to my facebook page to repost what I deleted yesterday that no one like by the time i went to bed. See, you’re not alone.
Haha! That’s why I had to mention the difference . Not sure what it is – but chocolate is different in general – differences in sugar and cacao from what I understand.
YAY! Just followed you on Twitter! 🙂 Died laughing at the flower story…only because that is exactly like something I would do! And I love chicken broth for cooking, too. :)-Ashley
So glad I am in good “mean” company!
Confessions do make you vulnerable, but they also help you connect with people, so thank you for sharing. I love chocolate milk too, but now I am super curious as to how it is different in Canada. And I love your #5. I appreciate that you have strong beliefs but are accepting of others – I wish everyone would be less judgmental. Glad to be doing the #MBC with you Leah!
Must come to Canada to try it! We all need to learn to be tolerant of others – that’s one of the reasons I love the blogging community. We learn from people from everywhere!
Yes, I too get impatient and then can get a bit mean. My husband would tell you that this is so true. So, I was reading that part and totally shaking my head in agreement. And I love that you were a bit vunerable here, because I just got to know a bit more about you here today!! 🙂
Another meanie! I love it!
I loved reading your confessions. It is really fun to get to know our favorite bloggers better. And vulnerability is scary but it helps build friendships too! I love chocolate milk and I often add the syrup to my regular milk. I also love that you have a strong faith but also love to hear about other’s. Faith, religion, beliefs are all so personal, I wish more of us could be open and respectful. I just followed you on Twitter! Yay! But I’m warning you, I’m terrible at Twitter!
Thanks fellow chocolate milk lover!
I’m on of “those people” who will cry in a movie, but try my darndest to act like I’m NOT crying. I’m such a fake. hehe
It’s such a good release to cry! I’ve given up on faking. I’m not a good faker:)
Ha! I’m a little “mean” when stressed, too. But hey, we moms have a lot on our shoulders and are bound to crack sometimes, right?!
Exactly! We need to be mean! I’m going to let my husband know…
Girl, I’m that kind of “mean when stressed” too! I am a straight shooter fo sho, lol! Love that! I followed you on twitter! Thanks for sharing some confession hun for the #MBC! I appreciate it!
Thanks for pulling this party together Joi!
I don’t know what it is, but I can really appreciate it when a blogger is being authentic–I guess I just respect them more because they aren’t trying to bulls*&t their way to the reader’s heart. Thank you Leah for keepin’ it real. I love that you are human, you embrace and at times apologize for your humanness, and you are willing to step back and own the parts of yourself that aren’t quite perfect in a moment–and we all have those moments!
Thanks, Nicole. It’s too much for me not to be real! I make many mistakes, but I try to be as real as I can be:)
Hooray for you!! I’m following you on Twitter!!…and I want to know how to put one of those buttons in my post so I can get more followers!! I also love the “no” to the flowers. I think I’m the exact same way…oh well!!! And keep drinking the chocolate milk – it’s actually really good for you:-)
It appears we all have a little “stressed when mean” streak! Glad chocolate milk can be considered good for you!!
I’m with you – cry often during movies, TV, commercials, books….
Love that you used y’all!
And the social media intimidates me and I know I don’t use it much – I followed you on Twitter,though!
I know! Commercials can get me too!
I’m so weird that I get flustered and a pounding heart when I have to speak in a place in which it’s just family or friends! I’m mean to my kids when I’m stressed, I think. I just had a Facebook status about it. Followed you on twitter – yay! Let me know if I can help with the re-design. I just went through and I survived the stresses without even getting mean!
Thanks, Tamara! I’m weird (and mean) with you:))
Yay, I followed you! I am so excited you are on Twitter!! Twitter is my favorite! And now you can do the SITS Sharefest! I am terrible at following recipes too Leah, which is why I am awful at baking!! You can’t just do a little of this, a little of that.
Now I need to find out about the Sharefest. So much to learn! But your posts are so helpful !!
I hate making phone calls… even to friends! I’m with you on #5 and #7. I am on facebook, but not twitter.
Thank goodness for text and email!!
I am now following you on Twitter!! We need to work on your recipe following thing….think of it as a science experiment that can go terribly wrong if you don’t follow all of the rules and ingredients…. 🙂 I think we all have to work on public speaking… I can ROCK it if I am prepared and not called on the spot, just like you. 🙂
I have made some very interesting meals!! Preparation is the key to public speaking, isn’t it?
Ah recipes and following them. I like to tweak them as I go, and fortunately, they’re not always disastrous.
I love chocolate and I love baking with chocolate, but I hate the clean up. It’s so messy!
The clean up is the worst! Especially after all my “helpers” lick everything up!
Just followed you on Twitter! I’m a recipe tweaker too. Trial and error is the only way to find out how a good recipe could be made better! I’m 100 percent with you on: “Love is the overriding value for me in everything. If we truly love, then we can leave the judgements behind.” I really enjoyed reading your confessions.
Thanks Alison! I’m with you on trial and error! My kids love it when I get an “error” as it means ordering pizza!! Thanks for following me on twitter!
Just followed you on twitter! 🙂 I was nervous when I jumped into social media from a blogging perspective too. I wasn’t sure what to expect with twitter, but it’s been a lot of fun. It was strange the first time I jumped (okay, interrupted) a conversation but it was frowned upon like it would be in real life. It was welcome. You’ll have fun! It was great getting to know you a big better, Leah. I agree – chocolate makes everything better! Although I am glad that you haven’t combined it with chicken broth yet, I don’t see that turning out well. LOL!
I’ll let you know if I combine the two! I’m signed up on twitter – now need to figure out how to use it! I think it may be a job I can pay my 15 year old to help me with !!
Yay! So glad you are on Twitter now! OK with that said, I am awful with social media. I spend very little time on it. But talking? Not a problem! I would love to meet you at a blog conference one day, Leah! And if you don’t feel like talking, that’s OK! I will do enough for both of us! xxoo
Once we break the ice, I never stop talking! Lol! One day, we shall meet! And then I’ll regret sharing all these confessions! Someone will likely ask me to spontaneously discuss them!!!
YAY for twitter!! I just followed you. Don’t be scared of Social Media, people will follow you back because you are awesome! You have already got a great fan base of readers!! I am also mean when stressed, my husband steers clear and throws food my way 🙂
I love that your husband throws food your way! I’m going to share that one!!! Thanks for the social media pep talk!!xo
I love your confessions, especially about chocolate milk 🙂
I’m mean when I’m stressed – to my husband and my kids but working on trying to handle that better. And I’m following you on Twitter too!
I’m so glad I am not alone in the mean category!!! I guess we all can get stressed and end up taking it out on those we love most:( I know I can work on it too!
Oooh chocolate milk is good! Love all your confessions..and I am person that will forget ingredients in a recipe all the time. Following you on twitter!
Glad I am not alone! If you forget an ingredient – just add more chocolate or chicken broth. Solves everything!
Lol… I’m the Queen of Mean when stressed… it’s scary…. and generally, I’m a pretty easy going laid back kind of person, but stressed… woah… Lol
Now, chocolate in everything? Sounds lovely, but my husband might gag. Hehe